Dark Parables: The Riding Hood Sisters CE for Mac

With many games available not only in the Mac App store but across the Internet, choosing one can be difficult. Dark Parables, while beautifully rendered, has dated gameplay and a huge file size for what it delivers.

Dark Parables is available as a free trial version with a one-hour time limit; the full game costs $19.99 to activate. The initial download is quick but simply installs a game store program where this and other programs are available to play and purchase. The store download requires the user to accept a lengthy and complicated user agreement. For a relatively simple game, its file size is over 1GB and required just under 20 minutes to download with a high-speed connection. Once started, Dark Parables' menus and credit sequences were well rendered, although the animation was slightly dated. The game itself contained a tutorial to guide the user in understanding the interface. Despite its size and detailed world, the game is very simple and requires the user to point and click to collect objects. This playing style is akin to earlier role-playing and puzzle-solving applications, which is a disappointment for such a new game. The animations that set the scene for each level have some good design features and could be skipped with the press of a button on the screen.

While it has well-designed scenes and menus, the overall dated gameplay and clunky animation might make Dark Parables a less desirable entertainment option for most. For those who love solving puzzles and don't mind paying $19.99, this game is worth a shot.

Editors' note: This is a review of the trial version of Dark Parables 1.0.