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:
Mystery Tales: Alaskan Wild Collector's Edition
Call on the animal spirits to help find your sister.
Overall rating
3
/
5
24 of 33 found this review helpful
Not Wild About Alaskan Wild
PostedAugust 30, 2015
steve_san
fromCity of Brotherly Love, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
As someone else has said, the demo went very fast. For me, it was because I beta-tested the game a while back. This is another story about your sister who is about to get married (or so she thinks) to someone she's met while you have been separated. So you go to Alaska to visit. The mother-in-law-to-be has other ideas, however.
There is a lot of color, really too much for my taste, and in fact no real color palette stands out. But I did not find the artwork especially unappealing, it was of good quality despite the overload of color - remember this is supposed to be Alaska. What first bothered me was when we go to the door of the home and both the son and mother answer the door with their overcoats on. What's up with that? No heat in the house despite the blazing fire?
As mentioned I flew through the demo - I''l grant that this could have been because of playing the beta - which seemed to present no challenge. For me, that is a negative, but I know a lot of fishes prefer easier games. If you fit that description then definitely check this one out.
There is a mystical element to the game and one of the characters is a shaman. You receive an amulet which transforms totems into live creatures that you control. I did not care for this feature. Most of the other characters are believable, but I found the mother-in-law-to-be to be (or not to be, ha!) too one dimensional and not convincing.
My opinion has not changed since the beta - I don't care for the story and the game play presents too little of a challenge. However, if you like mystical games with amulets and special powers, this could be a nice diversion. I cannot recommend the CE because there are not enough extras, so if you like it I would recommend the SE. This "wild" can wait a little longer.
2-1/2 stars out of five, it's a shaman (!) it's only average.
I don't recommend this game.
Adventure into the unknown to save a city from evil!
Overall rating
3
/
5
9 of 11 found this review helpful
The Old Gang Returns
PostedJuly 18, 2015
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
2
/
5
Full disclosure: I generally don't like games with amulets, portals, powers, or shadow worlds, etc. So feel free to stop reading now. However, I realize that many players do like these type games, so here goes.
Setting: You are Veronica, daughter of Elizabeth and one of the Barons of Havenwick. You earned this status in the first episode (but if you haven't played that one, never fear, there is a recap near the beginning). The Barons have sworn to use their powers only for good, but they are opposed by the Master of Shadows. Baron Archie received a garbled distress call from one of the other worlds and you are sent to investigate.
So right away I have to ask. We have Archie, Veronica and Elizabeth (Betty). Do we later meet Baron Reggie and Baron Jughead?
Game play involves using a few devices. First, your amulet has several powers, i.e., fix broken items, fire, electrical charge, make plants grow. You will use them many times - in fact there is an achievement for restoring 15 broken items. Second, there are special stones which change your current location to the "shadow world." You will go back an forth many times between the two worlds. This got very tedious for me long before the trial ended, but your tastes may differ.
Hidden object puzzles (HOPs) were very easy to complete. The first one is fragmented and it is embarrassingly easy. The ones that follow are a little better, standard list type and requiring some interaction. Mini games started out good, but unfortunately you repeat one puzzle over and over with a slight twist each time as you recharge your amulet. More variety here would have made this a much better game.
Difficulty - the developer only provides three levels, no Custom, just as in the first of the series. To eliminate sparkles you must choose the hardest setting.
I experienced a long delay between scenes and after cut scenes. I play a lot of games and I rarely see that.
CE Extras: Bonus level, strategy guide, replay of HOPs (17) and mini games (20) and 20 achievements. There is a sky tram, and an achievement for using it 7 times.
This isn't my style and I won't be buying it, but I hope this helps you make up your mind either way. I think I still have the single of "Sugar Sugar" I can listen to until the next game. BTW, who do you like, Betty or Veronica?
I don't recommend this game.
Shadow Wolf Mysteries: Tracks of Terror Collector's Edition
Can werewolves be cured, or will one family’s curse continue?
Overall rating
3
/
5
8 of 14 found this review helpful
I Downloaded a Different Game
PostedJuly 17, 2015
steve_san
fromCity of Brotherly Love, USA
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
There is clearly a glitch - the game I downloaded and played bears (or should I say wolfs?) no resemblance to the one described by the beta-testers.
Setting: you are a detective summoned to the town of Gevaudan, France (google Beast of Gevaudan) to help Count DeLupe whose family is under a werewolf curse. This oh-so-clever name no doubt derives from lupus, Latin for wolf. Though the historical legend originated in the 18th century, the year is May of 1881.
No ordinary detective are you. You have some sort of power which needs to be periodically recharged - by simply pressing the left mouse button while watching a power meter rise. To use your power, you simply trace a large runic symbol with your mouse. Both of these "activities" would have been better left out, in my opinion, as they add absolutely nothing to the game except to detract from the already small amount of fun.
