sadiebugsmom's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4
- Helpful Votes:368
- Reviews Submitted:7
- First Review:November 17, 2011
- Most Recent Review:December 31, 2014
- Featured reviews0
sadiebugsmom's Review History
The Smithsonian Castle’s secrets lie in a Civil War past.
Overall rating
3
/
5
17 of 19 found this review helpful
Am I Getting Old and Crotchety?
PostedDecember 31, 2014
sadiebugsmom
fromRenton, WA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Seems like nothing is doing it for me anymore. Hidden Expedition was another of those reliable franchises that merited a "buy-without-trial" #highest honor I can give a game# from me in the past; however, after the latest MCF abomination, I have learned my lesson and demo'd this one before purchasing. Glad that I did, as the demo was so blah and uninspired that I am sure a full-purchase would have left me feeling almost as betrayed as MCF Dire Grove Annoying Grove did. Almost. I am still licking my wounds after that druid nightmare of boring.
Like King Solomon, I find myself just saying, "All is vanity" and "There is nothing new under the sun" when it comes to playing these games lately. Maybe I expect too much? I suppose I have been spoiled over the years by the WOW factor that so many of these games brought. What I wouldn't give for a new King's Quest about now -- Roberta, answer your phone!
So, this new HE Smithsonian is a garbled mess of a plot. The first Smithsonian case was simply a great game; the second, less so; this one, egad. Time travel? Really? There is so much you can do with a museum setting, but instead they go to the strange device of time travel. The puzzles are ridiculously easy; the hidden object scenes are a bit better. My husband sat and watched me zip around, completing everything in no time at all, and asked me if I had played this one before. I said, "No, this is a demo," but then I realized I had played this game before -- over and over and over -- as all these games are starting to meld into one mind-numbing experience with little to differentiate them from each other.
Guess I need a break from these HOPA games. Wish there were a new Westward to break up the monotony. Sandlot, we hardly knew ye.
I don't recommend this game.
A deadly secret lurks in the woods of Dire Grove!
Overall rating
1
/
5
153 of 162 found this review helpful
The More I Play, the More I Hate
PostedNovember 29, 2014
sadiebugsmom
fromRenton, WA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
So, I think I just finished Chapter 3, and I already feel as though this is the longest, least-enjoyable game I have ever played. I wanted to finish the game before I wrote a review, but now I am not sure I'll ever finish it, and I consider it my duty to try to warn other BFG fans about the utter awfulness of DGSG.
I am a big MCF fan, right from the very beginning in Huntsville. So moved was I by the excellence of Return to Ravenhearst that I wrote BFG a letter extolling its many virtues. From Madame Fate until Shadow Lake, it seemed as though MCF could do no (or very little# wrong to me. Even the much maligned Shadow Lake still had the feel of MCF and the innovation that we've come to appreciate in the series. Then . . . well . . . there's an elephant in the room . . .
Elephant Games should not be involved with MCF. They are a fine developer when you're looking for a cute Christmas game starring Nutcrackers or anything involving the words "adorable", "lavishly-illustrated", "mind-numbingly easy", and "games to which your maiden aunt could not object". Gritty, snarky, hard-core casual gaming #hey, it's a thing!# that stretches the boundaries of what such gaming can be and never hesitates to innovate rather than rest on its laurels is what MCF has come to mean to me, and Elephant Games is not up to it. Sorry. Bring back the BFG team and give Elephant the boot. There is still time to rescue the franchise!
I should have known when I failed to remain interested enough in last year's Madame Fate 2 to finish the game that something was not right in MCF Land. I chalked my utter inability to engage last year to a frantic, exhausting November and December rather than to the quality of the game. But, the thing is this: even after my life calmed down, I never felt the need to go back and restart or finish the game. Nonetheless, I purchased DGSG without even doing the trial. No more of that immediate trust for me! The MCF brand is tarnished.
So, what are the myriad sins of DGSG? Here are but a few:
1# It is boring. Scratch that; it is BORING. Who even cares what's going on? OK, it's cold and there are some wolves hanging around. That could be Alaska, for crying out loud. And Harry Potter's Patronus just keeps showing up and stamping his hoofy and you know, whatever, I am already asleep. The hunters look perpetually angry, and the Druids all wear nifty animal-head hats that make them look like a gaggle of my daughter's tweeny friends #those are so IN right now, you fashionable Druids, you!#. My goodness, is it boring!!!!
2# It has a cheesy quality to the look of the thing. You expect a little Nutcracker to come running across the snow and a kitten to figure in somehow. This is not at all how Dire Grove is supposed to be. In the first one, I could feel the biting cold, and the anxiety to find the teenage victims was real to me. I felt like I was in a movie. Now, I'm just playing yet another of the many, many games that are like this. Which brings us to . . .
3# There is nothing innovative about this game. Been there, done that. Everyone remarks about the ability to choose the gender of your detective. When the most innovative part of your game happens within the first ten seconds of beginning it, you are in trouble! Other than that, we've seen it all before.
