Surface: The Pantheon is another well-done installment from Elephant Games, featuring crystal clear graphics and superior animation.
The story follows Gina, a harried mother running late to meet her husband and daughter aboard the Capital Express. The family is taking part in the inaugural journey on the new train, which boasts a shorter travel time by utilizing the new Leviathan Ridge Tunnel. Gina misses the train and watches from the platform as the Capital Express departs and heads into the tunnel – and never emerges on the other side.
Police and scientists study the disappearance in search of a logical explanation but are at a loss. Eventually the tunnel is closed by a locked gate and the community moves on.
On the one-year anniversary of the disappearance, Gina heads to the tunnel to continue mourning the loss of her family. While there, the odd Dr. Bors approaches Gina and asks her to help him find out what happened to the train. Gina agrees to help in hopes of finding her lost family and follows Dr. Bors into the depths of the tunnel.
Surface: The Pantheon gave me just what I have come to expect from Elephant Games – excellent graphics with amazing colors and a strong soundtrack to match the theme of the story. The animation is sharp and adds interest. All of the typical elements of a collector’s edition are present including an integrated strategy guide, interactive map with active areas noted as well as collectibles and bonus chapter.
The story hit closer to home for me than most other games – while there is an element of paranormal, the frantic emotion of a mother who cannot find her family felt very real. I think that’s why Surface: The Pantheon was such an interesting game for me – I truly wanted to help Gina find her family!
My only reason for not giving Surface: The Pantheon 5 stars is due to the lack of challenge. While I appreciate quick and logical gameplay that helps me advance quickly, a greater challenge in the Hidden Object scenes or mini-games would have made it more enjoyable overall.
The HOS are the usual somewhat dark and cluttered piles of mess that require some level of interaction to cross everything off the list. Each solve generates an object for inventory to be used elsewhere in the game.
In Casual mode, hints are readily available, but I found no need, particularly in the HOS. Likewise the strategy guide can assist in finding your next steps in the midst of the game.
Surface: The Pantheon included enjoyable mini-games that offered a twist on some old favorites. As with the HOS, and the rest of the game for that matter, the mini-games were relatively simple and didn’t present a challenge in my opinion. They were well-suited to the theme of the game but completed easily enough with some forethought or trial and error.
The theme of a mother being inexplicably separated from her family drew me to Surface: The Pantheon and I truly enjoyed the game. As anticipated, Elephant Games delivered another well-done product with a strong storyline.
