First impressions
Finally! I’ve been waiting for this game. I absolutely loved Until Dawn. I couldn’t wait for the next release from Supermassive Games. I’m also a fan of the Playlink system so Hidden Agenda sounded like the perfect fit for me. The accompanying cellphone Application is well designed. Very simple to use, and I found it to be very responsive during game play. I’ve read some reviews that claimed to have connection issues with the application, but I personally experienced none of that. The actual game is a bit of a mixed bag for me. Having played Until Dawn too many times, I was expecting a more action packed story. That was not the case. Fortunately what the story lacks in action, it more than makes up for it in mood and suspense.
Game play
The story in Hidden Agenda progresses smoothly. It seems like every decision you make can have serious consequences later. This is where the Playlink system really shines. The majority of the decisions your group of Players make have to be unanimous. This can lead to some serious debates among the Players. That’s actually where the real action takes place. Especially if you elected to play the competitive version of the game instead of the cooperative. Hidden Agenda can be played as a group collectively trying to reach the same goal, or with a competitive twist where each Player is trying to steer the group along a specific path. Whichever mode you choose, expect a fair amount of debate between Players about which choice is the right one. Don’t expect the game to help steer you in the right direction either. On my first play through I obviously failed miserably. At least the failure wasn’t all mine. The other Players got to share in the blame. Unlike other Playlink games that I’ve played, there’s a lot of interaction going on in Hidden Agenda. Your cellphone becomes a touch pad at many points in the game. You might have to use it to aim up a shot, move an item out of the way during a high speed chase, or search a room for clues. The important thing to note here is that you aren’t just watching everything happening. You are at times in control of it. Miss an important clue, and someone could die. I’m not even kidding! Although the game can seem to be a little slow paced. It manages to create the sensation that time is working against you, and speed is of the essence. This can lead to you making decisions quicker than you necessarily have to. This makes poor choices feel like the result of added pressure created by the situation. Affectively immersing you right into the story as that particular character. Absolutely amazing in my opinion. Too often we feel like God’s moving characters around in the games we play. It’s extremely rare to actually feel like what’s happening to a character in a game is happening to you. Then having to debate with others what you believe to be the correct course of action for that character only increases your connection to the end result. Just a brilliant bit of Game Design by the team at Supermassive Games.
Satisfaction
The whole thing takes between roughly two or three hours to complete. For me that’s a bit short. I was hoping for a four hour experience to be honest. My first play through took just over two hours. Thankfully my group totally shit the bed. If we had beat it with our first play through in under three hours I would have been pissed! Thankfully the correct choices that lead you to victory aren’t obvious. Who knows, maybe it will take me a full four hours to actually win the game. I won’t know for sure until that happens. The good news is that I will thoroughly enjoy every time I try. Hidden Agenda is a pleasure to play with a few friends. It even has intermissions of sorts. In case you need another beer, a smoke break, bathroom break, or refill of the snack bowl. The pace of the game for a play group is pretty much perfect.
If you enjoy the odd get together with a few friends, and would like to try something a little different. Then I would strongly suggest that you give Hidden Agenda a try. For less than half the price of a typical PS4 game you really can’t go wrong.
