Building on their expertise with casual games delivered through the internet, Big Fish Games’ first foray into development for the Nintendo Wii console is a successful example of video games not named Angry Birds attracting an audience beyond a niche demographic. Of course, to the hardcore button-mashing pixel slayer, a hidden object puzzler like Mystery Case Files: The Malgrave Incident might be as appealing as a bowl of oatmeal cooling on the kitchen counter; that’s certainly the sour view over at IGN Games (http://wii.ign.com/articles/118/1180619p1.html). But for the rest of us casual gamers – or anyone looking for respite from pounding game controllers and thick instruction manuals – the leisurely gameplay offers the right balance of challenge, reward, and accessibility.

[img]1273|left|||no_popup[/img]Gameplay is, of course, rooted in scenes in which players must tease out objects hidden in clutters of stuff. While, strangely, most scenes are played twice, a randomizing feature at least keeps the return visits from feeling overly repetitive. More important in terms of keeping the player experience fresh is how the game’s design offers diversity by nesting the puzzles within the simplified framework of a classic adventure game. Navigating through a 3D rendering of the titular island, players confront not only hidden object scenes but various mind-benders, “treasure” hunts, and straightforward inventory-based problems in which players must figure out the proper place for items picked up along the way. In line with its family-friendly disposition, the game lends itself to play by multiple players, either in a competitive mode where each player aims to find the most hidden objects in a scene, or cooperatively during the adventure mode when players work together in achieving a successful hunt. Of course, multiple heads can always join together to find the solutions to any of the game’s puzzles, and the ease with which this happens is the game’s greatest asset.

The overall simplicity of the Wiimote controls and interface, along with absolutely zero requirements for bionic hand-eye coordination, makes The Malgrave Incident easy to pick up and play for a quick fix. A simple but effectively intriguing plot involving a mysterious island, strange dust with allegedly miraculous properties, and the fate of the island’s benefactor welcomes a more entrenched commitment. It’s a shame that the game follows the tradition of shortchanging the writer, and players, by an abrupt drop into the credits that doesn’t quite rate as a fair reward for making it to the end. Nevertheless, the experience is a pleasure on its own, especially given the quality support from a lovely musical score, impeccable and dramatic voice acting, and graphics that may displease the photorealists but in my view have all the attention to detail and hand-drawn personality needed to charm the eyes and create a moody atmosphere.

Note: Although the Malgrave Incident is the 8th game in the Mystery Case File series, this is a stand-alone adventure that requires no prior knowledge of the other games (available online only) to be enjoyed.

For more information, visit the official game website at http://mysterycasefiles.nintendo.com/

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