Imberis's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.1
- Helpful Votes:6,229
- Reviews Submitted:64
- First Review:December 18, 2011
- Most Recent Review:March 23, 2023
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Free the trapped souls and reunite a love long lost in Haunting Mysteries: The Island of Lost Souls!
Overall rating
5
/
5
7 of 11 found this review helpful
A Must-Try!
PostedMay 20, 2012
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
From the demo:
Pros: Storyline. It starts out a little so-so, but I found that it gets more interesting the more I play. The characters are interesting, and the voice acting is good, for the most part. (The voice acting helps make me feel sorry for poor Lillian.) I enjoy the background music.The non-hidden object scenes are really nice looking. Some are a little foggy, but you are on a stormy haunted island, after all. Some of the hidden object scenes have a little bit of interactivity, which I like. The puzzles that I played were good, although nothing too difficult yet. I do hope that they get harder. I like that there are achievements! Also, you actually get to hang on to some of the tools you find and use them multiple times! I was glad I didn't keep having to find a screwdriver over and over again.
Wallpapers and whatnot are unlocked at the get-go, if you like to use them.
Cons: The hidden object scenes are a little pixelated for me. Some scenes (hidden object and otherwise) are a bit dark around the edges, as well. A con for some, but not for me, is that there are lots of hidden object scenes, and sometimes there's two in a row, depending on where you go in the game.
I recommend this game!
Welcome back to the Cooking Academy! This time you'll be writing your own cookbook!
Overall rating
4
/
5
40 of 49 found this review helpful
Fun, But More of the Same
PostedMay 2, 2012
Imberis
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Time Management
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I liked this game enough to purchase it.
If you've played a Cooking Academy game before, you know what it's like. If you haven't, it's like the Cooking Mama games, sort of. You make (virtual) dishes and try to do your best. There's chopping, peeling, egg cracking, stirring, etc. Some of it is fairly difficult to do. The game gives you these various steps to do, and then the steps combine to make a dish. At the end, you're given up to five stars based on how well you did. As you progress through the game and go to different sections with different kinds of food, it gets harder. However, a lot of the steps for some dishes are exactly the same, just with different ingredients (i.e., you peel potatoes for potato chips, and sweet potatoes for fries, or you play a ball-and-cup game for any peanut-related dishes).
I will say that if you're not a fan of a lot of clicking/holding the mouse/dragging, this game is not for you. I can only play a little while before my hand starts to cramp up because there's so much to do. There's a lot of fast movement required, as well.
The one drawback is if you've played one of these games, you've pretty much played them all. The game mechanics are all the same, and the basic concept is exactly the same.
I recommend this game!
Travel to Red Lake Falls to track down the latest Dark Dimension!
Overall rating
3
/
5
92 of 105 found this review helpful
Entirely Too Dark Dimensions
PostedApril 26, 2012
Imberis
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Time Management
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This review is of the demo:
The story is interesting, and that's probably the only reason I'd buy the standard edition when it comes out.
The puzzles in this game were fine. I didn't come across anything spectacularly hard or interesting. The hidden object scenes have interactive bits to them, but nothing too hard to figure out. A lot of the time an item on your list of objects to find will be one of the items you need to use in the interactive portion. The inventory puzzles in the game are easy to figure out, as you generally use an item more or less as soon as you receive it.
The music is OK, but the background sounds are kind of irritating, as there seems to be an intermittent whispering going on.
The graphics are entirely too dark. I've seen from other developers that you can make a "dark" game and still use bright colors. You don't need to purposely darken the game's artwork. Hidden object scenes were also pretty dark.
The Collector's Edition contains nothing I really want. There's wallpapers, concept art, and music, but they're locked until you complete the main game. (I never use them, anyway.) There is a bonus chapter, but from looking at the strategy guide a little, I don't think it's worth my paying extra just for that.
The journal in the game picks up articles and stuff like that, but it doesn't seem to pick up puzzle solutions (like lock combos, for instance) that you find in the game. I wound up having to backtrack to re-read the lock combo and then go back to the lock. Luckily, it wasn't that far. I still think that in this sort of game, journals should track that kind of information for you, though.
One thing I did like in this game was the use of live actors to tell the story. Normally I'm not a huge fan of that, but for some reason I liked it in this game.
