KeysPirate's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:353
- Reviews Submitted:49
- First Review:May 8, 2012
- Most Recent Review:September 7, 2016
- Featured reviews0
Status:
One night the ghost of President Lincoln appears, asking for your help. Can you find the hidden Confederate treasure?
Overall rating
5
/
5
24 of 24 found this review helpful
Finally! A great game with real history!
PostedNovember 30, 2013
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
There are other great reviews of this very special game, so I will just list the things I liked most about it.
HISTORY -- DATES, PEOPLE, PLACES. I actually stopped several times to go online and look up info. Never heard of the KGC, and never learned so much interesting stuff in any history class I ever took. Some is legend but much is verifiable. I think I had heard of J Frank Dalton but was surprised at what my research uncovered.
GREAT GRAPHICS. The rooms were sort of dull, perhaps intentionally make to look old and dusty??? Loved the train and horses and the caverns.
FUN PUZZLES. Not very hard but certainly not silly-stupid like so many are these days. Many required real math or logic, and many were unique and very clever.
CLEAR, MEANINGFUL, INTERESTING HO SCENES. I don't much care for HOs; prefer finding things in "natural" locations, but these were very good. Often you even LEARN something from an object you find. Oh so much better than searching for tiny useless stuff that has no connection to the game. Objects were beautifully rendered.
USEFUL AND BEAUTIFUL JOURNAL. Not really needed much since the game is not that difficult, but I enjoyed it and really liked that the options came up inside the journal. What a great idea!
INTERESTING LOCALES. We get to visit real places and experience things the way they really were back around the 1860s.
GOOD SOUND EFFECTS AND MUSIC. Not too much, just enough to enhance certain scenes. Often there is just silence, which seems appropriate. You can focus on the tasks at hand rather than being distracted by excessive or unnecessary music and sound effects.
I liked the ravens, and managed to find 8 or so but never needed a hint. Should have tried it just to see what the raven would do. I suspect it was good.
BOTTOM LINE: A very enjoyable, worthwhile game. I would love to see more games that let you learn something while you are having fun!
I recommend this game!
Can you defeat the Four Horsemen and save the city?
Overall rating
3
/
5
7 of 7 found this review helpful
It looked so good, but in the end, I didn't like it
PostedNovember 26, 2013
KeysPirate
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Had I reviewed this game after playing for an hour, I would have rated it higher. The longer I played, the more I found it growing tedious and not very enjoyable. The Bonus Chapter had some gorgeous artwork and animations, but that wasn't enough to justify another star. The game description says there are two BCs. Must have missed something... I only played one.
MY PERSONAL LIKES/DISLIKES (GENERAL). I'm a senior citizen with not so great eyesight, and a long-time game player, who still thinks Myst and the original text Adventure game were the best games ever. Don't like too much glitz and glitter, gory stuff, fuzzy graphics, dull colors, futuristic contrivances or puffy swaying avatars with oversized eyes and flailing hands. I like old-fashioned stuff and things that take me back to my childhood. I like realistic or artistic-realistic nature scenes with animated trees, water, animals (nice furry ones, not vicious wolves and horror movies creatures). Would rather see elves and dwarves than humans. That may be more info than anyone wants, but if what you like is not what I like, my review may not be helpful to you.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: [From notes I made while playing] Excellent sound track and environment. Surprising things happen, which makes the game exciting. A little dark and hazy but all closeups and HOs are very clear and contain some delightful animated critters. Puzzles easy but fun.
LATER COMMENTS: The effects are getting too be a bit much. No more "wow" -- more like "that was silly." Some of the puzzles were so long and complex that I skipped them -- something I never used to do, but when it is more frustrating and tedious than fun and rewarding... time to skip. The music and environment sounds deteriorated. In the Zodiac puzzle it was so bad I had to shut it off to continue with the puzzle. Way too much back and forth. Things you have to find are more decorative or useless task-oriented instead of actual tools. Hey, game developers, I'm getting weary of all the locks and "keys." And of having to look in unrealistic places for items. Shouldn't a broken-off horn be lying around on the ground somewhere instead of locked in a chest? Why would anyone do that? I want things to be somewhat logical.
One final note to Elephant: I really wish you would not have the screen for resuming play that says "Continue" or "Reset." I can only guess what would happen if I hit "Reset" -- all my progress is lost and I start over? If I wanted to do that, I would simply create a new player. Maybe this seems silly, but I really do worry about accidentally clicking the wrong thing.
I don't recommend this game.
It should have been a tremendous achievement, but the tunnel through the Ridge of Leviathan became the site of a great disaster. What really happened that day?
Overall rating
2
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
Very disappointing
PostedNovember 17, 2013
KeysPirate
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Large File
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I liked the other Surface games. The glowing 5 star reviews convinced me that this would be another great game. But I did not like it. Here's why:
The colors were too bright for my tired old eyes. Lots of orange and yellow and red.
