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:
There’s a secret in Queen Elizabeth’s court, and you must uncover it.
Overall rating
4
/
5
19 of 21 found this review helpful
Very nice SE version!
PostedJuly 24, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hello friends! Well, I tried the CE version of this game again and still could not get it to work correctly. Too bad, the beta was a very nice game and I was looking forward to playing. However, I did give the SE a shot and wonder of wonders, it actually worked through the entire demo! Game play was very good and I had none of the same problems with the SE. Colors are very bright and clear. Animation is excellent and voice overs are very well done. Music is nice and sometimes gives you that "edge of your seat" feeling. Warning, if you don't like things jumping out at you, you probably won't like this game. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen.
I really like the HOPs in this game. You have a combination of interactive lists, match pairs, silhouettes and "put this item where it belongs." HOPs are clean and clear and items are not difficult to find, but I did have to stop and think about a couple. Puzzles are interesting and somewhat different. I did not see a jump map in the SE version, unless I missed it somewhere, but the hint system does transport you to longer locations and is quite helpful. Drake will sometimes say you need to move on, but if you back out and ask for another hint, you will get one that heads you in the right direction.
I like the fact that we have a helper who he is a human for a change. My problem was remembering to give him the item I knew needed to be used in the scene, without trying to do it myself first. He adds a bit of comedy to the game as well. Really wish the CE had worked for me, but this is a very nice SE and I am going to add it to my collection. I think all levels of players will find this one fun and with some challenge.
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!
A carnival is no laughing matter when a murderer strikes.
Overall rating
4
/
5
18 of 31 found this review helpful
Nice game, interesting puzzles...
PostedJuly 23, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hello friends! Since so many others have already reviewed the story line, I usually just stick to the game play. Well, we have the third installment in this series...yes, I have the other two. This one is well done. Graphics are very nice and clear with some animation. Nice voiceovers that are age and character appropriate, with some emotion and excitement, and you can click through dialog if you read faster than they speak. Not just someone reading a script. Colors are nice and bright, with some blues but not over-powering and fit the time of day and setting. Game play was quite good, with no problems during the demo and the game fit my large screen completely. Took me a minute to figure out who was in charge and who the "new" guy was in this game, since the "guy" seemed to be giving the orders. Instructions are easy to follow and the game flows very well. Again, we have the forensic case that helps you find out what's happening and why, along with the investigation board, and the "lie/truth" detector. Makes the game seem more realistic to me. Music is fairly nice as well and changes with what is happening at the time.
HOPs are a combination of interactive lists/silhouettes and riddles. They are clean and clear and items are not difficult to find, but some take thought as to how or where to use an item. If you don't care for the HOPs, you can switch to the Bubble Shooter...not a favorite of mine. Hint system works well and is very useful. It does transport, which is handy since you do return to locations multiple times, but not constantly. There is a click penalty, but you really have to do a lot to set it off. I found the puzzles to be fun and most a bit challenging and thought provoking. SG does not show much in the demo, but is clear and easy to follow if you need to use it.
The only collectibles I found are the old fashioned type scales #39#. These are not as easy to spot as you may think. They can be found, but you do have to look closely for some of them. I found 8 during the demo. Unless I missed something, that's all there is for collectibles in this game.
I really enjoyed this game, not because of the story line, but because of the challenge of the puzzles and the interaction as a detective. The puzzles weren't difficult, but did take some time and thought to complete and investigating the crime scenes was a bit different. As I said, the game flowed very well and was easy to follow. If e could do half points, this would be a 4.5 for me. I think this game will appeal to all levels of players and yes, I am going to 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!
Adventure into the unknown to save a city from evil!
Overall rating
3
/
5
8 of 10 found this review helpful
Not CE worthy!
