I can’t believe the semester is almost over and finals are just around the corner! I love and hate this time of year. I’m so stressed out because it’s like a mad rush to get all my papers done, study for finals, pack and then head back home for the holiday break! But once I finish up that last final and hand in that last paper, it will feel sooooo good! Then rush back to my room, pack up my stuff and head home for some quality time with the family! We’re doing Christmas at our house this year, so all my aunts and uncles are coming along with my grandparents. It should be interesting to say the least. I just hope I have some time to catch up on a few games I missed this month!
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Speaking of games, now don’t yell at me… I need to take a break now and then. Too much studying can hurt your brain, or so I’ve been told, and I’m inclined to believe it. And when I’m offered the chance to do a sneak preview… really, come on… you know my will power when it comes to sneak peek… it’s practically non-existent! So when they offered me the chance to preview the new Alawar game House of 1,000 Doors: Family Secrets, how could I say no! Just the name of the game sounded awesome! And what a perfect time to talk about family secrets then right before the entire family is going to gather!
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Anyhow, the game takes place in a 50s kind of setting and the main character, Kate, is somewhat of a washed up author who is invited to take part in some sort of séance! But when you get there, you are contacted by your dead grandmother who tells you to go to an island where the House of 1,000 doors, a haunted house, will appear for one night. She wants you to go there to restore the family’s good name. So naturally you travel to the island, and sure enough, the house appears out of nowhere!
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The ghosts and people you encounter in the house aren’t super creepy or scary, so don’t worry if you don’t like that sort of thing. It’s not that kind of ghost game. It’s more like you’re there to help the lost souls in the house find their way while at the same time trying to figure out why you’re there in the first place.
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The game play of House of 1,000 Doors is really well thought out and the graphics and cut scenes are nothing short of stunning. In these kinds of games where you have to travel back and forth between areas, it’s nice to have a hint button that can tell you where you need to go next as well, so high marks from me for that feature as well. The hidden object areas were great too. There were a lot of interactive sections in them where you had to move things or cut thing open to find the objects so it was a lot of fun to try to figure out.
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I can’t think of a more perfect way to spend the holidays this year then curled up by the fire, with a steaming hot cup of chocolate, and my laptop playing the rest of this game. Look for it to come out sometime in mid-December… till then… well… I’ll play for you!