All in all, I think I'll wait for the Standard Edition of this game, and even then, I'll have to think about it. This game would be much more enjoyable if the artwork wasn't so, so dark.
I don't recommend this game.
Uncover the Sea Secrets of the Flying Dutchman!
Overall rating
4
/
5
102 of 113 found this review helpful
A Decent Adventure
PostedApril 22, 2012
Imberis
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Time Management
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This review is from the demo.
Though this game has the "rescue your friend from a ghost" theme, at least it's done in a slightly different way (i.e., it's not your grandpa or your paramour you're saving).
Though this game has the "rescue your friend from a ghost" theme, at least it's done in a slightly different way (i.e., it's not your grandpa or your paramour you're saving).
Pros:
The graphics are nice, and I enjoy the use of color. Scenes go well with the theme of the game, but have some color to them. The hidden object scenes are crowded/junkpile-y, but items are distinguishable and there are interactive elements. I did the beta test for this game, and I appreciate that they removed the sparkles from adventure mode for the final game. This game has some humor, which is a nice change of pace! There's a strange little mascot for the hint button. I think he's cute in a weird way. The music is totally appropriate for the game setting and is nice to listen to.
The graphics are nice, and I enjoy the use of color. Scenes go well with the theme of the game, but have some color to them. The hidden object scenes are crowded/junkpile-y, but items are distinguishable and there are interactive elements. I did the beta test for this game, and I appreciate that they removed the sparkles from adventure mode for the final game. This game has some humor, which is a nice change of pace! There's a strange little mascot for the hint button. I think he's cute in a weird way. The music is totally appropriate for the game setting and is nice to listen to.
Cons: The "simon" type game didn't register some of my clicks. Inventory items are generally used right away/I knew where I'd need to use almost all of them as soon as I got them. (That's sort of a con for me, but I know for others that's a pro.) The puzzles encountered in the demo aren't terribly original (They're nice enough, though). The voice acting is just OK, although the "bad guy's" voice is odd, and I feel like it doesn't fit him at all. Then again, that's probably just a personal preference!
All in all, this game is good, but not great. I'd pay full price for the Standard Edition, but not the Collector's Edition.
I recommend this game!
Criminal Minds
Join an elite team of FBI profilers who analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds!
Overall rating
3
/
5
133 of 182 found this review helpful
Could Be Better
PostedApril 21, 2012
Imberis
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Time Management
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
From the demo only:
This game was disappointing to me. I love a good crime mystery game, but this one just fell flat for me. First of all, there are two cases to choose from. I chose the one about the artist, and I found the story pretty boring. There's little sense of direction in the game and I felt like the story was just thrown together.
The hidden object scenes were extremely crowded, and the graphics were grainy in places and were not as crisp as they probably could be. The characters from the TV show are shown in an artistic/drawn form, but they're just sort of... there. The game tells you that you get to play as all of the different characters, and you do, but it doesn't add anything to the game. The puzzles that I played were incredibly easy (jigsaw, paint-by-numbers, etc.) and were nothing new. Navigating between the scenes felt a little clunky/slow, even though all you do is click on the arrow.
Compared to other recent crime mystery IHOG/adventure games out there, this one pales in comparison.
I don't recommend this game.
Move to Metropoville and begin a 12 step Life Quest program! Find a new rewarding career in this incredible Strategy game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
62 of 78 found this review helpful
A Decent Sequel
PostedMarch 31, 2012
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
If you liked the first Life Quest, you'll probably like this one. It's a simulation game in that you have a character and you must make their life great while doing quests and working with their daily time meter.
The graphics are cute. The map looks sort of different from the first game, but it's the same sort of "click-here-go-there" map. The music is fine. The premise of the game is about the same: Move to a new town, find a job, buy a vehicle, etc. as game quests. This time quests are in the form of a "pie," and there are three quests to complete each pie slice. You can also choose whether you want to compete against an opponent or just do the quests at your own pace. However, you only have 100 (I think?) in-game days to complete the game. Sort of. The game wants you to rack up as many points before that period is over, but [kind of spoiler alert] if you'd really like, you can just keep on playing with the same character. I found that the game was neither easy or hard-- it was just right. Like the first game, there is a time factor. You only get a certain amount of time to do things each day, and that is hindered by how well you slept and if you ate the day before. You can add more time to that meter by going to the gym, though, so by the middle of the game you can have a decent amount of time to do what you need to do.
