Whispered Secrets: Dreadful Beauty – Review

You woke up tied to a hospital bed in a gritty asylum as the stranger next to you is dragged away by menacing spirits! Acorn Hospital was in its glory days during the first World War, until one day when it was severely bombed and left abandoned. But this is definitely not just another deserted hospital, but the residence of something far more sinister. Find out in GrandMa Studios’ Whispered Secrets: Dreadful Beauty.

The Whispered Secrets series has evolved quite significantly from its roots. Notably, it has gotten darker (and more thrilling), which serves as a stark contrast to another of the studio’s flagship series Reflections of Life. This new sequel appears to be the series’ darkest, most psychologically-driven game yet. Although the overarching concept is far from original, with the abandoned asylum theme having been done excellently before in games like True Fear: Forsaken Souls and Shadowplay: Darkness Incarnate, the exceptional delivery here makes it particularly special. The game is a good blend of horror and psychological thriller with plenty of suspense a sprinkle of campiness. There are also quite a few genuinely terrifying moments and the world war backdrop definitely gives the game a fascinating backdrop to work with.

Right from the beginning, Whispered Secrets: Dreadful Beauty hooks you in with its captivating gameplay. The game’s fast and consistent pacing adds a sense of urgency that is then magnified by its memorable villains and explosive action sequences. Moreover, never before in the world of HOPA was the player allowed to directly control the direction of the storyline. In the past, we have gotten multiple games in which we can select our response to certain conversational questions, but whichever choice we choose often leads to the same outcome. However, this game really allows your selection to affect the outcome. This not only makes the game even more engaging and adds to its complexity, but amps up its replayability as well. This, combined with some stellar hidden object scenes and enjoyable puzzles turns Whispered Secrets: Dreadful Beauty into a supremely entertaining psychological adventure.

Whispered Secrets: Dreadful Beauty would not have been this effective if not for its outstanding production. The game’s gothic color scheme is balanced out by some bright, eye-popping details. Each visual element is meticulously designed with expertise and care, which is evident through the highly-detailed artwork, precise and creative scene layout, and bar-raising animations. Similarly, the game also excels in the audio department. From the sound effects to the background music and the voice-overs – all components are simply flawless.

Whether Whispered Secrets: Dreadful Beauty is worth the Collector’s Edition purchase or not should not even be a question since it is probably one of the very best games of 2019. Firstly, you can replay the game for a different outcome as previously mentioned. Furthermore, there is also a bonus chapter that is just as exciting as the main game, along with a mini-size hidden chapter. Lastly, there is a good deal of traditional bonus items, including a strategy guide, wallpapers, concept art, soundtracks, cutscenes, replayable hidden object scenes, replayable mini-games, achievements, collectibles, and morphing objects.

Whispered Secrets: Dreadful Beauty goes way above and beyond an average HOPA – an electrifying sequel that takes the already-fantastic series to new heights.

Whispered Secrets: Dreadful Beauty was one of 2019’s editors’ picks, click here to check out other best hidden object and adventure games.