Don’t you just love it when you stumble effortlessly on a really good game? That was the case with Meridian 157. A point and click puzzle game by Nova Interactive Ltd. It is comprised of 3 parts so far- A prologue and 2 chapters.
You begin the journey as detective David Zander who is investigating some kind of mysterious weather condition in the Pacific Ocean but eventually winds up in a deserted island. You can’t help but feel like you’re not alone there. Along the way you stumble on an excavation site and a mine field. The remnants left behind by those before you guide you to uncover a big mystery and that things are not really what they appear to be.
The prologue is a free download and short in comparison to the following 2 chapters. For around $2 each, you receive a well lengthen game packed with mini games & puzzles. What seems like a straightforward game at first eventually grows and the story becomes exceedingly interesting.
The game is very well written and that is evident in the lore. Unlike other games, the notes and entries you pick up feel authentic. The narration picks your curiosity and you start wondering about really going on in this world. On top of that, the puzzle difficulty is no joke. There were instances where I found myself thinking “that can’t be what they want me to do– it’s too complex” but it turns out it really is and it’s just a joy to finally solve a puzzle.
There are no extra fluff in the mechanics of the game. You are simply given an inventory to pick up items and in Chapter 2, you can further combine them. There’s also a nifty camera for you to capture clues to help you crack codes and solve puzzles (and boy will those be handy!).
What I really liked is that each chapter centers around a theme or an area and then segments into parts. Once you finish a section, you transition to the next. Over time this creates a feeling of progression and the game becomes dynamic.
I felt very sad when I finished chapter 2 as I felt closer to finding out the truth as ever. According to the developer; however, it won’t be long before Chapter 3 is released!
If you’re looking for a mind bending fun puzzle adventure on the iPad, reasonably priced with great puzzles, look no further!
My final score is 5/5 ★★★★★
- 5/5 for gameplay
- 5/5 for design
- 5/5 for Puzzles
- 5/5 for plot
- Game Platform (played on): iPad
- Game Link | Click Here
Chickpea Chronicles 