sportygal2009's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.5
- Helpful Votes:8,859
- Reviews Submitted:221
- First Review:November 12, 2011
- Most Recent Review:November 28, 2015
- Featured reviews0
Status:
A fire breaks out during a concert, and now your daughters are both missing. Hurry to track them down – their music may hold the key to life and death!
Overall rating
4
/
5
11 of 11 found this review helpful
Review Of Completed Game
PostedNovember 5, 2014
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is the second game for the Silent Nights. The first is The Pianist. I played and reviewed that back in March 2012. I didn't much care for that one. This current game Children's Orchestra is definitely an improvement for me and stands alone.
6 Chapters plus bonus game
3 play modes that can be changed at any time during the game. I played most of the game in advanced mode. The hardest mode. I had no sparkles. Most of the black bar tips were replaced with a "Hmmm" comment however even though it said ALL are disabled I still had a few. I didn't use the hint at all but the skip is painfully slow. I just switched over to casual mode to skip a few of the puzzles. I thought the skip was slow in that mode as well.
There is a transporter map.
3 play modes that can be changed at any time during the game. I played most of the game in advanced mode. The hardest mode. I had no sparkles. Most of the black bar tips were replaced with a "Hmmm" comment however even though it said ALL are disabled I still had a few. I didn't use the hint at all but the skip is painfully slow. I just switched over to casual mode to skip a few of the puzzles. I thought the skip was slow in that mode as well.
There is a transporter map.
GAME PLAY: I thought this was pretty linear for the most part that is the "adventure" side (back/forth) however more into the game there is some back/forth and going back as far as the beginning of the game. This also seemed to be more puzzles than HOS.
Throughout the game you also find dragons (21 total) for decryption to create music. When you find 3 of them a "secret file" will unlock. The "secret files" are done in black and white cut scenes and will tell you the history of the Deux family and why the children are in danger. You can also replay the cut scenes if you wish. There are 5 secret files in main game (15 dragons) and 2 secret files in bonus game (6 dragons) The "dragons" are NOT CE extras. These are just part of the game.
HOS: These are found in several ways: Standard word list and silhouette with some interaction, find & use, and misplaced items where you place the objects back into the scene. I quite enjoyed these. I had no problem here but then I usually do enjoy these cause I'm a fan of them.
PUZZLES: Most the usual run of the mill but some did have a different twist/take on them. Some I haven't seen before. All can be skipped. Some have a reset button. These varied in challenge for me. I did skip a few of these.
As for CE extras:
Bonus Game
Strategy Guide
24 Achievements
10 Wallpapers
24 Concept Art
8 Music
Bonus Game
Strategy Guide
24 Achievements
10 Wallpapers
24 Concept Art
8 Music
Overall Impression:
I thought the graphics just great and very fitting to the game. I also really liked how it changed from day to night and traveling back/forth in the jeep across the lake. The only part that was grainy for me were the cut scenes. It didn't bother me one bit. I quite liked them.
The characters and voices a well done though I wish my character playing the mom had a voice. There was just text to read there. Oh and the masked man could of been just a bit more frightening. The music is also fitting and appropriate to the game since this is "orchestra."
With the exception of a bit too many puzzles for me and the snail slow skip button which I hope to see a CUSTOM mode from this developer their next game offering I enjoyed the game play while on the easy side for the most part and the story.
The main game does have a conclusion however since I've played the bonus game this is were the true ending is. I was surprised by the bonus chapter. I enjoyed this as well. The main game was 6 hours for me and the bonus was an hour. . I also found all the dragons which weren't hard to locate and earned 22 out of the 24 achievements. I had no tech issues or slow loading between scenes.
Overall 4 stars from me. Thanks Dark Blue Games and Big Fish for a very good game.
I recommend this game!
You are the key to solving a chilling supernatural mystery!
Overall rating
4
/
5
33 of 38 found this review helpful
REVIEW OF COMPLETED GAME
PostedOctober 24, 2014
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The only two criticisms I have about this game is: The black bar tips stating what to do playing the custom mode which I wish all developers would address this in their games and I think the game could of been just a bit more creepy/spooky. Other than these two things I thorough enjoyed the 5 hours (4 hours main game - 1 hour bonus) I spent playing this game. I also really appreciated the choice of taking a full tutorial or just for special features only. I found this to be a very nice feature as I just took the "special feature" tutorial.
The graphics are just great. I really liked them. Very fitting to the game. I also liked the characters. The voices and music a well done.
