Playing through
Lost Souls: Timeless Fables HD Collector's Edition has honestly been the most fun that I've had with a Hidden Object Adventure in a long, long time. Every puzzle was engaging, interesting and most importantly, fun! Sometimes in Hidden Object Adventures, I'll encounter puzzles that are simply a drudge, but that was never the case here. There were one or two puzzles that I will admit to skipping simply because while I knew how to solve them, I knew it would take a while and I wanted to get through the game quickly for the sake of the review. Despite this, I found all of them to be clever and fun.
For starters, when you are presented with a book to delve into, you must swipe your finger across it to clean it, then you can dive in and get started. Puzzles include rearranging pictures, matching games, spot-swapping games, slide puzzles, a "Simon" variant, puzzles where you can't intersect one line with another, and even a paint-by-number mini-game/puzzle. You'll need to pay attention to your environment because there are plenty of things you'll need to pick up to make progress in the game.
There are also ample Hidden Object Scenes and these are always indicated by sparkles (if you are playing on Easy Mode, anyway). They can list pictures of the items you seek or list them as words, and some can be hidden from view, requiring you to locate them (these appear in a different color in the list). You might need to move a curtain or a hat, or open a drawer to find an item. When you complete the list, you are always presented with one last item to find and this item will help you on your way.
I really loved how the puzzles and environments just made sense with the stories you were working through. In Call of Cthulhu, you had to rescue the professor's important papers and travel through a portal. In Robinson Crusoe, you had to release Friday from the pirate's capture and help Crusoe make his way off the island. In The Three Musketeers, you had to help the Queen of France save face by retrieving a set of royal baubles she had given to her lover, ahem, I mean friend... before she was expected to wear them to a ball. In Jack the Ripper, you actually work with the police and a local reporter to solve the case. Finally, in Titanic, Jack was accused of stealing the diamond and was being held in the ship's hold, while his accuser was running around with a gun, even as the ship was sinking. You must help exonerate Jack and get Jack and Rose on a rescue boat before it's too late. And it's all incredibly fun.