I enjoy the gameplay of the series, and this one did not disappoint in that aspect. I would have given it five stars were it not for one major issue. The grammar was HORRENDOUS. I understand if the developers do not speak English as their native language, but this was beyond that. It ranged from complete gibberish to bad, but understandable. Grammar check would have improved the story line by leaps and bounds.
I actually liked what I saw of the gameplay. The paths were defined enough that I had no real issues there. I play without sound, so I cannot comment on the sound effects. What bothered me was the lack of correct English. I have a hard time imagining that even an auto-translate program would be so terrible! I can understand a few errors from a non-English developer, but this was absolutely horrendous. I would expect more from a standard game, let alone a collector's edition. If it weren't for the English, I probably would have given it four stars instead of one, and would have recommended it.
I like the old-game, even though it is a bit easy. There are some issues with actions being completed that were not clicked and vice versa. The biggest issue I have, which no one seems to have mentioned, is that I had to pay to buy the game, and then it has additional things which must be purchased (with money) in order to smooth out gameplay. If I buy a game, I expect to get all of the features. I don't mind FTP apps which allow me to purchase upgrades in-game, but I don't expect to buy a game up front and then be asked for more money. The game was worth the free game coupon I had which was about to expire, but I wouldn't spend money on it otherwise.
The evil witch Mortessa has destroyed the Elven Kingdom and it's up to princess Aerin to restore her homeland. Help her defeat the witch in this time management adventure!
I enjoyed the game overall, and would have given it more stars were it not for a couple of really annoying issues. The placement of the cut scenes in the middle of the levels (or just after starting the level) was annoying. The grammar was also terrible. I understand if the developers are not native English speakers, but a good grammar check program (or hiring an editor) would have fixed most of the worst issues. The graphics were dated, but I do not mind that.
I enjoyed playing both of the new Ravenhearst games. They may not be as good as previous releases, but they are a far cry above alot of the simplistic games that have been released lately. I have bought all of the previous MCF games except the last one, as it was in the "dumbed down" format. I would have given the game 4 stars except for the short length. While putting both recent releases together would have resulted in a long game, separating them as was done means that each game seems unfinished and too short for a CE. Ravenhearst Unlocked was a notch below Key to Ravenhearst in quality. Some objects in the HO scenes were difficult to find because of fuzzy or dark graphics (and I have a really good computer with great graphics). It's been such a long time since the older MCF's that I cannot vouch for plot continuity, but they seemed to follow along fine. There were a few grammar issues, but not enough to impede gameplay and enjoyment.
When I saw another Monument Bulider's game, I was excited. I thought I would finally have something to spend one of my 5 game credits on. After playing the demo, I was disappointed. There does not seem to be a choice to auto-send deliveries (as there was in some of the previous games). Even if you click everything perfectly, it seems like it will be impossible to get 3 stars on every level. I wouldn't mind having to repeat some of the harder levels a few times to perfect them, but it does not seem like this will help (the time limits are unrealistic for human reaction times). This is true even in many of the early levels. I gave it a "poor" challenge rating because of this issue. The game is basically the same as previous monuments, just a different building. This would be fine (I enjoy the game type) if they had kept some of the good features from previous games. I may still buy it eventually if I need to fill up a punchcard or to use a bonus card freebie, but I'm sad to say it is not an immediate purchase for me.
I don't recommend this game.
+14points
14of14voted this as helpful.
Haunted Legends: The Dark Wishes Collector's Edition
Restore the threads of Fate, before they cause a disaster!
Overall rating
2/ 5
27 of 30 found this review helpful
Lacked challenge and excitement
PostedMay 7, 2015
calculuscat3
fromIA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management
Fun Factor
3/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
4/ 5
Level of Challenge
1/ 5
Storyline
4/ 5
I used to like this series, but the last one and this one changed that. I played the 90 minute demo in under 40 minutes, and that was taking my time with other distractions. I appreciated that you could do the puzzles on easy or hard, however even on hard there was no challenge to them. The objects in the HOS's were easy to find (although there were traditional HOS scenes at least). If I was given it for free, I would probably play it through, but I will not be spending money (or credits) on it. *Sigh* I really do need a good game to use up some of my 5 credits (or if BFG would let me use them on items in FTP games...).
I don't recommend this game.
+24points
27of30voted this as helpful.
Haunted Legends: The Stone Guest Collector's Edition
Someone is stealing the hearts of children – literally! Is it a brilliant inventor, seeking to cure his ailing son? Or has dark magic taken over the village...
Following the recent trends, this is an extremely easy game and not up to the standards of its predecessors in the series. Based on the demo, the HO scenes are few and far between, and are simplistic. The puzzles were simple as well. Available locations seemed slow to update after a task was completed. The 90 minute demo took under an hour, playing at a leisurely rate. Despite owning all of the other games in the Haunted Legends series, this one will not be a purchase for me.
This review is based on the (supposedly) 90 minute demo, which I finished in 50 minutes (average difficulty) without rushing. There were not many puzzles/HOS, mostly just "put this shaped object here" and "pick this up" tasks. The HO scenes were all picture based, collecting parts of items. All of the HOS and puzzles were extremely easy (required little thought). I don't own any of the previous games in the series, so I can't really compare this to them. This game does not compel me to go try them out though.
I don't know what it is with the newest additions to series, but they seem to be getting easier and easier. There are fewer true HO scenes, and quite a few of the "find a couple of things" scenes. I play on a "medium" difficulty level and finished the demo in less than 45 minutes, including a couple of breaks when I didn't bother to exit the game. I also didn't care for the "jumping" storyline, where characters and scenes are introduced for a couple of minutes before moving to a different area. It seems like a way to add time to gameplay without adding actual content/gameplay. I'm only buying this one because of the deal being offered to get the earlier Danse Macabre for 1/2 price (the two together is an ok deal). I wouldn't recommend paying full price for this game without the offer.