kgustavson's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:2.9
- Helpful Votes:1,707
- Reviews Submitted:116
- First Review:December 16, 2011
- Most Recent Review:October 17, 2020
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Play as the hero and the villain as you compel the elements to do your bidding!
Overall rating
2
/
5
20 of 24 found this review helpful
Why?
PostedOctober 12, 2016
kgustavson
fromKate's Fix-It on the Beach!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
So they've changed up a couple of things a la Incredible Dracula (needing to craft things, but not every level, and it twinkles at you whether you need it or not) but with dismal success IMHO. All else is the same old stuff and I thought it took forever in this version for upgrades to enable. Certainly not worth a CE and probably not even an SE for me due to the changes with I thought clumsy and unexplained.
I don't recommend this game.
Epistory immerses you in an atmospheric action/adventure game where you play a girl riding a giant fox who fights an insectile corruption from an origami world.
Overall rating
4
/
5
11 of 11 found this review helpful
So wonderfully different!!
PostedOctober 4, 2016
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
WOW - ! I love celebrating well done and completely different and boy is this ever it for me! (8) (^) Just love the concept that everything is paper (you're writing a story) and avenues unfold around you as you make progress as you type words but that also includes typing to plant plants, restore your surroundings, etc. Sounds rather dull but it isn't. Fact is, it is rather difficult to explain. The narrator is just great at slowly revealing the story (it really only makes sense if you demo this) . Currently I've been killed by underground fire bugs lurking around the corner that I hadn't noticed, but there is a handy auto-save so I will be back to spelling my way to victory in just a moment!
Oh, and did I mention you're doing all this riding a great Fox?! Oh, yeah, just reel me in...
Really, demo this one fishies!!!
I recommend this game!
Guide Dracula on a madcap quest to find out who's zombifying the masses through their cell phones!
Overall rating
3
/
5
21 of 23 found this review helpful
Why do I keep having to make the same stuff over and over and over...
PostedOctober 2, 2016
kgustavson
fromDeponia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Time Management
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I'm going to swim upstream here and call this game annoying. Liked the first one because it was different, but was also mildly annoyed with it's game play as well. Since nothing has changed from the first episode, I have to point out some stuff.
1. Constantly making things is distracting.
2. Sending your workers to pick up completed items is aggravating. Not only do they move slow as molasses in the first place, but it is too easy to think that you've been picking up that iron/food/whatever only to discover that apparently you haven't been, despite playing in "click-ahead" mode.
3. Back to making stuff. For example, on some levels the guy that sells springs sells 3, sometimes 2, sometimes 1. I don't find this challenging, I find it bothersome. And sometimes you make paint, sometimes spray paint. Again, annoying.
1. Constantly making things is distracting.
2. Sending your workers to pick up completed items is aggravating. Not only do they move slow as molasses in the first place, but it is too easy to think that you've been picking up that iron/food/whatever only to discover that apparently you haven't been, despite playing in "click-ahead" mode.
3. Back to making stuff. For example, on some levels the guy that sells springs sells 3, sometimes 2, sometimes 1. I don't find this challenging, I find it bothersome. And sometimes you make paint, sometimes spray paint. Again, annoying.
While I applaud the attempt to change up the TM world, I can only play about 1 level at a time before I become completely aggravated and close the game for the night.
Try for yourselves of course (It gets a lot more annoying after the demo, FYI) and happy gaming to all!
I don't recommend this game.
When a famous shapeshifting alchemist is charged with looking into the murder of the king's most trusted agent and friend, the last thing she expects to discover is an intricate network of shadowy criminals, intent on bringing chaos to the land.
Overall rating
3
/
5
13 of 15 found this review helpful
I'm a Bird, I'm a Tent, I'm a Teepee (I must be two tents, HaHaHa)
PostedSeptember 24, 2016
kgustavson
fromAutumnal Solstice NW
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
There was so much promise with this game that I gave it a full go. Should've waited for the SE.
- Graphics are good, not great, same with VO.
- Guide was downright blurry. Don't know what's up with that.
- Why was I collecting anything? Could not find anything in the extras to explain this.
-Story line started off so promising but ended up just leaving me with "what?"
- SO many HOS...so many...and another one...oh, great, this one repeats...
- Bonus game was 20 minutes. Yep. And included 2 HOS (gaaaa!!! More HOS!!) that were the same from the main game. Good grief.
- Graphics are good, not great, same with VO.
- Guide was downright blurry. Don't know what's up with that.
- Why was I collecting anything? Could not find anything in the extras to explain this.
-Story line started off so promising but ended up just leaving me with "what?"
- SO many HOS...so many...and another one...oh, great, this one repeats...
