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:
The Christmas spirit is vanishing all over the world, but why?
Overall rating
1
/
5
17 of 25 found this review helpful
For adults, this is a one-star game. For children, I'd rate it four stars.
PostedDecember 9, 2018
LunaNik
fromWishing all fishies and their families a wonderful holiday season!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
The storyline is a weird Christmas/Alice in Wonderland crossover that doesn't make much sense, except to lure people who like Wonderland stories. But this is very much a game for children, from the simplistic mini-games to the unhidden object scenes to the manner in which the characters speak...as if addressing young children.
Gameplay is typical pachyderm fare: things are missing and/or misplaced. Find them and slot them in where they belong. This activity becomes boring rather quickly.
The mini-games included find the obvious differences, Simon Says with a reindeer's harness bells, matching pairs, jigsaws with less than ten pieces, and the like. None of this is challenging or fun for adults.
While holiday graphics should be brightly colored and festive, these were oversaturated and rather garish. I mean, why is the snow blue? And the animal characters were quite cartoonish, including the animal helper...ugh.
I'll pass, but I do recommend you demo this game if you have children or grandchildren in elementary school, because they'll love it.
Hazel is back in a new Home Designer adventure and she’ll need help turning her client’s home into a fabulous place to live!
Overall rating
4
/
5
13 of 14 found this review helpful
This is a HOPDG...a hidden object, puzzle, decorating game. And it's fun!
PostedDecember 6, 2018
LunaNik
fromThere are NOT enough decorating games for me!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Basically, you play mini-games and HOs to earn money to redecorate each room. I'd say the ratio was about 25% actual decorating, 50% HOs, and 25% mini-games.
HOPA devs could learn a lot from this game; I've never seen a better variety of HO scene presentations. Among those I encountered: word list, pictures, silhouettes, differences, anagrams, and memory. The mini-games were similarly varied: word search, memory pairs, mahjong match, match-3, and more.
The rooms and furniture were beautifully rendered, and a wide range of styles was represented in each category. Regarding the decorating part of the game, I did wish for more options, like the ability to rearrange furniture, change walls and floors, and more options in each category. Also, each piece of furniture came with its accessories and decorative items; I would have preferred adding them myself.
There are collectible coins and origami designs; both earn you more money. I did find most of the mini-games too easy for adults. And there was no option to skip the tutorial.
Overall, this is a great game for 'tweens. And it's exactly the kind of game this stressed out, overtired adult needs, so it's a YES from me. Happy gaming!
I recommend this game!
Can you disrupt a dangerous plot against the crown?
Overall rating
2
/
5
6 of 9 found this review helpful
Devs, your customers are adults; we don't need our hands held.
PostedNovember 25, 2018
LunaNik
fromIndulging in a gaming Sunday.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The production is lovely, but the story and gameplay move rather slowly, including numerous conversations, most of which I couldn't skip because the mouse was disabled while characters are speaking.
My hand was constantly and firmly held; I wasn't allowed to explore a scene because the mouse was disabled except for the one thing the devs wanted me to examine. The gameplay was so unilinear that it was more of a "click through the story" than an actual game. Because of this, I lost interest within 15 minutes.
I did enjoy the few HO scenes I encountered, because they were creatively designed. But the mini-games were much too easy.
Since I was bound to follow the dev's playbook, and since the gameplay lacked challenge, this isn't a game for me. I prefer being able to explore each scene in whatever order I choose, and dislike gameplay that doesn't challenge me. YMMV, so try the demo.
I don't recommend this game.
What lies within the depths of the pitch-black mirror?
Overall rating
3
/
5
55 of 67 found this review helpful
Doesn't feel like a MCF episode.
PostedNovember 20, 2018
LunaNik
fromI miss Charles Dalimar.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I have deeply mixed feelings about this episode of MCF. It's not remotely as bad as The Revenant's Hunt, but not as good as the original BFG episodes.
