Dark, Creapy and Full of Details...Fatal Hearts

Oh, have I got one for you gals and guys this week. I actually had to tear myself away long enough to write this blog, but you can bet I'll be playing again when its written.

Fans of Cute Knight (like myself) are cheering Hanako's new release, Fatal Hearts. It's a “choose your own adventure” story, much like an interactive novel, but with numerous original puzzles that are integrated into game play. During the game, you might find yourself searching through foreign language dictionaries, putting together elaborate puzzles, or playing board games. The game autosaves, but I also recommend manually saving often, in case you get stuck and want to go online for help.

If some of the puzzles are really driving you crazy (like the leaf puzzle that had me stuck for ages), Hanako has released cheat codes to bypass them. There is also a walkthrough which tells you how to unlock different endings. Once you've beaten the game, you can go back and skip over puzzles you've already played. It's worth playing through a few times, since taking a different route unlocks puzzles and storylines you haven't played before.

About the story – its dark and creepy, and full of detail. Without giving away the plot, lets just say there are plenty of twists, all of which depend on the choices you make throughout the game. The music and sound effects are perfectly used, and the pacing is excellent. It has a definite Japanese feel to it, from the animation to the game style. It's a lot like reading a graphic novel at times.

It's worth mentioning that parents might want to review the game themselves before giving it to their young teens, since there are some elements that people might find questionable. For example, a couple of the endings involve a romance between the two female protagonists, while others have the teenage girl marrying a much older man. There is also murder and supernatural elements involved in all storylines. Nothing is explicit or graphic, but the stories are there. As an adult, I thought it was a bold move for a casual game, and preferred the more mature elements to game play. It's a judgement call if you are a parent or sensitive gamer.

I've unlocked 3 endings so far, and am completely addicted. Even if you didn't care for Cute Knight, Fatal Hearts is a whole different type of game. If you like story-based games with a dark feel, you will not be disappointed.

Lisa

DOWNLOAD FATAL HEARTS HERE>>

Comments

[shine]

what does wolfrieman mean?

[Lisa]

It means wolf belt. :) There is a help manual on Hanako game's site that gives more hints if you're stuck.

[Jessica]

WHat is the code to bypass the pasta game?

[Lisa]

You can get all the cheat codes on hanako game's website at:

http://hanako.informe.com/fatal-hearts-df4.html