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:
Find Aaron’s missing father and discover the meaning behind his eerie paintings in Aaron Crane: Paintings Come Alive!
Overall rating
5
/
5
167 of 201 found this review helpful
OMG AND A LOL! I Give This 5 Stars Just For The Challenge!
PostedFebruary 21, 2012
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This review is based on the whole game.
The story: Find Aaron’s missing father and discover the meaning behind his eerie paintings in Aaron Crane: Paintings Come Alive! Aaron’s father paints spooky images from his subconscious and no one seems to know what they mean. Suddenly, he disappears and it’s up to Aaron to track him down!
The aim in each chapter which I believe were about 5 or 6 as I kinda lost count trying to figure the game out is to find a code to get through the portal to the next chapter.
There is no choice in level of difficulty. There are some sparkles and/or a magnify glass for areas of interest.
There is no journal or map.
There are no voice overs, text on the screen to read.
There are no HOS (hidden object scenes)
There are puzzles
Hint/Skip take about a couple of minutes to charge up for use.
There is no journal or map.
There are no voice overs, text on the screen to read.
There are no HOS (hidden object scenes)
There are puzzles
Hint/Skip take about a couple of minutes to charge up for use.
Now for my overall impression of this game:
Well I was really drawn in by the story as i quite enjoyed it but I must say this game started off really rocky for me trying to figure out what to do and go next as I was about ready to give up after about 10 minutes I must confess but I stuck with it and once I got going which took me about another 5 to 10 minutes after this point I'm so glad I stuck with this game as I ended up really enjoying it.
The graphics I found to be just excellent. Very well done here as they are nice, crisp, and clear.
This is a game where you are just basically plopped down in an area and it's up to you to figure out how to move forward in the game. You have to carefully explore each area as you will acquire inventory items to use. The hint I did find somewhat helpful as it won't tell you step by step but just give a very vague hint. I also found the back/forth not to be all that much as it will state once an area has been cleared and nothing left to do.
There's also some puzzles which I found to be pretty easy: Remember a code from a previous area to use at the portals, rotate the rings to form a picture, and jig saw puzzles.
As for the length of the game it took me somewhere between 4 and 5 hours and I found that to be long enough. You may or may not finish it sooner than me if you decide to stick with this game.
Overall, well I can't help but to give this 5 stars as this is definitely one of the most challenging and thinky games I've ever played to date.
Oh but I must say and a note to the Big Fish here: I'm not sure why this game is listed under hidden object games as there are no hidden object scenes to this game. Not even ONE! This I would definitely consider an adventure game.
As for recommending this game:
If you are one who likes to "figure it out" with little to no hints well I think this just may be the game.
If you are one looking for clearer instructions and a hidden object game well I think you will be disappointed.
Thanks Big Fish and developers for one of the most challenging games I've ever played.
I recommend this game!
Upon arriving in a strange city, you find the citizens ready to burn Menes at the stake in Ghost Towns: The Cats of Ulthar!
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 8 found this review helpful
Sorry But Not Worthy of Being A CE
PostedFebruary 13, 2012
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This review is based just on the demo of the game playing in advance mode.
The story: You must save the child, Menes from being burned at the stake and the town from an unknown evil which in this case has to do with the town's beloved cats
3 game play modes: Easy, Advanced and Hard
Journal but no map.
No voice overs.
Integrated strategy guide.
I've read in some reviews game not filling the screen. I have a 20 inch monitor and no problem filling my screen.
Journal but no map.
No voice overs.
Integrated strategy guide.
I've read in some reviews game not filling the screen. I have a 20 inch monitor and no problem filling my screen.
Lots of back/forth and HOS (hidden object scenes) in this game as you need the inventory items by completing HOS to move forward.
There are puzzles.
Hint/Skip take about a minute to charge up for use.
You also find 24 cats throughout the game.
Hint/Skip take about a minute to charge up for use.
You also find 24 cats throughout the game.
My overall impression of this game:
I'll start off with the positive:
I found the story very intriguing, waiting to see what would happen next and of course how it ends.
The graphics I found to be pretty good as I didn't have much trouble locating anything as I only used a couple of hints. The few puzzles I came across in the demo not very hard at all, far from complicated. I also liked finding the cats which I located 6 of them.
