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 deadly magic from destroying the land?
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 13 found this review helpful
Where's the Eclipse?
PostedJune 18, 2019
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
4
/
5
Hello friends! As usual, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story line to others. Graphics aren't too bad, but we do still have some blurring now and then. Game play is very good, with no problems during the demo. Animation is fairly smooth. Colors are bright, but not over powering. The voice of our heroine leaves a lot to be desired. She just sounds so bored and emotionless. Voices of the other characters are much better and more realistic. Music is okay and quietly playing in the background. Sound FX were few and far between. This was a fairly quiet game, which made it seem very slow. We did not have a helpful friends, but instead, we had a Bestiary book that we used to tame animals and turn them from beasts to playful little animals. We did have to complete puzzles with each beat. Fortunately, we did not have to use this book very often.
HOGs were varied, with interactive HOGs, riddles, highlighted words and find the differences in pictures. Scenes were fairly clear and items were not difficult to see. I didn't even notice if there was a different game we could switch to. Puzzles were somewhat challenging. I like the ability to choose easy or hard. I always demo a game on easy mode, and some of these puzzles were quite challenging even then. Hint system is helpful and we do have the transport feature, by way of the map opening and showing us where we need to go next. We do a lot of back tracking, so this is a good feature to have. Again, we have the perfect map. Areas are identified by picture and name, and it shows us if we miss a collectible.
Collectibles are well done. We have 15 morphing paintings that look a lot like a piece of paper just laying around. These are quite easy to overlook. We also have 15 scrolls that can be hidden in something or just sitting around waiting to get picked up. Not as easy to find as you may think. We also have to find 70 medals. They are all the same color and shape, but some are small and difficult to see. They can be anywhere in a scene and are quite easy to miss.
This addition wasn't as good as the last one, but it wasn't bad at all. The story moved very slowly and there wasn't a lot of character interaction or action, which drastically helps keep you interested and wanting more. What we had was not bad, just slow. The only challenge is finding the collectibles, which I do like...the more the better. That said, I liked this one well enough to add it to my ever growing CE games. I did give this one a 4.5, not because of the story, but because of the graphics, excellent game play and numerous collectibles. I think most all levels of players will find this one interesting. Yes, I am adding it to my collection of CE games.
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. Play on!
I recommend this game!
Can you save the Heavenfall campers from a malevolent force in time?
Overall rating
3
/
5
8 of 19 found this review helpful
For beginners...
PostedJune 15, 2019
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
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Hello friends! As usual, I mostly review on the game and not much on the story, as others do a much better job than I. I've lost count on this one, but we have a lot in this series. Graphics are well done, very clear and without blurring when moving in or out of cut scenes. Game play was very nice, with no problems during the demo. Colors are very bright, with a lot of brassy orange. Very hard on the eyes. Animation is well done, with smooth movements, even though the body sways in close ups. Voice overs are well done, and are age, character and setting appropriate. Music is monotonous. The SFX we have are well done and pretty much throughout every scene.
HOGs are varied, with interactive lists, silhouettes and a story board. Didn't see something different to switch to if we don't care for the HOGs. They are fairly clear, and items are not difficult to find. Puzzles were nothing new, but some did have a little challenge to them. Hint system is quite helpful and it does transport to longer locations. There is almost constant back tracking in this addition, so the transport comes in quite handy. The map is very bland and boring, but it does jump you to locations, and it shows areas you may have missed a collectible.
Collectibles weren't bad. We need to find 48 jigsaw pieces, which are fairly large, but quite difficult to find. They seem to be just an outline of a piece in the background. We use these to complete 4 jigsaw puzzles. I actually had to use the map to find a couple. Otherwise, I would have spent a lot of time looking for them. We also have 26 morphing figurines. These morph fairly quickly, but I found them much easier to spot. They are fairly large. We also have 12 photos to find. They are easy to overlook when you are looking for other things in a scene.
