Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic is a beautifully hand-drawn world with many things to discover.
Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic is the sequel to the first game, also developed and published by Rogueside, a team of experienced developers whose main goal in the gaming world is quality, art, and code. With Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic, you join Clicky on a new adventure through time and enchanted environments to find hidden objects and parts to the next puzzling search.
Starting Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic, we are shown the main menu, which offers three paths to take in this game of find and seek. The first option would be the Campaign, which gives you four options in terms of eras, and there are myths such as Greek Mythology, the Middle Ages, Magical 80s, and 1001 Nights. Each of these options will have you in different times and dealing with varying myths along with their respective scenarios.
The second option the main menu offers is to be an Architect, as seen in games such as Park Beyond, giving you the option to build and design your own worlds of fantasy and have other players take part in your find-and-seek games. Creating a whole new environment, planning out the inner workings of buildings and environments, and even going as far as to create whole new world themes.
The main menu’s third option is the online maps option, where you can experience other players’ maps who built these worlds using the Architect option. You can experience other players’ creativity and worlds through the online map system to take on other players and the challenges of find and seek.
When entering a stage or Era, you will be given a list of images you need to find throughout the map, though you’ll be given a brief explanation of the Era or theme of the map. Hidden within each map are secrets and hidden treasures alongside the listed ones. However, unlike in most hidden object games, you can’t just request a hint to locate the items you need to find.
With each item needed, the only hints you are provided are descriptions of said items; for example – You are looking for a bird, and the only description you get is something similar to “I have a nice view of the stage”. You’ll need to look around and figure out what looks like a stage to find the hidden object and pass the level. You only need three objects to pass the level, making gameplay a little mundane.
With these listed objects, you will also be given the option of switching the environments of the current map, such as making day into night or cold into warm. This feature serves a purpose besides changing the scenery, as certain items on the map can only be found in specific times or climates, which gives the game a childlike sense. The characters in these worlds are alive and live their lives as they usually would based on the time of day or the climate.
The Levels in Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic are exceptionally well-drawn and designed, and with the last item you find also being the most challenging item to find, that same level of detail can sometimes make it much more difficult to find it. This alone makes the game more difficult overall, mostly because it can bite you in the rear as well since some objects are so well hidden that you simply can’t find them… Regardless of what the item description is.
While the item description is helpful, it can also take a more confusing turn at the worst of times. This makes life a little more unforgiving with the lack of a hint button or some way to help you along to progress, especially for younger players.
Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic does give you a voiced description of the level, Era, and what’s happening to give you an idea of everything, but it doesn’t really bring anything extra to keep you interested, like hidden meanings. A little hidden context or vague hinting to something extra would make for a great motivator to hunt them down or just to maintain some intrigue.
An example of how the art style can bite you would be – Having to look at what looks like a fish with the description of a whale. Having gone through the slog and clicking on everything with a fishtail, whether day or night, you might still get stuck trying to find the last item and be forced to move on to the next level without completing the list. This can take away from the game experience and ruin the goal of finding the object but not being able to.
With each Era having its theme music, the music starts interesting, but it does become annoyingly persistent or repetitive. Having the same tune for one Era and all its many stages becomes ear bleedingly dull, and this draws away from the excitement and wonder of the stage you are in.
The maps and level designs are brilliant in their way, with lovely hand-drawn settings and moving components. The brain is constantly stimulated by colours and moving characters or animals, with each level being themed after a mythos or an actual place that once existed in history.
The environments really play their parts at portraying the levels you are in, such as The Hanging Gardens of Babel, Mount Olympus, or even the adventures of Sinbad, each map having the theme to go with the myth or legends drawn in a children’s storybook-like manner.
As for the online play of Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic, this mostly relies on the players’ creativity to challenge their friends and other players. The online aspects bring a more interesting side to the game and could be a great way to pass the time or make small wagers between friends as the game’s other direction. The game as a whole is well thought out but can’t really considered something adults would play, and it’s more a game you’d hand off to your younger sibling.
Overall, Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic is a fun game with some interesting concepts, mechanics, and environments with tons to do. Be creative and make your own maps and challenges for other players with your own find-and-seek games. You can also take on the campaign mode, explore, and hunt for hidden objects through some of the most iconic myths. Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic is definitely worth giving a shot and will hopefully get some attention on the quality-of-life side of things.
