Hidden Through Time 2: Discovery Review

Recently, I got the privilege of playing the latest instalment of Hidden Through Time: a charming hidden object title that has been delighting me since the first entry, and it's no surprise, considering its numerous great features and mechanics. So, if you're a fan of the franchise or the genre, let's talk about my experiences with Hidden Through Time 2: Discovery!

For those who don't know, let me introduce you to the main premise and what you can expect. Obviously, as the title and genre imply, it's all about looking for items around different worlds; while it starts off simple and small, the more you go in, the larger the places become and the more objects you need to find. What makes the franchise stand out, however, are the numerous features that make the game more relaxing and humorous than others I've played!

A great example is the cartoony style and silly situations that make it more entertaining to explore the world while you're looking for the objects. Unlike a lot of titles from the genre, it doesn't feel as serious or "competitive": you can click as much as you like without consequence, and you don't have to find every item to move on. Since most of the ones I've played have a penalty or reward for not spamming, it took me a while to get used to clicking around to find interactions whenever I got stuck! Another charming aspect is the inventive maps and areas: playing in different eras and places across human history is a big highlight for a history fan like me, especially when you see silly little winks of famous moments or people!

Despite how great the humour and wholesomeness are, my favourite feature is the in-depth map creator. In this latest entry, there are even more customisation options, which is fantastic! While I don't often play around with this mode, I've seen some gorgeous creations by other players. This time, I tried it out and took my time making a proper map! Although the mode isn't the worst in terms of intuitive commands, it did reset some of my progress a few times. Regardless, it's one of my favourite features, as it breathes life into the game through the community! You can find the map I made as "The Mansion" or use this code to play it: 2cfd9fbe-7aed-48a3-9cae-db22c4841249.

So far, every entry has had innovation, such as the weather system implemented in the second game. This time around, I saw a few quality-of-life upgrades, such as the items disappearing from the bar when you find them, which is excellent! Unfortunately, I'm not the biggest fan of the weather system. Since I usually sit down to enjoy the franchise during days when I'm a bit on the slower side, it causes me to get a bit lazy about keeping in mind the items as well as their weather condition. Additionally, while I loved the campaign themes — Noir, Victorian, and Science Fiction — I felt like the buildings were placed awkwardly, making the game feel clunky when I tried to click on things. I also wish that the interactable items were more common, as there are only a handful of them, but I find myself anxiously clicking on anything that looks like a container. Plus, it's a fun difference from other titles!

Another thing I enjoyed about this instalment was the silly stories in every world. As an example, in the Victorian map, we follow Sherlock Holmes! They add another layer of silliness and more depth to the areas we're visiting by providing a lighthearted and goofy story that fits each area. While I've enjoyed many of the other maps in the previous entries, I was quite smitten by the Science Fiction and the Victorian one of this latest one!

These are minor niggles I have, though; this entry is still charming and fun. So, if you've enjoyed the previous ones or are a fan of hidden object titles, you'll surely find something to love about Hidden Through Time 2: Discovery!