What I really enjoyed was the game play especially the HOS as there is a variety of ways to finding the objects. The puzzles/mini games while not really being a fan of these I had no problem here. They all can be skipped and there is a reset button for some of them. There is also a map however I didn't even look at it as I didn't use it at all for the game.
The main game comes to conclusion. The bonus chapter isn't needed for that. It is only needed if you want to know the "Berkeley history" as stated on the main page for this game. While it's not needed I did enjoy it. The collectibles, morphing objects and achievements also carry over to the bonus chapter.
CE EXTRAS:
Bonus Chapter
Strategy Guide: 8 Chapters. This also shows where the collectibles and morphing objects are located.
9 Wallpapers
11 Concept Art
3 Screensavers
7 Music Tracks
5 Collections: A total of 25 collectibles
33 Morphing Objects
10 Achievements
Bonus Chapter
Strategy Guide: 8 Chapters. This also shows where the collectibles and morphing objects are located.
9 Wallpapers
11 Concept Art
3 Screensavers
7 Music Tracks
5 Collections: A total of 25 collectibles
33 Morphing Objects
10 Achievements
Thanks Elefun and Big Fish for a very good game. I sure look forward to Elefun's next game. 4 stars from me.
I recommend this game!
Without warning, a group of mysterious figures arrives and reduces your village to flames and rubble. What do they want... and who is controlling them?
Overall rating
5
/
5
11 of 12 found this review helpful
Run And Hide! The Banshees Are Coming - Completed Game
PostedOctober 4, 2014
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This has 8 chapters plus a bonus chapter. Only shows the first 2 during the demo. There are the usual game features such as choice of play mode including a custom mode, a journal and map.
You also get a fire medallion that gives you several "special abilities" to help you along in the game. Plus a pair of magic boots.
As far as CE extras: Collectibles: 57 Fire Symbols. Morphing Objects: 20. Achievements: 15. Card Gallery: 20 cards. A jig saw puzzle of Northpearl. There is the usual extras such as strategy guide that shows where the collectibles and morphing objects are located, wallpapers, music sound tracks, replay of HOS, and making of video.
OVERALL IMPRESSION:
I'm usually not much into fantasy type of games however the Big Fish has released a couple here recently that to my surprise I liked them. The same can be said about this one. Actually this one far exceeded those.
With exception to the pink and purple graphics past the demo time as I did think that was just a bit overdone, I thought they were fantastic. They displayed just superb to me. I also got the feeling of playing an "adventure" game with the scrolling of some scenes but without the nausea. This didn't bother me at all. Actually I found it quite fitting to the game since you have to "hide" at times I also really liked the characters and even the fairy as I'm usually not into "fairies" but this one I didn't mind because it didn't speak that "gibberish" talk cause I absolutely loathe that. The characters are very lifelike and the voices excellent. I usually don't comment too much on music but I thought it was amazing in this game. Gave me a real sense of urgency at times.
I really enjoyed the game play as I found it to be a step up from what is usually offered here. The HOS are varied in the ways of finding them. I'm usually not into puzzles/mini games but to my surprise I enjoyed most of these and I think it was because the way they were executed in the game. I also enjoyed using the fire medallion and the magic boots. They really tied into the game My one and only criticism about the game play is I played the custom mode and still had black bar tips in some parts of the game telling me what needed to be done. I do like to try and figure out for myself first. If I can't well that is what the hint/skip are for. Please address this in your next game offering.
As for the story, well Mad Head had me immediately with the opening scene to this game. I was hooked from the get go and held my interest to the very end. The main game also came to conclusion for me and I spent about 5 hours. I didn't feel the bonus chapter was needed to finish the main game story however I thoroughly enjoyed the bonus chapter and spent about an hour on that.
Overall 5 stars from me. Thanks Mad Head and Big Fish for a great game. I'm so glad to see an improvement from your last couple of games I played and reviewed however a smile and wink here: I still think Cadenza is your best work.
I recommend this game!
Prove the innocence of a young queen before she is put to death for a crime she didn't commit!
Overall rating
3
/
5
47 of 54 found this review helpful
A Pretty Good Game Until The Bonus - Completed Game
PostedSeptember 27, 2014
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is the 2nd game for the Grim Legends. The 1st is Forsaken Bride. I didn't play the first game so no comment about that. This latest release definitely seems to stand alone.
8 Chapters
2 Bonus Chapters
3 play modes - No option to customize. I played the hardest mode. I had no sparkles however black bar tips. Hint is directional outside of HOS. Puzzles can be skipped.
