Legend of Crystal Valley Review

Enter the fantasy world of Crystal Valley, where Kings live eternally and magic of all forms resides within the quirky characters met along the way.

Intriguing Concept

After receiving a somewhat cryptic message, Eve sets off for her childhood home to find her father after his mysterious disappearance. Very quickly she stumbles upon an entry point into another dimension, a black hole that leads to an abandoned mine. It takes some time for her to discover that she has entered a magical kingdom, a discovery to which she strangely reacts with almost no emotion or confusion.

Sometimes Hard to See Key Locations

Thorough investigation of each location inevitably reveals items to be examined, others to be added to the inventory, and very often a new exit point. Many times, unfortunately, these exit points are difficult to spot and you will have to drag your curser about the entire location to find the proper departure spot. The cursor will change to a magnifying glass when an item must be examined and, once clicked, a several sentence description of the object will follow that is rarely intriguing.

Dialogue Isn't the Greatest

Much of the commentary are Eve's melancholy reflections of her childhood that get sappy and tedious rather quickly. Furthermore, it takes several clicks to reach the end of the description which adds unnecessary length to the game as a whole.

Some Interesting Characters

Crystal Valley itself is quite mystical, inhabited by lightning quick blacksmiths, devious wizards, overgrown mushrooms and a host of other attractive locations to discover. However, the story itself, although unique, is not very well reinforced by the conversations and activities undertaken which include monotonous activities such as repairing a wheel or collecting plants.

Good Puzzles

Puzzles are worthwhile though, challenging logic, memory, and patience. Sound effects match each scene well, including animal noises, background noise, and accompanying sounds to actions performed by Eve as well as other characters.

Conclusion - A Few Things Drag This One Down

The Legend of Crystal Valley is certainly not without merit and fantasy enthusiasts may very well enjoy the diverse magical world created, but overall Eve's story is not compelling and just the opposite becomes cumbersome rather quickly.

Monotonous tasks and conversations detract from the originality and ultimately, there is probably a better mystical adventure for you to undertake.