Three years ago I reviewed the original Where Angels Cry for the iPad, enjoying the adventure game feel and sustained mystery storytelling style but noting frustration with a few bugs I encountered in the help and quest systems. The sequel, Where Angels Cry 2: Tears of the Fallen, continues the immersive mystery storytelling, but this time I was never frustrated or stopped by any issues, it was just a great adventure from start to finish!
Type of app: Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure (HOPA)
Platform/where to buy: iPad (iPhone version available here); available in the iTunes App Store
Developer: Cateia Games / G5 Entertainment
Description:
Here are some of the features:
• Over 30 enigmatic locations to search
• 20 perplexing mini-games to play
• Four difficulty modes: novice, adventure, challenge and custom
• Collect 15 Holy Dove Symbols to unlock additional achievements
• Beautiful HD graphics and an absorbing storyline
Major features:
Where Angels Cry had a unique setup involving religion and history that swept you right along with the mysterious beginning, and the sequel jumps right in with a compelling new story!
Where Angels Cry 2: Tears of the Fallen starts off with you playing as a Vatican agent having to pose in disguise to investigate tales that Inquisitor Augustine has lost his mind and become obsessed with hunting witches. You are sent to the remote Spanish village of Portonero where the villagers are terrified to learn what has happened to Augustine and to end his reign of terror!
The game follows hidden object tradition by having you tap to move from area to area and then to locate specific items within each area. These items are sometimes combined, other times collected up, but always make sense in context. For example, in one area you are asked by the sheriff to find some specific items to help solve a specific mystery. This involves puzzles, item location, combining multiple items, and ultimately hand off the final item to another character.
The difficulty levels and hint system work much the same as in the first game, with lower difficulty levels allowing the hint bar to recharge more quickly. Also, you are not charged a hint if the next quest item is in a different location, the game will guide you to the correct screen but from there you need to figure things out yourself.
My favorite thing about Where Angels Cry 2: Tears of the Fallen is that the mystery continues throughout the game, and remains interesting. You are learning more about characters and situations, and eventually find yourself in dangerous situations where you need to apply skills to get out. It makes for an intriguing experience.
Ease of use/Overall performance: All of the technical details remain strong in this sequel, with refinements in the way everything works making the flow even better than before. The precision of tapping, ease of combining and using items, and every other technical item about this game is very well done. I never had a crash or glitch throughout my time, and count this as one of the better hidden object games I have played.
Would use again/recommend?: Definitely! I love story driven games, definitely appreciate a great adventure mystery, and also like hidden object games. Where Angels Cry 2: Tears of the Fallen outdoes the wonderful original and does a great job of integrating all of these into an enjoyable experience.
Suggested changes/wish list for updates: I never encountered any issues throughout the game.
Price: Free download with in-app purchase of full version for $6.99 ($4.99 for iPhone)
Here is the trailer:
