timothya's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.3
- Helpful Votes:1,143
- Reviews Submitted:192
- First Review:June 24, 2012
- Most Recent Review:December 27, 2024
- Featured reviews0
Status:
What lies within the depths of the pitch-black mirror?
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
Puzzle-lovers' Delight
PostedDecember 3, 2018
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Another entry in the MCF series, and this one gives full value to puzzle-loving fans and comes up a little short on the rest. We have the MCF requisites, the Detective, the mission from the Queen, the spooky mansion, the mysterious disappearances. But the package is not quite there, although it was certainly fun to play.
Pros: the gorgeous graphics we have become accustomed to in this series, with the blue-weighted MCF palette taking us back to the RTR days. Very high production values. Rich background music, adequate to good voice acting, and for puzzle-lovers such as myself a glut of them, enough to force the plot to take a back seat, which turned out to be a bit of a problem.
Cons: the plot is actually quite good as a mystery but the timing of the reveals is off - too much too late, when we have started to lose track of the plot among a couple of ancillary characters or, unfortunately, ceased to care. It turns out to be a reasonably logical if quite sad resolution if you can stick around long enough to put it all together. But it isn't MCF.
MCF Status: Close but no cigar. We get barely a taste of the beloved and formerly ubiquitous clacky typewriter, the musical theme is barely whispered, and the wry, self-effacing humor is nearly gone. It is unremittingly grim where its predecessors were punctuated by a little comic relief, it scowls at the player where its predecessors winked. And as other reviewers have pointed out, the puzzles, while plentiful, don't always have much of a connection to the plot, and a couple of them aren't even very good puzzles - one picture segment puzzles has an optimal solution of no fewer than 36 moves with no apparent pattern. Tough, yes, fun, no.
Bonus Game: Really the resolution of the overall story, which will leave the SE players a bit unsatisfied. Some nice puzzles, a bit of exposition as to what finally happens to the villain and to one character whose absence leaves a void in the main story. I think this would have been better incorporated into the main story and some other theme chosen for the bonus.
Overall, with a little rewrite and a lighter touch it would approach a five-star status if only it weren't being compared to the high points of the MCF series, which has had its low points as well. That's not altogether fair but there it is. Four stars and a qualified recommendation for other puzzle lovers.
I recommend this game!
Can you disrupt a dangerous plot against the crown?
Overall rating
4
/
5
9 of 10 found this review helpful
Nice Historical Whodunnit
PostedNovember 23, 2018
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
A nice historical piece set in pre-30-Years'-War France. The events are portrayed with reasonable accuracy, and to this day no one really knows if the King's assassin had help. Ravaillac the assassin was caught on the spot and we are spared any depiction of what really happened to M. Ravaillac lest modern sensibilities be shocked; suffice it to say it was unpleasant. The player takes the role of the suspected Queen's head of secret investigation with an idea to uncovering the real plotters.
Pros: beautiful scenery, reasonable historical accuracy with regard to events, and especially a rather innovative helper, who rides in the task bar as usual but turns out to be a genuine character with lines and a voice actor behind her. This is an immense improvement over the customary cutesy non-entity who is sent into cubbyholes after keys and such. Fair plot, generous gameplay including the bonus game, where the former helper is now the player character. Well done on that!
Cons: dialogue is occasionally leaden and the pronunciation in jarring American accents is bad enough to cause this American to want to apologize to all of France. Ruh-VALE-ack? Please! The writer comes in for some blame for some cringeworthy lines but this was a voice actor failure. Two of the battle encounters in the bonus chapter involve rapid mouse clicking that is beyond the ability of older or disabled players.
Overall, four stars for the historical verisimilitude and the excellent helper. Fair value for the cost and I'd play it again.
I recommend this game!
Munich’s Oktoberfest hides a dark secret – werewolves are afoot!
Overall rating
5
/
5
20 of 22 found this review helpful
Where Wolf? There Wolf!
PostedNovember 18, 2018
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Beautiful game set in a beautiful city. This is a classic detective game with a Holmsean male POV and a very deliberate pacing that may prove frustrating to some who, let's face it, just want to get on with it without reviewing clues. The flip side of that is that it does help the player keep track of the plot, especially if the game is played with broken continuity over several days.
Pros: beautiful art, really excellent voice acting, plenty of game play, and a rather intricate plot involving Were creatures of several different species, one of whom The Detective finds himself very familiar with. Bonus game is a fractured fairytale that fits the main game better than one might expect.
