Publisher: Chillingo
Developer: Tetraedge
Genre: Adventure
Release date: Available now

I hadn’t played a real adventure game in something like 15 years. Perhaps with the coming of the information age, the temptation to look up a walkthrough was just too much, and I thought the genre would lose its magic. But it hasn’t, and Jules Verne’s Secrets of the Mysterious Island proves it. Secrets offers a great adventure experience on a platform perfectly suited to it.

In this sequel to Return to Mysterious Island, you control dark-haired protagonist Mina and her tiny simian friend, Jep. The game begins as the pair are escorted off an island by helicopter. Their flight is interrupted when something collides with the chopper, causing it to crash into the ocean. The pilot is killed, but Mina and Jep escape to find themselves trapped on the island.

Initially, you control Jep, since Mina is injured. You eventually have the opportunity to play as both characters, using the skills unique to each to help them progress in their quest. As they explore the island, you find various items to store and later use for some obscure and unlikely purpose. The game utilizes a unique system of combining items, allowing you to either modify them or to create some entirely new tools.

The environment is beautifully rendered, as are many of the objects. Living organisms, however, tend to fall into the uncanny valley, and Mina looks downright creepy. The comic-book frames used to convey certain cutscenes have a much more appealing look. The voices, particularly those of the two main characters, are often jarring, repetitive and downright annoying, as are the animal sounds. The music, on the other hand, is perfectly suited to the game.

The puzzles are a little opaque at times. I often found myself unable to tell exactly what was in my inventory, or why I couldn’t use it. The game is fun because it encourages lateral thinking and ingenuity, but it can also be frustrating when a direct and appropriate use for an item isn’t available. The control scheme can also be a bit tedious, particularly when it comes to trying to use items. There are also quite a few glitches, usually occurring when trying to combine items, that cause the game to freeze up and require a reboot.

Overall, Jules Verne’s Secrets of the Mysterious Island is a great throwback to a genre that’s been largely forgotten in recent years. Although the control scheme is not ideal, the game uses the strengths and weaknesses of the iPhone to create an enjoyable experience for the gamer. The main downside is that it’s too tough to figure out how items can or can’t be used. You would have to have a great deal of patience to avoid using an online walkthrough for help. At the end of the day, though, the game is still fun, even if you have to cheat a little.

Our Score:
Our Recommendation: