LunaNik's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:2.8
- Helpful Votes:12,435
- Reviews Submitted:670
- First Review:November 2, 2012
- Most Recent Review:August 19, 2020
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Venture beyond time and space in this classic adventure game that will take you out of this world!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Immersive and excellent, but really short. Review of completed game.
PostedApril 9, 2018
LunaNik
fromHow on Earth (or not on Earth) did I overlook this little gem?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
QUICK & DIRTY OVERVIEW
• Engaging, creative storyline starring characters with personality.
• Pure adventure with puzzles…no HOs. Well, ok, a couple of them.
• Puzzles range from pretty easy to truly challenging.
• Lovely, hand-drawn graphics reminiscent of the Drawn series.
• Excellent, varied music. No annoying voiceovers.
• Extremely short game, though if you're new to adventure games, your game might be much longer than mine was.
• Definite replay value.
——————————
I've been a gamer since 1980, and currently own 638 computer games. An immersive storyline and challenging, innovative gameplay are most important to me.
——————————
STORYLINE
Skeptical Olivia goes visiting her Uncle Peter when he asks for her help. She knows him all too well; he is a conspiracy theorist of the highest order. Olivia learns that her uncle and his new colleague, Nick, have discovered an ancient site under an abandoned church that mainstream archaeologists apparently missed. What they find there will blow their minds…and yours.
• Engaging, creative storyline starring characters with personality.
• Pure adventure with puzzles…no HOs. Well, ok, a couple of them.
• Puzzles range from pretty easy to truly challenging.
• Lovely, hand-drawn graphics reminiscent of the Drawn series.
• Excellent, varied music. No annoying voiceovers.
• Extremely short game, though if you're new to adventure games, your game might be much longer than mine was.
• Definite replay value.
——————————
I've been a gamer since 1980, and currently own 638 computer games. An immersive storyline and challenging, innovative gameplay are most important to me.
——————————
STORYLINE
Skeptical Olivia goes visiting her Uncle Peter when he asks for her help. She knows him all too well; he is a conspiracy theorist of the highest order. Olivia learns that her uncle and his new colleague, Nick, have discovered an ancient site under an abandoned church that mainstream archaeologists apparently missed. What they find there will blow their minds…and yours.
I mean, it's as if this dev actually came up with a unique plot idea, then sat down and developed it in detail, masterfully integrating the gameplay. You know, like game developers are supposed to do. Like they used to do. The plot was delightfully tongue-in-cheek while having appropriate depth and detail.
GAMEPLAY
Explore the various locations, figuring out where to go next and what to do there. Your hand is NOT held. You'll have to fire some neurons. And there's no map, but each location's areas are limited. There are some notes and conversations to read, but you can click through them as fast as you can read. The hint button does NOT specifically direct you to exactly the next task, but merely shows you the location of the next available action. Nor will it transport you. (This is an original adventure game, not a cookie cutter HOPA.)
Explore the various locations, figuring out where to go next and what to do there. Your hand is NOT held. You'll have to fire some neurons. And there's no map, but each location's areas are limited. There are some notes and conversations to read, but you can click through them as fast as you can read. The hint button does NOT specifically direct you to exactly the next task, but merely shows you the location of the next available action. Nor will it transport you. (This is an original adventure game, not a cookie cutter HOPA.)
The puzzles begin on the easy side, but grow progressively more challenging. There are nine in the demo and several more after that. My personal favorites…
• A unique and innovative presentation of peg solitaire. The game board is trilateral rather than cross-shaped. You'd think the would make it easier, but we're not used to this format. The strategy is different.
• Match-3 to clear the board. No icons can remain, and the board is set up such that a particular series of moves in required.
• Move the colored crystals and the three nodes so that all nodes are lighted. (Note: I found out through trial and error that there appear to be an infinite number of each color of crystal. When I moved one, its twin remained in the original spot. Also, you can move the three nodes wherever you like. When a beam crosses a node, you'll have to activate it by clicking on the last token in the chain of refraction. If you click that token again, the beam will revert to refracting and the node will be deactivated.)
• A unique and innovative presentation of peg solitaire. The game board is trilateral rather than cross-shaped. You'd think the would make it easier, but we're not used to this format. The strategy is different.
• Match-3 to clear the board. No icons can remain, and the board is set up such that a particular series of moves in required.
• Move the colored crystals and the three nodes so that all nodes are lighted. (Note: I found out through trial and error that there appear to be an infinite number of each color of crystal. When I moved one, its twin remained in the original spot. Also, you can move the three nodes wherever you like. When a beam crosses a node, you'll have to activate it by clicking on the last token in the chain of refraction. If you click that token again, the beam will revert to refracting and the node will be deactivated.)
MECHANICS
There's a tasks list, but it does NOT pop up in banner form. You can click on it if you need it…or not. The journal narrates the story and notes helpful information. The inventory is accessed by clicking the backpack. You can leave it open, but I don't recommend it, since it does block areas of the screen with items and actions. A few reviewers noted that it's a click-and-drag inventory, which is incorrect. I had no trouble clicking to pick up the item, then clicking again to place it. Clicking and dragging works too, so you have a choice.
There's a tasks list, but it does NOT pop up in banner form. You can click on it if you need it…or not. The journal narrates the story and notes helpful information. The inventory is accessed by clicking the backpack. You can leave it open, but I don't recommend it, since it does block areas of the screen with items and actions. A few reviewers noted that it's a click-and-drag inventory, which is incorrect. I had no trouble clicking to pick up the item, then clicking again to place it. Clicking and dragging works too, so you have a choice.
PRODUCTION
The graphics are not photorealistic, but they are well-drawn and thoughtfully detailed. The style reminds me a bit of the Drawn series. I had no difficulty identifying anything. The NPCs have distinctive personalities (even those that appear only briefly) and evince appropriate facial expressions, though they are not animated. The music is varied and extremely well-written, playing to the eerie mood of most of the game.