I did not like the characters. Puffy, swaying avatars are a big turnoff for me, as they just don't look real and that kind of ruins the whole "into the game" thing. But beyond that, I didn't like their personalities.
The story didn't hold together. At first I was intrigued by the train (I love trains) and it sounded like a good mystery. How does a whole train disappear in a tunnel? But then the train pretty much left the story, and now we have a bunch of futuristic machinery and powerful "masters" all intermingled with a bunch of rusty old stuff.
There was way too much back and forth for my taste. Normally, in a really good game with gorgeous scenery, I am not at all bothered by having to go back through several scenes, and often prefer to do this even when a traveling map is available. But the scenery here was, with a few exceptions, not attractive. I like realistic, "earthy" scenery with trees and water and furry critters and places to explore. (There was a nice squirrel...) Futuristic stuff is not my cup of tea. If it is yours, you might like this game.
HOs were junk piles. Ugh. Not at all interesting or clever or pretty.
I guess some of the puzzles were good, but I got so tired of playing the game that I wasn't enjoying anything, and I had no desire to prolong it by playing more mini games in the Achievement Room or whatever they called it. I just kept wondering how so many people could like this game so much. I used to read only the positive game reviews, thinking that people who rated a game as a 1, 2 or even 3 were probably just unhappy gamers who enjoyed being negative, but now I pay a lot more attention to the low star reviews.
The Bonus Chapter was pure drudgery, and did not impress or excite or intrigue me. I definitely don't recommend the CE.
I don't recommend this game.
Explore a haunted amusement park in Weird Park: Broken Tune! Investigate a rash of “accidental” deaths and solve the case!
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
A golden oldie that's way better than most new games
PostedNovember 3, 2013
KeysPirate
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
After playing Weird Park: Scary Tales, I didn't hesitate to buy the CE of Broken Tunes. As with Scary Tales, I was hooked from the title screen. I love the crisp, colorful, gorgeous artwork and the clever gameplay, with surprises that seem to greet you in nearly every new scene. Watch carefully as you click -- you don't want to miss a thing!
As a kid (many long years ago), I never liked circuses or carnivals, but I LOVE these Weird Park games. The little carnival-related tasks are great fun, and everything is in keeping with the theme and storyline.
Even the HO scenes are fun. I generally dislike HO scenes but I liked these and was perfectly content to revisit the same scenes multiple times -- it was rewarding to remember where you saw things before and find them quickly. And they're "real" -- actual close-ups of the location you're in. Even with my poor eyesight, I had no problem finding things. That doesn't mean things were not well hidden, they were CLEVERLY hidden. Nothing tiny or fuzzy.
What I liked best was the originality and overall cleverness throughout the game. Loved it when something you did it one location had an effect elsewhere -- made it really exciting to go see what happened! This game was full of amazing surprises, and was NEVER tedious, even when you had to go back a few scenes, and it was easy to move around. No map needed.
There are so many good things I would like say about this game, but I hope that you will buy this game and discover all of the delightful scenes and surprises for yourself. DO buy the CE -- the Bonus Chapter is quite lengthy and maintains the level of quality of the main game. It is worth it, despite the fact that there really are no extras other than concept art, which was interesting but not a big deal. I don't care a whit for achievements, and can do without morphs and collectibles, so a good BC is enough for me.
The two Weird Park games are without a doubt my all-time favorites. My only very minor criticisms (just a tiny point off the 5th star) are that the endings of both the main game and bonus game were somewhat abrupt, the music was repetitious, and the text in the HO lists was pretty small.
From now on, it will take a truly exceptional game for me to rate it 5 stars. These games set a whole new standard.
I recommend this game!
Enter Ravenwood Park and discover the secrets hidden in the mists...
Overall rating
4
/
5
So close to a 5 but...
PostedOctober 27, 2013
KeysPirate
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Played CE in Expert mode. Did not use SG except as noted below, and only used Hint a couple of times when I was too tired to keep looking and thinking. Did not really try to achieve Achievements because I don't care about finding hidden objects quickly, etc. but the Achievement Room was quite pretty.
This was an exceptionally good game except for a few things that kind of spoiled it. But first, the accolades:
Beautiful scenery with lots of nature -- mostly trees and critters. Would have liked more water but can't complain.
Some great YOW and WOW moments. The game certainly keeps you interested and alert.
Good puzzles, mostly not too hard but fun, and most all in keeping with the story. Loved "Feed the Bear" and the cardboard cut-out ones.
Good tasks involving old electrical and mechanical devices. I like these much better than the modern or futuristic gizmos that a lot of games have.
Good balance between non-linear (crossroads and some backtracking to use newly-found objects in places you've been before) and natural progression. The map does come in handy at times.
