belamba's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.4
- Helpful Votes:6,536
- Reviews Submitted:161
- First Review:November 16, 2011
- Most Recent Review:April 4, 2019
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Return to Raincliff, where what you see isn’t always what you get!
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 5 found this review helpful
Love this series of CEs
PostedFebruary 14, 2014
belamba
fromPoole, Dorset UK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Am enjoying this game so much. As expected from these devs the mode of play choices are spot on, the music in keeping and the graphics are superb.
We have 'Elf' once more, a cute little dog to help us out of tight spots. This game has the added feature of 'frost' mode which you can turn on and off. Once you're too cold, unless you find the morphing 'warming your hands up' item, the game freezes until you warm up.
The HOPs are interactive in the main, and very well done. Puzzles are of varying levels of difficulty; some are easy others quite a challenge.
Helpful map which shows current tasks and you can jump to that scene.
All in all an excellent game!
I recommend this game!
His mother escaped her murdering husband just before he was born. Now the son of Bluebeard must break his father's curse.
Overall rating
5
/
5
91 of 106 found this review helpful
Fantastic game....
PostedFebruary 12, 2014
belamba
fromPoole, Dorset UK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I played this to the end and it took about 4 hours. Chose hard core mode, so quite a long wait for skip and hint refills. If I'd looked at options first, I'd have noticed you can turn the sparkles off in 'other' modes also.
This game kept me hooked from start to finish, and I was sad when it came to an end.
Cute cartoony graphics, music was pleasant, level of challenge was spot on and the map was very useful and let you jump to scenes with tasks to do.
Puzzles were mainly fairly easy (only skipped a few) and nicely done. HOPs were well drawn, interactive, largish objects mainly and there weren't too many crammed into this game.
I could play games of this calibre all day. Better than many CEs, and it ran seamlessly on my Mac.
Hope there's more to come from these devs, and I shall look out for them. So many awful 'non CEs' lately, that this came as a pleasant surprise! And games were discounted today as well. Would happily have paid full price for this one!
I recommend this game!
Can a vampire and an ordinary girl be together, if the vampire's father opposes this?
Overall rating
3
/
5
7 of 13 found this review helpful
Seemed to get bored quite quickly with this one...
PostedFebruary 9, 2014
belamba
fromPoole, Dorset UK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This review is based on finishing the entire game and bonus chapter. When I first saw the custom mode, I liked that as I can make sure there are no sparkles but still have quick hint and skip refill. Well, in this mode on my Mac thie hint didn't work and the cursor vanished, so had to go back to advanced mode.
Good to see there was a M3 option if you didn't want to play the HOP - well, the M3 was not only really boring, but in under a second it was showing you the next move which was really irritating. The HOP scenes were nicely drawn, and interactive but again got a bit boring. And way too many of them.
The puzzles were nicely done, and I enjoyed playing them. Mainly doable, and some a bit different to the norm.
The puzzles were nicely done, and I enjoyed playing them. Mainly doable, and some a bit different to the norm.
Glad there was a map whereby you could jump to the scenes with active tasks. Particularly useful when switching characters.
The graphics were beautifully done, the music pleasant, and had collectables to buy bits to build a castle or decorate your screen.
The whole game wasn't bad, but just got tired of playing 'switcheroo'. The bonus chapter at least wasn't just stuffed with HOPs, but with puzzles instead. No switching of characters or collectables in it, and although added another hours play not really worth the extra money. I wouldn't have bought this CE at full price, but did as BFG had a discount day!
I recommend this game!
Stop the disaster caused by the Sky Kingdom and save the day!
Overall rating
3
/
5
35 of 42 found this review helpful
Just can't get excited about this CE
PostedFebruary 6, 2014
belamba
fromPoole, Dorset UK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I'm a sucker for CEs, and buy almost all of them but just can't get into this game.
The graphics are beautiful, the music pleasant, the level of challenge good and I've bought the other Dark Parables games.
