LadyoftheIvy's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.5
- Helpful Votes:990
- Reviews Submitted:54
- First Review:December 3, 2011
- Most Recent Review:April 19, 2017
- Featured reviews0
Status:
The family saga continues when your nephew Brandon encounters the mysterious Stone Queen in a lonely mountain town.
Overall rating
3
/
5
10 of 10 found this review helpful
Just not as good as it should be.
PostedJanuary 8, 2013
LadyoftheIvy
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The Grim Tales games seem to be slowly going downhill. I definitely enjoyed the first two, the third one a bit less, and this one even less than the third one. It's partially because the quality has slipped a bit, and partially because they seem to make a bit less sense over time. Honestly, they just could have done a lot better with this game than they did, especially given that it's a CE.
The graphics are relatively good, the sound is okay (though the music just sometimes appears to be missing), but overall it's not excellent. The story is a bit wonky, in that it doesn't always flow well. You get the impression that whomever wrote it got started one way, and then changed as time went along but forgot to fix the early parts. For instance, supposedly the boy who you're trying to heal is your nephew from the previous games at the beginning. There's an early part that calls him your nephew, Brandon. And while later on he's still definitely the Brandon from the previous games, he's ceased to be *your* nephew and is now the nephew of the previous mayor. It tends to continue to flow in a somewhat choppy fashion like that throughout the game. And, it ends really abruptly, both in the main story and the bonus gameplay story. It was a story that had the potential to be really good, but just felt poorly written and executed.
The level of challenge is a bit lacking, and the main challenge comes from trying to remember what you were working on if you leave the game and come back. Because there's no journal keeping track of either the story or what you've done in this game. There is an interactive map, and beyond letting you travel more quickly, it does sort of keep track of what you still need to do, but it doesn't always accurately do so. There were times where I completed the task in a location, but it was still telling me I needed to go there and do it. It doesn't affect the actual gameplay, as the game isn't requiring you to do it again, but it is a bit odd to see the map trying to tell you to do the same thing again. (And may make it hard for those who aren't playing in one big marathon session.)
The mini-games/puzzles are for the most part relatively interesting, but there's a few oddities here and there. In that they had no real challenge at all to them, and seemed sort of like busy work. And I had trouble getting one to function properly at all - the door to the gnome's home puzzle I finally gave up on and skipped not because it was something I couldn't have completed, but because the sliders kept snapping back into a previously held position when I'd try and move them again, and I got tired of fighting with them. That, the tasks glitch on the map, and a few other things here and there just make the game seem more glitchy than it should.
For a CE, it really doesn't have much. Sure, it has the bonus gameplay (which is even more glitchy than the main gameplay), the wallpapers, the concept art, and the music, but that's it. And frankly, I don't buy CEs for wallpapers or music, generally. I will say that the bonus gameplay at least isn't a must have continuation of the story - I hate it when the story makes no sense without the bonus gameplay, and this really is a bonus and not the rest of the story.
Ultimately, this game isn't worth it as a CE and definitely could have been done much better. If it hadn't been for the previous games, I don't think I'd be as disappointed as I am. I definitely wouldn't recommend buying this as a CE. It's just not worth it at the CE price. The previous Grim Tales games were a much better example of what this game developer is capable of - this one just makes them look kind of bad.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you uncover the truth before you become the next page in the killer’s diary?
Overall rating
2
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Don't get it if you liked the first Grim Facade!
PostedDecember 20, 2012
LadyoftheIvy
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I enjoyed Grim Facade: Mystery of Venice, so I went ahead and bought this one when there was a sale without playing the demo first. I have to say, that was a mistake. Mystery of Venice was pretty well done, and was enjoyable to play. This one is not well done, and is somewhat painful to play.
The story for this game is just not good, and doesn't make a lot of sense. Part of why it doesn't make a lot of sense is that a good portion of the details are missing. Who are all these women? Where are the sons? (The description on this site says they're away, but the game certainly never gives a clue.) Why is the maid the one who called you to solve all of this, given the rather odd ending? (That's not really revealed in the bonus material, even if it does give you more info about the maid.) Why are all these dead bodies just sitting around the villa, anyway? The diary/notebook has almost no info in it, even though you collect items for it, so it's not helpful to the storyline either. (Frankly, I see no point to the diary/notebook with how badly it's done.) Unfortunately, the huge gaps in the story and the lack of any organization it follows isn't evident until after you've finished the game. And the bonus gameplay doesn't help clear it up either.
