Phenomenon: Outcome – Review

The story in this third Phenomenon game is very similar to the those in the first two; an orphan trying to escape from the Cyan Plasma in an exotic area. The thing is that the storyline is very confusing, the introduction serves no explanation whatsoever about Sasha’s nightmares or the back-story of the Cyan Plasma and so on. The confusion continues during cutscenes; yes, the characters do look beautiful and their voice overs are solid. However, we somehow see Sasha (ourselves) talking; isn’t the game supposed to be first-person?

The visual aspect is a step back from the previous game. The graphics are dull, grainy and the locations are not very imaginative. In contrast with that, the hidden object scenes are sharp and very detailed. If you love finding objects, then Phenomenon 3 is probably the game for you as each hidden object scene comes with another hidden object scene within itself – a very nice and unique feature.

The gameplay focuses mainly on the quests and adventure part with a few puzzles thrown in. Most of the puzzles are what we called ‘Super Puzzle’, similar to the ones in the recent Madame Fate game. Basically you receive a set of instructions and then you have to follow it to activate the final puzzle, it is a step-by-step process. We enjoy these puzzles and those who are not very fond of puzzle-solving are going to enjoy them too.

We feel like Phenomenon: Outcome is an out-dated game, with bland interface and yawning design. It has definitely lost the ‘indie’ feel along with its vivid creativity we got from the previous games. In spite of that, the challenge factor has certainly increased.

As a Collector’s Edition, Phenomenon: Outcome has nothing much to offer; Bonus Chapter, Strategy Guide, Wallpapers, Concept Art, Soundtracks, a couple Achievements and Collectibles.