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:
Can you break an evil curse and save the day?!
Overall rating
2
/
5
26 of 32 found this review helpful
A non-Christmas story with simple gameplay and shaped keys.
PostedDecember 7, 2017
LunaNik
fromSTILL boycotting shaped keys.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Review based on: full demo
OVERVIEW
The gameplay is for children. The storyline doesn't have anything to do with Christmas at all. But the graphics are pretty.
The gameplay is for children. The storyline doesn't have anything to do with Christmas at all. But the graphics are pretty.
STORYLINE ★
Prince Edward is marrying Rose on Christmas Eve when a sorceress interrupts the ceremony, cursing the wedding party, guests, and staff. The sorceress must have a DVD player loaded with Disney movies, as she turns the guests into animals, the staff into animated household objects, and Rose into, you guessed it, a rose. Under a dome. With its petals falling off one by one. So, it's pretty obvious where this is going. Christmas-y, it's not.
Prince Edward is marrying Rose on Christmas Eve when a sorceress interrupts the ceremony, cursing the wedding party, guests, and staff. The sorceress must have a DVD player loaded with Disney movies, as she turns the guests into animals, the staff into animated household objects, and Rose into, you guessed it, a rose. Under a dome. With its petals falling off one by one. So, it's pretty obvious where this is going. Christmas-y, it's not.
GAMEPLAY ★
It's Elephant's usual "missing zipper pull" style of annoying tasks, plus their usual multitude of shaped keys, most of them in sets or requiring assembly. When you finally open the box or cabinet, guess what you find? Usually, another shaped key. Bah, humbug.
It's Elephant's usual "missing zipper pull" style of annoying tasks, plus their usual multitude of shaped keys, most of them in sets or requiring assembly. When you finally open the box or cabinet, guess what you find? Usually, another shaped key. Bah, humbug.
Four unchallenging unhidden objects scenes in the demo: two minimally interactive lists, one silhouettes, and one hidden pairs.
Nine ridiculously easy mini-games in the demo, with lots of variations on the same theme:
• On a clock face, swap the tokens until you create the correct day to night order.
• Swap tiles to complete the musical notes.
• A nine-piece jigsaw puzzle with only some pieces available at a time.
• Copy the clue to open the safe.
• Guide the trains to their matching stations by clicking the levers that control the arrangement of the tracks.
• Jump over all but one berry cluster. Three levels.
• Select petals to move the silver disk to cover the golden center of the flower.
• Rotate the hexagons to guide the pink and yellow lights to the center.
• Arrange the planetary symbols in their correct order by moving and flipping the levers.
• On a clock face, swap the tokens until you create the correct day to night order.
• Swap tiles to complete the musical notes.
• A nine-piece jigsaw puzzle with only some pieces available at a time.
• Copy the clue to open the safe.
• Guide the trains to their matching stations by clicking the levers that control the arrangement of the tracks.
• Jump over all but one berry cluster. Three levels.
• Select petals to move the silver disk to cover the golden center of the flower.
• Rotate the hexagons to guide the pink and yellow lights to the center.
• Arrange the planetary symbols in their correct order by moving and flipping the levers.
GRAPHICS ★★★★★
Beautiful graphics, animation, and poser work. Maybe Elephant should make animated videos instead of games.
Beautiful graphics, animation, and poser work. Maybe Elephant should make animated videos instead of games.
SOUND ★★★★★
Lovely variety of Christmas music. Professional voiceovers. Decent sound effects.
Lovely variety of Christmas music. Professional voiceovers. Decent sound effects.
TECHNICAL
No issues with El Capitan.
No issues with El Capitan.
CONCLUSION
There's nothing new or challenging in the gameplay. The storyline is not a Christmas theme. And there's an animal helper. Maybe children would like this game, but I don't see expert gamers being interested.
There's nothing new or challenging in the gameplay. The storyline is not a Christmas theme. And there's an animal helper. Maybe children would like this game, but I don't see expert gamers being interested.
GAMES IN THIS SERIES:
• Nutcracker (2012)
• A Christmas Carol (2013)
• Tin Soldier (2014)
• Puss in Boots (2015)
• The Gift of the Magi (2016)
• A Little Prince (2017)
• Nutcracker (2012)
• A Christmas Carol (2013)
• Tin Soldier (2014)
• Puss in Boots (2015)
• The Gift of the Magi (2016)
• A Little Prince (2017)
BEST GAMES BY THIS DEV
• Chimeras: Tune of Revenge
• Grim Tales: Bloody Mary
• Mystery Trackers (first 6 episodes)
• Royal Detective (first 2 episodes)
• Surface (first 4 episodes)
• Unfinished Tales: Illicit Love
• Chimeras: Tune of Revenge
• Grim Tales: Bloody Mary
• Mystery Trackers (first 6 episodes)
• Royal Detective (first 2 episodes)
• Surface (first 4 episodes)
• Unfinished Tales: Illicit Love
BEST GAMES WITH THIS THEME (fairy tale reboots)
• Living Legends: Uninvited Guests
• Dark Parables: first 5 episodes by Blue Tea, plus Eipix's The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree
• Chimeras: Tune of Revenge
• Unfinished Tales: Illicit Love
• Living Legends: Uninvited Guests
• Dark Parables: first 5 episodes by Blue Tea, plus Eipix's The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree
• Chimeras: Tune of Revenge
• Unfinished Tales: Illicit Love
I don't recommend this game.
Accompany Diana as she chases the thief of an ancient artifact into another world in this hidden object adventure!
Overall rating
3
/
5
29 of 34 found this review helpful
Storyline is too similar to Forgotten Gates, gameplay is too easy.
PostedDecember 6, 2017
LunaNik
fromTotally avoiding portals that lead to the ancient Mayans.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
SUMMARY…Based on the demo, this game is extremely similar to the first episode in the series. Why the Mayans again? Didn't other ancient cultures have portals? Couldn't we have visited ancient Greece or Rome, or the Celts, or the Mongol empire?
WHAT WAS GOOD…The HO scenes. They were mostly the characteristic find-and-use, and all included at least one puzzle. Unfortunately, there were only three in the demo, but all were of medium difficulty.
The extras. Bonus chapter, strategy guide, performance achievements. Replay 13 mini-games. Assemble 7 puzzles. 8 categories of collectibles; completing a category will unlock additional puzzles. 30 morphing objects to unlock bonus play. 21 wallpapers, 37 concept artworks, 16 videos, and 8 downloadable music tracks. (Note: 5BN has a habit of reusing music, but I'm unsure whether they did so in this series.)
The graphics. Beautiful backgrounds, detailed foregrounds, excellent animation and poser work (except the lip synching…see below). The palette was thoughtfully chosen and always appropriate.
The voiceovers. Fairly good voice acting with appropriate affect.
WHAT WAS “MEH”…The storyline. Diana is back, and hot on the trail of a gold artifact stolen from the museum. In the process, she's sucked through a portal (again) to the time and place of the Mayans (again). Apparently, Shaash the Gatekeeper is asleep on the job. And this time, Diana must face and overcome the demon Rhitoris.
WHAT WAS BAD…The puzzles. The overwhelming majority were much too easy. Three of the eight in the demo were simple copy-the-clue throwaways. The others:
• Rotate the circle and slot the three pieces into their matching grooves. Throwaway (not improved by having to do it twice).
• Matching pairs. Easy.
• Move all blocks to the hole. Hover over empty cells adjacent to the blocks, then click an arrow to move that block. Blocks will move adjacent blocks aside. Easy.
• Restore the image by swapping the planks. Medium, because some were upside down and the pattern was difficult to discern.
• Swap skulls along the lines until all are facing the center. Easy.
• Rotate the circle and slot the three pieces into their matching grooves. Throwaway (not improved by having to do it twice).
• Matching pairs. Easy.
• Move all blocks to the hole. Hover over empty cells adjacent to the blocks, then click an arrow to move that block. Blocks will move adjacent blocks aside. Easy.
• Restore the image by swapping the planks. Medium, because some were upside down and the pattern was difficult to discern.
• Swap skulls along the lines until all are facing the center. Easy.
The lip synching. Mainly, it looked like they were chewing gum. The top halves of their faces didn't move, but the entire bottom half changed in bizarre ways.
CONCLUSION…It's not a bad game, but I found the storyline rather boring, and the gameplay filled with too many simplistic puzzles. I recommend you try the demo, but it's not for me.
BEST GAMES BY THIS DEV (✭✭✭✭ or better)
• from this series—Forgotten Gates
• other game series—Darkness and Flame, Lost Lands, New York Mysteries
• from this series—Forgotten Gates
• other game series—Darkness and Flame, Lost Lands, New York Mysteries
BEST GAMES IN THIS STORY GENRE (Portals! Oh, and saving one or more worlds.)