4# It is not witty. There are no inside jokes #that I have seen#. It is absolutely pedantic and droning when the characters talk about the forest and the so-called harm that was done and how irritated Harry Potter's Patronus #Mr. Stampy Hoof# is about the whole thing. Fate's Carnival suffered from this sin, which I think, in an MCF game, is more mortal than venial.
5) I made the mistake of re-downloading the original MCF Dire Grove after playing this debacle for awhile. OMGoodness. I actually started to cry when I realized again how very, very amazing these games used to be and then considered anew how far they have fallen. These last two games do not measure up, which just makes the whole thing a tragedy of some #to BFG fans# significant proportion. Say what you will about Shadow Lake, it was not afraid to try new things, and it kept true to the ambience. Yes, it was my least favorite of the old-school games #pre-Elephant#, but it still had a compelling storyline, and I still wanted to play it to the end.
1# It is boring. Scratch that; it is BORING. Who even cares what's going on? OK, it's cold and there are some wolves hanging around. That could be Alaska, for crying out loud. And Harry Potter's Patronus just keeps showing up and stamping his hoofy and you know, whatever, I am already asleep. The hunters look perpetually angry, and the Druids all wear nifty animal-head hats that make them look like a gaggle of my daughter's tweeny friends #those are so IN right now, you fashionable Druids, you!#. My goodness, is it boring!!!!
2# It has a cheesy quality to the look of the thing. You expect a little Nutcracker to come running across the snow and a kitten to figure in somehow. This is not at all how Dire Grove is supposed to be. In the first one, I could feel the biting cold, and the anxiety to find the teenage victims was real to me. I felt like I was in a movie. Now, I'm just playing yet another of the many, many games that are like this. Which brings us to . . .
3# There is nothing innovative about this game. Been there, done that. Everyone remarks about the ability to choose the gender of your detective. When the most innovative part of your game happens within the first ten seconds of beginning it, you are in trouble! Other than that, we've seen it all before.
4# It is not witty. There are no inside jokes #that I have seen#. It is absolutely pedantic and droning when the characters talk about the forest and the so-called harm that was done and how irritated Harry Potter's Patronus #Mr. Stampy Hoof# is about the whole thing. Fate's Carnival suffered from this sin, which I think, in an MCF game, is more mortal than venial.
5) I made the mistake of re-downloading the original MCF Dire Grove after playing this debacle for awhile. OMGoodness. I actually started to cry when I realized again how very, very amazing these games used to be and then considered anew how far they have fallen. These last two games do not measure up, which just makes the whole thing a tragedy of some #to BFG fans# significant proportion. Say what you will about Shadow Lake, it was not afraid to try new things, and it kept true to the ambience. Yes, it was my least favorite of the old-school games #pre-Elephant#, but it still had a compelling storyline, and I still wanted to play it to the end.
Please, please BFG: I don't know what sort of compromising pictures of our Felix Elephant Games may have in their possession, but they cannot be bad enough for you to have to embarrass yourselves further under the tyranny of their marching pachyderm. Separate yourselves post haste, bring MCF back to life, and we'll even give you a breather in 2015, if you promise to wow us again in 2016. Deal?
I don't recommend this game.
Enter Ravenwood Park and discover the secrets hidden in the mists...
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
Gripping, Thrilling, Not to Miss!
PostedOctober 2, 2013
sadiebugsmom
fromRenton, WA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Do not miss this game! If you like HOPA's at all, you will surely love Enigmatis:The Mists of Ravenwood. I just finished the Collector's Edition, and it's a WOW! There is so much to do here, but the many, many achievements and Easter Eggs do not distract from the storyline, which is one of the most thrilling ones I've played in a long time.
The artwork is gorgeous -- truly deserving of the developer's name, Artifex Mundi. The voiceovers are a definite grade above the usual quality for these games. Very expressive and not at all grating on the ear. Great music, too.
The storyline drew me in -- I do not normally skip cut scenes, knowing how hard the game designers work on them, and this time, I did not even want to skip them -- ever. What a story!
The puzzles were just right -- interesting without hair-pullingly frustrating. Lots of HO scenes of varying sort -- from standard junk pile to the more plot-driven "piecing together" ones.
Lots of spooks and scares. And the bonus chapter was really worth doing. It is #and I have to confess here# the first bonus that I've actually finished in a long time. Absolutely worth of the games and worth the CE price.
I just thoroughly enjoyed this game. Good-o! And thanks to the devs! Now I want to go back and play the first one #which will be like a prequel to me -- and who doesn't like prequels?#.
I recommend this game!
A classic Christmas tale tail, with a whole new twist! Help the Nutcracker rescue the princess from the evil Rat King!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Like you really need another review of the excellent Nutcracker game, right?
PostedDecember 24, 2012
sadiebugsmom
fromRenton, WA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Brain Teaser, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I have to write one anyway. This is truly a stand-out from the dark, creepy HOA's that seem to be churned out daily, each one not very different from the next. What a wonderful game! We played it together as a family for four different nights -- deriving a lot of enjoyment from our purchase price. This is the first time I have ever gotten my husband interested in a computer game.