PostedJuly 19, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Hello friends! Good vs Evil and the guardians (Barons) are out to save the city again in #2 of this series. I have the first and liked it, but not too keen on this new one. Graphics are quite cartoon-like, which seems to fit this game, and have very nice bright and clear colors. Game play was very good, no problems during the demo and it fit my large screen very well. Music is soothing, with very nice sound FX and excellent voice overs. I did note that there is no "custom" mode for this game, which I much prefer. This is about magic, so you use spells you collect to help accomplish certain tasks. I found restore, plant growth, electricity and fire. Didn't find the fifth element, but you certainly use "restore" a lot. Lots of broken things to fix in this game.
HOPs are very simple and include fragmented items, straight HOPs and IHOPs. Nothing is hard to find and most scenes are fairly clean and clear. You do need to use items from your inventory to find some things in the HOPs. Puzzles are very simple and take no brain power at all. There is a map, which is a bit messy. Hint system is quite helpful, and fills fairly quickly, but does not transport to longer locations. This is where the map comes in handy. SG is the same and is easy to follow.
The SG shows that there are collectibles, but what? I did not run across any during the demo and I purposely clicked all over the scene to try to find one. You do find scrolls that give you more background on the city, but that's all I found.
I liked the first game in this series, but this one is far too simple and has no real challenge or excitement. Personally, I feel that this game is geared more toward a "new" beginner who just needs to get the feel of a game before moving into something more challenging. I will recommend this game for beginners, or for someone who just wants to play a no brainer game #which I sometimes do#, but not for the more seasoned gamer. I do not feel this game is CE worthy without some very nice collectibles and a bit more challenge. I will give the SE a try, but definitely will not be buying the CE.
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 today. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
A masked vigilante has the town of Coldstone in a death grip!
Overall rating
4
/
5
18 of 18 found this review helpful
Makes a very nice SE...
PostedJuly 17, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Hello friends! Well, I gave the SE version a shot and like this game much better as an SE. I still stand by my original review of the CE (see shortened version below) and do not feel this is CE worthy. I have all of the others in this series and will get this one as well, but only as an SE.
"The graphics and game play is very well done. Colors are not over-powering. Voice overs are pretty good, but I don't care for the "whisper" type voice. They aren't scary, just annoying. Music is the same as in all the others in this series, so naturally I turn it down. There are very nice sound FX in this game, but mostly the game is fairly quiet. SG is the standard and easy to follow if you need it.
HOPs are interactive lists and "place this part in the scene," and combinations of both together. When placing items, some objects are pretty small, but not hard to see. HOPs were pretty clean and items not all that difficult to find. Puzzles were interesting and some did take time and thought to complete, but are not difficult either. Hint system works quite well, but I did not see that it transports to other locations. This was okay, because you didn't have to back-track far for another item or objective.
Collectibles are 16 masks. When you open each mask,you get a little history as to what it is for, but I don't see that it really has all that much to do with the story line. Some are not as easy to see as you may think. You also find coins to purchase items from a vendor, in order to complete a task. These are not difficult to spot. You also have a machine that allows you to find floating memories, which actually gives you more insight into what is happening with the story.
I've read a few reviews that mention graphic deaths. During the demo, there was a hanging, a stabbing and an explosion. Except for one scene, you didn't actually see anything happen, you just know it did. Other games used poison, guns, swords or whatever they could get their hands on. This one is no different, except that they do show blood. If you want more "realism" in a game, unfortunately this is what you get. Hopefully, it doesn't get any worse than what I have seen so far. Again, I really do not care to "choose" my dialog in a game. It takes away from the game play and is completely unnecessary. This was a big downside for me.
I am on the fence about this one. It didn't have anything that really made me want to buy it...especially as a CE. The game flowed fairly well, but just didn't seem to have the challenge or the little extra to make you want to keep going. Some games just make better SE versions."
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 review.
I recommend this game!
Subliminal Realms: The Masterpiece Collector's Edition
Albert's worst nightmare becomes reality when a creature from his grim paintings kidnaps his family. What does she want?
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 8 found this review helpful
Nice game, but I'll wait for the SE...