• game series—Green Moon (adv), Time Mysteries, Botanica, Amaranthine Voyage, Saga of the Nine Worlds, Nightmare Adventures (adv), Invasion (adv), Nightmare Realm, Nevertales
• one-off games—Bridge to Another World: Alice in Shadowland, Portal of Evil: Stolen Runes, Enchantia: Wrath of the Phoenix Queen, Subliminal Realms: Masterpiece, Queen's Quest: Stories of Forgotten Past, Lost Souls: Enchanted Paintings, Epistory: Typing Chronicles (adv), Shrouded Tales: The Spellbound Land, Nearwood, Mythic Wonders: The Philosopher's Stone, Mystery of Mortlake Mansion, Kuros, Dreamscapes: The Sandman
• game series—Green Moon (adv), Time Mysteries, Botanica, Amaranthine Voyage, Saga of the Nine Worlds, Nightmare Adventures (adv), Invasion (adv), Nightmare Realm, Nevertales
• one-off games—Bridge to Another World: Alice in Shadowland, Portal of Evil: Stolen Runes, Enchantia: Wrath of the Phoenix Queen, Subliminal Realms: Masterpiece, Queen's Quest: Stories of Forgotten Past, Lost Souls: Enchanted Paintings, Epistory: Typing Chronicles (adv), Shrouded Tales: The Spellbound Land, Nearwood, Mythic Wonders: The Philosopher's Stone, Mystery of Mortlake Mansion, Kuros, Dreamscapes: The Sandman
When the clock strikes, London shall burn!
Overall rating
4
/
5
7 of 11 found this review helpful
4½ stars! Excellent new series!
PostedDecember 3, 2017
LunaNik
fromCatching up on this week's demos.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
SUMMARY…Based on the demo, this game has an immersive and engaging storyline, overall excellent HOs and puzzles, superb graphics, professional voiceovers, repetitive music, and a good variety of challenge levels.
WHAT WAS GOOD…The storyline. It's not another supernatural ghost story, but a murder mystery set in Victorian London involving a plot to prevent the opening of the clock tower.
The HO scenes. Tons of variety in presentation, and the challenge level is fantastic. Scenes in the demo include:
• highlighted words in the text, with multiples MEDIUM
• interactive list with multiples, plus a jigsaw DIFFICULT
• zoom box straight list MEDIUM
• interactive list, plus untangle the laces MEDIUM
• zoom box interactive list EASY
• all in one category DIFFICULT
• repeating HO…straight list to gather clues VARYING
• highlighted words in the text, with multiples MEDIUM
• interactive list with multiples, plus a jigsaw DIFFICULT
• zoom box straight list MEDIUM
• interactive list, plus untangle the laces MEDIUM
• zoom box interactive list EASY
• all in one category DIFFICULT
• repeating HO…straight list to gather clues VARYING
The puzzles. Lots of original ones and no throwaways! Puzzles in the demo include:
• Move the latch through the maze to the hole. The maze includes directional arrows. Choose from the numbers on the clock face to move the latch to the nearest intersection. DIFFICULT
• Use the diagram to find your way through the maze of London alleyways. EASY
• Fill your bars by matching three or more pieces. Be careful not to fill the bandit's bars, or he'll punch you. Three levels. VARYING
• Rearrange the valves to match the start and end points of each pipe. EASY
• Open the lid by rotating the wheel to correctly slide each figure to its matching slot. Two levels. MEDIUM
• Create a punch card by arranging the shaped pins according to the clue. The card on which you're working is upside down and backwards from the clue. MEDIUM
• Move the latch through the maze to the hole. The maze includes directional arrows. Choose from the numbers on the clock face to move the latch to the nearest intersection. DIFFICULT
• Use the diagram to find your way through the maze of London alleyways. EASY
• Fill your bars by matching three or more pieces. Be careful not to fill the bandit's bars, or he'll punch you. Three levels. VARYING
• Rearrange the valves to match the start and end points of each pipe. EASY
• Open the lid by rotating the wheel to correctly slide each figure to its matching slot. Two levels. MEDIUM
• Create a punch card by arranging the shaped pins according to the clue. The card on which you're working is upside down and backwards from the clue. MEDIUM
The collectibles. One or more "black mark" dominoes, and one or more morphing objects in each scene. The morphs were done extremely well.
The graphics. Gorgeous "live action" and comic book style cutscenes with high quality animation and perfect lip synching. The palette is varied with more subdued colors in a steampunk style. Much attention was paid to details, textures, light, and shadow.
The voiceovers. No improvement needed! Each voice actor is professional, and a wide variety of British accents is represented. (I'm unsure whether the British slang used was prevalent in Victorian England, but it did add realism.)
WHAT WAS “MEH”…The music. Since there are only four soundtracks, I found that the music became repetitive.