The graphics are not photorealistic, but they are well-drawn and thoughtfully detailed. The style reminds me a bit of the Drawn series. I had no difficulty identifying anything. The NPCs have distinctive personalities (even those that appear only briefly) and evince appropriate facial expressions, though they are not animated. The music is varied and extremely well-written, playing to the eerie mood of most of the game.
SHORT & SWEET CONCLUSION
The ONLY reason I didn't rate this game five stars is because of its length. The demo was actually longer than the part that came after it, at least for me. I took slightly less than two hours, reading all conversations and skipping no puzzles. However, first-person adventure games are my absolute favorite genre, and this lighthearted, humorous, and sometimes irreverent little gem has my recommendation. It beats the pants off the two allegedly "epic and thrilling" latest releases from the top devs that I just demo'd.
The ONLY reason I didn't rate this game five stars is because of its length. The demo was actually longer than the part that came after it, at least for me. I took slightly less than two hours, reading all conversations and skipping no puzzles. However, first-person adventure games are my absolute favorite genre, and this lighthearted, humorous, and sometimes irreverent little gem has my recommendation. It beats the pants off the two allegedly "epic and thrilling" latest releases from the top devs that I just demo'd.
I recommend this game!
Can you and your father escape a mystical and dangerous realm?
Overall rating
3
/
5
31 of 40 found this review helpful
Not as good as I initially thought, unfortunately.
PostedApril 8, 2018
LunaNik
fromTime-traveling to 2012 to play some good games.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
QUICK & DIRTY OVERVIEW
• Storyline had promise, but devolved into a slow, muddled mess.
• Lots of back and forth, and frequent lapses in logic.
• HO scenes typical of Madhead. Some objects actually hidden.
• Puzzles mostly repeats and not challenging.
• Fantastic production and an imaginative game universe.
——————————
I've been a gamer since 1980, and currently own 638 computer games. An immersive storyline and challenging, innovative gameplay are most important to me.
——————————
LONGER, MORE DETAILED REVIEW
I gave the CE 3-1/2 stars, but got further into the game in the SE since I didn't have to bother looking for collectibles. This review amends my CE review.
• Storyline had promise, but devolved into a slow, muddled mess.
• Lots of back and forth, and frequent lapses in logic.
• HO scenes typical of Madhead. Some objects actually hidden.
• Puzzles mostly repeats and not challenging.
• Fantastic production and an imaginative game universe.
——————————
I've been a gamer since 1980, and currently own 638 computer games. An immersive storyline and challenging, innovative gameplay are most important to me.
——————————
LONGER, MORE DETAILED REVIEW
I gave the CE 3-1/2 stars, but got further into the game in the SE since I didn't have to bother looking for collectibles. This review amends my CE review.
The storyline originally promised a great adventure full of intrigue and danger, as well as discovering the origins of Taleworld. None of these promises was fulfilled. Despite the urgency the plot conveyed, gameplay was slow and plodding and consisted of quite a bit of illogical MacGyvering that seemed to have no purpose, other than prompting the next HO scene or puzzle.
The HO scenes' presentation was classic Madhead, but they did make an effort to hide some of the objects. Honestly, I would trade the fancy presentations for a straight list of well-hidden objects like the scenes in Ravenhearst.
The puzzles included variations on jigsaws, matching pairs, find the differences, swap the tokens, and others that we've seen a zillion times. I did enjoy playing Connect-4, though, and would love to see more interesting puzzles like that one. I'm tired of playing the same puzzles in every single game that's released…it's boring.
Beautiful production all around, including graphics, animation, music, sound, and voiceovers. Nothing to fault here. I wish some of this effort was put into the actual gameplay. It's time that devs realized we'd rather have three or four epic games a year than two dozen cookie cutter games…and they'd make more money. It's noticeable that there used to be more than 200 reviews for each game, and now, there are only a couple dozen.
I listed the games in this series in my CE review, so I'll briefly list what I feel are far better games by Madhead:
Beyond: Light Advent (2015), Cadenza: Music Betrayal & Death (2014), Dawn of Hope: Skyline Adventure (2016). The Dark Realm (2014-18) and Maze (2015-17) series. The Nevertales (2013-18) series (except for Smoke & Mirrors). The Rite of Passage (2012-17) series (except for The Lost Tides and Heart of the Storm).
Beyond: Light Advent (2015), Cadenza: Music Betrayal & Death (2014), Dawn of Hope: Skyline Adventure (2016). The Dark Realm (2014-18) and Maze (2015-17) series. The Nevertales (2013-18) series (except for Smoke & Mirrors). The Rite of Passage (2012-17) series (except for The Lost Tides and Heart of the Storm).
I don't recommend this game.
Can you save the city from a tattoo artist’s magical ink?
Overall rating
2
/
5
44 of 60 found this review helpful
Horrible puzzle directions, a zillion cutscenes, and a bug.
PostedApril 8, 2018
LunaNik
fromTime-traveling to 2012 to play some good games.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
QUICK & DIRTY OVERVIEW
• Infinite lengthy and slow cutscenes.
• A lot of "click through the story" gameplay.
• Puzzles with vague, badly-written directions.
• Multi-layered but unhidden HO scenes.
• On the plus side, a minimum of shaped keys (3 in 36 minutes).
• Spectacular production; Eipix should make animated movies instead.
——————————
I've been a gamer since 1980, and currently own 638 computer games. An immersive storyline and challenging, innovative gameplay are most important to me.
——————————
STORYLINE
This is a riff on the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale, allegedly. A tattoo parlor is inking people with tats that give them a magical power. Your girlfriend, who just got a tat (which is also magically healed) has been kidnapped, and you've been tattooed against your will. While this sounds like it might be a fascinating plot, the gameplay was so awful and repeatedly interrupted by cutscenes that I lost interest.
• Infinite lengthy and slow cutscenes.
• A lot of "click through the story" gameplay.
• Puzzles with vague, badly-written directions.
• Multi-layered but unhidden HO scenes.
• On the plus side, a minimum of shaped keys (3 in 36 minutes).
• Spectacular production; Eipix should make animated movies instead.
