Brink of Consciousness: Dorian Gray Syndrome Collector's Edition

Wow, this guy sure loves to hear himself talk. Lol. I played the other Brink of Consciousness first and loved it, so I tried this one out. It... It wasn't as grand as the other one, but it had its charm. This H.O.G. is done slightly differently from other standard ones. You *really* gotta remember where you can shove something into. I took a break for two days to play a different game and had to rely on my subconsciousness to remind me of things.. XD Sure there are "map hints"... But unless you go to that room, you wont know for certain. Which is great for memory training and backtracking. Don't ask how many times I got lost. It's all done in the name of a mystery and to "escape" from the narcissistic psychopath... Who talks to you in nearly every room... And after almost nearly every puzzle... I get it... But excuse me? I am doing something here... Can you just be quiet for a moment? ... Nah, that'll just motivate him to talk even more. Sigh. But I will have to point out that the puzzles are freaking hardcore in some parts. Like... I did some... And the others I was scratching my head rather hard, wondering if I can just you know... Break it instead? Th…

Quality voice acting is nice, but what's important is a good game. I'm not bothered by the low-res visuals (they're kind of a genre necessity), but, notwithstanding the kind inclusion of a walkthrough reference, BoC simply doesn't respect the player's time. Not only does it lack badly needed fast travel, and force you to sit idle if you want to listen to the villain's constant monologues, but it also forces you to slog through some unnecessarily prolonged puzzles -- one, for example, has you watching multiple marbles roll SLOWLY around a long track, one after the other, for minutes. I also managed to soft lock myself because it allowed me to complete an advancement action before the condition allowing the advancement had actually been met, something I only realized after repeatedly consulting the guide. Moreover, the game does nothing remotely new or original; if you've played a HOG before, you've already played this. Throw in themes far too mature for younger players, and this is simply a bust.

Brink of Consciousness: Dorian Gray Syndrome Collector's Edition is a hidden-object adventure that leans heavily into psychological suspense, mystery, and a disturbing obsession with beauty. Developed by MagicIndie and published by Plug In Digital, it takes the familiar structure of a point-and-click hidden-object game and surrounds it with an unusually sinister atmosphere. Instead of presenting disconnected puzzles simply as obstacles, the game places most of its challenges inside a threatening investigation where the player constantly feels as though every discovery has been deliberately arranged by the person they are pursuing. The story follows journalist Sam Wilde as he investigates the disappearance of several young people. His involvement becomes much more personal when his beloved Anna is kidnapped, leading him to the enormous Goldvale Manor. The estate belongs to a dangerous figure whose fascination with youth and beauty has produced a trail of disturbing events. Sam must explore the property, uncover what happened to the missing victims, understand his enemy's motives, and find Anna before it is too late. The setup gives the adventure a stronger sense of urgency than the…

Really kind of a gem as far as hidden object/puzzle games go. It's very similar to the game "11th Guest," albeit much easier. You are clicking through a manor and solving basic puzzles by finding items to use on the environment to progress. Occasionally there's a "hidden object" game which is super easy or a puzzle that requires some thought. You can breeze through the hidden object games since there's no penalty for just clicking everything, but the puzzles take time unless you choose to skip them. The game's final puzzle took me over an hour. The solution was simple but it was something you have to sort of "untangle" and if you try to force it it doesn't work. I love the villain in this game and the way constantly mocks the player. It's very funny that you are playing a hidden object game about a serial killer who embalms bodies in jars as "art pieces." If you beat the game there's also a bonus chapter on some carnival grounds that's a lot of fun. Overall I really enjoyed this and hope to one day play more like it.

Solidly one of the better games I've played in the genre.

Damn good hidden object/puzzle game