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:
A simple museum heist becomes a desperate rescue from the forces of darkness!
Overall rating
5
/
5
Stick With This One and Don't Miss The Easter Eggs
PostedDecember 6, 2023
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
We have the now perennial question - is it MCF worthy? After the first five minutes we sadly conclude no, it isn't...but wait. There are a couple of things, now a couple more, and all of a sudden it steps up the game again, and again. The overall pattern of the game is an indifferent beginning, a solid middle, and a roaring climax with a few teasers in it just for fun. Somebody put a lot of work into this one, it's really good.
Pros: You'd better pay attention because there are a few things just for longtime fans. Alas, no Queen to dispatch Master Detective on the latest adventure. Instead...oh, wait a minute, who is she? Better pay attention or you'll miss it. No clacky typewriter, darn it...oh, wait, it does turn up. Only once, chuckling at you. Excellent plot, plenty of play, not too much back-and-forth, and some mini-games that deserve their separate mention below. Beautiful graphics, very high production values throughout.
Cons: First, no dashboard hula doll. Got 'em there! No MCF theme (come on now, how hard can that be?) inside a really atmospheric musical mix. Early voice actors are atrocious with the customary complaints that Scots don't sound like Valley Girls...until that gets better and by mid-game they're excellent.
Mini-Games: No Rube Goldberg door locks, doggone it! Instead we have sequential puzzles that are actually the same thing in a different format, but they're still games nested within games. Some are really original, some classic, all pitched at just about the right level of difficulty to allow beginners to try but are really for more advanced players. A squares game I haven't seen since junior high school that really brought back the memories.
Bonus game: A prequel. Here we play as Carol, sister to a rather nice fellow who gets dragged into the mirror mess through no fault of his own. She/we have to drag him back and set up for the main game. More detail would only be spoilers.
Overall, five stars. There are enough references to past MCF games to keep the old fans amused if we can find them. After a slow beginning it builds to something head and shoulders above the rather tame fare we've subsisted on of late. Oh, one more thing - check the credits out. There are names there that have been attached to the MCF ride from the beginning. They deserve our thanks.
I 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
5
/
5
A Beautiful Blast From The Past
PostedSeptember 7, 2023
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
Here we are in 2023. This turned up in my search page and although I'd seen it before, for some reason I gave it a pass long ago. Lucky me! This is the first game in a trilogy and it's a real gem. We play as a detective engrossed in a missing person investigation whose memory of why she's in Maple Creek at all must be recovered before she proceeds to solve the mystery. That leads in some very interesting directions.
Pros: the writing is outstanding. Believable characters, pace is excellent, reveals timed perfectly. Plenty of HO scenes, some mini-games that are nicely challenging. Useful journal. Evidence board is well-handled. Plenty of play.
Cons: lots of back-and-forth. There is a map but it's not interactive so we do a lot of trudging between scenes.
Bonus Game: worth the CE price. It's a prequel. We play as one of the characters who we meet in the main game and his story fills in some interesting blanks.
Overall, a game still worthier of the price a decade after its publication than most games since and certainly at present. I can't wait to get to the other two. Hat's off to Artifex Mundi, this is really enjoyable!
I recommend this game!
Who could turn down an opportunity to change the past?
Overall rating
5
/
5
14 of 15 found this review helpful
They Did It - It's MCF Worthy
PostedMarch 22, 2023
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
It all began over 16 years ago - it hardly seems that long, but the dates don't lie - when Charles Dalimar lost his fiance and his sanity in the course of a single game, the Queen herself took a hand in affairs and Master Detective first came to the acquaintance of a very strange place named Ravenhearst. That's all behind us now, or is it? On his way to an opening ceremony for a new headquarters the Master Detective is suddenly plunged into the past in a blast of evil green light and somehow finds himself in the body of a longtime nemesis. The body, but not the mind, and here is an opportunity to make things right before ever they went wrong. But Dalimar caused this, somehow...what's his game?
