dancemom1's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.6
- Helpful Votes:13,287
- Reviews Submitted:871
- First Review:April 15, 2012
- Most Recent Review:November 26, 2024
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Can you stop a ghost bride and save the city?
Overall rating
2
/
5
16 of 22 found this review helpful
Definitely not CE worthy...
PostedSeptember 23, 2017
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Hello friends! As always, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story telling to those who do a much better job than I. Is this really #9 in this series? No, I do not have all of them. Graphics were actually quite good in this one, very clear and no blurring. Animation is fairly good and movements are smooth. Voice overs were not bad, and we had frequent interaction with characters. The one thing that seems to show up in all the games in this series, is the need to "choose" dialog. This is boring for me and something that really puts me off on a game. If there is only a little, okay, but not with every conversation. Music is exactly the same as in all the others in this series and is fairly quiet. Sound FX aren't bad, but there are few of them. Game play was very good, with no problems during the demo and the scene fit my large screen. Colors were bright but not over-powering, and most scenes seemed to be a night. Guess ghosts only come out at night in this one. Again, you have a "memory sphere" that collects memories. I collected them, but not sure what good it did for me. Again, this was very boring for me and took away from the game play.
HOPs were a combination of standard and interactive lists. The scenes were fairly clear and items were not difficult to find. I did not see that you could switch to something else when you got bored with the HOPs. Puzzles were okay and I found some that did have some challenge to them, but didn't really take a lot of time to complete. Hint system is helpful, but you do not have a transport feature in this one. Yes, you can do a jump using the very bland map. Again, the map did not have anything that identified what the location was. Guess that doesn't really matter to some, but it is a map. SG is the standard set up and is useful if you are unable to find the collectible.
Collectibles were extremely disappointing. We collect coins to buy useful items to help complete tasks, but so far I only see 3 items to purchase. We also collect very large roses that will allow us to purchase bouquets of flowers for 9 ghosts. There was no challenge to finding any of these items. As I said, extremely disappointing.
I keep track of games I have beta tested, along with the rating I gave to each. I do not keep game names on my if I gave anything below a 4 and I don't have this one on my list. I did beta this one and I still do not feel it is worth a minimum of 4 stars. The story is just okay, but nothing new for this series. I think it's time to either upgrade or retire this one. Personally, I do not feel this game is CE worthy, due to the lack of collectibles and a better story line. It was an okay game for beginners, or someone who just wants to walk through a boring game. There was nothing about this one that made me want to buy it. I will recommend it for beginners, but not for a seasoned gamer. I usually will give the SE version a try and often find that it makes a much better game. However, I just don't see it in this one. No buy for me.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may find this one to be exactly what you are looking for. Thanks for the reviews.
I don't recommend this game.
Antiques from Rosen's Workshop are coming to life!
Overall rating
4
/
5
27 of 32 found this review helpful
Nice collectibles...
PostedSeptember 22, 2017
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hello friends! As always, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story to others to review. We have #6 in this series, no, I do not have them all either. This game has nice clear graphics for a change. Game play was excellent, with no problems during the demo. Colors are quite nice and bright. Voices are age and character appropriate, with emotion and not just someone reading a script. I noted that we cannot click through dialog if we read faster than they speak. Animation is excellent when it comes to facial movements, but the legs just don't seem to work in this game. The characters just sort of float in and out of the scene and don't actually walk, where some just seem to jump in your face. Weird. Music is soothing, but moves with whatever may be happening in a scene at the time. Sound FX aren't bad. We do have a bird helper, which I'm not too fond of. He's actually kind of creepy looking, but then, he is mechanical.
HOPs are varied interactive lists and interactive silhouettes. The scenes are fairly clear and items are not difficult to find. Puzzles are a little different and well done. Some took me some time and thought to complete, but not all that difficult either. Didn't run across many HOPs or puzzles in this one, but enough. Hint system is quite helpful and we do have a transport feature for longer locations. The jump map is also helpful, but it is very bland and boring and not really needed for this game, except to see where the missed collectibles are hiding.
