Hidden Legends 2 Review (Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 & Switch)

Hidden Legends isn’t one for reinventing the wheel, nor is it one for showcasing the true potential of a hidden-object game. If anything, it’s a game that likes to play it safe, with a meticulously crafted sketchpad of colorful boroughs, a handful of objects, and a set of tasks that even a toddler could easily grasp without needing to master the basics of a fresh-out-of-the-box puzzler. It is, for what it’s worth, a game that knows how to make something out of so very little. It doesn’t try to be ambitious, and it definitely doesn’t bend over backwards in an effort to accomplish something that others have failed to do in the past. Hidden Legends is everything it needs to be, nothing more, nothing less.

Hidden Legends 2 is, to some extent, the same basic gig. Like its predecessor, it aims to provide a simple slate of vibrant regions, a handful of objects, and an opportunity for eagle-eyed observers to comb through the fine details and punch out holes in their to-do lists. The sequel, however, looks to add a second layer to the existing formula—an additional interactive section that allows users to travel a little deeper into the world. Think Find My Frogs—a game that also grants you access to the inner workings of a vibrant village—and you should have a good idea of what it aims to accomplish.

While Hidden Legends 2 is conceptually similar to the original chapter in the slept-on hidden-object series, it does make an effort to add a second dimension to an otherwise familiar landscape. With the addition of a peek-a-boo tool that allows you to enter various areas and scrub through buildings, the sequel does, in most cases, build on its previous design without altering too much of the core gameplay values. And that’s a good thing, too, given that the original chapter had an awful habit of making its objects a little too easy to find. It was so easy, in fact, that you could quite easily pluck out all of its subjects without needing to magnify the fine details. But this world is a little different. Simple, but varied enough that you can spot a slight difference in its overall presentation.

Unsurprisingly, the game itself is still incredibly easy to breeze through in as little as an afternoon. As it doesn’t involve much effort to learn its mechanics or carve out its hidden secrets, it is something of a quick and simple time-wasting experience that can keep you busy for the short term, though not for the long haul. But that’s to be expected from a hidden object game that doesn’t progress beyond the boundaries of a simple concept. It clearly gets the job done without overstaying its welcome, and that’s perfectly normal.

The good news is that, while the sequel doesn’t alter the basic infrastructure of the existing design, it does pour a lot of heart and soul into the development of a fantastical realm of hand-crafted stages. As simple as its gameplay is, each level does bring about a lot of great features and striking set pieces for you to unlock and stow beneath your belt. In addition to its familiar portals and portraits, it also adopts a wide variety of majestic backdrops, nautical maps, culturally diverse locations, and fairytale-inspired biomes. Again, it all amounts to a collection of artwork that we have seen several times before, but to give credit where credit is due, it does capture its subjects and themes incredibly well in a well-rounded, perfectly presentable way.

The bad news here is that, if you have already played the original chapter in the two-piece series, then you won’t have much of a reason to stick around for this one. As a self-contained game, it’s great. But, as a sequel, it fails to deliver on its promise to push the boat forward into uncharted waters. See, while it does shuffle all of its hidden objects around to give you a new challenge to solve, it doesn’t actually add a lot more to the original canvas. Despite the fact that you can both magnify and enter various buildings, most of the world is presented in an almost identical fashion, with a lot of the same subjects, secrets, and to-do lists.

To make matters worse, Hidden Legends 2 has a bug that recognizes past save files. In other words, it tells you that you’ve already beaten all of its stages before you slip into them. And so, if you have already forked out for the original sequence in the series, then there’s a chance that you’ll hit a brick wall in the sequel. The fact that it congratulates you before you even open the book is a pretty poor design choice, to be honest. It also makes you wonder if you’ve mistakenly bought the same game on two separate accounts — and that isn’t great. The point is, even though it does label itself  as a sequel, it can be rather difficult to spot the actual differences between its new skin and its previous.

With all of the above said, Hidden Legends 2 is a passable palate cleanser of a hidden-object game. To call it a genre-defining masterpiece would be untrue, but to call it an entertaining one that’s worthy of your attention would be a fitting way to frame it. Maybe that’s all you need from a game like this: a simple affair with mechanics and compositions that are as equally elementary and simple to grasp. It might not be a lot more than that, but it knows its audience and it delivers everything it advertises on its tin. Frankly, there isn’t much more you can ask for when it comes to cozy hidden-object games.

Verdict

Hidden Legends 2 doesn’t re-purpose the traditional hidden-object formula, but instead chooses to retain the same core values and add a second dimension to a familiar landscape. Again, it isn’t the first of its kind to grant its users the freedom to go beyond the realm of a two-dimensional universe, but it is one that leans into that additional layer surprisingly well, as it opens up the door for more creative angles, more complex interior elements, and more challenges. Oh, it’s still the same old Hidden Legends, but with a new twist that will likely give returning players something fresh to write home about. Well, for an hour or so, anyway.

The biggest problem I have with Hidden Legends 2 is the lack of transparency in its implementation of new features. If you’re new to the series, then it’s easy to gloss over the flaws and enjoy it for what it is. But, if you’re a returning fan of the two-piece, then it’s just as easy to fall into the trap of trying to differentiate between the two chapters. It’s a shame, really, because there is a beautifully hand-crafted hidden-object game here. However, to call it a fully-fledged sequel just wouldn’t be an accurate description of what it is.