Pros: Rube Goldberg puzzles, yes! Charles has laid his customary traps in this steampunk world and some of them are really good. Plenty of game play, some references to past games to amuse those of us who have ridden this ride for so long. The graphics are outstanding in both color and detail. Nice balance between HO scenes and mini-games, several of which are quite challenging. Perfect voice acting.
Cons: Nearly nothing. The main question is, how much of the old MCF magic can be revivified? Music is quite good but the MCF theme is nowhere to be found. Dun DUN dun DUN dun DUN dadadada dun DUN...come on, how hard would it be? At least we do get to hear from the clacky typewriter. Yes, I am complaining about sound effects because there's nothing else to complain about.
Writing: Here we make or break the entire thing. The premise is very amusingly executed - we are embodied as Charles and trying to undo his misdeeds when everyone around us thinks us to be the villain that Charles is. That's a pretty tough headwind to navigate. Some beautifully developed secondary characters here, voiced well and convincing. One of them, no, two, seem to sense that something in Charles isn't the villain they know. There was, in the best of the Ravenhearst writing, more than a suggestion of real cruelty - Rose's twins come to mind - that is reflected here, tastefully, but it's there, and it adds an subtle emotional edge that's difficult to pull off in a game such as this. Hats off to the writers and the editors!
Bonus game: OK, buy the CE. Herein we see two of the secondary characters come to life: Angelica, a cruelly exploited maid, and a certain talking cat named Goliath. In the main game Master Detective frees them and this is where they went after he did so. She wants Dalimar - the real one - arrested, but who will listen without evidence? More generous game play.
Bonus game: OK, buy the CE. Herein we see two of the secondary characters come to life: Angelica, a cruelly exploited maid, and a certain talking cat named Goliath. In the main game Master Detective frees them and this is where they went after he did so. She wants Dalimar - the real one - arrested, but who will listen without evidence? More generous game play.
Overall, I have to say someone finally did it - they managed to recapture the magic. It's been a long wait. Kudos to the entire team at GrandMa and BFG. They've set the bar back where it belongs.
I recommend this game!
Solve a series of near-hopeless cases full of suspense and drama!
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 8 found this review helpful
Better Than Expected
PostedMarch 5, 2023
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
A straight detective game for a welcome change! Three episodes, three murders, and a set of fairly gritty partners that aren't stupid for an even more welcome change. We play as an anonymous Detective (her name leaks out later), brought in to assist the investigation of some fairly straightforward crimes for some not so obvious motives. Put on your deerstalker hat and get out your magnifying glass!
Pros: For me the best part was the Raymond Chandler-esque writing. The Detective is good - we know she's good - but the Boss isn't fawning and demands results. They're murderers, and they need to be caught! Some excellent graphics, better than average voice acting, and a very useful map (and I needed it). Mini-games are selectable for difficulty and I will confess to having to ease back on one of them. Great game length.
Cons: Animation of the characters was quite stiff, especially during dialogues, which may have been a bit too plentiful. Nothing that exceptional about the atmosphere either in music or in sound effects. Instructions for certain of the mini-games were a little vague. Not much to complain about, really.
Bonus Game: Another case, of course. Actress Ester has disappeared from her set but is someone after her, or is it all an elaborate ruse? Full-length case, some nice wrinkles.
Overall, a genuinely pleasant surprise. There's some genuine investigation going on and the villains aren't obvious. Even the minor speaking characters were well-done and not talking cardboard cutouts. A very solid effort that is exactly what it promises to be.
I recommend this game!
Can you uncover the truth behind a deadly shadow entity in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 6 found this review helpful
I Fell For The Rick Tease One More Time
PostedFebruary 27, 2023
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The latest entry in the Paranormal Files series promises long-suffering fans some progress on the Missing Rick narrative, which has resembled a cat toy over the last several games, dangled before us and snatched away to our collective howling of frustration. Herein we return to the series to see if something can be recovered from the mess the previous writers have left us. We play once again as Rachel, hot on the case of a curious and murderous Rick doppelganger, and even the most cynical fan has to wonder if the Devs have finally gotten serious about the meta-narrative. Apparently they have. Now what can they do with it?
