megwoman25's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:1,465
- Reviews Submitted:285
- First Review:December 20, 2011
- Most Recent Review:December 7, 2020
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Sable Maze: Forbidden Garden Collector's Edition
Your parents always told you to stay away from the mysterious maze behind their house…. and you’re about to find out why.
Overall rating
3
/
5
Surprised I like it...
PostedDecember 14, 2016
megwoman25
fromNorthern California
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I should hate this game. It has a terrible, corny plot line. It has a person turning into an animal to be your helper and you use this helper A LOT and I HATE HELPERS~! And this game is so NOT like the other games in this series but for some reason I liked the game play enough to play the entire game, even the bonus game which I rarely get to anymore usually due to sheer boredom. The thing I liked best about this game was that there was just so much to do! It wasn't the usual walking back and forth looking for bas reliefs or keys although there is some of that but it had lots of things to do like puzzles or hidden object scenes with a twist.
There are puzzles in the hidden object scenes which I really liked. They are skippable for those who don't like puzzles. My only negative with the hidden object scenes were that they copied another developer's by having an item under the found item that makes a whole other item. Does that make sense? One developer started doing that n then all the others copied them and I wish developers would just do their own original things. I don't want all games to be the same. However they were unique enough to keep me interested.
The plot line was horrible and it is what is preventing me from giving this game 4 stars. I'd say this is a solid 3.5 star game but I am not rounding up. There are no custom modes but I suspect this is an older game so no points off for that. There are morphing objects that are part of collectible sets and weird posters about beasts. Honestly the plot made no sense and the main character is named Wisteria (horrible name btw) and its her wedding day but of course everything goes horribly wrong when your fiance decides to venture into the hidden garden! You yell at him to stop but does he? Red flags here Wisteria, you are marrying an idiot! :)
The bonus game takes off exactly where the main game stopped with a new mission to save the world. Things are wrapped up a little too nicely in the main game. That is not a spoiler but just a statement as I am sure you will think similar things once you play it! How dare you turn my mom into a ferret! haha The bonus game is in all new land although it looks very similar to the main game. I am not big into fantasy games and this one is just way too pink and blue for me. But for some reason it kept my attention and I liked it enough to play the whole thing.
This game probably took me 4 hours to play and that's being generous. Usually bonus games bore me but this one almost had more action than the main game...go figure. I'd recommend this game but only during a good sale & if you are big into plot lines then maybe pass on this one but if you can bypass a good plot for good game play then this is the game for you! I usually like a good plot but like I said I should hate this game and I enjoyed myself. Weirder things have happened...
Someone – or something – is stealing the children of Blake’s Mountain!
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Review Of Completed Game...
PostedDecember 14, 2016
megwoman25
fromNorthern California
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
What a wickedly awesome game this was! I loved the first game in this series and this one is an awesome followup. Its not a new story but the developers put so many innovative ideas into the game play that it made it feel like a game I haven't played a million times before. The only negative was that this game ran soo slow on my laptop, it lagged a lot but I liked the game enough to keep playing it despite that and that says a lot!
Its the usual story of a good witch gone bad but has evil scarecrows and a creepy theme to it. Its perfect for the fall Halloween season for those of us who celebrate it. I loved the voice overs and the music as both were done very well and it added pizzazz to the overall game.
The hidden object scenes were a mixture of find this to get that, the usual interactive list, find X amount of items and silhouettes that got a bit hard sometimes. I really liked all of the different kinds since you play each one twice. There was no option to play any other game if you didn't want to do the hidden object scenes but since they were so different, I liked them more than usual. The puzzles in this game are awesome. Some were actually pretty tricky and others way too easy but I was glad to have some challenge because nowadays the puzzles are insultingly easy so I liked making my brain think. That being said, I could do all puzzles and none were hair pullers in my opinion.
There are collectibles in this game. 25 owls and 7 figurines of characters in the game. They were all easy to spot and I didn't miss any which is rare since I usually miss at least one. I didn't find them annoying like in some other games as they blended in nicely with the game.