——————————
I've been a gamer since 1980, and currently own 638 computer games. An immersive storyline and challenging, innovative gameplay are most important to me.
——————————
STORYLINE
This is a riff on the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale, allegedly. A tattoo parlor is inking people with tats that give them a magical power. Your girlfriend, who just got a tat (which is also magically healed) has been kidnapped, and you've been tattooed against your will. While this sounds like it might be a fascinating plot, the gameplay was so awful and repeatedly interrupted by cutscenes that I lost interest.
GAMEPLAY
Quite a lot of clicking to advance the plot, which I don't consider to be gameplay (like clicking to use scissors to remove your bandage and taking money from an ATM). Multiple deviations from logic and physics, including oiling rusty bolts. I also plugged the end of a firehose, then ran the water; amazingly, the high pressure of the water didn't turn the plug into a projectile.
Quite a lot of clicking to advance the plot, which I don't consider to be gameplay (like clicking to use scissors to remove your bandage and taking money from an ATM). Multiple deviations from logic and physics, including oiling rusty bolts. I also plugged the end of a firehose, then ran the water; amazingly, the high pressure of the water didn't turn the plug into a projectile.
The HO scenes were all multi-layered and in varying presentations, but failed to include hidden objects. Clicking on objects in plain sight is not entertainment. This is supposed to be a HOPA…hide the objects!
The puzzles… I don't think I've ever played a game with worse puzzle instructions. The electrical box puzzle, fortunately, was fairly easy to figure out despite the lousy directions. But the instructions for the rotating arrows puzzle were incomprehensible. In the bridges/ladders puzzle, I was unable to click on 3 of the 4 levers, so I consider this a bug that should have been caught in beta. Lastly, I really, really dislike how Eipix makes you watch a skipped puzzle being played out. This is a time filler for Eipix, and a senseless waste of time for the player.
SHORT & SWEET CONCLUSION
I won't waste your time waxing poetic about the production or listing the CE bling since this game shouldn't have made it out of beta testing given its flaws. And I can't recommend a game with such vague instructions, filler gameplay, and a serious bug. Since Eipix has released 6 games in the past 3 months, they're on track to release 24 games this year. It's not possible to release 24 quality games a year. Hence the cookie cutters and the rush to release a flawed game.
I won't waste your time waxing poetic about the production or listing the CE bling since this game shouldn't have made it out of beta testing given its flaws. And I can't recommend a game with such vague instructions, filler gameplay, and a serious bug. Since Eipix has released 6 games in the past 3 months, they're on track to release 24 games this year. It's not possible to release 24 quality games a year. Hence the cookie cutters and the rush to release a flawed game.
BETTER GAMES BY THIS DEV
Amaranthine Voyage: The Living Mountain (2014), The Shadow of Torment (2014), and Winter Neverending (2016). Dark Parables: The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree (2016) and Requiem for the Forgotten Shadow (2017). The Saga of the Nine Worlds series.
Amaranthine Voyage: The Living Mountain (2014), The Shadow of Torment (2014), and Winter Neverending (2016). Dark Parables: The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree (2016) and Requiem for the Forgotten Shadow (2017). The Saga of the Nine Worlds series.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you save Dupin from a malevolent murderer in time?
Overall rating
2
/
5
20 of 26 found this review helpful
Poe must be rolling in his grave.
PostedApril 6, 2018
LunaNik
fromNew England: Where you get all four seasons in one day.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
My current library includes 634 computer games dating from 1980 through today. I'm most interested in a well-developed storyline and challenging gameplay.
——————————
QUICK & DIRTY OVERVIEW
• plot has nothing to do with Poe's story
• exploration is mostly finding and using shaped keys
• half the HO scenes are simple zoom boxes
• puzzles are a mixed bag, mostly stupidly easy
• cutscenes are blurry, but still graphics are superb
• music is annoying
——————————
STORYLINE
Given that Poe's story is a firsthand account of the narrator's torture and escape during the Spanish Inquisition, you might be surprised to learn that this game is a revenge murder plot which frames an innocent man. Once again, ERS…er, I mean AMAX…has merely used Poe as the equivalent of clickbait. Hence my 1-star storyline rating. Both a pit and a pendulum appear briefly, but don't play a starring role by any means. In fact, the plot would have been the same without them.
——————————
GAMEPLAY
• 45 minutes, 30 indentations awaiting shaped keys. NO. NO. NO. This ridiculous contrivance doesn't constitute gameplay. If the game is 4 hours long, there are 160 of these stupid things to find. No thanks.
• The anachronistic fire extinguisher was locked up with TWO shaped keys. Good thing I only needed it as a battering ram.
• Half the HO scenes were zoom boxes with either multiples or fragments in plain view.
• The full-sized scenes included puzzles that would insult a child. Click and hold two spots until the timer runs out? Seriously? A jigsaw puzzle with a mind-boggling 9 pieces.
• 25% of the puzzles were just copying the clue. This isn't gameplay by anyone's definition.
• 2 more puzzles were jigsaws. In case your intellect was taxed by the 9-piece one, rejoice! These were 7 and 5 pieces.
• Randomly trying 5 keys in a lock isn't a puzzle. Neither is dragging things along a path without touching the sides or clicking when the balls cross the target zone.
——————————
QUICK & DIRTY OVERVIEW
• plot has nothing to do with Poe's story
• exploration is mostly finding and using shaped keys
• half the HO scenes are simple zoom boxes
• puzzles are a mixed bag, mostly stupidly easy
• cutscenes are blurry, but still graphics are superb
• music is annoying
——————————
STORYLINE
Given that Poe's story is a firsthand account of the narrator's torture and escape during the Spanish Inquisition, you might be surprised to learn that this game is a revenge murder plot which frames an innocent man. Once again, ERS…er, I mean AMAX…has merely used Poe as the equivalent of clickbait. Hence my 1-star storyline rating. Both a pit and a pendulum appear briefly, but don't play a starring role by any means. In fact, the plot would have been the same without them.