Collectibles are many. We have "actors" figurines, which I haven't run a cross yet. We a lot of morphing items, which morph very slowly, so it is easy to miss them. We also have paint tubes, which open a special puzzles. Looks like we have three extra puzzles to complete in this one. We also have to find musicians. This is something else I didn't run across during the demo.
The game wasn't bad at all and the story line was okay, but did seem to move a bit slowly, but it was easy to follow. I beta tested this a while back and I see that they did fix some "oops" in the game play. Even though there isn't much challenge, I sort of liked this one, and I especially like all the collectibles...the more the better. I think most players will find this one fun for one reason or another. Yes, I am adding this one to my collection of CE games, but I will wait for a really good special.
As always, try if out for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Can you defeat dangerous creatures and find your grandfather in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
17 of 22 found this review helpful
Slow moving story, but not bad.
PostedSeptember 16, 2017
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Hello friends! Well, this is #7 in this series. As usual, I review mostly on the game play and not the story line, as others do a much better job than I on that portion of the game. This addition has excellent graphics, very clear and sharp. Animation is extremely well done. Great facial features and movements. Voices are extremely well done, age and character appropriate, with all the emotions included. Sound FX are very well done and heard throughout the game play. You have just the right amount of sound and music when something is about to happen. Game play was excellent, with no problems during the demo and the scenes fit my large screen quite nicely. I was put off a bit by the pop up of achievements in the beginning.
HOPs are interactive lists and silhouettes. They are somewhat cluttered, but I still managed to find the objects without too much frustration. We also have morphing items in the HOP scenes, which are not easy to catch, so be on the lookout. I did not see that there was anything else we could switch to, if we got bored with the HOPs. Puzzles, weren't too bad, some familiar, some frustrating and some that took some time and thought to complete. I did not especially care for the symbol puzzle with the sword...it got boring very quickly. Still, nicely done. Hint system is helpful, but it does not transport to longer locations. You do back track quite a lot in this game, but you have a jump map that is fairly clear and easy to use, it's just faster to transport.
Collectibles are disappointing. You need to find a symbol in each scene. They are often difficult to see, as some are very small or in dark areas and blended very well. I didn't see anything else, other than in the HOPs. Definitely needed something more.
This addition isn't bad, but not really challenging and nothing new in the story line either. Again, I found the "new clue" notice popping up all the time extremely annoying. It doesn't tell what it is, just that you have one. The story moved slowly and I felt we spent a little more time in one location that needed before moving on. Yes, we have to find Grandpa, but I think there's a little twist to this story. I am curious to see what it is, but I'm not sure this one is CE material. This is one of those games for a rainy, do nothing day when you don't want any challenge but want to play. I'm sure a lot will like it, but I think I will put this one in my puddle and see if the SE version moves me more. I often find that if I don't feel a game is CE worthy, the SE often makes a better game.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Snow, Ice and the deadly wind blowing from the Frozen Mountains! The Lost Lands have been overtaken by ice in the middle of summer!
Overall rating
4
/
5
9 of 13 found this review helpful
As usual, a nice addition to this series!
PostedSeptember 16, 2017
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hello friends! Well, we now have #5 in this wonderful series. Of course, I have them all. As always, I review mostly on the game play and not the story, as others do a much better job than I. Excellent graphics, very clear, except for a slight blur in some of the close ups. Very realistic animation, and movements are quite smooth. Colors are bright and true, with just a bit of muted color now and then in a few close ups. Game play was very nice, no problems during the demo and the picture fit my large screen quite well. Voices were very well done, but like so many games these days, are few and far between. What we do have is age and character appropriate and seem to be the same voices as in previous games in this series. You can click through some dialog, but not all for some reason. You don't miss anything if you do. There isn't a lot of music in this one, but what there is, is very soothing so far. The sound FX are very well done, as usual.
