Game Review #1 - Dark Parables - Curse of Briar Rose Collector's Edition

As my first game review, I don't really have a format or style set up yet, but each section of the game will be divided into a heading. And, before we continue, be warned that there are spoilers ahead.

Basic Information

Dark Parables - Curse of Briar Rose was released on March 11, 2010, followed by the standard edition about a month later. It is the first game in the Dark Parables series. It has 12 different chapters, and the total game has at least an hour of gameplay. There are a lot of puzzles, fragmented object scenes (or FROGs) and areas to explore. There is also a helpful map with hints to guide you on your journey.

Story

Big Fish Games summary - Help a detective explore a rampant briar growth in Scotland, and discover the true tale of the real Sleeping Beauty!

My summary (whole story) - The game starts you off in Edinburgh, Scotland, in a statue garden. A tape recorder tells you about your investigation, stating that in seven days, the world will be covered in sharp, thorny briars. You, as the fairy tale detective, must investigate the castle to find a way of stopping the growth of the vines. Along the way, you discover that the Godmothers put Briar Rose to sleep 1,000 years ago to contain the spindle's curse. 

Through many trials and hardships, the detective manages to awaken her, where she reveals the Evil Godmother led the detective here to find Briar Rose's sleeping body, in hopes of possessing it and using it for evil. She also explains another threat, that of the world being flooded. To stop this curse, the detective must help the Frog Prince, as he is still currently alive. She rests for a bit, and then decides to get used to the modern world.

My opinion - I think the story was pretty good, but it could've had a few more elements to keep things interesting. As parables weren't introduced until the third game, I see how adding more elements would be complex, but still.

Art

Godmother Shrine (Middle: Godmother of Rose, mid-right: Godmother of Ivy)

The art in this game, as with all the Dark Parables series, is gorgeous. To the left of this text is an example of this beauty, found in the rightmost wing of the castle. 

There are many other pieces of work like this that you can't help but admire. The art is only one of the amazing aspects of this game, however.

Music

This is the other amazing part of this game. There are six different tracks downloadable from the Bonus Content (only in the Collector's Edition) that are awesome. These pieces are Curse of Briar Rose, The Spider Dungeon, White Rose, Forgotten Tales, Derelict Castle, The Godmothers, and Through the Briars. Each piece plays in the background during the whole game in random rotation (aside from Curse of Briar Rose, which plays only on the main menu or during the final puzzle).

Puzzles

The puzzles in this game mostly come in two main types: Ball Puzzles or Custom Puzzles. Both are very fun, and I'll explain them both below.

A custom puzzle, found in the Aviary.

A ball puzzle (with rules)

On the right is a ball puzzle. As explained in the image, you need to click a ball to make arrows show up around it. Then select the arrow, and the ball will move in that direction. Your goal is to place every ball on its corresponding colored square. 

Next are custom puzzles. To solve these, you'll need to interact with everything in the environment. For instance, in the bird puzzle (pictured) you need to first memorize what birds are the correct ones by looking through a telescope in a different location. Then you need to choose those birds and sequence them correctly. Not all custom puzzles need additional interaction, but keep your eyes peeled.

Fragmented Object Scenes (FROGs)

There are many of these in the game. Most of the chapters require you to finish all the FROGs before you can proceed. Oftentimes, one of the objects you collect will help you achieve your overall objective. An example scene might look like this:

(The circles, squares, and other colors aren't normally there)

Below is a FROG scene in a church to assemble the King's Scepter. As you can see, parts of the object (or fragments) are scattered all around the scene. To collect an object, you'll need to click it. The objects you still need to find are colored in the three boxes at the bottom of the screen, and the ones you've already found are faded into the background. 

If you're stuck, you can use the Hint at any time to locate an object. It does take time to recharge, though, so use it wisely.

Once all the objects have been collected, they'll fly together to form the complete item. It will then go into your inventory, ready to use at any time.

Special Features

Below are the special features that can be found in the game:

• Hint Mirror: This object is always at the bottom left side of the screen. If an object is used on it, it will give a clue as to where the object needs to be placed. It will need time to recharge after each use, however. It can also be used to skip puzzles, but if it is, then it will be locked for the specified number of minutes before it can be used again.
• Map/Objectives Button: This tool can be located directly below the Hint Mirror. The magnifying glass on the left of it will contain a number. That number is how many more FROGs you need to complete before you can advance. If it is sparkling, it means you are almost done with the chapter. If you can't figure out what to do to move on, use the Objective Hint on the map. It will lock your hint mirror for a while, though.
• Journal: The Detective's Journal is updated with a new entry after each chapter. There are thirteen total, one for each chapter and the prologue. The entries can provide more insight into your objectives or the overall story.
• Cursed Morphing Objects: There are a total of 20 morphing objects in the game. Collecting a cursed object makes your Hint Mirror recharge faster. If you get all 20 of them, it takes practically no time to charge. Some objects don't appear until you've visited an area a certain number of times or you're at a specific chapter. Can you find them all?

Additional Gameplay/Modes

The secret room, unlocked with the Golden Rose item in Hard Mode.

After you finish the game on Normal Mode, you unlock Hard Mode. It is the same as the normal mode, except this time the Hint is unavailable, you can't skip puzzles, and you have the Golden Rose item. The Golden Rose will unlock a secret area that contains concept images, along with a small statue representing a hint towards the next game. 

In addition to the Hard Mode, the Collector's Edition version of the game comes with a Bonus Adventure: Spindle Room Secrets. This bonus chapter isn't based on a fairy tale, but rather just giving some hints for the next game and unlocking the extras. It also reveals that the prince that kissed Briar Rose is the Frog Prince's brother. His coffin is also accessible in the bonus game.

Extras

In the Collector's Edition version of the game, there are some cool extras you can get. Below, all of them are listed.

• 5 Desktop Wallpapers (resolution of 1024x768)
• Bonus Screen Saver (opening scene)
• Music Museum (downloadable soundtrack)
• Concept Art Gallery (3-step concepts of five different in-game scenes)
• 3 Novels (different adaptations of Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault, The Brothers Grimm, and the Dark Parables team)
• 20 Bonus Ball Puzzles (they automatically record your best score of moves)

Final Thoughts

Overall, I think this was a great game that got some well-deserved attention. All of these awesome features made for a great game, and I hope there will be many sequels to come after this. You can buy it on Big Fish Games below:

• Standard Edition: Click here
• Collector's Edition: Click here

If you made it all the way through, thank you so much for reading! I have an idea for the next games I'll be reviewing, but as for movies and books, suggestions are always appreciated!