Echoes of the Past: The Kingdom of Despair > iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac & PC Game

Overall rating

5 / 5

125 of 136 found this review helpful

Best Of The Bunch

PostedSeptember 11, 2013

JustTheFacts

fromRural Western Australia

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This "Key Contributor" plays, rates, and reviews a lot of games. We think you'll trust their thoughts and opinions about games.
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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

BASED ON COMPLETED CE GAME

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
5th in this series, this game is both representative of it, and something new. We still have our nemesis the witch, and we still must fix things she has destroyed before we can travel back to our reality. Something I didn’t notice immediately – this game is not a time travelling one. The “past” is merely the kingdom we are stranded in, which is not ...Show more

BASED ON COMPLETED CE GAME

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
5th in this series, this game is both representative of it, and something new. We still have our nemesis the witch, and we still must fix things she has destroyed before we can travel back to our reality. Something I didn’t notice immediately – this game is not a time travelling one. The “past” is merely the kingdom we are stranded in, which is not Orion, but the witch’s home world.

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
Graphics are superb, they have those sharp edges I’m none too keen on, but even that became unnoticeable quickly, because otherwise, the art was beautiful. Cut scenes are exceptional, and I love the witch’s new look.

The voiceovers are very good, done without any attempt at lip sync, the characters’ mouths don’t move. Some of the most majestic and uplifting music I’ve heard was mixed with the original theme, which I’m tired of, but I guess is a way of connecting this to the earlier games.

WHAT’S HAPPENING
We are, once again, sucked through a portal to another world, this time the witch’s. She has scattered the 5 amulets we need to get back, throughout the realm, so we must go on 5 quests to redeem her poor subjects in order to get them. She has removed each victim’s greatest virtue, turning them into opposites of their real selves. It is very well done and told, with each part of the world being quite different, but connected by the one theme.

MAKING PROGRESS
Loads and loads of puzzles. Some of them are really clever adaptations of old ones, some completely new, all of them engrossing, and none too easy. I had to skip a few. There are also a fair number of HOs – multiples of, interactive lists, and misplaced items. I particularly like that the items to replace are actually items you picked up earlier from a previous scene. The multiple items are handled differently as well.

Skip and hint are quick. Hint gives you advice, or sometimes shows where you should be. The interactive jump map allows you to toggle (on or off) indicators of active areas and completed scenes. One of my favourite things about these games – the inventory is at the top.

BLING!
Well, the CE does have achievements and a ‘spell book’, which is a little bit of fluff at the end of the game. And of course SG and bonus chapter and some puzzle replays. The only gallery items are concept art. The main game ends satisfyingly, and the bonus game is wedged in seamlessly at the end. Another quest, but unnecessary to the feeling of completion.

FAMOUS LAST WORDS
Always of two minds about this series, I can finally say I love this one! For me, the SE would have been just as wonderful.

So finally, I can give a game in this series an unequivocal five stars.

Either way, I’m glad I bought it. Show less

I recommend this game!

+114points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

23 of 23 found this review helpful

My Favorite of the Series

PostedSeptember 15, 2013

amyfrances

fromSan Francisco, CA

Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object

Current Favorite:

Nightmares from the Deep: The Siren's Call Collector's Edition

(114)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

3 / 5

This game isn't creative on story, but it is definitely creative in its other aspects. This is not earth-shatteringly original; it's about all the little touches. For example, one of the HOS asks you to find a number of piano keys. Once you've finished, you aren't zoomed out of the scene--instead, it turns into a regular scene where you have to find a key to unlock the piano. In another case, you ...Show more

This game isn't creative on story, but it is definitely creative in its other aspects. This is not earth-shatteringly original; it's about all the little touches. For example, one of the HOS asks you to find a number of piano keys. Once you've finished, you aren't zoomed out of the scene--instead, it turns into a regular scene where you have to find a key to unlock the piano. In another case, you find certain objects in one HOS, and then you use those objects by placing them in another HOS. Little things, as I said, but fun.