——————————
GAMEPLAY
• 45 minutes, 30 indentations awaiting shaped keys. NO. NO. NO. This ridiculous contrivance doesn't constitute gameplay. If the game is 4 hours long, there are 160 of these stupid things to find. No thanks.
• The anachronistic fire extinguisher was locked up with TWO shaped keys. Good thing I only needed it as a battering ram.
• Half the HO scenes were zoom boxes with either multiples or fragments in plain view.
• The full-sized scenes included puzzles that would insult a child. Click and hold two spots until the timer runs out? Seriously? A jigsaw puzzle with a mind-boggling 9 pieces.
• 25% of the puzzles were just copying the clue. This isn't gameplay by anyone's definition.
• 2 more puzzles were jigsaws. In case your intellect was taxed by the 9-piece one, rejoice! These were 7 and 5 pieces.
• Randomly trying 5 keys in a lock isn't a puzzle. Neither is dragging things along a path without touching the sides or clicking when the balls cross the target zone.
The puzzles that the dev actually put some thought into:
• Navigate a darkened maze, searching for items to help you escape. (Personally, I found this tedious, but at least it was a real puzzle.)
• There are 3 screens, each containing 3 cards. But their halves are mismatched. Swap the halves, moving from screen to screen as necessary, until all 9 cards are completed. Not incredibly challenging, but fun anyway.
• There are two screens surrounded by numbered buttons. Each screen contains 4 tokens. Use the buttons to push them into the center squares. This one was challenging, because the buttons affected both screens.
• A 4-part puzzle that increased in difficulty. For the first 3, use the arrows to move both token and goal until they meet. The challenge lies in moving them to block dead ends. The 4th: there are several tokens that each only move in one direction. Use them to push each other to their goals. Gears along the side will change the tokens' movement. That one broke my brain…and it was awesome.
——————————
PRODUCTION
The characters were drawn well, but animated mostly in stop-motion style. Backgrounds were nicely detailed with a beautiful depth of field and use of light. Up close, a lot of thought was put into details and textures. The music, however, I turned off. The screeching violins are back, and the monotonous piano arpeggios didn't add to them. Voiceovers were ok, but there wasn't much environmental sound. (I really wish we had separate ratings for graphics and sound.)
——————————
TECHNICAL
The custom difficulty had too few options…why can't I customize everything? Well, to answer my own question, the game wouldn't be very long if the dev allowed you to turn off banners and unnecessary animation, would it?
• Navigate a darkened maze, searching for items to help you escape. (Personally, I found this tedious, but at least it was a real puzzle.)
• There are 3 screens, each containing 3 cards. But their halves are mismatched. Swap the halves, moving from screen to screen as necessary, until all 9 cards are completed. Not incredibly challenging, but fun anyway.
• There are two screens surrounded by numbered buttons. Each screen contains 4 tokens. Use the buttons to push them into the center squares. This one was challenging, because the buttons affected both screens.
• A 4-part puzzle that increased in difficulty. For the first 3, use the arrows to move both token and goal until they meet. The challenge lies in moving them to block dead ends. The 4th: there are several tokens that each only move in one direction. Use them to push each other to their goals. Gears along the side will change the tokens' movement. That one broke my brain…and it was awesome.
——————————
PRODUCTION
The characters were drawn well, but animated mostly in stop-motion style. Backgrounds were nicely detailed with a beautiful depth of field and use of light. Up close, a lot of thought was put into details and textures. The music, however, I turned off. The screeching violins are back, and the monotonous piano arpeggios didn't add to them. Voiceovers were ok, but there wasn't much environmental sound. (I really wish we had separate ratings for graphics and sound.)
——————————
TECHNICAL
The custom difficulty had too few options…why can't I customize everything? Well, to answer my own question, the game wouldn't be very long if the dev allowed you to turn off banners and unnecessary animation, would it?
The design of the cursor was awful; it had a gear that constantly rotated and, when it caught your attention, it made you believe there was an interaction in the scene. OTOH, the little guy that represented your location on the map was as cute as a button.
——————————
CE BLING
Gameplay—bonus chapter, 12 HOs, 16 puzzles
Collectible—9 cards and a bunch of easy-to-spot morphs (they just faded in and out)
Portfolio—6 wallpapers, 5 screensavers, 8 concept art, 12 videos, 4 soundtracks
Other—achievements, strategy guide
I'm at the point where I'm uninterested in CEs unless the gameplay is close to doubled, the music is DL-worthy, and the collectibles are hard to find and interesting. Rewatching the cutscenes is NOT an "extra" and earning achievements for simplistic gameplay is about as awesome as getting a participation award just because you showed up.
——————————
BETTER GAMES BY THIS DEV
Gothic Fiction: Dark Saga (2012), Haunted Halls: Green Hills Sanitarium (2010), PuppetShow: Mystery of Joyville (2009), Souls of the Innocent (2010), Return to Joyville (2012), The Price of Immortality (2015), Redemption Cemetery: Salvation of the Lost (2013), Clock of Fate (2015)
——————————
SHORT & SWEET CONCLUSION
While I liked a few of the puzzles, that's not enough to overcome the multitude of shaped keys, copy the clue, jigsaws, and simple zoom HOs. And the fact that the plot has nothing to do with Poe's story. At all.
——————————
CE BLING
Gameplay—bonus chapter, 12 HOs, 16 puzzles
Collectible—9 cards and a bunch of easy-to-spot morphs (they just faded in and out)
Portfolio—6 wallpapers, 5 screensavers, 8 concept art, 12 videos, 4 soundtracks
Other—achievements, strategy guide
I'm at the point where I'm uninterested in CEs unless the gameplay is close to doubled, the music is DL-worthy, and the collectibles are hard to find and interesting. Rewatching the cutscenes is NOT an "extra" and earning achievements for simplistic gameplay is about as awesome as getting a participation award just because you showed up.
