coffeyfan77's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.5
- Helpful Votes:672
- Reviews Submitted:141
- First Review:November 19, 2011
- Most Recent Review:March 27, 2018
- Featured reviews0
Status:
A scream in the night... a brutal crime... a mysterious figure with eyes red as blood. Can you get to the heart of this shocking murder?
Overall rating
2
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Poe's Rolling Over In His Grave
PostedMay 16, 2016
coffeyfan77
fromPhiladelphia, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Large File, Word, Card & Board
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I have enjoyed the heck out of the Dark Tales series, and considering that Tell-Tale Heart is likely one of the best known Poe stories out there, I expected this adaptation to be as good as some of the other games they've converted. As others have stated here, that sadly isn't the case.
The game is incredibly short and very sudden. After piecing together clues and forensics for the first half, you're thrust into a myriad of dream and action sequences that seem culled from another game entirely. As for the challenges, they are about what you'd expect. Nothing too hard and some very simple indeed. Hidden object scenes have a bit of complexity to them, which is welcome, but not enough to save the rest of this game.
Sound and graphics are fine, as you've likely come to expect here. Bit more blood and guts, but that didn't bother me and worked with the gruesome nature of the story. Very disappointing. Time to move on to something else as they've clearly exhausted Poe's canon.
I don't recommend this game.
Mr. Turner was surrounded by people who could all benefit from his death, but who actually murdered him? Play the detective in this classic whodunit mystery!
Overall rating
3
/
5
Fair to Middling Mystery
PostedMay 13, 2016
coffeyfan77
fromPhiladelphia, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Large File, Word, Card & Board
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I am a sucker for mystery games, and that's what drew me to this one. You play a detective called in to figure out who killed a man at his home, and have to navigate a bunch of the usual suspects you'd expect in a story like this. The plot is okay, with a couple of twists you'll probably see coming, but there's plenty of stuff left not resolved that make you think developing this was a bit of a rush job.
That's evident from other factors as well. Items in hidden object scenes are misspelled, random things are collected like a piece of paper from the side of a house, and the minigames are rather simplistic aside from a slider puzzle with controls so wonky you'll give up and skip it.
On the plus side, the music is decent enough and you do get voice acting throughout which is largely above average. I'm just wary when you pick up sets of objects in a game before you have a need for them. The real mystery involved is how some of this survived the cutting room floor.
All in all, it's decent enough. Nothing special here though. The genre has been done much better.
I don't recommend this game.
The Lost Cases of 221B Baker St.
Return to 221 Baker St. and help Sherlock Holmes solve brand new cases! Take on the new mysteries in Victorian London!
Overall rating
5
/
5
13 of 14 found this review helpful
Better Than The First
PostedJune 26, 2015
coffeyfan77
fromPhiladelphia, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Large File, Word, Card & Board
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Lost Files was a good entry for Holmes fans, but this sequel allows you to tackle more cases with the world's most famous consulting detective while improving on some of the first game's shortcomings.
As before, you'll play through cases which consist of you and Watson collecting evidence and performing various minigames to collect evidence and implicate suspects. Once you've collected enough information, you'll head back to Baker Street to play a matching and memory game which reveals the culprit. This process didn't change much from the original, although I'm pleased to report that the scenes look better and the size of the objects has increased.
The scope of this sequel is better, with more characters from Doyle's stories and even a case tackled solo by Dr. Watson that I quite enjoyed. The reward for completing them all is a laboratory game, a bit more challenging than last time. You also unlock a few Sherlock stories as you play, a nice touch.
Overall, this is an improvement on the first game and a chance to play some original Holmes stories. Voice acting is very good again, and the game is a decent length. Well done and very worthy of a play.
I recommend this game!
Enter the world of Sherlock Holmes and solve a variety of mystery and mini-games to crack the case in this layered Hidden Object game.
Overall rating
4
/
5
18 of 19 found this review helpful
Solid Detective Work
PostedJune 25, 2015
coffeyfan77
fromPhiladelphia, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Large File, Word, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Lost Cases is a Sherlock Holmes-themed game presenting cases you and Dr. Watson must crack. In each of the cases you will be presented with different areas to search. Finding the differences or given clue items will result in suspects being unveiled. Once you've identified all suspects, you'll play a matching and concentration game to confirm your evildoer. Holmes will then explain what happened.