Now for the negative and why I don't think this game is CE worthy at least for me anyway:
I didn't need the strategy guide during the demo as I found the game to be pretty straight forward as far as game play goes but if I'm going to pay twice as much for a game well I should have access to the strategy guide as most games give access to at least a couple of chapters during the demo so I can't tell you if it's helpful or not. Also for me voice overs are a must for a CE as I like my games to have voice overs. A SE I can deal with no voice overs but a CE sorry but must be there for me to purchase.
Sorry Big Fish and developers but overall I give this 3 stars and will wait for the SE and purchase with a punch card credit. Definitely worthy of SE but not a CE in my opinion.
I don't recommend this game.
Help Melissa find her son, figure out who is behind his kidnapping, and stay off the police radar in Vault Cracker!
Overall rating
5
/
5
33 of 34 found this review helpful
Definitely One Of My Favorites - Absolutely LOVE This Game
PostedFebruary 5, 2012
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
This review is based on the whole game playing in Advanced Mode.
Story: You take on the role of Melissa, an ex-cat burglar whose son Noah is kidnapped & she has to go back to her former occupation for one last time.
5 chapters
2 modes: Casual/Advanced and Advanced does have sparkles.
No map of journal however you are told when an area has been completed.
There are voice overs to this game.
The hint/skip charge up pretty quick for advance mode - about 35 seconds.
There is also a penalty for clicking wrong as a tiny lock will come up on the screen for a few seconds.
There's also a few mini games.
2 modes: Casual/Advanced and Advanced does have sparkles.
No map of journal however you are told when an area has been completed.
There are voice overs to this game.
The hint/skip charge up pretty quick for advance mode - about 35 seconds.
There is also a penalty for clicking wrong as a tiny lock will come up on the screen for a few seconds.
There's also a few mini games.
The HOS (hidden object scenes)
Word list: There will be a "sparkle" on the screen along with a magnify glass. Also in some scenes a few on the list are in dark green color which means they are hidden behind other items or inside a cabinet for example. Then you will get inventory item(s) which are used for the circle placements.
Circle Placement: You move you mouse/cursor along the screen and a "gear" comes up and then circles off to the side which you then find the items and put them in the circles. The red color circles means the items are in a different area of the game (HOS).
Find the person: You have to find the person in the crowd as you are given clues on how to eliminate them all until you get down to 1 person left. Just an example here: Find all the people wearing glasses.
Disguise Melissa: There are several scenes where you find hair color, clothes, make up to change her appearance.
My overall impression of this game:
Well I was hooked to this game right from the get go and I did not stop playing this until I got to the end of it as I really enjoyed the story. The voice overs I found to be just excellent and very well done.
I will however agree with the review that states that the graphics in this game are a bit dated but I still found them to be pretty good as I didn't have trouble locating too much.
I just really enjoyed the variety this game had to offer with the different ways of finding things and especially the "find the person" game. Even the mini games which aren't hard at all.
This is just a very fun game if you want a break from it all from all the wandering around and complex puzzles. And for the HOG (hidden object game) lovers well this game has A LOT of HOS.
As for the game length: It took me 4 1/2 hours which I usually don't finish games this quick but seemed longer and I'm more than satisfied with the game length.
So a definite 5 stars from me! Thank you Big Fish and the developers for a GREAT game here. : )
I recommend this game!
After your son, Bobby, mysteriously disappears, it’s up to you to find him in Surface: The Mystery of Another World!
Overall rating
5
/
5
155 of 175 found this review helpful
Now This Is What I Would Call A Game - This ROCKS!
PostedFebruary 4, 2012
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
This review is based on the whole game and playing in Advanced Mode.
4 chapters plus a bonus chapter.
3 play modes: Casual, Advance, Hardcore
A map you can use to travel back/forth locations.
Voice Overs and real characters.
Integrated strategy guide which you chapter select and remains where you left it.
HOS: (hidden object scenes): The usual word list however some of them you have to use inventory items to complete them, going to different areas of the game and then coming back to the HOS.
Quite a few mini-game.
Hint/Skip also charge up in about 30 seconds or less. The hint can also be used outside the HOS if you get lost in the game.