PostedJuly 12, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Hello friends! I must admit, when I first looked at this game, it did not interest me at all. However, I found the graphics to be fairly good, even though a bit cartoon-like. Because of the nice story line, I think the graphics fit quite well. Colors are very bright and clear. Animation was very well done, even down to the eye movements. Game play was very good as well, no problems with the demo at all and the game fit my large screen completely. Music was somewhat soothing. Voice overs are extremely well done and fit the characters nicely. You have a "helper" called Smudge. He is not bothersome and does help get to places you cannot reach and do things you couldn't do alone.
HOPs are interactive silhouettes and lists and are somewhat cluttered. Some items are small, but not too difficult to find. I did like the fact that you don't carry around a lot of items before using them. You frequently find one and use it in the same scene. There is not an over abundance of HOPs either. I did not find very many puzzles, but what I did find is quite simple. SG is the standard set up and easy to follow. I only use them to make sure I have all of the collectibles. Hint system is quite helpful and does transport to longer locations. The jump map is a bit jumbled and messy, but it does work.
The only collectibles I found are 30 picture slides, which really are not difficult to see, even though some are only partially visible. Not sure what these do for you, but there is a projector and you need to collect multiples of each slide before you can use it. I was quite disappointed in the lack of anything extra here. Some morphing objects would have helped this part of the game quite a lot.
I found the travel between worlds interesting and fun. You cannot use items from one world into another, so you don't collect a pile as you go. I really like how creative the devs were on items they used in these worlds...very clever. I actually liked the need to paint things and bring them to life. As I said, this is a clever set up. I'm not sure this one is CE worthy, due to the lack of more collectibles, but I did like the game. I think any level of player would like this one, but I think I will wait for the SE.
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 review.
I recommend this game!
Can you help the City of Artists find their lost inspiration?
Overall rating
4
/
5
66 of 75 found this review helpful
Makes a much better SE!
PostedJuly 12, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hello friends! Okay, I gave the SE a shot and find that this game makes a far better SE than a CE (see shortened CE review below). Yes, I am purchasing the SE version and still stand by my original review of the CE.
"Well, we have number 2 in this series. Yep, got the first one, but honestly can't remember that much about it. This one has wonderful colors, very clear and true. Graphics are very well done and animation movements are fairly smooth and life-like. Game play was very good. Music was rather soothing and nice. Voice overs are great, but then again, I love a good accent. They are well done and didn't sound like someone was just reading a script. You can click through dialog without eliminating the entire story, if you read faster than they speak. I did think it a bit odd that out of the blue, you get a phone call giving you an assignment and if you do well, you will become a member of an agency. Is that how it works? Hmmm...
HOPs are interactive silhouettes and nothing new. They are clean and clear and items are not difficult to find. Puzzles are very easy and again, nothing new or exciting. Hint system works quite well and does transport to longer locations. Didn't even look at the SG, but I seldom do anyway. You have a creepy "Harlequin" doll that follows you around and waves frequently, but only when she can do something to help you out. You find outfits to dress her in and without them, you will not be able to complete a particular task. This was silly and not necessary to this game.
Collectibles: You find vases to break to collect coins to purchase interface decorations. Why, they don't do anything to enhance the game. You also find olive branches, which will allow you to purchase items in Calliope's boudoir...yay. Disappointing and boring. There seems to also be 3 items you will find as you progress, that will help you do things in the game, e.g. pallet that brings pictures to life, which in turn help you accomplish a task.
There is absolutely no challenge in this game, which is not always necessary for me, but it didn't really have anything else either. I think the best part of this game is Calliope. She is quite evil and very well done, but I don't get the "collecting of Calliope's essence." Did I miss an explanation in there somewhere? I obviously did not collect any during the demo. Beginners might find this one challenging, and this is the only reason why I recommend the CE. Personally, I do not feel this is CE worthy."
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!
Could your little boy be the child of prophecy?
Overall rating
4
/
5
38 of 41 found this review helpful
Very nice SE...