The graphics are okay, but not great. I somehow remember them better in Mystery of Venice, but perhaps I'm just remembering as better than it was. In this one they're grainy and just meh. The music gets repetitive and old after awhile, so I ended up eventually turning it off. There's very little challenge to the game, other than occasionally trying to remember where you saw you needed an item you've finally picked up. (Sometimes you find things you need immediately, sometimes it takes long enough you can't quite remember.) The hidden object scenes are really, really easy if you've played any other hidden object games as well.
The lack of challenge, meh graphics and sound, and very poor storyline make this game somewhat unenjoyable. I will say it's nice it has three challenge levels, but unfortunately none of them provide much challenge given the ease of the game in the first place. The bonus gameplay is just as poorly done as the game, so it's not much of a bonus.
Ultimately, I definitely wouldn't recommend this as a CE edition - the bonus stuff doesn't help it at all. I wouldn't even recommend it as the SE edition, since the main game just isn't good. I really hope if they come out with any more Grim Facade games that they do a much better job in the future; this is just a very poorly done game, even without comparing to Mystery of Venice.
I don't recommend this game.
Times of great peril give rise to even greater heroes - or so the story goes in Dragon Crossroads, a time management game with a fantasy twist!
Overall rating
1
/
5
12 of 15 found this review helpful
Just...bad.
PostedDecember 13, 2012
LadyoftheIvy
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I thought that this would be a time management game along the lines of Roads of Rome, My Kingdom for the Princess series, etc. And it is...sort of. If those games had really bad graphics, awful music, almost no sound effects, and sloppy game play, it would be exactly like those. However, those games are much, much better done than this one.
Even ignoring the music, sound effects, and game play, the graphics in this game are bad enough to not make me want to pay money for it. The graphics just made me cringe during the trial. They're not well done at all, and many of them are so poorly animated that I sort of wished they hadn't even tried to do so.
The music is just bad - if you really must play this game, you'll want to turn it off. Unfortunately, that's most of the sound, as there isn't much in the way of sound effects. If you've played any of the time management games along the lines of this one, you'll end up feeling like some of the noises are missing. A game doesn't have to make constant noise, but it also shouldn't feel like they forgot to include noises.
The game play is waaaay too easy. There's just no challenge to this game at all - you can get gold with really no effort. My four-year old *might* enjoy this one because it's so easy, but honestly, he likes Roads of Rome, My Kingdom for the Princess, etc even with the challenge they have, and doesn't care if he gets gold or not, so even a game set with a really low challenge level might not appeal to him. The challenge level would really only be good for someone who just doesn't want a challenge at all. There are also some occasional issues with clicks not responding and having to click more than once, but even with those you can still get gold pretty easily.
Ultimately, if you have no experience with time management games like this and want something really easy that you're almost guaranteed to appear as an expert at, don't care at all about graphics, and turn off the sound, this might be the one for you. If you don't care about things like getting the gold/expert achievement on levels and just want to play a game, I'd say go for one with better graphics and sound. And if you enjoy time management games like Roads of Rome, My Kingdom for the Princess, and so forth, don't waste your money on this one at all. It's just bad. I might consider it for my four-year old if it were being given away for free, but it's not even worth wasting a coupon for a free game on.
I don't recommend this game.
You’re drawn into a web of deceit when your train stops in Andville, where the Black Widow lies in wait...
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
I can use something here...
PostedNovember 2, 2012
LadyoftheIvy
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
..such as a better quality game for a CE version.
This is an okay, but in no way great game. I was mixed on whether or not to buy the CE, but went ahead and did so with a sale. Honestly, I'd say that if you really want to play it, wait for the SE and get it instead.
First off, if it's not obviously from the title and the screenshot, this game has spiders. A lot of them. I don't like spiders, but they didn't bother me. If you can't deal with them in books and other games though, skip this one. The graphics are relatively good, but would be better if they hadn't decided to make everything misty on top of them. Even many of the indoor scenes have a misty quality to them, and the misty can get old after awhile. The cut scenes are really just bad though - they use live actors, which is a novel idea, but are blurry, and poorly animated, with the actors looking like they're not quite in the same scene . The voice track doesn't match the movement of their mouths - it's off by just a bit, as their mouths will either form the words a bit before the voice, or a bit after. It's not a case of them speaking a different language either, as their mouths are forming the words they're speaking, just not at the same time. And the acting is rather melodramatic with overly done movements and such, as are the voices. And the people just speak soooo slowly as well!