There is plenty to like here, especially for the Holmes buff. Cases are right in line with typical Sherlock fare, and there are minigames divided up within the cases to make the game a bit meatier. Difficulty level is decent. Hardest thing will be picking up the objects, as scenes are cluttered and you'll have to make use of a magnifying glass. I also liked the ability to find a Sherlock cap somewhere in each case to unlock a bonus chemistry feature, though the reward itself is rather underwhelming.
Voice acting is solidly done, and you'll meet a couple of the famous Holmes characters along the way. It is repetitive and not exactly a way to demonstrate his famous deductive skills, but I had a great time working on a wide variety of cases. Highly enjoyed.
I recommend this game!
Help Emily bake and decorate cakes to make her way to the top of the culinary food chain.
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 6 found this review helpful
Solid Time Management Game
PostedJune 19, 2015
coffeyfan77
fromPhiladelphia, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Large File, Word, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Food-themed time management games are plentiful, but Cake Shop manages to be pretty good at most elements that make the genre fun. Your character opens a standard café and uses the money collected each day in order to purchase additional equipment. While doing that, you simultaneously build your house from the ground up, which is a cool added feature that makes it a bit more personal.
You have to balance both ends, as the house building is required in order to keep your mood high. I like that everything is reasonably priced, and you should get through the whole game in about 40-50 levels, not bad for a time management affair. You also get a pretty solid sense of accomplishment for constructing the house.
There's not much character development, the dialogue is very simple, and the actual in-game challenge of completing a level is not too bad at all. It's actually very hard to lose customers, especially if you set your stuff up in advance at the beginning. It's not perfect, but it's a solid play.
I recommend this game!
Stop a gang of art thieves before they steal all of the world's priceless treasures in Grace's Quest: To Catch an Art Thief!
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Not a Masterpiece, But Darn Good
PostedJune 19, 2015
coffeyfan77
fromPhiladelphia, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Large File, Word, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I enjoyed this little hidden object game more than I thought I would. Your character uses her art expertise to help solve a case that's frankly rather open and shut, but takes a few twists and turns along the way.
The game looks pretty good, and the music was pretty good throughout, included some classical that I quite liked. No voices. Scenes are well done, and you'll have objects added as you work your way through the list. There is a high degree of interactivity, as you'll use some of those same objects in the scene, but in a very straightforward way. Nothing is too hard, and the minigames are hybrid puzzle-action that are different from most of what's in the genre.
There wasn't enough art for what should be an art-themed game, and the whole thing is rather short with an ending that's on the wrong side of ridiculous. Still, entertaining journey, and a lot of fun along the way. Good for an afternoon diversion but nothing more.
I recommend this game!
The history of Ravenhearst Manor is shrouded in mystery. Unlock the secrets within this episode of Mystery Case Files™.
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Strong Hidden Object Follow-Up
PostedJune 17, 2015
coffeyfan77
fromPhiladelphia, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Large File, Word, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Ravenhearst differs a bit from its predecessor, Prime Suspects, in that it's slightly darker and possesses less of the humor that I enjoyed so much in that game. That said, the third MCF offering is still full of a lot of positives, particularly if you like collecting hidden objects.
Much like Prime, you'll progress through various levels by exploring rooms of the house to collect a number of items. The items stay the same, so eventually you'll find a good bit of them just by remembering from the last time you visited a room. Instead of darkness, though, you'll deal with certain rooms being locked off to you until you defeat a puzzle to access it. A precursor to something HO fans do all the time now, this was groundbreaking then and most of the puzzles are Rube Goldberg-like contraptions that add to the difficulty and the fun. Half the battle is figuring out which object does what, and some are just there for show. Good stuff.
Graphics and sound are the same as Prime Suspects, which is to say marginal. Storyline is not bad, as you'll learn more about the occupants of the manor through diary entries you collect, but as before the ending is a bit of a letdown with little explanation. Once you've completed the game, you can try again, though it's less fun than Prime because you pretty much already know everything that occurred.
Ravenhearst is a product of its time, and that's good and bad all at once. There are plenty of objects to collect, and the roots of a stellar game here, but it's suffered a bit through the lens of time. Better than average, but likely not as good as you remember.
