If you're a fan of 'old school' adventure games where objects have to be collected from the screen and frequently combined before being used to solve a particular probem, then The Secret Files 3 will probably be right up your conspiracy theory.
Both previous prequels followed the exploits of feisty heroine Nina Kalenkow and her boyfriend Max Gruber as they tackled long-unsolved mysteries. In the first game, Nina was searching for her disappeared father in Tunguska in Siberia where some catastrophic event had taken place and in the second she tackles a secret society - Puritas Cordis - which is threatening to create the apocalypse.
In the current game, Nina and Max have put aside their differences and decided to marry but before the big day Max is kidnapped by masked militia. Nina finds a link with Max's archaelogical research at an ancient site in Turkey and hurries there to pick up any clues - what she discovers there is the beginnings of a secret that could result in the destruction of the entire human race.
As with the previous episodes, Nina's journey has her criss-crossing the globe from San Francisco to Florence, Berlin, Santorini and Switzerland and the artwork throughout is detailed and atmospheric. In addition, there are a number of dream sequences where Nina not only views but participates in events of both past and future to unravel more of the enigma.
The eclectic cast of characters range from the amusing and quirky to the scurrilous and sinister, with a mix of fictional and historical people adding to the general air of authenticity. There are a number of surprises along the way to keep you guessing until the end and the quality of the dialogue is superior to most in this genre.
As you'd expect, there are a wide range of puzzles to solve and mini-games to complete before the final truth is revealed. Some are of the 'move the squares to reveal the picture' type, as well as reconstructing notes, timed robot wars (yes, really!), working out codes and scaling buildings to reach useful artefacts. You also change between characters quite often which allows you to view the story from different angles.
Most of the 'combination' tests are relatively easy to solve but some will definitely have your head scratching for a while (including using a cat to chase a thief). There is a harder difficulty setting offered at various points throughout the game if you prefer a tougher challenge and finishing the game offers a few extra perks if you want to try again.
Although the gameplay time is fairly short (8 hours should be more than sufficient), I enjoyed spending time with Nina and Max as both are engaging to explore with. The occasional burst of wry humour also makes a welcome break to the serious undertone and apart from one sequence in Florence that got repeated once too often, Secret Files 3 is a breath of fresh air to the often stale adventure genre.
Sscore: 4/5
