Ghost Files 2: Memory of a Crime

Ghost Files 2: Memory of a Crime is the sequel to the not-so-great (to put it mildly) hidden object game, Ghost Files: The Face of Guilt, with most of the gameplay elements reappearing again, but plotwise the two has nothing in common. This time, as opposed to the original, we play an amnesiac (male) private detective and it's set in the '80s. We play as Arthur Christie, an ex-cop who awakens in an apartment with a corpse nearby, after being knocked out by a blond woman. Pursued by the police we must find the real perpetrator called "The Executioner", to clear our name of the charges. The case however isn't as easy as it first seems and may somehow involve our old partner as well. The sequel provides us with a forensic kit (hair sample-, bullet case-, blood sample comparison) once again, which must be used at certain points of the game. The symbol matching minigame, which reveals parts of the plot also returns from the first game, along with turning hexagonal shapes in order to form a picture of a scene - through these we recollect memory segments and help our hero to remember things from the past. Unfortunately our diary contains no notes once again, just the objectives are listed. In addition there's a single occasion at which the game offers us a choice whether to turn our buddy in or let him go (even though unfortunately it isn't a real choice, since it doesn't really matter what we do, we get arrested either way). There are a fair number of hidden object scenes with morphing objects (we have to wait in order for them to be revealed) and plenty of minigames (most of these are very easy, like the fist-fighting or the image rotating one, but some can be rather time-consuming). Morphing objects also appear as collectibles, which include smoking pipes, baseball hats and floppy disks. A small icon depicting a CRT monitor at the bottom of the screen shows whether there are still available collectibles on the given location (when lit, we have to search further). It's a nice little touch. Instead of hidden object scenes we can play monaco (matching cards displaying the same figures) alternatively. The bonus chapter (pretty short, around 20-30 minutes long) is worth mentioning since it does a very good job explaining the events prior to the main game, revealing crucial background information and how our hero ended up where he awakens at the beginning. Maybe it should have been integrated into the game itself through flashbacks, since many players usually...