Nightfall Mysteries: Black Heart Standard/Collector's Edition Review & Download

for only $ 13.99!

Hi there. Today Big Fish Games released absolutely new Hidden Object game - Nightfall Mysteries: Black Heart, so here I am, releasing it. When somebody making sequel of the popular film or game, usually he just want to make some money, using the success of the first part. Hard to remember more than a few sequels, that were more interesting and successful, than the first part (we won't recall Terminator 2 :) ). Such things happens, not often, but sometimes it happens. But I can hardly remember third part of anything, that was more interesting than first and second parts (let's not talk about Mystery Case Files®: Escape from Ravenhearst™ - 8th successful part of Mystery Case Files series  - it's the incredible exception that only confirms the common rule). Standard Edition for $2.99 can be downloaded here (for PC) and here (for Mac).
What I mean here? Nightfall Mysteries: Black Heart is the third part of Nightfall Mysteries game series. First and second parts were interesting and successful. Let's see did Vast Studios - game developer -  jumped over their heads and made a high-quality third part. And our review will start with the gameplay video.

Gameplay videos made like animated comic books, stylish. Old enemies - Vansig family has attacked the young couple of our heroes and has kidnapped Viigo. They took him away on the horses. Now Christine must follow them to reunite with Viigo and save him from the terrible death. She is pretty useless girl, so you are the only hope for Viigo to escape his doom. You will follow Vansig's and explore the old secretive manor, full of traps and riddles, where Viigo is inprisoned. Some traps are really deadly - numerous places in the manor are mined and will explode after your first mistake. Will you be able to stop evil Vansig family?

Don't have any idea, who is Viigo,Vansigs and Christine and why Christine and Viigo are mortal enemies of the Vansigs? It means that you missed Nightfall Mysteries 1-2. Don't worry, I will tell you about those games. But I may recommend you to play them first, if you want to play Nightfall Mysteries: Black Heart, because their stories are tightly connected. We will start with the first game - Nightfall Mysteries: Curse of the Opera.

As you may understand from the game name, it dedicated to the opera. You was taking a role of opera's lowly stagehand, that soon became a sole survivor of the whole troupe. Reclusive Count Vladd Vansig invited your troupe to his giant mansion to perform an opera for him. But in the village where mansion stands there is on one except count himself and his caretaker. Soon someone started to kill your friends and colleagues, so your task in Nightfall Mysteries: Curse of the Opera was to find out, who is the killer and to save yourself. Unsettling, to say the least. As you may now understand, count Vansig itself and his spooky family was the killers.
Curse of the Opera game was great-looking, it included great dark humor and some really challenging puzzles, few characters and scenes likely came from some morbid tale. Most of your crew was self-absorbed pathetic idiots, so it wasn't a big loss when you saw them dead. But few cons was found too - some game scenes occasionally were repeating, and often naming of the items in hidden object searches wasn't clear enough. But this amusing game was good, it received ratings about 4/5.

Now we'll talk about the second game - Nightfall Mysteries: Asylum Conspiracy. You were playing as the same game character - Christine. Your task was to save your grandfather from the Asylum, where evil doctors are committed nonhuman experiments on a living beings.
Christine explored the spooky Ashburg Asylum, going more and more deep underground, finding more and more results of twisted experiments. Of course, Asylum's staff wasn't just standing and looking at Christine - crazy medics were hunting for her like for a wild animal. So the search of Christine's grandpa Charles has begun!
Strangely for sequels, Asylum Conspiracy game was even more interesting, than the first game. It included great storyline, nice puzzles, some of them were really innovative and, of cource, interesting storyline. Problems were the same - backtracking and repeating searches, just as in the first game. You were discovering the island, where Asylum was situated, meeting hideous characters, like cop, looking for information about his wife's death, crazy psycho's who once were patients of the asylum, and, of course, even more crazy doctor. Some of puzzles were really annoying but you can skip any puzzle you don't want to complete, and that's another plus. Graphics is nice, mental ward is creepy and dilapidated. Doctor always turn up unexpectedly behind you, trying, for example, to decapitate you. There was even 15 additional hidden audiotapes, telling us about doctor's terrible experiments. Atmosphere of Nightfall Mysteries: Asylum Conspiracy was full of dread and menace and finale, slightly connected with the first part, was shocking. Game recieved ratings about 4.5/5.

In the end of the first games you finding the identity of the killer, when he tried to kill you too, your smart actions turn his deadly trap onto himself, so he died. At least, that's what we think. But unfortunately count Vansig  is alive and now he wants bloody revenge!
In Nightfall Mysteries: Black Heart you found your true love, Viggo, making a perfect couple with him. You was even thinking about wedding invitations: "Viggo and Christine" isn't it sounds beautiful? But past won't let you go. Vansig family is back, they kidnapped Viggo and to safe him you mast go directly to their lair. You will return to the opera scene, doing everything you need and everything you can to save your beloved one. Will your love be strong enough to save him? 

Nightfall Mysteries: Black Heart Game, strangely for the third part of the series, is good. Puzzles are traditionally interesting, Hidden Object scenes are perfectly drawn. Vast Studios likely didn't read reviews of their previous games, so some backtracking and repeating continues in the third part, but less, than even in the second one. Collector's edition including standard set - bonus chapter, wallpapers (1280x960 max), concept art, integrated strategy guide, soundtrack - nothing unusual. The only thing that you won't see in every Collector's edition - unlimited access to every game puzzle.
If you want more info about Nightfall Mysteries: Black Heart Collector's Edition, for example, walkthrough, FAQ, answers on some technical issues, hints and solutions - welcome to the game forum.

Let's start the rating-giving part. Nightfall Mysteries: Black Heart Collector's Edition is a good game, it is ending the story about deadly confrontation of Vansig family and Christine. If you played Nightfall Mysteries 1-2 and liked it - Nightfall Mysteries: Black Heart is absolutely must have for you. If you don't than of course you may play it and you will have fun, because graphics, atmosphere, music and puzzles in the game are pretty good, but you will miss some links, connected with the previous parts. So better you should start with Curse of the Opera.

Rating: 4.6/5.

for only $ 13.99!