Dark Romance: Ashville – Review

The town of Ashville was destroyed by a massive mine explosion fifteen years ago. Today you arrive at this abandoned town to unlock all the remaining mysteries in Dark Romance: Ashville, the new hidden object puzzle adventure sequel from Domini Games.

Despite having totally different storylines, all Dark Romance games share one thing in common, which is the premise of switching between the perspectives of two lovers. However, this latest sequel does things a little differently. Instead of switching between two romantic partners, you will be switching between playing Louise Mitchell, a journalist from the year 2000 and Robert Lawson, a historian from 1985. Will this time-crossed duo ever meet or fall in love? That’s part of what makes this game so intriguing.

As for the storyline itself, Dark Romance: Ashville feels more dystopian than its fantasy-leaning predecessors. While seasoned hidden object players might not find the story to be particularly interesting, there is still plenty of action sequences and unexpected twists to enjoy. The dystopian undertone is further reinforced by an electrifying production. The visuals are Domini-style fantastic with a neon-tinged color palette as a nod to the 80s. The thrilling music and sound effects are also working to the advantage of the game.

Unfortunately, Dark Romance: Ashville’s weakest aspect might be its gameplay. The adventure mechanics are extremely familiar and filled with repetitive, tedious tasks. The hidden object scenes and puzzles are also nowhere near groundbreaking, only a small portion of them really showcase the developer’s creative strengths. Come to think of it, a solid concept diluted by basic gameplay has been the series’ problem ever since the very beginning – even its strongest installment could not escape this fate.

Regardless of the predictable gameplay, I was not necessarily bored during the game’s length. I’m not recommending the Collector’s Edition for an instant buy but could be more than worth it during a sale. The bonus content section includes a bonus chapter, wallpapers, concept art, videos, soundtracks, replayable hidden object scenes, replayable puzzles, achievements, collectibles, morphing objects, and a customizable room.

Dark Romance: Ashville has some great moments but also has too many cookie-cutter elements to be considered a must-play.