click the screenshot to download the free pc game demo

Pahelika: Secret Legends is a first-person point-and-click puzzle adventure, much along the lines of the Myst series. You’re in the shoes of an unnamed character, seeking the truth behind the old tales passed down through the generations of his family: a demon king had been defeated using an ancient, magical tome, which had since fallen under the protection of Monks of the Old Order. One day the main character uncovers a strange book from his attic that acts as a teleportation device, delivering him to six separate and unique challenges where he must use his intellect to progress onwards to the next level, and ever towards discovering the location of Pahelika..

Gameplay: It should be noted that I am not, by any means, a fan of the puzzle/point-and-click adventure games. Usually, for me, the puzzles are either so difficult that I can sense the developers plotting against me or there’s so little variation to the game that it doesn’t hold my interest for long. Pahelika, however, is a different story.

Like most other puzzle games, Pahelika is very linear. You cannot, and will not, do anything out of order. Puzzles presented within the game were quite creative and it seemed fairly obvious that the creators spent a good deal of time on them. The difficulty of the puzzles, though, varied greatly–many were easy, a bit too much so, and as a result the first third of the game was completed in less than an hour. After that point, the answers to some puzzles became so inconspicuous that the game verged on being frustrating at points. More than once I was completely and utterly bewildered on how to progress, such as when I couldn’t figure out a code to open a puzzle box. Knowing full well that I must have missed something, I spent nearly twenty minutes retracing my steps in an attempt to discover what the code could be. Little did I know that the code was, seemingly, entirely random and without any clues, and there was no way I ever would have assumed it to have been the right answer. The graphics, too, played a part in the difficulty of some puzzles, but that will be mentioned later.

The creators put together a free walkthrough for the users to revert to if they found themselves dumbfounded, but even within the walkthrough there was little instruction at parts. For example, when I was presented with a puzzle of five levers that needed to be pulled in the correct sequence, the walkthrough just mentioned something about trial and error. Well, that’s dandy, but, last I checked, that’s 120 different possibilities. At least provide some clue within the game, please, about what the answer could be.

The overall interface of the game was quite smooth and very easy-to-use. There were ample instructions on how the game operated, and on some occasions, if I was unable to discover the correct answer to a puzzle, the game would grant me a hint as to what I should do next. If you needed to return to a previous location to complete the puzzle, you would know so by the arrow in the top right. When only needing objects within the room you were currently standing within, there would be no arrow to take you back, leaving you with the understanding that everything you needed was right in front of you.

Graphics: Overall, the graphics in Pahelika were exceptionally well done, but that doesn’t mean it’s without imperfections. As mentioned earlier, some puzzles were made difficult in a manner that never was intended—at some points it was quite difficult to tell a usable item apart from the background. I needed an arm for a robot, but was unable to find where it was because it blended in far too well with the machinery it was lying on. When playing through the first portion of the game, I thought the graphics were far too dark and made it hard to see some necessary items, but as I advanced to areas beyond I discovered areas brighter, more lively, and with more detail contrasted to the first. With this being said, though, the colors were still rather drab.

Pahelika’s story is defined through cut-scenes done in a fashion similar to a comic book, with a voiceover narrating the scenes as they pass. The art in each panel is well rendered, and manages to accomplish its goal of making the game appear realistic while still in the realm of fantasy. On the downside the cut-scenes are lengthy and without the ability to skip through them. Normally I wouldn’t mind this, but when the cut-scenes between each level are exactly the same, I became slightly aggravated…but only slightly.

Music/Sound: I was surprised by the quality of the sound and music within the game. The ambiance created by the sounds was realistic and appropriate for each situation. Personally, I thought the voiceover could have been more enthusiastic about his job, but I suppose it could have been intentional in order to maintain the realism that the creators wanted. The sounds changed with each area, ensuring that nothing became too monotonous as you played.

Lasting Appeal: Overall, Pahelika: Secret Legends was a fun adventure that provided some creative, fun challenges, but with little replay value. Pahelika’s linear gameplay means that there is no variation beyond what is presented the first time through. The ending left me feeling cheated: I made it through the six levels, only to be told that the remainder of the story is for another game? Seriously?

Despite its downfalls, Pahelika is still a solid puzzle adventure which many will be sure to buy and enjoy. $19.99 is too steep a price to pay for a 3-hour game in my opinion, so be sure to play the demo before deciding to buy it. Who knows? You may just get hooked yourself.