I like FROGs, but thought there too many in this game. Just one after the other, after the other....
The three mode choices of play are annoying. Usually one gets the option of 'no sparkles' but still a hint, skip, map etc. I chose the middle option, and the first thing I see is a 'sparkle', so went to Hard Core mode only to discover the map is disabled. I went back to middle mode, then found the map is useless anyway as most of the time there are no 'active tasks' on it, yet you've obviously got to do something. You can't 'jump' to a different location either so the map is pointless. Continued in hard core, and to date puzzles were doable, but if they weren't I switched back to middle mode.
Read in the forum you can switch sparkles off in the options menu, but by the time I'd changed modes, hopped about trying to find a happy medium between sparkles, hints, skips and the map I'd almost run out of my trial hour!
My one other gripe, is that the items you find, obtain through FROG scenes or are given are all so similar in shape and colour, that I got really bored having to keep reading what each piece was in the inventory.
Not the worst CE out there, but has room for improvement.
I don't recommend this game.
Young Andrea suddenly collapsed, falling into a coma. Now her fate rests on an experiment that dives deep into minds.
Overall rating
5
/
5
86 of 99 found this review helpful
Just loved this game....
PostedFebruary 5, 2014
belamba
fromPoole, Dorset UK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This game had all that I love - creepy critters, cute critters, good level of challenge, three game modes (I played expert not hardcore).
The HOPs were interactive, cute and good sized objects to look for. Hint system excellent, plus a journal, map and task list.
The graphics were great, and each scene had been beautifully drawn.
Puzzles were pretty bog standard, but nicely done and mainly fairly easy. Skip button refilled at a reasonable speed.
I really didn't want the game to end I enjoyed it so much. It was a fair length (about 3 hours). This game was better than some CEs.
The only thing I didn't understand was that the map showed a huge amount of locked areas, so thought there was a long way to go still when the game ended. So, is it to be continued? Or was it originally a CE?
I recommend this game!
Paranormal activity has turned Smalltown upside-down! As the newest initiate of the Order of the Light, you must investigate why.
Overall rating
1
/
5
30 of 77 found this review helpful
Wouldn't want it if it was free.....!
PostedJanuary 18, 2014
belamba
fromPoole, Dorset UK
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Must be the shortest CE trial I've ever played. When being offered different play modes, why would anyone want 'sparkles and quick hint and skip refills' OR 'sparkles and slow hint and skip refills' OR 'no sparkles and no hint or skip function at all?'
I might like a hint or skip to finish a puzzle or HOS, but what I cannot stand are 'sparkles'!
First sign of one of those and I uninstalled the game.
Sparkles are fine if your new to this genre, or like just to play without much challenge. To me, they are an insult to my intelligence and I relish CEs because of the option to play without them. I'm a big girl now, and think I can fathom that a magnifying glass means 'look here'...
Also it was 'so' square on my widescreen it looked distorted, and certainly not up to CE quality.
Had it been an SE, I wouldn't want it but I'm sure other players that don't mind sparkles all over the place may enjoy it.
I don't recommend this game.
Guide a mother who pursues a terrifying apparition into a twisted reality to save her daughter.
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Love this series of games....
PostedJanuary 18, 2014
belamba
fromPoole, Dorset UK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
On the 'pro' side this game ticked all the boxes for me. Puppets, spooky places, grubby, grimey, weird and wonderful creepy settings etc. music was enjoyable, graphics clever and not many HOS. Puzzles were nicely done, although fairly easy.
I liked the morphing objects, and searching for them in each scene.
It ran without a hitch on my Mac too.
I liked the morphing objects, and searching for them in each scene.
It ran without a hitch on my Mac too.
Now to the 'cons'. Had I paid full price (BFGs offering a discount today) I'd have felt cheated! I played advanced mode, never used a hint or puzzle skip and whole of main game was finished in about 3 hours. Had I got it as an SE that may have been ok. But...the bonus game was a real disappointment to me!
