Haunted Hotel: Lost Time – Review

James Blackthorn and his girlfriend Jessica have now been together for a year and to celebrate this special occasion, they planned a weekend getaway at the luxurious Victorian Spa Hotel. Given James’ track record, he probably should have known that this trip would not end well. With Jessica missing and strange happenings around the hotel, can James survive another nightmare situation in Haunted Hotel: Lost Time?

I am actually quite astonished by how the Haunted Hotel series is able to bring new ideas to each new sequel. Unlike most other long-running series, Haunted Hotel never feels stale or recycled; each new installment feels different and exciting. Haunted Hotel: Lost Time is a good example of this. Although the idea behind the plot is not unique by the slightest, the spa hotel setting is original enough to keep the player engaged. This game also excels in terms of pacing and delivery. There is always something intriguing waiting at every corner, whether that be storyline development or just a creepy moment.

Haunted Hotel: Lost Time is also, perhaps, the most heart-pounding thrilling installment since the excellent Haunted Hotel: The Thirteenth. The visuals in this game serve the psychological thriller genre of the game well. Most scenes are dark, but with thoughtful touches of colors to make them pop and edgy. The actual design of the locations and the details in them are astounding, which further proves why Elephant Games manages to maintain its position at the forefront of the HOPA genre for so long. Further, the background music and the voice-overs are appropriately ominous and help enhance the experience of the game.

For a hardcore hidden object fan like me, Haunted Hotel: Lost Time is not at all challenging. The gameplay is fast-paced and hectic, yet straightforward and familiar. The hidden object scenes and the puzzles contain some neat ideas, but never fully execute them. Thus, they remain simple and easy to solve.

Nonetheless, with such an exhilarating storyline, the 3.5 hours main gameplay flew by for me like it was nothing. The bonus chapter was equally well-done and took me another 45 minutes to complete. The Collector’s Edition also includes a strategy guide, wallpapers, concept art, screensavers, soundtracks, replayable hidden object scenes, replayable puzzles, achievements, collectibles, morphing objects, jigsaw puzzle, and a secret room.

Haunted Hotel: Lost Time is a thrilling and chilling adventure with a fantastic production – a worthy addition to this best-selling series.