Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Oval Portrait – Review

Detective Dupin is back with another mind-numbing case to solve. A series of mysterious disappearances have occurred in town, and the victims are all somehow connected to a famous painter named Leonard Tussole. Find out what happened to these young girls in this twisted tale of beauty and vengeance.

What does Big Fish’s “Editor’s Choice” means these days anyway? because it is certainly not a sign for quality. Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Oval Portrait is the fourteenth game in this ancient series, and while it is better than many installments in the past, it is not enough to restore our faith in the series. The Oval Portrait starts off rather slowly with what at first seems like another derivative storyline, but the game picks up its speed as the storyline gets meatier and more intense.

On another positive note, Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Oval Portrait features some surprisingly impressive sights and sounds. The visual style is in line with the previous Dark Tales games, but the multi-layered scene designs put this sequel above the rest. We also found the voice-acting to be of superior quality and perfectly portrays each of the characters.

Unfortunately, Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Oval Portrait falls victim of the common AMAX’s pitfalls – the lack of challenge. The adventure part of the game offers absolutely nothing we have not seen before, the hidden object scenes are unoriginal, and the puzzles can be completed by a fourth-grader. We have said this way too many times, but AMAX should seriously consider switching up their core mechanics. Sure, their current template is tried-and-true, but it stopped being engaging to many HOPA fans since three years ago.

It was a struggle getting through The Oval Portrait, considering how dry and dull the gameplay was. Still, we managed to complete the game in just a little three hours, and the bonus chapter in 40 minutes. We would not recommend purchasing the Collector’s Edition, but if you must, then the bonus chapter includes a strategy guide, wallpapers, screensavers, soundtracks, concept art, videos, replayable hidden object scenes, replayable mini-games, achievements, collectibles, and morphing objects.

No matter how interesting the storyline and the visuals are, Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Oval Portrait is ultimately a tedious experience due to the lackluster gameplay.