The extras. In addition to the above mentioned collectibles, there's a bonus chapter, the SG, performance achievements, the ability to replay only some HO scenes and puzzles. Devs, when we're paying double the price, why not let us replay ALL of them? Wallpapers, screensavers, movies, concept art, and only four downloadable soundtracks.
WHAT WAS BAD…Not a thing!
CONCLUSION…4Friends is fast becoming one of my favorite developers. I haven't yet decided whether to spring for the CE or wait for the SE, but this is a definite purchase for me! Enjoy!
BEST GAMES BY THIS DEV (✭✭✭✭ or better)
• other game series—Living Legends (Frozen Beauty, Beasts of Bremen)
• one-off games—Bridge to Another World: Alice in Shadowland, Edge of Reality: Ring of Destiny
• other game series—Living Legends (Frozen Beauty, Beasts of Bremen)
• one-off games—Bridge to Another World: Alice in Shadowland, Edge of Reality: Ring of Destiny
BEST GAMES IN THIS STORY GENRE
(murder mystery with or without supernatural elements)
• game series—Dana Knightstone (first 4 episodes), Enigmatis, Mystery Case Files (BFG-developed), Mystery Trackers (first 6 episodes), Nancy Drew, New York Mysteries
• one-off games—Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders, Cadenza: Music Betrayal & Death, Chimeras: Tune of Revenge, Macabre Mysteries: Curse of the Nightingale, Queen's Quest: Stories of Forgotten Past
(murder mystery with or without supernatural elements)
• game series—Dana Knightstone (first 4 episodes), Enigmatis, Mystery Case Files (BFG-developed), Mystery Trackers (first 6 episodes), Nancy Drew, New York Mysteries
• one-off games—Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders, Cadenza: Music Betrayal & Death, Chimeras: Tune of Revenge, Macabre Mysteries: Curse of the Nightingale, Queen's Quest: Stories of Forgotten Past
I recommend this game!
Save your daughter from the Witch-Crow in the parallel reality of Pandora’s Box!
Overall rating
2
/
5
6 of 8 found this review helpful
1½ stars...Some interesting ideas, but too simple and repetitive.
PostedNovember 25, 2017
LunaNik
fromI wish I had the triple portal in my house; I could use more rooms.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
SUMMARY…I'm afraid I didn't last through the demo, but quit after the second jigsaw puzzle. The fact that another puzzle was a matching pairs contributed to my quitting. HO scenes were simple interactive lists, and puzzles were repetitive and too easy.
I didn't mind the lack of voiceovers, but there should have been better environmental sounds to make up for it. It was just too silent. The graphics were a bizarre blend of hyper-realistic, painterly, and cartoonish.
The storyline was pro forma: your daughter is kidnapped by an evil witch who steals the energy of others to bring back her youth. I did like the changeable portal that led to three different places, depending upon how you set the controls, but that bit of creativity couldn't override the lack of creativity elsewhere.
I don't recommend this game.
The city is being taken over by dark forces!
Overall rating
4
/
5
8 of 10 found this review helpful
An enchanting and fanciful rainy day game.
PostedNovember 25, 2017
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
SUMMARY…Based on the demo, Guardian of the Forest is a good versus evil fantasy set in an imaginative fictional universe, with gameplay in the easy-to-medium difficulty range. I found the storyline engaging and the environments creative. Which makes it perfect for sheer escapism.
WHAT WAS GOOD…The storyline. We play an apprentice wizard whose teacher, Regis, has been accused of attempted regicide. But some dark power is controlling the king, and it's our task to clear Regis' name, free the king from his spell, and bring justice to the dark wizard destroying the magic forest.
The production. As befits a fantasy game, the palette was beautifully colorful without being garish. Characters were well-drawn and voiceovers excellent. The music was lovely, and I'm sorry that it's not downloadable.
The HO scenes. Offered in a variety of presentations, both full-screen and zoom box scenes were thoughtfully put together and of medium challenge, both of which are steps up from the usual cookie cutter games of late.
WHAT WAS “MEH”…The puzzles. Most were repeats of puzzles we've seen before, and fairly simple to solve. I'd love to see this dev be more original in this area.
WHAT WAS BAD…Not being able to download the music.
The "morphing" objects. They weren't. They were objects that randomly appeared and disappeared, and were obvious and easy to spot.
CONCLUSION…Honestly, I haven't been a fan of this series, but am thinking of revisiting earlier episodes after having enjoyed this one. I'll pick up the SE when it's released.
BEST GAMES BY THIS DEV (✭✭✭✭ or better)
• from this series—None, but I may change my mind upon revisiting them.