Illusive objects were mostly pretty easy to spot if you take the time to admire the scenery. I missed a few and used the SG to find them. Never did find the second one. Strange.
Intriguing story (kind of gory but only in a few spots) and plenty of things to stop and think about as you look around.
CONS:
Most are minor, but unfortunately added up to a -1 star for me:
The worst thing was the "Bonus Chapter" which frankly I would have missed had another reviewer not talked about it. It was not in with the other extras; you had to click PLAY after finishing the main game to find it. It was pretty awful. My impression was that the A Team turned it over to the B Team to finish up. Other reviewers have offered some details, so I will just say that I did not like it, and wish I had not paid extra for the CE.
The soundtrack was okay but not great. It was mostly soft piano music, even in the dark and scary scenes that should have been accompanied by eerie violins or minor key music.
The Intro screen was so pretty that it bothered me to see it cluttered up with the ugly detective badge and oversized "Premium Adventure" logo. This, of course, is no reason for anyone not to buy the game. I'm just hoping the developers will see this and maybe tone it down for their next great game.
Ditto with the pudgy, swaying avatars. They have improved somewhat, but I still find them unrealistic and annoying. The ones in the "Bonus Chapter" were really bad. Please just use realistic animations like the wonderful animals, and please don't show a fat arm and hand. Mine really don't look like that.
I love the Artifex games, and have played almost all of them. The artwork is wonderful and I greatly admire the opening "Please play with sound" screens -- so beautiful and clever. Sorry for the criticisms, but when something is so close to perfect, the little bad things tend to stand out more.
I recommend this game!
Uncover the mysterious past of a sleepy seaside village and find your missing son in Whispered Secrets: The Story of Tideville!
Overall rating
3
/
5
7 of 8 found this review helpful
Started out OK but went downhill
PostedSeptember 26, 2013
KeysPirate
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I generally like games set around water, so I figured "Tideville" would be something I'd enjoy. It started out OK, and there were some waterfront scenes, but mostly they were interiors and not all that interesting. Later on, there were basements with lots of bizarre machines that looked too cartoonish to be taken seriously. Some mini games were easy; some frustratingly difficult. The HO scenes were overabundant and not enjoyable; thankfully you could play a match 3 game instead of suffering eyestrain.
The music just droned on, and did not match up with the scenes. Seemed like it was the same refrain over and over.
It seemed silly to me that the mad scientist would appear every so often to tell Timmy's mommy that she better quit trying to find him. If he were that powerful, why didn't he just whack her or imprison her in one of his machines?
The whole premise of the game just was not plausible to me, and I didn't enjoy it. Granted, it is not a new game, but I have recently played even older games that I thought were far superior in all aspects: story, graphics, puzzles, music, suspense, characters, etc.
I don't recommend this game.
Step into the shoes of detective Sarah Green and solve the mystery of Dr. Magnus' disappearance in this beautiful Hidden Object adventure game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 5 found this review helpful
Way too much "guidance"
PostedSeptember 20, 2013
KeysPirate
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
This could be okay for a young child, but I'd think most gamers would be insulted by the constant information boxes. Not only were they almost always unnecessary ("A red gem! I think I'll take it!" or "Now that I've found X I can do Y!" when it is completely obvious) but the ornate frames and fancy fonts made them even more annoying.
HO scenes were generally bright and clear, but never did you actually find the object that was the "object," which was almost always incongruous, e.g. a rusty crowbar in a bed with jewelry and perfume???
Some of the scenes were quite lovely, like the old house on the lake (although it did bother me that some of the windows looked too modern and didn't match), but there was no animation such as ripples on the water or leaves moving. Too many other scenes were dark and dull and unpleasant.
Pixel hunting was often required, as objects were either too small to be noticed or just looked like part of the background. I do not want sparkles but I think one should be able to spot objects by looking closely.
The worst thing, though, was that our bright young detective was as dim as a 4-watt bulb. As another reviewer noted, she should have figured out what was going on halfway through the game, or even sooner than that.
I did not like the ending, but was glad to finally be done with it.
I don't 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
3
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
It just wasn't fun
PostedSeptember 19, 2013
KeysPirate
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This had many of the makings of a good game but it just didn't grab me. There were way too many HO scenes, and they seemed to be unnecessarily blurry and dull. My vision isn't real good, so I found it almost painful to try to find the objects, many of which were tiny or the same color as the background. The outdoor scenery could have been beautiful, but everything was -- apparently intentionally -- dark and dreary. Some scenes were quite gory and unpleasant. I didn't find the puzzles to be interesting or memorable. And it used those puffy, unrealistic looking people that I dislike so much. I don't understand why the game developers keep using them. Wish I could be more positive, but this game did not appeal to me.
I don't recommend this game.
Louis the Clown and Mr. Dudley are back in an all-new adventure! Travel through the dark corners of history's most famous fairytales to rescue children trapped in a frightening netherworld!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Christmas in Septermber!