There are MANY achievements to be earned.
3 play modes: Casual, Advance, Hardcore
A map you can use to travel back/forth locations.
Voice Overs and real characters.
Integrated strategy guide which you chapter select and remains where you left it.
HOS: (hidden object scenes): The usual word list however some of them you have to use inventory items to complete them, going to different areas of the game and then coming back to the HOS.
Quite a few mini-game.
Hint/Skip also charge up in about 30 seconds or less. The hint can also be used outside the HOS if you get lost in the game.
There are MANY achievements to be earned.
My overall impression of the game:
I'll start with the top-notch intro movie with real characters along with voice overs; also the graphics as they are by far one of the best I've ever come across in a game. Just WOW as I can sure tell that there was some time and thought put into this game.
I found that this game had quite a few different locations to go to traveling back/forth and the hint is just excellent if you do lose your way in the game. I didn't need the strategy guide since this has such an excellent hint system, however I did check it out just to see how it worked and I found it to be well done.
I also enjoyed the HOS as the graphics were definitely nice, crisp, and clear and using inventory items for some of them in order to complete them.
The mini games to my pleasant surprise as most of them were quite enjoyable,
I also liked that this game had so many achievements that could be earned.
As for game length: Though this is only 4 chapters plus a bonus well it's not a short game by any means, well at least not for me anyway as I got at least 6 hours if not longer out of it and I didn't skip a whole lot (puzzles) or use a lot of hints.
So I definitely give this a 5 star rating and also every bit worth the CE price in my opinion.
Thanks Big Fish and the developers of the game. This ROCKS! : )
I recommend this game!
You, as Jennifer, have to solve a perplexing mystery and save her only daughter in Silent Scream: The Dancer!
Overall rating
4
/
5
77 of 81 found this review helpful
A Hit For the Dark Side Type Of Game - Definitely Eerie
PostedFebruary 1, 2012
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
This review is based on the whole game playing in expert mode.
This game has 7 chapters plus a bonus chapter.
The story: You take on the role of Jennifer (a dancer) who is chased down by a group of mysterious people, knocked unconscious. After waking up realizes daughter Sarah has been kidnapped.
The graphics are a hand painted sort of bent-cartoon style.
There are voice overs.
There are 2 play modes: Casual and Expert. The expert does have sparkles.
There is no journal or map however down at the bottom next to the hint there is an area "task" that shows you what needs to be done.
The Inventory Items:It depends where you are in the game. Some can be picked up right away and some you can't until you get to the part of the game where they can be used as there are "text clues" up at the top of the screen.Then you have to go back and get them. You also have to combine two or sometimes even three items as it will bring up a box and you put them up at the top and then drag them down at the bottom to "combine" them.
The HOS (hidden object scenes): You find by word list and also find the "related pair."
The Hint: Takes about a minute or two to charge up. It will turn the whole screen black and just "highlight" with a green or blue color the item. Can also be used if you get stuck in the game as it will show you where to go as it brings up a box on the screen.
There are a few mini games and the skip takes a minute or two before you can use it.
As for game length I got about 5 to 6 hours out of this game including the bonus chapter so definitely long enough for me. You may or may not finish it sooner than I did.
My overall impression of the game:
Well the story I was hooked right from the get go as the opening scene really had my attention. Definitely eerie, spooky, creepy along with the atmosphere as there was a couple of times I about jumped out of my chair. The voice overs I found to be well done.
The graphics: I found them unique from any game I've ever played and really liked the hand painted "bent-cartoon" style although somewhat grainy.
Game Play: It took me a little bit of getting use to not being able to pick up some of the inventory items and having to go back and get them. Lots of traveling back/forth in this game along with combining the items. I did find the hint very helpful here as I lost my way in this game a few times not knowing where to go or do next.
HOS: Most I found pretty easily thank goodness cause I didn't like the hint button as far as this part of the game goes as there would always be a "whisper" of something being said which I didn't understand after each item found which I found annoying. I also didn't like that it turned the screen black and "highlight" so to speak the item as it took me a bit to get use to that as well.
The mini games: I found to be rather unique and most of them you have to do them just so. If you do them too fast (you will see what I'm talking about if you decide to play this) it will kick you out of the mini game to start again and the skip starts over as well. I did end up skipping a couple of them.
