Danse Macabre: A Lover's Pledge Collector's Edition

For some reason, it’s easy to imagine creepy things taking place in an opera or a theater, which is why so many horror games take place in such locations. Having a big, open space that’s dimly lit always spells trouble, and it also makes for a great atmosphere if the level designers do a good job. On the other hand, the gimmick can also get very repetitive after a while, especially nowadays.

Danse Macabre: A Lover's Pledge is a hidden object adventure game that puts you in the role of a costume master as you try to get the actors ready for the big night. Naturally, it turns out that some kind of evil ghost has other thoughts about the performance, and it is your job to save everyone from it and make sure that the artists get to perform on the opening night.

The story is pretty rushed and simple, since there is not a lot of exposition to provide you with details regarding the setting or the location. Instead, you start a few minutes before disaster strikes, and you interact with character you are supposed to know beforehand. The mystery itself is not that intriguing or original either, since it becomes pretty predictable not long after the introduction.

The gameplay mechanics are nothing out of the ordinary if you are a veteran of the genre, which means that most of your time is spent investigating the scenes and trying to find useful items in order to tackle the puzzles. The puzzles themselves don’t bring anything new to the table either, since they are mere variations on the themes you may have grown accustomed to over the years, but that doesn’t make them any less fun if you are in the right mood.

There are also multiple difficulty levels to choose from, depending on whether you want active areas to sparkle when you hover over them, or if you want access to hints and the skip function whenever you are stuck with a puzzle. As for the graphics, the hand-drawn scenes are as beautiful as ever, with plenty of detail to please your eyes. There’s even voice acting as well, so the whole thing feels pretty cinematic at times.

Even if Danse Macabre: A Lover's Pledge might not baffle you with new mechanics or a compelling story, it’s a great way to relax and have some fun. Hence, both newcomers and veterans should have a fun time solving the creepy opera mystery.

NOTE: This is a downloader for the game. Once run, the application will automatically download and install the game on your computer.

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