As far as artwork, there is nothing I saw during the trial to distinguish this game. The style is the usual one for this developer. So too are the sound effects. Voices are ok, except the voice of DeLupe's son Pierre (ref: Peter and the wolf?) sounds too young for the character's appearance.
Difficulty - they trimmed down the settings. I selected Advanced, where sparkles were supposed to be off, but lo and behold there were sparkles when replaying HOs. Hint and skip can be set between 5-200 seconds.
HOs and puzzles were not memorable, let alone "exciting," (sorry, Elizabeth, nothing personal). Hints were not too helpful either (sorry, Ann, etc.) Frequently the map did not indicate a scene with an objective even though there was one present.
CE Extras: 10 collectible infamous monsters, 11 achievements (I earned 7 during the trial, just saying) bonus level, strategy guide and replay of HOs and mini games (not counting the usual pseudo extras).
A day has passed since I played the trial and, upon reflection, the more tracks between me and this game, the better. Another game continuing the trend of ones best suited for beginners. I could be wrong though. I may have played a different game.
3 silver bullets to put this out of it's misery
I don't recommend this game.
Subliminal Realms: The Masterpiece Collector's Edition
Albert's worst nightmare becomes reality when a creature from his grim paintings kidnaps his family. What does she want?
Overall rating
3
/
5
5 of 10 found this review helpful
Close Your Eyes And Imagine
PostedJuly 11, 2015
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
4
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Setting: you are Albert, a painter, married to Elizabeth with whom you have a young daughter Iris. You've been having recurring nightmares about a shadowy figure named Solitude. You have tried to paint her, but cannot bring yourself to complete it. And then... the rest you can probably guess.
This one is very hard to rate. Clearly, it is well made and the quality of the artwork, music, sounds and voices is high.
However, I simply did not like playing it. No, I didn't care for the talking helper (I'll call him Pepe Le Pew), but it wasn't just that.
During the trial, the most fun I had was in playing the HO scenes and mini games. And while I liked them a lot, I did not enjoy any other part of the game. Even the game's style was strange and impossible to imagine what it was supposed to represent.
That is why I have a hard time giving this a rating. Surely there are players who will enjoy this, really get into it and even love it. I'm just not one of them. But I don't like to give a low rating to a game just because I didn't enjoy it.
Therefore, I am sending my rating to you subliminally. Close your eyes and relax your mind. Do you see it?? Hey, what's that shadowy figure over there? Noooooooo!
I don't recommend this game.
It's the end of the world... at least in Oakville.
Overall rating
4
/
5
16 of 21 found this review helpful
The Dreaded Dead Oak of Oakville
PostedJuly 9, 2015
steve_san
fromCity of Brotherly Love, USA
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Setting: The year is 1973. You are a writer driving to a book signing - late, of course (*sigh*) - when your car swerves out of control and into a tunnel. Where are you?? Welcome to Oakville, Vermont, pop. 11. Posters of *missing* people are everywhere - although there can't be more than 11, right? The people you do meet s-p-e-a-k v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y, and what they say makes little sense.
The artwork is pleasing to the eyes as we get a break from the usual pink, blue and purple and instead are treated to a variety of pastel shades of brown, gold and green.Scenes are moderately detailed with a hint of graininess. The mood is dark - I got the impression the wind was blowing all the time - and the subtle music heightens the sense of suspense and creates tension.
Unfortunately, the characters are not quite up to the quality of the art and music. The voice acting is fine, but the characters you'll interact with are plain and uninteresting, especially when compared to the original game and it's array of quirky, but amusing and endearing cast members.
Thankfully, game play is on a higher level. Uh-oh! There will be some effort expended in the hidden object scenes (unless you opt for M3). The difficulty is inconsistent though, with some scenes being 30 - seconds - easy and others being moderately difficult. They vary in type, including fragmented (that was the 30 second one) silhouette, find x of these, and standard list. Mini games were mostly very easy, the least easy ones during the trial were the memory type.
I chose Custom difficulty, where I could turn off sparkles and glints (and HOP click penalty if desired) while leaving map indicators on. The map does not seem to be transportable. Hint refill can be set between 10-120 secs and Skip between 10-400.
CE Extras: besides the usual pseudo extras there are 43 morphing objects, a souvenir room, replay of puzzles and HOPs, strategy guide and bonus level. Twelve achievements can be earned as well.
I found the story to be more campy and humorous than truly scary or creepy. I enjoyed several chuckles during the trial. Was that intended? (Eipix: "Er, yes - if you liked it.") The original Phantasmat was a true five star game. Oakville is not bad, but lacks a little in the story telling and fails to be either very funny or very creepy. I'd still rate it a solid four oak leaves.
I recommend this game!
Can you help the City of Artists find their lost inspiration?
Overall rating
2
/
5
10 of 11 found this review helpful
Most Linear Labyrinth in the World: Forbidden Snooze
PostedJune 15, 2015
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
2
/
5
Setting: you are an investigator trying to solve a case in order to join an unnamed organization. The case is the loss of artistic talents in an unnamed European city because Calliope's essence has been split into three parts and scattered.
The quality of artwork is very high, the style is extremely colorful, but at least some pink seems to be present in every scene. The voices are well acted and there is actual lip-synching to the dialog. There is a simplistic transportable map.
Difficulty settings (they could have skipped this part, but more on that later) are the usual three plus Custom. Sparkles and map indicators can be turned off.
There are a few gadgets. During the trial you'll use a "magic palette" gadget, and there are two more you'll obtain later on in the game. There is also a helper in the form of a harlequin. Her tasks are linked to the outfit you'll find for her shortly before using.
Game play is some of the easiest I have seen this year. I was flying through the trial. I had 46 minutes left including time spent investigating the extra content for this review. Some of the HOS are silhouette, others are riddles. All are easy. Strategy guide? Should not be needed. Puzzles are also very simple. The most difficult one in the trial was a number puzzle in which the two sides had to have an equal total. For you Match-Three fans, there is that option.
CE extras are a Boudoir which can be decorated (collect olive branches) and coins collected to enhance the player interface. Bonus Level, strategy guide and what I consider pseudo extras like wallpaper. There is also a gallery of 14 images to collect.
None of the above extras appealed to this reviewer. In fact, very little in this game appealed to this reviewer. The play is very linear. The harlequin and her waving I could have done without. The puzzles are simple. The HOS are simple. The story is not very complicated either. At best, I could see this appealing to beginners or inexperienced players just dipping their feet in the pond. Oh, and players who like to decorate boudoirs whomever they may be.
I don't recommend this game.
You stop a crazy fan, but when he dies, who’s responsible?
Overall rating
2
/
5
38 of 47 found this review helpful
Like Me, You May Want to Skate Away
PostedJune 11, 2015
steve_san
fromCity of Brotherly Love, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Setting: The time seems to be the present. Mr. Chris Chardy, the director of an ice dancing show, has called a detective (you) to protect his star skater, Ruth Fisher. There is a man stalking her on the eve of her big show. When you arrive at the scene, you run into this man and...well, that's far enough.
Bright and colorful winter scenes are the norm in this - for those of us in the northern hemisphere - pre-summer release. Voice acting is fairly good. Many scenes are done on a large scale, creating the feeling of traveling over a large area. Adding to this feeling is the lengthy ride you take on a snowmobile.
There are 14 HOS and 24 puzzles. The HOS during the trial were multistage but I found them far too easy. Puzzles did not present much of a challenge either. One involved arranging three sets of tiles, another required fitting together a circuit board.
Since this is essentially a murder mystery, there is a journal, a transportable map and a dossier of suspects and evidence.
There were some problems with the storytelling. To describe them, I must reveal some semi-SPOILERS. Skip the next paragraph to avoid.
When a character passes out, you check his breath using a mirror - but never check his pulse. Compounding that, when no breath is seen, you just give him up as dead instead of performing CPR. When Mr. Chardy calls for help but looses the cell signal, there is apparently no land line at a hotel? Finally, there are a number of handwritten notes and the handwriting on all of them is exactly the same.
That many problems - just during the demo - are troubling to me and raise a red flag.
CE extras: there are 14 morphing objects, 42 really easy to find collectible snow globes, 14 achievements, a souvenir room, match 3 game, bonus level, strategy guide (2 chapters in demo) and the pseudo extra stuff.
Murder mystery games are some of my favorites. This has potential, but I am troubled by the overly simple play, clumsy storytelling and obvious collectibles. This feels like an unfinished beta. I may consider this as an SE, but for now I am going to sharpen my skates and, like a wise skater, avoid this version of Thin Ice.
2-1/2 stars
I don't recommend this game.
A series of shocking – and otherworldly – murders has struck New York City, and you're the only one who can solve them!
Overall rating
4
/
5
25 of 30 found this review helpful
Start Spreadin' The News
PostedJune 6, 2015
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Setting: in 1959 a man was convicted and sentenced to death for several murders. However, after he is strapped into the electric chair to die, something unusual happens. Fast-forward five years later (that's 1964) and as a member of a secret investigative organization, you have been assigned to look into a current series of strange murders in NYC.
The scenes have a slightly grainy appearance which suits the time period and location. As others have noted, there are a lot of inconsistencies in terms of the time period which detracts a little from the story because it is presented as a realistic murder mystery - albeit with a supernatural twist. Cut scenes are exceptionally good, and character animation is excellent. Voices are good as well.
There are no hidden object scenes - that's right. There are 21 mini-games and 7 puzzles, but no traditional HO's. Though I like HO's, I found the mini-games and puzzles interesting enough even though they were not too challenging. Directions are clear. There is a journal and a task list. There is also a primitive diascope for which you will collect 20 slides. There is a transportable map, which also has indicators for tasks (this can be turned off) and the collectible extras.
CE Extras are 35 collectible items (there are four types) as well as 35 beyond (morphing) objects. There is a Strategy guide (upper left of screen), Bonus Level and the usual array of other stuff like wallpapers and music (pseudos).
After playing the demo I said to myself, "Finally! A game worth reviewing." Little more is revealed about the story during the demo, but the play still kept me interested. Although the cursor changes when you hover, the collectibles are not easy to find.. There are a lot of locations and a fair number of things to keep your mind engaged.
High Voltage should deliver the "juice" for just about any level of player. You won't have to be in a New York state of mind to enjoy this.
High Voltage deserves four-1/2 Statues of Liberty
I recommend this game!
Investigate the mysterious death of Count Anthony in 18th century France.
Overall rating
2
/
5
7 of 10 found this review helpful
Demons, Derek, and Dark
PostedMay 25, 2015
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Today is Memorial Day in the USA. For all who served in the armed forces I want to thank you for your service, as well as pass my heartfelt condolences to all who have lost loved ones while serving.
Setting: 18th cent. France - except the newspapers are printed in English and the citizens speak with British and American accents. Count Anthony disappeared a week ago after going to see Priest Thomas about writing a book. The Count's 's sister Melissa has asked you, detective Derek, to find him.
The artwork is done in a two dimensional style, fairly flat and not too detailed. The palette is very dark, utilizing a lot of dark blues with an occasional brown.The voices are fairly good except that the accents do not fit the setting. The text shows on screen, but instead of "Continue..." it says "Skip" so I suggest not clicking if you want to hear everything. Music consists mostly of a four note sequence repeating over and over.
During the demo, there were a few simple picture puzzles to rearrange, and 2-3 other symbol puzzles which, while lacking clear instructions, were likewise very simple to solve. There were 4-5 HOs, some of which required mild interaction but otherwise were very straightforward. The dark palette adds some difficulty, but not much.
I am using Windows. Before the game opened, a window popped up where I could set the game's resolution, including a check box for Windowed play. I set the resolution to the maximum (1600 x 1200) and unchecked Windowed and the game played in full screen.
This game bears the hallmarks of a new developer. There are numerous misspellings (i.e., scissor and plier) and Melissa is sometimes rendered Merlissa. Also, using an object requires clicking and holding with the mouse. There is a journal but no map, and there is quite a bit of backtracking.
There are occult and religious themes explored by the story line. During the demo, a pentagram symbol is shown on the floor alongside a cross with a snake wrapped around it.
I found nothing that would compel me to purchase this game. The play is dated, the story is derivative and the quality is deficient.
I don't recommend this game.
Haunted Legends: The Dark Wishes Collector's Edition
Restore the threads of Fate, before they cause a disaster!
Overall rating
2
/
5
39 of 45 found this review helpful
The Dark Wishes This Wasn't Another Editor's Dud
PostedMay 7, 2015
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
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Setting: Something about the Philosopher's Stone, a professor of magic (you), Roberto and Lucia (your former pupils), and the Brotherhood of the Dove. There is a story in there somewhere, but don't try to make too much sense of it.
Drawing and cut scenes are very nicely done. The scenes have the unmistakeable signature of the developer. Transition between scenes is sometimes done using a "fish-eye" effect which is quite stunning. Music and sounds, while of decent quality, are all too familiar because they've been used so many times in earlier games. Voices are mostly good, except the villain's voice is cartoon-ish and not scary in the least. The dialog tries to develop the storyline but leaves the impression the story was scribbled out on a stone.
Hidden object scenes (12) are designed exclusively for beginners. There are very few objects in the scenes and they are reasonably large. Mini-games (18) provide a little bit more of a challenge but not much. Some have a Casual/Hard setting. But they are also not particularly interesting or innovative in style or design. I found myself flying through the HOPs and mini-games and I began to lose interest. Was there a map? I did not see one in the demo, nor was one needed.
Difficulty settings: There are four, but there is no setting for map indicators or objectives so I chose Advanced. If you like to adjust things, Hint and Skip can be set to between 5-200 seconds.
CE Extras: Not much. There are collectible pigeons (14, I think), 21 achievements, strategy guide, bonus level and the pseudo extra stuff.
I came away with the impression that the developer "mailed it in" on this one. It is totally derivative in story, artwork and music. Haunted Legends has been a good series, but unfortunately the high water mark was several years ago with Queen of Spades. I expect this would be an extremely short game and the play to be a disappointment to any player except a raw beginner.
Pigeons are notorious for making messes, and this fulfills that expectation.
I don't recommend this game.