The storyline seems fairly shallow: some kind of mirror entity with whom Gloria Codington made a devil's deal to gain her writing talent. That's as far as it goes during the demo, and that's not enough to make me curious about what happens next. I really think Eipix needs to work on their storylines more. Part of the charm of the original MCF episodes was the interaction between the supernatural and real worlds. That's missing here. Also missing is the motivation of the main characters, Gloria and the entity.
The gameplay is not well-integrated into the storyline, but sort of tacked on here and there. I could have done with fewer shaped keys and esoteric inventory items. Frankly, it doesn't make sense to carry around an item you don't currently need. How on earth do you even know you need it? If you're a fan of HO scenes, you'll be disappointed. They're few and far between and all minimally interactive lists, except for one storybook.
If you're a fan of puzzles, this game is overflowing with them. I think I encountered one every couple of moves. And Eipix worked extremely hard to create lots of brand new puzzles we've never seen before. The few with familiar mechanics were redesigned to make them new. The only drawback is that the puzzles instructions were just awful, the worst I've ever seen. They will not enlighten you in the slightest as to what you're supposed to do. And many of the puzzles were not intuitive, so instructions were necessary.
The one Super Puzzle I encountered wasn't really a Super Puzzle, just a screen of unrelated puzzles, totally unlike the Rube Goldberg locks of Charles Dalimar.
The collectibles were excellent: slowly morphing objects, and not the usual obvious, out-of-place item either. The mirror shards were difficult to spot, being well-integrated into the background graphics.
Production had its highs and lows. The graphics were awesome, with lots of attention to detail, and palette was excellent…no lime greens, hot pinks, or blurples. The cutscene animation was highly pixellated, to the point that it was difficult to watch. I suggest making them a higher resolution or a smaller size so they're clear. The in-game animation didn't have this issue; it was clear and smooth.
I recognized the music from previous episodes, a practice I find cheap. If I'm paying full price, I expect all new material, not stuff the dev has already created for other episodes.
Lastly, I chose to turn off the in-game pop-ups…and had large red Xes pop up in their place, which was distracting. Seems like something was missed after beta testing. I'm going to revisit this game when the SE is released. For now, it's not a buy for me.
Can you save your hometown from dangerous monsters in time?
Overall rating
1
/
5
14 of 21 found this review helpful
They blinded me with fluorescence. They failed at chromatology.
PostedNovember 19, 2018
LunaNik
fromNo more shaped keys!!!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I would dearly love it if devs would realize that they're not making games for tweens, but for adults. Both storyline and gameplay were insultingly juvenile.
As a graphic designer, I find the palette repulsively garish. Apparently, the lead has lost his affinity for blurple, and lime green is now his favorite oversaturated color. Have a look at the second screenshot. Yikes.
Worse, each group of items in that HO scene consists of three of the exact same graphic. Some are flipped, rotated, or changed in size, but the same graphic was used for all three. Look at the ghosts, pumpkins, cherries, witch hats, and stars. Talk about lazy and cheap.
The gameplay was as childish as the storyline. All filler, no thriller. Simon Says, swapping tokens, pattern matching, you know the list. We've done them a million times.
For years, I've been saying that devs reuse graphics and subroutines. This game is proof. Devs are just releasing remixes of their previous work with the same mini-games every time.
I see no reason to shell out my hard-earned cash for gameplay I already own. Nor do I see a reason to apologize for a negative review that is factual. If BFG's Ravenhearst story arc is five stars, this game doesn't even deserve one.
I don't recommend this game.
A sizzling take on the classic tale of greed, yearning, and redemption.
Overall rating
2
/
5
57 of 71 found this review helpful
Not a worthy addition to the Dark Parables series.
PostedNovember 1, 2018
LunaNik
fromCould we have some games that aren't fairy tales? A devilish murder mystery, a fantastic sci-fi, and an actually scary horror game would be more than welcome at this point.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I truly wish (*lights a match*) that Eipix would stop taking over other developers' series, because they don't seem able to maintain the elements that we all loved.