So, back to the magic shop from which Rick disappeared, and we encounter an odd sort of Faustian bargain with severe penalties for voiding the contract. Alt-Rick - yes, that's the name he's been given - appears to be the offerer of these contracts, but perhaps a signatory to one of his own, offered by whom, or what? He's figured a way out of it, you see...but it isn't very nice.
Pros: Excellent, surreal scenery inside a magic shop that is much larger inside than out and is linked to alternate worlds, and a plot that develops through some nicely timed reveals. Plenty of locations, HO scenes are a variety of formats, mini-games are on the easy side.
Cons: It's another short game (but busy) and although it leaves us with a bit of a cliff-hanger it also leaves us without much closure. A couple of strange bugs in some of the scenes but none of them a game-stopper for me - I was apparently luckier in this regard than several other reviewers. This one should have been beta'd a little better. On the upside, Rachel's team are no longer helpless Damsels In Distress, mostly because they don't appear at all: Gabriel only, and then not very much. Basically Rachel solos this one and her team appears sporadically as dei ex machina.
Bonus game: Alt-Rick has been contractually naughty toward three angry ghosts, and due to the main game "ending" the team has to keep him safe - temporarily - to make progress on recovering the real Rick. Once again Rachel plunges into the labyrinthine magic shop to rectify the problem. Here too closure for the ghosts is denied; it won't be complete until Rachel and company find a way to void all the contracts which means maybe next time...again.
Overall, a workable effort wasting some spectacular graphics on a meta-narrative that still plods along although at least it does move this time. One star off for that and for the brevity of the main game, but I did have fun in places and the eye candy is almost worth the price of purchase by itself.
I recommend this game!
Welcome to Catstown, a scenic village with beautiful views, quaint cobblestone pathways, and stunning architecture!
Overall rating
3
/
5
10 of 12 found this review helpful
Cute But Very Short Game
PostedFebruary 13, 2023
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
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
What do you get when you add anthropomorphic cats to a mystery game? Usually unbearable cuteness, but if the writing is up to it, it works as well as this one does, which is good, for as long as it lasts, which is not so good. We play as Shavan, a guards-cat in medieval Catstown, and yes, as another reviewer noticed (nice job!) we've visited its modern version before. He uncovers a conspiracy threatening the town he protects, but whose, and to what end? That turns out to be a nice twisty tale.
Pros: It's an intriguing little mystery of the who's-in-the-conspiracy sort. Very good voice acting, atmospheric medieval-ish music, some very nice interiors and excellent graphics. Better than average HO scenes, mini-games on the easy side. The frequent feline allusions are done on the light side and are actually pretty funny.
Cons: Major disappointment - it's one of the shortest main games I've played in a long time. And plot holes galore: who is this fellow Paul we're seeking all of a sudden? Who are the Alchemists, and what exactly was the Martens' nefarious plan? Stick a little game length into these not-so-little details and we'd have something here.
Bonus Game: We play alternately as Alvin, Mayor of Fishville, and his fiance-to-be, Valerie. The Foxes are planning mischief and we must save Fishville from inundation. Nice twisty plot here as well.
Overall, a great demo - oh, wait, was that the entire game? I giggled at the premise, enjoyed the graphics, music, and plot, but it was over so quickly I felt more than a little cheated. Compared to the older games I've been playing of late offering nearly equal quality and several times the length, not a particularly good purchase. Save your money.
I don't recommend this game.
Step into a tale of mystery, intrigue, deceit, and murder!
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 8 found this review helpful
At Last, A Believable Protagonist
PostedJanuary 29, 2023
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
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
A lovely mystery in a short game. We play as Emily, a widower who has soothed her grief by podcasting mystery investigations and finds her own town a repository of unsolved crime. This particular crime cuts a little close to home, though, and among the suspects are some of her closest friends. Someone has decided to treat illnesses by simple organ transplant, but certain of the donors require a little...persuasion...
