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:
You'll die in three days if you can't uncover the truth!
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Great New Series
PostedJune 12, 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
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Another five-star review, and this one earned it. Yes, the hitchhiker trope isn't new, but this one is an excellent version with a very nice mystery wrapped around it. And, a bonus game worthy of the name.
Pros: nicely rendered graphics, cut scenes to the point and not overdone. Excellent voice acting - the Hitchhiker in particular manages to convey a hint of exasperation at her fate. Player character is a male POV with the ladies getting most of the action for a change, and that voice actor conveys a hint of innocence as well as heroism. Well done! Outstanding puzzles, some probably a bit too difficult for beginners.
Cons: none.
Writing: a strength. This one turns into a murder mystery with a couple of nice twists, and the full measure of the villain's villainy is revealed slowly and logically.
Overall, a great start to a new series. Looking forward to the next installment!
I recommend this game!
Mononino and the Treefruities are facing another disaster. With the leaves of their home tree once again scattered, your help is greatly needed.
Overall rating
5
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
So Sorry To Be Finished
PostedJune 1, 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
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I truly am sorry to be finished with this brilliant game. This is pure puzzle joy, and some of them are pretty tough. The Help this time was a little more evocative than last, but as before you have to solve a puzzle to get to it. Surreal surroundings, great ambient sounds. Not just my game of the year nominee, but one of the best I've ever played. Not for a beginner, not for the impatient, but utterly delightful for everyone else.
I recommend this game!
Travel to mystic lands and help the Treefruities recover the lost leaves of their home tree. Search for clues and master puzzles during your journey.
Overall rating
5
/
5
Brilliant Sleeper
PostedMay 10, 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
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I nearly missed this one the first time through, but I'm so glad I stumbled across it. I'm sure I read the synopsis and thought, "this sounds really dumb." It isn't, it's brilliant.
It is very challenging. Like Tiny Bang Story, one of my all-time favorites, it has nearly no information for the player and even movement has to be discovered. The inventory isn't in the standard place and even the Help screen requires a puzzle to be solved to see. That's pretty rough until you get the hang of it.
Pros: Charming other-world scenes, a magnifying glass that you use even when you know it isn't going to do you any good because when it does show you something it's always worth the effort. Excellent ambient sounds. Terrific puzzles everywhere.
Cons: none, except that the player is really, really on his or her own. This can be frustrating for some who might have been sucked in by the simple innocence of the plot and were expecting a much easier game.
Overall, fives all the way across and completely worth the effort. This one offered me days of play, and a feeling of accomplishment at the end that was reminiscent of the early days of gaming - dare I even invoke the holy name of Myst? Yes, like that. I loved it.
I recommend this game!
Save the town of Blackhill from an army of shadows!
Overall rating
2
/
5
8 of 11 found this review helpful
Half A Game
PostedApril 29, 2018
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Puzzle, Time Management
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
A bit of a disappointment here. This had all the ingredients for an excellent game and simply stopped with all sorts of potential story lines and complications unexplored. As others have pointed out, it's a very short game, and there's a reason - it doesn't appear to be all there.
Pros: nice graphics, especially in the post-apocalyptic alternate world. Protagonists we were just beginning to really get attached to when the game suddenly ended. Spooky sci-fi music, excellent mix of HO scenes. I did enjoy the option to proceed without Elf and regretted it when it became apparent that at least the little guy would have given me a few more seconds game play. Puzzles on the easy side and nothing particularly original there, but the play was smooth and fluid.
Cons: brevity. So many missed opportunities for an excellent narrative I want to cry. Sophie's voice was one of those awful frequency-pushed Alvin-and-the-chipmunks concoctions that need to be done better or preferably not at all. Absolutely no exposition on what the spooky monsters were or if they were even the bad guys. Plot contrivances abound - come on, a time travel box and a murderous thief that just appeared? Isn't interdimensional travel enough?
In all, a real missed opportunity for a great game. Playable, but definitely not worth the CE price.
I don't recommend this game.
Survive a dangerous game of luck to uncover your past!
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 6 found this review helpful
The Joker Is You!
PostedApril 24, 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
BFG is on a roll of late. This one is really excellent, beautifully drawn, well acted, nicely plotted with a couple of twists and turns. Is that good guy really a bad guy? Is that bad guy really good? We won't know until the final roll of the dice.
Pros: beautiful graphics, nicely colored and fantastic interiors. Atmospheric music. A nice mix of HO scenes and some of the puzzles were simply terrific. And a solid, coherent plot with plenty of revelations as a reward for completing scenes. The narrative is as solid as I've seen this year. And the ending is worth the effort to get there!
