REVIEW : Tiny Lands (PC)
There is quite a few hidden objects game out, and I’ve been keen to play some when time permits. The most recent was Perky Little Things.
Hidden Through Time is a game that’s been on the wishlist for a while, but this Tiny Lands review leapfrogs the rest. It’s such a beautiful looking play that while praising the mise-en-scène (oooh, classy), an accomplishment popped up for daydreaming.
One diorama after the next, you explore a view with some slight subtleties, be it a lit fire, petals floating in the winds, or a slosh of lightning brightening the shadows. A game to chill to? Perhaps, but there’s a slight aggressive element to it.
Leave Your Stopwatch At The Door
Once upon a time, when comics were printed on trees, my buddies and I would usually turn to the back for a word hunt, colouring session, or more importantly, a spot the difference challenge.
Tiny Lands runs the same way as these old school problems. You’re presented with two 3D images that are seemingly identical, only there are five, often subtle variations, ranging from sizes, colour and positioning.
Though you needn’t feel rushed, several achievements back finding all objects in 15 seconds or getting 50 perfects finds in a row, making only ten errors. It’s doable though, as I got the 100% completion after six hours of play well spent.
We Fear Change
Five objects per scene don’t seem like much, but as stated, the complexity rises and you really will be stumped by some of them such as the levels with multiple fish, or a Japanese dining scene.
In these situations, it can get a little frustrating if you lack patience. For me, however, I sat with this late on a Friday evening with a tumbler of whisky, and it was bliss. While the ambience and music were very good, for the most part, I was reliving the past and listening to Reuben. Perhaps a little counter-Zen.
There are no signs in Tiny Lands, and this goes in its favour. When you return to a stage, you will have to find the objects again, but it does register your earlier attempt, represented by stars.
It’s family-friendly too. Not only are the themes safe, but the handles are easy for most. You use the mouse to highlight things and with A and D, turn the scene, while W and S zoom in and out. Note that the zoom feature concentrates on the centre of the screen only.
Parallel Worlds
It became apparent I was nearing the end of the Tiny Lands review quite swiftly, and the reason for comparing to an Early Access – not because it was incomplete, but due to the lack of stages.
Well, good news the beginning is just one world. There are five in all: the forest you start with, a snow stage, Japanese theme, graveyard and a nautical scene. You can tackle these in any direction you choose, pending you have sufficient stars to unlock, the stars denoted by the number of objects you have discovered.
In total, there are 50 levels to run through, with ten items to find. Before you question about longevity, let me tell you that even after repeat plays, I forgot the object positions, so it’s possible you can replay a new almost. Tiny Lands is deserving a revisit further down the line, regardless.
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