Exorcist II (PC Game) - Full Review

As an old school gamer, I don't typically play a ton of "casual" games myself but I do find myself buying tons of them for my family members. I'll admit I quite enjoy a few of them myself but I usually play them on my wife's phone or little tablet PC when we go to appointments. They are nice little diversions and are almost always more fun than flipping through a 6 month old Newsweek or something at a doctor's office. They are also pretty cheap and the most expensive adventure games with a high production value will rarely be above $15.00.

The Exorcist 2 is mostly a horror styled hidden object game but it also has some adventure and puzzle elements reminiscent of older games like Myst or Siberia. If you don't know what a hidden object game is, you're presented with an interesting (and cluttered) background scene of anything from a room to a scenic landscape and given a list of things to find. If you have kids, think of I Spy books. As you find things, you earn points and when you clear a level you progress the story leading to new locations, things to find and puzzles. This sounds very simple and really, it is, but it's quite an addicting little system that can change with each playthrough as you choose different routes or the game just randomly decides what you're looking for.

Storyline

This game is similar to most hidden object games in that the story is pretty basic. You're tasked with getting to the bottom of a mystery, in this case, possession. You search for clues and you will have to find pieces that open a door. The door requires about 6 pieces and you get these as you clear screens finding every item on your list. I avoid spoilers but this game actually has a nice, spooky little story with it. My 3 year old and 5 year old were both wide eyed as I read it aloud to them and we worked as a team to find things on each screen.

Gameplay

For the majority of the game you'll be staring intently at your screen looking for objects like scissors, a hammer, or anything else you can think of. Since this is a horror themed game, you may find bats and rats and things as you go through it. There isn't anything too scary or gory so even younger kids can have a good time playing this. When you find something on the list, you click it, it disappears and gets crossed off your list.

There are a few adventure/puzzle areas where you will need to drag and drop things into their corresponding slots and a few of the puzzles, while easy once you understand them, can be frustrating at first and you might have to click the "hint" button. I admit I did once.

Graphics

This is a well made game. The cutscenes are pretty nice looking and the backgrounds are very spooky looking and well done. It's a simple type of game and the graphics lend themselves nicely to the overall theme of things. You may be tempted to turn up the brightness to find some objects and that's just fine. I wouldn't call it cheating.
Sound

The sounds are pretty good for a hidden object game. They give a nice atmosphere as you play and there aren't any annoying sounds to bother you if someone is playing this on a laptop near you for an hour or so. This game has voice-overs which aren't bad at all. The demons may be a little over the top but it works ok.

Controls

Exorcist 2 is a mouse only game so you will just click here and there. The mouse and cursor work well and you won't have a problem clicking on even tiny objects.

User Reviews

Polgara60 (Bigfishgames user)

"This was a really excellent game. The graphics and voiceovers were well done (although the demon voice was a little too drawn out), and there was a clever use of the sidebars which effectively gave the game a widescreen effect. The storyline was well thought out and HOS's were clear but not too easy..."

Cynthia M. Shipley "cybercindy" (Amazon.com user)

"This is a good game. Lots of hints, quick hint button, no need for a walkthrough, good voice acting, eerie music and great graphics. This one is different from the first one. It's much more sinister and spooky..."

The Good

Cheap at $9.99 on most sites. Demo available; Fun for all ages

The Bad

Gameplay can be repetitive

The Bottom Line

If you've ever played a hidden object game, Exorcist 2 will be a familiar and fun experience. These games will satisfy most players, even hardcore gamers, for a little while. You won't be playing for days on end as it's meant to be a simple fun and casual gaming experience. I'd recommend it for kids who can read and anyone older. You can play it with toddlers but you'll have to help them the entire time and some of the material might be a bit scary. Use your judgement.