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Decent adventure game with notable detractions

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 8
Date: June 05, 2007
Author: Amazon User

"Barrow Hill" is a decent point-and-click adventure game that has great atmosphere and sound effects but a lousy storyline and less-than-stellar moral message. The game is relatively short but has some good creep-out moments and fairly challenging puzzles. Despite the lackluster graphics (at least compared to titles like "Myst Revelation"), the game creates a truly chinning sense of atmosphere. This is a significant accomplishment considering the interface is not panoramic but point-and-click. The sound effects and music do a lot to aid the tension, and the settings themselves are truly magnificent. You can tell that they were well thought out. For example, the phone booth in the middle of the woods, casting yellow light on the dark branches, is truly a nice touch, as is the row of electric lights leading up the hill to the barrow. There are numerous moments when you are genuinely creeped out.

Another good aspects of "Barrow Hill" is that, unlike "Scratches" and many of the "Myst" games, the puzzles are not designed for game players with a genius-level IQ. In other words, they tend to make logical sense and don't force you to consider ridiculous solutions (like "Scratches" routinely does). The inventory system helps a lot with this. Whenever you need to use an object in a given area, an icon appears indicating so. There are some puzzles where you have to use your imagination, and I found myself resorting to a walkthrough several times, but overall the puzzles are medium difficult. They're challenging enough to keep you interested, but not so challenging that you pitch your computer out the window.

Now to the negative, and unfortunately there is quite a bit. The story starts out well but soon starts a nose dive. Basically, you end up getting an earful of New Age mysticism mixed with a good dose of environmentalism paranoia. At first I thought this would only be a passing mention, but it persisted and grew quite annoying. The whole notion of having to "appease" the land with offerings due to man's neglect of nature is fru-fru at best. I encourage games that have a moral message to them, but this moral message is steeped in New Age and rather ambiguous to boot. (Here's a novel idea: create a game with the golden rule being the moral message. Imagine that!). Without giving too much plot details away, the central premise of the story is almost laughable. When you actually realize what that sinister thing stalking you through the woods is, the chill factor diminishes. Also, there is some swearing present (not mentioned by ESRB), but the programmers avoided including any needless blood or violence, which is commendable.

Is the game worth a look? Sure, if you enjoy adventure games. Expect good atmosphere, music, and sound effects, but not much beyond that.

Fun, but that's it?

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: September 22, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Atmospheric and spooky, at least at first. I like this kind of game, but found that I certainly didn't have to try very hard to uncover clues and solve mini puzzles even before the real mystery presented itself! Before I knew it, half the game was solved with very little effort. I thought the story and setting were intriguing, though the ending was a bit abrupt and unsatisfying. I enjoy a good lengthy hunt, so was basically disappointed with the ease I was able to piece together the overall "mystery" and solve it. This may have something to do with the small area avaialable to search since the entire setting is fairly confined. Though I rarely judge a game by its length alone, I must say that just as I was starting to get interested in the mystery and characters, it was over- I honestly couldn't believe it. Some of the inventory items weren't even necessary to finding the intended clue! I'm not completely disappointed, but think I'll just pass this on to my ten year old who may have more fun with it.

Entertaining, yet pointless!

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 5
Date: December 31, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I gave this game 3 stars because, although it was entertaining finding clues and such, the ending and goal/purpose of the game was not clear. The graphics were beautiful and so was the music but the storyline could use some help. I don't recommend buying this product for the full price, but rather borrowing it from someone else if you really want to play it.

Spooky, fun, atmospheric

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: June 12, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I liked this game, despite the limited movement and static backgrounds. The story is interesting, the music is atmospheric, and the voice acting is pretty good. The puzzles tend to be mostly logical, and there are lots of clues if you are paying attention.

Fun game... a bit silly...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 03, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I enjoyed playing this game, despite the fact that the puzzles were fairly easy, mostly involving matching information found in one area of the game with puzzles located in another. I did learn some things about botany and history from playing, and so this made it more interesting. The plot was engaging but not remarkable. It was hard to take things seriously because I thought that it was a bit silly to be chased by giant rocks. I was never really creeped out, (I would have liked it better if it were scarier), but I also would not hesitate to let my 11 year old nephew play it either-- I guess that this is a good trade off. Also, while I am an environmentalist, I fealt that this subtext was too overt and simplified to contribute to the game, and might be a distraction for some. The ending was fairly preachy as a result of this.

The controls were fairly straitforward and the graphics were beautiful, particularly the opening sequence. I would have liked more locations, but the game was just long enough to play in one night which was good enough for me.

ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I have to say that I watched the development of this game before Matt Clark went 'public' and out of the 'independent game' category. I'm actually one of the 1st 100 people who ordered it. I was NOT EVEN REMOTELY disappointed!!!! HURRAY. I'm only sorry that I'm so late in posting my review here, because Mr. Clark has done such a wonderful job!

I admit to having a real weakness for adventure games of the Celtic/mystery supernatural gendre, so I'm real picky. I was NOT disappointed - even slightly!

Even from the beginning, the game doesn't let up, and at all points, it is appropiately spooky. It's night, after all, so everything is dark. The parts that are in the "present" seem like islands in a much larger scheme of things. Yours to discover how and why.

The whole game fits together PERFECTLY - and as I've said, I'm real picky!

Mr. Clark, I continue to play your wonderful game, and I'm so proud that my vigilance paid off. It's a play again - over and over. How many games does one play about which that can be said?!

If you love Celtic myth and mystery as much as I do - BUY IT!!!!!

BTaylor

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