First thing I have got to mention is this review is tailored to individuals that enjoy point-and-click adventure games. If you're wondering just what that means then I guess you're one of few people alive that has never played Myst or one of the several thousand games similar to Myst. If you need more specific information, then perform an Internet search on adventure games. For the rest of you still here, I know you're here for a reason. The itch that just can't be scratched has come back and you need another adventure game fix, don't you? SCRATCHES is sure to cure your itch, at least temporarily.

The premise behind SCRATCHES revolves around horror writer Michael Arthate. Seeking motivation to compose his next bestseller, Michael decides to spend three days at an abandoned Victorian home he just recently acquired. Since this wouldn't be an adventure game without some sort of mystery to solve, Michael soon discovers some disturbing secrets hidden within Blackwood Manor. It's up to you, playing the role of Michael, to discover the secrets hidden within the house and why no one has been living in the house for so long.

With Michael being a horror writer, the theme of this game is slanted towards mystery and horror. The graphics in the game help in setting the atmosphere with dark colors and textures throughout the entire house. The house has been deserted for some time and has old pictures, newspapers and books scattered all over. The majority of the visuals in the game are static images that change only when you move to a different section of the room you're exploring. All of the rooms in the house have their own unique look to them. The dining room and living room have their own individual look while the bedrooms are different from each other. Parts of the house were left unfinished, which resulted in large amounts of trash and building materials scattered throughout those rooms.  

Moving around the rooms and exploring is almost a bad spot for the game, until you get familiar with the house. The game allows you to view almost every angle of the room by pointing and clicking in three-to-four directions. You might be limited to just three directions if you're investigating a specific area or item in the game. But what I didn't enjoy in the game was the fact that frequently I couldn't move to the next part of the house until I corrected my point of view. For example, even if I was standing next to a staircase I couldn't go up the stairs until I was facing the front of the stairs. This would result in my clicking several times to correct my viewpoint. Since all of the screens are static images there was no way to move the camera angle as you would in a first-person shooter. It was click, click, click, click, and now I can finally move to the next area. This might not be a big issue for some gamers, but it could be frustrating at times for others.

The meat and potatoes of any adventure game is the story. If you have a captivating story that keeps you hooked, then you will keep playing until the very end. SCRATCHES just doesn't cross the finish line when it comes to a captivating story. The ingredients are there: mysterious house, ancient legends, murder, strange noises and a thunderstorm. The problem is with the pacing of the game. I felt I was just reading a bunch of books, picking up and looking at an assortment of useless items for the first half of the game. Nothing had me jumping out of my seat, wondering what was going to happen next or motivating me to figure out what's going to happen next. It wasn't until later in the game that the story and mystery seem to get going and had me motivated to keep playing. For the adventure game veterans this won't be an issue but this type of pacing will probably turn off gamers new to the genre.  

The next item I need to mention can be considered either a blessing or a curse. The entire game is played out over the three days that Michael spends at the house. Three days and that's it. How soon you finish those three days is up to you and your investigating skills, or what I should say is your point-and-click skills. The game has puzzles that you need to solve but a large portion of the game is simply solved by making sure to click on all of the items you find in the game. If you forget to click on an item, then you will be walking around the house hopelessly lost for what will feel like an eternity. Parts of the story will not unfold until you find certain items in the game. Granted this can be considered normal in an adventure game but other games will have you solve a puzzle in order to unlock key events in the story. This wasn't the case with this entire game because certain segments of the game were solved by simply clicking on items I previously didn't discover. If you can find all of the items right away in the game then it's possible you could breeze through all three days in just a few hours.

To conclude this review, there really isn't much that I left out about the game. The game is easy enough for anyone to play with it's point-and-click interface. The storyline and theme is sure to please adventure game nuts and horror/mystery gamers. The pacing of the game is what could be considered the disaster area since the story doesn't take off until later in the game. Moving around can be a challenge at times that unfortunately is a necessary evil. But I already know that many of you out there reading this review have already made your opinion about purchasing this game. In fact, the purchase price makes this game an easy buy since it's only $19.99. However, the adventure game fanatics are a dedicate group of gamers that continue to purchase adventure titles regardless of the areas that need improvements. You know who you are, so go ahead and take the chance with SCRATCHES.

Gameplay: 7.5
It's the standard point-and-click adventure/horror/mystery game that has been around for years. The ability to look around to several different areas of the same setting is a welcomed feature but results in some problems when moving to different areas in the game.

Graphics: 7.7
The graphics of the manor make you feel as if you are exploring an old Victorian-era house. Each room has its own look with its own textures and details.

Sound: 7.5
The music in the game is more atmospheric mood music than compositional pieces. The voice acting in the game ranges from good to average.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
It's not a hard game but having to pay attention to every last detail when looking around every room of the house can be frustrating.

Concept: 7.0
SCRATCHES isn't that different from other point-and-click adventure games available today.

Overall: 7.4
Some of you see a score of 7.4 and think that is a bad score but it really isn't. A score of 7.4 means the game is good but doesn't cross into the next threshold of greatness. At $19.99 it's a risk that is easy to try.