Mansion of Hidden Souls

Review

by Christopher Michael Baker

One of the most anticipated games for the Sega CD system was never released -- Myst. Why mention this at the beginning of a review for Mansion of Hidden Souls, you ask? Well, it's probably the closest thing you'll get to Myst on the Sega CD.

Like the classic PC game, Mansion's immediate appeal is its incredible graphics, which push capabilities to the limit. They are fantastic. Sure, there's the inevitable graininess, but there will actually be times when you don't even notice.

But great graphics are useless without an interesting game to go along. Fortunately, Mansion delivers. The action of the game takes place during your trek through a mysterious mansion that seems to have arisen out of nowhere. Somewhere in it lies your sister, who -- at least at first -- wants to turn into one of the butterflies that inhabit the structure herself.

In order to find her, you must search each room for items and clues. Each room is inhabited by a butterfly that may taunt you, help you, or just talk to you about anything. It's up to you to make sure that your sister doesn't become one of them.

The puzzles you must solve are usually not exceedingly tough, especially once you've taken a look into the black window that pretty much tells you where you need to go next. However, there are a couple (such as the "candle puzzle" and the "maze of doors") that may stump you for quite some time. Because of these two puzzles in particular, the game is just a shade harder than "easy."

Mansion of Hidden Souls is not a long game that will take you weeks to beat. But it's definitely the best alternative to Myst for Sega CD owners. See for yourself. Play Mansion of Hidden Souls.