All told, I'd rather be playing DOTT, Indiana Jones, or any Adventure game, no matter how dated.

User Rating: 5 | The Secrets of Da Vinci: The Forbidden Manuscript PC
By nappan | Review Date:
The Secrets of Da Vinci had better not be serious about it's title. I realize this is a puzzle/adventure game, but it fails to be adventurous, and while it's puzzling as to why anyone would make this game, the puzzles are nothing you wouldn't find on any Myst or even early Resident Evil clone. Fetch the item, insert the item, arrange items. Rinse and repeat for about 8 hours. Do all of this in the same environment, that isn't too shabby, but isn't captivating either. With OLD games out there like Day of The Tentacle, or Myst 1 - 185,166.... or whatever Myst is at now... it's a PUZZLE (or a secret?) that this game was made.

The strange thing is, the puzzles really don't have much to do with Da Vinci. While most touch on some element of his work or mythos, considering the VAST amount of information available, the puzzles are shockingly generic. A lot of them are reminiscent of the "locked chest" puzzles in the various Onimusha titles.

Finally, the story here, such as it is, does not draw you into what is a VERY brief experience. Usually this genre tries to create a world, an atmosphere, a powerful central character or place YOU at the center of things. TSoDV just kina... meanders along with you feeling obligated to hit buttons a lot. The payoff as the end, is simply not worth it. As for replay value, there is none. There are literally a dozen games over the last 10 years that are still more current and interesting than TSoDV. There is no reason for even the most seasoned fanatic to play this game.

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