• one-off games—Subliminal Realms: Masterpiece, Timeless: The Lost Castle
• from this series—None, but I may change my mind upon revisiting them.
• one-off games—Subliminal Realms: Masterpiece, Timeless: The Lost Castle
BEST GAMES IN THIS STORY GENRE (fantasy, good versus evil wizards, palace intrigue)
• game series—Awakening, Darkness and Flame, Dark Realm, Drawn, Dream Chronicles, Echoes of the Past, Empress of the Deep, Lost Lands, Nevertales, Saga of the Nine Worlds, Shrouded Tales
• one-off games—Bridge to Another World: Alice in Shadowland, A Gypsy's Tale: The Tower of Secrets, Enchantia: Wrath of the Phoenix Queen, Queen's Quest 2: Stories of Forgotten Past, Amaranthine Voyage: Winter Neverending, Unfinished Tales: Illicit Love, Namariel Legend: Iron Lord
• game series—Awakening, Darkness and Flame, Dark Realm, Drawn, Dream Chronicles, Echoes of the Past, Empress of the Deep, Lost Lands, Nevertales, Saga of the Nine Worlds, Shrouded Tales
• one-off games—Bridge to Another World: Alice in Shadowland, A Gypsy's Tale: The Tower of Secrets, Enchantia: Wrath of the Phoenix Queen, Queen's Quest 2: Stories of Forgotten Past, Amaranthine Voyage: Winter Neverending, Unfinished Tales: Illicit Love, Namariel Legend: Iron Lord
I recommend this game!
Can you restore balance to the world tree in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
30 of 39 found this review helpful
Will there be nine episodes? I hope so!
PostedNovember 25, 2017
LunaNik
fromIMO, this is Eipix's best series. Imaginative and beautiful.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
SUMMARY…Based on the demo, The Four Stags is a stunningly beautiful game with a unique and well-written storyline, and gameplay in the easy-to-medium difficulty range.
WHAT WAS GOOD…The storyline. The four stags that groom Yggdrasil, the world tree, have been taken from the tree into four of the nine worlds. We reprise our role as Shield Maiden, but also play as the Huntress, the Skald, and the Seer, as they split up their team to enter the four worlds and find the stags. But it's not that straightforward, as there are subplots aplenty which complicate our task.
The production. Imaginative and gorgeous graphics and animation bring the worlds and their characters to life. The music is subtle, varied, and accents the theme perfectly. Voiceovers are superb.
WHAT WAS “MEH”…The challenge level. While there was less hand-holding, gameplay was still much too easy, IMO. I get that this is casual gaming, but I prefer more of a challenge than simply clicking through obvious tasks to advance the storyline. Still, the HO scenes were done fairly well, and often were presented without a list, based on things we needed to complete certain tasks. The puzzles could have been stepped up.
WHAT WAS BAD…Not a thing, at least as far as the demo ending.
CONCLUSION…I'll definitely be adding the SE to my Saga of the Nine Worlds collection. It's not that I don't think this is CE-worthy…it is. But I don't really make use of the extras, other than the bonus chapter and downloading the music, so I'm going to pass on the CE. I do recommend it, though, if you're a fan of extras.
BEST GAMES BY THIS DEV (✭✭✭✭ or better)
• from this series—The Gathering, The Four Stags
• other game series—Amaranthine Voyage (The Living Mountain, The Shadow of Torment, Winter Neverending), Dark Parables: The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree, Requiem for the Forgotten Shadow)
• one-off games—Myths of the World: Black Rose, Off the Record: Linden Shades
• from this series—The Gathering, The Four Stags
• other game series—Amaranthine Voyage (The Living Mountain, The Shadow of Torment, Winter Neverending), Dark Parables: The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree, Requiem for the Forgotten Shadow)
• one-off games—Myths of the World: Black Rose, Off the Record: Linden Shades
I recommend this game!
Can you stop the Revenant before it's too late?
Overall rating
2
/
5
25 of 28 found this review helpful
NOT a MCF game, just a typical Eipix game.
PostedNovember 25, 2017
LunaNik
fromLonging for the days when BFG developed the MCF series.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
SUMMARY…Based on the demo, this game has nothing in common with MCF as developed by BFG. It's an Eipix cookie cutter game filled with inane actions, simplistic and repetitive puzzles, and badly done HO scenes.
WHAT WAS GOOD…The production. Terrific graphics, animation, and music.
WHAT WAS “MEH”…The collectibles. A scant few morphing objects, lore cards that added nothing to the plot, kick 10 piles of leaves (Why?), and letter fragments. Plus an obvious broken heart image in each HO scene. All morphing objects would have been better.