The storyline is meh - not awful, but not great either. It's also not desperately original, as the most original part is the mechanical spiders. However, I don't want to give it away and ruin it for some. The ending is a bit disappointing as well, though I suspect it's intentional. The gameplay is okay, but I will say the bad cut scenes detract from it a bit. You also cannot skip through the cut scenes, as it only allows you to skip the entire scene as opposed to just parts of it. Which means you'll miss out on some of the dialogue. Honestly though, I got so tired of how slow and painful they were towards the end that I finally started skipping after I'd read the initial thing the person said.
The mini games are a mixture - some are good, some are okay, some are too easy, and some are just plain bad or poorly executed. For example, the sudoku-style one with the ferry ticket has a poorly placed "reset" button that I kept accidentally clicking on. It's right at the bottom of the game board and fairly good sized, so when I would click off the board to drop a number, I would sometimes click down there instead. It got so frustrating I finally just entered the answer from the strategy guide rather than get it halfway done and accidentally reset it for the umpteenth time. (Seriously, put them off in a corner, this was the only one that had this issue with the location of the reset button.) Some of the hidden object scenes are rather dark, which may be an issue for some. However, there are some interesting puzzles in this game, and even the sudoku-style one would be interesting if I hadn't kept hitting the reset button by accident.
And my biggest complaint with this game, even more than the poorly-done cut scenes? "I can use something here." Argh! The game gives you that message every single time you click on something that needs another object to use. While I don't think that a game needs to tell you what to use/put in a place, "I can use something here" is an incredibly annoying, and sometimes very frustrating, message when it's given to you over, and over, and over. Especially when you don't necessarily have the "something" you can use there and may not have it for awhile.
It has the pretty typical stuff for a CE - extra gameplay, wallpapers, concept art, etc. One good thing with this game is that the extra gameplay is not necessary to the main storyline, so it really is a nice extra. Given the other issues though, the extras you get with the CE aren't enough to make up for them.
Ultimately, it's not a bad game, especially if "I can use something here" doesn't bother you one little bit and you can get over the badly done cut scenes. But I would save yourself a bit of money and either get the SE, or get this on a major sale (50% off or more), as I'm not sure it's worth even the discounted price I got.
I don't recommend this game.
Discover the fate of your exiled kingdom, save your people and end the ancient evil that started it all!
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
The previous installments were better!
PostedOctober 4, 2012
LadyoftheIvy
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I really enjoyed the previous "Awakening" installments, so I went ahead and purchased this one without playing the demo. I don't regret purchasing it, as I have been wanting to see the continuation of the story, but at the same time I'm disappointed with it. It's not as well done as the previous ones. It has some performance issues, mini-game/puzzle instruction issues, and if this is the "epic conclusion" as the description reads, then it either ends on a cliffhanger, or this isn't really the conclusion and there's another game to come.
The graphics are still beautiful like the previous games, and the music is nice. The voiceovers are a bit poor sometimes - usually because the voice actor is incredibly stiff, not really for any other reason. The storyline is okay, though it starts to seem a bit cheesy to me at times. (Captain Jackdaw, anyone? It wouldn't have taken much more to make him look exactly like Captain Jack Sparrow, and he certainly sounds pretty close.)
There are various performance issues. It can take awhile sometimes to transition between scenes, or scenes and games/hidden object scenes. Occasionally, it'll make you worry the game has frozen, though it never actually did freeze for me. Sometimes, you have to click on something just right, or place something exactly right, or it won't work. Other times, it just has to be in the general vicinity.
The instructions for the mini-games/puzzles are frequently very confusing, if not really instructions. I had a hard time figuring out what I was supposed to be doing sometimes from the one line statement that didn't always make sense. And many of the games were repeated over and over, which got old after awhile, even if the graphics had been changed slightly.
If this is the last game, it's a really poor ending to what was a good series. If it's not, then I really hope they do better with the next one, since this one is a dark spot in an otherwise good series. I only recommend it if you've played the rest of the series and want to see a continuation to the story, and even then it might be more worthwhile to go with the SE instead of the CE.
I recommend this game!
