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:
After a suspicious accident, you find yourself stranded at a run-down motel. But you soon realize the area hides a terrifying secret...
Overall rating
4
/
5
Fright Makes Right
PostedJuly 2, 2014
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
A bus crashes near an old, abandoned motel in cornfield country. Missing people. Strange black cloud. Unexplainable events. In short, nothing new - but there is still potential.
As you might have guessed this is a dark, scary story, but to the developer's credit, it begins in broad daylight. Nevertheless, they still manage to convey a creepy atmosphere by using a slightly grainy drawing motif, which fits with the story that began about ten years earlier than the "present day" (early 1960's).
The voices are Ok, nothing special. The dialog is slow enough to easily read, and maybe even too slow at times with quite a few pauses. These are live actors, and their lips synch almost perfectly with the voices. Visually, the actors fit nicely into the scenes, with no obvious bright edges or looking like they were added later.
Game play is fairly standard, except there is less emphasis on hidden object scenes and a greater emphasis on puzzles. Even the hidden object scenes are structured like a puzzle, where you use objects you found to find others. The puzzles draw you in - at times literally.
There are 34 collectible dollar bills which you can use to purchase items, and there is a camera, Polaroid-style of course, which takes pictures in the background (listen for the shutter) and saves them to your journal. There is also a map which this reviewer did not need to use during the demo.
The game has enough atmosphere, creepiness, and playability to make up for the lack of an original storyline. Fright is a decent scare, but I still would recommend the SE as I don't see enough here to make me jump THAT high.
I recommend this game!
Bus Driver
Transport passengers following a planned route according to a timetable and learn the basics of professional driving!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Fun Is Spelled B*U*S
PostedJune 28, 2014
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is a fun, addictive driving simulator game. There are several tiers of play and multiple routes per tier, so you'll never get bored. You'll also drive many different kinds of buses and passengers, from school children on a school bus to prisoner transport. The driving physics is very realistic as are the sound effects. The music is '80s style.
It will take a few routes to get familiar and comfortable with the controls, but you can play this on a keyboard with a little practice. You can also toggle between a behind the bus and a driver's seat point of view.
You'll earn a score for each route. Points are earned by keeping passengers happy, being on time and following the rules of the road. Penalties are assessed for driving violations, property damage and frightening the passengers. There are some routes where the driving rules don't apply, just safety and on time arrival. Fun!
The only drawback to the game is that you may like it so much you'll get sore hands from playing so often. Ready for the next route!
I recommend this game!
A strange and deadly pollen is spreading around the world, and you’ve been hired to track down its source. But the secrets you discover in the fabled kingdom of Floralia are much darker than you imagined...
Overall rating
2
/
5
14 of 26 found this review helpful
Rapunzel, meet Rip Van Winkle
PostedJune 26, 2014
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Plot:
Rapunzel sings, "ahhhhhhhhh, ahhhhhhhh, ahhhhhh."
Monster plants sprout up. A bratty sounding Gerda keeps getting caught and you have to rescue her.
Rapunzel sings, "ahhhhhhhhh, ahhhhhhhh, ahhhhhh."
Monster plants sprout up. A bratty sounding Gerda keeps getting caught and you have to rescue her.
Drawing style: colors, colors,lots of saturated colors including the *always popular*? pink and purple. Voices: average to below average.
Game play: very very, easy, little or no challenge here. Puzzles are so easy that they are merely "completed" rather than solved. Fragmented objects stand out for the most part, can't miss 'em.
Lots of reading about childish legends, fairy tales, etc.
Repetitive actions, i.e. find this medallion, put it here. Find another, put it there. Definitely a step down in the Dark Parables series. There is a lame attempt now and then to pay homage to the earlier titles.
A game only a very beginning player or a child would possibly like. For anyone else, as well as this reviewer, it could qualify as a cure for insomnia. zzzzzzzzzzzzz
I don't recommend this game.
For 25 years, you thought you had no family. But one night, a man steps through a mirror from another world, claiming to be your uncle... changing your life forever.
Overall rating
3
/
5
20 of 30 found this review helpful
"Reflections" Mirrors Lots of Others
PostedJune 21, 2014
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Ho hum, another in a series of what I call "pink and purple" games. Some of us fishes, *ahem* do not care for pink and purple games - and I don't just mean the colors.
In this one, you are supposedly an orphan, but one day your uncle walks out of a mirror with an owl sitting on his shoulder. He invites you to follow him back through the mirror to find your parents, but just then a monster from the mirror attacks him. Naturally, you are the ONLY ONE who can defeat the evil so and so. The rest of the story gets sillier as somehow the mirror worlds have to do with human dreams, and Vi Animo or something. *Sigh* Spare me this silliness.