And then this game made me like something I thought I would never like no matter how many games I played...The Helper. This helper is not like the horrible ones I have encountered in other games. It doesn't move around too much nor do you use him very much. Its a tiny scarecrow and throughout the game you will find various tools and when you click on those tools in your inventory, a silhouette will appear of your tiny scarecrow with whatever it is that you picked up. You drag the scarecrow into this area and he becomes more handy then he had previously been. He was a beekeeper, had shredder arms and a few other things. I thought this was very clever. I didn't have to dress him up per say but it gave the helper a whole other dimension. I didn't mind him at all and that's odd as I usually loathe helpers. I never thought Id be raving about one in a game. So thumbs up for making me like the helper. Who would have thought?
I also liked that this game stayed consistent and what I mean is, no matter what area you were in or what you were doing, it stayed wickedly creepy. The game sucked me in and kept a good place. It didn't go anywhere lame to try and drag the game on just so it would last forever. Everything I had to do in this game felt like something that wasn't out of place. I never had to pull a zipper with a paperclip for instance. Everything seemed logical but fun. I like games that stay on track and halfway through don't get wonky or boring. This game kept its quality all the way through! I can't wait to play the next one!
There are also 2 bonus chapters. The first bonus chapter is a back story on the scarecrows and helping them get rid of their weirdo curse. I am not sure what the second one is because I usually don't play bonus games. Usually by the time I finish the game, I don't have the excitement or energy to play the bonus games even if I come back later. I know I am weird. SO I played the first bonus chapter and then decided to call it quits. It doesn't mean the bonus chapter was boring but I just decided to move on to the next game.
This game took me 5+ hours to play including the one bonus chapter I did. I am a moderately fast player although I do watch all cutscenes and listen to all dialogue. It could have taken me longer because I was lagging but overall I thought the length was perfect. It wasn't too short or too long. It was just right and totally worth paying for even without a sale. Kudos devs! I look forward to more!
I recommend this game!
Return to the days of magic, maidens, goblins and gold!
Overall rating
3
/
5
Review Of Completed Game...
PostedDecember 14, 2016
megwoman25
fromNorthern California
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I did enjoy this game and it did chew up a few hours of my time but I can't say this series is a favorite of mine. I do like that this game involves real strategy not just random clicking as you don't always need to clear everything to get gold. This game makes you use your thinking cap and I quite like that but that being said this is a game that I am unable to get gold on many levels due to that out of the box thinking. I can go back and do a lot of them but the day to night ones are really challenging especially if you need the wood for other things. In fact this is the only TM I have ever played that there is only one way to win and if you do not do it in that fashion, you will have to start over the level because you won't have the items needed to get any medal let alone gold. You get stuck and can't even finish the level if you do the wrong path. So I like the thinking part but most of these games have different ways you can complete the same tasks and this game does not therefore it annoys me. I try for gold a second, third & 4th time but don't always get all the golds and I am okay with that and I am a person who will play a game til I get gold no matter how long I am playing levels over and over again.
This game has 40 levels of various difficulties. Obviously it gets harder as the game goes on. Some levels are overly easy and others are very taxing on the brain and not in a good way. I also wish there were power ups of some kind to help you and not just the ones you get from having collected mana but other helpful ones like being able to freeze time for 20 seconds or being able to banish all baddies for a period of time. There are just some things missing that could make this game excellent instead of just average.
Overall though like I said in the first paragraph, it chewed up a few hours of my time and I did enjoy the thinking of it. Its just nowadays there are so many other builder TMs that are made so much better that I can see how this one would just get looked over due to it not having the extras that could really make it special. However one positive is that all of these games are very humorous as the writing is very well done between the characters.
I recommend this game!
When his sister is murdered, you must prove your nephew’s innocence!
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
Run Of The Mill....
PostedDecember 14, 2016
megwoman25
fromNorthern California
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
This was an average game. Like always, Elephant games had great graphics, fitting music that was nicely done, hidden object scenes you only visit once and a wide variety of puzzles. However there is nothing special about this game. Its the same old as all the rest in this series. The best game in this series is The Legacy in my opinion, back when this game was new and original but now its just the same as all the other games.