The extras. Bonus chapter that repeats the storyline of the main game, SG, performance achievements. Replay a few puzzles, not even as many as there were in the demo. We should be able to replay all of them. Replay some HO scenes. And a minimal dev's portfolio. Not worth double the price, IMO.
WHAT WAS BAD…The storyline. Another ghost bent on revenge. This generic plot has been done to the death, and I'm sick of it.
The 13 puzzles. Too easy. Too many of the same type. Seven were simple "copy the clue" types, which aren't puzzles; the answer is right in front of you. Two simple jigsaws. One annoying "moving one affects others," one Simon Says, one simple arcade game. The one puzzle that actually presented a challenge was buggy; the pieces kept flying off my screen.
The one "super puzzle." It wasn't. Super, that is. For one thing, it was immediately obvious what needed to be done. After that, it was just repetitious. I won't go into details, because they would be spoilers.
The 6 HO scenes. 4 were basic straight lists, one was a find & use, and the last was a straight list with the objects hiding other pieces. While quite a few of the objects were actually hidden, it was done in a way that made the items unrecognizable amidst the junk pile.
The logic. There wasn't any. The random running around and completing the usual laundry list of tasks was monotonous and didn't advance the storyline in any meaningful way. And the town was chock full of insane mechanisms that made no sense. Nor did the actions required make any sense; it was just chaotic.
CONCLUSION…I truly miss the days when BFG was developing this series. It hasn't been the same since other devs took over. The best episodes are still Ravenhearst, Madame Fate, Return to Ravenhearst, Dire Grove, The 13th Skull, and Escape from Ravenhearst. I also enjoyed Fate's Carnival, developed by Elephant. The final two games of the Ravenhearst story arc, both developed by Eipix, were done well.
BEST GAMES BY THIS DEV (✭✭✭✭ or better)
• from this series—Key to Ravenhearst, Ravenhearst Unlocked
• other game series—Amaranthine Voyage (The Living Mountain, The Shadow of Torment, Winter Neverending), Dark Parables (The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree, Requiem for the Forgotten Shadow)
• one-off games—Myths of the World: Black Rose, Off the Record: Linden Shades, Saga of the Nine Worlds: The Gathering
• from this series—Key to Ravenhearst, Ravenhearst Unlocked
• other game series—Amaranthine Voyage (The Living Mountain, The Shadow of Torment, Winter Neverending), Dark Parables (The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree, Requiem for the Forgotten Shadow)
• one-off games—Myths of the World: Black Rose, Off the Record: Linden Shades, Saga of the Nine Worlds: The Gathering
BEST GAMES IN THIS STORY GENRE (vengeful ghost)
• game series—Mystery Case Files (Dire Grove, The 13th Skull, the entire Ravenhearst story arc)
• one-off games—New York Mysteries: High Voltage, Dark Parables: The Exiled Prince, Phantasmat, Chimeras: Tune of Revenge, Grim Tales: Bloody Mary, Fright, Cadenza: Music Betrayal & Death
• game series—Mystery Case Files (Dire Grove, The 13th Skull, the entire Ravenhearst story arc)
• one-off games—New York Mysteries: High Voltage, Dark Parables: The Exiled Prince, Phantasmat, Chimeras: Tune of Revenge, Grim Tales: Bloody Mary, Fright, Cadenza: Music Betrayal & Death
I don't recommend this game.
Can you save your sister on the Day of the Dead?
Overall rating
3
/
5
14 of 19 found this review helpful
Improvement in gameplay, slowly-moving storyline.
PostedNovember 11, 2017
LunaNik
fromKeep going in this direction, Eipix, until you reset the bar.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
SUMMARY…Based on the demo, Eipix has improved its gameplay, offering some new puzzles and actually hiding some objects in the HOs. It’s a shame that the storyline moves so slowly. I found it difficult to remain immersed, given the lack of plot for most of the demo.
WHAT WAS GOOD…The production. I’m glad to see Eipix has returned to its high-quality production, compared to their last release. The palette was beautifully colorful without being gaudy. The scenes had good depth of field, and the animation was done well. A variety of music keeps your ears entertained.
The extras. Bonus chapter about the Underworld, performance achievements, the strategy guide, and 35 collectible “signs” which look like stylized scorpions decorated in the Mayan style. Replay HO scenes, puzzles, and skipping stones. Souvenir room. Downloadable music, pictures, and videos.
WHAT WAS “MEH”…The challenge level. Easy to medium.