Free the trapped souls and reunite a love long lost in Haunting Mysteries: The Island of Lost Souls!
Overall rating
3
/
5
The description is better than the game...
PostedOctober 1, 2012
LadyoftheIvy
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
From the description of this game, I was expecting something better than what I ultimately got. It got relatively good reviews too, so I figured it might be worth it. Unfortunately, this one is not worth the CE. As an SE, I could say it might be worthwhile, but even then only for some. This game just has too many flaws to be as good as the description implies.
First, the good stuff. The storyline is somewhat interesting, and the way the ghosts manifest is done well, without all the extra flash, gore, and "let's see if we can be majorly gross" like some games with creepy-like storylines these days. They could be a bit more animated at times (the main "bad guy" ghost ends up seeming kind of stiff given how he's supposed to be evil and the things he's doing to stop you), but I like the fact that they're pretty well done. Unlike some games, you won't be constantly needing to find yet another tool to do something that a tool you just discarded could have done just as well. And it adds in an extra element of finding the "hidden souls" if you want something extra to hunt down as you're playing. The bonus gameplay is also a nice extra, but not something necessary to the main game, which I always see as a good thing. (A bonus game really should be a true bonus, not a necessary part of the main story.)
That being said, the hidden object scenes are a bit of a pain. Most of the game is very dark, and unfortunately many of the hidden object scenes make some of the objects near impossible to find. Whether it's because they've stuck the item in a dark corner, or because they've hidden it behind something else (a thick layer of dust, a really thick cobweb, wrapped in a net), some of them are just almost invisible. (The graphics aren't necessarily very crisp in some of these hidden object scenes either.) There were a couple that I still couldn't see even after I finally gave up and clicked on the hint, so I was ultimately just blindly clicking in the spot the hint was circling. I'm all for cleverly hidden items, but if I still can't see it even after clicking on the hint, it's too obscured.
The awards are really rather cheesy, and most of them you earn just because you did a task you would have had to do to complete the game anyway. A few of them you're unlikely to earn unless you looked up a list of them before/while you were playing. (I looked it up afterwards because I was curious what I'd missed.) So they ultimately end up seeming rather pointless. The puzzles are generally rather easy, so there's almost no challenge to those. For people who don't care much for puzzles in a hidden object game that might be a plus, but I don't mind a bit of challenge to the extra puzzles.
Ultimately, I don't feel this game is worth it as a CE. As an SE it might be, but I don't feel like I got a CE's worth out of it. Beyond the issues I already mentioned, it's also just too short. I was done with the game in three hours according to the time on the main menu, and I know there was at least one point where I accidentally left it running because I was needed elsewhere in the house for a bit. So if you're still curious about it, I'd say to try the SE and not the CE. It'd be much more worth it as a SE.
I don't recommend this game.
Discover the Red Riding Hood Sisters and defeat the nefarious Wolf Queen!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
A good addition to the Dark Parables series
PostedSeptember 26, 2012
LadyoftheIvy
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This a good, though not great, addition to the Dark Parables series. For the most part, it's well done, it just has a few flaws compared to the previous ones. However, it's still worthwhile and enjoyable game, provided you either like fragmented object hidden object games, or liked the previous games in this series.
Much like the previous games, the graphics are beautiful, and the music is well done. This time, if the title doesn't give it away, the parable/fairy tale is Red Riding Hood, with the typical twists these games add to those stories. You are again the detective from the previous games, come to solve a mystery. It's fairly enjoyable, though not quite as much as the previous games.
This one seemed a lot shorter than the previous ones. I was able to solve it within one day, playing on and off for about four hours. It's also easier than the previous games in the series, especially the mini-games within the bigger game. You can see some of the uniqueness from the previous games in them, but they aren't quite as clever and are definitely much easier. And, despite the fact that the artwork is still beautiful, the anime-like dressing of some of the sisters was a detractor. I don't remember anyone seeming quite as anime in previous games, but I felt a few of them would have been perfect in something like Sailor Moon with just some slight changes to their outfits. Sorry, but I have a hard time taking a sisterhood brought together to defend the land from mist wolves seriously when they're running around in big pigtails, tiny shorts/skirts, belly-baring bustiers/tops, and over-the knee boots. Sure, some of those could have been used without issue, but put them all together and it becomes a bit silly.
