Travelogue 360: Rome - The Curse of the Necklace

Developer: Big Fish Games
Publisher: Big Fish Games
Release Date: June 20, 2007
System: PC
Official Web site

In a nutshell: Look at pictures of Rome while solving a mystery.

0:01 The game offers a choice between timed and untimed modes. A nice touch for a casual game.
0:06 So far the game seems to be a massive search and find in a 3D panorama. Thrilling.
0:08 Apparently no one minds that you come to these sacred places and just pick up things that look interesting.
0:09 I'm glad the game tells you when one of the items you're searching for is on-screen. Without this hint, it would be nearly impossible.
0:12 These are supposed to be real photos of Rome. If so, Rome is the messiest place I've ever seen. There's random stuff lying everywhere!
0:15 I get a time penalty because I clicked slightly to the left of a pencil instead of right on it. Lame!
0:17 I'm suddenly thrown into a "spot the difference" minigame without any explanation. I get all six in just over a minute.
0:23 These panoramic pictures are beautiful... except for all the junk lying around.
0:26 I find a cheese grater on the ceiling. What the hell?
0:30 A jigsaw puzzle minigame is a nice change of pace, but I wish they at least tried to tie these in with the main storye somehow.
0:33 I'm actually getting quicker at finding the random items they ask for. This fact scares me.
0:37 Through much trial and error, I now know what a sewing basket looks like.
0:39 The "mystery" leaves a lot to be desired so far. You obtain clues, read them and then ... do the same thing you would do otherwise.It's not exactly Carmen Sandiego.
0:40 A matching mini-game called "Scopa" has potential, but is way too easy.
0:42 That slice of cake looks nothing like a slice of cake. Also, what's a slice of cake doing on the floor of a Roman basilica?
0:43 The music is quite nice and the general mood is quite relaxing, even with the time limit. I could see getting into this if I wasn't bored out of my skull.
0:46 I spend two minutes tracking down a pair of spectacles. My day has reached a new low.
0:50 A word find. More thrilling.
0:52 I somehow grab a seagull from midair fifty feet above me. Picturing this in my head is more exciting than this game.
0:58 I question the meaning of my existing after spending three minutes searching for a tiny man's profile.
0:59 The clues are building to a search for a youth-granting necklace that drives apart two young lovers. Cliche and badly written.

Would I play this game for more than an hour? No
Why? I'm not an old woman. If I were, though...

This review is based on a full version of the game provided by the publisher.