The HO scenes. Lots of improvement here. Many of the items were actually hidden, and a few were difficult to spot. Presentations were either multi-level or included a puzzle, sometimes both.
The puzzles. I was happy to see some original puzzles, and some challenging ones. But the first two were throwaways: a serial opening of drawers that required moving between screens to match keys to their locks (just time-consuming) and choosing the correct link of the pendant (which was random).
But there was a nice multi-level puzzle:
1. Sort of a find the differences. Move the columns to choose only one of each piece of the pendant, without duplicates.
2. Logic. Swap the soldiers and tribesmen so that each sword is defended by a shield.
3. Dexterity. Match the shadows’ symbols to repel them.
1. Sort of a find the differences. Move the columns to choose only one of each piece of the pendant, without duplicates.
2. Logic. Swap the soldiers and tribesmen so that each sword is defended by a shield.
3. Dexterity. Match the shadows’ symbols to repel them.
And I enjoyed the “match the connected line to the pattern” puzzle, and wish there had been multiple levels.
WHAT WAS BAD…The storyline. Don’t get me wrong; I loved the theme. But this storyline didn’t really explore the Dia de los Muertos themes, other than using it as a vehicle for a basic “good versus Death” plot. And it crawled. There was no motivation to hurry, and the specters were not at all frightening.
CONCLUSION…I might pick it up as a DD, solely because I feel Eipix took giant steps away from their usual cookie cutter offering in gameplay. Since I’m rating this in the middle of the scale, I’ll recommend that you try the demo.
BEST GAMES BY THIS DEV (✭✭✭✭ or better)
• from this series—Black Rose (2014)
• other game series—Amaranthine Voyage: The Living Mountain (2014), The Shadow of Torment (2014), Winter Neverending (2016); Dark Parables: The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree (2016), Requiem for the Forgotten Shadow (2017)
• one-off games—Off the Record: Linden Shades (2013), Saga of the Nine Worlds: The Gathering (2017), Sea of Lies: Mutiny of the Heart (2014)
• from this series—Black Rose (2014)
• other game series—Amaranthine Voyage: The Living Mountain (2014), The Shadow of Torment (2014), Winter Neverending (2016); Dark Parables: The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree (2016), Requiem for the Forgotten Shadow (2017)
• one-off games—Off the Record: Linden Shades (2013), Saga of the Nine Worlds: The Gathering (2017), Sea of Lies: Mutiny of the Heart (2014)
BEST GAMES IN THIS STORY GENRE (Good versus Death)
• game series—Redemption Cemetery: Salvation of the Lost, Clock of Fate
• one-off games—Calavera: Day of the Dead, MCF: The Black Veil
• game series—Redemption Cemetery: Salvation of the Lost, Clock of Fate
• one-off games—Calavera: Day of the Dead, MCF: The Black Veil
Travel through a surreal and disturbing dreamland where everything depends on your actions. You can't die but you can suffer greatly...
Overall rating
5
/
5
39 of 41 found this review helpful
This game is NOT a bad dream. More adventure games, please!
PostedNovember 11, 2017
LunaNik
fromA breath of fresh air. A cookie cutter-free zone!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
SUMMARY…Based on the demo, this is a point and click adventure game with dark and surreal themes in which your goal is to escape the nightmare by waking up. Please don’t downvote it solely because you dislike this genre; a lot of us love adventure games, and they’re few and far between.
WHAT WAS GOOD…The production. Beautiful but minimalist line drawings with a grungy aesthetic, reminiscent of Mateusz Skutnik’s “Daymare Town” series (free online…I’m not advertising). No music as such, but a collection of disturbing ambient and atmospheric sounds play well with the storyline.
The gameplay. Point and click to gather and use inventory items and interact with the scenes. I found the gameplay intuitive, once I understood the surreal, dark nature of the game. I did run across one set of two ‘find the differences’ puzzles, so there may be more puzzles after the demo.
The game mechanics. Cursor changes: eyeball to examine items, question mark if you can interact, footprints to go to the previous or next scene, and either open hand or fist to interact directly with an object in the scene. If you click on objects with the arrow, quite a few will start an environmental animation. (For example, there’s a fly on the lightbulb in the hallway. If you turn off the lights, then poke the fly, it’ll fly down the hall to the elevator room, whereupon you can open the window and let it out.)
WHAT WAS “MEH”…The OMG. A bit of a warning, take care with the fist-shaped cursor; it does a LOT of damage to the things (and animals) it touches. If you’re bothered by depictions of violence in cartoon form, the result might disturb you a bit. Surprised the you-know-what out of me!