I will say that I completed a whole "game" last night in a few hours. I started a new one today with a different character and began with a different job, and it's nice to see that the game experience is quite a bit different, so there's some some replayability here.
I recommend this game!
Stop the evil sorcerer Rasmos and help Prince Argon claim the throne!
Overall rating
2
/
5
48 of 50 found this review helpful
Not-So Wonderful Solitaire
PostedMarch 19, 2012
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
This review is based on the demo.
This game reminds me of Faerie Solitaire but without some of the "frills" of that game. The game is laid out in the same way, with the same sorts of goals and the same ten-games-to-a-level layout. The goal/level menu even looks basically the same. I looked up this developer, but they don't seem to be the same ones who made Faerie Solitaire.
This game reminds me of Faerie Solitaire but without some of the "frills" of that game. The game is laid out in the same way, with the same sorts of goals and the same ten-games-to-a-level layout. The goal/level menu even looks basically the same. I looked up this developer, but they don't seem to be the same ones who made Faerie Solitaire.
Now, for the game. First of all, the cards are really hard on my eyes. They're really cute, but they're bright and for some reason (it's probably just me) I'm having a hard time distinguishing between the queen and the 9 card. They're not the same, but I guess I think "female character = queen card." The sound that the game makes when you click the cards gets old pretty fast, but you can turn off the sound, I guess. The music is fine and is more like background noise, so it didn't really bother me. The magic shop where you can buy powerups and whatnot doesn't really have anything that great. There are a couple of items to boost your score, but it feels very thrown together or done last minute.
The layout of the screen is... odd. I feel like the stack of cards is way too far away from the playable cards, and I was moving my mouse a really long way and in a very unnatural pattern (almost like I had to stretch my hand too far to get to the pile). Playing in windowed mode helps that some. I did appreciate that there are choices in windowed mode as to how large you would like the game.
I love solitaire games and this one is cute, but it feels like a ripoff of Faerie Solitaire, but it's missing the special something Faerie Solitaire had. It's not nearly as well polished, and the story is somewhat lacking.
I don't recommend this game.
Help Autumn rescue her fairy friends and stop the Spirit of Gloom in Mother Nature, an exciting Strategy game!
Overall rating
2
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
Good Idea, Bad Execution
PostedFebruary 13, 2012
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I do appreciate when developers take a chance and try something different or off-beat. However, this game is a little too different. The tutorial consists of little circles telling you where to click, but there's not explanation at all. Why am I planting these flowers? Why do I keep having to water them? Don't know. It's also very repetitive. You do the same thing again and again, but it's not very difficult or very exciting. The graphics are cute, although a little dated, and the music isn't very great. The game feels a little old-fashioned and also somewhat slapped together, like they created this strange game then decided that they needed a story to go with it.
I don't recommend this game.
After her peaceful island is invaded by strange creatures, Claudia must find her uncle in Legend of Fae, an incredible Match 3 game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
12 of 13 found this review helpful
Great Game
PostedJanuary 20, 2012
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
It seems this game isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I love it. It's a match-3 game but the mechanics are different than what people are used to, since you're limited to side-to-side movement only. It's part match-3 and part role-playing game. You collect various elements for spells and whatnot, then use those against your enemies in order to win a level. I love the storyline and I found the graphics to be very cute.
I recommend this game!
Develop expert culinary skills in Happy Chef, a gripping Time Management game with tons of different dishes!
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
OK Time Management Game
PostedJanuary 16, 2012
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
This game is basically a food service time management game but with a first-person view. Instead of controlling a character, you play as the chef. Customers come in with an order, you assemble the order and give it to the customer, then collect the money. The early levels are pretty easy, but the difficulty ramps up with added ingredients and new items to order. However, the instructions/tutorial for the game are pretty lacking. You can figure everything out fairly quickly, but it would be nice if the game explained things a little more clearly. The graphics are OK, but nothing spectacular. All in all, this game is pretty entertaining, but it's not the best time management game I've ever played.
I recommend this game!