Pros: Excellent graphics, movements smooth and the actions realistic. It's a genuine mystery with - I hope this isn't a spoiler - no evil spirits, magic rituals, potions, or dyspeptic dragons. And best of all, our heroine is not a fist-swinging Mary Sue but a perfectly believable middle-aged woman who must use her wits against bigger but cruder opponents. Very good to excellent voice acting. HOS's are better than the mini-games but there are a couple good ones of the latter. The writing is quite good for the mystery genre with reveals spaced enough to keep us guessing for, well, for what time we have.
Cons: It's short. We could easily have been led further along the path of the red herrings, which would have lengthened the game and fleshed out the characters, several of whom were nicely sketched but not drawn. The ending seems abrupt, contrived, and not up to the rest of the plot at all. Somebody better stop paying the writers by the hour.
Bonus Game: Emily is still grieving the loss of her life mate and her friends have thought to snap her out of it by re-opening an old investigation. That one appears to be a straightforward murder, but is it? This chapter is straight investigation, no daring-do, but it's a nice solution even if once again the thing seems a little truncated.
Overall, a very nice introduction to a new protagonist, her environment, and some engaging supporting characters. Unfortunately it isn't much more than an introduction, and I hope to meet Emily again under more lengthy circumstances. She could be the next Miss Marple, long overdue in the face of an overpopulated flock of sweaty Lara Crofts of late who bludgeon their way to success. A solid four-star game with one star taken off for brevity and tacked back on for potential. More of this, please!
I recommend this game!
Revisit Moonfell Wood in this stunning remaster of the hidden object classic!
Overall rating
5
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
Beautiful Re-Mastering, Lots Of Mini-Games
PostedJanuary 21, 2023
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
4
/
5
I did not play either of the two original Awakening games that have been remastered, but the first remaster was so remarkable that I had to bite on this and I'm glad I did! The premise is the same - for those of us who are bored by Magical Princess games, what about an Un-Magical Princess? We play as Sophia, who has to prove herself in a skeptical, magical, and occasionally dangerous world, although she is guarded, however imperfectly, by creatures who this time around are at least willing to hope that she is who she is. Her human people have disappeared and she must find them, and the key is a Witch Of The Woods, who isn't going to make it easy for her.
Pros: Good heavens, it's drop-dead, wander around the scenery gorgeous. It's a long, rich, challenging ride with a very straightforward plot, which is fine because you're going to be slogging your way through mini-games enough to forget anything about continuity. Very minimal voice-acting, just enough to keep you going, and quite a bit of plot exposition is done textually. Incredibly soothing music throughout. Animation is top-notch.
Cons: If you don't like mini-games, give this one a pass, because they fly at you thick and fast, and some of them are very challenging. Sophia is being tested, and that means you. Some trouble occasionally with hot-zones that are overly small, which is typical of older games. There's a potion, and a spoon, and what I thought might be a bug turned out to be the Devs making me wait. Ugh.
Bonus Game: Here Sophia must continue her journey but Golden Beak has a little detour for her. In this island are answers to questions she hasn't posed yet. A couple of tough mini-games in this one - she'll have to earn both questions and answers.
Overall, an absolute delight for a mini-game lover. I had a great time playing it. Kudos to the remastering team - this is one of the most beautiful games I've ever played. It's an old-school game with not much of the hand-holding we've been offered of late, and I'm afraid I've gotten a little lazy myself. None of that will do here.
I recommend this game!
Can you stop a soul-stealing monster from terrorizing the kingdom?