PostedJune 21, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all. Well, I discovered that I find the SE version of this game far better than the CE (see my shortened CE review). Did not feel the collectibles were CE worthy, but on second play, I like this one well enough to use a PCC to get it.
"Game started out with purple and pinks, but cleared up fairly quickly and had very nice, clear colors. Graphics weren't bad, but seemed a bit old school. Game play was good, no problems during the demo. Voice overs weren't bad and seemed to be age and character appropriate, and had some emotion, but not much. There is a lot of dialog, but you can click through it if you read faster than the speak. Music was pretty nice and soothing, but didn't seem to have as much "oriental" sound as I would have imagined. There really wasn't a lot in the way of sound FX either, so game was pretty quiet.
You have a jump map that is quite helpful, as you do return to areas multiple times, and there is no transport feature. Map shows multiple available locations, so you don't know where to go first, and you do jump around a bit. There is a story board that gives you more insight into what is happening and why. You do have to find objects in this "puzzle," and some items are not easy to spot. Otherwise, puzzles are pretty simple. HOPs are the usual, but are clear and items are not hard to find. I do like the variation of interactive; silhouettes, morphing objects and lists. You can switch to Mahjong if you don't care for the HOPs.
Collectibles I found are origami cranes that morph in and out. They are not difficult to see, but you do have to watch for them. They also come in different colors...not just white.
To be honest with you, I did not find this one to be nearly as much fun as the first, The Philosopher's Stone. It wasn't a bad game at all, but no real challenge, too quiet, and not much in the way of collectibles. The extras give you a little more game play, but nothing else. I do not feel this is CE worthy. I recommend this one more for beginners, or someone who just wants a lazy day game, which I occasionally do."
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!
Only the wearer of the ruby ring can claim the crown as king.
Overall rating
4
/
5
24 of 30 found this review helpful
Entertaining and a bit challenging...
PostedJune 21, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hello friends. Well, another addition to the Forgotten Kingdoms series. There are a number of "Forgotten" games, but only one other in this series, which I did not purchase. In the beginning, the graphics seemed as though they were going to be somewhat cartoon-like, but after the opening scene, they were quite good. Colors are very clear, bright and true. Game play was very good, had no problems during the beta test or this demo. Voice overs are well done, age and character appropriate and don't sound like someone is just reading from a script. Music is rather soothing and changes tempo depending on what is happening at the time. There is not much in the way of animation, but this game seems to do fine without it. Sound FX are not many, but nicely done.
HOPs are not many either, so far, but are clean and clear and items are not difficult to find. They are pretty straight forward and I did not see anything new or different. Puzzles were very well done and not as easy as you may think. They do take time and thought to complete. I had one that had me quite frustrated after a while, but I kept at it anyway. Jump map is very helpful and clearly shows where objectives are and where collectibles have been missed. SG is the usual. Hint system is very helpful but did not see that it transported you to other locations, since I used the jump map to see where I needed to go next.
The only collectibles I found are 60 crowns. These are very well done, not all that easy to see, and well hidden in some locations. They are different shapes, sizes, colors and some silhouettes, but can be seen if you really look for them. The trick is to remember to look. Just remember, they can be anywhere. Really liked this challenge, and I think this is what made this one CE worthy.
I found this game to be entertaining and with enough challenge to make me want more when the demo ended. I was disappointed when it was over. I liked the story line, even though it was nothing new, but with a little twist. I think this game will appeal to all levels of players. Yes, I am going to get this game for 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!
Team up with the Red Riding Hood Sisters to defeat the nightmares!
Overall rating
3
/
5
24 of 29 found this review helpful
Time to retire this series...
PostedJune 19, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Still not excited about the SE version either (see shortened CE review below), though it is okay. I will get this one with a PCC and add it to my collection, only because the PCC is about to expire. I like FROGS, but this one needs an upgrade or retirement...maybe add a mix of HOPs to refresh it a bit.
