Poodlebear's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.8
- Helpful Votes:1,374
- Reviews Submitted:45
- First Review:November 19, 2011
- Most Recent Review:May 17, 2021
- Featured reviews0
Status:
When the ghost of the beautiful Diane de Poitiers appears in front of you, you are transported back in time in Amulet of Time: Shadow of la Rochelle!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
A gorgeous walk through history.
PostedJune 6, 2012
Poodlebear
fromSeattle, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This game has been sitting on my desktop for some time. I was iffy on it originally and picked it up on one of the sales. I am SO glad I did!
First demo play through I found the aim and controls unclear (played on Difficult setting) and becoming frustrated I put it aside for the time being. This time, with nothing else of interest on offer, I began again.
There are some issues with overly picky cursors and goals not being clear at all. Playing without sparkle hints was definitely a challenge because it took me a while to realize some items required you have to find them within the environments and there isn't a cursor change to guide you. They are listed under goals but it took me a while to get that.
The story is one of the deepest I've experienced with a lot of what I assume are real historical figures and an intriguing murder plot. The puzzles are challenging but not terribly and there were some unique ones. The graphics are crystal clear and beautiful. There is no widescreen option but I don't mind the black side bars. I'd rather have that than a blurred stretched image like many have.
So I highly recommend this game but expect some learning curve before you really start enjoying yourself if you're anything like me. I imagine the experience on Easy setting would be a lot different.
I recommend this game!
Sophie wakes up in an empty room with no idea who she is. Help her regain her memories and uncover the truth in this unique Match 3 experience.
Overall rating
3
/
5
45 of 56 found this review helpful
Gorgeous but zzzzzzz...
PostedJune 5, 2012
Poodlebear
fromSeattle, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Review based on very short play time:
Beautiful graphics and music.
Timed and Relaxed Multiple Modes.
Somewhat obscure objectives.
Tedious Match 3 screens.
No Widescreen support - forced to play in window as off the edges on my 1680x1050 monitor.
I can't really comment on the story because the Match 3 screens I encountered were so boring I couldn't keep myself playing to find out.
I don't recommend this game.
The Mona Lisa has been stolen! Travel between the past and present to gather clues and unravel a sinister plot.
Overall rating
3
/
5
138 of 161 found this review helpful
I don't need to play it to know. TIMED.
PostedJune 3, 2012
Poodlebear
fromSeattle, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I will never play nor purchase any game where there's a timer w/o option to turn it off. As soon as I read (paraphrased) "to move on you must uncover time traces before timer runs out" I exited as soon as possible (was trapped in mandatory tutorial) and quit the game.
Graphics great, could be fun, timer kills it for me. That simple.
I don't recommend this game.
Put on your detective hat and help uncover the secret of a lowly bank clerk in Cheatbusters!
Overall rating
1
/
5
57 of 59 found this review helpful
Just awful.
PostedMay 30, 2012
Poodlebear
fromSeattle, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Okay, in all honestly I did not last more than 10 minutes playing this game, so maybe it gets better, but those 10 minutes were TERRIBLE in all aspects.
Artwork is muddy, blurry and poorly drawn.
Music is boring repetitive modern ambient jazz... kinda...
Story is poorly translated and makes little sense, not to mention in poor taste. I'm going to play a game about checking out a cheating boyfriend? Also once one begins playing there is no reason given that relates to story, or anything else for that matter, what you are doing. You just hire a detective then start looking for stuff.
The mechanics of the game do not work well. Cursor movement is sporadic and strange. It is necessary to "take the tutorial" because if not it's completely unclear what one is supposed to do. Hidden Object scenes are built over the top of environments. This is a new approach but one I think is messy. Also for some inexplicable reason the items to be found are drawn interpretations of the objects that may or may not look anything like the object. When I exited the game my open windows had been shifted. That's not a big deal it just is more evidence of poor programming.
I didn't know how to rate Level of Challenge because poor design creates a sort of challenge...? If you poke me in the eye with a stick it makes it harder to do a puzzle kinda thing.
The ONE good thing this game has is a clickable location map. That's it.
I don't recommend this game.
Nightmares from the Deep: The Cursed Heart Collector's Edition
Dive into an epic journey as a museum owner in pursuit of an undead pirate who has kidnapped your daughter in Nightmares from the Deep: The Cursed Heart!
Overall rating
5
/
5
10 of 15 found this review helpful
Now THIS is how to do it!
PostedMay 18, 2012
Poodlebear
fromSeattle, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
All around high quality game. I loved every minute of it. Fully immersive and interactive, like participating in a movie.
