‘Secret Files 2: Puritas Cordis’ Review (Nintendo Switch)

Secret Files 2 was released about ten years ago, and this port of that game is very much the same game we got back in 2009, albeit with a few little improvements. It sure does feel like you just popped your PS2 on to play it though, feeling dated and tired as you make your way through the story.

The story, ah yes… well, this is a plot full of conspiracies and evil and greed and all that mean and nasty stuff. We walk among this pretty-long plot for about ten hours in order to complete the game. Taking control of a group of different characters, it’s our job to figure out this mysterious cult and what they’re upto. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before (quite literally) and it does feel cheesy beyond belief and a bit tedious. I don’t know if I might have had much more fun with this if I’d played it back when it was originally released, but in 2019 I did struggle to find a ton of enjoyment here. It looks fine, with the smoothing out of the grain and grit it likely had a decade back, and the story has some interesting and intriguing points to it, but the gameplay is a touch boring, and there’s not much that truly hooked me.

I do wonder if I should have played the game on the handheld portion of the Switch rather that on the TV. The controls would likely have been easier and less muddled. The cursor just didn’t want to do what I wanted it to do, and believe me when I tell you that it was pretty bloody frustrating.

Now, I am a fan of adventure games and point-and-click titles, I really am. This, however, did not tick the boxes I look to be ticked in the genre. You must find and combine numerous items in order to complete puzzles. It can be difficult at times, and other times it just feels… fine. It isn’t challenging in a way that feels really exciting when you figure something out, which is a vital part of puzzle titles. It is, like I mentioned, a slow paced game that loses itself in its steadiness.

There are plenty of puzzlers on the Switch already and so this isn’t something I can really recommend you check out. It’s fine, and not exactly offensive, but it is dated and the flaws it has sadly overtake the good parts. The puzzles can be fun and visually it must be a step up from the original game, but really… I was expecting much more from this one. I’d say… find something better, because there’s plenty that fall under that heading.

** 2/5

Secret Files 2: Puritas Cordis is available on the Nintendo eShop now.