Another hidden object title from the developer that brought us Crime Lab which was a pleasant surprise managing to stand proudly as a decent example within the genre; but can they work magic on a similar level with their latest title Vampire Moon : The Mystery of the Hidden Sun? Read on to find out just how it stacks up against the competition.

For news reporters it's all about getting the next big story and for Emily Davis - an attractive/ambitious young lady - this goal is no different and so when she gets told to travel to Transylvania by her boss to investigate a mysterious unnaturally long solar eclipse she doesn't hesitate at taking the opportunity. On top of that a scientist who was investigating this strange phenomenon has mysteriously gone missing and so it's up to our intrepid young reporter to shed some light on this rather dark situation.

Being of the hidden object genre you may already know what to expect of such a title, somehow though Vampire Moon manages to surprise and delight rather regularly not just because of its sumptuously well-rendered visuals either, though admittedly the richly detailed hand-drawn backdrops do serve their purpose incredibly well. Items are craftily hidden in such a way that it's a genuine challenge to find many of them which means that you'll often have to think about where to look as randomly stabbing at the screen with your stylus will get you nowhere.

Upon passing each particular part of the story and after interacting with the cast of characters for that particular area you will acquire a list of objects that will appear on the top screen along with a time limit to find them all within. Having the game employ a random item generator is a small stroke of genius as it ensures that each time you play a level you'll never be looking for the same old items, couple this with the great deal of extra exploration you'll need to partake in through areas you thought you'd completely explored before and you have a very satisfying experience indeed.

While this title may share a few similarities with Crime Lab due to it being by the same developer, longevity isn't Vampire Moon's strong point. However for the slightly shorter time that it lasts for there are some genuinely decent and deceptively devilish puzzles contained within which should more than please even the most avid fan of the genre. Plus there's always reason enough to replay the title thanks to hidden scrolls which contain a wealth of information on Vampires and the like so if you're keen to learn about such things then you'll want to come back to collect them all.

The realm of Transylvania is beautifully rendered and the aural accompaniment is almost astounding, the only weakness being that some more voice acting could have been implemented but other than that the game is very atmospheric indeed managing to perfectly encapsulate the vampire inspired world that the adventure is set in.

If you're a fan of the genre and have played everything else there is to offer also assuming that you have at least a passing interest in Vampires then you really can't go far wrong here. Almost everything about this title is very neatly put together and as a result it's a very enjoyable experience that you'll likely want to return to upon getting sucked into it.