I can confidently say that I was looking forward to spending some time with the new Grim Tales game, Grim Tales:: The Vengeance, as I'm a pretty big fan of the series, especially the fantastically creepy Grim Tales: Blood Mary.
But after my adventure and outright disappointment with the last series game I played, Phenomenon: Outcome, I was a tad bit nervous that this would also end in disaster.
However, I pushed my fears aside and bravely ventured forth into rather macabre and deliciously creepy Grim Tales.
Thankfully, this game did not disappoint.
The Story of Grim Tales: The Vengeance
Our tale begins with the figure of a young girl, a tiny fluffy white dog perched on one shoulder standing on the precipice of a cliff. She's clearly waiting for someone as she wonders aloud that it was a peculiar place to meet a person.
The next screen reveals a sinister character in the shadows, flanked by two ferocious Dobermans. With a signal from their master, the dogs lunge at the girl, sending her to her death on the rocks below.
Cue evil music now.
Not a bad setup to a mystery game. Although... side rant. Why are the evil dogs always Dobermans? As a longtime owner of these dopey dogs, I take offense! Not that these dogs aren't defensive, but their portrayal in films and games really doesn't do the breed justice. They are very loving, dopey dogs with a great degree of personality... so go out and rescue one today!
Okay, I'll get down off my soapbox now and get back to the story.
Once you begin the game, you receive a phone call from your nephew James, who has been accused of killing his sister. We quickly discover that the young girl was his sister and you are playing the role of his Aunt Gray, a woman who is well respected for her ability to apparently see the past of an item just by touching it.
You've been called to testify in Jame's trial and read the items they have brought forth as evidence. Now, it seems a tad unbelievable that you would be called to read these items if the accused was a relative, but hey, the lady can travel to the past and everyone seems okay with that too, so I guess I'm not going to poke at the holes too hard.
Anyhow, now, it's up to you to travel to different times and track down evidence that can prove whether James is indeed the killer. However, you soon realize something isn't quite right as a strange shadowy form is following you through this time rifts and causing you a great deal of trouble.
Now you must sally forth in your investigation, collect evidence, and discover who exactly has been able to intrude upon the past!
Okay, that's a pretty unique and interesting storyline... I'm officially hooked.
The Graphics of Grim Tales: The Vengeance
The graphics were drop-dead gorgeous, I must admit. They were lovely, all cast in beautiful blue shadows, soft purples, and serene greens and blues.
It was clear that the developers spent long detailed hours, lovingly crafting these magnificent scenes. I often caught myself gazing at the backgrounds, noting how truly wonderful the environment was.
The Gameplay of Grim Tales: The Vengeance
General gameplay followed your traditional point and click of a hidden object adventure game. Nothing overly complicated or out of place that fans of this genre would have a hard time with.
The hidden object scenes are lovely to look at, not too shadowed or with hard to see items. There was a nice touch to include a hidden object scene as you were sorting through evidence, looking for a particular piece that called to you the strongest.
The mini-games were entertaining and unique, and also extremely beautiful. There wasn't anything overly challenging about them, but they were really well done and I looked forward to finding the next one to play.
Another nice feature was the evidence that you had to gather in each moment of the past. It appeared on the left hand side of your screen, and after every piece that you collected, there was a small movie that explained how the evidence fit into the case.
The Music, Sound & Voice Acting of Grim Tales: The Vengeance
Oh what a relief it was to hear pleasant voice actors in this game. Lately, my ears have been accosted with emotionless vapid voices and horrendous scripts and I'm just not sure how much more I can take.
Thankfully, the voice acting in Grim Tales: The Vengeance was top-notch and well delivered, featuring a wide array of voices with clear talent that made for an excellent gaming experience.
The sounds were also pleasant and carefully created an immersive environment with the soft hum of crickets or the faint rustling of branches in the wind.
Dramatic and poignant music also contributed to the overall experience and provided a pleasant ambiance as you continued to search for clues hidden in the past.
Overall Conclusion for Grim Tales: The Vengeance
This is pretty much an all around fantastic game that scored high marks where it counted - an gripping story, polished and entertaining gameplay, music, sound, and voiceacting that scintillated that scenes, and just plain fun to play.
If you're a fan of Grim Tales, you're not going to want to miss this latest addition to the series.