graceland9's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.4
- Helpful Votes:959
- Reviews Submitted:102
- First Review:April 22, 2012
- Most Recent Review:March 17, 2017
- 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
1 of 2 found this review helpful
Cute little sci-fi mystery
PostedApril 13, 2016
graceland9
fromOlivia's hair is on Fleek
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
If you don't mind lots of dialogue and strange controls reminiscent of Myst (remember that game?) then this might be a good match for you. The puzzles for the most part are really easy, so pass on this one if you must have a big challenge in your Fishie games.
The graphics are cute - I actually really liked them. As Olivia, you go along with your uncle and his hunky assistant to figure out a weird temple under a church. There is some to-ing and fro-ing, finding items on a list, putting together ancient documents, etc.
This is a great game for a beginning player who wants to while away 2 hours at the max.
I recommend this game!
You've just come of age! What should be a joyous occasion quickly takes a dark turn as you're pulled into the World of Shadow.
Overall rating
3
/
5
9 of 10 found this review helpful
Too Much Magic
PostedApril 12, 2016
graceland9
fromSeriously, could anyone tell that was a shovel handle?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Arcade & Action, Word, Card & Board, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I love fantasy and sci-fi, but when I'm playing a game that's so ornate I can't see the object is a shovel handle because it's covered with roses - that's a problem.
If you enjoy fairies, mermaids, leprechauns, runes, and witches, this might be the game for you. There are gorgeous graphics, a custom mode, interactive HOS, an interactive companion (cat who keeps getting lost or wet.) In other words, there are all the bells and whistles. It just isn't clear, or at least it wasn't to me, what you should do next. OH! Carve the pumpkin into a bucket! Of course, I should have guessed.
I mustn't blame my own shortcomings on the game designers. It's obvious they love spells and magic, and I just need a little more reality with my games. Still, kudos for such a beautiful and imaginative world - it just isn't my thing.
I don't recommend this game.
The beasts Scylla and Charybdis got Hercules! Help his wife Megara free the hero and then accompany him to the forest of the Amazons and mount Olympus.
Overall rating
4
/
5
Time and Myth = fun!
PostedApril 12, 2016
graceland9
fromWe really need a lot of cheddar!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I appreciate this series for coming up with great tasks. Like the Island Tribe series, the designers have come up with cool tasks other than the usual "build a village along with farms, workshops, and banks." Here you defeat Medusas, Scyllas, and placate the gods with temples.
The strategy comes in with ordering tasks. You can also set up outposts for your workers to get them closer to their goals. Along the way you get to build a castle and add onto it whenever you get the gold shield on a level.
For those who like Royal Envoy and Island Tribe, give the Hercules series a try.
I recommend this game!
You're a top reporter in search of a missing toymaker – but this isn't child's play. Is something otherworldly responsible?
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Clunky but a lot of fun
PostedApril 12, 2016
graceland9
fromI swear the screaming skull got me every time. Every. Time.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The Others is definitely old school. You're lost in a town where aliens have taken over the local toymakers - how cool is that plot - and you have to investigate. On the way you negotiate some very old-fashioned HOS, with the interactive part being the highlighted clues that change when you click them.
For example, if ELEPHANT is the clue, click on it and it changes to TIGER or CAR. You have to figure out which is in the picture.
Like I said, these are old school. There's even a honey dipper! Made me want to play Vanilla Ice and do my best running man.
I would have given up on this game - no interactive map, no custom mode - if the games weren't so awesome. There's Wack-A-Mole! There's a Tunnel of Horror you have to negotiate several times! There's a working ATM! Plus I loved the maze of tunnels and the cool concept.
If you're looking for a HOA and don't demand cutting edge graphics and morphing objects, The Others is a great choice.
I recommend this game!
A killer is on the loose in a remote European castle. Track them down before they strike again!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
The Doctor is In
PostedApril 8, 2016
graceland9
fromEveryone knows snake venom can cure a rash!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
A murderous lunatic is killing off ten scientists one by one, Agatha Christie-style. It's your job to help your colleagues, since you're a doctor and all, while you do your best to unravel clues to the murderer's identity. All this happens in an old castle / hotel that's cut off during a terrible storm.
Although the graphics aren't world class (I had to laugh at the cutscene of the man skipping away from the astronomy area! He looked like he was playing hopscotch) I really enjoyed the medical shenanigans and real-time puzzles such as giving CPR and walking a tightrope. Plus, can you say morphing objects? There are great interactive HOS, and the settings are fun to explore.
Although this won't make my Desert Island list, if you like medical mysteries don't overlook this little gem.
I recommend this game!
Phantasmat: Town of Lost Hope Collector's Edition
Carrying the lives of many on your shoulders, you are forced to balance on the tightrope placed between life and death.
Overall rating
5
/
5
25 of 39 found this review helpful
Phantasmat is Still Phantastic
PostedApril 7, 2016
graceland9
fromJeffrey, you might rethink the outfit
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Word, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Yes, this game begins with another car and a strange exit. You wind up at a gas station and see a girl in a sewer grille, being kept prisoner by 'Jeffrey.'
Of course you have to help her, and that's when the trouble starts. You wind up in a strange underground lair, complete with complicated locks, claw machines, and creepy dolls hanging from the ceiling.
