New video, first screenshots collected for Dire Grove

Written by Jack Allin — November 17, 2009 at 17:59

Last week Big Fish served up a little tease of its upcoming Mystery Case Files adventure, but today offers a much bigger taste, with the first screenshots, a lengthy new trailer, and release details for not one but two versions of Dire Grove.

The sixth installment in the popular casual game series, and the second to focus heavily on traditional adventure gameplay, Dire Grove sends players following in the footsteps of four graduate students who mysteriously vanished. After finding their rental car, abandoned during a sudden snow storm, players must explore the area in and around the secluded English town of Dire Grove in search of scattered tapes that reveal additional information about the events that led to their disappearance. Much of the storyline will be presented through live-action film clips in a game that's promising to be much more ambitious than its predecessors, with a projected 10-15 hours of gameplay.

How soon you can expect Dire Grove will depend on which version you choose. The game will debut on November 25th with a "Collector's Edition" exclusively for members of the Big Fish Games portal. This enhanced version will come with an in-game strategy guide, video outtakes, concept art, desktop wallpapers, and some bonus gameplay as well, giving players "access to hidden content and additional hidden-object scenes" that won't be available in the standard edition. The Collector's Edition comes with a higher price tag, however, as the game will retail for $19.95 with no coupons or credits applicable. The regular version of the game will be sold with the usual price and conditions, and will be released in early December.

For more details about Dire Grove and the Mystery Case Files series, you'll find them at the official website.