——————————
BETTER GAMES BY THIS DEV
Gothic Fiction: Dark Saga (2012), Haunted Halls: Green Hills Sanitarium (2010), PuppetShow: Mystery of Joyville (2009), Souls of the Innocent (2010), Return to Joyville (2012), The Price of Immortality (2015), Redemption Cemetery: Salvation of the Lost (2013), Clock of Fate (2015)
——————————
SHORT & SWEET CONCLUSION
While I liked a few of the puzzles, that's not enough to overcome the multitude of shaped keys, copy the clue, jigsaws, and simple zoom HOs. And the fact that the plot has nothing to do with Poe's story. At all.
I don't recommend this game.
Challenge an evil presence in this chilling hidden object adventure and save your loved ones before it's too late!
Overall rating
2
/
5
8 of 12 found this review helpful
Been there, done that, got a closetful of t-shirts at this point.
PostedApril 4, 2018
LunaNik
fromIn 2012, my average rating was four stars. Now, it's two stars. Something's very wrong in HOPA-land.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
My current library includes 634 computer games dating from 1980 through today. I'm most interested in a well-developed storyline and challenging gameplay.
—————
This isn't remotely a five-star game unless you happen to like the current trend of cookie cutter stories and gameplay.
—————
This isn't remotely a five-star game unless you happen to like the current trend of cookie cutter stories and gameplay.
The plot moved at a snail's pace, and was related via endless cutscenes and conversations you can't skip without missing something. Exploration included every cliché in the book and shaped keys of all descriptions. And a helper.
Half the HO scenes were zoom box mini-scenes. Of the 3 full-sized scenes, one was a silhouette list with multiples of each item, and the other two were find-and-replace. None of them actually contained hidden objects. Puzzles were uninspiring, repetitive, and easy. Copy the clue—not a puzzle—and two that tested your timing.
Graphics were inconsistent. Some of the visuals were meticulously detailed, lighted, and textured, while others looked rushed and unfinished. I didn't notice the music, so it was neither annoying nor memorable. Voiceovers were ok.
Hotspots were twitchy and there were far too many banners. Overuse of animation that froze my mouse until it finished looping. Lastly, it's not CE-worthy, since the only extra gameplay is the bonus chapter, and the portfolio is only wallpapers and concept art.
If you like all the games you buy to have exactly the same gameplay, then you might like this one. I prefer an immersive, challenging game…I wonder if I'll ever see one again?
I don't 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
3
/
5
12 of 25 found this review helpful
Not as good as the first episode. Or the second.
PostedApril 4, 2018
LunaNik
fromThough April showers may come your way, they bring the flowers that bloom in May. So if it's raining, have no regrets. Because it isn't raining rain, you know; it's raining violets.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Current Favorite:
The Silent Age
(73)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
My current library includes 634 computer games dating from 1980 through today. I'm most interested in a well-developed storyline and challenging gameplay.
——————————
QUICK & DIRTY OVERVIEW
• slow storyline
• gameplay mostly exploration
• excellent HO scenes
• puzzles from "not a puzzle" to moderate difficulty
• stunning graphics and animation
• music reused from previous episodes
• horrible voiceovers
• design flaw that interferes with black box text
• awesomely functional map
• decent CE bling
——————————
STORYLINE
Despite numerous long, repetitive cutscenes, the story developed extremely slowly. By the time the demo ended, Alice had only just reunited with Uncle Colin and Farador after being separated by the Dark Warrior's mega-storm. And she'd met people living on the Dark Side. More action in the demo would have been more immersive and less boring.
——————————
QUICK & DIRTY OVERVIEW
• slow storyline
• gameplay mostly exploration
• excellent HO scenes
• puzzles from "not a puzzle" to moderate difficulty
• stunning graphics and animation
• music reused from previous episodes
• horrible voiceovers
• design flaw that interferes with black box text
• awesomely functional map
• decent CE bling
——————————
STORYLINE
Despite numerous long, repetitive cutscenes, the story developed extremely slowly. By the time the demo ended, Alice had only just reunited with Uncle Colin and Farador after being separated by the Dark Warrior's mega-storm. And she'd met people living on the Dark Side. More action in the demo would have been more immersive and less boring.
GAMEPLAY
Gameplay is 60% exploration, 10% HO scenes, and 30% puzzles, and there was a LOT of running around completing small tasks and finding shaped keys and missing tokens. There were only 2 HO scenes in the demo: an interactive list with zoom areas to explore, and a sequential find-and-use. A shame…5BN's HO scenes are excellent.
Gameplay is 60% exploration, 10% HO scenes, and 30% puzzles, and there was a LOT of running around completing small tasks and finding shaped keys and missing tokens. There were only 2 HO scenes in the demo: an interactive list with zoom areas to explore, and a sequential find-and-use. A shame…5BN's HO scenes are excellent.
Puzzles ranged from filler garbage to moderately difficult. On a scale from 1 to 10:
• 0-Choose the "safe" stones to climb up the cliff. Random guessing isn't a puzzle.
• 0-Use magnet to find scissors. Mousing the cursor over the screen isn't a puzzle.
• 4-Press the green arrows to move the key to the lock. The three inner circles contain red tokens you can jump over but must avoid; each is marked with a red arrow to show its movement direction. Requires some strategy.
• 2-Choose the two symbol fragments that make up the central symbol. Not a puzzle for adults; too easy.
• 7-Turn the maze to guide the silver ball to the exit. There are three wooden balls in the maze that can hinder or help you, depending on how you move them. Requires planning.
• 6-Rotate and swap to move all ten token to their correct backgrounds. A repeat, but one I always find enjoyable.
More puzzles like the last two, please!
• 0-Choose the "safe" stones to climb up the cliff. Random guessing isn't a puzzle.
• 0-Use magnet to find scissors. Mousing the cursor over the screen isn't a puzzle.
• 4-Press the green arrows to move the key to the lock. The three inner circles contain red tokens you can jump over but must avoid; each is marked with a red arrow to show its movement direction. Requires some strategy.
• 2-Choose the two symbol fragments that make up the central symbol. Not a puzzle for adults; too easy.
• 7-Turn the maze to guide the silver ball to the exit. There are three wooden balls in the maze that can hinder or help you, depending on how you move them. Requires planning.