Don't let the rather cliched start make you think this game isn't worth it. Einix is right on fleek with their crisp graphics and fiendish puzzle play. This includes setting a clock, matching circuit boards, and rotating dials. There's also my favorite - a really fun train set complete with a tiny crane and telephone wires that you have to manipulate.
There were a few jump scares, but I loved the girl prisoner's character as well as Jeffrey's ominous presence - not to mention his mother!
Be prepared to get pulled into another dark, creepy Phantatmosphere - this game is a keeper.
I recommend this game!
The kingdom is under threat from pirates! Sail to the farthest islands to save your sister and become hero of the kingdom.
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
LOVE Hero of the Kingdom!
PostedApril 6, 2016
graceland9
fromI hate the snakes.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Strategy, Marble Popper, Word, Card & Board
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
When I saw there was a sequel to the first game, I didn't know whether I should laugh or cry - because now I'm going to be running medieval shores and bartering for potions instead of cooking or vacuuming.
I don't know why it's so much fun to collect eggs and mushrooms (the tiniest pictures ever) while you raise funds for mercenaries, swords, and lumber so you can take on pirates. And zombies! Don't forget about the zombies!
You can start with this HOK and be perfectly happy, but if you enjoy the demo and buy it, go ahead and check out the original. It's just as good, also with wizards and potions.
Graphics aren't wonderful, although once you start playing it really doesn't matter. Most of the game is pop up text, but for my part, I get so involved with the storyline I feel like I'm in a world much like Game of Thrones.
In the first game, you were trying to rebuild your families farm. Now you're rescuing your sister from pirates, and there are a host of side stories going on. The map is truly huge, with beaches and farms and towns, and as you go on you'll discover underground lairs with treasure and snakes and alligators. You can slay all the bad guys, as long as you've collected enough supplies. And don't forget to sleep!
If you enjoy an immersive experience and don't require bells and whistles like cut scenes, this is a must. I love strategy games, and this was a must-buy for me.
I recommend this game!
The fabled Minotaur waits patiently in his labyrinth to be reborn. Only the descendent of Ariadne can stop him... which just happens to be you!
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Just okay.
PostedApril 6, 2016
graceland9
fromWhere's the Minataur?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I read through the other reviews, and obviously I'm one of the few who wasn't enthralled by the Minataur and Ariadne's Thread. As I played the demo, I realized I was getting bored, and it's hard to discover exactly why...
It's about the Theseus myth, which I loved.
The graphics are good.
The mini-puzzles are fine - nothing earth-shattering, but I love sliding tiles.
There's a custom mode, always a nice addition.
The settings are beautiful.
There's a special magical object, Ariadne's Thread itself, you can use in certain scenes.
The graphics are good.
The mini-puzzles are fine - nothing earth-shattering, but I love sliding tiles.
There's a custom mode, always a nice addition.
The settings are beautiful.
There's a special magical object, Ariadne's Thread itself, you can use in certain scenes.
If you like archaeology, Greek myths, and HOA games that aren't too challenging, this is a great choice. For me, the story fell a little flat - errands such as helping the professor find his office key didn't light my world on fire. The characters never really grabbed me, either. If the Minataur had showed up, now, all muscly and evil, I'd have been a player. But that didn't happen in the 40 minutes I played, and so I'm afraid I did not finish the demo.
I'm not recommending the game, but I DO recommend you download it and try for yourself before passing on Ariadne's Thread.
I don't recommend this game.
Is this an ordinary murder case, or something more sinister?
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
He just won't die!
PostedApril 5, 2016
graceland9
fromI keep losing the darn flashlight!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The heroine of this series is Laura James, and you get to solve another mystery as this hard-boiled lady detective. I'm all about murder mystery HOA's, but Lantern of Souls takes the genre to another level.
Thomas Martell's widow seems to be celebrating his death with champaigne, when - horrors! The corpse reappears in her house! Later the police call in Laura James to solve the mystery of the missing widow, and you're launched into a very tricky, absorbing adventure.
The main part of the game is solving puzzles and putting pieces together to open drawers, doors, and toolboxes. There's a chemical compound you have to mix (always one of my favorites) as well as the usual hears, keys, and batteries.
If you like a murder mystery with paranormal overtones, this is an excellent addition to your Game Manager.
I recommend this game!
A dark shadow has been cast over the fairy realm and King Feodor needs your help cleaning it up in this exciting Match 3 game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
21 of 24 found this review helpful
Where's the Kitchen Sink?
PostedApril 5, 2016
graceland9
fromLeaf's my girl.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Fairies, Crystals, Match 3, Solitaire... this game has it all. Match-3's aren't my favorite (even if I have been playing Bejeweled for years trying to make it past Level 28 in that darn Diamond Mine!) However, the storyline in FQII hooked me - cleaning the rivers to save the sick elves.
As you play, you try to release fairies from bubbles, like that old Fairies match game. You're also breaking the usual chains and stopping the poison from spreading... there's a lot going on. Luckily you can make 'crystals' come down within the game and use them to release single or a group of cells so you can finish the level.
And, just when I got a bit bored of Matching, whoof! Along comes a Solitaire level.
Did I mention you can switch match formats within the levels? If you need to go from swap to chain or group in order to get rid of that spreading poison, you can do it with a click of a button. Excellent, and it makes this game challenging and unique.