If story isn't important to you and/or you don't like wandering around a lot this is likely not for you. The story and how it's told is a BIG percentage of what makes this game so great.
My only complaints, and it's not really a complaint because it certainly didn't hinder my enjoyment, was the puzzles were on the easy side. I played on the higher difficulty and at no point was even tempted to consult the guide at all. Oh, also the Bonus Adventure was very short and just run of the mill in comparison to how excellent the main game was.
Anyway, SUPER game that really was worth the price of the CE cuz no way was I going to wait to play! :D
I recommend this game!
Uncover the Sea Secrets of the Flying Dutchman in Secrets of the Seas: Flying Dutchman!
Overall rating
5
/
5
49 of 53 found this review helpful
Wish I had stuck with it sooner...
PostedMay 17, 2012
Poodlebear
fromSeattle, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Honestly I wish I had bought the CE - not because of any extra content, which is usually not worth additional cost, imo - but because the developers get more money and I want to see more from the creators of this title.
Not that it was perfect. I had graphic issues where if I used the option to adjust for wide screen w/ pillar boxing, it actually made it LESS clear? Overall there was a lack of the clarity one normally sees in games w/ CEs. Add to that some dismal voice acting (seriously BAD) and that's some hefty strikes which made me jump to conclusions about the game and table it until the SE.
BUT now having played the SE through I found the gameplay was excellent with lots of tricky inventory puzzling, none of which was over the top illogical, a pet peeve of mine. I am an old school Adventure gamer so I like wandering about and gathering stuff to use later and there's plenty of that over lots of environments. Hidden Object scenes were junk pile, but logical w/o weird sizes or gravity defying objects and appropriate items. Mini-games were a touch on the easy side but fun and several were new to me which rarely happens.
The story was nicely realized with a good dollop of humor and some pathos. Since it wrapped up nicely in the SE I am curious about what might have been added for CE.
The music was good and I liked the look of the graphics, though it had the blurriness/pixely issues mentioned above.
Nice looong duration that had me surprised with the number of areas offered and things to do.
Anyway, as I said, this one grows on you and has lots to offer the deeper you get, so hang in there past cringe worthy voice overs and expect lots of fun on the horizon.
I recommend this game!
Rescue a young girl from the Penumbra Motel. Solve puzzles, unravel a long standing mystery of death and disappearances in this heart-pounding adventure game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
6 of 9 found this review helpful
A lot of sizzle but the steak's gone off...
PostedMay 14, 2012
Poodlebear
fromSeattle, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Normally ERS games are an almost immediate buy and I'm always happy to see the logo pop up. Good, gorgeous games with a lot of thought behind them. Sad to say I did not find that true for this offering.
First of all the story, which began quite intriguingly, spun off in untraceable directions - SPOILER - what did the clock maker have to do with the war? Why did the Dad want to kill the boy friend? What drove the family nuts? What did the locks have to do with the medals...? and on and on. It was like several good story ideas got mashed together into one big mess.
The game mechanics were fine for the most part, though the mini-games seemed either ridiculously easy or overwhelmingly fiddly and/or difficult with very poor directions. One BIG no-no that had me growling is in more than one mini-game, objects needed in the puzzle were so close to the bottom of the screen that I inadvertently backed out of the puzzle, starting the SKIP timer over. Since many of the puzzles seemed overly difficult or were so terribly unclear I skipped many and I rarely skip.
Hints were not helpful except to say you had nothing to do in an area, cursor was very picky, and while I understand inventory puzzles often have an illogical nature to them this game took the cake for having many items in inventory that *should* work in a situation but didn't OR things like needing to find an endless chain of *different* screw drivers as you go along because the many you found earlier you inexplicably dropped. Grrrrr...
Art work great, sound good, though music was repetitive (this might have been heightened by my general annoyance) and duration good. Thing was on duration I wasn't having fun, so wrap it up already. :D I actually played the Bonus chapter on easy to get it over with. I NEVER play on easy.
Tons of potential but an over-all fail in my estimation. I'd give it a 2.5 but since I can't it bumps to a 3 for content. Lots there, just not the best of what could be.
I don't recommend this game.
Find Aaron’s missing father and discover the meaning behind his eerie paintings in Aaron Crane: Paintings Come Alive!
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 8 found this review helpful
LOVE the Weirdness but soooo short. :(
PostedFebruary 23, 2012
Poodlebear
fromSeattle, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Clearly from all the reviews this is a love it or hate it sort of game and I am solidly in the LOVE category.
