May 242023
Adam Wolfe is a 4-episode hidden object game in which you play a paranormal detective solving cases while searching for his missing sister.
The first three episodes each have a self-contained supernatural mystery, but they’re all connected by a conspiracy that reaches its conclusion in the fourth episode, which brings everything together.
It is a hidden object game at heart, although one that leans more toward being an adventure game. Using a point-and-click interface, you’ll need to investigate areas to find key items and use them to solve puzzles. You can travel between locations using your map, and occasionally you have special interactions available (such as making a phone call or using your gun).
The puzzles tend to be quite simple and straightforward. Early on in the first episode, you obtain a watch that lets you look into the past (oddly enough, this isn’t the first game with such a mechanic we’ve discussed this May), so occasionally you’ll have to do that in order to proceed. Strangely, these segments require you to move present-time objects to their correct placements in the past in order to see what happened.
While the first episode also has a handful of sections that are more action-oriented, the later episodes minimized these in favor of simple puzzles.
And of course, it has hidden object sequences. What makes Adam Wolfe stand out compared to other hidden object games I’ve played is that the majority of these have narrative significance. Instead of grabbing random items from a list, you’ll be hearing the words to an ancient ritual and need to click the corresponding items, for example. One humorous section has you pick up tool after tool in order to break into a locked box.
Sadly, the last two episodes had some regular hidden object sections instead, which was disappointing, although they didn’t abandon the format entirely.
In terms of its story, Adam Wolfe is interesting enough. While the individual cases aren’t too thrilling (although the first episode is by far the most interesting in terms of the standalone mysteries), I was invested in the overarching plot by episode 3. Unfortunately, the ending was anticlimactic. After everything else that had happened up until that point, the end disappointed me.
Nevertheless, if you enjoy hidden object games, Adam Wolfe takes a bit of unique twist on the formula while telling a decent story, aside from its conclusion.
I never really got into hidden-object games. Closest I ever really got was things like Ace Attorney and Layton where you’d click around the environment, but I don’t feel like those are quite the same thing. I’m not really even sure what the best “hidden object” games are, unless you count Where’s Waldo…
In my experience, hidden object games tend to be a bit more bland, so it’s nice to see one trying to distinguish itself from the formula a bit.
You know I also never really gotten into hidden object games, but I *think* the I Spy Books were similar? Help, i’m trying to dig out the repressed childhood memories of yesteryear!
One day i’ll give one of these games a go just to relive those moments!
Yeah, the actual hidden object sections of these games are very similar to the I, Spy books. (That takes me back. I forgot all about those books until you mentioned them.)
I appear to be the only one here who doesn’t mind hidden object games! The fact that these puzzles are more narrative-focussed is a huge plus in my book, because I’ll also admit the story tends to be meh in this game genre. Maybe I’ll give this one a try!
I don’t mind hidden object puzzles, but it was fun to see a take on them that went beyond “here’s a list of random items to find.”