Sellar Dore's parents wouldn't stop fighting, even arguing over the correct way to say "happy birthday" to their daughter. So, she runs away from home and, in a poetic irony, the lost girl begins her business hunting down missing items as Memohuntress. Years later, Sellar learns her childhood village of Yona was hit by an earthquake. Worried about her parents, she embarks on her greatest quest yet to earn the train fare home. But searching for hidden-objects only a small part of this breathtaking adventure by Aaron Abel and Matthew Stradwick of Enter Skies.
Using [arrow] keys or [WAD] to move about and jump, navigate through fantastical locations and examine every intricate detail to spot—and click on—the lost articles concealed in the scenery. Each of the four, distinctly-themed levels is animated, creating a dynamic 3D effect that's both beguiling to contemplate and challenging to complete. To succeed with the highest score means oogling each segment of a scene with careful eyes, watching to see if an unbended arm or stooping figure will reveal what you seek. This is made more difficult because of the animations and the entire object might never be fully shown. Zooming the game window as large as it can go will help. The shape of the environment makes twisting and turning, using your peripheral vision in many cases, a necessary part of play. Most items come in multiples and appear as pictured, making it unnecessary to constantly check your list. But, when stuck, "Hint" will point you where you need to go.
Analysis: Still images can't show and words can't explain the multilayered, surreal Willy Wonkaness of what there is to behold here. It's easy for players to become lost in Sellar's world making gameplay symbiotical. From the opening cinema, the story is captivating thanks to Aaron Abel's and Robert Rubio's talented writing and the excellent voice-acting of Kaily Kaneshiro, Gianni Matragrano, Tri Le, Kim Lehman, Mike Siemon, and Andrea Ashe. The art by both Abel and Vinnie Veritas is ample entertainment in itself as you notice allusions to anime and other games while catching glimpses of the subcharacters' stories.
Being so enchanting, it's hard to give too much notice to the downsides, but they're there. To start with, the task of item hunting can be rather daunting, especially in the immense Emerald Sea of the last level when half the "objects" you're looking for are swimming about you, although the interesting artwork helps mitigate this. Another issue, even with the most up-to-date graphics card, is lag; using the [Q] key will lower the quality and help with this, but I recommend against that unless absolutely necessary. There is far too much to see and enjoy, that if you're moving too fast, you'll miss out.
Magnificent artwork, incredibly moving story, and a sweeping soundtrack make an experience to not be missed. Throw in a little quest to collect lost objects and call it a game, but make no mistake: Memohuntress is art. The love and enthusiasm this team has in their creation oozes out of every corner and makes it shine.
Walkthrough Guide
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Memohuntress Walkthrough
More to come...
Posted by: elle | February 27, 2012 1:49 PM