"Wow, this will make #9 in this series! Well, I only have 7 of them, but liked what I have. Graphics are not as clear and clean as the other games and seemed a little fuzzy to me. Especially on close-ups. Colors are very bright with not a lot of blues or purples for a change. Game play was good, with no problems during the demo. There is very little dialog and not really much in the way of sound FX either. Very disappointing. You do have to find a lot of fancy totems, that looked more like mini shields to me, in order to unlock door, locks and some puzzles, so there is a lot of back-tracking in this game.
Jump map left a lot to be desired. You had to click on the area and then click again in the upper right corner to actually go anywhere. Fortunately, the hint did transport, but my eyes didn't like the wavy frame around the jump area. SG is the same as usual. HOPs are nothing new for this series and really are junk piles. Puzzles are extremely simple and not many so far in the demo.
Collectibles are morphing Parables. When you find them, you get more of the story...same as all the others in the series. I only found 4 of the 6 in the demo. They are not easy to spot. Other collectibles are "Herald of Montafleur," which are actually Fleur DE Lis. Some are pretty well hidden, but you can still see them without much eyestrain.
I beta tested this one a couple of months ago and as a note to myself, gave it a 3. I can see that they did not pay attention to any suggestions, as I questioned the time period and the use of a hand-held tape recorder. A bit out of place on that one. I think I'm just getting tired of this series being the same old same old. Maybe it's time to retire this one and move on. I will recommend this one to those who haven't played the others, or just like this type of game, but I'm not sure it's for me anymore."
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!
A masked vigilante has the town of Coldstone in a death grip!
Overall rating
3
/
5
13 of 19 found this review helpful
Not CE worthy...
PostedJune 19, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Hello friends! Another addition to the Grim Facade series. As usual, the graphics and game play is very well done. Colors are not over-powering. Voice overs are pretty good, but I don't care for the "whisper" type voice. They aren't scary, just annoying. Music is the same as in all the others in this series, so naturally I turn it down. There are very nice sound FX in this game, but mostly the game is fairly quiet. SG is the standard and easy to follow if you need it. Nothing new in this story line.
HOPs are interactive lists and "place this part in the scene," and combinations of both together. When placing items, some objects are pretty small, but not hard to see. HOPs were pretty clean and items not all that difficult to find. Puzzles were interesting and some did take time and thought to complete, but are not difficult either. There are very few HOPs or puzzles so far. Hint system works quite well, but I did not see that it transports to other locations. This was okay, because you didn't have to back-track far for another item or objective.
Collectibles are 16 masks. When you open each mask,you get a little history as to what it is for, but I don't see that it really has all that much to do with the story line. Some are not as easy to see as you may think. You also find coins to purchase items from a vendor, in order to complete a task. These are not difficult to spot. You also have a machine that allows you to find floating memories, which actually gives you more insight into what is happening with the story. I thought this was a little silly, but okay.
I've read a few reviews that mention graphic deaths. Now, during the demo, there was a hanging, a stabbing and an explosion. Except for one scene, you didn't actually see anything happen, you just know it did. This game went a step further than most others with death scenes. Other games used poison, guns, swords or whatever they could get their hands on. This one is no different, except that they do show blood. If you want more "realism" in a game, unfortunately this is what you get. Hopefully, it doesn't get any worse than what I have seen so far. Earlier I played a game that had an execution that was quite graphic...that, I really didn't care for at all. Again, I really do not care to "choose" my dialog in a game. It takes away from the game play and is completely unnecessary. This was a big downside for me.
I have all the others in this series and really liked them. I am on the fence about this one. It didn't have anything that really made me want to buy it...especially as a CE. The game flowed fairly well, but just didn't seem to have the challenge or the little extra to make you want to keep going. This one is going in my puddle and I will give it another try when the SE comes out and see what happens then. Some games just make better SE versions. I'm sure this game will appeal to a number of people as it is, but not for me today.
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 review.
I recommend this game!