Reminds me of a recently popular movie and book, which I thoroughly enjoyed. When I found the ultra violet light that was used to reveal a secret message on a piece of art, I was hooked. The demo went by quickly and the game is on my purchase list. The graphics, sound, animation, cutscenes and music are all excellent and, while the storyline is familiar, it is immersive and intriguing. With the standard features of a HOPA, the gameplay need not be described again, except to mention a new function of the "hint" system. In any location, clicking hint will either point you to an adjacent location or take you directly to the map, circle the location you need to visit, and then transport you there. A small change, but one that makes an already useful transporter map even more effective. I liked that. If you are in the mood to delve into the mysteries and machinations of a secret society to save the world from unspeakable evil, don't miss this one. As for me, I have to find out if the kindly old Archbishop innocently needs our heroine's help or is a actually part of a nefarious plot!

One of the best games I?ve recently played Graphics are remarkable, really good cut-scenes and excellent animation, good voice overs Music is well chosen, suits perfectly Storyline is little bit of everything: ancient battle between good and evil, artifacts, mystery in one word- good adventure 2 modes of game: casual and expert Strategy guide is available Also there are extras- bonus chapter, mini games You have a map that allows travel and a journal Hidden object scenes are quite fun, not too many of them. There are two types of HOS, with listed objects and those where you must place given objects in their right place Puzzles are absolutely perfect, satisfying level of challenge, there are some new ones, and of course if you get stuck you can always skip them All in all I had fantastic time, and I definitely recommend this game!!

Have only played the demo but drawn into the tale and the mystery. This is SO my sort of game. At first you think it is the same old story...letter arrives, Grandpa has disappeared but as the intro develops (including discovering your heroine's name) you are drawn in. * 2 levels of play (casual/expert) * pleasant music/background sounds * 15 messages to be found * interactive jump map which shows available actions (but this can be turned off for more challenge) * Many more puzzles than HOS so far * HOS interactive and at least 2 types (find from list with 3 levels of search and replace). All in all, thoroughly enjoyable and can't wait to purchase full game.

This story is intriguing and grabs your interest. It is similar to Sacre Terra - Kiss of Death, in that it is a battle between good and evil, and portals hold the seals that puts evil away. The graphics are excellent, particularly the scenes of Italy and the cut scenes throughout. You are Vanessa, summoned by Father Benedict to find the stolen seals using 15 messages left by your grandfather, who was the seals guardian and is also missing. What I like best is, although it is a "dark" story, the scenes are full of light that I don't have to stand up to search a HOS on my large monitor -- the top of the screen is as bright as the rest. The mini-puzzles are not necessarily unique, but the art is. The HOS are in list form or in "place the object in the scene" form. You can actually read the journal and see what you need to see. The map is interactive, the hint button refills immediately and the story is good. A definite buy!

I almost forgot I wanted to get out of the game so I could write this. By every quality, every aspect (except one minor one) this game is EXCELLENT!! That one little thing is that when you log out of the game, your place in the SG is not saved, so remember the page number. At this point the villain seems to be obvious. But, you never know. The cut scenes are movie quality, The HOs are clear. The sound is very very good. Oh, one thing. It's raining A LOT. Hear me game builders, you don't HAVE to use rain to make a scene spooky. All it does is make it WET. ;P

This game I definitely rate a 10/10. From what I played on the beta version, I didn't want to stop. Bought this game straight away. Story: Vanessa's grandfather was a member of the Secret Order who was guarding the gate but evil prevailed and stole the ruins. Vanessa's grandfather went in search of the runes, but disappeared. Vanessa being the only heiress is not only in search of the ruins, but also her grandfather. Music: Absolutely wonderful. Fits the game perfectly. Graphics: Gorgeous! I stopped playing for a bit just to look at them. Even the opening scene looks like something out of the movies. Mini games: Not too hard or easy. Just enough challenge. Really enjoyed them. H0G Scenes: Some are the list with extra step items, and some are where you have to put the items back into the scene. Map: Jump map. The best kind :) This team did an exceptional job with this game. I truly enjoyed the beta, and now look forward to the full version.

I just reviewed a game which I said is the best I'd ever played. This has supplanted that. Playing this game is like reading a novel by Dan Brown. Here's what you need to know to decide if you'll like the game or not: 1. Did you read and enjoy The DaVinci Code or Angels and Demons? 2. Do you like a game that is weighted more toward puzzles than HOS? The ratio is something like 30:18 Puzzles/Mini-games to HOS. 3. While the puzzles and HOS are plentiful, do you enjoy games which are heavy on the "story?" 4. Are you OK playing a CE that is not about "collections" or "achievements" or "morphing objects?" (Yes, there is a bonus chapter). If you answered yes to those questions, you will, without a doubt, LOVE Portal of Evil. I have never seen a game with such an engrossing story line and such unbelievable attention to detail. By now you've read reviews that have told you the story line, so I won't belabor that. But I will talk about what I think sets this game apart from EVERY OTHER GAME I HAVE EVER PLAYED: 1. Visual/Sound quality: a. When I first started the game I said to myself "this is seriously HD." It is. I also said to myself that the items were a little difficult to see because they are small. This is true, but not long into the game I got used to the size and the visibility problem had more to do with background lighting in the first couple of scenes than anything else. b. The game is brilliantly designed. Visually it's like watching a movie. One example of detail (it may seem insignificant, but it's indicative of the whole game): you're riding in an elevator. You can see a grate at the top of the elevator you're in. As you're riding up and down you see the background behind the grating as if you're watching the elevator shaft. It's completely REAL. Another example: there is a scene with live suits of armor. The suits of armor cast shadows which are completely correct in terms of visual perspective.

All of this game is entirely great. The graphic will conquer you, definitely one of the best parts of this hidden object game. I loved that this game involved Italy and its culture/environment, and also had done a twist to the typical battle between good and evil. In every game I buy, I play attention to the soundtracks, that add a plus sign on the review. Here the music is wonderful and it suits the environment. Good job! But I thought the story would have been more precise. The ending of the main game is short cut, and you have so many questions, resolved in part by the bonus chapter. And the relationship between the protagonist and one of the characters (I'm not saying who XD) could have been more developed. Anyway, buy this game. It really left me speechless. In a good way.

Bought the CE over the Mother's Day weekend at a discount but would have bought it at full price. I dragged it out for three days. My one little negative would be the bonus chapter, ended rather abruptly. Made me think there could be a continuation in the future ????

This is a great game with a good storyline, good graphics, with a spooky and eerie vibe, that allows for travel to otherworlds via portals. A woman has been called to St. Peters Cathedral in Italy by the pope to help find stolen seals when her grandfather goes missing. There aren't too many HOS but they are interactive and a mixture of finding the listed items and returning inventory items back into their correct place in the scene. There are however a lot of mini game puzzles and some of them are frustrating such as matching diagrams in a web pattern but when you move one stone they all move so it really gets tricky. There are 2 modes of difficulty casual and advanced and the CE has wallpapers, bonus play and mini games to play. I think this is an awesome game. Enjoy!