E3 impressions - Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir

Suprise, surprise…Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir is actually a lot of fun! There might not be all that much to it, but there’s no denying that it’s a blast to play. It’s also a title that is perfect in short bursts, or even long car trips. During my flight home, I couldn’t help but wish that I the game with me to pass the time. Yes, the game can become frustrating…but in an oh-so-good way.

The best way I can describe this is by relating it to a popular childrens’ magazine. For any of you that ever read or subscribed to Highlights for Children magazine, you should be very familiar with their Picture Hunt section. Basically, you were given a list of items to find that were hidden within a picture. This is exactly what Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir is all about, but we get a bit of added incentive to play. The game actually has a story, thus, giving you a reason to continue on.

In each picture you hunt through, you are finding clues to help solve a mystery. The story continues on through the various hunts, and once you’ve rounded up enough evidence, you can further the case. The story is nothing but fluff, but it does flesh out the game quite nicely. It also helps to give your eyes a rest from searching every last pixel to find these hidden items.

Each picture has a full view on the top screen, and a zoomed-in, scrollable version on the touch screen. This is the picture that you will slowly hunt through to find the listed objects. When you do find one, you touch it, and that item is crossed off your list. You’ll revisit locations in the future, but the lists will have different items that weren’t necessary to find the first time through. These pictures are jammed full of so much content, you’ll be searching for quite awhile.

There is also a time limit to keep you on your toes. The earlier missions give you more than enough time to find all the evidence, but later on, you will really be racing the clock to completely your laundry list of goods. Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir takes a classic game, and adds in enough twists to make it feel fresh. The picture hunt-style game is enough to entertain on its own, but this interesting take on the idea helps to give a classic a fresh coat of paint.

I had no idea I would enjoy Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir as much as I did. It was definitely one of the more pleasant surprises on the show floor.