Dark City: Barcelona (Mystery)

What I like about this series is being drawn into and solving captivating mysteries while exploring distinct 19th-century European cities. You play the famous detective Agatha, who is called to investigate a strange phenomenon in Barcelona in which statues are purportedly coming to life and attacking humans. You instantly find that these evil-mannered statues put the term “stone-cold” in another light. The storyline stays fresh by providing twists and turns along the way. In true detective-like form, you put your critical-thinking skills to work by collecting clues around the crime scenes and using deductive reasoning through analyzation of evidence. The gameplay is outstanding; there’s enough diversity to appease everyone’s taste. The hidden-object scenes are highly interactive and cleverly executed to suit the storyline. You get snippets of the backstory through embedded reading materials. The puzzles do not disappoint; they are varied and action-driven. Some of them are investigative in nature, such as the one in which you compare clues to the information of each suspect. The difficulty levels for some are configurable to provide a desirable challenge. I did find the collectibles to be well camouflaged into the environments. This is a long-playing, well-rounded gem, comprising an engaging storyline, entertaining gameplay, and technically sound mechanics. A big “Thank You!” to the developers for providing hours of joy.

I have already gotten many emails asking me not to disclose any spoiler alerts. I have not been doing so, and would appreciate that all of you who are concerned would stop worrying already! Once again, you play from the vantage point of Detective Agatha at the turn-of-the century (the early 20th century, of course). Mystical occurrences are frightening the residents of Barcelona, from weird accidents to seemingly living stone statues. You must uncover the mystery behind these events. Evil, greed, resentment and a clandestine group of criminals is at large. No other developer captures the incredible nuances of both gameplay and graphics as does Friendly Fox. This developer is so detail-oriented that you feel like you are not only in Barcelona, but back in time! The adventure was fast-paced, exciting and had many twists and turns, and an ending you won’t see coming, while evoking pathos and empathy for its characters. Gamers, this is a must-purchase and play! You will love it every second as you reach the incredible conclusion. I won’t spoil the bonus chapter either. You’ll find out when you play. Thanks again, Friendly Fox, for releasing another amazing gem. On behalf of my entire iOS population, we love you!

Friendly Fox studios has created another masterpiece, which is not surprising. For those of you who are new to this developer, take some time to go back and look at their earlier games when they were known as 4Friends Games. I promise you’re in for a treat. And for those of us who are familiar: We know that each time we see a new release from Friendly Fox it’s like unwrapping a Christmas gift. What sets them apart from other PC developers is too long a list to describe but most importantly, they never compromise the overall quality of each game. Friendly Fox, you’re in a sensational category of your own! Just keep doing what you’re doing.