Even given the issues, it's still a good game, especially if you're a fan of the previous ones. The bonus gameplay is also well done in that it brings a bit more depth to the story, but isn't necessarily a must play to understand the story. The other features with the CE are extra mini-games, artwork, and the other typical things that you tend to find with CEs these days. And just like the previous games, there are hints as to what the story for the next game in the series will be.
Ultimately, this one may not be worth the CE to some, given the shorter length. (The bonus gameplay doesn't add much extra game time.) The previous games are certainly better. I hope the next one goes back to the excellence of those! But I'd still recommend the game, and if you're a big fan of the Dark Parables series (which I am), I'd also recommend going ahead with the CE version.
I recommend this game!
Build a thriving colony in a vast wilderness teeming with surprises!
Overall rating
3
/
5
17 of 19 found this review helpful
If only this game weren't so sloooooow...
PostedSeptember 24, 2012
LadyoftheIvy
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I was a bit hesitant to buy this game after the trial, but my almost 9-year-old was adamant that we needed this game after watching me play it. That being said, even after playing it farther, I still can't say I love it.
It's an interesting story, an interesting idea, and definitely has potential. Despite all of the reviews comparing it to Virtual Villagers it's not quite the same as that series of games. It's much more similar to Artist Colony than Virtual Villagers. However, it's biggest flaw is just how slow it is.
You collect or make items to do things in the game (food, stone, wood, more sophisticated things as time goes along). And your colonists are the ones doing it, all with their own likes or dislikes. Unlike Artist Colony, there seems to be a larger variety of tasks (since I remember Artist Colony getting repetitive rather quickly), as not everyone is ultimately trying to do more or less the same thing. So it ends up feeling less repetitive. However, it being less repetitive doesn't make much of a difference or help it a lot when it just takes so long to get things done.
This is where it's not like Virtual Villagers - the game doesn't continue to run when you minimize/quit it. Which means that in order to have your colonists collect/produce enough of the things you need for the tasks, you have to leave the game running. And you can't leave it running and walk away from it either, as occasionally messages from your advisors will pop up on the screen, and those pause the game until they're dealt with.
In order to get as far as I have in the game, I've honestly sat in front of my computer reading while the game runs. Sure, I've bought more colonists and have multiple colonists working on things, but it still takes time, and without a book to read at the same time I would have given up on this game awhile ago. Even my almost 9-year-old, who goes on about how neat this game is, will frequently find something else to do at the same time.
Another flaw is the tutorial portion - it's not awful, but it's not great, and sometimes information you need doesn't pop up unless a specific thing happens. For instance, I had no idea for awhile that you could add more rooms to the houses and have more space for colonists without building another house because I just built the second house when I hit the upper limit and before I got another colonist. So I didn't get the message about adding on rooms until after I ended up earning an extra colonist that put me over the limit. Not a huge deal, but it's an example of how it doesn't tell you things unless a certain thing happens. Your advisors will also sometimes tell you to do something (such as sell all your wood/stone/food because it's selling for more right now) that isn't necessarily in your best interest. For instance, without food, your colonists won't work. I didn't listen when they suggested things such as that, but I'm sure that could frustrate some.
Finally, the pirates game that's sort of like Angry Birds. I don't honestly care much for Angry Birds, and it's a bit annoying that you *have* to complete those games for some things to happen or be earned in the game. Sure, I can do them, but either a skip option or at least not making them necessary to continue in the game would be better.
Otherwise, the graphics and sound are good, and if there was just some option to speed up time in the game this would be pretty good. But given just how slow it is sometimes, I can really only call it okay. Definitely play the trial before you buy it and keep in mind that you'll want a book with you as you play.
The Dark Piper unleashes infested rodents into the town of Hamelin! Defeat him before he leaves a trail of destruction all across Europe!
Overall rating
3
/
5
24 of 28 found this review helpful
A bit of a disappointment...
PostedJune 22, 2012
LadyoftheIvy
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
For a game in general, this one is a bit of a disappointment due to various factors. For a Blue Tea game, this one is a huge disappointment, as they've done so much better with other games of theirs I've played. I originally played the CE demo, and decided while it wasn't worth the CE price, it might still be okay as an SE. And it's not awful, but it still ends up being a bit of a disappointment.