I have all of these in this series, but I was disappointed in this story line. It is very slow moving. We have a fair amount of character interaction, a number of HOGs, a lot of back tracking and the only real challenge is finding the collectibles. I felt this one was geared more toward the beginner, or someone who just wants a no brainer kind of game. I have a number of those, but this one just didn't have anything that made me want to buy it. I will recommend it for beginners, but not for the seasoned gamer. 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. Play on!
I recommend this game!
Embark on a paranormal journey through a family’s past in this wonderfully crafted adventure game.
Overall rating
2
/
5
23 of 41 found this review helpful
Not a Hidden Object game!
PostedMay 28, 2019
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Hello friends! As usual, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story line to others, but I won't this time. The graphics in this game are actually quite nice, even though they are more cartoon like than anything else. Game play wasn't bad, but very old. No custom settings at all. Voices were okay, but I only had one character interaction during the entire demo. Other than the storm sfx, there was nothing at all. Music was appropriate for the "spooky" atmosphere. Colors were bright, but mostly dark and dreary.
They call this a hidden object game, but I did not run across even on HOG during the entire demo. Only had a couple of puzzles that were not difficult at all. You just did a lot of running around and back tracking to places for one thing or another. Hint system was helpful, but there was no transport. Definitely needed that, since you back track from one end of the map to another frequently. Fortunately we had a jump map to save time.
This non CE game had morphing items to find in each scene. These are not easy to spot and are well hidden in most cases. I spent more time looking for them than playing the game.
This is a very old game, with a very slow old story. There is no challenge, other than spending too much time looking for each morph item. Took everything I had to play through the demo, only to see that there were no HOGs. Unlike others, I do not give 5 stars easily. A game has to be exceptional in every aspect. I do try to find something good about a game, for those who may like a simple, no brainer game. The only good thing I found in this one was the graphics. I'm not sure a beginner would find this one appealing, so I find it difficult to even recommend it. Gave this one a 1.5. No, I will not be buying this one.
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 your liking. Thanks for the reviews. Play on!
I don't recommend this game.
Can you reveal the murderer’s identity before it’s too late?
Overall rating
4
/
5
17 of 26 found this review helpful
"I appreciate your honesty"
PostedMay 26, 2019
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
5
/
5
Hello friends! As usual, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story line to others. This Developer has a habit of giving us very nice graphics, with the exception of blurring when going in and out of close ups. That hasn't changed with this new game either. Game play was excellent, with no problems during the demo. Animation was excellent down to the movements of the face, mouth, eyes, and even the eye brows. Body movements were not quite as fluid, but still well done. Voices were well done with emotion, e.g. fear, urgency, anxiety, etc. The "villain's" voice was a bit off. He needed a bit more sinister sound to his voice. We can click through the dialogue without missing any clues or pertinent information. Music wasn't bad and not intrusive. Sort of came and went. Sound FX weren't bad when we had them, which was usually when we used or picked up something. We did have some quiet background sounds, but they could have been more constant, or at least filled in with background music. We didn't have a helpful animal, but we did have a very useful pocket watch. Tells us if someone is lying. That would come in quite handy.
HOG's are well done. We had a variety with highlighted words (done differently than the usual), riddles, spot the difference, interactive lists. Scenes are fairly clear and items are not difficult to find in most cases. If you wish, you can switch to a match 3 game. Puzzles had a bit of challenge, even if playing on easy. I like that we can choose the difficulty of the puzzle within the game play. Also like that we can choose "0" for hint wait time. I want to play, not wait for the meter to fill up if I need it. Hint system is helpful, but we do not have a transport feature as such. Instead, we have the map open and show us where we go next. It also shows where we may have missed a collectible, if you choose to use that feature. I love these maps. Areas are clearly marked with picture and identified by name.
Collectibles aren't bad. We need to find 13 photos of suspects. These photos are not huge and they morph fairly quickly. Very easy to miss. We also have 14 evidence items. Not easy to tell which items might be used, so look everywhere. Some are small, some are not. Then we have 44 coins to use to buy items for our office. Usually we can spend coins while playing the game, but for some reason, that feature did not work. Hopefully at the end of the game, we do get to go shopping.