Transporter Map
Inventory Locks
Journal: This just holds objectives only and crosses them off as you complete them. The objectives also pop up on the screen.
Helpers. You do get some helpers. There is no naming, feeding, buying them things or dressing them up.
8 Chapters
2 Bonus Chapters
3 play modes - No option to customize. I played the hardest mode. I had no sparkles however black bar tips. Hint is directional outside of HOS. Puzzles can be skipped.
Transporter Map
Inventory Locks
Journal: This just holds objectives only and crosses them off as you complete them. The objectives also pop up on the screen.
Helpers. You do get some helpers. There is no naming, feeding, buying them things or dressing them up.
HOS: The objects are found in a variety of way: FROGS (pieces of items); silhouette, find & use, word list, and find so many of an object. I thoroughly enjoyed these but then I'm a fan of these. The graphics are pretty clear here. Some however weren't so easy to locate. They were blended into the scene quite well.
PUZZLES/MINI GAMES; I'm not a fan of these. Most of them I found tolerable though. The usual run of the mill however some had a different twist/take on them. Most I found easy. Some while easy just time consuming. I did come across some that weren't too easy and I did skip them. Some could of used a reset button.
VISUAL SOUND QUALITY: To my shocking surprise since I'm not one much for fantasy type of games or their graphics however I thought these were pretty good. While the green clouds of smoke definitely fitting to the game I did think this was a bit overdone at times.The graphics are also a "cartoon" style especially the cut scenes. With the exception to the children as I found them to be on the whiny/annoying side and so glad they were brief along with the fairy gibberish that I couldn't understand, the rest of the characters I liked and a well done.
LEVEL OF CHALLENGE: Overall I thought pretty good however I still hope this developer learns the custom mode for the play modes. With all due respect this should be a given for a CE.
STORY LINE: As I said, I'm usually not into fantasy type of games however to my surprise I enjoyed this story. The main game story that is. It held my interest It also comes to conclusion. The bonus game is definitely not needed.
BONUS GAME:
With exception to the game play as I did enjoy that but as far as characters and story goes sorry developer but this is beyond dreadful. I absolutely loathed the story and the characters with their gibberish talk. Couldn't understand it. Thank goodness for the text to read. Some characters did speak in a normal understandable voice however I didn't find them interesting at all. This story should of went untold. It added absolutely nothing to the game for me.
With exception to the game play as I did enjoy that but as far as characters and story goes sorry developer but this is beyond dreadful. I absolutely loathed the story and the characters with their gibberish talk. Couldn't understand it. Thank goodness for the text to read. Some characters did speak in a normal understandable voice however I didn't find them interesting at all. This story should of went untold. It added absolutely nothing to the game for me.
MY PLAY TIME: 7 hours for main game. 1 hour and 15 minutes bonus game.
FUN FACTOR: Overall I enjoyed the game especially since fantasy type of games are usually not my cup of coffee however since I'm rating the CE version here sorry but this isn't CE worthy for me. While I got this on sale this is one game I wish I would of waited for the SE. When the SE version is released I will rate that 4 stars with a recommend but the best I can do for this CE version is 3 stars and a "don't recommend."
CE EXTRAS:
2 Bonus Chapters
Strategy Guide: This does show the collectibles
29 Achievements
31 Healer Sigls - Found in Main game. None in bonus. At least my downloaded version of this game.
13 HOS
12 Cut Scenes
12 Wallpapers
9 Music Sound Tracks
12 Concept Art
2 Bonus Chapters
Strategy Guide: This does show the collectibles
29 Achievements
31 Healer Sigls - Found in Main game. None in bonus. At least my downloaded version of this game.
13 HOS
12 Cut Scenes
12 Wallpapers
9 Music Sound Tracks
12 Concept Art
I don't recommend this game.
When her children are kidnapped by a mysterious conductor, a mother jumps on an antique train and finds herself surrounded by unusual passengers.
Overall rating
5
/
5
113 of 118 found this review helpful
My Kind Of Game - 1920's Whodunit Mystery - Completed Game
PostedSeptember 23, 2014
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
GAME OPTIONS/FEATURES:
Widescreen
Voice Overs
Transporter Map: Shows where you are and things to do. As you move along in the game and more areas open up there is "arrows" up at the top that you click on to go forward/backward to see the rest of the map as everything isn't on one page.
Lockable Inventory bar,
3 play modes: Can be changed at any time during the game. I played the hardest mode. I still had black bar tips and sparkles for the HOS.
Journal: Holds story.
