Wind Peaks is a hidden object game designed like a Where’s Waldo/Wally book.
Gameplay
Wind Peaks is part of a small niche in the hidden object genre, popularized by the game Hidden Folks. The basic gameplay loop involves searching intricate scenery for people or objects, usually accompanied by some sort of hint system in case you get stuck. It’s casual, best played when you don’t want to get invested in a game that requires your full attention.
Unfortunately, it’s so short that you could probably beat it in an hour without much trouble. I enjoyed it while it lasted, but you run out of content so quickly that it feels more like a long demo than a full game. Hidden Folks is slightly cheaper while offering more levels and environmental variety. The graphics are black and white, plus there’s no story, but the content-per-dollar is much higher and the game is more enjoyable overall.
Presentation
The art looks great at first but wears out its welcome halfway through the game. By that point, I had begun to realize that every environment was going to be a forest with most of the scenes copied and pasted from previous levels. It’s okay to do that sparingly, but it’s so common that it’s impossible to ignore. The addition of color gives it a small boost, but it’s only a consolation prize.
I thought the soundtrack was decent, especially with the ambient forest sounds complementing it. It’s nothing game-changing, but it gives the whole experience a chill, relaxed vibe.
Story
There’s no voice acting or even dialogue in Wind Peaks, so the narrative is told purely through silent cut scenes, almost like a mime performance. To compensate, the developers have kept the storyline simple, although it’s still vague at certain points. The main issue is that as soon as the story starts coming together, the game ends. It’s like a prologue for the real story.
Verdict
I mostly enjoyed my time with Wind Peaks, but I also feel that the price doesn’t correlate with the amount of fun you’ll get from it. It’s an exceptionally short game and I would have been disappointed if I had paid full price for it. I would recommend it if you’ve played Hidden Folks and loved it, but even then, only at a steep discount.
