Mystery Case Files 5: Return to Ravenhearst (IHOG)

This is the game that started it all; a landmark in the industry. Never before had a hidden object game allowed you to walk around at will and collect items, adventure-style. Return to Ravenhearst was the first of its kind.

Options include separate sliders for Music, SFX and Environment, plus full-screen or windowed.

My system wouldn't run it full-screen until I changed my desktop resolution to 800x600, but being able to play this incredible game again was totally worth the inconvenience. Sadly, the Steam overlay doesn't work with this one.

MCF: Return to Ravenhearst continues the story that began in MCF 3: Ravenhearst, and was VERY briefly (right at the end) touched upon in MCF 4: Madame Fate. Learn just how far Charles Dalimar was willing to go to hold on to his one "true love". This is a dark and disturbing tale, which features both spirits and a madman psychopath. Fair WARNING that if it's creepy-crawly, it's in this game!

You do not have to play the two previous installments to understand the game, but I recommend at least checking out the story segments of Ravenhearst on Youtube before starting this one!

This is the first game in the MCF series that uses live actors for its cutscenes. They're nicely environmental, although one actor in particular tends towards corny rather than scary. ;p

We have a very detailed journal, which will not only track clues and observations, but also grace us with extra story (woohoo for those of us who like to read!) It will also track your in-game time, which is used to compete against the Top 10 (pre-populated) players on the Main Menu page.

There is no MAP in this game, nor any form of fast-travel. You'll be doing a lot of to-ing and fro-ing, but the environment is so beautifully-crafted that I did not mind this for the most part.

Backtracking is very logical, but you are required to remember things that modern games hold your hand on. For instance, "I just found an electrical fuse... Where did I see something like that, again?" In today's games, the answer would be scrawled boldly across your journal, but it's not like that in Return to Ravenhearst. You are actually required to think in this one... Or you can just backtrack and look for sparkles! lol~

The Hidden Object Scenes are plentiful, and will usually be visited more than once. The to-find lists are randomized, and it's actually a blessing when you are asking to find something that was listed previously. Some of these items are so well-hidden that reactions - when you finally find them - range from "OMG, I did not see that at all!" to the silent, but expressive *face palm*

HINTS take at least three minutes to refill, but each time you find a hidden object or new inventory item, the meter will get a boost and speed up a bit. There are no directional hints in the adventure portion, but if you're stuck, you can pick up an inventory item and drop it on the hint button.

There are of course mini-games aplenty, and SKIPPING a puzzle will add 30 minutes to your in-game time counter, as well as locking up your hint button for a while. There are no instructions for the mini-games, and while they're not as hard to figure out as the door locks in the first Ravenhearst, they can take some time to figure out.

While we're talking about puzzles, one of the ones towards the very end is a real doozy, and that brings me to the dreaded Whack-a-troll mini. The reason I mention it is that I have friends with poor coordination, and I'd hate for them to miss out on this game! For them, I offer this tip: You do not technically need to complete the whack-a-troll sequence. The item that you are awarded by the minigame will help you get a hint for the aforementioned puzzle, but you can still finish the game without using it. The hint you will obtain from using this item is in the spoiler below:
Added to journal after using the coin (from the whack-a-troll mini) on the telescope: (click to view) https://i.servimg.com/u/f67/17/19/31/66/rtr_te10.jpg

The soundtrack is breathtaking, utilizing a full orchestra for effect. Tracks range from spooky to haunting to moving to downright chilling.

This is a very long game, taking on average 7 to 8 hours to complete. There is a lot of adventure gameplay to it, but it is of course heavy on the HOS, as well.

MCF: Return to Ravenhearst is a one-of-a-kind, even after all of these years. It is darkly environmental, immersing you in the tale of what those in the manor had to endure, without ever pushing you into the realm of actual fear. This is truly a game to experience, and one which I highly recommend.

For you HO lovers out there, this is a fantastic choice. If you can deal with a seriously creepy story.

You can tell the developers put a lot of love and time into this game. The graphics are beautiful (though the HO scenes aren't quite as crystal clear as some of the more modern games). The music is just wonderful - lovely, haunting, moving - it's one of my favorite things about the game. And here and there, real people act in the game. Not too often and sometimes there's cheesy acting that makes me laugh (when you're supposed to be scared :p), but for the most part, the actors really add to the great atmosphere and chilling tale. You'll also get your fill of puzzles in this game. The journal that the main character (you) keeps is essential for solving some of them so don't neglect to read back through it.

I do recommend playing Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst first because this is a continuation of that story. Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate actually comes between the 2 Ravenhearst ones and though it is also an extremely fun game, it adds little to the plot. Really, ALL the Mystery Case File games are so so so fun and I wish Steam had more of them. Of the MCFs that Steam DOES have, Return to Ravenhearst is my favorite.

Two thumbs up from me.

I am totally new to the Hidden Object fanchise, but I was introduced to Return to Ravenhearst by my girlfriend who has been an avid fan since childhood. It was an absolute blast to play this game! Having just finished playing the first Ravenhearst this is a MASSIVE improvement graphics and story wise. Much more is happening, everything is relatively interactive and the scenes are well crafted. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and a little warning: some of the puzzles do require some careful thought, there is limited handholding int his game (besides the sparkles which denote something of interest). A fun, challenging mystery game that will be most enjoyable if you fully immerse yourself and play it in one or two sittings without a big break in between. Thoroughly recommend this game if you are a fan of the genre!

