THE SECRET ORDER: SHADOW BREACH

Better the dragon lady you know

Sarah Pennington is the most skilled agent the ancient Order Of The Griffins has. When it comes to looking at things, she can look really well. After the dragon clan unearths a relic that contains the spirit of the villainous Odessa, Sarah must test her abilities on many a headscratch-provoking puzzle and hidden object scene, as she embarks on a globetrotting adventure to uncover the ancient items that can lift the curse.

For the most part, Shadow Breach feels like a lightweight point-and-click adventure game. The focus is more on puzzles than the hidden object scenes, and they often involve scouring the environment for key items you need, or solving brainteasers.

Each area is self-contained. On one hand that means searching doesn’t feel like it gets too out of hand, but it also makes each area feel isolated and small in scale. You never really stretch between more than a few screens at a time, and earlier environments aren’t put to further use. That’s a particular shame given there aren’t all that many hidden object areas, so going back to past areas to search for new items could have made the game feel a bit more robust. 1

Some of the puzzles can get quite tough, but you can use the hint button, which can suggest where you should look next, highlight screens that still have things to uncover, or allow you to completely skip puzzles if you want. 2 Hidden-object diehards might find it a bit lacking, but it’s a fun romp that strikes a decent balance between searching and puzzles that’s more than worth spending an evening or two with. Oscar Taylor-Kent

FOOTNOTES1 The brief epilogue bonus adventure ties all this together with a final, larger area that feels more complex. 2 An expert mode limits the usage of this if you want a challenge.

FORMAT PS4 ETA OUT NOW INFO PUB ARTIFEX MUNDI DEV SUNWARD GAMES