Subliminal Realms: The Masterpiece Collector's Edition Reviews

[h1]Quirky game[/h1] While I wouldn't call it a masterpiece, [i]Subliminal Realms[/i] does a good job of providing a plethora of different ways to keep players entertained. It has so many different ways of doing hidden object scenes - in addition to paint brush collecting (and painting things), as well as domino-effect find-and-use items. It boasts a good variety of areas and a plot so weird that I'm sure they did it just to throw the rule book out the window. _____________ The plot is a bit bizarre. Right at the start, you get blocked from entering any painting because our [strike]bushy ranga lumberjack[/strike] artist hasn't finished them yet, but wife and daughter get sucked in. I thought it was contradictory but by the end you get the why of it. [h3]It's so bizarre he frames his unfinished work and hangs it on the wall behind a pane of glass.[/h3] Then proceeds to hunt around for a glass cutter when he realises he needs to finish it. Helper animals and fantasy creatures are a common thing with hidden object games, and this is no exception. This time around we get a flying jackal. It's not as annoying as other animals in other games can be. It depends if you like the cuter ones or not. I like the cool ones, and this one isn't too bad. It actually knows more about what's going on than our intrepid artist too, which only adds to its coolness. It's too bad that while it can levitate huge statues around for you, it still needs a fishing rod for getting a briefcase out of a (shallow) pond. I played on expert (as I mostly do these days) to add a bit of value to the purchase. I really only got stuck too long on one spot, and that was the lipstick box. I (incorrectly) assumed it required the turtle as well as the lipstick to open, but it turns out it gives you the turtle after you open it. _________ It may not have any steam achievements, but it does have an in-game 'showcase' for passing some requirements. A side activity of collecting different coloured slides exists, and completing them unlocks a very basic colouring-in game with various images. After finishing the extra chapter, you also get a card game unlocked based off story elements, which is fun enough for kids I guess. If you decide to get the game, bear in mind it will take a lot, lot less time to finish on easier difficulties.