• 6-Rotate and swap to move all ten token to their correct backgrounds. A repeat, but one I always find enjoyable.
More puzzles like the last two, please!
PRODUCTION
Background graphics were panoramic with beautiful details, interestingly forced perspective, and lovely use of light and shadow. The palette was colorful, but not eye-searing. 5BN consistently has the best character rendering and animation. Skin, hair, and clothing was all ornately textured, and characters moved in a lifelike manner.
Background graphics were panoramic with beautiful details, interestingly forced perspective, and lovely use of light and shadow. The palette was colorful, but not eye-searing. 5BN consistently has the best character rendering and animation. Skin, hair, and clothing was all ornately textured, and characters moved in a lifelike manner.
The music is the same as the previous episodes, something this dev has a bad habit of doing. It lessens motivation to buy the CE…why pay for an extra I already have? Environmental sounds could have been more prevalent, and the voiceovers were awful. The language was too formal and they spoke MUCH too slowly. The actors lacked emotional affect, so that a fearful outburst like, "We must run immediately!" came out flat and unemotional. It made immersion difficult and eradicated motivation. It's hard to feel an urgency to help characters that aren't relatable.
TECHNICAL
A notable design flaw: When the characters spoke, their words appeared in a conversation box alongside their picture…in the same place designated for black box text. There was no way to close the conversation box, and it took forever to fade out. So, if you rely on black box text, you'll be waiting forever to read it.
A notable design flaw: When the characters spoke, their words appeared in a conversation box alongside their picture…in the same place designated for black box text. There was no way to close the conversation box, and it took forever to fade out. So, if you rely on black box text, you'll be waiting forever to read it.
A note on navigation: It's designed more like an adventure game than a HOPA. New areas can appear in nearly any direction, and I initially missed a couple that were off to the side of the screen. This isn't a design flaw, but just a different design.
The map is uniquely organized into sections with descriptive labels like "Cave Settlement" and "Desert Lands." Some may prefer the entire game map on one page, but I've found that this dev's method helps orient me in the game world. Also, collectibles and morphs are notated both in the specific scene AND in the section overview, which is quite helpful in tracking down missed goodies.
CE BLING
Gameplay—bonus chapter, 21 mini-games, 7 puzzles, 30 bonus puzzles (no idea whether they're actually mini-games or more jigsaws)
Collectibles—morphing objects and 6 categories of collectibles (6-8 items in each)
Portfolio—9 wallpapers, 7 concept art, 14 videos, 8 (reused) soundtracks
Other—achievements, strategy guide
I wish the ability to replay HO scenes was included as bling.
——————————
GAMES IN THIS SERIES (my ratings)
Born of Fire ✭✭✭✭½—Alice, an ordinary farm girl, discovers a phoenix egg. When it hatches, the fiery bird somehow becomes part of her, marking her with a distinctive tattoo. Suddenly, Alice is thrust into an epic battle against an unmentionable evil. Accompanied by her Uncle Colin, she must make a difficult journey to defeat the Dark Warrior's plans.
CE BLING
Gameplay—bonus chapter, 21 mini-games, 7 puzzles, 30 bonus puzzles (no idea whether they're actually mini-games or more jigsaws)
Collectibles—morphing objects and 6 categories of collectibles (6-8 items in each)
Portfolio—9 wallpapers, 7 concept art, 14 videos, 8 (reused) soundtracks
Other—achievements, strategy guide
I wish the ability to replay HO scenes was included as bling.
——————————
GAMES IN THIS SERIES (my ratings)
Born of Fire ✭✭✭✭½—Alice, an ordinary farm girl, discovers a phoenix egg. When it hatches, the fiery bird somehow becomes part of her, marking her with a distinctive tattoo. Suddenly, Alice is thrust into an epic battle against an unmentionable evil. Accompanied by her Uncle Colin, she must make a difficult journey to defeat the Dark Warrior's plans.
Missing Memories ✭✭✭✭—Uncle Colin is suffering horrendous nightmares. A woman who seems familiar to him repeatedly calls out for his help. So he and Alice set out to find a healer to restore Colin's memories. But the Dark Warrior is hunting Alice, and they soon find that the task of stopping his army falls to them.
OTHER NOTABLE SERIES FROM 5BN
Lost Lands, New York Mysteries, The Legacy
——————————
SHORT & SWEET CONCLUSION
I am still curious about the story, even though it didn't get too far in the demo. But I'm not a huge collectibles fan; they distract both player and developer from the actual game. It's gotten out of hand when there are multiple collectibles in each game scene. I'd rather have a longer bonus chapter and better quality gameplay. I believe I'll wait and demo the SE because, without collectibles, I'll get further along in the story. Give the demo a try and see if it's your cup of tea.
Lost Lands, New York Mysteries, The Legacy
——————————
SHORT & SWEET CONCLUSION
I am still curious about the story, even though it didn't get too far in the demo. But I'm not a huge collectibles fan; they distract both player and developer from the actual game. It's gotten out of hand when there are multiple collectibles in each game scene. I'd rather have a longer bonus chapter and better quality gameplay. I believe I'll wait and demo the SE because, without collectibles, I'll get further along in the story. Give the demo a try and see if it's your cup of tea.
Can you confront an otherworldly foe and save your nephew?
Overall rating
2
/
5
19 of 32 found this review helpful
This game appears to have been cobbled together with random spare parts.
PostedMarch 31, 2018
LunaNik
fromSpring is here! My daffodils are coming up!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
My current library includes 634 computer games dating from 1980 through today. I'm most interested in a well-developed storyline and challenging gameplay.
——————————
QUICK & DIRTY OVERVIEW
Having been a science fiction fan since I was a kid, I hoped for a fantastic story and challenging gameplay…and was disappointed. The plot was a patchwork of unrelated elements, fractured and contrived. Exploration included the usual clichés and shaped keys. The puzzles were simplistic and the HO scenes mostly unimaginative (with a couple exceptions). Production was inconsistent, and it's not CE-worthy.
