Grandma delights us again- outstanding graphics (entering upon the surreal), great voice-overs, a strong storyline and back story to support a great project. I was taken in right away by the opening scenes- I'm not going to give away anything here, but I can honestly say I can always depend on Grandma! This one's fun and challenging, money well spent- visit Grandma's house!
The "Big 3" definitely have to move over and make room! Friendly Fox blends outstanding graphics created with a beautiful palette, mix in a healthy dose of imaginative and engaging story lines and great voice-overs that don't sound like the VO actors just rolled out of bed. Great puzzles and very different HOPS! I really enjoy the team's ability to take a legend, folktale, or fairytale and put their own spin on it, turning it into wonderfully immersive game playing. Very few developers are able to do this. This little Friendly Fox is quickly becoming my favorite developer. Do yourself and step into this multifaceted wonderland!! You won't be disappointed!
First of all- bugs in the system: I trouble with the map and I was sometimes not awarded the 1star 10 pts I had earned. The visuals pop, they are very very good. But as a game, it needed more oomph, more side games, more depth. Definitely challenging at some parts but becomes boring after a while. Nice way to pass the time.
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Large File, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
4/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
4/ 5
Level of Challenge
4/ 5
Storyline
3/ 5
Just gonna keep this short and sweet. Whenever a producer of an artistic fictional medium- be it novellas/novels, visual art, TV series, or computer games, eventually that series will run its course. TV series, especially sitcoms, are a prime example. Eventually the developer of a computer HOAG series will run out of ideas. It happens- nothing to be ashamed about- ya just gotta know when to tap out- leave on a high note. That said- I am not a fan of fantasy adventure/HOP games. That's just me- I'm a realist. Just my opinion, not disparaging the genre in anyway as I did love Harry Potter (even that great author ran out of ideas!). What caught my interest in this game- a type I would normally not purchase, was the artwork. That's a biggie for me as it creates the atmosphere- that's half the battle. The artwork here is actually quite good- Eipix teaming with another developer helped to steer them away from that invasive, annoying neon palette. The scenes and graphics set the tone very nicely. Everything is time appropriate- THANK YOU, DEVS! Nothing yanks you out of a particular time piece than an item that was created decades, centuries, eons after the time period of the presented opus. Really wrecks the experience. So, no western saddles and bridles on these medieval ponies! <whew> The music is lovely, very befitting. Beefs: Cutaway characters movements and voiceovers are not good- especially a main character, Kai. His voice- considering the virility of his character, is laughable- I mean really bad. Why did the devs sink on this? My control panel- inventory, map, hints et al. is very crowded with extraneous stuff that could have been a bit more spread out without intruding into the scene. The story- quite the misuse of artistic license from the original fairy tale, but hey, that's show biz. Some of the puzzles are a bit simplistic, always enjoy the collectibles, lots of assembly HOPs (I like those). Worth the buy? Sure, why not? But the series I fear Dark Parables is reaching its end- kinda like the remakes of Frankenstein- at some point you realize the original is the best. This storyline became a little stale after some gameplay, but still, the graphics, puzzles and HOPs were a saving grace. Apologies- this was not short! lol Have a great day, friends, stay well and safe :-).
We've seen these games before but this particular edition has some nice graphics, good side puzzles and a bit of a story line- don't look for anything too deep. Nothing bad to say, it is what it is. I enjoyed it...when I was really was too tired to think it helped me unwind. Great music, too!
This is one unique Match-3, Adventure and Hops all rolled into one. As you can see at the time of this writing, this game is 10 years old- what a difference a day make (thank you, Etta James) The older games were so much better, more thought-provoking, more challenging. I am an adventure gamer but when my head is aching from today's offerings, I do love a good match-3. And this isn't a good match-3...it's a great match-3!
I have to say I was never going to purchase another "Big Three" game again. Reasons being tired storylines, vapid game play, absurd scavenger hunts, and tired graphics. I have been scouring games from 2011 to 2014 and have found outstanding adventure games and HOPA games- beautiful hand drawn graphics, entertaining puzzles, and storylines that draw you right in. When I saw Domini did its own take on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, well, there was no question, I had to play it. And I was taking a chance because Domini has consistently assaulted my retinas with their abuse of over-saturated purples and blazing neon palette. I'm relieved to say that is not the case in this game. Oh, the purple is there alright but in no way out of context or overblown. In fact, for Domini, the purple is downright muted. The graphics and scenery are beautifully atmospheric; very impressive. Lots of collectibles and I'm so grateful for the "find 'ems indicator" to the left of the inventory bar. It reminds you of what's needed to be found in a scene or close-up and I appreciate that. Too often I get caught up in the action that I forget the collectibles. The storyline is good, not stellar but definitely enjoyable- a well presented whodunnit. HOPs have the match-3 option, always appreciated. Challenging puzzles to be sure and a few I've never seen before, bravo! Beefs: needless congratulations for every note I find- there is just no use for that and its a waste of time. I don't deserve achievements for actions I must take during game play. Achievements must be earned, not doled out for an action that must be performed to move the game forward. Another waste. The voiceovers- some are good and time appropriate while others fall flat. The voices do match the mouth movements well, but all in all the character movements are mechanical and stiff and our lead character detectives are a bit generic. Also, you'll find a few items in scenes that are not time appropriate- example: a modern wristwatch. They weren't invented at the time of this story. Detail, Domini, detail...should catch these in post production...But, at the end of the day, this is an enjoyable game- yes you've got the usual silly emblem scavenger hunts for ridiculous items in inappropriate places, but some of these hunts actually make sense. Definitely recommend.
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Large File, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
5/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
5/ 5
Level of Challenge
5/ 5
Storyline
5/ 5
What's to say that hasn't been said? Absolutely excellent. Gorgeous hand drawn graphics, thoroughly enjoyable story line (play Madam Fate first!) And as you can see, I am writing this years after the game's initial release. Why? Because that's where I go to get my games now. Today's games are mostly lazy, boring linear wastes of time. And because of this game, I bought all of the Ravenhearst games. If you're sick of the same ol' same ol' do yourself a favor- immerse yourself in Madame Fate!
So sick and tired of Fantasy Land games, cg graphics, ridiculous story lines, tepid scavenger hunts. I used to love Mad Head. It seems they've just followed the Big 3 into Boring Land. And stop with the purple already!!!!! These days I look to games created from 2011 to 2014. Beautiful hand drawn graphics, immersive story lines, fun HOPs and Find 'Ems (collectibles). Puzzles that actually took you a day or two to get through. Devs really need to get back to that because these new adventure games are a waste of time.