Gamertell

Title: Passport to Perfume
Price: $19.95
System(s): Windows PC (also Mac)
Release Date: July 24, 2009
Publisher (Developer): PlayFirst (Mean Hamster Software)
ESRB Rating: N/A. I’d say All Ages.
Pros: A lot of fun to play, there are hidden object mini-games, you can customize what kind of perfume you sell, there’s an endless play option, it feels more realistic than other time management games since you actually have to purchase stock to sell and it has cute character art.
Cons: You never know what kinds of perfume will be popular in the shop, so you never know if you’ll stock up on the correct bottles. Initially, it’s a lot easier than you’d expect. Some grammatical and editing mistakes in the storyline segments.
Overall Score: One thumb up, one sideways; 85/100; B; * * * 1/2

After the runaway success of Cake Mania, time management became a major casual game genre. Many developers set out to create their own customer service games in the hopes of achieving the same success. PlayFirst and Mean Hamster Software’s latest game, Passport to Perfume, offers a slight variation. Instead of serving some sort of food, players are tasked with assisting a young woman named Sophia who’s life mission is mixing perfume.

Making perfume is serious business.

Sophia and her father shared a dream, to recover the recipe for Marie Antoinette’s perfume and once again create that legendary scent. While acquiring a rare ingredient in Brazil, Sophia’s father fell from a precarious ledge to his doom. It was then that Sophia temporarily abandoned her dream.

One day, years later, a man comes into her shop with her father’s journal. Inside are hints and information on rare perfume formulas, locations of illusive ingredients and quite a bit of information on Marie Antoinette’s perfume.

Sophia takes this as a sign to once again pursue her dreams. She then decides to operate her shop as best as possible, use the money earned from there and the information gained from the wealthy and famous to aid in her quest and develop her own scents.

Take your scent and bottle it up.

If you’re familiar with Cake Mania, then you’ll probably be a Passport to Perfume expert. It uses the same gameplay mechanics as the iconic title. Your goal is to fill customers’ orders as quickly as possible to make them happy. A pretty easy feat in the first five to seven levels, even when you have four customers waiting and they’re of the impatient variety (ex. businessmen). The desires of each customer is displayed in a bubble above their head, showing exactly what item they want. Filling their orders can require simply delivering a premade bottle of perfume or filling a bottle with the boutique’s latest signature scent. It’s a familiar formula, tried and true, which still proves satisfying.

Between levels, you’re tasked with preparing for the next level. This is where Passport to Perfume sets itself apart from other time management games. There are typically three things that happen. You’ll see a story sequence, search a remote location for new ingredients in a hidden object puzzle, possibly tweak your current custom perfume scent, restock your wares and perhaps purchase a new shop accessory. Hidden object puzzles let you find new ingredients that will be accessible when you formulate your custom perfume. Your mixture determines how long it takes to fill bottles with it and how much it costs. You’ll also need to purchase new bottles and perfumes to replace the ones bought in the last puzzle and, if you have spare money, purchase a new shop ammenity that can effect customers’ moods, how much you make or Sophia’s speed.

One thing I wish Passport to Perfume did is offer clues. When you go into a level, you have no idea what the most in demand perfume could be. So, you have no clue what kind of perfumes to stock up on. Thankfully, it tends to be pretty easy to reach the expert score rank in each level, providing a surplus of cash to spend on supplies. Still, a small hint, like “Royal fine perfume is all the rage” would be a huge help.

It may not be revolutionary, but it is satisfying.

Passport to Perfume looks cute, has an interesting story and is fun to play. It doen’t really do anything new for the time management genre, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have a great time playing it. The occasional hidden object puzzle and ability to tweak your perfume’s formula are a nice touch, as it makes you feel as though you have more control over the shop. The same can be said for the ability to choose what stock you carry. Overall, I’d recommend it to casual game fans who like customer service games, as it is definitely well made and entertaining. Just don’t expect anything earth-shattering.

Site [Passport to Perfume]

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