It doesn’t look too bad, but your eyes won’t forgive you for the textures in a few hours…
Urph.
I have a soft spot for HOGs that are supernatural related.
Let’s get one thing straight. My main rule in life is: If I can defend myself from it, I do not fear it.
I’m both fascinated and terrified of ghosts. As such, I was looking forward to a game series that boasts it’s feature of apparent ‘real ghost stories’.
I have a soft spot for HOGs that are supernatural related.
Let’s get one thing straight. My main rule in life is: If I can defend myself from it, I do not fear it.
I’m both fascinated and terrified of ghosts. As such, I was looking forward to a game series that boasts it’s feature of apparent ‘real ghost stories’.
After completing the game I did my research (though minimal). The only time the victim's name cropped up was in reference to this game.While our baddie existed, I don't know about anyone else. Whatever, I can't complain about giving history the middle finger for the sake of a good game. I mean, look at the Sengoku Basara series.... Moving on!
While it’s common for HOGs to suffer the Rinse And Repeat Syndrome, most try to make them engaging. Unfortunately not so with Bodie. There are three types of play in this game: The Typical Hidden Object finding scenes, Reconstructing Tombstone Puzzles & Finding Differences within photos.
While it’s common for HOGs to suffer the Rinse And Repeat Syndrome, most try to make them engaging. Unfortunately not so with Bodie. There are three types of play in this game: The Typical Hidden Object finding scenes, Reconstructing Tombstone Puzzles & Finding Differences within photos.
Story:
You’re investigating the murder of a little girl, who was killed with a pick axe over 100 years earlier. As well, you have been informed that the gravestones of those connected to the case have been desecrated. As you explore Bodie, you come to see that it’s an understatement. Someone’s taken the gravestones and basically run them through a wood chipper.
It is up to you to unravel the mystery, as each victim will help you with a piece of a map leading to the murder weapon. Whether they like it or not.
Gameplay:
Object Finding:
Out of all the things they could put effort into… They animated the fan to spin
Beware all who enter: These scenes may cause motion sickness. Please use the barf bags we have provided within the game's packaging!
While the rooms you explore are different depending on what house you are exploring, they still lack a unique touch. Considering this is a rundown old town, this is probably more appropriate than I give it credit for. Everything starts to look the same and to be honest I'm not sure whether all the houses are different. They could easily have repeated them and I would not have known the difference - Too busy suffering motion-sickness to notice.
These parts are utter chaos and strangely enough made me feel ill (as I keep mentioning. /whinge whinge whinge). While most people simply put it down to the scenes being ‘dark’, I put it down to utter carelessness. There is a difference between being visually dark and simply having poor graphics. The lights and dark of each room clash too much, not only with each other but often the objects you're trying to find.
I like the rooms. However certain areas are cluttered and both sharp edged images and blurry edged images clash together and make things difficult to see. Along with that, each individual item has it’s own light source which, if you are unlucky like myself, will cause it to match the colour of whatever it’s placed upon without anything – Shading, Lighting, Outline, Features – To render it from the background. I rage-quit unable to find 'antique swords' which were only a shade lighter or darker than the bookcases they were on.
Nothing feels smooth here and that's a real problem. For a HOG everything should flow together. Nothing should abruptly stick out - because we'll always click those first, while everything else is a level 18 Rogue. Ugh.
These parts are utter chaos and strangely enough made me feel ill (as I keep mentioning. /whinge whinge whinge). While most people simply put it down to the scenes being ‘dark’, I put it down to utter carelessness. There is a difference between being visually dark and simply having poor graphics. The lights and dark of each room clash too much, not only with each other but often the objects you're trying to find.
I like the rooms. However certain areas are cluttered and both sharp edged images and blurry edged images clash together and make things difficult to see. Along with that, each individual item has it’s own light source which, if you are unlucky like myself, will cause it to match the colour of whatever it’s placed upon without anything – Shading, Lighting, Outline, Features – To render it from the background. I rage-quit unable to find 'antique swords' which were only a shade lighter or darker than the bookcases they were on.
Nothing feels smooth here and that's a real problem. For a HOG everything should flow together. Nothing should abruptly stick out - because we'll always click those first, while everything else is a level 18 Rogue. Ugh.
I also need to bring up The Hint System. You can have Two Hints Max at a time. While your inventory list is small, further throughout the game you'll be looking for 4 of one item and a two limit max is ridiculous. Thankfully if you use them all up, you can wait 2 minutes for another. Although time timer is hardly accurate as it just jumps between 2 minutes to 1 minutes.
I think I'll make a sandwich and wait, actually. TO THE KITCHEN!
There are no ways of gaining hints during the levels. Instead if you use a clue during an object finding scene, before going to the next house it will remind you that you are short a hint, and encourage you to find three flies. Usually I’ll just ignore this because finding the flies can be a strain (I’m pretty sure sometimes they only put two in the image, and the collected flies don’t stockpile). Just wait for the two minutes mark.
Grave Stones:
I'm going to find the guy that broke these and kick him in the sack until it caves in.