Our heroine, Susan, still looks the same as she did in the last game, and has managed to meet up with a few of her friends as well. Nice tie in to the series.
Our heroine, Susan, still looks the same as she did in the last game, and has managed to meet up with a few of her friends as well. Nice tie in to the series.
HOPs seem to be only interactive silhouettes. I found this in the last game as well. Find the item, then use it within the scene. Items are not difficult to find and scenes are fairly clear and clutter free. I did not see that you could not switch to something else, if you get bored with the same HOP all the time...that would have been a nice addition, since the HOPs are all the same so far. Puzzles were a bit challenging and took some time and thought to complete. Very few were simple. Hint system is very helpful and transports to longer locations by opening the jump map and highlighting the are to go to. Map is well done, and shows you where collectibles and morph items can be found in case you miss one. The SG is in the upper right corner, in case you missed it. I almost did. Getting use to finding them on the lower portion of the screen.
I love the collectibles in these games, and there are many. Some items are quite small, so you really have to look for them, they don't jump off the page at you either. Some real challenge here. So far, I see that we need to find 30 morphing items, which morph quickly. I also found mittens, icicles, owls, stained glass pieces and 13 manuscript pages. I see that there are horse statues as well, but didn't find any of those yet. This is one of my favorite parts of a game, especially as well done as these are.
This story is interesting and a little different, and was drawn into it pretty quickly. You are constantly on the move. As in the other games in this series, there is quite a lot of back-tracking, and you often have a lot of items in your inventory, but then you begin to use them quickly. I do not give five stars easily, a game must be exceptional throughout to get those. However, this game is extremely well done, but I downgraded it only because of the lack of variety in the HOPs. That said, this game is challenging and fun and I gave it a 4.75 on my scale. I feel that all levels of players will find this one well worth the CE price. Yes, I am going to add this one to my collection as well.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Can you delve into a dangerous past and escape in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 9 found this review helpful
Where am I and why?
PostedSeptember 15, 2017
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hello friends! As usual, I review mostly on the game play and not the story line, as others do a much better job of that than I. If my count is correct, we have #9 in this series. I have all of them, but not all are CE versions. Graphics are very well done, right down to the wrinkles, but we still have a little blur in the scenes. They could be much sharper. Very nice colors throughout the demo. Game play would be nice if they fix the glitches..the cursor disappears if you don't want the custom, which I do not care for. They are always way too big for the scenes. Game also froze in one spot, which is extremely frustrating. Voices, although few and far between, are well done, with some fear, urgency, etc, and the "bad guy" has a really creepy voice. You can click through dialog if you read faster than they speak, without losing any part of the story, or any helpful information. The sound FX are very well done and realistic, with mostly great storm sounds. Music is fairly quiet in this one too, which I like. Animation is really nice and smooth for a more realistic feel. As usual, things do jump out at you now and then.
HOPs are nicely well done, with a variation of interactive lists and interactive silhouettes so far. Scenes are clean and clear and items are not difficult to find. You can switch to a match 3 if you prefer. We do have to find a morphing item in the HOPs. These do morph fairly slowly, so it is not as easy to spot as you think. Be on the lookout. Puzzles are a little challenging now and then. They are not difficult, but they do take some time and thought to complete. The hint system is usually helpful, although it sometimes just tells you to move on, and it does transport to longer locations. I didn't bother with the map, since we have the transport feature. It's much more of a time saver anyway. Strategy guide is the usual and is very easy to follow.
Collectibles were a little better in this one. We have to find 35 dolls, some of which are quite creepy looking, but none have been difficult to find. They are fairly large in most cases. We also need to find 9 morphing items in the HOPs only.