The hidden object scenes are mildly interactive and are few and far between. I didn't mind these as the sound effects were nice and everything was easy to locate. The puzzles were all doable and the directions made sense. They were all easy and I didn't struggle doing any of them. There are a lot of boxes awaiting things that will open it, lots of gates and doors that need keys, zippers that need paperclips etc.
There are statues to collect and morphing objects. They go into the bonus chapter which is a nice touch although I found the bonus chapter so ungodly boring that I never ended up finishing the whole game nor did I get all the collectibles. There are also the usual fare of achievements like getting 5 objects in 5 secs, 10 in 10 etc, not skipping puzzles, etc
The main game I had a good time playing even though it was just your average run of the mill game. The reason for the 3 star rating was that the bonus game was boring and the part of it I did play took place in all the rooms you already had been in the main game, just with a few things missing. YAWN.
I am starting to get rather sick of this series as well as many other series that happen to be in their 8+++ game in the series. I still wait for the game that will blow me away. This game is sadly not it but if you need a game to play and a couple hours to kill, its not a bad choice. I have definitely played worse yet I have played much much better too.
Solve this maritime mystery to reunite a pirate with his lost love!
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Review Of Completed Game...
PostedDecember 14, 2016
megwoman25
fromNorthern California
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I don't know how to rate this exactly. I guess a 3.5 is about right although I won't round up to 4. This game had a lot of potential to be amazing. Its not cookie cutter and it does give off a newer vibe than some of the things we see all the time. It is a pirate love story of sorts. This game took me a longgggg time to play. It is a long game but that's not what I mean. I lost interest quite a few times but something always brought me back to it. This game is quite hard at times which I like but not when the hardness is finding teeny tiny objects.
In this game, you open a lot of chests. To open these chests you must have coins. To get coins, you must find them in the game. Some are easy to see while others blend in so well its almost impossible to get them. The good news is you don't need to get all of them but you do need a lot. The other good news is that the map has a coin symbol that tells you if there are still coins in the scene. A hand comes up when you are over the coin and picks it up. I usually don't like when hands appear to help you. Usually I can see them just find and don't need the extra help. I so loved the extra help in this game. Even with the hand, it is hard to find the places the coins are. Even when the hand goes over the place a coin supposedly is, a lot of the time, it doesn't even look like a coin hence why I was happy to take the extra help.
There are lots of locations in this game. The map is on the right side and is very very helpful. You can transport with it. You can see if there are coins to get or if there are things to do there. You can see what to look for in the bonus game with the lens if you missed something. It is a good map. It is a good strategy guide. It shows you where you need to be and helps you move forward however it does not show you where coins are.
I love Youda Games' hidden object scenes. They are just basic lists of finding objects but its something about the way they sound and fade away that relaxes me. I wish there had been more hidden object scenes. There are a lot of puzzles in this game. The puzzles range from really easy to pull out your hair hard. I like hard puzzles so I loved it. There are no achievements that I am aware of so if you need to skip a puzzle go for it. When you are on a puzzle, if you press the ? mark, directions will appear at the top of the page. They disappear pretty quickly though so you better be paying attention. There are no collectibles but the coins are hard enough to find so they were even better than having a collectible.
The graphics in this game are gorgeous. Everything looks so realistic. It is almost like you are there in person. Since this is a big file game, it made my computer run quite slow. The coins moved very slowly going into the chest to open it. The game lagged a bit when changing scenes. This could have been my computer but I talked to some other people who bought it and they had the same issue. Its a game that moves slowly. Even though there is a lot to do, it is at a snail's pace. It became easy for me to grow bored once I played it for more than 30 minutes. There are voiceovers and a narrator telling the story. For having such realistic graphics, the cut scenes are a bit weird being in a cartoon or comic like style. They really could have done something outstanding instead. This game took me about a month or so to play due to boredom however I kept coming back because even though finding the coins was annoying, I was determined to find them all. (I wasn't successful)
The bonus chapter has to do with a plague and you get this optical lens which shows you where the plague spread to. It is a gimmick but you don't need anything to get it to work. This gimmick lagged the game too. I didn't finish the bonus chapter because it just wasn't holding my interest. There are no coins to collect in the bonus so I wasn't intrigued enough to come back.