Note: the game has bad scaling problems on Windows 10. You will need to change your monitor settings to 800x600 to play this game in full screen mode, which can be a minor inconvenience. Worth it tho!

Game refuses to start without a security key, which they do not provide with purchase.

Horribly optimized. Fullscreen is broken, stuck as a tiny square in the corner. Windowed mode is stuck at a very small resolution. Do not buy unless you're playing on an old system.

 
Return To Ravenhearst is the fifth game in the Mystery Case Files series, but it is the first game with an adventure aspect! I have taken a MCF journey replaying the series back-to-back, and it's mind-blowing to see the transformation of a HOG to a HOPA!

Mystery Case Files: Huntsville was the first game in the series—in fact, it was the first hidden object game ever created!
Fun Fact: The Master Detective was a female character in the earlier versions.

Mystery Case Files: Prime Suspects hit the ground running. Fans couldn't get enough of this new genre, and the numbers don't lie. On the day of its release, Big Fish Studios reported record-breaking sales of 3.3 games per minute!

Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst introduced us to the Dalimar legacy for the first time as we searched the rooms of Charles Dalimar's Mansion, affectionately referred to as "The House That Love Built." More importantly, Ravenhearst introduced us to the infamous Rube Goldberg Door Puzzles, which drove us as insane as their creator, Charles Dalimar!
Fun Fact: The address for Ravenhearst Manor was 7217 Darkwood Lane...somewhere near Blackpool, England.

Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate introduced animations and Hot Spot Zoom Zones. It also introduced one of my favorite features, Morphing Objects!

Mystery Case Files: Return To Ravenhearst was the game that changed the way we play games. For the first time, players roam freely throughout the Manor at their own pace. Maps have not yet been introduced in the series (I kind of dig the old-school ways). You'll be doing a lot of back-and-forth traveling on your own two virtual feet, and it's easy to forget which path leads where, especially toward the end of the game when all the doors have been unlocked.

We now have an Inventory bar to save items we find, most of which are still found in Hidden Object Scenes.

The Zoom Zones have tasks that may require multiple steps to complete, and you may have to revisit that task at a later point once all the necessary items have been found. We have a Journal that takes a snapshot of all the clues we encounter (as well as story progression finds). These clues are not solutions...they are just that, clues! It's up to you and your grey matter to decipher the clues and figure out how and where to apply them.

My only complaint was that they didn't have Morphing Objects.

I have played thousands of HOPAs over the years and witnessed the slow and steady decline of the genre as developers added convenience features that ultimately made the games foolproof. The player no longer has the ability to roam freely; to make matters worse, they added a feature that allows us to jump to any available location with the click of a button. Playable scenes are limited to 3-4 scenes as previous locations are locked behind us. They keep driving us forward like cattle in a chute. Remembering codes and clues are a thing of the past now as Post-it sticky notes with the correct solutions are slapped above the puzzle at lightning speed. 

Return To Ravenhearst may not have all the bells and whistles of the modern-day HOPA...yet. However, if you are like me and are saddened by the genre's decline caused by all those bells & whistles, please, take my advice and revisit the Mystery Case Files series from the beginning. I have replayed many of my favorites in the MCF series, but I have never played them consecutively, one after the other. I'm just amazed by the transformation as I see new features unfolding game by game, features that we now take for granted!

My review for Huntsville HERE
My review for Prime Suspects HERE
My review for Ravenhearst HERE
My review for Madame Fate HERE

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Really enjoyed this game,kept me on edge,great story.If i had to pick one thing i didnt like it would be the loading time on the hint system .But overall a great game ,worth getting.

Really fun, used to play as a kid and always love to go back and start again.

Return to Ravenhearst maintains the tone of the first game (MCF: Ravenhearst) while spicing up the gameplay and increasing the difficulty. Whereas the original Ravenhearst game was incredibly repetitive and allowed the player to pick and choose where to look, as well as allowing them to not find everything in the given scenes, Return to Ravenhearst demands that the player find each hidden object in scavenging scenes. Although not every additional clue is necessary, there are quite a few more puzzles to solve.

Exploring the mansion on foot instead of via a room menu helps with the immersion and the creepy atmosphere. Personally I found this title to be much more memerable than the first. Although sometimes the clues are so subtle as to be incredibly easy to miss, and there is some unpredictable backtracking to previous scavenging sites, this game was a really fun challenge. I always have a good time with MCF games.

I love this part. The elevator and the cable car are a bit annoying and the well "puzzle" is face palm material. But all else is just great. The puzzles are not too hard and not too annoying ( if you remember the WELL) and the ambience is nicely creppy. But the best is just Charles and Victor: Thats where the game gets from creepy to hilariously funny. And the credits are totally worth watching till the end. And a hint use all the numbers on the phonebook they are totally worth it (the upper numbers last numbers are 11 and not 4). I can highly recommend this game