The story seemed to move very slowly, and since there was very little character interaction, it was a little boring for me. However, I found the story somewhat interesting, but not really anything new. For some reason, I do find the need to see what is going on and why. This game isn't challenging, but as I said, some of the puzzles were. I liked the other games in this series, so I will probably get this one as well, once they fix the glitches. Hopefully it picks up as the game progresses. I think most all levels of players will find something they like about this one.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Can you save your friends from the sins of their past?
Overall rating
4
/
5
8 of 11 found this review helpful
What, no magic carpet?
PostedSeptember 9, 2017
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hello friends! As usual, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story line to those who do a much better job than I. This makes #7 in this series. Graphics and animation are very well done, with eye movements and the like, making it more realistic. Again, the colors are a little muted, mostly in the outdoor scenes, but still quite nice. Maybe it's the bright sun of the desert that causes the colors to fade a bit. Inside colors are very bright and true. Voices are age and character appropriate and we do not have to choose dialog! Voices do speak with emotion and the animation reflects the emotion quite well, and you can click through dialog if you read faster than they speak. Music is appropriate for the setting and is quite soothing until something is about to happen. The sound fx are very realistic, right down to that nasty snake. So far, we have only had one. There seemed to be a little more character interaction in this addition.
HOPs are varied, with straight lists, find and replace items and interactive lists as well. I did not see that you could switch to something different, but I really wasn't looking for it either. The HOPs are well done and the scenes are clear. Items are not difficult to find. Puzzles are the usual variety, and mostly simple. However, I did run across a couple that took me a bit of time and thought to complete. Instead of a helpful friend, we have a cube that helps dispel evil magic sand left by the bad guy. When you use it, you have to find symbols. I don't much care for this type of puzzle, but it was okay. If you have difficulty finding anything, just wait a second and a twinkle of light will point the way. It's not used that much, and so far we don't have any of the annoying line draw type puzzles. Occasionally we find a photo with the "x" that marks the spot. These help give you more insight into the story and also give you items to help as you progress through the game. The hint system is very helpful and we do have a transport feature in this one, which comes in quite handy since we to back track to longer locations quite a lot. The jump map is also very helpful in case you get stuck and aren't sure where to go next.
Collectibles aren't too bad, but not really much either. We have 74 crystals of various shapes to find. So far there are two in each scene. This is the real challenge to this game, as the crystals are blended into background and colors, making them difficult to see. I figured out the secret to find them, but I won't give that away. I still like having morphing items thrown into a game, even if they are just in the HOPs. A little more challenge.
This story was a little different, mostly because of the setting and era. There is no lag time in the story and it is easy to follow, which makes it more interesting. I found the need to continue on and see what happens in this one. It is a very nice addition to this series and one I think most all levels of players will find this one fun and interesting for one reason or another. I gave this one a 4.25 on my scale. Yes, I will add this one to my collection.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews!
I recommend this game!
Can you break free from your nightmares in time?
Overall rating
3
/
5
12 of 16 found this review helpful
Does a story lurk in these shadows?
PostedSeptember 9, 2017
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Hello friends! As always, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story to others who do a much better job than I. Wow, I beta tested this addition to this series way back in February! Yep, #7 with this one. Game play was excellent, with no problems at all. Colors are clear, bright and true. Graphics and animation are nicely done. Music was rather soothing and quiet, but it picked up when something was either happening or about to happen. The sound FX were fairly quiet in this one, mostly what I heard was the sound of a very quiet storm or wind, and usually just outside. Now and then you heard something slam or drop. Character interaction was practically nil in this one. You rarely had any "human" contact. This would have helped to explain what was happening and why as the game progressed. I can't seem to get into a game that has very little dialog. It's just too quiet.
HOPs are a combination of interactive lists, silhouettes and fragments. The scenes are very clear and items are not difficult to find. You are not over-run with HOPs, but you do repeat the same HOP more than once. I did not see that you could switch to a match 3, or anything else, but I really wasn't looking either. Puzzles are not difficult, but a couple were a little tricky. Hint system is very helpful and you do have the transport feature for longer distances. This is a very helpful feature, as there is quite a lot of running back and forth, and you stay in the same few locations for quite some time. SG is easy to follow if you need it, and the pictures of where collectibles can be found are quit clear and large enough to actually see.
