CBM is, quite simply, more of the same: offering an intriguing storyline and straightforward object hunting, it does exactly what it says on the tin. You take the role of Irene Pemberton, socialite wife of Richard, the American ambassador to Japan in the 19th century. Irene comes home to find her husband dead, with an apparent suicide note on his desk. However, clues point to the possibility of foul play, and the intrepid Irene sets off to prove a case of murder.
The basic blend of searching and mini-games remains untouched: you visit various areas, collecting listed objects to advance the story. Periodically, the game will present you with a different challenge (using clues to find a house on a map, for example, or piecing together a torn message or broken bottle) to break up the gameplay, all presented within the context of the storyline. If you get stuck, hints are liberally supplied too: just click on the object in your list, and the game will provide a silhouette to assist you. If you are still having trouble, you can click a button to reveal the objects location. The reveal button takes a few moments to recharge, so dissuades players from overusing it.
The graphics are acceptable for a low budget title: compared to many similar titles, objects blend quite well with the backgrounds, and a lot of the scenes are well drawn, despite everything having a low resolution look. However, many locations are reused several times, rendering later levels easier by virtue of learning the screen. This can happen with objects too, so the first pipe you find will invariably be the same later on. The game also falls into the trap of re-coloring and re-sizing objects to make them harder to find – this is a lazy approach, causing frustration when you need to use a hint to find a six foot tall harmonica, or a grey banana.
Sound is very minimalistic; gentle music plays in the background, and a few sound effects can be heard, but with no speech during cut scenes, and a lack of ambience, once again the title feels more budget than it should. This also prevents any characterisation with a basic script and no audio cues; even Irene (who is every scene) has no depth, and therefore lacks conviction.
The big problem with CBM is it fails to distinguish itself in a big field of similar titles: the story is a bit too bland, the actual gameplay doesn't do anything new, and the graphical style isn?t fresh enough to stand out. Unfortunately, this does nothing to dissuade the notion that this is an easy cash-in; adding the Square name to a basic hidden object title to seek a quick buck. An expansion of the core ideas and puzzles, some more plot, and some voices would benefit the title greatly, adding weight to the characters, and making the player feel more involved. The title suggests this is the first in a series, and I hope Square invests more time in the next title: there is a little promise here, but overall, CBM plays it far too safe, in a market overflowing with unoriginality.
Gameplay: 6.5
This is standard hidden object fare, offering no great deviations from the known formula. The plot adds reasons to continue, but this title is only for major fans of the genre.
Graphics: 6.5
Despite everything being presented in quite a low resolution, scenery is pleasant, and the colors are nice. Some objects suffer from being the wrong color or size in order to hide them, but most blend well with the backgrounds.
Sound: 4.0
There is a distinct lack of effort with the sound. Barring a clicking noise in the menus and game, and some very forgettable background music, there is no other sound at all.
Difficulty: Easy
Objects are hidden quite well, but there is no real punishment for clicking the wrong thing, and the mini-games break up the tempo. Many areas are reused with the same objects, so later levels become easier through repetition.
Concept: 3.0
It's a hidden object game: hundreds of similar titles exist, and CBM does nothing to distinguish itself from any others. Even the story is one told many times before, often in a better fashion.
Overall: 5.0
Season of Mystery: The Cherry Blossom Murders as a hidden object game is acceptable: the puzzles work, and the story is OK. However, there are literally hundreds of other titles offering a similar product to this, and apart from the publishers name featuring prominently; there would be no reason to pick this over any of the others.
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