Review: Hidden Expidition Titanic

At a Glance

ESRB Rating: E - Everyone
My Rating: Everyone
Genre: Hidden Object
License: Commercial
Fun-O-Meter:
Release Year: 2006
Review Published On: August 27th, 2016
Played on: Martha & Thaddeus

Available on:

Windows

Available from:

Steam

Areas of Concern:
  • Nothing of note


How to Save and Pause:

In theory your progress is saved as you complete each section of the ship (not each level; each set of levels). Thats bad enough, but on Windows 10, it doesnt close properly, and thus doesnt save your progress at all.

Time needed per session:

As this game no longer functions properly on modern systems, youll need to play through the entire game in one long session. It was clearly not meant to be played this way, as its over an hour long.

Does this game pose issues for Christian players?

No - this is a great game for Christians
There really isnt anything morally questionable to be found in this game, but at the same time, its not a fun game, so I wouldnt recommend it anyway.

Screenshots

[view screenshot]
The dead bartender

[view screenshot]
Patching up a torn photo

[view screenshot]
Todays reason for looting the wrecked ship



Game Overview

Having played through a number of hidden object games over the years, this one was a real disappointment, and Im sorry to say that its one of the very few games Ive reviewed on this site that I cannot recommend. While I was playing it, I got the impression that the developers were either on a very limited budget or werent really interested in making a quality product. It feels like too many shortcuts were made in the design of the game, resulting a subpar title.

The gameplay is fairly standard for a hidden object game, but it feels very generic as theres almost nothing beyond the hidden object scenes themselves. Theres no story tying things together, nor is any reason given for why youre poking around the famous shipwreck. Youre just sort of there.

In each part of the game, youre given a choice of several rooms that you can explore, and youre free to switch between them as much as you like until everything in a room has been located. However, you dont have much time to hang around, as theres a limited amount of oxygen in your tank and this time limit is shared between every scene in a stage. Hints cost you a little oxygen, so you cant use them frequently. Thats pretty reasonable, but you also lose oxygen when you click on something that isnt collectible. The problem there is that the list of things youre looking for is rather vague, and there are sometimes several objects in the scene that could be the item youre after.

Each scene also has a number of gemstones hidden throughout it. These are optional, and while they are usually easy to spot, there doesnt appear to be a benefit in collecting them.

There are also two brief minigames: one involves reassembling an old photo, and the other is the final chance to break into the captains personal safe. Both seem out of place, as this is an otherwise straightforward hidden object game.

Fixing the issues this game has wouldve been simple enough: either make the lists clearer or ensure that there was only one object in the scene that fit the given description, give the gemstones a use (currency for buying hints perhaps?), and give the player some sort of reason for visiting the Titanic.

As it stands, youre better off playing another game.

Points of Interest

Lots of repetition

There are fourteen stages, but youll find yourself searching through the same scenes multiple times per playthrough. Worse, the items list seem to be pretty limited for each scene, so youll frequently end up looking for the same thing several times. This gets old rather quickly.

Even the music gets repetitive

The background music is nice enough to set some atmosphere, but after a few scenes it becomes what is better described as an upset whale and youll find yourself turning the sound off so you can stop hearing it.

Animations get in the way

This is a neat little effect: When you click on something other than a gem, the item gets a little balloon and it floats away like its being sent to the surface. Unfortunately, while the animations are neat, the game ignores all input while they are going on. This means that every time you find an item, youre stuck waiting for it to float away before you can continue. This just drags an already dull game out even further.

Item names are often strange

Hidden object games are basically a scavenger hunt. Understanding what youre supposed to be searching for should be a vital thing. Here though the item list is often a bigger puzzle than finding the object. For example, you could be asked to find a sand powered clock, something most of us would simply call an hourglass.

Your list can also describe multiple items in the scene

For extra annoyance, sometimes the objects described in your list actually describe more than one object in the scene. Its up to you to guess which item is meant, and youll be penalized if you guess wrong.

Doesnt work on Windows 10

For those of us playing games on our modern PCs, this game is a complete waste of money. Aside from the problems already pointed out above, this game isnt able to properly close, and that results in it being unable to save any of your progress.

Concerns and Issues

Theres one corpse

Naturally, since this adventure takes place on a shipwreck you can expect to find someones skeleton. As shown in the screenshot above, its found behind the bar, still dressed up to serve drinks for eternity.

Clean otherwise

Aside from that possibly unsettling sight, there isnt anything offensive worth mentioning, save perhaps the potential moral dilemma in taking stuff from a shipwreck.