And the winner is Rome.
The ‘Hidden Cats In…’ series has made a bit of a name for itself over recent months, sending would-be kitty sleuths off hunting, picking hidden kitties out of a number of dioramas. We’ve done it in London. We’ve done it in New York. We’ve done it in Paris.
And now we’re doing it in Italy with Hidden Cats in Rome. While this doesn’t change the formula up in any way, there’s no doubt that this is a great little option to have in the Hidden Object genre. Even if it doesn’t last very long.
If you have played any of the previous Hidden Cats games, then you’ll know what to expect here. Presented with a cityscape, delicately drawn without colour, it’s up to you to hover your finger cursor over a number of hidden fluffballs, ticking them off as you go. For each cat you find, a notch goes into your tally, and should you be able to find 100 (at least on the Normal difficulty), that previously dull city will fast be filled with colour, Xbox achievements pinging their way towards your account.
Hidden Cats In Rome really is that simple, and there’s zero test of any gaming skills, requirement for brain power or, well, anything really. Scour the land, find those cats, job done. And if you do ever get stuck, some helpful meows and a limited number of helpful hints will ensure it’s a cinch to pick off even the most well hidden.
That Normal difficulty level will probably be completed in around ten minutes or so, with this Rome based Hidden Object game upping the playtime by adding in a more advanced map. The image here is exactly the same as before, it’s just the cat count is upped to 200, and the kitties are randomly placed. You also find yourself needing to hunt down specific city people, as well as a host of ‘Special’ cats. The same principle applies to uncovering the little cats, no matter where you are. Is it an issue that once complete, the townscapes of Hidden Cats in Rome are non-replayable unless you fully restart? I don’t think so.
Complete that advanced level and further, smaller, tighter scenarios open up. Slightly different and lacking the delightful colour pop of the standard stages, these six stages are all Rome themed (the clue is in the name), tasking you with ticking off between 50 and 100 cats in each. Again, it’s easy enough stuff, especially as you can rely on a helpful hint should you be failing to find certain cats. These additional stages aren’t as wholesome as the main events, concentrating on specific areas like the Gelateria, Sanctuary, and Osteria for example. But they are good little time fillers that are well worth taking in.
Where Hidden Cats in Rome increases things over previous games is with the Nerd Arena – a huge colosseum-like area that is chock full with uncoverables. Unlockable once everything else in Hidden Cats in Rome has been fully rinsed, this plays host to 200 hidden objects split across 100 cats and 100 city people. This is about as ‘Where’s Wally’ as you are likely to find with the Hidden Cats game, and a pretty cracking addition to the norm.
If we’re being picky, we’d like to be able to tick off the city people in this a little quicker, as there’s a limit of just four being available at any one time, but that does mean the playtime to cash ratio is vastly increased.
If you’ve been following the Hidden Cats franchise for the last few months, it’s a no-brainer to head off to Italy for some more feline-filled hidden object fun.
A delightful game that will keep you busy for no more than an evening, Hidden Cats In Rome will sink its claws into you from the get-go, whacking you silly with some seriously addictive hidden object hunting. With the addition of a new-to-the-franchise game mode, this is probably the best in the series so far. And it’s helped along by some cracking jazz-filled soundtracks too, totally on point and on theme for the game at hand.
