The Secret Order: Shadow Breach – Review

Sarah Pennington of the Secret Order is back in this latest installment in the top-hit HOPA series. The Dragon Clan is not yet done with their evil scheme, and this time they are planning to resurrect the almighty Odessa. To do so, they would need to find the relics to open the powerful almanac. But can you find them before the villains do?

No matter how flooded the market is with fantasy games in the past few years, the Secret Order is often able to bring in fresh perspectives on the development of the storyline. The Secret Order: Shadow Breach is no different. Despite being a fantasy game with magical creatures and fairytale-like landscapes, the adventurous undertones are prevalent in this sequel. The storyline is fast-paced and keeps you engaged, the characters are life-like and full with personality, and there are always exciting, action-packed events happening at all times.

This is further assisted by the wonderful production. There is no denying that Sunward Games might have utilized a little too much blue and purple in their palette, but the stylish artwork and the crystal clear graphics are hard to match. The meticulous attention to detail and the studio quality production also translate into some incredible cutscenes and special effects that re simply delightful. Not only that, but the appropriately-suspenseful soundtracks also work to the advantage of the game.

What really drags The Secret Order: Shadow Breach down is the gameplay, which is ridiculously easy. The adventure part of the game is as straightforward as can be, and the magical bracelet does not add much challenge. The hidden object scenes are quite simplistic and so are most of the puzzles. We blasted through the whole game in one sitting and rarely felt the need to sit and think about what actions to next. Thus, the main game only took us three hours to complete.

The Secret Order: Shadow Breach is available in Collector’s Edition, which includes a 40-minute bonus game, a strategy guide, wallpapers, concept art, soundtracks, videos, replayable hidden object scenes, replayable mini-games, achievements, collectibles, and morphing objects.

The Secret Order: Shadow Breach has the potential to be a stunning, refreshing adventure, but is held by a sub-standard and shallow gameplay.