Maybe most of the players don't remember the old days of Adventure Games where you did not get hints or directions and nothing was ever obvious. This definitely brought me back to those days and the delicious, "Ah HA!" when something clicks in your head because you've figured it out for yourself.
The graphics were pretty raw and mismatched but clear and the music was pleasant. I played this with a migraine and at no point was light or sound an issue. Weird endorsement to be sure but true! :D
The mini-game type puzzles were pretty easy but the Inventory Logic Puzzles were not and took some thinking to work out. I did get stuck enough once to resort to the walk-through.
My two complaints, the first minor, was how to move about was confusing. Sometimes arrows at the side, sometimes top and bottom, sometimes zoomed in, but terrain did not make it clear which it would be. The second complaint is serious. VERY VERY SHORT. I completed in less than 2 hours. I had almost finished the 4th of the 6 chapters when the demo ran out. That's the reason, plus less than stellar graphics, for the 4 rather than 5 stars. This game with more polish and a couple more chapters would get a resounding 5 from me.
I ADORED how quirky it was with all the odd beasties and strange tasks. It seems that games are being churned out by a machine these days so something standing on it's own two oddly shaped feet is a great change. Even though I knew it was going to be very short I decided I wanted to support a company that didn't put out same old same old and bought it. It was lovely to challenge those logic circuits again and have a laugh doing it! ;)
I recommend this game!
The Heart of the Kingdom has been destroyed and now it’s up to Munchausen to save the day in this fun Hidden Object game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Innovative and fun, but short.
PostedFebruary 19, 2012
Poodlebear
fromSeattle, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I knew just moments into the demo that this was a buy for me.
The graphics are cartoony which is okay, they were certainly well done for the style, though not a favorite. The voice acting was corny but given it was a somewhat over the top story that seems to fit. I will admit the Baron's voice grated on my nerves after a while, especially the somewhat snide remarks when trying incorrect solutions. Hence the 4 star on Visual/Sound quality.
But what really grabbed me was the innovative and surprisingly challenging game play. I played on expert setting with auto hints (tutorials) turned off. It did still show a brief tutorial when introducing each sort of puzzle area, which was good. It would be difficult for me to review puzzle types without spoilers so I'll just say new approaches to interweaving Adventure/Inventory and a sort of Hidden Object and Fractured Object was utilized very effectively. Truly had me scratching my head a few times.
My one complaint, and why I didn't give a 5 star Overall rating, was it felt as if the game was truncated, like perhaps the developers ran out of time/money. The over-all goal of the game was finding pieces of a magic crystal. At first pieces were few and far between but suddenly they were coming very quickly and the game wrapped up. I felt like it needed a couple more locations to be fully fleshed out. It was long enough I felt pretty satisfied, especially with the current Sale price, but I wanted it to go on a little longer.
I recommend this game!
Save the souls of prodigy children and their caretaker who disappeared during the fire in The Agency of Anomalies: Cinderstone Orphanage!
Overall rating
4
/
5
57 of 64 found this review helpful
Core game excellent. Bonus falls short.
PostedFebruary 10, 2012
Poodlebear
fromSeattle, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I am much more careful than I used to be when buying Collectors Editions, normally doing so only when I can't stand to wait to keep playing. Such was the case with the latest offering from The Agency of Anomalies. Demo ran out and off I went to buy. :D
Graphics are great, though the wide screen option pillar boxes. I look forward to the day wide screen actually is the norm. The music was wonderful and the voice acting excellent on all characters.
Gameplay was unique utilizing special abilities you pick up as the game progresses. Adventure puzzling was intuitive and logical for the most part, a big plus. There was a lot of room to room, so those of you who don't like wandering be warned. No Mini-Games were repeated and most were fun, though a couple were too easy in my opinion. Hidden object were logical junk piles, in other words nothing out of place or floating, weird sizes, etc.You do return to the same Hidden Object scenes a few times, though what you are looking for doesn't repeat. My very favorite type of Hidden Object is found here as well - where you return objects to the scene like put the candle back onto a candle stick and then add a match. These did get simpler as the game wore on, but still enjoyable.
Ok, so now the downside: perhaps because the game was excellent it accentuated how seriously the Bonus Adventure fell short. Repeated puzzles that weren't terribly enjoyable the first time, including one that requires fast hand eye coordination AND you end up having to do it 3 times. Groan. This is definitely a "wait until SE" game, unless, like me, you want it nooooow. ;)
I recommend this game!