Cons: minor. The difference in volume between cut scenes and the rest of the game was marked; suddenly the thing blasted from your speakers. One fairly significant one: if you don't get the Bonus game in the SE, (and I don't know that you don't because it hasn't been released yet) you'll miss the complete plot. No spoilers, so no more may be said. Also, the Corgi. As the now rather retrograde cutesy furry assistant this wasn't overdone in the main game but by the time the Bonus game was done I was ready to scream "Bad Dog! Go away!"
In all, a brilliant game and a pleasure to play. The puzzles in particular were worth the price of admission. After a winter of magic-princess monotony this was a breath of fresh, spring air!
I recommend this game!
Nobody comes back from the Dark Side unchanged, but it’s the only way to re-light the fading flame.
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
A Graphical Feast
PostedApril 9, 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
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This series has always been a guilty pleasure for me, and having had the good fortune to beta the second one, I immediately rushed to purchase the first one as well. This is the third, and it was worth waiting for. Everything that was great about the first two is astounding about this one. It's the graphics. I played this on a 27-in 4K monitor and was nearly blown off my chair. For pure production values this is as good as it gets.
Pros: the graphics, of course. Imaginative post-apocalyptic scenery, brilliant coloration, movement that was amazingly close to video of human actors. Rich cut scenes that weren't boring for once. Voice acting adequate to excellent, and the scenes of the Japanese village seemed to leap off the screen. It's the sort of art that I like, it makes the player want to linger in the scenes to enjoy it, and although the timed maze was wonderfully creepy with Uncle Colin's taunting voice in the background, you can't do justice to the scenery like that. Nice touch, though. Nice variety of HO scenes. Great game mechanics.
Cons: not much. The adolescent female protagonist can get a little saccharine from time to time but it's all in good fun. Certain puzzles were updates on old traditional ones: the rotation puzzle with the slider bar at the bottom simply wasn't particularly good, but the new version of the sliding bars puzzles was brilliant.
Overall, five stars and I hope they keep the series going. There is a hint that they will. Competing developers had better be keeping their eyes on this one because I do think the bar has been raised a bit.
I recommend this game!
Can you confront an otherworldly foe and save your nephew?
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 7 found this review helpful
Ahoy There! Moon People!
PostedApril 4, 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
Some games require more suspension of disbelief than others. Some of those just don't work. This one did. Yes, it's a little out there regarding plot, but after all, if your planet was invaded by mutagen-slinging, werewolf-making Moon People, isn't the first thing you'd think of to go find a pirate ship? Well, I certainly would.
Pros: Excellent graphics after a shaky start, very good voice acting, great puzzles. Interesting otherworldly gadgetry and scenes. Good game length, bonus game that seemed too short because it was a very good game in itself.
Cons: Silliness, but it didn't take itself too seriously. I'd have liked a few more details on the villains, who didn't really seem to have much personality of their own. In fact, I'd have opted for a little more plot altogether because what we got was a load of fun. Some of the dialogue was a bit stiff but it was in the spirit of the old Flash Gordon serials so I'd give that a pass.
It's a fairly straightforward uncle-to-the-rescue game underneath the wild pre-technological society versus advanced one trappings. Art was gorgeous, music atmospheric, and it seems to have broken the drought of sci-fi games we've been in lately. I really enjoyed it.
I recommend this game!
Explore kingdom ruins and meet the exiled Salt Princess.
Overall rating
4
/
5
0 of 3 found this review helpful
Lots of Great Play
PostedMarch 23, 2018
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
It's a long game, a very long game, combining as it does not one legend as we are accustomed to from this series, but three, intertwined and not unravelled until the very end. That involves a certain repetition in both mini-games and HO scenes that others have pointed out. There were certain things about the game that lead the player into suspecting that it's been in development a long time. More of this in a moment.
Pros: glorious graphics, glowing and colorful. The music is worth turning up a bit, it's atmospheric and quite beautiful. Game play is smooth and with the exception of the mapping system, does not get in the way of game flow. Voice acting was adequate to very good. The writing will have its own item below.
Cons: certain things about the game seem very retrograde. The graphics have an almost anime character to them, the Salt Princess's voice is one of those awful frequency-punched Alvin And The Chipmunks effects that used to be so popular, and that a real youth actor could have improved upon. The length of the game made the Devs repeat several puzzles, and the HO scenes were so plentiful that a certain sameness set in and the player gets a little tired of assembling yet another amulet/sigil/whatever. And then there's the map.
