Dark Romance: The Ethereal Gardens – Review

Dark Romance: The Ethereal Gardens Review – A Dark Fantasy Hidden Object Game

Your father, King Harold has been murdered with poison by the evil Queen Celeste of Hallowed Kingdom. When the only way to revive him is to use the very wings of Queen Celeste, you have no choice but to venture into the dangerous Hallowed Kingdom! Will you survive Queen Celeste’s many servants and succeed in saving your father before it is too late?

Domini Games‘ Dark Romance series is back with another two-perspective offering. Although the ability to switch between characters is still interesting, Dark Romance: The Ethereal Gardens suffers from a predictable, yet inconsistent storyline. How many times do we have to set out on a cross-kingdom adventure to retrieve an object to cure our parents? This HOPA staple plot has been done countless times before and much more effectively. The storyline in this game is filled with illogical developments and plot holes and the gradual story development does not help either.

In terms of visuals, Dark Romance: The Ethereal Gardens is neither the best nor the worst. The studio’s signature over-saturated color strokes are back in full force. These neon and intense colors are often overwhelming and take away from the intricate artwork details in each scene. On the audio side, the execution is much more impressive. The voice-overs are believable and easy to follow, while the music is appropriate for the game.

With its gameplay, Dark Romance: The Ethereal Gardens has a good mix of familiar tasks and some imaginative ones. The essence of the gameplay does not stray too far from the usual HOPA formula, but there are enough creative flourishes to keep it engaging. This is evident through the multi–layered hidden object scenes, which are supremely entertaining as well as the puzzles, which are surprisingly challenging.

Dark Romance: The Ethereal Gardens took me three and a half hours to complete, plus an additional 45 minutes from the bonus chapter. The Collector’s Edition package is reasonable, including a strategy guide, wallpapers, concept art, videos, soundtracks, replayable hidden object scenes, replayable puzzles, achievements, collectibles, morphing objects, and a garden.

Dark Romance: The Ethereal Gardens does not push any boundaries, but an enjoyable dark fantasy adventure nonetheless.

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