I recommend this game!
The Queen's Hope Diamond is gone. No one is talking. It's up to you to recover the stolen gem. You be the detective.
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Oldie But Goodie
PostedJune 16, 2015
coffeyfan77
fromPhiladelphia, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Large File, Word, Card & Board
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The second of the immensely popular MCF series holds up pretty well even now, and a recent play caused me to put a review up. It's a bit tough to dissect this game given just how far casual games, and this series specifically, has come since the early days, but here goes.
Prime Suspects has you investigating twenty suspects in a diamond theft. Each suspect has various scenes to clear, and those scenes contain far more objects than you'll have to collect. That means you'll visit them all many times, and even with the lists changing, you'll know where a good bit of stuff is just from the last time you were looking for it. The way the game makes that a bit more challenging is by tasking you with finding a battery to allow for flashlight and X-ray powers, and that does succeed in slowing the game down a bit and making it a little harder.
Two very good aspects of this game are the variety, as there will be different suspects each time you play through, and the humor, as the descriptions and names of the potential purloiners are pretty hilarious. Once you've found enough objects, you'll play one of three minigames in order to determine if they remain on your list. Once you've gotten to the final five, you'll begin your last mission, and that's honestly the most underwhelming part of the whole thing.
This is an early game, and it shows. Graphics are fine but not great, and there is no voice acting. It is still a fun game at its core, though, and there's something to be said for that. While MCF has evolved majorly since these days, this game is still worth a play and that's definitely a good thing.
I recommend this game!
Slingo Mystery 2: The Golden Escape
Help Maggie Gold as she seeks to find out why Freddy’s money hasn’t solved her problems.
Overall rating
2
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Worse Than The First
PostedJune 13, 2015
coffeyfan77
fromPhiladelphia, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Large File, Word, Card & Board
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I'll give the first Slingo Mystery game credit in that it was innovative, combining that bingo-esque game with a hidden object overlay. Unfortunately, the sequel to that game resolved none of the questions from the storyline and added little to nothing to better the series.
You once again play the character of Maggie Gold, and this time you're making your way through a floating ship which starts sinking pretty much as soon as you get aboard. That's a metaphor for the game itself, which once again makes you scour with precise detail through rooms for random stuff and then stop for a relaxing game of Slingo every once in a while.
The characters are more cartoony in this game, and that's not just being literal. More people are added, as well as some cameos from the first game, but none of them are fleshed out very well minus the predictable nemesis. In addition, the clock in the game always seems to tell you it's 10 PM, even when it's broad daylight. Not a lot of quality control to be found here.
If you liked the first game, this has to be seen as a bit of a setback, as you'll go through essentially the same rooms as in the first game. How many times can you knock out security cameras with a slingshot before you want to do the same to yourself?
Not sure if a trilogy will ever be completed, but even if it is at some point, cash me out.
I don't recommend this game.
Slingo Mystery: Who's Gold
Help Maggie Gold track down her ex-husband`s murderer! Explore a huge casino to find the secrets left behind by Freddy!
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Average But Fun Hybrid
PostedJune 12, 2015
coffeyfan77
fromPhiladelphia, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Large File, Word, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I'm admittedly not a slingo fan, but this game combines that bingo-esque slots game with a hidden object overlay, so I went for it anyway. You play a divorced woman whose husband dies after remarrying, and you decide to take care of your mounting bills by breaking into his casino and taking everything you can. That's about as advanced as the plot gets, but you probably figured that.
The game has you go through various stages looking for items in order to advance and using those items in the casino as you search it top to bottom. The items are either completely in plain sight or very difficult to find, but since your cursor changes into a hand when you're over one you probably won't need too many hints to complete. The game, therefore, turns into a bit of a pixel hunt, though I did like the creative ways the items are used. Note that you don't actually have to figure out how to do that, it's done automatically for you.
As for the Slingo, you'll play several different versions. They seem more luck than strategy for me, but there's only one or two you won't beat in the first go-round, even as a novice. The game has a couple of twists in the late stages to set up the sequel, but it does do a nice job of keeping things moving and adding a sense of danger.
Graphics are okay, nothing special. Voices are also average, and the script sequences are short enough to be unintentionally funny. I liked the mashup, but not enough to merit a higher score. Passable.
I recommend this game!