lsr103's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.4
- Helpful Votes:61
- Reviews Submitted:18
- First Review:August 27, 2012
- Most Recent Review:March 25, 2021
- Featured reviews0
Take the role of Miss Black, a whip-smart policewoman who's out to make a name for herself, in Profiler: The Hopscotch Killer.
Overall rating
3
/
5
Nearly good
PostedMarch 25, 2021
lsr103
fromDerry, Ireland
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Too much about the gameplay of this game is creaky and old-fashioned. In order to find several of the hidden objects you need to pan outside some of the scenes. It took me a while to realise this which made game-play frustrating. Some of the hidden objects are so obscured that they are pretty well invisible. I enjoyed the noir-style serial killer plot, but the player didn't really get much opportunity to engage with the plot-related activities. This could have been a really good game with a little more attention to detail and imaginative conception. It would have been refreshing to have had at least one alternative to the soundtrack. Listening to the same short piece of music over and over again for several hours became pretty monotonous. Overall, this is a moderately entertaining offering which errs on the side of being a bit uninspired and easily forgotten.
I recommend this game!
A small-town murder case hides a revelation that will shake the agency to its core!
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 6 found this review helpful
Can't hang the picture... Technical difficulty
PostedAugust 22, 2020
lsr103
fromDerry, Ireland
Skill Level:Expert
I'm not sure whether this is a gaming glitch or something wrong with my mac. I need to hang a picture on the wall of an antique shop (you'll know what I mean if you've been there) but it won't stay where it needs to so I can't carry on the game. The hint button keeps showing I need to do exactly what I'm already trying to do, but it still doesn't work. Any suggestions, anyone?
Help stop a killer and keep an important scientific discovery from falling into the wrong hands!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
Much better than I anticipated...
PostedAugust 6, 2020
lsr103
fromDerry, Ireland
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Large File, Marble Popper, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The thing I most appreciated about this game was the well-managed storyline. There are none of those silly lapses of logic ( e.g. The knife will cut the suitcase-strap but you can only slash the pillow with the glass shard from the next HOP), which make so many recently released games frustrating and, frankly, a bit boring. There are no such problems in this game. Personally, if I hit any of these logical anomalies in the 1-hour trial, I immediately delete the game (if it's already illogical and frustrating in the taster, things are likely to get worse later on). The music score in this game is evocative and appropriate - late in the game there's a lovely piano piece which uses Lydian mode and is a proper piece of music in its own right. Of course the plot does not bear close-up scrutiny, but then it's a game! SPOILER ALERT Administering un-trialled medications to human subjects is unlikely ever to become acceptable practice under any circumstances, but I appreciated that the developers worked hard to justify it on this occasion. The outcome was surprisingly convincing. I enjoyed this game from start to finish.
I recommend this game!
For adventurer Helen Stone, the biggest adventure is yet to come!
Overall rating
4
/
5
Much better than I expected
PostedFebruary 6, 2018
lsr103
fromDerry, Ireland
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I don't usually enjoy fantasy-style games. This quickly becomes engrossing and entertaining. There is rather too much to-ing and fro-ing necessary between scenes so get used to employing the map early on otherwise you'll end up in a click-fest just navigating between locations. That said, the story is sensible - though involves rather too much dialogue for my tastes. Re-reading what I've written, I'm not making this game sound nearly as worthwhile as I actually found it. My advice is check out the free hour of play; if you enjoy that, you'll enjoy the whole thing. The style and gameplay remain consistent throughout.
I recommend this game!
Help detective Ashley Clark uncover the truth behind a series of mysterious kidnappings, and reveal the secrets of the ruby pendant!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Surprisingly entertaining and engrossing.
PostedJanuary 29, 2018
lsr103
fromDerry, Ireland
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I originally tried this game because I enjoyed Crossroad Mysteries: Broken Deal, which was developed by the same Company. Notwithstanding their unpromising titles, both games are really enjoyable. Let's get the negatives over to being with: the game play is rather lumpy and feels pretty old-fashioned these days. The game occasionally stalls while it has a "think" about what to load next. Voice overs frequently don't work and you end up having to read the dialogue, rather than listening to it. Other than those quibbles, I thought this was great fun. The story is no worse than several others and a good deal better than many. I also liked that there was a logic to the hidden object items and mini-games, which were often imaginative and ingenious. You also got heaps of game for your money - this really did feel like a Collector's Edition offering for the price of a standard game.
The game tries to do something original which occasionally backfires for the best possible motives: it doesn't lead you by the hand and you are occasionally left at sea wondering what to do next. With the best will in the world, I think getting through the whole thing without any hints in "Expert" mode is all but impossible. Also, certain items only become "collectable" into your inventory when they become relevant to the story. This is only a bit frustrating because items I assumed weren't collectable (because they really weren't at one point) inexplicably become collectable without warning. The result can leave a feeling of having been a bit duped, hunting about aimlessly for something in front of your very nose. Once you realise this niggle, though, and become more trigger-happy, clicking on pretty much anything that looks conceivable for your needs, things hot up agreeably.
This is certainly not everyone's cup of tea, but I must say I really enjoyed it, in spite of all its little quirks. Ashley Clark: Secret of the Ruby has the same cute charm as playing Monopoly or Cluedo at Christmas - surprisingly addictive and enjoyable once you enter into the spirit of things.
I recommend this game!
Help the Queen save the city of Babylon!
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
So close to good...