During the dialog, and there is a lot of it needed to explain this convolution, there was a bug which caused the dialog words to be actually off screen, so you had better listen carefully, if you choose to follow this, um ... tale.
This game also *reflects* other recent games in it's very easy and simplistic game play. Do not expect to be challenged unless you are a very beginning player. Hidden object scenes are very standard, puzzles as well. Very easy to complete.
There are collectible leaves, which are semi-transparent to make them blend in. They would be the most challenging feature, except you can click the fly-out on the left in each scene and it will tell you how many leaves are there. So...easy.
There is a Bonus Chapter and a Hidden Chapter in this CE. On the Hard setting, there are no sparkles. There is a jump *map* if you can call it a map. Then the usual other pseudo-extras that have no effect on my decision to purchase or not.
This reviewer hopes Reflections is not a *reflection* of where future games are going because, in his humble opinion, the mirror should be re-framed or just plain covered over. I'll pass even with sale.
That's my honest opinion. What do you think?
I don't recommend this game.
A series of unexplained deaths baffle authorities, and you’re called in to investigate.
Overall rating
3
/
5
21 of 24 found this review helpful
Sea of Lies Very E-Sea
PostedJune 19, 2014
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The story, investigating the murders of several people who were first sent a Nemesis statuette, is the one thing about the game that can hold someone's interest. Each murder is accomplished by different means, and some are quite creative.
The drawing style is a bit grainy looking. I can't decide whether it is a stylistic choice or just not top quality. Music...was there any? I did not notice it. Same for sound effects. Voices were inconsistent, average at best.
There are several objects that are used ....uh...let's say in unusual ways, The hidden object scenes have mostly large objects, mostly easy to find, and objects are few in number. To add a tiny bit of complexity, some inventory items require additional steps before using. There is a mixture of hidden object types, otherwise the play would be intolerably boring. Mini-games are simple, and have very simple solutions as well. Match 3 option exists, but your humble reviewer is not a fan of match 3.
This is not a game that requires a lot of skill to play.
There are 40 collectible treasure chests, but otherwise the game does not project anything "pirate-y" - at least during the demo. Being a CE, this has the usual other pseudo-extras that do not interest me.
In my opinion, this is a game best suited for beginner or intermediate players, or if you just love the story. As for me, I'll either wait for the SE or just sail away.
Dreampath: The Two Kingdoms Collector's Edition
Your sister, the Queen, has fallen deathly ill. Now you must travel to a faraway kingdom to find the cure.
Overall rating
4
/
5
8 of 11 found this review helpful
Is Two Kingdoms Twice As Nice?
PostedJune 16, 2014
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
A gold kingdom, a silver kingdom, and the secret that links them. Good vs.evil. Dragons, castles, fire, magic and the Elixir of Life. All here in one game.
Admittedly, the story contains nothing really new or novel, however it is interesting in its simplicity. The character's voices are excellently done, not overacted, and the dialog is sensible. There is a helper in the form of a cat who walks upright, but he doesn't try to be too cute. In addition to assisting you with various tasks, he matter-of-factly relates the back story to you.
Drawing is very high quality. Animations and cut scenes are first rate as well. The style is very colorful, in contrast with the story which is somewhat dark. Sound effects are also very effective, as is the music which is minimal.
The game stands out in its EASY PLAYABILITY for both hidden objects and puzzles. Though simple, the puzzles are well designed and interesting nevertheless owing to their seamless integration into the game's theme. Items in your inventory will occasionally need to be combined. You won't overtax your brain on this, though. The easy play causes the story to move along quickly, so my concern is that this could be a short game.
This being a Collector's Edition, there are collectible gold and silver coins, achievements, and the usual array of other extras.
While it doesn't quite have the story, difficulty or originality to merit the highest rating, it still delivers decent game play.
Two times two stars for Two Kingdoms.
I recommend this game!
Uncover the true cause of the disturbances and track down the disappeared townspeople before darkness falls on Middleport forever!
Overall rating
3
/
5
11 of 15 found this review helpful
Middleport = Middling
PostedJune 11, 2014
steve_san
fromPhiladelphia PA USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
- townspeople disappearing - check
- a masked, hooded baddie - check
- evil black smoke - check
- tarot cards - check
- pirate treasure - check
- a masked, hooded baddie - check
- evil black smoke - check
- tarot cards - check
- pirate treasure - check
Finally, a game that has it all - with the exception of even a whiff of originality.