PostedSeptember 15, 2013
KeysPirate
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This game now ranks as my all-time favorite, and I have played hundreds of BigFish and other games over the years. I enjoyed this game from start to finish, even the HO scenes which in many games make me cringe, thinking "Oh no, another assault on my eyes." But while the HO scenes were slightly fuzzy in some areas, I found that with only a few exceptions I could find everything.
This is one truly amazing game, so well thought out and so beautifully rendered. Some of the things I particularly loved are:
ARTWORK. Realistic but with a "drawn" look. Everything was appropriate for the time and place -- old telephone, boat, tools, locks, etc. The Journal and Fairy Tale book are delightful as well as useful. The game scenes were often so beautiful that I just sat and stared for a while, and in several places switched to windowed mode so I could capture the images to use for backgrounds.
MUSIC & SOUND EFFECTS. Perfect. The music lent drama to the scenes and was quiet enough to enhance and not overwhelm. I'd describe it as "mysterious." I liked it that sounds such as crickets and birds and running water got louder when you were close but continued more quietly as you moved away.
ANIMATIONS: Some real surprises, but not the kind that frighten you or assault your eyes. Watch carefully when you move to new areas, open things. flip switches, etc. You don't want to miss any of the action! But there's also the "background" animation -- leaves swirling, clouds scudding across the sky, snow falling, critters moving, branches swaying, lights flickering -- that are simply lovely to look at.
This is not a game to rush through, trying to solve it in record time. The developers gave us a lot of wonderful stuff to see and do, which I appreciate very much.
CLEVER PUZZLES. Many are the standard themes, and most are pretty easy. I loved them all, even the 2 or 3 I eventually had to skip. (I'm not good at ones where flipping one thing screws up everything else.)
STORY LINE. Excellent. Everything made sense, and tied back to old fairy tales. The variety of locations was amazing but not illogical. You will travel to many places, and see things that make you sit back and say "Wow!" Just when I thought the game must be nearly over, a whole new world would open up, and then another and another. There is some backtracking, but it never seemed tedious to me -- really just a few quick clicks. LOVED the boat ride -- did it a few times when I didn't need to just for the pleasure of the sights and sounds. I actually enjoyed revisiting places, and often I realized that I had forgotten there was something left undone or unsolved back there. And there are many objects and things to do with them. Logical things, but you need to apply some brain power.
MACHINERY & STUFF. Yes, there are a number of locks, some with keys and some with puzzles, but there are also tools and electrical and mechanical equipment. I love this. And I was so glad to see that I was able to turn things off and on. It goes against my grain to leave a refrigerator door open or a saw running, and I think it adds greatly to the reality of the game.
ACHIEVEMENTS. There aren't any. While I sometimes enjoy finding morphing objects or whatever, I was actually glad that this game did not have any. There was plenty of stuff to look for in every scene that it wasn't necessary to force the player to study every brick and dark corner looking for birds or coins that don't figure into the game. There was nothing to distract from simply playing the game.
THEME. I guess that's the best word to describe it. This is a fantasy game set in realistic locations... forests, towns, islands, deserts, etc. in between interior houses and buildings. For the most part, it is bright or at least adequately lit and very colorful. I'm not a big fan of grisly stuff like decrepit hospitals or asylums or totally trashed mansions, nor do I like an overwhelming amount of glittery gems and jewels and unnatural stuff.
I can't believe I missed this game when it came out a couple of years ago. I will definitely buy the CE of Broken Tune.
Hope you will enjoy this game as much as I did. I'll be playing it again around Christmas time.
I recommend this game!
Sable Maze: Norwich Caves Collector's Edition
Your students have gone missing during an expedition under the university. Can you track them down before the water rises?
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
Great graphics, silly HOs and puzzles
PostedSeptember 3, 2013
KeysPirate
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The other Sable Maze game was one of my all-time favorites, and I especially liked the realistic scenery, so was sure I would like this one. Well, not so much.
PROS:
The graphics, particularly the outdoor scenery, were 5 star. Detailed, colorful, beautiful.
Lots of locations to visit (and revisit).
Interesting story.
CONS:
There were simply too many incongruous items (a hair dryer that you used where there was no electricity AND for a silly reason), tasks and puzzles.
Some puzzles were way too simple and I began to find them annoying. Some were downright stupid. What a shame to spoil such a nice game with worthless tasks.
A few glitches, too, e.g. the flower pot puzzle, where one of the pots disappeared so I had to skip it.
All HOs were very short and meaningless interactive "puzzles" and were not fun.
I wish the developers had stuck to realism and not interjected games and trinkets that detracted from an otherwise beautiful and creative game.
BOTTOM LINE: I recommend this game only because of the graphics, not for great game play.
I recommend this game!