If you’re a fan of variety when it comes to casual gaming, you’re probably going to like Vacation Adventures: Park Ranger 4. Think of it like one of those puzzle books that could entertain you while on a long road …
If you’re a fan of variety when it comes to casual gaming, you’re probably going to like Vacation Adventures: Park Ranger 4. Think of it like one of those puzzle books that could entertain you while on a long road trip, and you’re not far off. While the main theme of Vacation Adventures: Park Ranger 4 is hidden object searching, there’s a ton more going on here.
I assume part of that is because, as a park ranger, your job is varied. Your aim here is to protect the environment, pick up the trash, and seek out various new objectives. While the game might follow a fairly formulaic path, it keeps things varied with its variety of different mini-games.
Starting out, you’re introduced to the hidden object side of things. Each scene is fairly detailed and complex to look through, with a long list of items to seek out. Things are further complicated by the fact that some of these items are even more hidden away than you’d expect. At times, you’ll have to rummage through trashcans or backpacks in order to seek out the item. Those can feel a little unfair as it can be harder to figure out than the usual plethora. Other scenes have you doing things such as finding ‘x number of objects that can fly’ which is an entertaining twist on such a familiar format.
Besides seeking out specific objects, you also need to pick up trash, and find various wildlife. These aren’t essential to progression, but they gain you more points and the general satisfaction of a job well done. For those easily confused, there’s always the handy hints and mega hints button to help you out. The latter of which shows you every item you’re looking for, making it reasonably simple to progress.
Vacation Adventures: Park Ranger 4 doesn’t stop at hidden object scenes, though. Every time you complete one, you open up a mini-game or two. These are pretty varied. Sometimes you’ll be completing a word search puzzle, while other times you might be solving a simple mathematical equation. Highlights include painting by numbers and completing a jigsaw puzzle. Such variety, of course, means your mileage may vary depending on your interest in each puzzle.
Admittedly, some of the puzzles aren’t as interesting as others, but at least you always know that you’re not far off finding something else to do. In particular, some of the jigsaw puzzles can be quite tricky, requiring you to slot together very small pieces. In keeping with the casual nature of the game though, you can always skip a puzzle if it gets too hard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AHXKGnDluA
Longevity is pretty great here. Besides having a fair amount of content to sink your teeth into, Vacation Adventures: Park Ranger 4 also offers reasons for you to return to earlier stages. Notably, it’s so that you can seek out all the wildlife, trash, and other extras within a scene, but there’s a bigger reason for this. You can buy in-game souvenirs to feel good about yourself. Ok, it’s a little gimmicky, but then so are achievements and trophies, and that still doesn’t stop people pursuing them.
Vacation Adventures: Park Ranger 4 is nearly as relaxing as a walk through a park. Nothing is out to test you too hard, or to stress you out, but that’s quite nice. Its scenery is suitably luscious, with even a few moments devoted to animated objects in the background, ensuring that this is more than just your regular hidden object game. It’s got a bit of style to it, too.
