Mysteries of Horus Review

Written by: Dustin Arient Published: August 10, 2006 Pattern recognition and quick decision-making are the order of the day in Alawar Entertainment's Mysteries of Horus. The Egyptian-themed puzzler confronts you with a moving conveyor belt of colored hieroglyphs and rows of empty slots corresponding to the shapes of the glyphs. Your job is to add pieces to the moving friezes to rack up points and curry favor with the pantheon of Egyptian gods. As each level begins, the presiding god is completely placated, but take too long to place new tiles, and that beneficence will start to ebb. Placing like-colored tiles next to each other nets a bonus, as does collecting gems and other special objects. If you run out of places to put your current set of glyphs, you can trash them and get new ones -- though the presiding deity doesn't look kindly on such waste. Between stages, you can spend your gems on items to increase your standing with the gods. Some purchases consist of one-time boosts to appease an angry divinity. Others permanently increase the value of certain glyphs. Mysteries of Horus boasts an uncomplicated click-and-drag interface and a concept that's easy for any user to pick up. The visuals are the best part of this title; the hieroglyphics are fairly well drawn, as are the mural scenes at the beginning and end of each level. Hardcore brain-teaser fans, however, might find Horus too easy. Even so, Mysteries of Horus is an eye-pleasing pick-up-and-play offering sure to please casual puzzle gamers. Scoring (out of five dragon heads): Graphics: Ease of use: Gameplay: Difficulty: Sound effects: Music: Final analysis: Click here to download the free trial version of Mysteries of Horus.