Everything is top-notch in this Nutcracker adventure: graphics, design, storyline, puzzles, HOS's. It was satisfying in every way. All said, we probably played the regular game for between five and six hours -- using no hints and skipping no puzzles. And it is so Christmasy! Along with our alter-ego detective in the game, we could all only gasp "Wow! What a tree!" when we came across the ballroom the first time.
This game was just what we needed during an otherwise blah-ish Christmas season. Many thanks to the designers who did such a fantastic job! We will play the bonus game tonight (Christmas Eve)!
I recommend this game!
The residents of Bitterford, Maine have fallen prey to a terrible curse. It’s up to you to unravel the series of mysterious events that led to the town’s downfall and uncover the evil that was responsible.
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 5 found this review helpful
Uneven, but still enjoyable, MCF
PostedNovember 24, 2012
sadiebugsmom
fromRenton, WA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I almost did not buy this game, simply because of the negative reviews here on BFG. I am glad that I tried it anyway. Every positive adjective that I could attach to MCF:SL would have the qualifier "enough" added at the end. It was entertaining . . . enough. It was challenging . . . enough. It was innovative . . . enough. I can see why there was such moaning and gnashing of teeth and rending of garments here on the BFG site -- we who love the MCF series are used to saying, "Wow! Wow! Wowzee! Double Wow!" over our Thanksgiving #U.S.# holiday. This was a "Hmmm . . . aah" sort of experience, and for short runs at the computer between basting the turkey and lurking with family, it was fun . . . enough.
When I finished the regular game -- after about four hours total play, no use of strategy guide, not counting bonus game -- my first thought was that, under the gun for a late-November release, the MCF team simply ran out of time. I prefer to think that than that they ran out of steam. The game seemed rather unfinished. Plot points were left hanging; puzzle ideas were underdeveloped; there was a rush, rush, rush to the denouement . . . which was less than riveting. I did not mind the extensive video cuts in the game -- and Lea Thompson was just fine #though she'll always be Mayor Cupcake to me# -- but, as others have, I did think that there was too much reliance upon them to forward the action of gameplay. Master Detective that I am, I did not appreciate being bossed around by some two-bit TV psychic every other moment.
Here is something that I have always appreciated about MCF: the Master Detective's personality. Not only with the sarcastic comments throughout the game, but the rather blase attitude the MD has to truly astonishing things that come his/her way. Is some sort of zombie phantom lunging out at you during a crawl through an air conditioning vent? Just proceed with no comment or expression of dismay! Ha! Ha! That always makes me laugh.
Anyway, MCF:Shadow Lake -- diverting enough for a rainy Pacific Northwest Thanksgiving holiday, but not the most thrilling or exceptional MCF. The bar stays right where it was -- which is still rather high in the land of HOPA games. Can hardly wait to see what BFG cooks up for next Thanksgiving #though, if time constraints threaten another truncated plot and slacking on puzzle creation, I beg of you to wait until Christmas or New Year's#!
I recommend this game!
A mysterious fortune teller has foreseen her demise at midnight this very day. Can you find the soul who seeks to kill Madame Fate? You be the detective.
Overall rating
5
/
5
188 of 214 found this review helpful
Wanna Get Hooked on BFG?
PostedNovember 17, 2011
sadiebugsmom
fromRenton, WA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Brain Teaser, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
My parents, oh around four years ago, came out for a Christmas visit. The weather outside was frightful, but playing computer games inside was delightful, and I introduced them to one of my favorites, MCF: Madame Fate. Fast forward to 2011: I think by now they have bought and played at least twice as many BFG games as I have. So, if you want to get someone hooked on fun, fascinating, and brain-twisting games this holiday season, just log them onto Madam Fate. What do you mean you have not purchased it yet? There are three aspects of Madame Fate that are wonderfully unique. First, the puzzles -- so unlike the typical mini-games in most HOAs. Second, the -- oops! is it a spoiler? the little surprise that greets you if you click on some things that seem a little queer on various screens -- I shan't say more about that. Third, the speed rounds where you find, say, 30 fishhooks. Super fun! Add to that the typically awesome graphics that these MCF games are lovingly styled with, as well as the wry sense of humor that pervades the series, and you have a good idea of the many charms of Madame Fate.
I recommend this game!
Emma`s soul is free. But a dark secret still lurks in Ravenhearst Manor. Return to Ravenhearst to continue this tale of twisted love.
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 6 found this review helpful
This is my gold standard for all computer games
PostedNovember 17, 2011
sadiebugsmom
fromRenton, WA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Brain Teaser, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
I rate every game I buy from BFG against MCF:RTR. When I first played it three years ago this Thanksgiving, I was absolutely blown away. Everything was just right in this game -- ambience, storyline, puzzles, graphics. I sort of feel sometimes like I have to "put up" with the HO scenes to play these puzzle/adventure/mystery games I love so much; but, I remember the HO scenes in this one as being top notch. Truly, it's hard to go wrong with a game from the MCF series -- and RTR is, perhaps, the best one yet. What a wonderful game, BFG! Thank you for creating it. Now, how about another Ravenhearst sequel? Pretty please?
I recommend this game!