Mild-Mannered Reporter by Day...

In Mystery Stories: Island of Hope, you play as Michelle Deanfield, a newspaper reporter. After covering a huge story about dog food being served in school lunches (gross, I know), you're given a two-week vacation to anywhere you want. Of course, you take it immediately.

You're whisked away to an island paradise, where you can relax on the beach and not be bothered. But where's the fun in that? Luckily, things don't stay calm for too long.

Rock 'n Roll Lives Forever

Music is rarely a strong point in computer games. The most I can really hope for is catchy, toe-tapping melodies, but it's never something I would listen to when I'm in the mood for real music. However, the soundtrack alone makes Mystery Stories stand out from the crowd. The main menu is accompanied by some pretty rockin' tunes and the wail of the guitar really gets me in the mood for fun. Of course, it all depends on your taste, but there's no denying that this product features a quality musical score.

Five Forms of Help

It's not uncommon for a hidden objects game to offer some form of hints to help you if you get stuck. This game takes that concept a bit further and offers five different aids to help along the way. You have your normal hints, which reveal the location of one item, but you also have a special kind of hint that reveals multiple objects for a limited amount of time. You then have a point multiplier that give you bonus points for a short duration, as well as two more aids that help out in timed games: one that freezes time and one that gives you more time.

The different forms of help really move the game along at a nice pace, where a lot of hidden objects games can grind to a halt when you get stuck looking for an object.

Do More Than Just Look!

One of the best things about Mystery Stories is that there's a level of interaction beyond simply finding objects. Certain objects will have to be used in conjunction, which usually means that you'll have to grab one item and drag it over another. For example, in the first stage, you'll have to load film into a camera, but you'll need to find both first.

Another great thing about this product is that you aren't just staring at a list of words each level. Some stages have you operate off a series of pictures or even silhouettes. And sometimes the items you're looking for will be silhouettes themselves! It's a whole different kind of challenge.

Hope For the Future

Mystery Stories: Island of Hope is a great game and I can honestly say I'd like to see a sequel. Michelle Deanfield is a great character and I could easily see her carrying an entire series. With an entertaining story, likable main character, and fun, challenging game play, Mystery Stories: Island of Hope would make a great addition to your collection.