Cons: plot occasionally edges into the preachy, with undeserved prejudice being the theme; recall that the real trope of the Werewolf is not fear of the Other but a perfectly justified fear that he'll eat you. That said, it's a light touch and not overdone. I found some game mechanics issues in the bonus game but the main game seemed very well-tested.
Overall, a nice return to detection for those who have become tired of demons and magical princesses.
I recommend this game!
A sizzling take on the classic tale of greed, yearning, and redemption.
Overall rating
5
/
5
23 of 25 found this review helpful
A Well-Fractured Fairytale
PostedNovember 8, 2018
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Another "fractured fairytale" in a favorite series! This one involves a twist on one of Hans Christian Anderson's darkest tales and one of my least favorite ones, the Little Match Girl. There are several allusions to the original story, the best of which involves a doll sitting on a park bench surrounded by burnt-out matches that will escape people who've never read the story but tug at those who have. That said, this is an all-new story with the Girl now a magic-wielding villainess of sorts. And at the very end a nod to the original resolution (enough said, no spoilers here).
Pros: interesting plot if a bit convoluted. We play as The Detective once more, obviously well-known to several of the various characters, which is pretty amusing. Excellent graphics, smooth game play, a very necessary map. HO scenes are a bit repetitive but nicely laid out. Puzzles are quite good with some original twists, a little on the easy side but with two that require considerable ingenuity to figure out the rules and, unfortunately, with no help on that in sight. Generous amount of game play with chapter markers, including the bonus game.
Cons: the Match Girl's voice is one of those awful frequency-pushed adult voices that sounds for all the world like Alvin And The Chipmunks. For heaven's sake, hire youth voice actors! They need work too. Certain of the many interactions between her and The Detective were amusing, some simply painful. Volume control was a little uneven, especially with one of the monsters.
Overall, a nice offering in the series with plenty of play. Perhaps a little dark for juvenile players. I loved it.
I recommend this game!
A powerful artifact is stolen, threatening to shatter time itself.
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 9 found this review helpful
Not Quite There
PostedOctober 22, 2018
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I love this series - the player is a detective working for a Cardinal in maybe 17th century France? - but this one suffered from fragmented writing that looked as if it were put together from multiple authors with different ideas of where the story was supposed to go.
Pros: Graphics were fine for me, although I hear some complaints from others. Nice atmosphere, familiar music and voice acting was at least adequate. I like puzzles and so these did not seem too frequent. HO scenes fine but the ones in storyboard form got a little tedious.
Cons: Way too much exposition, both in text and especially in the all too frequent cut scenes that detracted from the game's pace. There was a nice little mystery here waiting to get out but the reveals were clumsy and obvious and worse, repetitive, and the characters never really appeared all that sympathetic. And, do we really need yet another world-threatening artifact whose principal use appears to be to save a failed relationship?
Overall, a bit of a disappointment because of the unrealized potential. Fine as a practice game but not really up to the series's standard.
I don't recommend this game.
Solve the puzzle of the red mist and save a missing camper before they meet a terrifying end.
Overall rating
5
/
5
19 of 19 found this review helpful
Campfire Excellence
PostedSeptember 29, 2018
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I was fortunate enough to beta test this one and all I had to say at the time was "See if you can keep this up." And they did! Plot, graphics, atmosphere, and voice acting are all top-notch this time through. This series now has two definite winners.
Pros: Excellent writing - several nice reveals and some surprising not-so-nice ones. Male POV for a change but the female characters definitely drive the thing. Graphics are detailed and colorful without being overwhelming. Even the title page, with the girl hiding behind the tree, has enough motion to make it creepy. Nice mix of puzzles and HO scenes. A definite treat at the end of the bonus game - is all this real, or only a spooky story? Or both?
Cons: Not much variety in the HO scenes, mostly junkpile with certain objects only partly visible. Music spooky but a little repetitive. I can't decide whether it's creepy or just funny to be stalked by a giant bunny, but it was pretty good. These are very minor flaws.
Overall, five stars for this one. No spoilers, but there is a subtle moral ambivalence that makes the plot far more than the usual linear good-versus-evil pasteboard writing. Now I hope the devs can keep this up for another entry.
I recommend this game!
Can you rid the city of a malevolent monster in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Great Game, A Couple Of Flaws
PostedSeptember 23, 2018
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The latest entry in my favorite series is the densest puzzle game I've ever played. For puzzle fans such as myself, this one is close to nirvana. For others, not so much.
