Adam Wolfe: Episode 1 – The Ancient Flame – Review

We already knew for quite some time that the people at Mad Head Games are experts at making HOPAs. Adam Wolfe marks Mad Head’s first departure from the traditional HOPA format as the game leans more toward the casual point-and-click adventure genre than the Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure genre. Unlike the previous projects from Mad Head, Adam Wolfe is a four-part episodic adventure. This means that you can either purchase specific episodes from the game or go ahead with the full access – this review concerns only the first episode of the game “The Ancient Flame”.

The Ancient Flame is a fantastic introduction to the series and to the action-packed world of Adam Wolfe. Our protagonist is a dedicated investigator of the supernatural who is currently looking into a series of mysterious fires that occurred in the city. It also so happens that this case seems to be related to the disappearance of Wolfe’s sister several years ago. The more Wolfe digs into the case, the more secrets he unravels and the more enemies he makes. Adam Wolfe: Episode 1 has you playing the invested special agent as you make your way through the dark corners of San Francisco to solve the century-old case.

The Ancient Flame absorbed us right into the game since the very first moment. The game opens with an exciting action sequence that gives you a glimpse of Wolfe’s job, which then introduces you to the main case in this episode. Adam Wolfe is a story-driven adventure and so it is a blessing that the storyline is as juicy as it is. There is not a single thing to complain about the storyline; it is interesting, fresh and incredibly captivating.

Despite being a point-and-click adventure, The Ancient Flame should feel familiar to all the HOPAs fans. The game has you engage with different parts of the scenes as well as completing meaningful tasks just like in HOPAs. The main difference is that The Ancient Flame is much more interactive than the usual HOPA; each interaction challenges your thoughts and advances the story. Still, the game involves a plethora of neatly-designed puzzles and few hidden object scenes. All the puzzles are very well-integrated into the storyline, which make them absolutely entertaining.

Production wise, there is no doubt that The Ancient Flame will deliver. The art team did a spectacular job with the visuals in this game; the locations are gorgeous and realistic, the lighting is faultless and even the animations are top-notch. Moreover, the audio is also a vital part of this game. The moody soundtracks go along well with the ominous atmosphere of the game and the voice-overs, especially Wolfe’s, are very convincing.

We enjoyed every single moment of The Ancient Flame, every single puzzle and every single scene. The whole episode flew by in 90 minutes and left us craving for more. We will definitely be playing and reviewing the remaining episodes of the game in the coming weeks.