There are several issues with the game. Spelling errors, language barrier issues (poorly done sentences, in other words), and a few items in hidden object scenes that the names will have to be looked up by many. While I don't necessarily mind having to look something up to know what it is, generally using a more common name for it is going to make more gamers happy. These issues, crop up pretty much throughout the game.
The graphics are relatively good, though the characters move a bit stiffly at times. This game also has the morphing objects that are in other games made by this developer, which can be a good or a bad thing depending on your preferences. The game doesn't mention them though, you just sort of come across them eventually. The cat you grab at the beginning for your hint meter is a bit of a disappointment - it almost seems like it'll interact with you during the game, but no, it's just there to click on if you need a hint. I'm guessing they chose a cat because a game involving the Pied Piper involves rats. (Get it? The cat will help you defeat the rats with hints! Ha!)
The puzzles/mini are overly easy. Not a horrible thing, but there's really almost no challenge to them and they're rather hard to fail at. This is also not a fragmented object game like many of the other games put out by this developer, it's much more of a typical hidden object game. You have a list of objects, and you find them in the scene. And you do this repeatedly. The hidden object scenes are also a bit odd in that they let you pick up things you won't need to use at all during that particular search, which I wasn't able to decide if this was to throw you off and make it more difficult, or an error left in the game.
There's A LOT of back and forth in this game as well, and you will occasionally find yourself wandering around trying to figure out what you're supposed to do next. Which, unless you missed an object in one of the locations, is generally a hidden object scene that you have to revisit. It just seemed to me to have more back and forth than other games I've played by this developer, and it started to get old. The story is also a bit cheesy and the way your character ends up tying it all up at the end was a bit disappointing to me. I don't want to give it away, however, so I'll leave that for others to discover.
Ultimately, it's not an awful game, but for Blue Tea it's not a good game. If you go into it not expecting the usual excellent work from Blue Tea, then you probably won't be too disappointed. I would only recommend it with those caveats in mind, but I really hope that the next game put out by them is back to their usual excellence.
I recommend this game!
The Dark Piper unleashes infested rodents into the town of Hamelin! Defeat him before he leaves a trail of destruction all across Europe!
Overall rating
3
/
5
A bit of a disappointment...
PostedJune 22, 2012
LadyoftheIvy
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Note: My review of the CE version is totally based on the demo.
For a game in general, this one is a bit of a disappointment due to various factors. For a Blue Tea game, this one is a huge disappointment, as they've done so much better with other games of theirs I've played.. Based on playing the demo of the CE, I opted to purchase the SE instead, since while it didn't seem CE worthy, I was hoping it was better at a lower price. I'm definitely glad I didn't buy the CE, as I'm not sure it would have been worth the extras.
Much like any CE, this one has extra gameplay, strategy guide, wallpapers, etc. And of course, you can't look at any of that unless you purchase it, so I can't comment on those much. I will say in the process of playing the demo, I noticed several issues with the game. There are spelling errors, language barrier issues (poorly done sentences, in other words), and a few items in hidden object scenes that the names will have to be looked up by many. While I don't necessarily mind having to look something up to know what it is, generally using a more common name for it is going to make more gamers happy. These issues, as well as others, become even more obvious once you're actually playing the full game (since I suspect the later versions of them beyond the demo are there in the CE as well as the SE).
The graphics are relatively good, though the characters move a bit stiffly at times. This game also has the morphing objects that are in other games made by this developer, which can be a good or a bad thing depending on your preferences. The game doesn't mention them though, you just sort of come across them eventually. The cat you grab at the beginning for your hint meter is a bit of a disappointment - it almost seems like it'll interact with you during the game, but no, it's just there to click on if you need a hint. I'm guessing they chose a cat because a game involving the Pied Piper involves rats. (Get it? The cat will help you defeat the rats with hints! Ha!)
The puzzles/mini games I came across during the demo were overly easy. If they're the same between both the CE and SE, they continue to be overly easy. This is also not a fragmented object game like many of the other games put out by this developer, it's much more of a typical hidden object game. You have a list of objects, and you find them in the scene. And you do this repeatedly. The hidden object scenes are also a bit odd in that they let you pick up things you won't need to use at all during that particular search, which I wasn't able to decide if this was to throw you off and make it more difficult, or an error left in the game.
Ultimately, what I got out of this demo is that it's not awful, but not worth the CE price, which is why I went with the SE instead. So I can't say I'd recommend the CE version.
I don't recommend this game.