Nothing really wrong with the game; drawings are fine, music is fine, voices are fine, puzzles and hidden object scenes are fine. Except that you've played this game before - dozens of times.
No wonder there's always a sale, they just change the title and one or two other things and re-sell the same game over and over.
Well, here's a little Whispered secret:
even on sale, count me out
even on sale, count me out
I don't recommend this game.
Is Martha really a werewolf - or has she been wrongly accused?
Overall rating
3
/
5
9 of 14 found this review helpful
Count Me As Not Over The Moon
PostedJune 6, 2014
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Clearly there is something very wrong with me as I found the demo to be at times terribly predictable, and other times just plain idiotic.
Every so-called "scare" was woefully telegraphed, and I found myself anticipating what was going to happen next - as if I had played the game before (I hadn't).
Yet another disappointing game continuing the pattern of the last month. Not even worth an in depth review.
I don't recommend this game.
Visit a boarding school abandoned after a terrible accident. Unravel the mystery of the loss of its former students.
Overall rating
3
/
5
11 of 15 found this review helpful
This "Hope" DOES Disappoint
PostedMay 21, 2014
steve_san
fromPhiladelphia PA USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Current Favorite:
Dark Dimensions: Somber Song Collector's Edition
(61)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The distinguishing feature of Hope Lake is, unfortunately, that it has perhaps the most annoying music ever composed for a game. Unless your veins and arteries flow with caffeine, it is impossible to listen to for very long.
The game is otherwise pretty ordinary, There is nothing compelling about the artwork, somewhat drab and flat looking. There are very few voices heard beyond the opening cut scene. The hidden object areas are moderately difficult because they are dark and oddly lit, and there is some fuzziness to the objects. Also some objects are identified by unusual names.
The story did have some promise, while not original. However, though you are supposedly hot on the trail of a kidnapper, there is no sense of urgency projected. After seemingly innumerable tasks and backtracking, I began to lose interest in finding the "girls" - who appear to be too uhh, developed, to still be called girls.
The first mini game should have been simple; put the animals into the correct environment. However, I never did figure it out and it was not interesting enough to take the time to really pursue.
I won't be taking a dip in this Lake
I don't recommend this game.
Travel to South America to investigate a deadly cosmic force. Can you uncover the secrets of the missing research team?
Overall rating
5
/
5
27 of 35 found this review helpful
This Outcome Is Favorable
PostedMay 3, 2014
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The back story is definitely different that the run-of-the-mill stories we've been subjected to before so I'll try a brief summary. Your name is Sasha, you are a blonde blue-eyed beauty, and your parents were killed by a strange unearthly lightning when you were five years old. At that same time you discovered a golden medallion called a homunculus. Now that you are a grown woman, the homunculus has directed you to an island jungle in South America where you discover a cyan plasma that threatens to destroy anyone who does not have a neutralizer (he homunculus medallion). You must discover the secret of the cyan plasma at the research base before... well, you get the idea.
Technically speaking, this game passes all the tests: beautiful drawings, wonderful ambient sounds, and a light and flowing musical score. The music is worth noting; the melody goes up and down the scales repeatedly while an ethereal flute plays gently in the background. It is nice and soothing while giving a sense of both awe and wonder. Voices are also well acted and are somewhat synched with the character's lips.
The hidden object scenes are slightly more difficult than average owing to two factors. First, you play the same scene simultaneously with subtle differences. There is an active area within the scene to switch back and forth between the two. Second, the developers have a penchant for hiding objects at the extreme edges of the scenes, so keep a sharp eye out. There is also some interaction required to locate the objects.
Puzzles? I recall only two puzzles during the trial; one was piecing together a stained glass design and the other was completing a disc, which had to be done in an exact order. Neither puzzle was too challenging. That's not to say that there aren't many things to do in the game, but most involved merely placing the correct object from your inventory in the proper place.
The drawing style is semi-realistic; you're dealing with lots of statues, animal figures, stone buildings and natural objects. So although it is a sci-fi theme, don't expect futuristic settings, and you'll still be using the usual skeleton keys.
There are 35 collectible flasks as well as achievements, i.e. for not using hints. There are three levels of difficulty, two of which will turn off the sparkles. There are also the usual pseudo-extras of concept art, wallpapers and so on. And of course a bonus chapter and strategy guide. The jump map also indicates areas where there is still some action to complete.
The odd story line, good characters, voices, music, drawings and effects mean this ‘Outcome’ will no doubt bring a lot of ‘Income’ for the devs. It's deserved, and we can hope for more games of this phenomenal quality.
I recommend this game!