This story is familiar, but well done. The lead in to the story in the beginning pulled you in right away. We seem to have a tough but fair Judge who paid the ultimate price, but why? The story is easy to follow and flows very well. The game is not terribly challenging, but it does have enough to keep you moving and interested. I like this Developer and I really like this game. I think all levels of players will find this one interesting and challenging. Gave this one a 4.75, only because of the occasional blurry graphics. Yes, I am adding it to my collection of CE games.
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. Play on!
I recommend this game!
Can you protect the Buried Kingdom from a dangerous supernatural foe?
Overall rating
2
/
5
14 of 25 found this review helpful
Slow, old school
PostedMay 18, 2019
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
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Hello friends! A short review on this one. Colors are very bright, almost over powering. Nice animation. Voices not too bad. No real sfx. Graphics not too bad, but seemed very old school and clunky. Game play was okay.
HOGs are interactive lists. Puzzles painfully simple and nothing new or exciting. Extremely boring map. Did not see that you could switch to another game. Helpful hint, but haven't run across a transport feature yet.
Collectibles left a lot to be desired. The only challenge was trying to stay awake long enough to see the morphing item. Extremely slow morph. The puzzle pieces were very large and easy to see.
This is an old story. It moved so slowly, I got bored. Only played this about half way through the demo. I rarely do not recommend a game, even if I don't care for it. However, I don't even know that a beginner would find this one challenging or exciting. No buy for me.
As always, give it a try and see for yourself. 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. Play on!
I don't recommend this game.
Experience another glorious summer at Pinecreek Hills National Park with the latest in this acclaimed hidden object adventure series!
Overall rating
5
/
5
46 of 57 found this review helpful
A CE?
PostedMay 11, 2019
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
4
/
5
Hello friends! We now have #9 in this series. I loves these silly HOG games. They used to be cluttered with a lot of junk, but the graphics have been cleaned up. Often you have to really look closely. Game play is very good. Colors are bright and true. If you like straight HOG's, you'll but this one. The story is always the same, as are the characters and locations. I don't play the Vacation Adventures games for the story, I play for the challenge of finding everything. We have a lot of dialogue, but no voices. The music is the same and can easily become monotonous. There is some background animation, but our characters do not move about.
We still have to find the extras, e.g. wildlife animals and garbage. The scenes have been cleaned up since the beginning of this series, so we don't have a cluttered mess to look through. Still, you look carefully, as some items are very well placed...especially the garbage. My goal is to find everything without using a hint. I seem to have problems in the "compare the pictures" game. Had to use a hint for the last one. The puzzles are all the same, but they are fun. The challenge here is to beat the clock.
I will buy one of these without even giving it a try, because they are a nice change of pace and relaxing for me. This is the first in the series to be a CE version. I'm not sure why it is a CE, because I have yet to run across anything really different that would make it CE worthy. Maybe I need to be further into the game to find out why it's a CE. Even at that, I think most will find a bit of challenge in this one, and the scenery is very nice. Yes, I am going to add it to my collection. I rarely give 5 stars to any game. It has to be exceptional throughout for that number, and this one came very close, but because I didn't feel it was CE worthy, I gave it a 4.75.
Give it a try 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. Play on!
I recommend this game!
There is a shadow hanging over New York City and time is running out.
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 11 found this review helpful
Oh no, a dreaded disease!
PostedMay 9, 2019
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
Hello friends! As always, I mostly review on the game play and not the story, as others do a much better job than I. Graphics in this addition to this series are excellent, very clear, even though they look a little old school. The animation is superb, with very realistic and smooth body and facial movements. Even when Laura hears a crash, she jumped and the movement was very realistic. Colors were a bit muted, but still very clear and true. Game play was very good, no problems during the demo and the scenes fit my large screen quite well. Voice overs were pretty nice, when you had them. For the most part, during the demo, there was little character interaction. You could click through dialog if you read faster than they speak, without missing any clues or extra inventory items. Yes, the inventory items were more cartoon like, e.g. big and clunky. The sound FX weren't bad, but mostly when we found or used something. As the game progressed that did pick up a bit. The music was actually fairly soothing and unobtrusive and did move with whatever was happening at the time.
