steve_san's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.3
- Helpful Votes:5,408
- Reviews Submitted:242
- First Review:November 28, 2011
- Most Recent Review:January 3, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Can you unravel the mystery of a murder at the Riverview Lux Apartments?
Overall rating
2
/
5
Not much happens here
PostedJanuary 3, 2025
steve_san
fromCity of Brotherly Love, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Wow, the pacing of this game is so mind-numbingly slow it defies description. You'll complete one pointless task after another after another, and so on. After a short time, it became a distraction to follow the story - which is unfortunate because it's clear there was a good amount of effort spent creating it. Also, the artwork is very good and pleasing to look at. ++
On the other hand, I got so frustrated doing pointless tasks that I was relieved when the trial ended. At that point I didn't care anymore who killed whom. I cannot see myself playing this entire game if the rest of it is played at the same pace. "If walls could talk," I think they would say pass on this one. Happy New Year fishes! - Steve
I don't recommend this game.
Investigate bizarre mysteries by finding clues and solving puzzles!
Overall rating
5
/
5
It's a Mystery Why There Aren't More Games Like This
PostedDecember 19, 2024
steve_san
fromCity of Brotherly Love, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I am basing this only on the trial but, WOW, this game hits all the checks.
Great artwork - check
Good sound effects - check
Great voice acting - check
Good storyline - check
Good puzzles - check
...and so on. Even the morphing objects are well hidden. One thing the game does NOT do is talk down to the player. Instead, there are actually intelligent conversations. This is so overdue, and also a refreshing change. Congratulations to the developers! Please make many more games like this. You have "detected" the secret to making a great game.
Great artwork - check
Good sound effects - check
Great voice acting - check
Good storyline - check
Good puzzles - check
...and so on. Even the morphing objects are well hidden. One thing the game does NOT do is talk down to the player. Instead, there are actually intelligent conversations. This is so overdue, and also a refreshing change. Congratulations to the developers! Please make many more games like this. You have "detected" the secret to making a great game.
I recommend this game!
A simple museum heist becomes a desperate rescue from the forces of darkness!
Overall rating
4
/
5
A Mere "Reflection" of MCF games
PostedNovember 21, 2023
steve_san
fromCity of Brotherly Love, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
You play the Master Detective, but it isn't clear that a Master Detective is truly needed, an average one will do. Based on the trial, I would rate this game above average. It was less predictable and tedious than most other games, and there was a bit of variety to the mini games. But the characters were not particularly interesting, and the story was not very intriguing. For those reasons I think it's a "crime" to represent this an MCF game. However, I enjoyed playing the trial and I am likely to purchase this game. Happy Thanksgiving to all! - Steve
I recommend this game!
Can you stop the townspeople from paying for a dark past?
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
This Dagger Hits the Mark
PostedJuly 6, 2023
steve_san
fromCity of Brotherly Love, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I have finished the entire game and I will say that this was one of the most enjoyable HOP games I have played. The HOPs, puzzles and mini-games are consistently good throughout the game - including the bonus game. Even the collectibles are fairly well hidden. The story is ok. It's nothing really new, but also doesn't have any gaping plot holes or leaps of logic.
In three words, it was fun!
In three words, it was fun!
I recommend this game!
Embark on a high-altitude adventure with Mia Faircroft!
Overall rating
2
/
5
16 of 18 found this review helpful
This is not the Legacy you're looking for
PostedJune 24, 2022
steve_san
fromCity of Brotherly Love, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I've played several of the earlier games in this series and liked them very much (for example, see my review for, "The Hidden Crypt"). For some reason the format was changed in this version, and not for the better.
What's different? For starters, the drawing style has changed, particularly of the characters. They have a sort of strange, bloated look to them. Fortunately, the scenes are mostly unaffected and are very well done. Second, there are no more chapters. The story just runs on without a sense of a time, place or events. The characters just pop in and out without adding much interest.
What I liked about the previous format, the chapters, was that I could easily stop playing for a while and pick it up later. In this game however, there are no points of reference, no cues as to any discernable sub plots, and little character development. The characters, simply put, are not nearly as well written as those in earlier games in the series. (BTW, there's also a misspelling of HOTEL in an early scene).
The HOPs are about the same as the earlier games, except Mia inexplicably pops in part-way through each one to say something that didn't need to be said. It's an annoying feature that causes the player to dislike the story's main protagonist (not a good idea).
The mini games between the HOPs have also seen some changes. There are more spot the differences (STD), where there are 4 versions of the same scene and the differences spread among them, and more jigsaw puzzles (not my favorite). The STD's seemed to get progressively harder as did the HOPs.
This is more than I planned on writing, so I'll draw this to a close. I'm disappointed. I was not as drawn into the story as with past games in the series, and the mini games didn't draw my interest enough to overcome any shortcomings in storytelling. It makes one wonder if people understand the meaning of the word "Legacy."
I don't recommend this game.
Immerse yourself in the splendor of the great outdoors!
Overall rating
2
/
5
26 of 32 found this review helpful
Mr/Ms Fun Factor has wandered off and gotten lost
PostedMay 13, 2022
steve_san
fromCity of Brotherly Love, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Most of this game is the same as earlier versions. The HOPs are great. The scenes are varied and interesting. You have to find the extras like trash items, animals (silhouettes) and photo spots. All of that is fine and expertly done.
However, I feel this game gets lost in the woods when presenting the puzzles (in between the HOP scenes you'll play various puzzles). These can be rotating tiles, simple math problems, flora and fauna identification, find all the butterflies, spot the differences etc. Unfortunately, they have included (for my taste) far too many, and far too complex, jigsaw puzzles. I was thinking, "these belong in a jigsaw puzzle game." In fact, the jigsaw puzzles will take significantly longer to complete than the HOPs. Since this is (or used to be) primarily a HOP game, I find that to be way out of balance, and it turned me off to the rest of the game.