Made up of a huge amount of HOPs, barely interactive and the 'same' scene THREE times. Come on devs...those of us that buy the CEs are expecting more than just an extra 'yawn'!
I had the feeling that their hearts just weren't in the extra bonus chapter, it was as though they asked an apprentice to knock up an extra chapter just because they needed one.
Also the handholding was extreme to the point of being insulting to anyone over the age of 5, particularly in the bonus chapter.
I recommend this game!
Paranormal State: Poison Spring
Thrills abound as the ghost-hunters from the hit A&E TV show "Paranormal State" race to solve terrifying Civil War hauntings.
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Really enjoyed this game...
PostedJanuary 15, 2014
belamba
fromPoole, Dorset UK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Released for the Mac today I liked the trial hour, so bought it. Whole game without skipping any puzzles took 5 hours to complete.
Played extreme mode, so don't know if you could jump about via the map in other modes (couldn't in my chosen mode). Hint system was excellent, so no need for SG or walkthrough.
The HOPs were really fun, and although quite a few of them the added extras of the items making funny noises was a welcome change. Also very interactive, so took a while to fathom them out.
Puzzles fairly easy, but liked most of them.
Storyline silly, but then that's what I expect from a game.
This is well worth a d/l, and I'm sure (whatever your skill level), you'll have fun with this one! Better than some CEs. and great value for money.
A bit picky cursor on the Mac in HOPs. Couple of times thought I wouldn't progress, but after clicking all over the object, it finally registered!
I recommend this game!
The town of Deadwood is being terrorized by the ghost of a murderous outlaw! Break his curse and save the day!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Love all things spooky....
PostedJanuary 8, 2014
belamba
fromPoole, Dorset UK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
On reading some reviews, I nearly didn't bother to try this game. So glad I d/l it as it's excellent, and really gets you thinking.
You have 3 game modes to choose from, and I chose the most difficult. Whether the game was changed a bit for the Mac edition I don't know, but certainly the hint system worked if you were stuck. It told you what you needed to do next, but didn't show you where the task was.
For a pleasant change, there was little hand holding and I still managed to finish the game, even though there were a few frustrations of 'where did I see that, or where did I leave that?'
A basic journal and no map. Lots of HOS, pretty much standard junk pile, but there were three different ways of playing the scenes as you went along, so no replaying the same scene the same way.
Puzzles were pretty easy, including a few jigsaws (which I love), and puzzles could be solved without needing to skip.
All in all, a very good game for anyone that likes HO adventure games, regardless of whether your new to this genre or an old hand!
I recommend this game!
You came to the town of Brownville, Louisiana hoping to find a new job. But you weren't expecting to stumble upon a strange adventure in a world filled with beauty and danger!
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 6 found this review helpful
Good game but with too much going on...
PostedJanuary 2, 2014
belamba
fromPoole, Dorset UK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I finished the trial hour, and enjoyed playing this game.
It seems the devs have crammed a lot in, maybe too much.
It seems the devs have crammed a lot in, maybe too much.
There are never ending cut scenes, too many basic junk pile HOPs that are barely interactive, bits of puzzle pieces to find throughout the game, a furry helper and cards that you perform various tasks with.
The music is pleasant, the VOs are not irritating and the graphics are well done if not a bit fuzzy. The HOPs are well drawn with mainly large enough items to find.
You can customise your game mode, which I really like to do so I can play the game the way I want. No sparkles or black bar tips but fast hint and skip refill.
I liked the puzzles. Nothing really new so far, but they were doable and made me want to solve them as they were put together nicely.
The map is excellent so you can jump to where you need to be, and the hint system is very useful. Found the game to be rather linear in game play, so not too much back and forth. The scenes didn't have too much going on, so were quickly finished. I turned black bar tips off in this game, as I don't want to be hand held through every step. And boy was there a lot of hand holding.
I recommend this game!