Bite-sized Review:
Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Legends

By Chris Picone, 21 January 2024

I've been a bit behind the 8 ball with this one - I only played the first Hidden Through Time last year.  And it was awesome, so I was excited when I heard the news a sequel was not only on the way but releasing soon!  That was six months ago now, of course; 2023 was a super busy year for reviewing and it fell off my radar. Until now. Because, although Hidden Through Time 2 released on PC back in June last year, it's set to release on consoles in just a couple of days!

Aesthetics

I really love the style; super reminiscent of the old Where's Wally books but certainly with its own flavour.  If you've played the first, I think there are a few upgrades in terms of nearly everything having some sort of animation and there are far more customisation options in the map builder, but it feels strangely slightly worse in terms of click interactions (clicking on a bird might make it spread its wings, for example), although there are still plenty. The sound is great too, with fitting soundtracks and plenty of ambient noises, it all adds up to a great experience. Thematically, I love this game even more than the first; there's Arabian Nights, Greek mythology, classic medieval fantasy, and for some reason the 80s.

Gameplay

If you aren't familiar with the original, Hidden Through Time is very interactive for a "find it" game.  Clicking on a building removes the roof and front wall so you can hunt inside. Sometimes you can go even further than that, clicking on baskets and boxes and things to reveal their contents.  Where this might become tedious, the developers have handled it very well by adding stacks of click interactions in, encouraging you to get in and touch everything to see how everything reacts.  The camera controls are great, you can pan and zoom to your heart's content (and you'll need to - some objects are well hidden!) and cheeky clues if you get stuck.  One feature new to the sequel is a day/night/weather button.  Some items can only be found in Summer or Winter so you'll have to flick between the two to find everything.  It's a really cool concept that I think has been under-utilised. The map undergoes substantial changes, which is exciting, but usually there's only a couple of items to find so it doesn't seem worth it. I would have loved to have seen an alternative weather mode unlock for each map once all objects had been found on the original, which I feel would almost double the gameplay for not much more work.  Finally, I want to briefly mention the architect - the map builder - which is super super easy to use, and that the game includes easy access to an online stockpile of maps made by other players, which is awesome for adding tons of game time and variety.

Verdict

If you enjoyed the first Hidden Through Time, this sequel's an easy purchase you'll definitely be happy with.  It's "more of the same," but new themes, an upgraded map builder, and easy access to stacks of high quality online maps.  If you haven't played the original, I think anyone who enjoys Where's Wally experiences will get into this, and even if you've outgrown those, your kids will love it.

Links: 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2304640/Hidden_Through_Time_2_Myths__Magic/