Hidden Mysteries Civil War

The civil war between the Union and Confederate armies was a bloody and turbulent chapter of American history, and one that Gunnar Games and GameMill attempt to capture in the seek-and-find adventure Hidden Mysteries - Civil War.

While a narrative chock full of historical details should be enough to intrigue those with an interest in the time period, the gameplay itself largely fails to hold up its end of the equation, resulting in an uneven effort that doesn't quite live up to its obvious potential.
The story follows the experiences of three fictional generals, William Walker, Richard Boyer and James Munroe, whose paths intertwine with actual historical events. Gameplay spans the five years of the war from 1861 - 1865, with scenes presented as key battles including Wilson's Creek, Fort Sumter, Bull Run, Shiloh, Fredericksburg and of course Gettysburg. Clearing each scene involves searching it to find all of the items on the provided list.
Some hidden object games do a better job than others about explaining why exactly you're searching for lists of random items, but sadly to say, Hidden Mysteries - Civil War makes no such effort. The gameplay seems totally divorced from the story, and too many items are out of place in the game's supposedly nineteenth-century setting. It's a shame that historical battlefield scenes, accompanied by stirring music and warlike sound effects, are undermined by having to search for things like pizza cutters, cassette tapes, maracas and even the Eiffel Tower!