A demo for Ironcode's adventure puzzler Pahelika: Secret Legends has been released and is now available for download.
Casual Gamer Chick reviews the Myst-like adventure game by Ironcode for the PC.
Excerpt: "The puzzles are fairly elementary at first, but ramp up in difficulty as you go along. The presentation both helps and hinders the player. When your mouse hovers over an item of interest, sparkles appear on the entire item. However, often doors and portals that are supposed to be opened are hard to make out or obscure. Nonetheless, the puzzles remain logical, even when they're difficult. In case the player is frustrated, developer Ironcode has offered a free walkthrough, much like Jonathan Blow did with Braid."
Resolution writes: "It all struggles to go anywhere. Interesting narrative threads disappear as soon as they turn up, and there's no attempt to mould everything into a cohesive, flowing world. It's a collection of puzzle rooms with a story tacked on to the beginning and the end, one that thinks it's a lot more profound and interesting than it actually is. And though it'll surely find its audience within the casual market, there are far better options available if that's your cup of tea - especially if you've $20 to shell out."
Sometimes it feels like the creators of adventure games are working against you. Their games are filled with puzzles whose solutions are so obtuse, you begin to feel like they actually want you to fail. The same cannot be said for the designers of Pahelika: Secret Legends. While the puzzles are still pretty tricky, it's obvious that the game's creators want you to succeed and enjoy yourself – which you more than likely will.
You begin Pahelika by discovering an unusual book that, in Myst-like fashion, transports you to a variety of magical lands. The object of each journey is simply to make it to the portal that will transport you home, but naturally you'll have to do a little legwork first.
