This semester it really seems like I’m caught in a time warp. Some days I feel like it’s going by so fast that I want to use the pause button so I can remember these last few days of college. Others, it’s all I can do to stop wishing the clock would move faster. I’m having one of those days, so in an effort to move things along, I went ahead and tried the game Special Enquiry Detail: Engaged to Kill.
This game is the sequel to the game Hand that Feeds by G5 Entertainment, a game I admit I never played, but it didn’t seem to matter since I never felt lost or confused about what was going on. Here, you take on the role of two New York City detectives, Lamonte and Turino, who have just been assigned the case to locate a missing fashion model, who was last heard from on Liberty Island. It’s only after you discover her remains that your case takes a turn from missing person to homicide… and you begin tracking down the mysterious Engagement Killer.
[[Special-Enquiry-Engaged-02.jpg]]
The graphics are extremely detailed in a photo-realistic style that adds to the game’s ability to draw you in. Although, I will admit, this sometimes hampered my object-spying abilities in the hidden object scenes. These tended to be extremely difficult, with a lot of dark areas that had me almost pressing my face up against the screen trying to locate that one tiny lighter in the dirt.
I made use of the hint button a lot while I played, and it was a little frustrating at times, but I admit that I’m not the best at hidden object games so it could have been just me. The scenes also do repeat a lot, which actually helped me since I was already familiar with the layout from having played the scene before.
The gameplay is pretty standard when it comes to hidden object adventure games. I went from scene to scene picking up objects and playing puzzles and hidden object scenes in order to progress through the game. The voice acting was ok, a little hokey at times, but then again, so was the storyline, so it seemed to fit well together and made me snicker a few times. The ongoing banter between the detectives added a lighthearted theme to an otherwise dark story, considering the murder and all. They would just come out and say the weirdest things sometimes like “I always have the urge to burst balloons.” Sure you do buddy… sure you do.
[[Special-Enquiry-Engaged-01.jpg]]
Anyhow, overall, it was a nice way to spend the afternoon, and I think if you really enjoy the crime scene detective kind of games, you’ll really want to give Special Enquiry Detail: Engaged to Kill a go. Let me know if you find the hidden object scenes as hard as I did though… I really hope it wasn’t just me…