The Map: in a word, awful. The length and complexity of the game, and the already high level of back-and-forth, absolutely mandate a jump map, and the one presented isn't. This and the Princess's voice led me to suspect that this game has been around for a while in development. The map is still useful, but at one point I found myself backtracking no fewer than eight branches. It's the one thing about the game I didn't like.
The Writing: in a word, outstanding. The player might not think so at first, but pretty soon he or she is going to start wishing he or she had taken notes. Large number of characters, complex relationships that aren't revealed and/or resolved until the very end. Three fairy tales, not one, woven together into a single fabric. Memorable characters, opposed interests, a betrayal or three just to spice things up. The writing is the one thing that sustains, as it should, the gane's extraordinary length and keeps the interest level high. The player will interact with only four of the dozen or so characters, but the rest are far more than just decorations.
It's a very feminine game, if I might be forgiven the observation: convoluted personal relationships, and an overwhelming array of jewelry in the HO scenes that is likely to leave the male player's eyes blurring. Perhaps the pathos is a bit overdone, the expositions a bit too verbal and a bit too long; there is more talking than game in the Bonus Game. I can't grade it down for that, it's just not quite to my personal taste.
But full value, oh, my yes, a game fully worth the price of purchase, which is saying something these days. Well done, Blue Tea!
I recommend this game!
Mark’s reality unravels as he discovers the truth about his life.
Overall rating
3
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
Where's The Plot?
PostedMarch 18, 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
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
The predecessors in this series have given the player a certain expectation of a solid mystery story behind the flash, at which this entry comes up quite a bit short. But the flash is undeniable - the graphics are excellent and although decrepit, the hotel environment is colorful and clear. Game play is smooth and logical, maybe a bit of back-and-forth but not to excess, and the objectives are clear. Male POV for a change.
Pros: great environment, excellent and occasionally very weird graphics, nice transitions, adequate voice acting (I suspect the actors did what they could with the lines), some very good puzzles, and a comfortable variation of HO scenes.
Cons: please, Dev, shift some budget from the graphics department to the writers! Wife Jane's sole function in this one is to sqeal "Save me, Mark!" in nearly every scene, which is a little light on the emancipation side for a modern female protagonist. Mark's inevitable reply, "I'm coming to save you, Jane!" is a little painful after the third or so repetition - what else would he be doing clumping around in a hotel filled with burst steam pipes and one-eyed specters? Can't blame the voice actors for that. We get precious little information on the Doc, his late wife, and the kiddies, who must, by now, have a world-record case of bathtub wrinkle in their fingers and toes from all that floating around. We start, play, and finish with nearly no idea of who any of the characters (including the protagonists) are, including the creepy whatever-they-were in the air.
Bonus game: One word - incomprehensible.
That said, the environment and the puzzles almost redeem the nearly nonexistent narrative. There is no doubt of the superiority of game mechanics or any of the technical aspects. It's a straightforward spouse-to-the-rescue action game, and I enjoyed it for that, but don't look for an Agatha Christie plot here.
I recommend this game!
Ghastly murders in Whitechapel foreshadow the return of the Red Queen!
Overall rating
4
/
5
9 of 13 found this review helpful
A Fine Entry With Some Blemishes
PostedMarch 9, 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
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Had this been other than my favorite series it might have garnered that fifth star despite some things that make it not quite up to the other excellent entries. The problem with setting such high standards is high expectations, I suppose. Nevertheless, this was a wonderful game and I heartily enjoyed playing it.
Pros: excellent voice acting, graphics, and a colorful, immersive environment. I can't imagine how old London got any work done at all with all those monsters running around. I love the steampunk approach, and what would any such story do without a few Frankenstein laboratories spitting sparks? Most of the puzzles were challenging and certain ones quite original. The story gives us new villains who no doubt will return for another bout.
Cons: Certain of the puzzles were unnecessarily difficult due to one wrong move forcing a complete do-over. This keeps the player from "playing with" various solutions and for me detracts from the charm. Other puzzles, as some reviewers have noted, were solved solely by rapid mouse-clicking and could not be skipped. That's a problem for those of us who don't have teenage fingers anymore; in fact, it's a really awful roadblock with no way around. Additionally, there were far too many "what in the world do I do now?" moments that only a vigorous application of the map and the Hint button helped assuage. Some mystery is fine, but this was more the fault of lack of logical game flow. Further, there weren't quite as many delicious puns on other Victorian literature characters as in the previous entries in the series. I missed that sly humor.
Overall, the excellence of the puzzles that did work well and the marvelous atmosphere garnered that fourth star solidly. I loved the game despite the annoyances.
I recommend this game!