Hidden Pictures: Agent Q [Meta Quest 3] | REVIEW

Hidden Pictures: Agent Q takes the classic hidden object formula and cranks it up with mixed reality, puzzle-solving, and even a bit of rhythm-based action. It might not be the most original game you’ve played, but with its charming cartoon visuals and varied gameplay mechanics, this quirky adventure keeps things fresh and engaging as you hunt down some meddling shape-shifting alien pirates.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Hidden Pictures: Agent Q puts players in the role of the titular Agent Q, who has been given a mission – to protect the peaceful people of the Monia asteroids from the invading Tumai alien pirates. This means identifying the shape-shifting aliens and imprisoning them, all whilst collecting the missing pieces of an artifact known as the Galaxy Orb to help keep them locked away for good. Whilst the wacky premise never goes into too much depth, it adds an endearing sense of context to the adventure that makes the whole experience all the more charming.

The core gameplay loop of Hidden Pictures: Agent Q is broken down into three different forms of gameplay – hunting for hidden objects, completing puzzles, and battling bosses in rhythm-based showdowns. All of these take place from within your living space too, with the game utilising mixed reality to really add to the immersion of the experience.

The bulk of your time will be spent hunting objects, with the game giving players a myriad of diorama-like landscapes to scavenge across that are full of items to uncover. However, it’s never as simple as simply finding the objects themself, with players often tasked with solving little puzzles to find what they’re looking for. Sometimes, this is as simple as seeing what one of the inhabitants of the landscape is looking for, though other times, it might require the player to interact with the environment in different ways to find something that’s been hidden away. There are clues to pick up on along the way if you need some guidance, but in honesty, you’ll get the most satisfaction from the game by discovering everything yourself. Hidden Pictures: Agent Q is rarely difficult, but finding that missing piece of the puzzle always feels good.

“Hidden Pictures: Agent Q is a delightful blend of hidden object hunting, puzzle-solving, and rhythm-based showdowns, all wrapped up in a quirky sci-fi adventure.”

There are a good variety of dioramas to scour through, including the likes of a spooky graveyard, the wild west, and even a modern city that’s being attacked by a kaiju, just to name a few. They’re all wonderfully presented through the game’s clean and charming cartoon-like visual style, whilst each landscape is packed with little secrets and smaller details that really help flesh the world out. The pleasant soundtrack that accompanies each landscape is perfectly befitting of the theme of the area too, whilst unlocking figurines and small dioramas to place around your own living space in-game always felt satisfying. It’s just really addictive and fun, with the object hunting easily standing out as the best aspect of Hidden Pictures: Agent Q.

The puzzle stages bring with them a variety of different puzzle types to solve, though they’re probably things you’d have seen plenty of times before. You know the type – block-moving puzzles, colour sorting puzzles, laser puzzles, quick-reaction puzzles…. that sort of thing. They start off fairly simple but grow in challenge as you progress, ensuring they remain engaging and enjoyable to solve throughout. And again, there’s nothing here that you wouldn’t have seen before at all, but they add a nice bit of variety to Hidden Pictures: Agent Q’s gameplay loop.

Finally, you have the rhythm-based boss fights, which see a huge boss smash their way through your wall and challenge you to a Beat Saber-style duel. Presentation-wise, I loved these, and again, they add something distinct and unique to the experience. They do feel a bit simple in design though, with each simplifying the mechanics of Beat Saber by having players hit different coloured blocks as they come towards them with the appropriate coloured hands. There’s only a couple in the game and they’re certainly enjoyable, but it might have been cool if they did something a little different.

Check out some screenshots down below:

On a side note, I let my little one try out some of the hidden object hunting in Hidden Pictures: Agent Q and she absolutely loved it, with this element of the game proving accessible for younger gamers. Between the cute environments and the simple nature of the gameplay (as well as the added immersion of playing in mixed reality where she could see where she was going), it was the ideal experience to let her enjoy. The puzzles and boss fights were a bit more complex for her, but if you’ve got a youngster in your family who wants a little taste of virtual reality, Hidden Pictures: Agent Q might be a nice place for them to start.

I think the best thing about Hidden Pictures: Agent Q is just how much it has going on. It’s packed with levels to play through (there are over 80 levels split across the three styles of gameplay), whilst there are plenty of cool collectibles and coins to earn along the way too. Levels also bring with them little side tasks to complete, and whilst they’re not especially complex, they ensure there’s plenty to get stuck into. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t an especially long game (you could easily beat it all in around five-to-six hours), but what’s on offer feels substantial and enjoyable. And hey, with the developer’s promise of additional content coming to the game, there’s more to look forward to.

Developer: Newmatic
Publisher: Newmatic
Platform(s): Meta Quest 3 (Reviewed), Meta Quest 2
Website: https://www.meta.com/en-gb/experiences/hidden-pictures-agent-q/6494700220578310/