Dark Parables: Portrait of the Stained Princess – Review

Two young art apprentices, Benno and Siegfried were searching for the forgotten Princess with a Duckling painting when they witnessed the princess stepped out of this cursed painting with their own eyes. With Siegfried missing, Benno reached out to you for your expertise and help. Discover the legendary tale of the Stained Princess of Cisneros in this latest chapter in the Dark Parables franchise!

Blue Tea Games and Eipix Entertainment teamed up once again for this new twisted fairy tale adventure. While most of the earlier Dark Parables games were based on well-known fables, the more recent sequels often featured original stories. Dark Parables: Portrait of the Stained Princess revolves around the curse of the Stained Princess of Cisneros, a story unfamiliar to most. While the vague outlines of this new original story are quite captivating, the actual content lacks the mystical and ominous qualities that made the earlier Dark Parables games so iconic.

Still, Dark Parables: Portrait of the Stained Princess follows the series’ signature formula when it comes to its gameplay. The game includes plenty of weirdly-shaped ornaments and emblems, fragmented object scenes, along with uniquely designed puzzles. Although all of these aspects of the game are glamorous and fun, they are far too simple and easy. The adventure gameplay is sometimes illogical, the fragmented objects are extremely obvious and the puzzles, as pretty as they are, are plain and devoid of any real challenges.

On the production side, Dark Parables: Portrait of the Stained Princess dazzles with intricate details and colors. The animations, as well as the cutscenes, are also top-notch, bringing out the magic from the fantasy elements of the game. The soundtracks reminisce those in the previous Dark Parables installments and are still as effective as ever. At the same time, the voice-acting successfully humanizes the characters and helps make the game more immersive.

Despite its flaws, Dark Parables: Portrait of the Stained Princess is still a well-made and enjoyable game. For me, the three and a half hours of the main storyline flew by and the 50-minute bonus chapter was equally a delight. The Collector’s Edition includes a strategy guide, wallpapers, concept art, soundtracks, cutscenes, replayable hidden object scenes, replayable puzzles, achievements, morphing objects, and parables.

Dark Parables: Portrait of the Stained Princess is far from being the worst in the series, but it also lacks the gravitational pull presented in some of the series’ best.