PostedJanuary 13, 2018
lsr103
fromDerry, Ireland
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The artwork for this game is attractively turned out. Its format is rather old-fashioned, but I quite liked that (I'm perfectly happy without the hokey English and Transylvanian accents which have become the staple of so many cut-away scenes these days). There simply isn't enough plot here. Apparently Babylon is about to be attacked by marauding Egyptians. Things look like hotting up - until nothing happens! We never see a single Egyptian, there is no conflict; we simply flood a tunnel (slightly boringly) and thus save Babylon from disaster. Underwhelmed is probably the best descriptor of how I felt after completing this game. Also - bluntly - it is far too short and the puzzles are somewhat repetitive; you have to solve effectively the same problem over (and over) again, which ends up feeling pretty dull after a while. The two ultimate mazes, which are rather tortuous and just require endless clicking, are the low point of this game and seem to represent the climax.
Also, there are some minor programming issues and glitches, but these were easily enough solved by closing and reopening the game: my progress had been saved on each occasion so the frustration was minimal.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon is certainly not dreadful, and will kill a couple of hours entertainingly enough, and the graphics are very nicely turned out, but overall we are pretty lacking in wow-factor, I'm afraid.
I recommend this game!
Alison Ester, insurance investigator, is responsible for leading the investigation in a dilapidated asylum with a grave and mysterious past.
Overall rating
2
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
What a disappointment
PostedOctober 29, 2016
lsr103
fromDerry, Ireland
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This could so easily have been quite a fun game - but sadly not. The game-play mechanics are hopelessly old-fashioned - having to drag items where they're needed. The hidden object scenes are so cluttered and difficult to make out that quite often I found myself accidentally clicking a correct item without even realising what it was. The music (I use the term loosely) is a maddeningly over-repetitive loop - notwithstanding that this is set in a lunatic asylum! The plot is flimsy to the point of being non-existent and the ending is, frankly, incomprehensible and ludicrous. Sadly, this was one copper-bottomed, 24-carat waste of a voucher. Pity - it looked so promising.
I don't recommend this game.
Your new dream home has become a deadly nightmare!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
Nice, solid game - I certainly enjoyed it.
PostedOctober 26, 2016
lsr103
fromDerry, Ireland
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Large File, Marble Popper, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The plot doesn't bear close scrutiny - but then this is a game! There's plenty to entertain here and several of the puzzles are fun and engaging. The dialogues are refreshingly articulate and there is a real air of creepiness here. Don't be put off by the rather slow start - it definitely gets better! This is no Ravenhearst or Hidden Expedition tour-de-force, but it's certainly worth a look if you like some nicely done hidden-object puzzles and want to kill a few creepy hours.
I recommend this game!
Face your fears and unravel the mystery of the abandoned asylum!
Overall rating
2
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Oh, so disappointing
PostedApril 25, 2015
lsr103
fromDerry, Ireland
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I really thought this game looked like having it all for a long Saturday's immersive gaming. I like those abandoned theme-park/asylum/hospital/orphanage environment noire settings. The only problem is that:
a) the game-play is incredibly erratic. You can find yourself clicking endlessly on (what turns out to be) the correct task or object, but it won't, for the love of Pete, do what it's supposed to. Door handles refuse to turn, puzzles refuse to function properly; basically enough doesn't work properly for the experience to become frustrating, rather than challenging
b) a great idea goes off half cocked and so, again, leads to frustration rather than thrill. What a terrific touch to have dawn slowly breaking throughout the game! As the sun rises, so the locations become gradually brighter as you play. The only problem is you end up with the most appalling splitting headache while everything is still dark, desperately attempting to spot, frankly, invisible hidden objects.
c) there are too many silly inconsistencies. A screwdriver won't push a key through a lock, a wire spoke will. One cutting object won't do a job for which it is perfectly suitable, while another will. There is no rhyme or reason to this and it becomes frustrating.
d) the inventory becomes mindbogglingly large if you pick up everything you encounter on the way. I have about a dozen items in my inventory, none of which seems suitable for any of the available tasks.
e) the gameplay is simply too lumpy. Screens freeze interminably while the programme stretches its legs and grudgingly admits you to the next location. When you finally gain admission, the interactive spots work so erratically that you're never quite sure whether you're on the right track or not.
What a disappointment - this is so nearly excellent. A classic case of so near yet so very, very far. I'm not sure I have the staying power to complete this - even though I've bought it. I now wish i hadn't bothered.
I don't recommend this game.
What dark and powerful secrets are hidden within the A.R.C.A.N.E. agency's old research base? Kiera Vale returns to find out.
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Plenty of brainpower needed - but worth it
PostedApril 21, 2015
lsr103
fromDerry, Ireland
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I particularly enjoyed that I wasn't being spoon fed on this game. You need to have played "The Witch's Prison" (the precursor) to fully enjoy the nicely joined-up story line here, but it works in its own right too. The puzzles are predominantly hybrids of generic types, but each time the developers have gone to considerable trouble in adding some twist or new spin on each one, thereby heightening a sense of novelty. The creepy semi-abandoned research facility is by no means a new environment for games of this type, but there are sufficient twists and turns to keep the experience fresh and involving.
For players who want guiding by the hand through a game with few challenges along the way, this isn't for you. If, on the other hand, you enjoy a sense of genuine achievement on completing several ingeniously challenging puzzles and conundrums, I recommend this game highly - there's plenty to keep you engaged and entertained for hours on end (especially if you resist the "skip game" button!).
I recommend this game!