Abra Abra Cadabra
"I wanna reach out 'n grab ya!" Oh Steve Miller Band, what can't you do?
Fans of Witchcraft and Wizardry and things that go bump in the night, listen up! Hogwarts - er- Abra Academy's enrollment is now open! All budding witches and wizards, please apply!
Alright, so this game might seem a little like Harry Potter. But what of it? It's not like J.K. Rowling owns the rights to magic! All kidding aside, this product holds its own in terms of gameplay.
Brew Me a Potion
Abra Academy uses the "I Spy" game mechanic of finding particular objects in a ridiculously cluttered room. Seriously, if my mom saw these rooms, she'd have three heart attacks and then a stroke. Is it possible to be this disorganized? I mean, I though my room was messy. Sheesh!
Aside from maybe the Mystery Case Files games, this is the best use of this gameplay formula that I've seen. In most games that use this type of gameplay, you're hunting down clues to find a criminal. While that's all fine and dandy, I've gotten my fair share of crime solving from Law and Order: Tantalizing Spin-off, the eight spin-off of the Law and Order franchise. With this game, you get something a little different. Here, you're brewing a big ol' pot of God-knows-what, and you have a list of ingredients that you need to hunt down to help make your super terrifying potion. Granted, I've never seen a witch make a potion of a grasshopper, ship in a bottle, and a magnifying glass; but hey, magic is a mystery!
If you're unfamiliar with this type of game, the controls are simply. All you need is a finger for your mouse button and a well-trained eye. Thanks a lot, you misshapen corneas! Once you spot something from your list, something click on it and watch it fly into the pot. If you click the wrong thing too many times, you'll get a time penalty, so don't try any funny business.
If you get really stuff, you can click on your cage of fairies to have one of them help you find an item. Use them wisely, though, as you only have so many per level.
Higher Education
Each level represents an exam at Abra Academy. Every six exams, you'll onto the next year. There are four years in total, giving you 24 levels of eye torture! These things are hard to find, but as anyone will tell you, that's what makes it worth it. Sometimes things will pop right out at you, but a lot of times you'll find yourself having to look over each section of the room, very slowly. This is when the game really gets good.
While I would've hoped for more of a story, this game focuses more on the actual gameplay aspect, which I can't knock'em for. The arrangement of the levels is neat and graduating from the school gives you a neat incentive to beating the game. Each level will get harder and harder though, so watch out!
