Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
3/ 5
Level of Challenge
1/ 5
Storyline
4/ 5
I don't know what happened to this game series. What used to be an interesting, challenging and surprising M3 game has turned into something just about unplayable.
This latest iteration is just plain no fun. There is no way to strategize how to complete a level because, so far as I can tell, the fall of the tiles is totally random. It takes a match of at least 5 to get a power-up and the ones you get are not very useful.
A quibble I had with the last version is a big complaint on this one: instead of having to remove all of the coins through an overall strategy, removal of one or two key pieces on the board, explodes or otherwise removes all the coins.
Except for the warped story - a spoiled girl wants the wizard to make gold for her - I would give this game zero stars.
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
2/ 5
Level of Challenge
2/ 5
Storyline
3/ 5
This is a talk story, with some intermittent battle action. It might be fun if one could figure out how to play. Every action has a dialog. Some action gets you equipment, some tools, some other stuff. The parameters for each "useful" item are available, but none of them make any sense. When I defeated an enemy, my reaction was "Hmm, how did I do that so I can do it again."
The story looked as if it might have been fun, but not today.
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
3/ 5
Level of Challenge
3/ 5
Storyline
5/ 5
Based on the completed game.
I loved this game. It is very heavily story based, even if the story is predictable. There is a lot of talking between the characters and it is the talk, rather than the game play that moves the game along for the most part.
There are various types of HOs, although several of the types are repeated. There are standard ones, silhouette and few change the scene to find all the items, or move parts of the page around to find the items. Fun.
The puzzles were generally easy, although there were a couple of slider types ones I could not solve.
I liked the characters, found their relationships interesting, if predictable.
The only downside of this game (Standard Edition) is that it is TOO SHORT! I completed the game in around 4 hours, which is not enough entertainment for my purchase.
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
3/ 5
Level of Challenge
3/ 5
This is based on the demo.
I have every release from this series. The good part is that they are still a nicely challenging Match 3, with intersperced HOs and other puzzles. The bad part is that with each release since #3, the M3 boards get easier and easier. In many cases, one single move will remove all the coins from the board. In the older issues, you had to plan and structure the board to remove all the coins. And all the obstacles. You no longer need to remove all (or even most of the obstacles) to complete a board.
I still like the game, but most of the challenge is gone. I'll buy this one, too, but only as a freebie. Bring back the older versions!
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
3/ 5
Level of Challenge
3/ 5
Storyline
3/ 5
This is based on the demo. Let me start with: I really dislike games with limited moves. I really dislike games where you need to earn stars in order to get $$ to buy the power ups you need to solve the more advanced levels. Both of which this game has. I would have given it 5 starts if it had a "relaxed" setting.
But even though you have lots of help to make the long chains that you need in order to meet the level goals and earn 3 stars (AND BTW, you can meet the level goal and still not earn all 3 stars, if you don't amass enough points), the game is enticing. The levels after the first ten get increasingly challenging and getting 3 stars gets progressively harder. But it always stays interesting.
I like the story, although I wish there were more interaction instead of just a story board. But overall, I am enjoying the play, used a freebie to buy it and recommend it to others. I also think it's too difficult for children. Game's effectively over when you run out of $$, and that could be very frustrating for kids.
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
3/ 5
Level of Challenge
3/ 5
So long as you know this game is a paint by numbers game, with no challenge other than that, you will love it. The really detailed images require you to move around to see all the parts of the picture, but it's otherwise relaxing. The first few levels are dreadful - then you get to the butterfly and all is forgiven.
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
4/ 5
Level of Challenge
1/ 5
Storyline
5/ 5
I played about 30 minutes of the demo before I gave up and deleted the game.
The story was good and I was interested to see where it would go. The settings were pretty with good graphics. Can't comment on the sound because I turned it off.
Only one HOs in the time I previewed. All the hidden objects were morphing objects and I had to use the hints to find two of them. I don't like morphs, but that's not what killed me on this game.
The killer for me was the puzzles. Many of the ones in the first half hour required varying degrees of manual dexterity. Moving the mouse and clicking fast and repeatedly. I have arthritis in my hands and fingers and I just could not solve those puzzles!
So, if you have finger mobility issues, make sure you preview this game before buying.
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
5/ 5
Level of Challenge
1/ 5
Storyline
5/ 5
Based on the demo. This is at heart a very good game, but I'm not buying it.
Outstanding plot, interesting characters, fun puzzles and HOs. Others have described the play well and good.
My problem with this CE (and other CEs) is that I cannot solve the HOs without using hints, and many of the puzzles I end up skipping because I cannot solve them. I can't find the morphing objects and the collectibles in many of the scenes. This means that I paid the premium for the CE, but can't access the bonus materials, because they are tied to how effectively I play the game.
Because I won't spring the $$, I can't find out if there's a way to revisit the scenes where I couldn't find the bonus qualifying materials. I'll wait for the SE, which I'll probably buy.
This is a great game for those who can solve all the puzzles. It's a bad value if you can't.
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
3/ 5
Level of Challenge
3/ 5
Storyline
3/ 5
I completed the game. In general a standard Match-3, with an underlying story line.
The story is almost totally stolen from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, with some world travel that does not affect the gameplay thrown in. I liked that part.
I also like the Match-3's that got harder and harder to complete as the game progressed. You could do something and get gold and something else and get stars. I never figured out how to get more than one star, as the guidance is minimal. There are power-ups that take a LONG TIME to refill once you use them and sometimes there are not enough matches on the board to refill, so the unfilled power-up carries over to the next level. But I enjoyed that the levels took more than 3 minutes to complete.
What I did not enjoy was that no matter how large a match one made 4,5,6,7 the only bonus you got was a little sun that when clicked cleared a couple of squares. And, if you're trying to refill a power-up, the squares creating the little sun or removed with the little sun don't get added to the fill meter for the power-up. That requires more thinking than I care to do.
So I'm not sure. There are levels that cannot be completed without using one or more power-ups. That may be a no-go for some, and I didn't really like it either. Another downer: You can't go back and repeat a level, you can only create a new player and start over.
This original adventure game explores a love story between two beautiful souls through ingenious humor and a bizarre, hand-drawn, frame-by-frame animation style.
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
5/ 5
Level of Challenge
1/ 5
I wanted to like this game. Beautiful visuals with lots to see. There is probably lots to do as well, but I could not figure it out. Yes, there were these little thought balloons that were probably supposed to help me determine what to do next, but when I followed through, something usually died and I went back to square one. I spent ten minutes trying to advance and then gave up.