So overall I give this 4 stars. I knocked this down a star for not being able to pick up the items. It showing a hand like I could pick up something but nope not yet. Also a couple of those mini games frustrated me and having to start over and waiting so long to skip. If it wouldn't of been for the definitely eerie, compelling story as I liked the twist and turns and wanted to see how it ended, well I would of given this 3 stars. I'll also say the "game" itself was just fine as I didn't much care for the bonus chapter as I finished it within a whopping 15 minutes which is a record for me as I usually spend at least an hour on a so called "bonus chapter" and left me saying to myself... "What????" Huh???
Thanks Big Fish for a pretty good game here!
I recommend this game!
When Houdini’s promises of contact from beyond go unkept, his wife comes to you in a final plea to unravel his mysterious passing.
Overall rating
2
/
5
30 of 52 found this review helpful
Sorry But Not All That Great - More Like Annoying
PostedJanuary 30, 2012
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Mahjong
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
This review is based on about 30 minutes in advance mode.
3 play modes: Casual, Advanced, Hardcore.
There is a journal however no map.
Inventory items which is at the bottom of the screen along with the goals. The items some of them to be used you have to "drag" them over to the little boxes down at the bottom to combine them.
HOS (hidden object scenes) are interactive.
For hints you collect Ravens. You can also click on an object to see its silhouette. The hint is also useful outside of the HOS.
You collect clovers to unlock unlimited HO.
There are mini games.
Integrated strategy guide.
No voice overs. You click on the ghost dialogue to move forward in the game.
There are achievements you can earn.
My overall impression of the game:
Well for starters the story just didn't grab me and have my attention. I just couldn't get into it to save myself. It just didn't flow really well or make much sense to me.
What I played of this not too much wandering around and the journal did keep things up to date.
Now the graphics I found to be very well done as they are crisp and nice looking. There's a delightful, foggy "ambiance" in some places, including HOS. It looks like real fog,
The HOS: I didn't have much trouble finding the items as I only used a few hints however I did check out the silhouette just to see what it was like and those are tiny. The hint is very slow on charging back up.
Mini games: I found to be very easy and repetitive. The skip on this is painfully slow as I was getting bored with these mini games.
What REALLY annoyed me about this game was the constant click, click, click on the ghost dialogue to move forward in the game and the click on the object and zooming towards you and then you have to click again to put it in the inventory.
Just way too much click, click, click and dragging things for me which was starting to flare up my RA (rheumatoid arthritis) so I had to cut this game off at 30 minutes. Way more than enough for me already.
Oh and the SG (strategy guide): Well I didn't need it but just checked out: I do not think the SG is very helpful . It does not follow along with where you are but it also doesn't just go back to the beginning either.
Sorry Big Fish but the best I can do with this game is 2 stars
Definitely give it a try to decide for yourself though as it looks like most people enjoyed this game however and I sure hope you do too but definitely not for me.
I don't recommend this game.
After their yacht is sunk by an incredible storm, Jane and Mike are separated in Sea Legends: Phantasmal Light!
Overall rating
5
/
5
83 of 93 found this review helpful
Hooked From The Get Go - Absolutely LOVED IT!
PostedJanuary 15, 2012
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
This review is for the whole game and playing in expert mode.
*The story: Starts off with a very well-done cut scene which there are several "cut scenes" in this game along with voice overs about a couple (Jane & Mike) who get separated after their yacht was sunk by a storm. You take on the role of Jane to find Mike.
*There are 6 chapters to this game plus a bonus chapter.
*There are 2 play modes: Easy and Expert:
Expert mode only has "sparkles" for the HOS. There is also text up at the top of the screen that will give you clues as to what to do sometimes. When you move you mouse/cursor along the screen a "magnify glass" will come up for areas of importance. A few of them not so obvious. I had to really move my mouse around to locate some of them. A "hand" to pick up something. Also lots of back/forth for the inventory items as sometimes you have to go back several scenes. Sometimes they are used right away and sometimes for later in the game.
