Theatre of the Absurd is a delightfully gripping hidden object adventure game with a jump-out-of-your seat-creep factor that will thrill even the most hardcore horror fans. Its extremely unique gameplay and fluid graphics drenched in the macabre had us peeking around every corner in search of bloodcurdling demons and possessed creatures. It was wonderfully wicked in every way.
Theatre of the Absurd is a delightfully gripping hidden object adventure game with a jump-out-of-your seat-creep factor that will thrill even the most hardcore horror fans. Its extremely unique gameplay and fluid graphics drenched in the macabre had us peeking around every corner in search of bloodcurdling demons and possessed creatures. It was wonderfully wicked in every way.
Holy cow! I’m freaking out! This game exudes awesomeness. It is the embodiment of awesome… have I mentioned it’s really awesome? Sorry. I’m babbling. What with graduation just a few days away, I’m a little on edge, and now I’m having visions of demons racing through my mind on top of that.
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Theatre of the Absurd is a game that lights your imagination on fire, pours lighter fluid on top of that, and then runs away with it. I sat down in my chair to play it with only my black cape as an accessory, not really knowing what to expect, when suddenly, I was thrust into a world of escaped demons, possessed little girls, and time quickly running out for my character, one Mrs. Scarlet Frost. (You can’t really ask for a better name than that!)
You begin your descent into horror one evening when you are called to confirm the suspicion of a doctor, who believes he has found the Hapsburg Cube, an item in which legend says a demon is trapped within it. For some reason, our character, Mrs. Frost, doesn’t believe it’s authentic, and in a fit of rage the doctor throws it to the ground smashing the cube to pieces and unleashing its demon denizen. And the demon is after one thing. The doctor’s daughter, Bethany, who looks like she just crawled out of the well just like that creepy thing in the movie The Ring, (which yes, gave me nightmares for weeks I’ll have you know!)
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Anyhow, you take the girl to the bell tower and lock her up there, because the bell has some magical properties that slows the demon’s possession. The doctor has been thoroughly taken by the demon and is lurking just beyond the door to the bell tower, and here is where your journey truly begins.
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Your arm has taken on some strange properties of its own. It’s swirling with inky black tattoos and a dripping red message that tells you what you need to do next. Yes. This is your hint button. How cool is that? When you need a hint, you click on the bottom right, and you’ll pull your arm out to look at what the message says. A simply spectacular way of immersing the hint button within the story if I do say so myself.
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Everything about this game is unique. You’ll find that the puzzles are different too. They’re not your standard been-there, done-that puzzles. These will keep you on your toes, but don’t worry, there’s a help button with instructions on what to do if you need help.
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The graphics are perfectly chilling, dripping with shades of golden candlelight, purple clouds of demon mist, and shadows of dark-as-night blue. The hidden object games are challenging. If the light from a lamp is in the scene, in turns the objects around it gold as well making it hard to distinguish an object from its color. If there is no light, the objects are cast in shadows and you have to search through different shades of blue and black to find what you’re looking for.
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My one complaint for this game was very minor. While the voice-acting was well done… it repeats itself if you click on something again and it kind of got on my nerves after a while. I get it!! Stop it and SAY SOMETHING USEFUL!
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Altogether, The Theatre of the Absurd is a hidden object adventure lover’s dream come true…. If your dream involves escaped demons and possessed little girls that is. Really, if you can stomach the horror, you have to give this one a try. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go check under my bed for something… no, no, it’s not monsters… it’s just… stuff.