Part of me really liked this game because it is original and has hard puzzles but another part of me really became bored and annoyed by some of the game mechanics. I say to demo it and really get a feel for it because the game never speeds up. It plays just like the demo throughout the whole game. I kind of liked how relaxed I felt playing it but like I said I couldn't play very much in one sitting so it dragged the game on forever. If I had to do it over again, I still would have bought the game but just in standard edition. The coins are like collectibles and the strategy guide was not needed as it didn't show the location of the coins so what is the point? The hint button is a bit weird too. Sometimes it leads you to where you need to be and other times it tells you where you might want to look. The map stays lit up in places until everything is done there even if you don't need to do it right now.
My advice is demo it. 3.5 stars in my opinion. original gameplay in a weird depressing slow world. Not for everyone.
The fairy-tale kingdom has fallen under a wicked spell!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
A Rare Gem!!
PostedSeptember 24, 2016
megwoman25
fromNorthern California
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game is so good. When I mention that I am sick of cookie cutter games and what I want is something great, something different, these are the kind of games I am talking about! This game is 100% unique. It has many things to do and you meet familiar characters that have been given a new look. You meet snow white only she is a curvy black woman and you meet Cinderella who is bald and tattered. You meet captain hook and pirates who are little trouble makers etc I liked it!
There are no voiceovers, no map, no custom mode. But you can choose between easy mode and hard mode. Hard mode still has some sparkles over the hidden object scenes but who cares this game is great. The hidden object scenes are basic, just finding objects listed although farther into the game you get the silhouettes & put the item back ones. Put the item back ones were tough! I needed the hint button a lot in those and I never use hints in hidden object scenes.
There are a lot of puzzles in this game! I for one, love puzzles so its a puzzle person's dream game. Some are the same old ones but there are a lot of new takes on them and some ones I have never seen. Some are easy peasy, others are challenging. There is a skip button for those of you who don't like puzzles and since there are no achievements! you don't have to worry about skipping them! I loved having just great gameplay and no fluff like achievements and collectibles.
There are so many things to do and find in this game. So much inventory to pick up, so many scenes that overlap and that you need to come back to. The entire game is like a big circle which won't make sense until you play it but it was just so amazing in every way. You have a task list, a diary that has helpful ideas and a history of the palace. You also have 4 abilities that you get along the way and what a long way you have to go! This game took me roughly 5 hours plus to play. I played it in a few days time although I would have gladly played it all in one day if I had had the time to. I looked forward to playing it again which rarely happens these days.
This game is what I consider special. These games don't appear very often but when they do, I jump for joy. They are rare and usually underrated. A lot of people always skip these games because they are not shiny like collector's editions but these are the games that I long for. These are the games that keep me a fan of this genre. I choose a game like this over the developers we see all the time. I want more of this kind big fish. They are quirky, offbeat and just my style.
There are a few other games like this that I recommend. A Gypsy Tale (I think that's what its called) which came out forever ago but is still a gem. The Amulet Of Dreams is another game that just swept me away. The Fool is a oldie but goodie and I am sure there are many more that I just haven't stumbled across yet.
Try this then buy this, you will not be disappointed! Now I have to go and dig through my unplayed games and see if I can find something to play that will keep my interest as much as this one. Kudos Devs! Please do another one!
I recommend this game!
Save your friends and escape from a deadly game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Review Of Completed Game...
PostedSeptember 21, 2016
megwoman25
fromNorthern California
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I tend to find the Surface series hit or miss. I seem to like the ones that everyone else hates like The Soaring City. That one is my absolute favorite yet it seems to be the one most people complain about. On the same token, I did not like the first or second installment or Reel Life. However I really enjoyed this game. It was just like the movie Jumanji which has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. Even though Robin Williams is in it and I love him, I really shouldn't like a movie about a living game board that weird things come out of or that you can get stuck in and this is what this game is about too. A bunch of you are called upon to start a game or to finish a game and you are trying to save the souls who are stuck in it and defeat the gods. Honestly I didn't quite pay attention to the whole plot but I did like the gameplay.