WHAT WAS BAD…The frustration. Be warned: there is no hint button, and there are no instructions. If you tend to rely on those things, you might not enjoy this game. Personally, I enjoy not having my hand held and working to figure stuff out on my own. But you might not.
CONCLUSION…Mine. I definitely recommend it for fishies who love adventure games, surreal and dark storylines, and no hand-holding. Now, how do I get the key from the talking head?
BEST GAMES BY THIS DEV (✭✭✭✭ or better)
This dev is new to me, so I have no recommendations from their catalog, but this is a series, and there are six episodes preceding this one—Butcher, Graveyard, Hospital, Cyclops, Memories, and Bridge—so if you like this game, check out the rest of the series.
This dev is new to me, so I have no recommendations from their catalog, but this is a series, and there are six episodes preceding this one—Butcher, Graveyard, Hospital, Cyclops, Memories, and Bridge—so if you like this game, check out the rest of the series.
BEST GAMES IN THE ADVENTURE GENRE (no HO scenes, yes puzzles)
• game series—Green Moon, Agatha Christie, Drawn, Leaves, Nightmare Adventures, Nancy Drew, Dream Chronicles, Namariel/Aurelia (Namariel Legends: Iron Lord and Kingdom of Aurelia: Mystery of the Poisoned Dagger)
• one-off games—Fetch, Black Rainbow, The Legend of Crystal Valley, Inbetween Land, The Beast of Lycan Isle, Spirit Walkers: Curse of the Cypress Witch, Kuros, Dreamscapes: The Sandman, Fall of the New Age
• game series—Green Moon, Agatha Christie, Drawn, Leaves, Nightmare Adventures, Nancy Drew, Dream Chronicles, Namariel/Aurelia (Namariel Legends: Iron Lord and Kingdom of Aurelia: Mystery of the Poisoned Dagger)
• one-off games—Fetch, Black Rainbow, The Legend of Crystal Valley, Inbetween Land, The Beast of Lycan Isle, Spirit Walkers: Curse of the Cypress Witch, Kuros, Dreamscapes: The Sandman, Fall of the New Age
I recommend this game!
A Halloween party becomes a spine-tingling fight for survival!
Overall rating
1
/
5
11 of 14 found this review helpful
Decline this invitation, lest you die of boredom.
PostedNovember 11, 2017
LunaNik
fromNo. More. Shaped. Keys.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
SUMMARY…Based on half the demo, this is no different from any other Elephant game from the past few years. Same gameplay. What’s the point? There’s nothing innovative, engaging, or challenging in this game.
WHAT WAS GOOD…Graphics and animation were excellent…but this isn’t a video; it’s a game.
WHAT WAS “MEH”…The music was repetitive, which isn’t surprising since there are only four soundtracks.
The storyline has been done to death. Child is ill, so parent makes a deal with evil to heal her. *yawn*
WHAT WAS BAD…Gameplay was ridiculously easy and the same types of tasks and puzzles that Elephant puts in every game. Shaped keys. Gold coin as screwdriver. Everything locked (usually with shaped keys). Childish mini-games. And unHidden Object Scenes. For an expert gamer, there’s no enjoyment in 8-piece jigsaw puzzles, following a basic map, simple sliders that require no strategy, throwaway “click through the story” tasks, and rotating pieces to match.
Game mechanics were terrible. Most of the time, I had to click twice or more on an item to interact with it, and my mouse works perfectly. Everything possible was done to slow down this game, including banners for every tiny accomplishment, unnecessary black bar text, and excessive animation…all of which froze the cursor until it was finished. I frequently had to wait, looking at a blank screen, while a new scene loaded…and I have 16GB of RAM and a 2.5 GHz dual core processor.
Extras were almost nonexistent. No ability to replay HO scenes and mini-games. Oh, but I can collect “fresco fragments” with which I can “solve” a bunch of 8-piece jigsaw puzzles. Gimme a break. I’m an adult, and it’s safe to assume this game was created for adults, yet the gameplay is elementary school level.
There’s a morphing object in each scene and collectible ridiculously cute Halloween figurines. Plus, a bonus chapter, the SG, a “secret room,” and the dev’s portfolio of sights and sounds. That last is like getting a glass of water for free at a restaurant. Big deal.
CONCLUSION…I’m baffled at the rave reviews. I own a large number of Elephant’s games, and have rated many of them highly…but not since 2014. I’ve gone back and played those older games, and they’re still excellent, with original storytelling, amazing graphics, and interesting gameplay. I wish Elephant would return to that formula.
I don't recommend this game.