Game Review: Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden (Xbox One)

The latest Artifex Mundi point and click/hidden object adventure game to reach the Xbox One platform is Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden. Regular players of the company’s signature games will feel instantly familiar with this latest offering.While newcomers are sure to be drawn in by its hand-drawn visuals, simple to understand gameplay & interesting story.

We are big fans of the Artifex Mundi series & have played/reviewed almost all that have been released on the Xbox One platform. You can read all our reviews so far below:

Clockwork Tales: Of Ink & Glass
Nightmares From the Deep: The Cursed Heart
Enigmatis: Ghosts of Maple Creek
Nightmares From The Deep: The Siren’s Call
Dark Arcana: The Carnival
Enigmatis 2: The Mists of Ravenwood
Lost Grimoires: Stolen Kingdom
Grim Legends 2: Song of the Dark Swan
Eventide: Slavic Fable
Eventide 2: Sorcerer’s Mirror

With that in mind you might think we’d be tiring of the formula by now seeing as each game follows a standard gameplay pattern. However, each one tends to have something that grips in a new way. Be it a better story, more interesting characters or well thought/paced puzzles and Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden is no different.

The story surrounds the underwater utopian city of Eden. Once a haven of peace, harmony and beauty, it has become a twisted shell of its former self. All thanks to a mysterious find dug up from the seabed which unleashed supernatural forces.

A world-famous explorer, Robert Marceau accidentally discovers the city. Contact with him is lost soon after that, so his girlfriend heads off to find him. This is the character you play as.

There is no denying the familiar feel that Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden has. An underwater city that has fallen into ruin under corruption & evil forces. Bioshock fans will certainly feel at home here. Its inspiration is clear but it doesn’t harm what is a pretty fascinating story.

Played from the first-person perspective as you move from area to area. As the woman you must find Robert while solving the mysteries of Eden. This is done by completing puzzles, finding & using objects and completing hidden object scenes. As the game progresses more & more secrets of Eden will be revealed giving you a clear picture of the events that unfolded by the end of the game.

Visually, Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden looks great. The hand-painted imagery of the game is very pretty & each location looks fresh & vibrant. You’ll be excited to see what each new area has to offer.

The items you find & use always feel right for the game. Not just randomly jammed in to extend gameplay or drag out another puzzle. There aren’t as many this time round & they are some of the easiest seen so far. You won’t struggle at all with these & they do feel a little uninspired as they are few original ones.

Perhaps the biggest let down of the game though are the hidden object scenes. Often boring & unnecessarily evasive with items. There is little incentive to play them with the domino mini-game being far more fun to do.

Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden can be completed in a matter of hours depending on skill level but the addition of a bonus chapter adds an extra hour to the overall play time. One of the better offerings from Artifex Mundi.