Elephant games are in my top 3 favorite developers of all time. There is something about their games that reminds me of why I fell in love with hidden object games to begin with. This game has really beautiful and varied hidden object scenes that you only visit once. It has mini games and puzzles that are a bit too easy for me but there were a few that did make me think. IF you want hard puzzles, go play their older offerings like Samhain or The legacy which are not part of this series of course. There were collectibles although they didn't thrill me but to be honest I am over the fluff those give to a game. A good game is a good game and a bad game is a bad game and all that fluff doesn't make a bad game a good game in my opinion. It either is or it isn't and no amount of fluff will save it but I digress.
I felt the game was a good length. I would have liked it to have hidden object scenes like previous games where you use items in your inventory in the scenes but they changed that up. I didn't see an option to play anything other than the scenes. There is a custom difficulty choice as well as other options to make it harder/easier.
I had to turn voiceovers off because for some reason the sound was wonky. I am not sure if this was the game itself or my operating system. I assume it was my computer or where I got the game from as I did not get it from this site. This site just happens to be where my community is so I write reviews for it. My game voices had some weird echoing going on so in order to preserve my sanity, I had to turn them off. However it didn't affect my overall love of the game.
I can't comment on the bonus game because I rarely play them unless I am swept off my feet and although I liked this game, I found the extras were not needed like collectibles or a bonus chapter so my advice is to buy the standard edition. There is an ending in the main game and it kept my attention. Kudos to elephant games for still making great games. I look forward to a new series soon! Please!!!
I recommend this game!
Find a kidnapped teenage girl and save yourself in Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek, a fun Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Review Of Completed Game...
PostedSeptember 9, 2016
megwoman25
fromNorthern California
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
A Classic!
So I just finished playing this game for the second time. I rarely replay games so you know this one has to be a favorite of mine. This time around however I played the collector's edition so I got to see the bonus game. I have to say that the bonus game was really short and although it explained the past to you, it really wasn't very riveting. I understood the past enough through the main game so the recap wasn't necessary. However, I played this game again to remember the story-line because this series is a trilogy and the final installment was released a few months ago and since I love this series, I thought a little refresher was in order to play the last game. Mists of Ravenwood is up next. But I digress.
Let's keep in mind that this game is from 2011, therefore the extras we see in many games are sorely lacking in this one but all is forgiven since it was made ages ago. So what's missing you may ask? There is a map but it is NOT transportable. However, the layout of this game is easy to remember and so even though there was a lot of back and forth, I didn't find it to be treacherous like in some other games. The hint button helps steer you the right way as well. The game only has 2 modes of difficulty. Easy & Hard. Even though sparkles are removed from the whole screen on hard, you still get them on hidden object scenes. The hidden object scenes in the beginning have a few interactive bits but as the game progresses, that bit goes away and there are only straight lists. Each scene is visited 2-3 times but I was never asked to find the same item twice. Not only that, the items are actually hidden so even though I would usually find this overkill, I actually liked the scenes since it was a true hunt to find the items. The inventory bar does not lock (my pet peeve...oh well) and you can't get rid of black bar tips although its mainly just your avatar talking about her findings so its not really a step by step guide. There are also no collectibles, morphs or achievements but I have to say I kind of liked the fact it was bare. I had more time to follow the story without having to look for random dolphins or swirls. I could also use the hint in the hidden object scene without fear I'd lose the achievement for no hints used all game.
My favorite part of this game is the journal. Let's be honest here. I rarely use the notebook in games. I may go see a code that was written down but usually I find them quite boring to go re-read everything that was in movie form. BUT this game takes the journal aspect and makes it completely awesome. In your hotel room, you have an evidence board. You find various notes, pictures and clues and put them on the board in order to solve the crime. You use a mapping technique to figure out how who the suspects are, where the crime happened etc. Whenever your avatar lady figures something out, the journal pops up and its like you are writing yourself. There is a pen writing noise and while she writes it out, she reads it aloud. You are given insight into where the case is going. I remember when this game first came out, I thought this was the most genius approach ever! Strangely not many developers copied it like they copy everything else. But this feature is what gives the game depth because its a brand new element and its very well done. I loved actually solving the crime. It feels like a detective cop show with the evidence board. Kudos to the developers for such a winning idea.