I disliked the graphics. What made Blue Tea's graphics so incredible was the ornate nature of the scenery, items, and outfits. The graphics in this game just look gaudy; everything is overly bright and much too ornate. The result is that everything looks the same. Which makes it difficult to remember which shaped key goes where.
And that's all the gameplay was...finding and placing shaped keys. In 20 minutes, I encountered one HO scene and one puzzle. The rest was shaped keys, which is both annoying and boring.
The HO scene was, of course, a FROG, the design that characterized this series. The puzzle was a dual maze, but mine didn't seem to work. I was able to move the pieces a couple times, then they became stuck in place.
Lastly, I didn't care for the storyline. The little match girl was pitiable in her suffering, not a heartless villain. While I like fairy tale reboots that are clever, this one isn't, and Blue Tea's reboots were always clever and interesting.
I recommend playing the following episodes instead...
From Blue Tea:
• Curse of the Briar Rose
• The Exiled Prince
• Rise of the Snow Queen
• The Red Riding Hood Sisters
• The Final Cinderella
From Blue Tea:
• Curse of the Briar Rose
• The Exiled Prince
• Rise of the Snow Queen
• The Red Riding Hood Sisters
• The Final Cinderella
From Eipix:
• The Swan Princess & the Dire Tree
• Requiem for the Forgotten Shadow
• The Swan Princess & the Dire Tree
• Requiem for the Forgotten Shadow
I don't recommend this game.
Can you catch the kidnapper in time to save your brother?
Overall rating
1
/
5
14 of 24 found this review helpful
Ok, you got me with the trick. Can I have a treat now?
PostedOctober 30, 2018
LunaNik
fromI wonder what type of jack o'lantern might ward off cookie cutter HOPAs.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Well, that was 15 minutes I'll never get back. This game is so unrealistic that immersion isn't possible. It's as if the dev made a random list of unrelated ideas, then glued them together with no overall plan.
I highly recommend reading Granny Gruff's review, as she described the numerous contrivances, translation errors, and logical lacunae that populate this game. I'll only add a few thoughts:
• I'm a criminal investigator and fully aware I'm going to examine a crime scene, right? So why am I so horribly unprepared that I have to steal makeup and tape to lift a fingerprint? (I know the answer: without running around amending my character's ineptitude, there would be no gameplay.)
• Why would any sane, thinking person believe that a leftover hotdog would be useful in a murder investigation? (I know this one too: obviously, I'll encounter an animal to bribe. But I don't know that when I decide to take the hotdog, do I?)
• This is a murder mystery. Why do I have magical glasses? I'm so over these moronic gadgets, and this one is particularly gratuitous.
But don't take my word for it. Try the demo for yourself, if only to see how bad things have become in the HOPA genre.
I don't recommend this game.
Help Escape the Lost Kingdom! After being invited to a newly opened museum, a cursed pharaoh has trapped the whole family!
Overall rating
4
/
5
7 of 7 found this review helpful
4½ stars...stands the test of time.
PostedOctober 26, 2018
LunaNik
fromI wish today's games were more like this one.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Eight years later, and this HOPA was more enjoyable than most of today's formulaic cookie cutters.
The storyline was well-developed and executed perfectly. Two storylines, actually, which are intertwined. In the present, Mom, Dad, Emily, and Francis become trapped in a pyramid after trying to rescue their runaway cat. Even worse, they become separated.
In the past, a forgotten pharaoh who was entombed by his evil brother is waiting to be freed. Meanwhile, the brother has filled the pyramid with traps and puzzles, all of which must be solved.
Each character had a distinct personality, and the voiceovers were excellent. For exploration, you have a journal to store clues, a collection of tools, an amulet that allows you to see what each room looked like in the past, and goggles that reveal an area of interest. And you get to play from three viewpoints: Mom (with journal) and Dad (with tools) together, Emily (with amulet), and Francis (with goggles).
