I had downloaded a few Seek & Find games from Amazon.com prior to this one, but none of them really caught my interest. Then I downloaded The Magician’s Handbook II, not really expecting much more than I’d already seen: somewhat fun, but nothing special. WOW! Was I ever proved wrong, because I discovered I absolutely loved this game and, by association, the whole Seek & Find genre.

Yes, there are some objects that are flat impossible to find but, when you finally give up, you do have enough Hints to reveal those final tough items, as long as you use your Hints sparingly. (A puzzle piece that was completely hidden in climbing ivy comes to mind, but not sure if it was in Blacklore, which I played first, or Cursed Valley, which I didn’t play until after Blacklore. *No one* could’ve found that puzzle piece on their own.)

Because I’m 60 years old now, I felt I needed to sharpen my observation skills to help keep my mind sharp. Games such as these are recommended for that purpose, and they do seem to help. What I didn’t count on was finding I really love these games now, and The Magician’s Handbook II: Blacklore is the game I definitely credit for that.

My other two favorites in the Seek & Find genre are Jewel Quest Mysteries: Curse of the Emerald Tear, and the mega-offering Jewel Quest Mysteries II: Trail of The Midnight Heart. Both fantastic games.
Rating: 5 / 5

Magician’s Handbook II is no exception to the saying about sequels; it simply didn’t measure up to the first game. Yes, the first game–The Magician’s Handbook: Cursed Valley [Game Download]–was a tough act to follow, but this game seems to have abandoned many of the things that made its predecessor so appealing.

Visually, this is a very difficult hidden object game. Now, I love HOGs, but I absolutely *hate* those in which the objects look nothing like the clues. In this one, for instance, you’re told to find a monkey at one point. But does the monkey actually look like a monkey? No, it’s a doll: complete with a dress, human-colored skin, etc. So why the heck call it a monkey? It didn’t even have a tail! (Yes, I’m obviously irritated about that.) Unfortunately, that’s not the only such example.

One feature the first game offered was a “Repel” clue that, when cast (which you could only do every so often), sharpened the resolution and cleaned up some of the visual clutter. This game could have used that spell from the start in every location, at every level. I found myself having to turn off every light in the room to make out some of the objects, and for others I had to do not only that but ALSO play at night just so I could see!

Finally, this game doesn’t have the humor and wit of it’s big brother, “Cursed Valley”. There were times with that game when I’d crack up, charmed by the story narrative. This one is… meh.

That said, it’s a long-playing game (because it takes so dang long to find monkeys that look like dolls, among other things) and it’s better than some I’ve played, so I’ll give it a 3-star “It’s okay” rating. Meanwhile, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the next in this series will be more like the first.
Rating: 3 / 5

The second in the series, Magician’s Handbook II proves to offer a significant challenge to hidden object lovers. The objects are tough to find- this is a game that takes some time and some skill. Hidden object lovers who find other games too easy will likely not be disappointed by this one- those who find other games too difficult will likely want to choose something else. This game offers amazing artwork, very detailed scenes, lots of gameplay and lots of challenge. Well worth it.
Rating: 5 / 5