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Hope Springs Eternal
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Review by Suz
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Hope Springs Eternal is second installment in the Carol Reed Mysteries. It is a very nice sequel to Remedy. The game was developed by the husband and wife team of Mikael and Eleen Nyqvist and published by their company MDNA games. The game is very stable. There were no glitches or crashes while playing the game.
Hope Springs Eternal continues the story of Carol trying to build her newly acquired detective agency. After several cases involving finding lost dogs and cats, Carol receives a call from Katarina, the sister of the man from whom she acquired the detective Agency. A teacher at Katarina’s school has been missing for several days and Katarina asks you to look into her disappearance. As you speak to people, find clues, and solve puzzles, the story behind Anna’s disappearance gradually emerges.
The story leads you through different sites in a Swedish town. The graphics are lovely, with an impressionist or watercolor feel to the landscapes. There are many rooms and areas to explore that are not necessary for completion of the game, but they add nicely to the atmosphere. The characters you meet along the way are real people with good voice acting. The only minor complaint is that often you will see still images of the person speaking as you hear their voice. It is a little disconcerting to look at someone and hear them talk while their lips are not moving.
Most of the puzzles in the game use a simple inventory system. It’s pretty obvious what you need and how it goes together. However there are six puzzles in the game that do not involve inventory items. They all come with a bypass button. If you cannot or simply do not want to solve them, click on the bypass on the lower right of the screen and the puzzle will be solved for you. The puzzles aren’t difficult if you know what you are trying to do, but the lack of instructions can make them a little frustrating.
Game play is basic point and click, a gear shows up if you need something in your inventory to solve a puzzle, the hand appears to pick up or manipulate items. The speech bubble appears if there is something to say to someone. It is recommended that you always follow all the dialog options. You can’t make a fatal mistake. The game can be saved whenever or wherever you want to save.
Conclusions
Hope Springs Eternal is a well made adventure. It is a nice, not terribly difficult game to try, especially if you are new to gaming. There is a good plot and short dialog. It won’t take an experienced gamer very long to play through Hope Springs Eternal. However if you are looking for a pleasant afternoon game then you will enjoy this one. In general, if you like the Nancy Drew series you should try both chapters of the Carol Reed Mysteries.
The final grade is 85/100.
  
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| PC System Requirements: |
| Windows® XP/2000/98 |
| Intel Pentium® III 800 MHz |
| 8 MB Video Card |
| CD-ROM Drive |
| Keyboard, mouse, speakers |
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