A Strange Connection
Our titular character is a young archaeologist who's in Egypt for a few days to attend a conference. When she finds herself with some time to kill, she visits a local museum to take in the sights. It's here that the curator tells her of the ancient Princess Annabel, who not only shares her name, but actually bares a striking resemblance! Is there a deeper connection between the two or is it simply a huge coincidence?
Rewind to ancient Egypt. We find the lovely Princess locked up against her will by the corrupt priest Amertekh, who intends to kill her lover, Prince Akhenaten, and marry her himself so that he'll become a Pharaoh. When you're given the reigns to the princess, it's your job to get her out of there!
The most engrossing aspect of this product is its rich backstory. Ancient Egypt, along with priests and pharaohs, have always played a special part in particularly epic tales, and this one is no different. The entire world the game paints feels absolutely magical and the writing does an excellent job of making it feel real. The fate of Egypt hangs in the balance and you feel every tense second of the struggle!
Exploring an Ancient World
If you were to put Annabel into a category, it would fit into the hidden objects genre, but shoehorning it into one genre does the product a great disservice. While there is a strong hidden objects element to it, it's more of a point and click adventure. You'll make your way through ancient structures, solving puzzles and finding items that will help you on your journey. While you will spend a good amount of time - almost the whole time - searching, you won't be searching for objects, necessarily. You'll be looking for clues on where to go next and how to get there. This is a puzzle game first and foremost and you'll have to rack your brain to see it through.
There are mini-games thrown in that will give you a much needed break. The games are relatively simple, like reconstructing a vase or rearranging a picture. While they still require you to think, it's a lot easier on your brain than the sometimes mind-melting exploration puzzles. There are a total of fifteen mini-games and after you unlock one you can replay it as many times as you'd like through the main menu.
A Story You Care About
Annabel features something that many games don't: a plot that you actually like to follow and want to see resolved. The excellent writing, capable voice acting, and captivating atmosphere create a world that pulls you in and if you don't keep an eye on the clock you could end up spending a lot of time there. Best of all, this isn't some mindless exercise on matching colors. You'll be using your mind throughout to solve puzzles and arrange clues without the hand holding that so many games force upon you. This is a product that really stretches those mental muscles.