After you finish searching the house (and narrowly avoid getting hospitalized after being hit by a sack of falling rock pieces), you return to the map and go to the graveyard. Opening the sack five pieces will pop up at a time and it's up to you to reconstruct the gravestones! How do they hold together...? I don't know, you're a wizard or something. Private Investigator Dumbledore - Just roll with it.
You'll notice jump scares as you work through these. This will be the game going 'Boo! I'm scary, right?... Right? Oh please love me :( My mother never loved me...'. Putting aside the fact that this game needs serious psychiatric help, I'd advice just ignoring it. All of the ghosts (except the last one) and still images floating up and down, popping up for about 2 seconds. Their appearance reflects how much of their grave you've restored.
No, I don't know why they hate you. You're trying to put them to rest but the fact is, they're just kind of jerks. Anyway, constructing the gravestone will give you the victim's bio.
How many people must die until we learn god hates trailer parks mines?!
Seriously, that’s the third person suffering from Sudden Mine Death….
Seriously, that’s the third person suffering from Sudden Mine Death….
Following this you'll have to find small, rarely visible images sketched into the tomb stone. There are usually two different type of images, both reflecting (very losely) the story of the victim's death. Have fun with that.
Hints are enabled in these segments.
Spot The Difference:
Watch as I use these photos as lighter fuel!
Every so often before you receive your gravestone pieces, the game will treat you to... *drum roll* Spot the difference! In my version, it would have a picture of the game developers, before and after I've given them a black eye.
There’s a ridiculous amount of differences (usually VERY minute ones) to find. However, the game neglects to circle the ones you’ve gotten (Instead just clearing them) and you are NOT allowed hints! It boggles the mind.
Also the slight rotation of the images makes many things look ajar, which truly messes with the mind as these differences do not count. Gaah.
You don’t get penalized for random clicking in these, so go ahead… Break your mouse… This was honestly the only way I got through most of these segments.
Eveyln:
I would have taken a pickaxe to you, too.
Every so often you'll have to check out the church. Evelyn will give you a watch, which has absolutely no relevance than just wasting 5 seconds after every puzzle and dragging you back to the church for her to remind you 'You have to solve the mystery before sundown or you'll never leave!'.
Despite being the reason you're here she really serves no purpose other than being the MacGuffin.
Music:
The music is soft and… Repeating. I can’t call it atmospheric but it’s apparent that they tried. If you’ve having trouble with an area you’ll hear the same song over and over.
Opening the door has what sounds like a 4 second audio loop.
Other than that the music is nice for a minute or two… But it will great. Oh god will it grate. I was unable to find any folders to find out how long the actual music files go for.
Other than that the music is nice for a minute or two… But it will great. Oh god will it grate. I was unable to find any folders to find out how long the actual music files go for.
I actually quite like the track that plays during the Gravestone rebuilding scenes, on that note.
Conclusion:
It took me several days to bear this game because I could only play it for short intervals at a time.
I looked at many other reviews for this game quickly and a lot of people described it as ‘intense’, ‘dark’ and ‘a challenge’.
This game is a challenge because it either hurts your eyes or forces you to squint. In the tombstone reconstruction, you have to be rather accurate.
This game is not ‘tough’, but has plenty of fake difficulty.
As for the story line being dark, while I find it very watered down, I can see how most HOG Gamers can find it dark.
I looked at many other reviews for this game quickly and a lot of people described it as ‘intense’, ‘dark’ and ‘a challenge’.
This game is a challenge because it either hurts your eyes or forces you to squint. In the tombstone reconstruction, you have to be rather accurate.
This game is not ‘tough’, but has plenty of fake difficulty.
As for the story line being dark, while I find it very watered down, I can see how most HOG Gamers can find it dark.
Other than a few flashing up ghosts hovering and dancing to N*sync (To my Ectoplasm based friends, I apologize if you guys like the ‘Wave My Arms Around Like I Just Don’t Care’ style of stalking, but you’re more likely to get laughed at.) there is no disturbing visuals. Your sack of gravestone pieces fall from the roof and the jump-scare of it wears thin after two of three falls. Considering how many times you have to reconstruct tombstones, you'll get used to them ghosts, too.
There’s also a useless cutscene whenever you open a house… You must insert the key first but… Why not just make it automatic…? All it does is show the blurred textures of the door and the flashing lights of the shambled abode within. Exploring through the folders, I found that the folder ‘cutscenes’ was mostly dominated by door opening animations... I, what...?
Ratings:
GRAPHICS: 1/5
GAMEPLAY: 1/5
SOUND:2/5
MUSIC: 3/5
GAMEPLAY: 1/5
SOUND:2/5
MUSIC: 3/5
OVERALL: 2/5
Considering that this game was published in 2009 and the developers haven’t released anything since… I can only assume the main character runs into a ditch and her/his car catches on fire. Mystery Solved!
Expected Completion Time:
If you’ve got a good head and eyes that are already suffering, you could probably beat this game between the trial time or 1 and a half hours.
You guys remember that ghost with its arms up I mentioned?
My boyfriend nicknamed him the Rave Zombie.
My boyfriend nicknamed him the Rave Zombie.