Pros: The usual sly references to period literature abound. The Victorian/Steampunk atmosphere in this game is appealing and if it's a little outlandish at times, it's supposed to be. First-rate voice acting including an excellent recurring role in Rufus. Nice reveals in the identities of two of the main characters. Aside from the technical sizzle it's a pretty good mystery. Plenty of play, very useful map.
Cons: The writing was properly labyrinthine for this genre but the frequency of the puzzles made me lose track of the flow of the plot. Uneven sound control made the music blast at unexpected times, especially toward the end. But what cost this entry a star were two key puzzles at the end which simply did not work - game mechanics failed in each, and the correct moves yielded no result. This is likely a QA issue too late in the game for the Beta testers to catch.
Overall, although I love this series and eagerly await another entry, this one fell short due to packing it a little too full. I don't recall ever making that complaint on a game before, which is a tribut to the Devs. It's a nice problem to have. I love the atmosphere in this series and would have preferred a little more of that if it cost me a few puzzles. But I still loved the game!
I recommend this game!
Uncover a conspiracy against the king!
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Nice Tale
PostedSeptember 14, 2018
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
A very pleasant game, even for those who are getting tired of the sword-and-sorcery genre. The player's beloved brother turns out to be the rightful heir to a kingdom beset by usurpers, who frame the two for the murder of the King. Proving their innocence and regaining the throne are the objects of the game, and along the way there is a quest, a magic object, and considerable intrigue and skullduggery. Quite a bit of back-and-forth, but a very useful map takes the tedium out of it.
Pros: Wonderful ambient sound effects. The rain outside the stables was good, inside them with it coming down on the roof, really excellent, so good I regretted the loss of the chance to go back and savor them. Voice acting is quite good, graphics colorful, nice balance of HO scenes and mini-puzzles. The plot is necessarily fairy-tale but has a couple of neat twists.
Cons: A lot of back and forth, some silliness: are we really going to cut the reins on our transportation to pull down a branch? Not a lot of nuance in the characters - bad guys are really bad, good guys good. These are minor flaws.
Overall, an excellent stand-alone game. Congratulations to the Devs.
I recommend this game!
Three legendary detectives join forces to solve a horrible crime!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 8 found this review helpful
Wonderful New Series
PostedAugust 21, 2018
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Three familiar faces in a new series with a spectacular start. For those complaining about nothing new, this is your chance!
Pros: Excellent graphics, good voice acting, and the writing truly shines. This is a mystery game in which the reveals are nicely spaced out and the player has to earn them. Character shifts make each segment slightly different.
Cons: Some really excellent potential is wasted on several of the mini-games due to inadequate or misleading instructions. For me this was the principal fault of this offering and detracted from the overall score.
Overall, a very encouraging start to what I hope is another fine series. Well done, Devs!
I recommend this game!
Can you keep the past from destroying the present?
Overall rating
5
/
5
6 of 8 found this review helpful
The Good, The Bad, The Retro
PostedJune 29, 2018
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
As the reviews suggest, you'll either love this one or hate it. The first attempt at a sort of rewind was the sub-par Dire Grove, Sacred Grove that recycled the scenes from DG but neither the plot nor the game quality. This one, though, this one goes way back to the beginning.
Pros: the art recaptures some of the sly humor of Prime Suspects and Madame Fate, and nearly all of the characters, especially Charles, benefit from the cartoon-ization. The writing does a better job of allusion than recapitulation, thank heaven, and Charles is wonderfully incompetent as a villain. Take the time to read the Diary and Charles' notes too - they're a hoot. Excellent voice acting, nostalgic music.
Cons: some of these come with the territory. The scenes are all necessarily in-jokes, and if you haven't played or don't remember the games 12 years back, you miss the reference.
The Retro: this too goes back to Prime Suspects - the game is heavily weighted to HO scenes and is timed, with not much of a break between scenes, giving the game a breathless character but little variety. Not much in the way of help, no progressive help for the door puzzles - this is what it was like in the beginning, and it can be a little tough with the clock ticking. It was a fun reminder but also a reminder of why certain things have been improved upon. I don't like racing through a beautifully-drawn scene, for example, it seems like an insult to the artists.
Overall, it is what it is, and despite the five stars I'm only giving it a conditional recommendation : if you like a lot of HO scenes and door puzzles, the humor, and the allusions to past games, you'll love this one. If not, it's likely to bore you to tears.
I recommend this game!