——————————
STORYLINE
Harold, a medieval inventor, and his nephew Isaac are headed to the Victory Day Festival to sell their inventions when a spaceship crash lands near them. (Obligatory vehicle crash scenario…covered.) Isaac disappears into the ship and is trapped. (Relative in trouble scenario…covered.) The alien pilot (who appeared to be 100% human) fits Harold with a translation device. (Gimmicky gadget filler that takes the place of actual gameplay…covered.)
——————————
QUICK & DIRTY OVERVIEW
Having been a science fiction fan since I was a kid, I hoped for a fantastic story and challenging gameplay…and was disappointed. The plot was a patchwork of unrelated elements, fractured and contrived. Exploration included the usual clichés and shaped keys. The puzzles were simplistic and the HO scenes mostly unimaginative (with a couple exceptions). Production was inconsistent, and it's not CE-worthy.
——————————
STORYLINE
Harold, a medieval inventor, and his nephew Isaac are headed to the Victory Day Festival to sell their inventions when a spaceship crash lands near them. (Obligatory vehicle crash scenario…covered.) Isaac disappears into the ship and is trapped. (Relative in trouble scenario…covered.) The alien pilot (who appeared to be 100% human) fits Harold with a translation device. (Gimmicky gadget filler that takes the place of actual gameplay…covered.)
Harold has no difficulty repairing and flying the spaceship to the Moon. Perhaps he took a correspondence course in futuristic alien technology. The Moon…wait for it…has an atmosphere, which is fortunate for the complex civilization that lives there. The alien ruler, Blacksands, apparently wants to take over Earth. (What is it with HOPA bad guys? They either want to rule everything or are seeking immortality.) I strongly suggest that Madhead actually read some science fiction before their next SF series.
——————————
GAMEPLAY
During exploration, I smoked out bees, extinguished a fire, found an item sewn into a cushion, repaired countless broken devices, found and used shaped keys, and did quite a lot of "just click through the story" type of gameplay. (Find fragments of an item, click on them in the inventory panel, then click again and watch them magically fly together into one piece. This isn't gameplay; it's a filler.)
——————————
GAMEPLAY
During exploration, I smoked out bees, extinguished a fire, found an item sewn into a cushion, repaired countless broken devices, found and used shaped keys, and did quite a lot of "just click through the story" type of gameplay. (Find fragments of an item, click on them in the inventory panel, then click again and watch them magically fly together into one piece. This isn't gameplay; it's a filler.)
HO scenes included Madhead's usual list which unlocks panels hiding items to use in the scene, symbols in a storybook, zoom box scene, matching pairs hiding smaller items, etc. The two more creative scenes: a pictorial list between two locations, and an array of pictures to match to the scene. More like these last two would have been better.
Puzzles were mostly familiar and ridiculously easy. The usual timing test where you click when the moving ball crosses the target zone. Match-3+. Place the gears. Rotate the pipe segments. Choose the correct symbol fragments. Two 4-piece jigsaw puzzles. (I'm waiting with bated breath for devs to reduce puzzles to a series of 2-piece jigsaws…shouldn't be long now.) Matching pairs. There were only three that were interesting and moderately challenging:
• Guide a ball in and out of matching colored portals to reach the exit.
• Place light orbs correctly, based on the patterns of lines they generate.
• Click/drag to draw lines between circles, matching the given pattern (3 levels). The playing grid is oriented differently from the clue, which presents a bit of a challenge.
——————————
PRODUCTION
Production was a mixed bag. I found the graphics inconsistent. The backgrounds were quite beautiful, fanciful, and detailed. The characters varied from extremely realistic to cartoonish, and they were animated poorly. (I nearly fell off my chair laughing when Blacksands and his minion hopped across a room like stick puppets. It pretty much neutered their evil.) Music wasn't bad…a mix of thematic and ambient pieces with a lot of "otherworldly" sound effects. Voiceovers were decent.
——————————
CE BLING
The CE bling was sparse:
Gameplay: bonus chapter, 16 HO scenes
Collectibles: the Madhead spiral (again!!!), morphs both in-game and in the HO scenes
Portfolio: 4 wallpapers, 8 soundtracks, unknown number of concept art
Other: strategy guide, 11 achievements with 3 levels each
(At the risk of repeating myself, the ability to replay ALL puzzles and ALL HO scenes should be standard for CEs.)
——————————
SHORT & SWEET CONCLUSION
Since the storyline was a disconnected combination of medieval town, futuristic Moon civilization, and monster on the loose, I failed to become immersed. Overwhelmingly, the gameplay was too easy. Altogether, this game made no sense to this lifelong science fiction fan, so I can't recommend it. YMMV, of course. IDIC.
• Guide a ball in and out of matching colored portals to reach the exit.
• Place light orbs correctly, based on the patterns of lines they generate.
• Click/drag to draw lines between circles, matching the given pattern (3 levels). The playing grid is oriented differently from the clue, which presents a bit of a challenge.
——————————
PRODUCTION
Production was a mixed bag. I found the graphics inconsistent. The backgrounds were quite beautiful, fanciful, and detailed. The characters varied from extremely realistic to cartoonish, and they were animated poorly. (I nearly fell off my chair laughing when Blacksands and his minion hopped across a room like stick puppets. It pretty much neutered their evil.) Music wasn't bad…a mix of thematic and ambient pieces with a lot of "otherworldly" sound effects. Voiceovers were decent.
——————————
CE BLING
The CE bling was sparse:
Gameplay: bonus chapter, 16 HO scenes
Collectibles: the Madhead spiral (again!!!), morphs both in-game and in the HO scenes
Portfolio: 4 wallpapers, 8 soundtracks, unknown number of concept art
Other: strategy guide, 11 achievements with 3 levels each
(At the risk of repeating myself, the ability to replay ALL puzzles and ALL HO scenes should be standard for CEs.)
——————————
SHORT & SWEET CONCLUSION
Since the storyline was a disconnected combination of medieval town, futuristic Moon civilization, and monster on the loose, I failed to become immersed. Overwhelmingly, the gameplay was too easy. Altogether, this game made no sense to this lifelong science fiction fan, so I can't recommend it. YMMV, of course. IDIC.
