Since I played the excellent Return of the Obra Dinn —you can read my review here— I have been attracted to a very specific type of puzzle games: the one in which we solve mysteries using our own logic to connect the clues we find in the scenarios. In that genre there is another title that stands out along with Lucas Pope’s ‘magnum opus’: The Case of The Golden Idol. That game became one of my favorites and it made me very happy to be able to enjoy its new sequel, The Rise of The Golden Idol.
This story takes place 300 years after the events of the first game. The Golden Idol that Lazarus Herst used to rise to power has become a legend and we are in the middle of the 1970s. The power of the idol reemerges from the myths to create chaos in a world that is not ready for it.
The gameplay of The Rise of The Golden Idol It’s very simple. We are presented with a scenario in which something usually serious has happened – a murder, a robbery, a conspiracy, etc. – and we must click on different characters to discover what they are saying and what objects they are carrying – or on other elements such as documents and tools to discover how they were used. While we do this, we collect names, verbs and other words that we must finally arrange in text drawers to identify all the related people and discover what really happened.
This is one of those games that makes us feel like real detectives. It is not enough to see everything that is on stage, we have to analyze it. We’re not usually going to find a character’s name on a business card in their pocket—well, sometimes we are—but rather we have to make educated guesses based on what others say and the clues we find. A detail as seemingly insignificant as the color of pencil used in a signature can unravel an entire mystery.
There’s a lot of variety in the 20 cases included in this game, but while virtually all of them are fun to solve, not all of them are of the same quality. The vast majority are very well thought out and hide surprises that excite us when we are relating the information we find, but there are others that feel like filler. Not because they don’t contribute to the plot, but because the investigation thread is so direct that it is boring. On the contrary, there are other solutions that require such convoluted logic that they are difficult to put together in your head. At times I found myself taking notes with real paper and pencil.
Fortunately, The Rise of The Golden Idol It has a very good system of clues integrated within the game itself that direct us on the right path if at any time we feel lost. They do not give us direct answers and even looking at all of them we can see ourselves thinking even more to finally solve a case and be able to continue to the next screen. Best of all, the Spanish localization is excellent and the solutions have no writing problems. You don’t have to worry about the language when you play it.
The cases are necessarily in chronological order and that makes putting together the same story a puzzle in itself. Personally, I found the story even more interesting than the previous game due to its more modern setting. While Case talked about political corruption and the rise of fascism, Rise It puts the idol in a more capitalist context, concerned with the way in which science is put at the service of money, and people try to accommodate what they do not understand to their perception of seeing the world. It all leads to an excellent ending that left me with a smile on my face.
If you are interested in the lore of the saga, you will also learn much more about the Lemurian civilization and its artifacts. Still, you don’t need to have played the first game to understand this one. Although it takes place in the same world and there are references to both The Case of The Golden Idol
I must take the opportunity to mention that its creators have already announced that they will continue the story through four content updates. This is great news because there are some loose ends that left me very curious.
On a visual level, The Rise of the Golden Idol It’s going to be as divisive as Case. The characters are, for lack of a better word, ugly and the objects have only the level of detail necessary to differentiate them.. When the first game came out, I saw some commentators criticize this visual style saying that it was “laziness on the part of the developers” to do something better. I disagree. This style may not be “pretty” but it is definitely eye-catching and full of personality. On this occasion the portraits are animated in such a way that they look even more grotesque and, for that reason, unique.
Finally I feel that being longer does not make it a better game – mainly due to the less elaborate cases – and its predecessor is a much more rounded work. Even so The Rise of the Golden Idol is an excellent game that anyone who wants to exercise their analytical muscles should try. If you are fans of the previous game, it is simply essential.
Review made with a digital copy of The Rise of The Golden Idol for PC (Steam) provided by PlayStack. This game is also available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and for mobile phones through Netflix.
