Master Wu and the Glory of the Ten Powers is a hidden-object adventure game that takes place in the mountains of ancient China. Your adventure starts off at Shanhaiguan Mountain Pass, the place where Master Wu has lived and trained himself for years. Your mission is to unveil the mystery of Master Wu and find the sword of the Ten Powers, a task that requires 'order and balance'. As in most puzzle/adventure games of the type, it all consists in exploring a scene to find the 12 objects you see on the list in order to unlock other locations and advance in your quest. Clicking on an item name will show you its shape, which should make the object hunt easier. If you manage to successfully complete a hidden-object scene, other areas of the location will be unlocked for you to examine. Finding all the objects will also grant you an item for your inventory; you can use it to interact with the environment in different ways, for example, using a key to open a door, or a code to unlock a safe.
There are two types of hints you can use in case you need help; the jade coin can help you locate an object, while the wrench can give you a clue on what your next step is. Probably you don't need to use the latter, as most of the time things are clear enough and there is a character, Ping Yu, who will guide you through the journey, providing instructions. Maybe too many. It is way more rewarding when you have to figure out things by yourself. But this is not the case. Mini puzzles of all types will interrupt the HOG gameplay to put up extra challenges as well, but if you don't feel like playing them you can skip them right away, which will give you a 5-minute penalty.
Details of the plot are told little by little, as you advance in the game. The story isn't very deep nor solid enough, mainly because you don't actually get to know who Master Wu is, and what exactly the sword can do for you. In any case, the game is beautifully designed and it is a good choice for HOG beginners.
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