In this sequel to Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box, players step into the role of Dela, who with her new love, Hari, has escaped dangerous pursuers in China only to discover that she and Hari have been followed back to California where they must outwit villains, break an evil curse and find Dela’s best friend whose life is in imminent danger. The game can be purchased online at www.passionfruitgames.com.
*Disclosure: I received this game courtesy of PassionFruit Games
PassionFruit Games is thrilled to announce one of the first ever “romance casual” games written by, designed by, and created for women. The game is a hidden object-style adventure game loaded with compelling puzzles and addictive mini-games. Between levels, players will experience hand-drawn, voice-acted cut scenes that depict the story from bestselling author Marjorie M. Liu’s novel Tiger Eye.
The game will be divided into two episodes. Curse of the Riddle Box corresponds to the first half of the book and takes place in China; the concluding installment takes place in the United States. Each episode will be available as a stand-alone game for just $6.99. Players will also have the option to purchase the games as part of larger packages which include soundtracks, artwork and strategy guides. Curse of the Riddle Box will be available for the PC on April 28, 2010 – the Mac release will follow soon after in May.
Play as the psychically-gifted Dela Reese as she’s hurtled into danger after purchasing an ancient riddle box in a Beijing dirt market. From the box emerges Hari, a striking 7-foot tall warrior who has been imprisoned for 2000 years. Help Dela thwart assassins who seek the power of the box, and find a way for her and Hari to safely return to Dela’s homeland, while earning each other’s respect and love.
Part 1 of Marjorie M. Liu’s Tiger Eye
Review:
TIGER EYE: Curse of the Riddle Box is part one of the video game adaptation of Marjorie M. Liu’s novel Tiger Eye (Dirk & Steele, Book 1). I haven’t read the book yet, and yet is the operative word. After playing this game, I really, really want to.
There are plenty of load screens, but they are super short. You’ll be spending the majority TIGER EYE of time playing a variety of mini games. There is enough diversity in the mini games that I never felt bored or overly frustrated by any of them. I didn’t like the neuron chain game as much as the others (2nd picture below) that occurs whenever Dela needs to use her telekinesis. Fortunately, you can skip any of the mini games at the cost of 3 Psi points.
Psi points are earned through various puzzles, games, and bonus rounds between levels. They also automatically regenerate during game play if you run out. The turquoise circle in the bottom right corner displays how many points you have. Psi points can be used to buy hints for the mini games too.
Connecting the various mini games are the cut scenes (check out the trailer below to see what they look like). Basically, the style is similar to a graphic novel with minimal animation. I ended up enjoying these immensely and found myself easily caught up in the story and romance between Dela and Hari.
My only complaints are that you have to play TIGER EYE on a computer. I would have loved if it had be available on my phone or mobile gaming device. This game is so easy to pick up and put down quickly (automatic saves whenever you quit) that portability seems like an obvious missed opportunity.
And while the mini games and cut scenes are fun, the transitions between the two are often pretty weak (wait, why am I helping a bunch of kids find their lost matchsticks?). The biggest disappointment is the game’s abrupt ending. Yes, I know its only part one of TIGER EYE, but I expected slightly less of a cliffhanger.
I am eager to play part two, so I guess PassionFruitGames planned the ending well. There is no release date yet for part two, but I hope it’s soon. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to diving into to Marjorie M. Liu’s Dirk & Steele series. At the very least, try the free demo (link below). I’m sure you’ll be hooked!
Sexual Content: A few butt shots.
My Rating (out of 5):
Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & pre-order the sequel.
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