Hidden Through Time is an interactive take on the ‘Where’s Wally?’ concept. Thirty years ago when I was just a little lad those books were a great source of entertainment when it got so wet outside my mother wouldn’t let me play football. Crazy Monkey Studios has put together a really charming experience that not only makes older games nostalgic about times gone by, but introduces younger gamers to an age old pass time.
As the name would suggest, Hidden Through Time takes you on a journey through different time periods. Story mode starts off in prehistoric times with cavemen and dinosaurs. First with only a few items to find in a small map but these get progressively bigger with more items along the way. Unlike ‘Where’s Wally?’ the scene doesn’t stand still. You may have animals moving around, or characters interacting with objects. It’s not a living, breathing scene but enough to force maximum concentration when on the hunt.
I mentioned a story mode, but in this case that is a loose term. This is just a collection of levels that make up the offline portion of the game. There is no real narrative, and while one could have been implemented, I don’t really feel the game suffers as a result. The hide and seek gameplay loop is either going to pull you in, or put you off.
Depending on how skilled you are at finding the desired objects the story completion time can vary wildly. Keen eyes with plenty of experience may finish it in around two hours, but I would say the majority of people can expect to spend twice that time, if not more. Should you be playing solely for trophies and using a guide, you will be able to wrap it up in around an hour.
Initially I had hoped that this would be a good game to play with my son (aged 5), but after doing well in the first two levels it quickly became too difficult for him. Hints are provided for every object, but some are pretty vague. Had he been playing on Nintendo Switch and not the PlayStation 4 I think it may have kept his attention longer, but he wasn’t about to stare at the big TV for long periods.
While story mode won’t keep you busy for a massive amount of time, the games creation suite is limitless. Here you can not only create your own levels, but enjoy community uploads. This is where I managed to capture my sons attention again. He had a great time making admittedly basic levels to challenge the rest of the family.
Trophies are pretty straightforward tasking you with finding every object throughout the story mode and then completing 50 online maps. If you are struggling there are guides available to get you through, so this should be achievable to those willing to see it through. Fastest times are currently just under two hours which gives you an idea of the time sink required.
Overall Hidden Through Time is a solid game that when you factor in the creation suite is good bang for your buck. It has a nice art style and is good wholesome family content at a time when that is in high demand. Couple all that together with an achievable platinum this ticks more than enough boxes to recommend.
-Jessica
A review code for this product was kindly provided by the publisher. Reviewed on PS4 Pro.
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