This is a game about finding things that arrrghhh hidden on the screen.
See, because it’s a hidden object game...with pirates...and, you know...pirates like to
say...screen.
It’s Spirit of Wandering: The Legend.
So obviously, Spirit of Wandering is a hidden-object adventure game with a pirates theme.
This game was originally released to the PC a few years ago, and now, it has set sail
into the very crowded waters of the App Store.
There is no shortage of these games on iOS devices, but Spirit of Wandering does set
itself aparrrrrt.
See, because it’s a bit different.
So the normal routine is you get a scene, you get a list of objects to find in that
scene and you start seeking and tapping...or I guess, clicking depending on the platform.
The rules are a bit different in Spirit of Wandering.
Rather than a list of words, you get this group of outlines...actually, you get two
groups of outlines.
Not a word in sight.
I guess pirates can’t read.
The first group is a collection of common items, and those are the ones you have to
locate first.
So you look at the outlines, and you find the corresponding objects in the picture.
Once you’ve found all the common items, you have to find one of the other items...the
so-called cherished items.
These work the same way.
You get an outline, you find the item.
But in this case, the process includes this magic lens that somehow catches fire when
it’s held above your target.
Once you find it, you’ll get a new group of common items, and you repeat the process
until you’ve found all the cherished items.
It’s a different approach than most of the hidden-object games I’ve played, and there
are definitely things I like about it.
Spirit of Wandering basically splits your target items into much smaller and more manageable
pieces, so instead of chipping away at a list for several minutes, you feel like you’re
making progress and working faster.
What I don’t like is that the cherished items are sort of anticlimactic.
You might think they’re going to be really well-hidden and harder to find...but they’re
not any different than the normal items.
And in fact, they’re actually a lot easier to find because of the giant flaming lens
that pulls a Navi on you and says, “HEY!
LISTEN!
FIRE!”
So although this structure has benefits, it also feels a bit arbitrary at times...and
even annoying.
That’s because the outlines you’re given often don’t match the objects they correspond
to, and that’s because the outlines show them from different angles.
You end up having to think of those outlines in three dimensions, which is a nice side
effect...but a lot of times, it does feel a bit unfair.
Especially when you’re just given a square.
The story is only mildly interesting and feels more like Pirates of the Caribbean than anything
else.
Pirates are attacked by a deadly ghost ship, and the captain loses her crew and her lover.
Turns out they’re actually being held captive in a spirit realm, so she’s forced to collect
cherished items that will provide her access.
It does tie the gameplay to the narrative, derivative as it may be, so I guess it does
work.
And at times, so does Spirit of Wandering.
I’m not as big of a fan of this one as other games of this style, but I do admire the unique
approaches it takes.
So if you’re into this genre but looking for a change, Spirit of Wandering is a swashbuckling
romance with some fun ideas and a lot of booty.