While there are none of the modern bells and whistles, like character animation, this game doesn't need them. Gogii wisely put its time and energy into the story and gameplay instead of the "ooh...shiny" that devs use to try and mask an insipid game.
There are lots of HO scenes, all of them either straight list or multiples. While the presentations are limited, the objects are hidden, so these are much more of a challenge than today's HO scenes. Puzzles are varied, interesting, and range from easy to medium difficulty.
I recall enjoying this game when I bought it in 2010, and I enjoyed it just as much in 2018. It's not a long game, so I recommend using a PCC or waiting for a DD.
I recommend this game!
All Hallow’s Eve - a night for tricks, treats... and terror!
Overall rating
1
/
5
20 of 35 found this review helpful
I am uninviting this game from my computer.
PostedOctober 26, 2018
LunaNik
fromSick and tired of playing the exact same game over and over again.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
It seems as if this game was made because Eipix thought they should release a Halloween game. And that was the last thought that went into this game. They just dug into previously coded subroutines and renderings, heaped them in a pile, and connected them with duct tape, then called it a new game.
Logic fails were too numerous to list. I'm unsure why I require a map of my own house, or why I need my hand held to set a dinner table, decorate for a holiday, and choose a costume. I've no idea why the table was set for a dozen when there are only six of us. Or why the housekeeper would ask me to fetch her a dustpan.
HO scenes were pro forma and completed in less than 30 seconds because nothing was hidden. I wish I knew why modern devs seem unable to grasp the concept of hidden objects. I've been playing some HOPAs from 2012 and earlier, and the HO scenes take anywhere from 5-15 minutes to complete.
Mini-games were silly, easy, and boring. Choosing carpet and drape colors isn't my idea of a puzzle. Neither is virtually trying on dresses. I'll bet any amount of money you care to name that there will be jigsaw puzzles and matching pairs, which are puzzles for children.
Other than that, each scene was overflowing with shaped indentations awaiting matching medallions, bas reliefs, and the like. Really original, Eipix...not.
The graphics were ok, but the characters weren't animated; they just disappeared then reappeared in a new position. The music wasn't the creepy, goosebump-raising type you expect in a Halloween game. And the voiceovers either lacked affect or were melodramatic.
I lasted 19 minutes before conceding, yet again, that I was uninterested in a game with no actual gaming in it. Eipix, your formula isn't working; go back to the drawing board.
I don't recommend this game.
Researching the cause of a mysterious supernatural epidemic will have wildly unpredictable consequences...
Overall rating
4
/
5
15 of 26 found this review helpful
4½ stars...this dev never disappoints!
PostedOctober 21, 2018
LunaNik
fromFive-BN is my fave.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The Legacy: The Tree of Might offers an original storyline, beautiful production, and gameplay that's interesting and challenging...a nice change from the cookie cutters.
"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale."
We're off to a remote island to search for an ancient cure to an equally ancient plague. During a museum exhibit, one of the artifacts previously found at the island breaks open, releasing viral spores that are fatal.
We're off to a remote island to search for an ancient cure to an equally ancient plague. During a museum exhibit, one of the artifacts previously found at the island breaks open, releasing viral spores that are fatal.
Exploration involves overcoming a myriad of obstacles, but always with a current goal in mind. HO scenes are brilliantly designed and always include at least one well thought out puzzle. Mini-games came in a variety of challenge levels, from "fairly easy" to "mind-boggling."
Production is this dev's usual slick presentation. Graphics are realistic, yet whimsical. Animation is done well. The music perfectly accented the game.
Extras appear to be comprehensive, including several categories of collectibles, replayable puzzles and mini-games, and the usual suspects in the dev's portfolio, so I would judge this game CE-worthy.
Lastly, Five-BN has always released enjoyable, challenging, and beautiful games with innovative storylines. Yet I notice a number of improvements as well, especially in the design of the HO scenes and puzzles. This is a dev to reckon with, and I highly recommend this game.
I recommend this game!