- Bonus game was 20 minutes. Yep. And included 2 HOS (gaaaa!!! More HOS!!) that were the same from the main game. Good grief.
Save your pennies fishies and wait for the SE.
Happy gaming All!
I don't recommend this game.
Travel to a Klondike Gold Rush town to solve a murder!
Overall rating
2
/
5
9 of 9 found this review helpful
What happened to this series?
PostedSeptember 3, 2016
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I barely lasted 30 minutes of the trial of this one - the graphics to me were rather grainy and seemed to have a "stretched" quality in certain scenes as though the aspect ratio was off; there was also no lip synch for the characters which helped to give an overall impression of an unpleasant stiffness to the game. All other game play was rather as expected and rather dull as well as a rather dated feeling about it. Definitely a no buy for me even as an SE.
Happy gaming all!
I don't recommend this game.
Something terrible lurks in the halls of Iron Gate Asylum…
Overall rating
2
/
5
15 of 22 found this review helpful
Not all it's cracked up to be
PostedAugust 22, 2016
kgustavson
fromsweating in Seattle
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I have to solidly agree with Stusue; visuals are great as always, very immersive. But the game play is nowhere to be found. The HOS are uninspired and the mini-games are the SAME as their previous releases. Yes, [u]exactly the same[/u]. And I bought this one, played it through, hoping for more, yet nada. There is some kinda fun CE stuff, but IMHO does not make this one worth the price. I do not recommend this one as a CE; if you've played any of their other releases, then you have played this one.
I don't recommend this game.
Stop the evil Princess of Hearts and discover your true destiny!
Overall rating
3
/
5
19 of 21 found this review helpful
I'm conflicted...
PostedAugust 9, 2016
kgustavson
frombeautiful NW summer
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
(Bought and played main game so far) I have had a hard time summing up my feelings about this game and the best I can up with is that it is a fine game masquerading as a great game. By this I mean that the visuals and production value are really high with little extras thrown in (scene interactions are rather amusing even though they don't affect gameplay - they're just for fun) but the play itself is rather lacking. Repeat HOS are a huge turn-off for me, and within that were some glitches where I could try an item multiple times with no result but the hint let me do exactly what I just did 5 times. No achievement for that, if that's important to you. Mini-games were fine; some back-and-forth, some "why does this item work on that problem?" but not so glaring as other games. Ripping apart the original Lewis Carroll doesn't really bother me; I found that rather creative. So this has been a kind-of non-review I suppose, so it really is a try for yourself. If you really enjoy high-production then this game is fantastic; if you want a little more junk in your think trunk then I would give it a second thought, or at least a better sale.
As always, enjoy yourselves fishies!! (d)
I recommend this game!
Can you save the Metzengerstein line before it's too late?
Overall rating
3
/
5
10 of 10 found this review helpful
don't know much about history, don't know much biology...
PostedAugust 2, 2016
kgustavson
frombeautiful NW summer
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
*banging my head against the wall of the pond* WHY do I sometimes fall for the Poe series?! Seriously, I should know better. Let's start with the fact that Dupin suddenly looks like he was fished out from under a rock full of bourbon and half-dried off for this installment. Are they just trying to age him? :suspicious:
Any who, game is fraught with nonsensical answers to the usual fix-this-with-that (why can't I use the scissors I already have?!! Why do I need shears instead? And where are they?! GAAA!) Don't know if this kind of thing was trying to add difficulty to what was always a rather easy play but enjoyable series, but instead it just added needless frustration to me.
My recommendation is to steer clear from this one, especially as a CE. And extra CE content is practically non-existent. Should've been offered in the now (unfortunately) non-existent category of "enhanced". BF might want to think about bringing that back.
I don't recommend this game.
Return to Blake's Mountain to save an innocent family!
Overall rating
2
/
5
8 of 9 found this review helpful
What happened here?
PostedJuly 18, 2016
kgustavson
fromnewly stained deck, Puget Sound
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Really a downer for me. I don't understand why they changed the superb graphics from the previous game to a more fuzzy hand-drawn theme for this game? Although the close-ups with the little scarecrow were back to the same sharp graphics - ? And the rest of the gameplay was just "whatever" to me - sorry, but the previous version was more of a challenge and had much more bang to the visual. And stop throwing items I just obtained into my face with a large "CONGRATULATIONS! You have found a Trowel! (or whatever of course) Man, is that ever annoying! Ugh, this is unfortunately a pass for me. Enjoy all those who might!
I don't recommend this game.
A magical egg is about to turn one girl's world upside-down.
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
Wowsa!
PostedJuly 6, 2016
kgustavson
fromnewly stained deck, Puget Sound
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I just love this game from the fabulous graphics down to the story line. I almost don't want to go into detail as it might be a spoiler. Love you BN games!!!
I recommend this game!