Alawar Entertainment’s latest release, Eternal Journey: New Atlantis Collector’s Edition, breaks the mould somewhat. While still remaining a fairly traditional story led hidden object videogame, Eternal Journey: New Atlantis Collector’s Edition isn’t about exploring the Amazon or escaping undead creatures of the night; it’s a science-fiction adventure that stretches throughout the breadth of space across centuries.
Playing as Amrite Stone, the player is introduced to the world of Eternal Journey: New Atlantis Collector’s Edition in a not-so-subtle fashion, via narration aimed directly at the player. Stone is an archaeologist aboard a vessel stationed at sea, conducting a dig at the recently found lost city
of Atlantis. Stone is keen to prove her worth, and as such barely notices when her fiancé, Michael, disappears. Looking for the Locket of Bellona, Stone travels to the now encapsulated city by herself, and the player’s quest begins.
Eternal Journey: New Atlantis Collector’s Edition follows many of the now traditional conventions of the hidden object genre, but also adds new elements which make for a much smoother experience than has previously been the case. This isn’t a simple sequence of plot development-item hunting-plot development, there’s far more to Eternal Journey: New Atlantis Collector’s Edition, borrowing mechanics from the point-n’-click genre. Items can hold worth beyond the puzzle directly in front of you as you travel from venue to puzzle to story sequence, and interacting with items offers more worth then simply moving them to find the desired item. To suggest that Eternal Journey: New Atlantis Collector’s Edition is pushing the envelope in terms of fluidity of its gameplay would not be going too far.
Also impressive is the positioning of Eternal Journey: New Atlantis Collector’s Edition as a visual standard bearer. Rather than relying purely on the typical storyboard and speech bubble presentation to advance the story, Eternal Journey: New Atlantis Collector’s Edition features some high quality CGI sequences and surprisingly commendable voice acting. This is a great step forward for the entry-level videogame productions, as 
while Eternal Journey: New Atlantis Collector’s Edition doesn’t demand a huge investment on behalf of the player it does offer a more tangible story, something to become involved with as opposed to being a casual observer. Let’s hope this isn’t a passing phase, and Alawar Entertainment push the boat even further in this direction; story led videogames are all the better when you actually invest in the story.
The hidden object videogame’s rise in popularity has lead to some impressive advancement in the genre’s delivery, perhaps more so than in any other genre in the same time period. While current-generation console videogames are now beginning to harness the power of their host platforms for more than just improved visual quality, hidden object videogames have changed almost beyond recognition in the same time period. While the fundamental basics of the genre remain intact, Eternal Journey: New Atlantis Collector’s Edition proves that what was once a slow paced, shallow videogame experience can now be a grand adventure suitable not just for a lazy Sunday afternoon, but for all gamers looking for a little escapism.
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