*There's also a strategy guide integrated into the game which is very well done however should be "bookmarked" as it doesn't follow you along as you play the game. It goes back to the beginning however since I had to refer to it a couple of times I found that if you "chapter select" you can get to what you need much quicker than sifting through 42 pages.
*There is also a journal which tells you what tasks need to be completed. Also has some "story" in it and also helpful on some of the puzzles however no map.
*HOS (hidden object scenes): I found this game to have quite a few of them and most of them you do A LOT of interacting as it's not just "finding items by a list." I used very few hints for this however sometimes had to think a bit. The hint which is a "light house" that will shine a bright yellow light.
*Hint/skip: Charge up within about a minute. The hint can also be used outside of HOS and will tell you if there is "anything to do at this time or not" and direct you if there is something to do.
Puzzles: This had quite a few of them which ranged from pretty easy to made you think, were a little tricky.
As for the length of the game: The main game took me exactly 4 hours and the bonus while not necessary, I thoroughly enjoyed it and took me 1 1/2 hours. You may or may not finish it sooner than I did.
My overall impression of this game:
The story I found very intriguing as I was hooked right from the get go and held my interest to the very end as I did not stop playing this until I got to the end. I did find this a bit creepy (in a good way) and the music well done.
The graphics I found to be water-perfect done as they seemed to really fit the story. I had absolutely no problems with graphics here.
While this game had quite a few HOS to it, I found this to be more "adventure." As I mentioned A LOT of back/forth and what I really enjoyed about this game: It's not just cut and dried find an object/ use an object, you have to pay attention. In my opinion this game really makes you think as I did get stuck a couple of times and even had to use the strategy guide.
So overall I give this 5 stars and a huge kudos to the developers here and I definitely feel I got my money worth as it sure seemed longer than 5 1/2 hours total.
I definitely recommend that you at least play the demo and decide for yourself.
Thanks Big Fish for a great game here. : )
I recommend this game!
After waking up in an abandoned building, you find that you’ve been drugged and must now find the antidote before it’s too late!
Overall rating
3
/
5
67 of 91 found this review helpful
NOT ALL THAT AND A BAG OF CHIPS I'VE PLAYED MUCH BETTER
PostedJanuary 8, 2012
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Mahjong
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
This review is based on the whole game including the bonus.
The story: This has been done many times however I usually enjoy these (the mental asylum) you wake up in an abandoned building finding you've been drugged and must now find the antidote and save a little girl before it's too late!
As for how many chapters there are, the strategy guide doesn't give any indication which is the only reason I looked at it was just to see how many chapters there are since some people like to have this info to the game as I didn't need it for any help so no comment there as to how helpful it is if you do get stuck.
There are voice overs to this game.
There are 2 play modes: Casual and Advanced.
I played advanced and still found the hint/skip to charge up pretty quick - about 20 seconds. The hint can also be used to direct you if you are stuck on where to go next in the game.
In the "Options" there is a section where you can turn off the interactive help. I played with it on so there is text at the top of the screen that will give you clues as to what to do. If you move your mouse/cursor, you will see an "eye ball" come up on the screen or a ? mark for areas of importance. There's also the "hand" that will come up to pick up items. The only "sparkles" I encountered was for the HOS (hidden object scenes).
There is a journal to this game which will show the objectives that need to be completed however there is no map to use to travel back/forth locations.
There are quite a few different locations to go to. Sometimes you use the inventory items right away and sometimes you have to go back a few scenes or you use them in later scenes. A couple of areas there are silhouettes of some items and you need to place the inventory items to complete them. Also I did come across one where you have to combine items to make it a whole item to be able to use it. Once an area is completed it will state "area completed" down at the bottom of the screen.
The HOS: I found this game to have quite a few which ranged from very easy as most of them I didn't have to use the hint to some scenes that were dark and some of the items were very tiny so I used a few hints on these scenes.
Puzzles: This game didn't have very many at all which was just fine by me but those of you who love puzzles may be disappointed as most of them I found to be very easy as you are told how to solve them. The only two I skipped was the "remember/repeat the sequence" and "find the matches - memory game" as I hate these. There is also a couple of HOS scenes. One the shape of a phone and the other a chair. Most of the items to find were very small however I still located most of them. You can also get hints to find them or skip these puzzles.