The puzzles in this game were a bit tricky but doable. Some were easy but others required some thought. There was a typewriter one I couldn't figure out. Blonde moment maybe? I liked the tricky puzzles because the games now have such easy puzzles its insulting. There are also creative puzzles in this game. I never had to do a pipe puzzle for instance. I also never had to open any zippers with a paperclip. I never had to search for a butterfly. I like the creativity put into this game. I wish more games had creativity like this.
This game also has an awesome soundtrack. It made the game eerie, spooky and set the stage perfectly for a dreary town with an evil entity. The way this game starts is unique and I liked having her flashback to what she remembers the more she searches "I remember now...". There are many twists and turns in this game along with lots of hidden areas to explore. The plot is great and keeps going into the other games in this series hence why I needed a refresher. Its also a long game. Even though I already played this game in 2011, it still took me about 6+ hours to play it. The bonus game only adds about 25 minutes but the main game is a gem that is still fantastic even 5 years later.
I can honestly say that this game ranks in my top 10 favorite hidden object games ever. It blew me away then and still tickles my fancy now. This developer always amazes me with their creative new takes on a now old genre. I can't wait to wrap up the trilogy and find out what happens. I can say the 2nd one in this series, Mists Of Ravenwood was just as riveting and I enjoyed it very much. I definitely recommend not only this game but the series. Its so rare that sequels live up to the standards of the first game and this is one of them. This developer also did Nightmares From The Deep series which I completely recommend as well.
Loved playing this game again. Cheers developers! You are one of my all time favorites!!
I recommend this game!
An eccentric artist's creations have sprung to life, and they're terrorizing a small town.
Overall rating
4
/
5
Review Of Completed Game...
PostedAugust 21, 2016
megwoman25
fromNorthern California
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
This game is 3.5 stars but I am rounding up since I enjoyed myself. When I first demoed this game way back when, I really disliked it but lately the games being offered are so cookie cutter, so boring, so easy and lackluster that I decided to give this game another shot especially since Orneon are one of my favorite developers and we don't really see any games from them anymore :(
Fatal Passion: Art Prison has the same theme we always see. A guy obsessed with a woman. Paintings that come to life with a magic palette that we are always making new colors for. Its a bit silly but overall I really liked it.
The best part of this developer's hidden object scenes are "put the object where it belongs". This developer was the first to have the scenes do that and its one of the only hidden object games I play that I wish had more hog scenes because I just love all the creativity. There are also silhouette scenes, the usual interactive scenes & find X amount of item scenes.
The puzzles in this game are amazing! They aren't so frustrating that you pull your hair out but they do make you use your brain cells! Thank you! I wish the newer games had more challenging puzzles like this one. Some of the puzzles took real thinking power to complete and others were a simple solve but they kept me guessing and I liked that.
The palette is a gimmick but it doesn't need charging, doesn't have a lame game that accompanies it nor does it make any noise. From time to time it will wiggle when you can use it in a scene but usually when you click on an area, if you can use the palette, it will automatically come over and paint the area itself. I would have liked the option to paint the things myself or try the palette myself without the game doing it for me but this game isn't brand new so the game mechanics are a bit different than we are used to today.
That being said, there is no custom mode, just easy, medium & hard. You cannot change the difficulty once you set it. The hard option gives you no skips or hints but takes away black bar tips and sparkles. The medium option you can keep hints but it gives you black bar tips & sparkles so I wasn't too pleased as I like having the option of skip/hint if a puzzle stumps me. (doesn't happen often). The map is done very well though and is easy to transport from location to location.
Even though this is not a new concept and the game is a bit outdated, I enjoyed playing it. It didn't feel cookie cutter like other games out there and I really do love this developer and wish they would make games again.
There are achievements and bird collectibles which are real small and hard to see but I got them all so its not that hard. I really did not care for the bonus game because it added nothing interesting to the plot. It took me about 3 hours to play the main game which is very short in my opinion but since I did enjoy myself I give this game a higher rating than I normally would. The voices were well done and I was happy not to see any cutesy helpers. Please make more games Orneon! You are missed!