The storyline is very simple. You are trapped in an in-between world by a witch, who has hidden 5 amulets in 5 different worlds. You need the amulets to get back home. A skeleton/River Styx kind of guy is the gatekeeper to the 5 worlds. You must give him a bracelet to open up each world. I like stuff like this -- 5 discrete locations, easily manageable, all different.

The graphics are nicely done if not 100% crisp. My favorite thing was the weird monsters guarding parts of the worlds. They were hideous in a fun way. The voices are entertaining, especially one character who keeps telling you you are getting on her nerves.

The puzzles are particularly fun in this game, and varied. I usually hate most puzzles, but the developer has shown real creativity in places. Most of them are easy, but fun.

This game was challenging enough to keep my interest, but easy enough to be relaxing. There was lots to do and see without getting lost or frustrated, and clever little tasks to get done. I had a blast. Show less

I recommend this game!

+23points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

52 of 61 found this review helpful

SO THERE I WAS.....

PostedSeptember 11, 2013

pennmom36

fromDo I really leave the lonely blind kid on a bench?

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Top Reviewer

Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle

Current Favorite:

Phantasmat Collector's Edition

(100)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Minding my own business in the bookstore when a young lady with an emblem matching the book I was looking at, came strolling in and the next thing I know the two of us are sucked into the witch's portal! Now the witch has her new body and she informs me she is taking the amulets from the book and my only way home, and she's hiding them in different portal worlds. Man I'm having a bad day Now I ...Show more

Minding my own business in the bookstore when a young lady with an emblem matching the book I was looking at, came strolling in and the next thing I know the two of us are sucked into the witch's portal! Now the witch has her new body and she informs me she is taking the amulets from the book and my only way home, and she's hiding them in different portal worlds. Man I'm having a bad day Now I must travel through portals guarded by the witch's monsters, and the bag of bones gatekeeper needs to be supplied with bling before I can enter! This game is all about the puzzles, there are a ton of em like finding and inserting voodoo needles into a voodoo doll to allow the green slime to travel from needle point to needle point and to the finish with a limited amount of needles. The HOS are a mixture of very interactive list finds and find 12 of a certain item such as piano keys or torn picture fragments. My favorite mini game was a bed of rosebuds with a squared grid around each individual bush, some with one bud others might have 2 or three. The object was to put fertilizer in the lines around the roses to make each bud bloom so if a bush had 3 buds then 3 lines needed fertilizer and the fourth empty, but, the fertilizer is in limited quantity so it has to be precise. Here is a tip: you can scoop up the existing fertilizer in any line you don't have to reset the whole puzzle if you make a mistake. I think this SE is the better buy than CE it is a quality game with quality graphics and cut scenes. Enjoy! Show less

I recommend this game!

+43points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

13 of 13 found this review helpful

Great Interactive Game

PostedSeptember 16, 2013

53_model

fromMO

Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Graphics are phenomenal in this game---play reminds me of the Secrets of the Dark series...LOTS of interaction--some going back and forth to same HO or finishing up a task, but the Map is extremely helpful of where you need to go..Hint button is spot on and refills quickly...Loved the trial so much, went ahead and purchased!...Won't be disappointed..

I recommend this game!

+13points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

11 of 11 found this review helpful

Fabulous!

PostedOctober 22, 2013

Flick63

fromShetland Islands, Scotland

Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I highly recommend you try and buy this game. All the way through it has provided surprises and some of the most beautiful artwork I have ever seen in a game, especially after you reach the halfway mark and meet the artist. Some of the puzzles I had never seen before and were quite challenging, but very very interesting. My benchmarks are Dire Grove and Return to Ravenhearst, the likes of which ...Show more

I highly recommend you try and buy this game. All the way through it has provided surprises and some of the most beautiful artwork I have ever seen in a game, especially after you reach the halfway mark and meet the artist. Some of the puzzles I had never seen before and were quite challenging, but very very interesting. My benchmarks are Dire Grove and Return to Ravenhearst, the likes of which have never really been equalled in my opinion. This game is high up there. It is not really like the previous games of the title, I think it is easily the best of them so far. I really liked the graphics and the music, have no dislikes at all in this game, thoroughly immersing and enjoyable. Show less

I recommend this game!

