Lost Lands: The Golden Curse Collector's Edition

Whenever the world is about to end because of a major event, someone always steps up to challenge the odds and put everything back on track. Whether it’s an asteroid coming for Earth or a massive dragon looking to obliterate Middle Earth, a brave hero or group of heroes is there to fight for the good guys. Thankfully, they always manage to win as well, so it’s all fun and games.

Lost Lands: The Golden Curse Collector's Edition is an adventure game with hidden object elements in which you have to unravel a mystery and fight against an ancient curse that threatens to destroy the world. You don’t get to actually fight huge monsters or engage in spell skirmishes, but each puzzle is challenging enough to make you feel like the journey is worth your time.

Speaking of which, the story brings Susan into the spotlight once more, as she is summoned once again by a powerful mage. The statues in Lost Lands have started moving without any warning, which is a sign that an ancient curse has been somehow activated. Unless Susan finds a way to break it soon, the entire world is at risk, not just the Lost Lands.

When it comes to the actual gameplay, you have to search for useful objects most of the time, some of which are locked away in special section. In order to unlock them, you must look for other items, and so on until you reach the bottom of the rabbit hole. It sounds worse than it actually is, because the gimmick is cleverly disguised in the game. You get to explore a variety of locations, as well as deal with many different smaller puzzles.

These puzzles range in complexity and theme, since they can either be actual hidden object sequences, mazes, or a variety of other challenges. Cutscenes are part of the gameplay as well, and you are usually rewarded with one after you manage to solve a more difficult puzzle. Thanks to the detailed graphics and good sound design, these short animations can be pretty engaging.

In the end, Lost Lands: The Golden Curse Collector's Edition is way too simple be enjoyed by more hardcore puzzle fans, but it should be just fun enough for the casual crowds. The story relates to the previous episode in the series, so it should be a nice throwback for the fans.