I recommend this game!
Use your time-management skills to help Angela win the chance to take over for legendary fashionista Truly!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Review Of Completed Game
PostedAugust 3, 2016
megwoman25
fromNorthern California
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Puzzle, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I absolutely love the series' this developer creates! Emily has been an amazing journey over the years and now add her sister Angela & even their friend Cathy and you get a slew of great games.
This game has 90 levels, each a different city as Angela tries to become the successor of Truly's Empire by winning a game show that quite reminded me of Project Runway! I am a huge project runway fan so I liked being able to pick which dresses I wanted to create at each location. The mice are well hidden, the story line is great and has a few twists that made it even better. HELLO crazy plot twist! The levels get harder as you go and its harder to get the mice/3 stars or combos which is great. A game that makes you work for 3 stars yet doesn't make you pull your hair out by never achieving them is my kind of game!
However there are some flaws in this game that are either glitches or just impossible to get on the first go through of the game meaning they want you to play through the game twice doing everything over to achieve all the trophies. Unless I didn't catch the mouse or get 3 stars the first time, playing each level over is not all that fun. There are 29 dress levels and each one is the same thing just a different dress to create. I would have liked to see some variety and I noticed the dress I selected wasn't always the one on my mannequin that I was creating but at the end it was...
**Some Hard to Get Trophies are:
~*~Angela having 2000 coins in her purse at the same time. After reading some message boards on this, to get this achievement you need to save up all the coins you would use on upgrades to get this trophy. And I didn't know thats the only way to get this achievement going in, so since I spent all my coins on upgrades, I was not able to get this trophy.
~*~Getting all the upgrades. Unless you play the game through multiple times its impossible to upgrade everything since you have the option of pay $50 each time to have a cashier/magician. In the harder levels, you need the cashier but then its impossible to upgrade all items.
~*~Getting a high score of 500,000. I got to 380,000 after completing the game but to score 500k, you must play the levels over and over again. Not my cup of tea.
~*~Getting 25 FABULICIOUS combos. These are different from the FABULOUS combos. You need 6 customers in line BUT customers mess up that number if they are getting shoes or purses. There's not nearly enough customers per level to do this properly. Not to mention they don't stay happy waiting for 6 of them to get in line not even with the magician.
~*~Angela having 2000 coins in her purse at the same time. After reading some message boards on this, to get this achievement you need to save up all the coins you would use on upgrades to get this trophy. And I didn't know thats the only way to get this achievement going in, so since I spent all my coins on upgrades, I was not able to get this trophy.
~*~Getting all the upgrades. Unless you play the game through multiple times its impossible to upgrade everything since you have the option of pay $50 each time to have a cashier/magician. In the harder levels, you need the cashier but then its impossible to upgrade all items.
~*~Getting a high score of 500,000. I got to 380,000 after completing the game but to score 500k, you must play the levels over and over again. Not my cup of tea.
~*~Getting 25 FABULICIOUS combos. These are different from the FABULOUS combos. You need 6 customers in line BUT customers mess up that number if they are getting shoes or purses. There's not nearly enough customers per level to do this properly. Not to mention they don't stay happy waiting for 6 of them to get in line not even with the magician.
Usually I won't stop playing a TM game until I get all the trophies but its not fun in my opinion to play the same game over again just to get more points. By the time I get to the last level, I like to have gone back and gotten everything I need to beat the whole game and then when I beat the final level its over. Otherwise a game becomes tedious and boring.
Despite not being able to achieve all trophies, I found this game to be really fun. The story line was awesome and so was the twist. I liked learning about Angela and meeting her friends and I can't wait for the next installment into Angela and her life! Reading over this review, it seems as if I don't like it because of the trophy issues but if you took the trophies away, I'd rate the game 5 stars because it was so fun to play and so many levels for your money! 90 Levels! Usually TM games give you 40 with 10 as bonus. This game gave so many more and had a great accompanying story line which most games in this genre don't have. Kudos!
I recommend this game!