I don't recommend this game.
A man has gone missing in the town of Rockshire, but the townspeople deny he was ever there. What dark secret are they hiding?
Overall rating
2
/
5
7 of 9 found this review helpful
Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.
PostedMarch 25, 2018
LunaNik
fromLazing on a Sunday afternoon.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
My current library includes 634 computer games dating from 1980 through today. I'm most interested in a well-developed storyline and challenging gameplay.
QUICK & DIRTY OVERVIEW
• starts out interesting, goes downhill to silliness and monotony
• typical clichéd gameplay, puzzles, and HOs
• lovely graphics, ambient music, and voiceovers
• bottom line: cookie cutter
• starts out interesting, goes downhill to silliness and monotony
• typical clichéd gameplay, puzzles, and HOs
• lovely graphics, ambient music, and voiceovers
• bottom line: cookie cutter
LONGER, MORE DETAILED REVIEW
Bonnie hires you to find her husband, gone missing while on a mining job. The townspeople swear he was never there, but Bonnie has proof. So, off you go to Rockshire to deal with a secretive mayor, a grieving fisherman, a briefly violent bartender, and a mysterious hooded figure. (I can't say much more without spoiling the "hook" of the story, but it's another supernatural evil that I'm sure my pure heart will overcome.)
Bonnie hires you to find her husband, gone missing while on a mining job. The townspeople swear he was never there, but Bonnie has proof. So, off you go to Rockshire to deal with a secretive mayor, a grieving fisherman, a briefly violent bartender, and a mysterious hooded figure. (I can't say much more without spoiling the "hook" of the story, but it's another supernatural evil that I'm sure my pure heart will overcome.)
Exploration finds you running back and forth from scene to scene, mostly finding and placing shaped keys and doing favors for everyone. HO scenes are mediocre with predictable interactions. Presentations included fragments, interactive lists, zoom boxes, and silhouettes, and scenes are repeated.
Puzzles are all retreads and easy, even if you choose "hard mode." I encountered multiple variations on the jigsaw, matching pairs, trace the lines, all lights on, swap tokens, and a few more that hardly qualify as puzzles. The best puzzle was deciphering a color code for a safe. The wedges needed to be swapped to create a mirror image, but the circle rotated after each move. That was the sole challenging puzzle.
The production was superb, IMO. Realistic, detailed backgrounds set the scene. Objects close up revealed beautiful textures and careful details. The palette was realistic, thankfully lacking the blinding neon of most games today.
SHORT & SWEET CONCLUSION
Since I found the storyline rather silly, and the gameplay too easy and repetitive, this one's not for me. It would be a great game for beginners to the genre, or those looking for more relaxing gameplay. As always, YMMV, so try the demo.
Since I found the storyline rather silly, and the gameplay too easy and repetitive, this one's not for me. It would be a great game for beginners to the genre, or those looking for more relaxing gameplay. As always, YMMV, so try the demo.
Explore the incredible underwater hidden object world of Aquascapes.
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 4 found this review helpful
Great game for kids, families, and rainy days.
PostedMarch 25, 2018
LunaNik
fromLazing on a Sunday afternoon.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
QUICK & DIRTY OVERVIEW
• themed aquariums and decorations
• anthropomorphized fish that make humorous comments
• several different types of HO scenes that are moderately challenging
• your actions earn you gold, shells, awards, and level-ups
• timed or relaxed mode available immediately
• themed aquariums and decorations
• anthropomorphized fish that make humorous comments
• several different types of HO scenes that are moderately challenging
• your actions earn you gold, shells, awards, and level-ups
• timed or relaxed mode available immediately
LONGER, MORE DETAILED REVIEW
The game begins with a short, basic tutorial which adequately explains the game mechanics. Play HO scenes to earn gold coins and seashells, both of which you can spend in the store buying fish, plants, decorations, new backgrounds, and such.
The game begins with a short, basic tutorial which adequately explains the game mechanics. Play HO scenes to earn gold coins and seashells, both of which you can spend in the store buying fish, plants, decorations, new backgrounds, and such.
In the standard HO scenes, there are three shells to find. List types include word, description, and silhouette. There are also special timed HO scenes in which you must find all items that fit a category, or one of the three listed items. Objects are depicted fairly creatively, including in words and pictures on signs.
The items you can buy in the store are all accompanied by descriptions of their qualities. And you can name your fish. Once you add plants and decorations to your aquarium, you can move them around at any time. And you can sell them if they're not appropriate to the background you've chosen.
The graphics are a mix of painterly backgrounds and dimensional objects, and the style is whimsical. The palette is beautifully colorful without being garish.
SHORT & SWEET CONCLUSION
Overall, I think this is a fantastic game for a rainy (or snowy) day. Kids will love it. I played in relaxed mode, which is great for de-stressing.
Overall, I think this is a fantastic game for a rainy (or snowy) day. Kids will love it. I played in relaxed mode, which is great for de-stressing.
I recommend this game!
Follow our intrepid investigators as they explore this unique Paris setting that combines fantasy and the Crazy Years.
Overall rating
2
/
5
2½ stars...This would be great for kids and families. (Rating based on playing as an adult.)
PostedMarch 25, 2018
LunaNik
fromLazing on a Sunday afternoon.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
My rating is based on considering this as a game for adults. However, I would give it five stars as a game for kids and families. It's just not challenging enough, IMO.
Basically, you travel around Paris looking for clues about your father's disappearance. While questioning people you meet, they'll ask you to complete a puzzle before helping you. Most of these were "untangle the ropes" or simple logic problems. If you're successful, they'll hand over gears they've found, gears which belong to your father's device. (Certain spots on the map will spontaneously generate "time films" which you can collect for hints.)
There are loads of conversations to click through, and not much action, so I would categorize this as a cross between a game and an interactive story.
The graphics are done in a cartoon style without shading or depth; it's fitting for this type of game. Music is upbeat acoustic guitar instrumentals that remind me of Johnny Depp in "Chocolat." Overall, a great kids' game.