Endless Fables: Shadow Within Collector's Edition
April 7, 2019
Sunward Games
Widescreen Support
Interactive Jump-Map
Voice Overs
3 Difficulties + Custom Mode
Exclusive Bonus Chapter
Integrated Strategy Guide
Wallpapers & Concept Art
Soundtracks & Cutscenes
Achievements & Collectibles
Replayable HOs & Puzzles
Many years ago, Agatha’s brother, Hans, went missing from the countryside town of Mittenwald. Fast forwarded to now, Agatha has asked for your help in saving Hans from grasps of the evil Sandman in the Nightmare Realm. Will you be able to help your friend and solve this decade-long case? Endless Fables: Shadow Within is the latest adventure from Sunward Games, the studio behind The Secret Order and The Myth Seekers!
Out of the three main series from Sunward Games, Endless Fables is one that I feel is most forgettable. The past three games have been solid, but nothing to write home about, and they also lacked a distinct mood or theme that ties together all the sequels. Endless Fables: Shadow Within is the fourth in the series and the trend still continues. The storyline involving the nightmare world is hardly original, especially since we just got an excellent version from Artifex Mundi not so long ago. Moreover, the characters in this game are uninteresting and voided of any meaningful developments.
Luckily, Endless Fables: Shadow Within has a fantastic production to hold the game together. The intricate and lush visuals, coupled with gorgeous animations help elevate this sequel above its predecessors. The audio aspects of the game are also successful in absorbing the player into the fantasy world of Endless Fables.
On the matter of the gameplay, Endless Fables: Shadow Within is enjoyable to say the least. The majority of locations feature plenty of tasks to complete. and inventory items to collect, which leads to quite a significant amount of backtracking. The hidden object scenes and the puzzles are not totally out-of-the-box, but contain some smart and innovative elements which I appreciate. There is no distracting helper or gadget in the game, which makes the experience incredibly smooth and addicting.
Endless Fables: Shadow Within closes at the four-hour mark, which is a fair length for a hidden object game. The bonus chapter adds another hour of solid gameplay, but feels unnecessary. The Collector’s Edition also includes a strategy guide, wallpapers, concept art, soundtracks, videos, replayable hidden object scenes, replayable puzzles, achievements, and collectibles.