Dreadful Tales: The Fire Within – Review

Dreadful Tales: The Space Between was a revelation earlier this year and so, I had high expectations going into this new creepy Hidden Object sequel. In Dreadful Tales: The Fire Within, the legend has it that unnatural, ghostly things happened in the eerily quiet Coldfell Forest. Jill Weaver witnessed this firsthand when her family-bonding time during the summer turned into a manic search for her missing family!

Dreadful Tales: The Fire Within sets the stage right from the start with an engaging premise. The bone-chilling storyline then slowly builds up to one that is filled with interesting turns of events and some genuinely terrifying moments. The game’s atmospheric setting adds a horror edge to the game with the creepy abandoned forest reminding me of the incredible Enigmatis series and the muted colors reminding me of the iconic horror adventure that is Shiver: Vanishing Hitchhiker. On top of that, Dreadful Tales: The Fire Within has you playing from three different character’s perspectives, one for each chapter, which effectively switches things up once in a while.

Eipix’s top-notch production is fully on display in Dreadful Tales: The Fire Within. Each location is exquisitely drawn, each cutscene is wonderfully animated, and each musical score works its magic to create an immersive, ominous atmosphere. While the overarching concept behind the Dreadful Tales franchise might not be the most unique, its distinctive visual style goes a long way to give the franchise a memorable, singular vision.

Dreadful Tales: The Fire Within does a fine job with its gameplay. Although it does not introduce any exciting new features, it does a satisfactory job with all of its aspects. The adventure portion is geared towards the easy side but includes a number of less conventional more creative tasks as well. In addition, there is a nice balance between the hidden object scenes and the puzzles, both of which are thoughtful and fun.

Dreadful Tales: The Fire Within took me roughly four hours to reach the finish mark, with the bonus chapter bringing the total length to five hours. Along with extra gameplay, the Collector’s Edition also comes with a strategy guide, wallpapers, concept art, soundtracks, videos, replayable hidden object scenes, replayable puzzles, achievements, collectibles, morphing objects, and a secret room.

Dreadful Tales: The Fire Within’s intriguing storyline and atmospheric production make for one effective and frightening adventure.

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