In the first Flux Family Secrets game, Jesse discovered she was a part of the mysterious, time-traveling Flux Family. However, she faced betrayal from a family member and was trapped in the past. Jesse is now back at Flux mansion after thwarting the efforts of her nemesis, but this time 30 years in the past to the 70's! She meets her younger self and her grandpa as they try to fix errors in time in Flux Family Secrets: The Rabbit Hole!
The Rabbit Hole continues right after the first Flux Family Secrets game The Ripple Effect. After going back in time to fix errors that changed the course of history, Jesse was betrayed by another member of the Flux Family and became stranded way back in the past. However, she finally managed to escape and return back to Flux Manor. Unfortunately, she arrived 30 years too early and ended up in the 70's!
Jesse meets her much younger self who seems to be constantly clutching a white rabbit doll. The older Jesse starts looking for a way to get back to her proper time, and all the clues she finds seem to point to her grandpa as the only person who is able to help her. Along the way, she discovers her own past, most of which she had long forgotten. She also discovers that something terrible has happened to history, and has to fix it before she can get back to her time.
The Rabbit Hole is a very worthy sequel in the Flux Family Secrets series. Gameplay follows the same fragmented object game style. The designers have also managed to improve on the already near-perfect graphics, creating very striking and attractive visuals. On the technical side, the game is also available in high resolution widescreen, and also in high definition. All the better to see the beautiful artwork!
As mentioned above, the game features the fragmented object game style, where you need to find the various parts of different objects in order to progress through the game. For example, you will need to assemble the various components of a clockwork owl and a classical statue (which is pretty amazing considering you don't have access to any super glue...) There are also some of the traditional hidden object scenes in the game as well.
There are also plenty of puzzles scattered around throughout the game ready to stump you at every turn. Most of these puzzles present you with a problem, say an empty pedestal or a broken pipe with steam gushing out. Your job would be to figure out what needs to be done or collected in order to solve the problem and access the next area or object. For example, the broken steam pipe might need you to assemble the parts of a valve handle, attach it to the pipe socket, use a wrench to fasten it, and then use it to turn off the steam. You might then have to use a towel to cover the scalding hot pipe in order to safely retrieve an object behind the pipe.
There are also quite a few of the traditional puzzles and minigames available. Jigsaws, logic puzzles, code cyphers, combination puzzles and "Simon" memory games all make an appearance. These puzzles are of reasonable difficulty as well, and require more than a few simple clicks to get past them. Suffice to say that playing through The Rabbit Hole will provide you with a reasonable challenge and will be anything but boring.
As touched on before, The Rabbit Hole features stunning graphics. The art is crisp and vibrant, and is done in a gorgeous semi-realistic style. And unlike most hidden object games, the art actually makes the scenes believable and don't make them seem overly busy or cluttered. Also, the game can be viewed in high resolution widescreen and in high def! Needless to say, all of this is supported by an equally impressive musical score and sound effects.
Flux Family Secrets: The Rabbit Hole is a worthy sequel of the hit Flux Family Secrets series. So, immerse yourself in the challenges and adventures of someone trying to find their place in a mysterious family and trying to correct mistakes in history! Currently, the basic game has not yet been released, but you can get the Collector's Edition which includes exclusive extras such as bonus missions, additional hidden object scenes, a strategy guide and more!
Rating: 4.5/5.0
You can read more about Flux Family Secrets: The Rabbit Hole at
http://www.hidden-puzzles.com/ffs-the-rabbit-hole.html