When comparing Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst vs Nightmares from the Deep, the Slant community recommends Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst for most people. In the question“What are the best hidden object games?” Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst is ranked 1st while Nightmares from the Deep is ranked 2nd. The most important reason people chose Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst is:
This was the first MCF game that allowed you to traverse an area back and forth to collect inventory items and solve puzzles, with the hidden object portions interspersed in between. Things you find in the HO portions, could be used to open a locked door, for example. This combination adds a bit more depth and meaning into your searches, and for the most part the puzzles they solve together make sense.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Blends hidden object with adventure gaming well
This was the first MCF game that allowed you to traverse an area back and forth to collect inventory items and solve puzzles, with the hidden object portions interspersed in between. Things you find in the HO portions, could be used to open a locked door, for example. This combination adds a bit more depth and meaning into your searches, and for the most part the puzzles they solve together make sense.
Pro Least Experimental of the MCF games
Mystery Case Files has what, 13 games now? If you've always wanted to play it but you're unsure which one to start on, this game is probably the safest bet simply because it is the most 'normal' Casual Adventure HOG. Every other MCF game after this one tried innovating a new element with mixed results. Dire Grove had a jumpscare, 13th Skull had unskippable FMV dialogues, Escape had less intriguing HOGs, Shadow Lake replaced the HOGs entirely with a worse variant, and so on. Not saying those games were bad, but if you want the vanilla MCF casual adventure experience, Return to Ravenhearst won't try to dazzle you with innovative gimmicks.
Cons
Con Getting lost can lead to frantic pixel hunting
It's not unusual to at one point, find yourself stuck in a part of the manor, wondering if you missed an item you should've picked up four rooms ago. Because the Manor has no strict checkpoints, you could backtrack all the way to the front gates. This leads to impatient clicking around every nook and cranny until that hint bar fills up (and it fills up real slowly). Not to mention, some key items are hidden in the scenery a little too well, and over-clicking can penalize you if you're not careful.