Review: Grim Legends 2: Song of the Dark Swan (PS4).
Grim Legends 2 is another game with a wealth of achievements Artifex Mundi. We go back to the world of fairy tales and legends presented by the Derelict Bride. This time we will get to know the legend of the Black Swan.
Grim Legends 2: Song of the Dark Swan is not a direct sequel to The Forsaken Bride. Both titles share the source material, because they draw from the fairy tales of the Grimm brothers, on which many of us grew up. This time the source is the fairy tale Six Swans. Naturally, the story was treated as a basis for the ideas of the Artifex Mundi team. We play the role of a healer who, while taking care of the royal family, falls into the middle of a struggle for power. Being a witness of the wrongful accusation and subsequent condemnation to death of the young queen, the healer decides to help the girl and face the dark forces knocking on the gates of the beautiful land.
The plot, based on patterns, does not exceed what fairy tales and stories offer, but thanks to its beautiful surroundings, it is very easy to lose yourself in it. Even banal twists and turns have their charm, because we are aware that the good will win in the end, and the “bad” will get for theirs. After completing the game, a bonus chapter is unlocked, which, unlike most games in the studio, presents a completely new story set in the same world. In less than an hour’s story, we have to help forest spirits deal with the dragons that have tasted in these friendly creatures.
The mechanics of the game have not changed. If you’ve read one of the previous reviews or played any other production from the studio, you know what’s waiting for you. The game belongs to the HOPA (Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure) genre, where we solve simple puzzles and look for hidden objects. Interestingly, there are surprisingly few fragments with hidden objects here. It was only in the second part of the game that I found the first screen with a real mess, from which I had to dig a dozen or so items. Previously, there were simple sequences of finding mushrooms and other flowers in the brush. Of course, this is not a disadvantage, but it significantly reduces the playing time, because the biggest problems have always been looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack.
Rummaging through junk has been replaced by puzzles that occur in a slightly higher frequency. They are also simple logical challenges that impress with their diversity throughout the game, but do not differ from the proposals of other games of the studio. Arranging the jumble, combining colors, completing stories, and similar activities are not much of a problem, which does not mean that they are not fun. This is the eighth title in the series that I have played on PS4, and I still can’t get enough of it.
Grim Legends 2: Song of the Dark Swan it ends quickly. I completed it in about three hours, although I have no doubts that this is the optimal length for this type of production. Beautiful, colorful graphics, fairy-tale atmosphere and simple, yet engaging puzzles in one hundred percent justify the price and do not leave you feeling unsatisfied. As standard, fast and simple platinum awaits the cup hunters.