Collectibles are not many and very simple. There is a shadow person in some scenes, but not all. They really aren't that difficult to find, as they are quite large so far. You also have pictures. So far, it's family pictures. Not sure what these are for, but watch for them. These were disappointing and needed something more...maybe some morphing items.
I really like this series, and I do have all of the others. I did not find that this one was anywhere near as good as the last. The story seemed to move quite slowly and was just pieces and parts thrown together. It did not have a nice flow, so it was a little muddy as to what was happening and why. There is nothing new about this story. We have travel to the past and finding memories...for what? Personally, I do not feel this one is CE worthy. As I said, there was no real challenge, just moved to slowly to keep my interest, and seems to be geared more toward the beginner. I'm sure some will find this one quite enjoyable, but I did not. I will put it in my puddle and wait to see if I like the SE version better, as I often do. I will recommend this one for beginners or someone who just wants an easy, no nothing game. I have some of those too.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may find this one to be exactly what you are looking for. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Mysterious portraits are causing their subjects to transform into monsters!
Overall rating
4
/
5
25 of 31 found this review helpful
Shapeshifter? Monster? Human?
PostedSeptember 7, 2017
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Hello friends! Well, we now have 7 in this series. As usual, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story to others who do a much better job than I. The graphics in this one are fairly well done, even with the blurring when going in and out of close ups...why can't they fix that! Game play was very good, no problems during the demo. Colors are very bright and clear, but not over-powering. Again, you can switch players in this game, which is fun and breaks the monotony. Also allows the devs to incorporate more story into the game, rather than having a lot of story boards. Music was either too soothing or too quiet, as I didn't hear much. It helps a great deal that we have exceptional sound FX, very realistic and pretty much constant. Voices are very well done, age and character appropriate and we seem to have a little more character interaction than in the previous game. Animation is well done and fairly smooth.
HOPs are well done and varied, with interactive silhouettes, interactive lists and find the highlighted word. The scenes are clear and items are not difficult to find. If you don't want to play the HOP, you can switch to a match 3. Personally, I prefer the jigsaw puzzles rather than Match 3. You can still switch from easy to difficult when playing puzzles. I found none of the puzzles all that difficult, but one did take me a minute to think through before I made my move. Basically fairly easy. Hint system is very helpful and when you need to travel a long distance, the map opens up and you transport through that. Ah, my favorite map is back. Very clean and areas are well identified by picture and name, and it tells you if you missed a collectible.
I love the varied collectibles. We need to find 15 morphing items, which can be small and difficult to spot. We also have 64 paint brushes, which are not easy to see, even when they are right in front of you. I did note that even if you find everything in a close up scene, the screen will not close if you still need to find brushes. Sort of a cheater. There are also 12 paintings. You can't see them up close, so not sure what this does for us in the end. These are very easy to miss, because you have lots of pictures around. Collectibles are nicely done and do add a little challenge to the game.
I don't remember beta testing this one, but I like it. I seemed to be pulled into the very different story line very quickly. The challenges here are the collectibles, and the story is very well done and interesting. The story and game play flow very well and is so easy to follow, you don't have to even look at the strategy guide. I think all levels of players will like this one for one reason or another. I gave this one a 4.75 on my scale. Yes, I am adding it to my CE collection as well.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Can you save your sister from her new abilities in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
22 of 36 found this review helpful
World travelers...beware!