Task(s): This is down by the hint button. Can click on it to see your current task(s)
Magnify Glass: This is by the journal. When you click on it, it becomes an "evidence" board. As you move along in the game you collect evidence that goes here that must be placed. It's divided into 3 sections: motive, crime scene, suspect – and draw conclusions from it. It does show where to place them even in the hardest play mode.
Widescreen
Voice Overs
Transporter Map: Shows where you are and things to do. As you move along in the game and more areas open up there is "arrows" up at the top that you click on to go forward/backward to see the rest of the map as everything isn't on one page.
Lockable Inventory bar,
3 play modes: Can be changed at any time during the game. I played the hardest mode. I still had black bar tips and sparkles for the HOS.
Journal: Holds story.
Task(s): This is down by the hint button. Can click on it to see your current task(s)
Magnify Glass: This is by the journal. When you click on it, it becomes an "evidence" board. As you move along in the game you collect evidence that goes here that must be placed. It's divided into 3 sections: motive, crime scene, suspect – and draw conclusions from it. It does show where to place them even in the hardest play mode.
GAME PLAY: This to me seemed to be an adventure lite game with some HOS and puzzles thrown in. You have a few cases that need to be solved in order to move forward and will meet up with several characters throughout the game. I won't say how many cases or characters. I will let you discover that on your own.
HOS: On the left side of the screen is a "detective kit" that has a magnifier, fingerprint, blood detection, and a flashlight. On the right side instead of at the bottom like most games are the objects to be found and are found by silhouette. Some of them are progressive silhouette (find & use).
PUZZLES: The usual run of the mill however some seemed to have a different twist/take on them. All have instructions and some either have a reset or an "undo" button and can be skipped.
VISUAL/SOUND QUALITY: The setting of the game is 1920's. I thought the graphics beautifully done and colorful. right along with the cut scenes. I really liked the characters. Very intriguing and convincing. They made me want to continue moving forward to see what happens next in the game. The voice overs and lip sync excellent. The music is good and fitting to the game.
LEVEL OF CHALLENGE: This is my one and only criticism for this game is the black bar tips and sparkles for the hardest mode. I hope to see a custom mode from this developer in their next game offering and have it actually apply to the game. Having said this... I still thought the level of challenge was good. I really liked the HOS. I thought those were challenging.
STORYLINE: As my title says: My kind of game. A 1920's whodunit mystery. I have a fascination with this time era. Usually anything that has to do with this time era is a go for me and this game is definitely a go. I was hooked to this from the get go and I didn't stop playing until I got to the end of the game. Very engrossing and captivating. The more the story started to unfold and clues I was finding, it just made me want to keep going. This really had my attention. There is also some twist/turns to the story.
FUN FACTOR: I enjoyed the 5 hours I spent playing this game. What a pleasant surprise especially for a stand alone SE game. Overall 5 stars from me. I enjoyed this game way too much to rate it any lower than that but hope the developer here addresses the play modes in their next game offering.
Thanks Big Fish and developer for a very engrossing game. More like this one please. I also look forward to this developer's next game release.
I recommend this game!
Discover the secrets that lie buried in the eerie, crooked halls of Mnemosyne Asylum!
Overall rating
5
/
5
103 of 114 found this review helpful
Way Better Than The First - Completed Game
PostedSeptember 17, 2014
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
If you haven't played the first game in this series: 9 Clues: The Secret of Serpent Creek it's not necessary. This game stands alone.
GAME PLAY: I thought the HOS and puzzles were pretty well balanced in this game. This seemed to start off with very few HOS however picked up more into the game. The adventure traveling back/forth I thought was pretty lite. Just like the first game in this series there is a Detective Mode which occurs at times, in which you find clues for your character to investigate; and then provides a reenactment of what believes has taken place, based on the clues.
3 play modes: I played the hardest. NO sparkles however black bar tips for some things.
JOURNAL: This holds objectives that also pop up on the screen and also gives info on the people you encounter.
TRANSPORTER MAP: You get this shortly into the game.
HOS: All found by standard word list. The scenes are visited twice. There is some slight interaction with some of them. If you don't feel like doing the HOS you can play Mahjong.
PUZZLES: The usual run of the mill found in many games here on Big Fish. I came across nothing new. They can be skipped. Some did have a reset button.
VISUAL/SOUND QUALITY: I absolutely loved the graphics. Very fitting to the game. I also liked the characters and the voice overs excellent. I definitely got the creepy-eerie feeling from this game and I mean this in a great way.
LEVEL OF CHALLENGE: My one and only criticism here and is my usual criticism in just about every review that I write: Black bar tips on the hardest mode. Please do a custom mode for your next game offering.
