Do you have fond
recollections of the childhood activity "Hide and Seek"? Vidtec's recreation of
this game came across as a flawed, one-dimensional, shameful excuse for entertainment.
Competing against the computer (or a friend in two-player mode), seek out your opponent by searching a trio of rooms and a yard. Within each location there are three fixed and two variable hiding spots which change from game to game. A timer counts as the first player hides and then counts down at one-quarter speed as player two seeks. Fifty seconds are allotted for hiding in solo play.
First of all I'd like to begin by discussing the most obviously disheartening aspect: the graphics. The characters are represented by simple outlines. Each location is excessively gloomy and unfurnished. This leads to my next gripe: the gameplay. Possible hiding places include a plain bed, a colored block situated in the back of a room, and invisible spots placed in the middle of a scene! Where's the programmer's sense of imagination (or reality, for that matter)? Why not add furniture, trees, or other props to spruce up the scenery? Sometimes it's tough to tell if you've searched a hiding spot, as there is nothing to indicate this to the player.
Vidtec didn't deliver in the audio department, either. A tune repeats over and over and the underdeveloped sound effects are sparse. None of Sneak'n Peek's attributes could even be labeled mediocre. I can't see how anyone could be entertained for more than a few minutes, except for a young child with an abnormally long attention span.