PostedSeptember 5, 2017
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Hi friends! As usual, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story line to others who do a much better job than I. This is #2 in this series and it does not disappoint, with excellent graphics, very clear, and no blur when going in and out of scenes. Colors are bright and true, but not over powering. Animation is quite realistic with eye movements and all. Voices are age and character appropriate and have real emotion to them as well, fear, anger, power, urgency, you name it. Game play is excellent, with no problems during the demo and it fit my large screen quite well. Music is rather soothing until it needs to let you know something is about to happen. Sound FX are constant and very realistic. I did find it rather amusing to think that I would just take my sweet old time about packing and leaving when a tornado is ripping my house down around me.
HOPs are nothing new, but well done and scenes are very clear. Items are not difficult to find at all. We have silhouettes and lists so far. We do have to find a morphing item in each HOP, which is not as easy as you think. The item morphs quite slowly, so it is easy to miss it. I did not see that there was anything else to switch to, but I wasn't really looking either. Puzzles were very simple for the most part. I didn't really find anything that was challenging or that took much time to complete. Hint system is very helpful and actually gives you a hint and not just "move on," or "nothing to do here." I didn't see that we had the transport feature in this one, which would help a great deal, since we do an awful lot of back tracking. So far, we haven't gone far though. The game and story flowed so well that I didn't even find the need to look at the map or the strategy guide.
Collectibles...disappointing, to say the least. We just have a symbol that isn't hard to see, even though it can be quite small. Toss in a few other items to find and this would be an exceptional game.
I really liked the first one in this series and this one is just as good. Even though there isn't any real challenge, I did find the story interesting enough to make me want to keep playing and see what happens. I do not give 5 stars easily, a game must be exceptional in all aspects. The only reason this one didn't get them, is because it needed a bit more collectibles and challenge. Even at that, I gave it a 4.75 on my scale, and worth the CE price. I think most all levels of players will find this one interesting for one reason or another. Yes, I am adding it to my collection.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Can you save Netville from a dangerous artifact before it’s too late?
Overall rating
4
/
5
31 of 40 found this review helpful
Nice addition to this series...
PostedAugust 31, 2017
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi friends! As usual, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story line to others who do a much better job than I. We have #3 in this series, yes, I have the other two and liked them all. This addition to the series has very nice sound fx, very realistic. Color isn't too bad, although we do have a little more pink and brass than we should. Maybe it's because the colors are too bright, but not over-powering. Game play was very good. During the beta, we had some freezing, but it looks like they fixed that. Voices are well done, being age and character appropriate, with emotions thrown in. Our heroine's voice was a bit nasal sounding, and got a bit annoying, but at least she doesn't talk a lot. Music is soothing until we need that "edge of your seat" music to let you know something is about to happen.
Hops are interesting and quite varied, with silhouettes, highlighted words, find it and place it and interactive lists. The scenes are fairly clear and items are not difficult to find. There is a match game you can switch to, if you get bored with the HOPs. Puzzles are fairly straight forward and nothing new, nor are they difficult to complete. Hint system is very helpful, but I did not see a transport feature in this one. We do quite a lot of back tracking too, but not long distances. The map is well done and shows whether or not you found all of the collectibles. We have a "keepers tool" that I personally found annoying. It really wasn't needed in this game, but it was an added feature and came in handy now and then. There are many achievements in this one as well.
I loved the collectibles...the more we have, the happier I am and the more I like a game. You need to find 33 morphing objects that morph fairly quickly and are not that easy to catch; 36 puzzle pieces that are big enough to see but can be blended into the background; 33 various collectible items that can be anything, so be on the lookout for them. There is some challenge here and all are well done.
I like this series, but I had to laugh when we found the brother chained in the garage. We say, "I ought to check his pulse," then I pull out a stethoscope (don't we all have one in our garage?) and check his heartbeat instead. Hmm, big difference, pulse is in your wrist, not your chest. Knit picky, but funny. All that being said, I think all levels of players will find this one fun, if you can get past the colors and our heroine's often grating voice. The story isn't any different than any other, but it was interesting. Even at that, I gave this one a 4.5. Yes, I am adding it to my ever growing CE collection.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!