As for the game length: It took me about 5 hours total and I'm a slow game player. The main game was about 3 1/2 hours and the bonus was about 1 1/2 hours. The bonus in my humble opinion isn't a MUST to this game. You may or may not finish it sooner than I did.
Now for my overall impression of this game:
The story: As I stated been done many times however from the opening scene you are advised to play in the dark, the sound on, and warns you that this "adventure" is frightening. This did start out pretty good but after the demo time quickly went downhill in this regard as it didn't make much sense to me and ended abruptly and the bonus didn't add anything to the story. This game wasn't "frightening" at all. Actually I found there to be very little "story" to this game. There was only one scene in this game that startled me just a little bit but "frightened" me? Um... NO!
As for the voice overs: What little there were, the guy when he started talking kinda reminded me of the game called "Trapped: The Abduction" so I thought this was well done. Too bad there weren't more voice overs to this game.
The graphics I found to be pretty good considering the setting is "asylum."
Overall, I give this 3 stars as I found this to be an OK game. Definitely not "all that and a bag of chips" as my title states. Definitely not the worst game I've ever played but I've definitely played much better games.
Yes there is some "adventure" to this game with the traveling back and forth however the majority of it is HOS.
As for recommending this game:
If you are looking for a great story with a "frightening" experience as this game states you will have along with a lot of challenging puzzles if that's your thing well this won't be the game in my opinion.
If you don't much care about the story along with challenging puzzles and enjoy a game with A LOT of HOS well this will more than likely be for you.
I'm sorry Big Fish as I usually enjoy the majority of your CE's (collector's editions) but this is one game that I wished I didn't purchase. If to purchase it at all the standard version would be the way to go as the daily deal or catch of the week or using a punch card/game credit. Definitely not worth the CE price in my opinion.
I don't recommend this game.
After being summoned to a mysterious manor, you must unravel the story of an ancient evil and discover your destiny before it’s too late!
Overall rating
5
/
5
69 of 78 found this review helpful
Definitely On My Top Ten List Of Games - This Game Has It All!
PostedJanuary 2, 2012
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
This review is for the whole game playing in hard mode.
Story: After being summoned to a mysterious manor, you must unravel the story of an ancient evil and discover your destiny before it's too late.
This game has 7 chapters. There is no bonus game. The bonus scenes are part of the main game, which means, they are integrated into the main game. By clicking on “Bonus Content” and then on “Bonus Game play” you can see how it works. Throughout the game, you will come across locked areas. You will need different keys to unlock those. These are the bonus areas.
2 play modes:
Casual: Skip and hint recharge faster. Sparkles show important areas.
Hard: Skip and hint recharge slow. No sparkles over important areas.
The hint I found to recharge rather quick while the skip was sometimes quick and sometimes it seemed to take forever. I also don't recall encountering any sparkles.
There is also an option for brightness which I did have to do some adjusting as a few areas where a little dark but after I adjusted it was just fine. Also no problem with the game filling my screen on my PC running on Windows 7 64 bit 20 inch monitor. You may or may not need to adjust.
There are voice overs to this game along with some reading of text on the screen.
There is no journal to this game however up at the top of each location it will state how many coins there are to find along with tasks that need to be completed. At the bottom of your screen are 3 sections: Inventory, Goal, and Objects. When you do a search for fragmented objects, they first go into the “Objects” slot, and when the object has been put together, it moves into the “Inventory”.
There is a map and to get access to it you must find the coins. When you have collected all the coins in a room, a picture of this room will then be added to your map, and you can use this picture to teleport from another room by clicking on it. You can also "hover your mouse" over the picture and it will tell you the name of the location.
The coins also serve another purpose in the game so it's best to find them all however I won't spoil it here for you by stating the purpose.
The HOS (hidden object scenes) had lots of variety here.
*Find words by the list.
*Fragmented/pieces of the items.
*Find so many of a certain item.
*Find item by being given a riddle.
*Find words by the list.
*Fragmented/pieces of the items.
*Find so many of a certain item.
*Find item by being given a riddle.
As for finding the items most I found pretty easily however some were very well blended into the scenery and I did have to use some hints.
Puzzles: I found the game to have quite a few of them. Though I'm not really a fan of puzzles most of them I did find pretty fun to do and some also come up more than once in the game. I did skip a couple of them.
