I have been waiting for this game ever since I tried it on the beta test. I am disappointed by several things.
The grammar errors I pointed out in the beta have not been addressed. Games have been coming out long enough that this part at least should be taken care of. It's a distraction.
I had trouble with selecting several items in the main game. Maybe my mouse needs calibrating, but I had to click too many times to find the right spot.
I haven't been able to finish the extra chapter due to the errors in the game. I cannot find the magic spot to place the horn on the gargoyle and the same goes for the cube in the third room.
Other than these, I liked the story. The puzzles were great. Graphics, music and VO were good too. Wish I hadn't had so much trouble. I'm playing on a Windows system.
Favorite Genre(s):Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Match 3, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
5/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
5/ 5
Level of Challenge
5/ 5
Storyline
5/ 5
This is far more than a hidden object game. You must find objects, true, but once found you need to use them to advance the game in the correct place.
This is a story of a loving brother and sister. The sister gets ill and it is the story of how the brother interacts with her favorite stuffed rabbit to help find a cure. He must travel through many lands each of which has obstacles to overcome.
There are no twinkles to give you an idea where the objects are or where to put them. But each obstacle helps you move forward toward the cure.
Lovely artwork! Great selection of music. Absolutely no voice over as everything is done through visual cues. May be a little too difficult for a child but definitely has a message.
I feel this game has been too maligned. The graphics were excellent. The sound and music addressed several of my basic beefs by being relevant and non repetitive. I REALLY enjoyed the fact that there was no overt violence. I play games that provide a mild challenge in the mini-games and this one delivered. The story line was consistent and smooth. It also had a nice mix between HOPs and mini-games. All in all, it was a good purchase.
I play this game to relax and get away from the dark art that is so prevalent in games today. The story is ongoing and I love it.
The sound track has lovely music, soft rain, thunderous rain, and water tracks.
It takes patience to get through the levels if you want to play completely free, but buy ups are available
The artwork is a beautiful Asian theme with all the Asian specialties - sand gardens, origami, Asian plants and Asian monsters (dragons, sea monsters, samarai ghosts).
The Emperor’s son has a mysterious illness. As legendary healer Daiyu, you’re called to the palace to save him, but you end up having to save yourself!
From the first panel to the extras bundle, this is a first-class game experience, perfect for a relaxing afternoon. The graphics are outstanding, the voice-overs are good, and wonder of wonders, the story line is tight, plausible (for a myth), and ends well, expectedly, and in a timely manner (by that I mean, it doesn't suddenly come to an en and it doesn't unnecessarily drag out).
The games are varied and doable, and there's a nice healing potion bag that you use throughout to mix necessary ingredients into the potions needed. A sweep around the location uncovers all the tasks needed to be completed; instructions/hints are very clear and well-worded. The game's movement is never forced and flows smoothly from one scene to the next.
The ending credits are an exceptionally clever touch, and the extras are really first-rate and plentiful.
This game goes in with the 5 or 6 that really stand out in my mind.
I give this game high marks for graphics and puzzle variety. And, for about half- to two thirds of the way through, I was enjoying the plot.
One star off for the fact that the instructions for some games were unclear, and a couple of the games "jammed"--that is, they refused to let me complete the game.
***PROBABLE SPOILER ALERT***
One star off for poor plotting. Learning the perpetrator, her backstory and motive, really took the pleasure out of the rest of the game for me. As far as I'm concerned, death was too good for dear ol' dad, and the reaction of his university professor daughter to his nefarious deeds was unrealistic and ridiculous. As with so many other games I've played, plot/characters/motives and logicality of plot action took a back seat to glitzy glamourous graphics. Plotwise, most games range from silly to outworn and overused plots, but this one resorts to outdated cliches #in the case of the daughter; dear ol'dad is just one of his kind# and the "punishment" to the perpetrator is unnecessary. With a little more thought, the plot could have been as great as the rest of the puzzle.
Obvioulsy, from the many glowing reviews here, I'm in the minority about this aspect of the game. But, god, guys, show a little more imagination than the old "wrath of a woman scorned" bit.
If plot doesn't matter to you, then play this game.
This game is like reading a well-planned, well-executed fantasy. The story is decent and logical (and not soppily sacchrine); an event line is finished without having to trek all over the countryside, and the puzzles really do connect to the story line and move the action logically.
But what really makes this game stand out for me is the meticulous care and thought that went into the graphics. All the HOGs are well-drawn, of a decent-size, and wonder of wonders, almost all the items in them are true to the time period as well as their place in the story.
The inventions are extremely creative--every one is put together from objects that would be found in the area where the prince is. I'd love for the game's creators to illustrate some of my favorite fantasy/sci fi novels.
I like to play this game just to enjoy the illustrations/graphhics: it's like paging through a richly-concieved graphic novel. Every time I go through it, I notice another detail I missed previously.
****MAYBE SPOILER ALERT*** Certainly hope there's a third in the works--trilogies are all the rage--and --SPOILER--it would be nice for the prince to find his true love--or at the very least--blow the witch away. That's always good. . .and with the imagination the creators have shown so far, they have the potential to come up with an ending that's unexpected.
By far, this is the best game in all areas--hidden objects, unique puzzles, absolutely outstanding graphics--and ( a real plus) an interesting story line--that I've played in a long, long while. This game is for those who want some challenge in thinking and memory workouts. I loved the the use of three characters, as well as the "trick" that each character found objects to be used by other characters--have NEVER had that happen in a game before. In casual mode, there are plenty of hints, glints, and glitters; if you get stuck, there are three on-screen sources that give explicit directions, and the map is a big help. I also enjoyed the non-European story--interesting change from fairies, trolls, goblins, zombies, etc.