I am hoping this is not a sign of things to come. I used to look forward to the next Park Ranger game. Please drop (or cut way back on) the jigsaw puzzles next time. That will ensure that Mr/Ms Fun Factor will be found by Park Ranger 14 and returned to the family. We do love when a vacation has a happy ending.
I don't recommend this game.
Immerse yourself in the splendor of the great outdoors!
Overall rating
2
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Mr. Fun Factor has wandered away and got lost
PostedMay 10, 2022
steve_san
fromCity of Brotherly Love, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Most of this game is the same as earlier versions. The HOPs are great. The scenes are varied and interesting. You have to find the extras like trash items, animals (silhouettes) and photo spots. All of that is fine and expertly done.
However, I feel this game gets lost in the woods when presenting the puzzles (in between the HOP scenes you'll play various puzzles). These can be rotating tiles, simple math problems, flora and fauna identification, find all the butterflies, spot the differences etc. Unfortunately, they have included (for my taste) far too many, and far too complex, jigsaw puzzles. I was thinking, "these belong in a jigsaw puzzle game." In fact, the jigsaw puzzles will take significantly longer to complete than the HOPs. Since this is (or used to be) primarily a HOP game, I find that to be way out of balance, and it turned me off to the rest of the game.
I am hoping this is not a sign of things to come. I used to look forward to the next Park Ranger game. Please drop (or cut way back on) the jigsaw puzzles next time. That will ensure that Mr. Fun Factor will be found by Park Ranger 14 and returned to the family. We do love when a vacation has a happy ending.
I don't recommend this game.
Discover hidden worlds on a journey to solve a captivating mystery!
Overall rating
3
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
There's only one thing wrong with this game
PostedMarch 1, 2022
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
After playing the trial, here are my thoughts. You are a detective searching for a missing professor and your search leads you into another dimension. The look of the locations is mostly brown and dark. The game mechanics and artwork have an old school feel, and the time period claims to be 19th century, but looks more like the Middle Ages.
Game play can be described as "adventure lite." You'll enter a room, or set of rooms, and have to complete a few tasks in order to move on to the next room(s). However, the number of interactive objects is fairly limited in each room, so there's little worry of getting bogged down. Presumably, you'll eventually find out what happened to the professor - and/or suffer his fate.
Now, I did enjoy the trial, especially since it has about the right amount of "adventure" to suit my tastes. BUT....
this would have been a buy for me except for the fact that it is a collector's edition (CE). I could see no value in this being a CE. It doesn't add to the gameplay like your typical HOPA with collectibles, extra levels and puzzles, etc. Paying a premium price for an ordinary game doesn't sit well. So, I am going to pass on this one - for now. If it comes out as a standard edition, then I'll gladly put on my detective cap and jump headfirst into another dimension. No doubt some would like to send me there anyway! ;)
I don't recommend this game.
Can you save your kingdom from a malevolent creature in time?
Overall rating
2
/
5
13 of 18 found this review helpful
Not the Snow White you were expecting
PostedFebruary 25, 2022
steve_san
fromCity of Brotherly Love, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
What to make of this game? The story is a twist on the Snow White tale, and that is a good start I suppose. It has potential. But I found the execution lacking. For example, missing people, interrupted weddings, trance-like states and the like are all things we've seen before - a lot.
While playing, I wished there was a twist or two in the gameplay because, where that is concerned, White As Snow is Easy As Pie. I only played to the end of the trial, but there was only one puzzle that required a little thought.
The tasks likewise were the usual ones that we're used to, and they didn't integrate into the fairy tale world as much as I'd hoped. Altogether, the puzzles, HOs and tasks lacked any "magic."
Even allowing that the story may get better, I'm not whiling away any hours to find out. The trial was not much fun for me. Hi Ho!
I don't recommend this game.
It’s trouble in paradise when Mia Faircroft visits Italy!
Overall rating
5
/
5
15 of 15 found this review helpful
Faircroft's Antiques are not dry and dusty
PostedDecember 20, 2021
steve_san
fromCity of Brotherly Love, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This series follows Mia Faircroft, an antique restoration expert, on her adventures in various locations searching for precious artifacts as well as the history and personalities attached to them.
Though I did not review them, I have played the previous games in the Faircroft's Antiques series (Treasures of Treffenburg and The Heir of Glen Kinnoch) so I knew what to expect. What do I like about the series? Chiefly that it's clear there has been an actual effort to create several different characters, and to give each character a distinct personality as well as his/her own side story. There are no one or two-dimensional characters here. Now it's one thing to try, but another to succeed, and in this series the developers have succeeded. The characters in this series have far more depth than the typical HOP game that is offered. If that doesn't interest you, then you probably will not like this game or the others in the series.
That's because there isn't much else unique to this series. The HOPS and puzzles are fine. You will play four or five HOPs as well as one or two puzzles per "chapter" (there are many chapters). Nothing that you have not seen before. However, the various locations all tie into the story as well as the chapter. For that reason, I judge these to be among the best written games in this genre.
I will add that toward the end of the games, the story does sometimes drag a bit, as if to keep you in suspense about the ending. Also, and this is VERY IMPORTANT, each game in this series is best played in several sittings rather than straight through (I believe this could be the reason for some of the not-so-positive reviews). Because the games are longer than the typical HOPA, as well as the nature of the play, playing straight through could become somewhat tedious. Fortunately, it is easy to pick up where you left off, even if it's been a while.
I think this game, and the others in the series, are well worth your time and investment. You'll find yourself actually caring about the characters and how their situations are resolved. This is something the typical HOPA offering rarely, if ever, achieves.
I recommend this game!