STORYLINE: This definitely won't be for all due to subject matter and not for the faint of heart. However for me... I was hooked to this from the get go and held my interest to the very end. The story definitely has some twist and turns to it.
MY PLAY TIME: This was about 5 hours for me and I enjoyed every bit of it except for the puzzles but I'm not a fan of these. The rest of the game really made up for this especially the detective mode - LOVED IT.
FUN FACTOR: I enjoyed this one much more than the first in this series. I must confess I almost didn't download this but oh so glad I did. This game also flowed smooth as silk for me. I had no tech issues whatsoever.
Overall 5 stars from me. There was just way too much that I loved about this game to rate it any lower than 5 stars. Thanks Big Fish/developer for a great game and the sale. What a pleasant surprise to get this on sale but I would of paid $6.99 for it. More like this and from this developer please.
I recommend this game!
When entering another's dreams, you'll have to play by a different set of rules.
Overall rating
4
/
5
50 of 55 found this review helpful
Oh I'm Gonna Have A Seat On The Minority Bench With This One - Completed Game
PostedSeptember 10, 2014
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
GAME OPTIONS:
No widescreen - Instead of black bars there is a blue border.
No voice overs
You can control the sound/music effects.
System Cursor or not.
Journal: This just holds story.
Compass: This is above the hint button. At first I thought it was a map but it just points you in the direction(s) you can go. There is no map.
3 play modes - I played the hardest mode. I didn't come across any sparkles however black bar tips.
No widescreen - Instead of black bars there is a blue border.
No voice overs
You can control the sound/music effects.
System Cursor or not.
Journal: This just holds story.
Compass: This is above the hint button. At first I thought it was a map but it just points you in the direction(s) you can go. There is no map.
3 play modes - I played the hardest mode. I didn't come across any sparkles however black bar tips.
GAME PLAY: No real emphasis on anything. This here meaning the HOS and puzzles are balanced. The "adventure" side while there is back/forth I would consider this lite. I didn't miss the map. I never got lost in this game. There were a few objects that needed to be picked up outside of HOS that weren't so obvious to me and this was great. This flowed nice and smooth for me. I really enjoyed this. I had no tech issues.
HOS: The objects found by either standard word list or picture of the object. They are not interactive. I'm sure some on here will consider them Sanford & Son junkyard however they weren't for me. I enjoyed these but then I'm a fan of these. I had no problem here. Graphics nice and clear for me.
PUZZLES: This is my least favorite part of any game. The usual run of the mill found in many games here on Big Fish. I came across nothing new. There is an info button. I believe one had a reset button. The rest of them didn't need one. With exception to the slider puzzle with the one piece missing as I loathe these I found the rest to be easy. I only skipped one puzzle. The slider one.
VISUAL/SOUND QUALITY: My only criticisms here is no widescreen and no voices for the characters along with actual character interaction as they just appear on the screen with text dialogue to read. There isn't lots of reading though. I thought the graphics were just great especially more into the game. Will definitely be too old school/dated for some people though. I also liked the sound effects such as the snow crunching. The music good.
LEVEL OF CHALLENGE: My only criticism here is black bar tips on the hardest mode. I hope to see a custom mode in this developer's next game offering.
STORYLINE: Well this definitely had me intrigued as I'm really into dreams. I just had to see where this would take me however I must admit this was hard to follow. Usually if the story doesn't have me by the end of the demo I quit playing but I was really enjoying the game play and scenery along with I had a coupon code that was getting close to expiring so I ended up purchasing this game. I must say I'm so glad I did. The story ended up really coming together for me but yes I think a bit more could of been put into the story. From the title of this game and how the game ended it looks as if there may be a sequel to this.
MY PLAY TIME: This was about 3 hours for me. No hints used. Skipped one puzzle. Just perfect for me. A very nice time passer game on a rainy day as it's raining here in my part of the world.
FUN FACTOR: I'm not familiar with this developer so I read the credits in this game and it looks to be only about a dozen people involved in making this game. If this is indeed so well I think they did a pretty good job of making this game. Overall 4 stars from me. I had fun with this game. Thanks Big Fish and developer for a pretty good game here. I hope to see more from this developer
I recommend this game!
Margaret's soul has been broken into fragments and strewn across multiple worlds. Can you find them all and save her?
Overall rating
3
/
5
26 of 26 found this review helpful
Better Than I Thought It Would Be - Completed Game
PostedSeptember 9, 2014
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
5 Chapters plus bonus chapter
4 play modes: Casual/Advanced/Hardcore/Custom
Dossier (Journal) This has tabs that has pictures of objects/people and tells more about them along with notes.