HOPs were mostly just interactive lists. Scenes were fairly clean and items were not all that difficult to find once you figured out which one to find first. I did not see that you could switch to another game. This game is not a junk pile of HOPs, they are few and far between. Puzzles were quite simple, nothing new. Hint system is helpful and it does transport to longer locations. This is very helpful, as you do a tremendous amount of back-tracking in this one. Jump map is helpful in this respect and it also indicates if you have missed a collectible or morphing item in a scene.
There are a lot of collectibles in this game, which I do like. You need to find 6-9 various collectible items, e.g. records, birds, feathers, etc; and 31 morphing objects. Some of these collectibles are quite easy to see, others are not, because they are quite small, or in very dark areas. The morphing items pop in and out quite quickly, so be on the look out.
The story is nothing new, a disease gone rampant and a crazy doctor, but it was interesting. This game was not really challenging, but I really got into it for some reason. Naturally, the character interaction began to pick up at the end of the demo, and made me want to keep playing to see what was going on and why. The game actually flowed quite well. It just needed a bit more to make it better. I think this game would appeal to most players for one reason or another. I like it well enough to add it to my collection of CE games. Besides, I like a game with lots of collectibles. I gave this one a 4.5 on my scale.
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. Play on!
I recommend this game!
Whenever heroes gather, villains are sure to follow...
Overall rating
4
/
5
7 of 14 found this review helpful
Zombies, ghosts and monsters...
PostedMay 9, 2019
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
5
/
5
Hello friends! As usual, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story to others. We have #2 in what looks to be a series. The graphics are very nice, with no blurring when going in and out of close ups. The colors were a bit muted, but very clear and true for a change. Game play was excellent, with no problems during the demo and the game fit my large screen quite well. We have very nice animation, when we have it. Voices are very well done, but character interaction is few and far between in this addition. Sounds like Anna's Dad has his old voice back, which is much better and more ghostly. Sound FX are very well done and throughout the game. Music stays mostly in the background, unless something is about to happen, or is happening, then it can get a bit sinister. We don't have any helpers, as such, but we do have a paranormal scanner that we use now and then. Personally, I didn't feel it was necessary, considering what it did. Yes, we have spooky ghosts with red glowing eyes, but I didn't really see anything that would completely creep me out. Be aware, things do occasionally jump at you.
HOPs are somewhat varied, but mostly silhouettes during the demo. We have a combination silhouettes, interactive lists, and fragments. I didn't see that we had another game to switch to. Puzzles are mostly challenging, and a little different. They do take some time and thought to complete. Hint system is very helpful and we do have the transport feature for long distance travel. This is very helpful, as we do a lot of back tracking. I didn't even bother with jump map, since the transport does everything I need.
Collectibles are well done as well. We have to find 14 morphing character figurines, that morph fairly quickly; 30 various morphing objects within a scene, and 20 puzzles pieces. None of the collectibles are difficult to see, you just have to remember to look for them, especially the puzzles pieces. The strategy guide shows you where the collectibles are if you miss one.
We have Brown, Blackthorn and Anna Gray, along with her Dad, to help us out. I enjoy switching between characters...breaks up the monotony. The story is interesting, a bit different and flows very well. Even though there isn't much character interaction, we do have action and challenge to keep you interested. I was drawn into this game almost from the beginning, because of the story line. Of course, the end of the demo really left me wanting more! I think all levels of players will find this one fun, challenging and well worth the CE price. I really like this new series, so of course, I will add it to my collection of CE games. I gave this one a 4.5 on my scale, only because it needed more dialog.
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. Play on!
I recommend this game!
Can you uncover the origins of a dangerous ancient artifact in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
12 of 17 found this review helpful
Good addition to this series...
