Medium Detective: Fright from the Past – Review

Medium Detective: Fright from the Past from Deep Shadows takes you to a murder scene back in the Victorian era. Rumor has it that the recent string of murders has been the work of a mysterious figure with the name of “Man of Shadows”. As a detective with supernatural ability, your job is to stop this vicious man before he claims his next victim!

Do you ever wonder how many HOPA series with a paranormal detective as the protagonist are we going to get? Medium Detective: Fright from the Past delivers the type of storyline that has been absurdly overused. The Victorian era London’s atmosphere has been done so many times before and in much better fashion, the development of the plot is predictable, and the detective’s “special” ability to look into the past is not remotely interesting either.

The gameplay is traditional HOPA. Advanced players will likely find the adventure portion of the game overly simple, mainly due to the linear quality of the game, meaning that there is not a lot of backtracking and inventory items are used almost immediately. Similarly, the puzzles lack complexity and innovation. The hidden object scenes are arguably the best aspect of the gameplay, with plenty of creative interactions and original ideas.

If all else fails, at least the production of Medium Detective: Fright from the Past is solid. The detailed artwork is accompanied by the moody color palette and gloomy visual effects. The chilling background music adds to the atmosphere of the game and the voice-overs are appropriate for the characters.

Even though we thought Medium Detective played it far too safe, we did enjoy the game overall and thought the three-and-a-half-hour length was satisfying. The Collector’s Edition also comes with all the standard extras; a strategy guide, wallpapers, concept art, soundtracks, achievements, collectibles, and morphing objects.

In a market that is saturated with games about paranormal mysteries and serial murderers, Medium Detective: Fright from the Past fails to stand out.