Mystery of the Ancients: Black Dagger – Review

A police station has been attacked by a supernatural force. As an expert in supernatural cases, you are called to the scene by Detective Duncan to help solve this perplex mystery. Upon your initial investigation, evidence and clues point to the involvement of an ancient dagger. Can you get to the bottom of this dark mystery before another attack?

Despite the familiar storyline, Mystery of the Ancients: Black Dagger remains engaging from start to finish. If anything, the game is perfectly paced with plenty of exciting action sequences and great storytelling. Not only that, but the characters in this game are also well-developed and have substantial backstories that are worth exploring.

Production wise, there is no question that Mystery of the Ancients: Black Dagger will excel. Mariaglorum almost always delivers breathtaking visuals that are rich in detail and distinctive in style. The cutscenes and animations in this game are second to none, every moment of the game is certainly a feast for the eyes. In addition, the thrilling music that accompanies the game is also effective in giving the game a suspenseful vibe.

Mystery of the Ancients: Black Dagger does not stray far from the usual HOPA mold when it comes to the gameplay. That being said, we appreciate the developer’s creative effort to freshen things up. Puzzles and mini-games are essential to the identity of the game as they are scattered everywhere throughout the game. Even the hidden object scenes are filled with multi-layered puzzles and they work to elevate the otherwise dull hidden object scenes to another level. While none of the puzzles is groundbreaking in concepts, they are all thoughtful and well-integrated into the game’s storyline.

The main game took us around four hours to complete, and the bonus chapter, which is equally solid, took us another hour or so. Given the quality of the game, Mystery of the Ancients: Black Dagger is definitely worth the Collector’s Edition purchase. If you need any more reasons, the bonus section is also packed with extras; a strategy guide, wallpapers, concept art, soundtracks, videos, some interesting achievements, a jigsaw puzzle, and collectibles.

Mystery of the Ancients: Black Dagger is an all-around impressive game and a worthy addition to this incredible series.