PostedApril 28, 2019
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
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hello friends! As usually, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story to others who can do a much better job on that than I. I've lost track of how many this makes in this very long series. The graphics aren't bad, but we do still have fuzzy graphics now and then, especially in close up scenes. Colors are nice, but a bit washed out. Animation isn't bad, with nice mouth, eye movement when speaking. Game play was quite good, with no problems during the demo and the scenes fit my large screen completely. The voice are well done, even though some of the "Italian" accents sound a bit more like Hispanic accents. You can click through dialog if you read faster than they speak, and not miss any clues or necessary information. Music was nice and moved with whatever was happening at the time, and was quietly in the background. Sound FX were okay, but fairly quiet. A little disappointing considering the story line.
HOGs are a combination of find the highlighted word; interactive lists, silhouettes, straight lists and HOGs within HOGs. Very well done. The scenes are quite clear and items are not difficult to find. There seemed to be more HOGs in this addition. We do have morphing items in each HOG...not as easy to catch as you think. I did not see that you could switch to something else. Puzzles very well done, a bit challenging. No walk through here, you actually had to think about your moves. Hint system is very helpful and we have the transport feature for longer jumps to locations. You do a great deal of back tracking in this game. Of course, we have the jump map, but who needs it when you have transport, which is much faster.
Collectibles were a little disappointing. We have to find morphing items in HOGs. There are 39 hidden signs that look like a turtle. All are quite large and very easy to see. We also have fact cards that give us information on areas and things within the game. Definitely could have used more challenge here.
I do like this series and have them all. This addition did not have a lot of challenge, except in some of the puzzles. There was a fair amount of character interaction, but could easily have been more without getting boring. We spend a great deal of time back tracking to a few locations before moving on, which got a little old pretty quickly. For some reason, I find the need to play this one out and see what happens. Maybe it's that giant amethyst. I think all levels of players will find this one challenging enough to want to play. Yes I am going to add it to my collection. I gave this addition a 4.0.
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. Play on!
I recommend this game!
Can you uncover the paranormal activity haunting the mall?
Overall rating
4
/
5
10 of 20 found this review helpful
Don't go to the mall alone...
PostedApril 28, 2019
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
4
/
5
Hello friends! As usual, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story to others who a much better job than I. Looks like #3 in this series. Graphics are very nice, with minimal blurring. Game play was excellent, with no problems during the demo. Colors are bright and clear, but not over powering at all. Animation is fairly smooth with eye, face and body movements. Voices were age and character appropriate, with some emotion and not just someone reading a script. Our creepy, spooky bad guy had a really creepy voice, very appropriate for this character. Music was soothing, and moved with whatever was happening at the time. Sound FX are well done, with a lot of background sounds...some were unrecognizable, but it wasn't just music.
HOGs are somewhat varied, but not much during the demo. Hopefully they pick up as the game progresses. Items are not difficult to find and the scenes are fairly clear. There was a little cluttering, but still fairly nice. I did not see that you could switch to something else, if you got bored with the HOGs. Puzzles were very simple in this addition, which was a little disappointing, compared to the last game. Hint system is helpful and we do have the transport feature for longer locations. We do backtrack quite a lot in this one, again for one item to pick up or use. We do have a jump map, with areas of interest clearly identified by name and picture. It also shows you where a collectible has been missed.
Collectible are very well done. This is where the challenge comes in for this game. The colors and clarity vary for all of them. We have 12 character figurines that are a fairly bland color, so they blend well into the background. We also have eyes that blend very well into the background colors, and are very easy to miss. They are large enough to see, just remember to look for them. And then we have various morphing items. These morph fairly quickly, so they are also easy to overlook. I actually had to look at the strategy guide to find one of they eyes!
This story is something a little different, a little spooky but not scary, and wasn't in an old creepy house for a change. It seemed to move a little slowly, mostly because of all the back tracking we have to do. You are constantly looking or using something, so there is no real lag time during this game. Even though there wasn't much challenge to this one, I found myself wanting to know what and why things were happening in this mall. Makes me wonder what happens at our mall when the lights go out. I think all levels of players will find this one interesting. Yes, I am adding this one to my collection of CE games. I gave this one a 4.5 on my scale.
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. Play on!
I recommend this game!