Midnight Mysteries: Haunted Houdini Deluxe Review & Download

 for $ 6.99 only!

Hello again, my friends. Today new Hidden Object game - Midnight Mysteries: Haunted Houdini Deluxe Edition has been released by Big Fish Games so you can download it and I can review it.
First of all, let's find out, what Deluxe Edition mean. Midnight Mysteries: Haunted Houdini is the first Deluxe Edition game from Bigh Fish, such releases never happened before. Big Fish Games releases only Standard Edition of the game (nothing special, no additional elements, standard minimal price) and, for a special, best and most interesting games, Big Fish also released Collector's edition (double price, additional features like bonus chapters, wallpapers, concept art, Integrated Strategy Guide, soundtrack etc). Deluxe Edition of Midnight Mysteries: Haunted Houdini is something in the middle of this two versions - it includes Integrated Strategy Guide... and that's all. Big Fish price politics for Deluxe editions is very pleasant, just like for usual Standard Edition, just $ 2.99 (for new customers only, 9.99 for regular purchase).
But now let's speak about Haunted Houdini game itself, and our review will start with the gameplay video.

Not bad (of course, I can hardly remember HOG that has boring or ugly gameplay video) so let's talk about the game itself more specific to find out, does it really worth your time. And you must remember, that Midnight Mysteries: Haunted Houdini is the fourth part of the Midnight Mysteries game series, besides previous three parts were successful and interesting to play. Let's see, is storyline of the Haunted Houdini connected with the previous games.
Midnight Mysteries: Haunted Houdini story begins with true love of Harry Houdini and his wife Bess. Harry loved Bess so much that he promised her, that he will contact her even after his death - he will set contact from beyond. But when Houdini, performing ultimate stunt (he was chained and thrown into the water, full of alligators) died, Bess attempts to contact him, using help of the best mediums were failed. So, broken by sorrow and despair, Bess died. Now her spirit haunts you, asking to help her to unite with the husband.

So as you may see, Midnight Mysteries: Haunted Houdini is another game about ghosts. Now let's talk about previous parts of Midnight Mysteries and we will start with Midnight Mysteries: The Edgar Allan Poe Conspiracy.
Connection between those games isn't tight enough - both cases you must find the cause of death of the famous person, Harry Houdini for the fourth game and Edgar Allan Poe - in the first one. In the both game ghost guiding you, giving tips about your next move and location of the clues.
Poes advices was helping you to solve the ancient homicide and to find and punish his murderer, to crack the conspiracy, that ends with Poe's death. The funniest thing about this game - it based on the true story - Poe's death remains a mystery even today. Edgar Poe was found in 1849 on the Baltimore streets in the clothes of someone else. He was absolutely  crazy, without any connection with reality. Four days later Poe died in Washington College Hospital. Reason of death and whereabouts of Poe during missing period still remains unknown.
Game has great creepy atmosphere, almost every hidden object you are looking for connected with the storyline, some puzzles and minigames were funny. But there was a cons too - objects always were in the same places, and some of them had a confusing names, making them hard to find. The Edgar Allan Poe Conspiracy game receive ratings about 3.5-4, but many gamers liked it, so sequel was inevitable.

Sequel's name is Midnight Mysteries: Salem Witch Trials. Once again, just as in Haunted Houdini, dead came to the living seeking for help. This time ghost of Nathaniel Hawthorne, who died in a terrible snowstorm, came to you asking for help. With his help you traveled back to 17th century looking for answers about Salem Witch Trials. Why the whole town become so mad. Why so many women were burned? You are the only one able to find answers. Hawthorne's death wasn't an accident too, so discovering true reason of his demise was your secondary task. Witchcraft claims has shaken Salem, so will you be able to find the truth and free Hawthorne's spirit?
Midnight Mysteries: Salem Witch Trials received higher ratings, than the first part - about 4-4.5. It was more atmospheric, more beautiful, more interesting. Many game elements were more like 100% adventure game, not a simple Hidden Object game.
There was a supernatural friends and foes for you - poltergeists, even former president of America Franklin Pierce. The only way to find the truth was to investigate Salem, looking for clues and asking witnesses about what happens. Hints aren't rechargeable - contrary, they are strictly limited. All answers of your witnesses are automatically writing into your notebook. The only con this game has - most puzzles are too easy. Salem Witch Trials fixes most of the issues the first game had. So this game about dark Massachusetts adventures become a real bestseller, it was Mumbo Jumbo masterpiece. 

Third part is called Midnight Mysteries 3: Devil on the Mississippi. This time your task was to help Mark Twain's ghost (as you may see, main storyline move - ghost of a famous man coming to you, seeking for help - looking for true reason of his death, didn't changes from the first part to Haunted Houdini). just before death Twain was debating about William Shakespeare true identity and unfortunatelly waked and evil spirit. Soon Twain died so you must find out, why is this happened.
And even after death those spirit didn't leave Twain alone, he's seeking him, trying to capture the ghost and kidnap it to hell. So you will help Twain to defeat his demons from the former life and also find out the true identity of Shakespeare.
Most hidden objects in the game are large and easy to find, you won't meet task to find an item with size 2x2 pixels. Graphics was incredibly great, but there was almost no voice acting, almost everything about story you learning by reading. That was really boring. Story often overlaps, mixing Shakespeare's life with Twain's. Some puzzles are unusual and has no instruction, so they are almost impossible to solve. In the end Devil on the Mississippi game ratings weren't so good, as in the second part - about 3.5.

And now will talk about fourth game (at last, isn't it?) - Midnight Mysteries: Haunted Houdini. Now you will discover terrible truth, hidden behind the death of Harry Houdini. Why he died, who was the monster, filled with fire, that Harry saw in the last moments of his life. Why Bell couldn't reach Houdini in the other side of living, why even after death her spirit still disconnected from his?
Answers to all those questions are well hidden, so it will be hard to discover them. Bell spent all her fortune, trying to find answers (when she was still alive, of course) and failed. Will you failed too?
Harry's death is a real mystery: he was dropped from the boom crane into the water, tied and chained. But those trick was easy for him, Houdini complete this stunt many times, always successfully. What happened this time? And who doesn't letting you to reach Houdini in his afterlife?

You will interview figures from Houdini's past. Spirits of famous characters (Arthur Conan Doyle, for example) will help you, but first you must to help them. Ghosts in Midnight Mysteries 4: Haunted Houdini made very realistic, just like in top Hollywood films.
Graphics and videos of the Midnight Mysteries: Haunted Houdini are really great. Unfortunately, authors didn't bring anything new in the gameplay and story. Doing the same in the fourth time isn't very funny. Music and atmosphere of the game are also good. If you need some additional technical info about game - visit Game Forum.

Let's sum up. Midnight Mysteries: Haunted Houdini is a high-quality HOG, atmospheric and spooky. It didn't connected tightly with the previous parts if Midnight Mysteries game series, so if you missed them and likes dark games about ghosts - I recommend you to play Haunted Houdini. Or you can start with the second part - Salem Witch Trials (IMHO the best game of the series). If you completed all three Midnight Mysteries games and wants more - that just for you. Gameplay is interesting, puzzles are various and hard enough, hints are sometimes useful. But if you played previous games and already bored of everything, connected with the ghosts and searching for the cause of their death (just as I do) - better play something else, for example Otherworld: Spring of Shadows Collector's Edition. Good luck!

Rating: 4.4/5.

 for $ 6.99 only!