Aladin & the Enchanted Lamp is a hidden object game that is based upon the story of Aladdin in One Thousand and One Nights. This game like many western versions of the story is set in an unspecified country in the Middle East.
When I first started the game I was hoping that this game would have been of a higher quality than other games it had developed. However there is a lot that has stayed the same or is of worse quality. My expectations for this game weren’t too high. Mainly because previous games I have played by the developer are of mediocre quality.
My expectations for the game dropped the moment when game starts to explain the story. In this game there is no animation present and the game uses a PowerPoint style presentation to explain the story. I think that the game should have at least provided a voice over if it was to do this style of presentation. I would have preferred the game to have used animation to create a short film explaining the story instead. The story of this game does also progress through conversations held between the characters. Just like the presentations there aren’t any voiceovers of the characters speaking.
Whilst the game is basic in its content, this game is inconsistent in its spelling and grammar throughout the game. Firstly there is the spelling of the main character. The title of the game does have the title of Aladin for the main character. However, this game spells his name as Aladdin during gameplay.
The game does also have issues with explaining itself does become an issue with finding items at times. One instance in particular is in the first scene in the market. In this scene, the game tasks you with finding ice. However, the game would like you to be finding ice cream instead of ice.
Furthermore, this game didn’t get translated properly from French to English. I noticed this when completing a scene in the palace. One of the items I was tasked to find was an arc, which I found out is a horsebow.
Gameplay wise this game is a hidden object game with a few minigames attached. The style of gameplay is the exact same as other hidden object games by this developer. Particularly the Alice in Wonderland game (read my review for it here!). The game will provide you with a hidden object scene or a mini game and you then complete it to progress the story/move you onto the next area.
I feel that as a hidden object game it isn’t too difficult as most items are easy to find. I also noticed that it was easy to get hints. In each hidden object scene you are provided a list of item(s) that you need to find. On many instances after completing a list of items on a scene, you will return to it to continue with more items to progress the story. This game does predominantly use hidden object scenes as a way of playing the game. In many cases you will return to it to continue with more items to progress the story. This game does predominantly use hidden object scenes as a way of playing the game.
The minigames in this game haven’t got much on offer. The games themselves are basic and annoying. The instructions for the minigames have reused the instructions from the jigsaw minigame. I found this out as I read the instructions for the games. It should have at least changed jigsaw to the relevant game name. I noticed this whilst reading the instructions for the slider puzzle. As the game states that it is a jigsaw in the instructions.
In short, This game might be ok for children to play on a rainy day. However, I wouldn’t advocate buying this game unless it is in a bundle.