Transporter Map
Helpers: You do get a female Harlequin that stays in your inventory. She repairs some of the inventory objects before you can use them. I'm not sure what's up with the Big Fish description of this game as there is no "dressing up" of anything. Decorating if you so choose yes but "dress up" um... NO! As you move along in the game you also get four more "helpers." These are the ? marks above the hint button. I won't tell you what they are. I will let you discover them on your own. I will say there are NO animal helpers that need to be named or dressed up.
4 play modes: Casual/Advanced/Hardcore/Custom
Dossier (Journal) This has tabs that has pictures of objects/people and tells more about them along with notes.
Transporter Map
Helpers: You do get a female Harlequin that stays in your inventory. She repairs some of the inventory objects before you can use them. I'm not sure what's up with the Big Fish description of this game as there is no "dressing up" of anything. Decorating if you so choose yes but "dress up" um... NO! As you move along in the game you also get four more "helpers." These are the ? marks above the hint button. I won't tell you what they are. I will let you discover them on your own. I will say there are NO animal helpers that need to be named or dressed up.
The game play emphasis is definitely on the puzzles. HOS are few and far between. There is some back/forth to this game and going back several scenes. You also travel between worlds - 4 portals.
HOS: All found by interactive standard word list. As I said few and far between. I'm a fan of the HOS. I enjoyed these. The graphics nice and clear. I had no problems here. If you don't feel like doing the HOS you can switch over to jig saw puzzle.
PUZZLES: LOTS of puzzles. The usual run of the mill however some had a different twist/take on them. All have an info and reset button. I'm not a fan of these. I did most of them but yes I did skip some and not because they were too hard I just found them to be repeated a bit too much. Tedious/boring for me.
VISUAL/SOUND QUALITY: With the exception of the fairies and fairyland being way too much pink, purple and blue color with the black cloud smoke the rest of the graphics were superb and stunning for me. Some scenes are a touch of steam punk (Sci-Fi). I really liked these. I also really liked most of the characters except for the fairies. I thought the developer here put some time and effort into these. The voices a very well done. The characters mouths don't move and that is fine with me
LEVEL OF CHALLENGE: I played the Custom Mode and really appreciated the quick hint/skip button. However still had black bar tips either giving me hints or coming right out and telling me what needed to be done in the game. I hope developer finds a way to shut this off for their next game offering. I do like to figure out for myself first. If I can't well that is what the hint/skip are for.
STORY LINE: I'm usually not one much into fantasy type of games but I thought I'd "give it a whirl" anyway. This did start out a bit slow but then really picked up by the time the demo time was up. I really enjoyed the story. The main game also came to conclusion for me. I didn't feel the bonus chapter was needed. Bonus Chapter does start off where the main game ended that being location. There is only 1 portal to travel through here. This continues the story. I enjoyed the story here as well but the graphics here were a bit too "cutesy" for me.
MY PLAY TIME: Main game was 7 hours for me. Bonus Chapter 1 hour and 30 minutes.
FUN FACTOR: Overall I enjoyed this game and reading the Dossier for more info on the characters and objects. I thought this was very interesting however I didn't like the constant pop up every time it updated. I'm usually not into helpers but I didn't mind the Ms. Harlequin helper. She wasn't intrusive for me or the 4 other helpers which again I'll let you discover those on your own. They seemed to fit the game. If there would of been more of a balance with the HOS and puzzles I definitely would of rated this higher than 3 stars but sorry too many puzzles for me. The description of this game does say Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure so please try to put more of a balance in your next game offering.
CE EXTRAS:
Bonus Chapter
Strategy Guide
26 Achievements
19 Free Search (HOS)
28 Puzzles
11 Concept Art
19 Wallpapers
5 Music
In regards to having access to the Museum and Boudoir. You don't get access to either of these during the demo or even after you purchase the game. In order to have access to the Museum as you find coins throughout the game you have to enter one of the 4 worlds and which ever world you enter you then have access to Museum. In order to gain access to the Boudoir you have to have Ms. Harlequin in your inventory and find the masks. The finding of coins and masks does carry over into the bonus chapter.