Overall rating
5
/
5
5 of 7 found this review helpful
Very Enjoyable
PostedJanuary 15, 2023
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 lovely fractured fairy tale game! We play as the witch Geheldia, out to earn her place in the coven by facing a monster and recovering a lost prince. Along the way is treachery, magic, some pretty good secondary characters, and the unraveling of the events leading to the monster's disturbing propensity for eating men's souls. This particular Rapunzel, well, about the last thing you'd want to do is to try to climb her hair.
Pros: remarkably beautiful graphics in this one, one horse scene in particular being nearly photographic. Protagonist is really well done - our heroine manages to be effective without being a Mary Sue and possesses a wry sense of humor that fleshes out the character nicely. Excellent voice acting all around. The various witchy effects are pretty darn funny in themselves. Some great mini-games in this one pitched at just about the right level for a medium-to-advanced player. Very solid production values throughout - for once the top-notch art doesn't have to cover for other deficiencies.
Cons: it's a bit short, perhaps a reflection of how nice the environment is and how much the player is enjoying being there. You might as well go straight into the Bonus Game from the main one because it isn't long either and it does tie up a couple of hanging threads.
Bonus Game: we play as the long-suffering Leonard, envoy of the King and friend of the coven, who is tasked with preventing a war between two otherwise friendly kingdoms instigated by...well, that's the question, isn't it? Some nice interiors here, a couple of fairly obvious plot wrinkles; I just wish it were longer because the whole thing was so nicely put together.
Overall, a four star plus game I'm stretching to a five because it could have been just another run-of-the-mill fantasy game and it really did seem to rise above that. Good enough for a replay and that's saying something these days.
I recommend this game!
Can you restore your town's faith in the spirit of Christmas?
Overall rating
2
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Almost A Christmas Game
PostedDecember 16, 2022
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
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
We play as Jacob, a young fellow who is lamenting the loss of the real meaning of Christmas among, well, nearly everyone. He returns home to impoverished parents without even the means to buy him a present. For reasons that aren't entirely clear he gets into a taxi whose rather seedy-looking driver is named Nick, to reclaim the spirit of Christmas by selflessly helping three - no, this is not Redemption Cemetery - three people in dire need of a Christmas miracle.
Pros: Excellent voice acting keeps you in the game long enough to hope that it just might get interesting after all. Delivery driver is a great minor character, nicely played. Colorful graphics, a very familiar set of musical themes for followers of this series. Some nice exteriors and a fair bit of animation where you might not expect it. Mini-games on the easy side, nothing much new in the HOS.
Cons: OK, so it's short and a little sappy at points. It's a Christmas game, after all. We're going to have to ignore that in pursuit of the spirit of Christmas Jacob commits multiple misdemeanors including burglary and destruction of private property...well, you get the picture. Nick's elves are probably good for a little bail money since they work for the greatest burglar in the world. There are a few stretches - is that manager really mean enough to fire that poor fellow on Christmas Eve for the loss of a single wooden toy to a careless delivery driver? Is Bob the kettle collector really going to bring in enough money to save (oh heaven help us) an orphanage?
Bonus Game: Jacob is mysteriously transported into Cat Town, wherein Christmas has been spoiled by a heartsick vandal who made the mistake of turning a witch away from his door and paid dearly from her wrath. Not a bad little mystery here for a short time. Once Jacob has made things right Nick scolds our vandal for doing so, leaving the underlying message to young players that you should admit scary-looking people into your home. I wonder if the authors thought that one through?
Overall, as others have pointed out, this game suffers from being in the same series as the extraordinary Nutcracker and that's an awfully high bar to jump. Unfortunately, after a decent start this one never quite gets off the ground. Our disappointingly unimaginative Christmas "miracles" consist of a recovered box, a repaired kettle, and the reuniting of a father and son, which might have qualified had it not been so easy. Our final miracle is - I'm not kidding - making a ham sandwich. Somewhere the real Santa is shaking his head and his pen is hovering over the transfer of the Devs' names from the Nice List to the Naughty List. Would I throw folding money at this one instead of stuffing it into Bob's orphanage kettle? I wish I hadn't.
I don't recommend this game.