+11points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

7 of 7 found this review helpful

One of the better HO Games out there!

PostedNovember 4, 2013

muddycentaur

fromColumbus, GA

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Not straight HO, good puzzles with challenging difficulty on some. Good length of game with many levels and challenges. Love this developer!

I recommend this game!

+7points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

5 of 5 found this review helpful

Another great Echos!!!!! This one was alot of fun!!!!

PostedFebruary 2, 2014

christyjoy

fromPortland, OR

Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I enjoyed this Echos very much!...the mini games were alot of fun and not too challenging so i could enjoy getting through all the twist and turns of the game as a whole. I love all the Echo games and have been a fan since I played the first one years ago! Highly recommend the whole collection!!!! Thank you for keeping it fun, intriguing, colorful and adventurous as all the rest!!!

I recommend this game!

+5points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

5 of 5 found this review helpful

Strap yourself in for long game

PostedNovember 8, 2013

Weedance

fromMelbourne, Australia

Key Contributor
This "Key Contributor" plays, rates, and reviews a lot of games. We think you'll trust their thoughts and opinions about games.
Key Contributor

Skill Level:Expert

Current Favorite:

Echoes of the Past: The Kingdom of Despair

(42)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Great to have something that took me hours to complete. I returned over and over again during the last few weeks to progress the game, slowly meeting all the challenges. They were not necessarily difficult, but they often needed several pieces to complete and these were strewn across different worlds, so there was a lot of back and forth. The HOS were very, very easy, and filled with variety - ...Show more

Great to have something that took me hours to complete. I returned over and over again during the last few weeks to progress the game, slowly meeting all the challenges. They were not necessarily difficult, but they often needed several pieces to complete and these were strewn across different worlds, so there was a lot of back and forth. The HOS were very, very easy, and filled with variety - would have liked a bit more challenge there. I couldn't' play this game on my small laptop - as I can't many of the bigger games coming out. Something about the OS and small screen. Show less

I recommend this game!

+5points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

4 of 4 found this review helpful

an enjoyable game that is relaxing

PostedOctober 5, 2013

denniann2

fromharrisonburg, virginia

Key Contributor
This "Key Contributor" plays, rates, and reviews a lot of games. We think you'll trust their thoughts and opinions about games.
Key Contributor

Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

played casual, low/no sound. hints/skips charge super fast!!! you are trying to solve the mystery of why the people keep changing into evil beings and you meet the evil queen that is doing it and she isn't evil at all in the "real" world. only when she compares her necklace and the one on the book. she then turns evil and transforms all the others and you have to find the one thing that will ...Show more

played casual, low/no sound. hints/skips charge super fast!!! you are trying to solve the mystery of why the people keep changing into evil beings and you meet the evil queen that is doing it and she isn't evil at all in the "real" world. only when she compares her necklace and the one on the book. she then turns evil and transforms all the others and you have to find the one thing that will transform them back and apply it to them to get the "real" person back. the hints show you the place you need to go and if you look at the map (interactive) it will take you there. it also shows the areas of interest so you don't need the hints all time. the areas glow on the map!!!! there is a diary, as well. sequel.....there have been ones in the past and i feel sure there will be one in the future. the scenes are putting things back in where they belong and some HO scenes and also picking up items as you progress through the game. Show less

I recommend this game!

+4points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

4 of 5 found this review helpful

Hidden Object Game

PostedOctober 28, 2013

patyvill

fromEl Paso, TX

Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Word, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Brain Teaser, Puzzle

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

The puzzles were challenging and fun. The visuals are very good. There was enough challenge to make it fun, but at the same time I was able to get through it without using the strategy guide.

I recommend this game!

+3points

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	, share your thoughts about this game! Echoes of the Past: The Kingdom of Despair Escape the witch's kingdom! Heres what your review will look like once it’s posted. Click Submit if you’re happy. Your review should appear soon. To make changes, use the Edit or Cancel buttons. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about this game! You’ve already shared your thoughts about this game. Thanks for submitting the review below.