Bonus Chapter
Strategy Guide
26 Achievements
19 Free Search (HOS)
28 Puzzles
11 Concept Art
19 Wallpapers
5 Music
In regards to having access to the Museum and Boudoir. You don't get access to either of these during the demo or even after you purchase the game. In order to have access to the Museum as you find coins throughout the game you have to enter one of the 4 worlds and which ever world you enter you then have access to Museum. In order to gain access to the Boudoir you have to have Ms. Harlequin in your inventory and find the masks. The finding of coins and masks does carry over into the bonus chapter.
I recommend this game!
Mr. Turner was surrounded by people who could all benefit from his death, but who actually murdered him? Play the detective in this classic whodunit mystery!
Overall rating
4
/
5
47 of 55 found this review helpful
A Good Addition To The Series - Completed Game
PostedSeptember 2, 2014
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Just in case you're not familiar: This is the 2nd in the "Entwined" series. The first is Strings of Deception. If you haven't played this one it's not necessary before playing this game here. This game here definitely stands alone.
GAME OPTIONS/FEATURES:
Opened in widescreen for me. I didn't have to adjust anything. Graphics for me weren't stretched either.
You can control the music, effects, voice volumes
There is also a full screen option, widescreen correction, and choice of having system cursor not not.
3 play modes: Can't be changed during game play. I played the hardest mode which is Detective. I had no sparkles however black bar tips, objectives pop up on the screen. The hint and especially skip a snail or turtle moves way faster. Hint also tells you what to do and is transporter. It will allow you to "jump" to the location you need to be.
There is no map.
Opened in widescreen for me. I didn't have to adjust anything. Graphics for me weren't stretched either.
You can control the music, effects, voice volumes
There is also a full screen option, widescreen correction, and choice of having system cursor not not.
3 play modes: Can't be changed during game play. I played the hardest mode which is Detective. I had no sparkles however black bar tips, objectives pop up on the screen. The hint and especially skip a snail or turtle moves way faster. Hint also tells you what to do and is transporter. It will allow you to "jump" to the location you need to be.
There is no map.
Shortly into the game you get a Case File folder which holds Summary, Observations, and Tasks. Off to the side is a picture of the suspects along with a description about them.
You also have to take a magnifier and locate fingerprints.
HOS: There are 2 types. Standard word list and silhouette. No interaction. This may be "too many HOS" for some people however not me. I'm a fan. I enjoyed these.
PUZZLES; I am not a fan. Less the better. I prefer HOS and adventure. Most of these in this game absolutely annoyed me. I LOATHE these kind. Just to name a couple: Rotate rings and pressing one piece will effect the others. Some I did find easy and did those.
ADVENTURE SIDE: There is quite a bit of back/forth and sometimes going back near the beginning of the game. There's also a few objects that need to be picked up along the way that aren't always obvious. I really enjoyed this part of the game.
VISUAL/SOUND QUALITY: May be "too old school/dated" for some people which is right up my alley. I really liked the graphics in this game. I also really liked the characters. The voices well done. The music fitting to the game.
LEVEL OF CHALLENGE: Developer here needs to learn CUSTOM MODE. Please let the game player decide what options they want and have it actually apply to the game. I prefer no sparkles, no black bar tips, no objectives popping up on the screen (I thought this is what the case file was for?), hint/skip quick charge up. The skip in this game was way too slow for me. When I want to skip a puzzle well that is what I want to do. Not everyone tunes into Big Fish to do puzzles. I KNOW I don't. I tune in for HOS and adventure.
STORY LINE: This is just a typical old fashioned whodunit type of game and the reason I enjoyed this story along with some twist and turns.
MY PLAY TIME: This was about 4 hours for me which is usually fine for me. However didn't seem this long. This seemed a bit short. It seemed I was spending a bit too much time awaiting the skip the puzzles i LOATHE. Also while coming to conclusion I thought the ending was a bit abrupt.
FUN FACTOR: Overall I give this 4 stars. A pretty good game and time passer. I felt like a detective as I enjoyed finding the fingerprints as well. The few criticisms I've mentioned kept this from being a 5 star game for me. Thanks Big Fish and Developer. I do look forward to hopefully seeing another "whodunit" type of game from this developer and as a stand alone SE game. It's really nice to see SE games released that aren't a SE of a CE game.
I recommend this game!
Can you escape from the grasp of a lovestruck ghost?
Overall rating
1
/
5
35 of 52 found this review helpful
Sorry Boom Zap But You Either Need to Retire This Series Or Come Up With Better
PostedAugust 30, 2014
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
BASED ON 43 of 90 minute demo.
