Review: Nightshift Legacy
At a Glance
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How to Save and Pause:Your progress is saved to your profile whenever you return to the main menu or close the game. To pause the game, bring up the pause menu by clicking the on-screen button or by pressing ESC. Time needed per session:Each chapter has a strict time limit, so you can use that as a guide for planning your time. In other words, plan on playing for about thirty minutes per session.
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Does this game pose issues for Christian players?
 | Some players may have concerns The story contains depictions of violence, including murder and the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War. Bizarrely, there is a stylized penis hidden in one of the last hidden object scenes. There's no reason for it to be there, so I suspect that somebody added it in as a joke. |
Screenshots
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/nightshift_legacy_0.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/nightshift_legacy_1.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/nightshift_legacy_2.jpg)
Game Overview
Nightshift Legacy is the second and final game in the Nightshift duology. In the previous game, we were introduced to Mike and Isabel, and watched as they worked together to find Mike's long-lost father. This adventure takes a more Indiana Jones approach, starting off as a simple treasure hunt that eventually balloons into something bigger.
At stake is a "magical" set of scrolls known as the Jaguar's Eye Codex. According to legend, people who studied the codex would gain superhuman abilities, and now some unsavory characters were trying to find the three pieces of the scroll in order to use their powers for their own nefarious goals.
But, things become more interesting when the search reveals that this powerful artifact is tangled up in Isabel's family history. In order to find the remaining portions of the scroll, our heroes must first unravel a family mystery - one that nobody even knew existed, until now.
Hopefully that's enough to wet your appetite for this game's story, so let's move on to the gameplay itself. Much like before, each of the six chapters flows in a series of steps. First, you'll be shown a comic that introduces the next events in the storyline. Then you'll be led through three hidden object scenes, followed by a series of puzzle minigames. Finally, you'll go on a scavenger hunt, looking for key items throughout the three scenes you viewed earlier. However, there is one major difference between this game and its predeccesor: you have 35 minutes to solve each section of a chapter. Run out of time, and you'll need to start the chapter over.
This can be something of a pain. For example, if you took a long time to solve the first two hidden object scenes, then you'll be left with just a scant few minutes to finish the third scene. You do have the option of using hints, but since they recharge over time, that's not going to help you very much. In my opinion, adding a timer like this was a bad idea; this genre has never been about speed.
Ultimately, whether or not you'll enjoy this title comes down to your opinion on this timer - if it's too strict, then you're not going to enjoy Nightshift Legacy as much as you'd like other hidden object games. But, it's worth it for the story.
At stake is a "magical" set of scrolls known as the Jaguar's Eye Codex. According to legend, people who studied the codex would gain superhuman abilities, and now some unsavory characters were trying to find the three pieces of the scroll in order to use their powers for their own nefarious goals.
But, things become more interesting when the search reveals that this powerful artifact is tangled up in Isabel's family history. In order to find the remaining portions of the scroll, our heroes must first unravel a family mystery - one that nobody even knew existed, until now.
Hopefully that's enough to wet your appetite for this game's story, so let's move on to the gameplay itself. Much like before, each of the six chapters flows in a series of steps. First, you'll be shown a comic that introduces the next events in the storyline. Then you'll be led through three hidden object scenes, followed by a series of puzzle minigames. Finally, you'll go on a scavenger hunt, looking for key items throughout the three scenes you viewed earlier. However, there is one major difference between this game and its predeccesor: you have 35 minutes to solve each section of a chapter. Run out of time, and you'll need to start the chapter over.
This can be something of a pain. For example, if you took a long time to solve the first two hidden object scenes, then you'll be left with just a scant few minutes to finish the third scene. You do have the option of using hints, but since they recharge over time, that's not going to help you very much. In my opinion, adding a timer like this was a bad idea; this genre has never been about speed.
Ultimately, whether or not you'll enjoy this title comes down to your opinion on this timer - if it's too strict, then you're not going to enjoy Nightshift Legacy as much as you'd like other hidden object games. But, it's worth it for the story.
Points of Interest
Alternate game mode
While you should play the game with all the trimmings at least once, there is also an option to play through just the hidden object scenes. Called the "Arcade" mode, this acts like a challenge to see how far you can get before the timer expires.
Diverse selection of minigames
You'll need to solve many different types of puzzles throughout your adventure. Sometimes you'll need to assemble a key to pick a lock. At other times you'll need to restore some old photographs to find out the identity of a mysterious stranger. Then there are logic puzzles about breaking codes or figuring out how objects relate to one another. Each minigame exists to immerse the player deeper into the story, which is exactly how minigames should be used.
Issues with Windows 10
Unfortunately, this game doesn't seem to be entirely compatible with Windows 10. From what I found while troubleshooting these issues, the problem may actually be specific graphics drivers rather than the operating system. Regardless, I was able to resolve most of the issues by setting the executable to run in compatibility mode for Windows 98/ME. The only issue I couldn't fix was a noticeable slowdown when there was a lot of activity in a hidden object scene.
Concerns and Issues
Blood and violence
During the course of the story, two people are murdered. The result of these violent confrontations is a hidden object scene showing some blood on the floor. Also, the Spanish Civil War
is a key part of the setting, and the final chapters focus on the death and destruction left in its aftermath.
is a key part of the setting, and the final chapters focus on the death and destruction left in its aftermath.
Naughty surprise on the final scrolls
Either one of the Aztec gods on the last scroll has an extra leg, or one of the artists snuck a depiction of a penis into a kid's game. Totally serious here; once you notice it, you can't unsee it. Since it's part of the background of a hidden object scene, I think it was a joke that was meant to be removed prior to publishing - stunts like this aren't unknown, and companies usually remove questionable in-jokes like this during Q&A tests.