Dracula's Legacy doesn't waste any time in getting on with proceedings - thrusting the player straight into a spooky hidden object adventure. The story focuses on a young woman named Isabella who is haunted by frightening dreams about her forgotten past. With an eagerness to find a solution to her problems, she travels to an old ghost town with her fiancé, Matt. Of course, her plans fall apart almost immediately when a dangerous creature attacks the couple on the outskirts of the destination;hile Isabella manages to escape, her fiancé is not so fortunate. It is now up to the player to help the young woman rescue her partner and put her nightmares to rest.
While hidden object games are admittedly not a forte of consoles, the Wii U instantly dismisses such concerns thanks to the GamePad's touch screen, making the system an ideal candidate for the genre. The gameplay in Dracula's Legacy is centred around the use of the touch screen and stylus to interact with each static scene Isabella encounters.
Starting out in dungeons buried deep below the ghost town, you'll quickly work out you need a variety of items in order to progress. There are keys for chests, gears that reactivate mechanical devices and poles that can be attached to sharp and dangerous objects to craft handy tools; more useful items will be added to your inventory as you advance. For example, to shoot a canon you will need to gather a canon ball, a torch - which first must be doused in order to light it - and only then will you be able to blow up a brick wall halting Isabella's progress. Tasks like this will require travelling from area to area seeking the specific set of tools that are required for each task.
Dracula's Legacy slowly ramps up the level of difficulty with additional brain-teasing challenges. Isabella will regularly encounter puzzles such as classic tile arrangement board games and also patterned devices which need to be rearranged in order to move forward. There are also smaller-scale puzzles to solve. These are encountered on an irregular basis and have a clear checklist of items that need to be discovered within a scene - the player is normally then required to combine a number of items together to create an object. If this all becomes too overwhelming there is a hint system which can point the player in the right direction, as well as highlight points of interest - that's if the blue sparkling light near key objects in each area wasn't already enough of a giveaway.
Tying all of this together are stylishly presented cut scenes. Unfortunately the characters, voice acting and story struggle to meet the same high standard. Isabella looks like Emilia Clarke (or maybe Natalie Imbruglia?) after a bad day and the rest of the cast is a tad overbearing; the voice acting by human characters is particularly substandard. The story does little to draw the player in, but instead presents a melodramatic scenario which is more comedic than terrifying.
The visuals behind all of this are picturesque, with each scene looking very much like a canvas. The music might be overly dramatic at times but is still well orchestrated, capturing the mood of what is an enjoyable object finding experience. The sound adds to this, helping to capture a moment; from a burning fire to a key unlocking a chest.
Conclusion
Dracula's Legacy for the Wii U eShop is a high quality hidden object game, and it feels right at home on the system thanks to the the GamePad. Ideally, this genre is still better suited on the PC platform, with the game already available on Steam for an affordable price. In saying this, Dracula's Legacy is likely to satisfy individuals who enjoy problem solving and puzzle games, regardless of the platform it is played on. For those who aren't as familiar with this genre our recommendation is naturally more tentative - the enjoyment comes if you truly sink your teeth into it.
Comments 33
This actually looks quite good. On the shortlist it goes.
A game that doesn't suck.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE Well technically it does because it has vampires
@GrandpaPixel That was the joke.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE fangs for the joke
@ULTRA-64 Let's not get batty about these puns
Nice to see the comment section hasn't turned into a blood bat. Fangs for the bite sized review.
As Inafune would kind of say "It's better than coffin"
If anyone thought this topic would be pun free, they made a mis-stake
Looks not bad for the (Vincent) price.
I hope it's decently buffy in length.
I'm not cross this game is on Wii u
Looks like the banter here might have bitten off more than they can chew....
Eventually these puns will turn to dust
I figured this review would be a stake in this game's heart, but instead it's an endorsement to its afterlife.
I might pick this up later in the year if it comes to NA.
Without this game,I'd be Lost Boys.
Is this for the U.K.? I didn't find it on the eShop yet.
I was hoping you would get an interview....with the Vampire.
Not sure if this game matches my type, regardless it looks like it could get your blood pumping.
It's nice to have a game like this in the Twilight of the Wii U's life...............
That character on the second picture looks more like a fangster.
..a 7 huh?..guess we can Count on a sequel then..
Wii U wont die its the terminator.
So what I'm hearing is the Wii U version is the definative version and we're damage controlling for PC.
btw STAR FOX ZERO DEMO is FREE on the eSHOP! GO and check it out for yourself!!!!
I vant this game!
These puns are terrible. I'm (Christopher) Lee-ving.
YAY!! finally a hidden object game on the Wii U!! I love playing these with my friends who aren't really gamers. Last good one was the malgrave incident on the wii. Can't wait to play until the sun comes up!
Dangit, why'd it have to be a hidden object game rather than a point-and-click/adventure/novel game? I swear I can never get enough of those.
lol at the puns
@ogo79 did they make the silver grade
@ULTRA-64
indeed
Joindots are on a roll, pumping out eShop games like no other lately...
Suspension Railroad Simulator
Island Flight Simulator
Joe's Diner
Jones on Fire
Sweetest Thing
Queen's Garden
Dracula's Legacy
...and soon
Dragon Skills (an innovative blockbreaker/Arkanoid clone coming this week) and Frankenstein - Master of Death (another Hidden Object Game by the people that made Dracula's Legacy, Jetios, coming in August)
It seems they get better. Their first few games weren't great.
@SKTTR
..oh, so there is a sequel..bet it's a Graveyard Smash..
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