If you haven't played any of the others in this series I don't think it's necessary. This stands alone. The order of the series:
Death at Fairing Point (2011)
Death Under Tuscan Skies (2011)
Death Upon an Austrian Sonata (2012)
Death at Cape Porto (2013)
Death Under Tuscan Skies (2011)
Death Upon an Austrian Sonata (2012)
Death at Cape Porto (2013)
GAME OPTIONS/FEATURES:
Opened in widescreen for me.
Choice to have System Cursor or not.
You can control the sound/music.
Achievement Notification: If you don't want to be notified.every time you achieve something you can turn this off.
Opened in widescreen for me.
Choice to have System Cursor or not.
You can control the sound/music.
Achievement Notification: If you don't want to be notified.every time you achieve something you can turn this off.
3 PLAY MODES; Can't be changed during game play. Must create a new profile. Casual, Advanced, Hard. The first 2 have a tutorial. The hard mode no tutorial and no hints/skip available I played Advance mode. You can opt out of doing the tutorial which I did and it never came up for me. Some games I've played even though I said no tutorial it made me do it anyway. Hint is directional outside of HOS. I had black bar tips giving me "hints" on what needed to be done. I didn't play hard mode because I like having hint/skip While I didn't have any sparkles indicating where the HOS were however every time I completed a HOS or skipped the puzzle bright annoying sparkles came up on the screen. I didn't see any purpose of that. Actually found it downright annoying.
MAP: This is the viking helmet above the flower (hint button). There are several maps. Have to click to get to the next map and you can click to go back to previous map. Shows where you are, where there is something to do and areas "temporary closed." This is transporter.
You also get a bandit ghost dog "helper" that stays with you. I didn't have to name it, feed it or dress it up. However this may or may not come later on the game.
HOS: I did 4 scenes during the demo. Interactive silhouette and find by fragmented pieces that need to be reassembled.
PUZZLES: Nothing hard at all. Boring and tedious for me but I'm not a fan. I skipped them. There is a ? to get info on the puzzle. Skip was pretty quick on charge up.
VISUAL/SOUND QUALITY: The graphics were OK for me. Music and especially the voices grated on my last nerve. The voices for me were atrocious. I didn't like the characters at all and didn't find them interesting.
LEVEL OF CHALLENGE: Could of been a bit more challenging. Yet another developer that needs to learn custom mode. The "adventure" side pretty lite. This here meaning while there is back/forth to this game inventory is either used right away or not much traveling to use it. Speaking of inventory some require more action to use them.
STORY LINE: Sorry but I didn't much care for this story at all. This just didn't grab me and have my attention especially with the bandit helper. This didn't fit the game. I found it very unnecessary. PLEASE... ENOUGH already with the animals that don't fit the game.
FUN FACTOR: Sorry Boom Zap and Big Fish but I just didn't find anything interesting at all about this game and 1 star is the best I can do for this. I must also say I've never really been a fan of the series but have demoed the previous ones in hopes that I will like it. Actually this is the first in this series I've reviewed. I honestly did want to like this one but I'm afraid this is a no go for me. Sorry but I think you should retire this series or come up with a better story, interesting characters and without an animal helper along with a bit more challenging game play. On a positive note: I did like that I could turn off the achievement notification since I no longer care about that. Other developers should take note of this.
As for which is the better value: The CE vs. SE. If you are one that likes a lot of extras such as collectibles, morphs, repllay of puzzles/HOS you will be disappointed here because there is none of this stuff so I;d wait for the SE.
CE EXTRAS:
Bonus Chapter
Bonus Chapter
Strategy Guide:I've rarely used this for games. I didn't use it for this one but I did check it out. This isn't very user friendly in my opinion. Lots of clicking to get to what you need and doesn't stay where you last left it. There is 8 separate boxes displayed in front of you. Each chapter has it's own box. There is 6 chapters plus bonus chapter. The other box is "general tips." Shows the general tips and 1st 2 chapters. The others when you click on them state not available until you purchase the game. Also while I'm not one of these people since I've never done this but from reading the Big Fish forum if you are one who likes the HOS solutions to be in the guide well you will be disappointed here as they aren't listed.
Cut Scenes, Sound Track, Concept Art and Wallpapers: These are locked until you at least purchase the game. Now whether you have to play the whole game before having access I'm not sure since I only played the demo. The game also didn't stop at 43 minutes (keeps track of your playing time) I pulled the plug on the game because I was about ready for nap. I just couldn't take it another second.
13 Achievements.
Collectibles: NO
Morphing Objects: NO
Replay of HOS/Puzzles: NO
Collectibles: NO
Morphing Objects: NO
Replay of HOS/Puzzles: NO
I don't recommend this game.