There's also a strategy guide which you "chapter select'" and there is a "slider bar' down at the bottom to read/scroll through that chapter until you get to what you need help with in the game.
Length of game: I found this to be a long game as I spent 7 to 8 hours on this easily not all in one setting however. You may or may not finish it sooner than I did.
My overall impression of this game:
Overall, I think 5 stars isn't a high enough rating for this game, I would give it 8 out of 10 stars as this game to me seemed to be more adventure which I really enjoy with some HOS and puzzles.
This game had lots of different areas to go to with lots of variety to it. I'm so glad there was a map. I also found it very challenging at times trying to figure out where to go and do next but I found the strategy guide very helpful and I'm so glad it was there with the game as I referred to it a few times which for most games I don't but I'll admit I needed it for this one as I really wanted to finish this game.
The story was well done and not intrusive. The characters/voice overs I found to be excellent.
The graphics are by far one of the best and most beautiful I've ever come across in a game.
This is definitely worth the CE (collectors edition) price as I feel the developers of this game sure put a lot of time, thought and effort into this game so a huge kudos to them.
Thanks for a great game Big Fish. : )
I recommend this game!
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Jazz Age is in full swing in this decadent adventure. Bring this legendary American novel to life!
Overall rating
5
/
5
32 of 36 found this review helpful
The Great Gatsby Definitely Delivers: Lots Of Variety Here!
PostedJanuary 1, 2012
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
This review is based on the whole game.
I'll start off by saying I've never read the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald nor did I know any of the plot either before playing this game but after playing this game it sure makes me want to read it though.
This game is set in the 1920's which I give a huge kudos here to the developers as I believe they did an awesome job making the game era-appropriate.
The graphics while some areas a little dark which I believe was to set the mood of these scenes are by far one of the best I've ever come across in a game.
I also really enjoyed the music to this game as it was also era-appropriate and the 1st person narrator was also a very well done along with the other voice overs in this game. I'll also rate this by far one of the best I've ever come across in a game.
This game is a straight HOG (hidden object game) with a lot of story which the voices and text can be turned off at any time. Most of the items I found pretty easily however a few were cleverly hidden into the scene. I also really enjoyed the "drive by" HOGS the car going down the road as some are found in the car and some on the side of the road. Don't worry if you miss any as it will come back around again.
The hint also charges up pretty quick however there is a "bad click" penalty which I encountered a couple of times. Seems to be a "hit and miss" though as I clicked wrong a couple of times and at the end of each scene didn't list any "bad clicks." You also lose points for the "bad clicks."
While this game is not timed however the faster you find the items the more bonus points you earn which there is also several ways of earning bonus points which you can buy stuff to decorate your library along with many different trophies you can earn:
There are "transition scenes" - find so many clocks for example which you can replay if you wish if you don't find them all.
Find the books: As there is one book in each of the HOG scenes.
The secret word: You find the letters in the HOG scenes which some are cleverly hidden. Once you find one it will put it in the box down at the bottom of the screen. You can also try to guess the word and if done so correctly more bonus points and it will automatically add the letters into the box once you guess the word. If you guess it incorrectly which I did on one of them, you do have a chance to try again.
Also if you read the credits at the end will also add to your library.
There are a few mini-games like replacing a flat tire on a car, locket puzzles, type-the-falling-words tasks, etc. There are quite a few of the typing tasks, but the SKIP button is immediately available for those who are not able to type fast.
As for the game length: For me definitely long enough as I got 5 to 6 hours out of it. I'll also go on to say while I've come across quite a few really great games I'm usually not one for replaying a game cause once I've played it, I've played it but this game does have replay ability just in case you don't earn all the trophies you can go back to try again which I didn't earn them all but earned most of the them.
Overall, oh lets forget the 5 stars. I give this a 10 as I can sure tell that the developer of this game sure took a lot of time and thought in putting this game together especially making it "era-appropriate." A HUGE kudos to them.
Thanks Big Fish for an AWESOME game here. I sure hope to see more like this one with all the variety this had to offer especially considering this is a standard version game as this would easily be worthy of a collectors edition in my opinion.
I recommend this game!