GrandMa games typically are well-done, but this is just plain BAD. There is very little good to say about it - cartoon graphics, bad VOs and a blah storyline. I highly suggest playing the demo before purchasing.
Once upon a time, folks played adventure games for the story and the biggest force within the story were well-executed cut-scenes, especially the opening scenes. It seems that this developer (and BFG developers in general) have reduced these to mere cheesy afterthoughts. The cut-scenes in this game are cartoonish and childish. If the developer had put even half as much effort into these as it did for its logo scene, the game could have been great. Just the opening scene alone was enough for me to not want to continue with the trial. Everyone is different so give it a try before buying.
I'll preface my review by saying that I have never once finished a game by Elefun (even those that I purchased - which has been quite a while). Based on less than 15 mins of the demo, I uninstalled it. It just felt boring. Games from this developer always feel a bit cheesy to me. I think it's the blah voiceovers and sound effects and drab color schemes. Everyone has different tastes, so give it a demo before deciding.
I normally don't give Eipix high star reviews because of the fuzziness of their graphics on 20+ in monitors. They are a prolific developer and could definitely do better in that regards. However, I'm about 1/2 way through this game and I have to say that it is an excellent and engrossing story. Graphix still could be better but the story doesn't lose momentum within 30 mins like so many of their games do. I will recommend this one.
So far, I have not found the game play to be that bad. I've always thought Eipix does a pretty good job with stories but the graphics fall down on larger screens because they are so fuzzy with jagged edges. I asked them directly about this issue and they told me that they create the games in HD but downscale them to reduce size before publishing. I think the move away from CGI may be to alleviate some of that problem....but this is just a guess. I have to say, that the cartoonish look of this game is not exactly a great solution. Othewise, the story to me is no big departure from their other games.
Eipix graphics keep going from worse to worst. I don't get all of these reviews that talk about EIPIX having such wonderful graphics. These folks must be playing on VERY small screens. This game is blurry and grainy on my 23" screen. The game play is mediocre at best (MCF was once my favorite series until EIPIX took over.) Most of the folks handing out these rave reviews are always the first to post and base their reviews on what's in the strategy guide.
A lot of BF games these days have plenty of ridiculousness, but I think this one gets the top award in that area. Did you know that you can removed boards nailed into stone with a pocket knife? (don't even ask how nails were driven through stone in the first place) The protagonist is too weak to lift a small stone lying on a sword, but she has the strength to bend iron with her hands. Either the developers need to spend time in the real world or else they don't care how ridiculous everything else is. This nonsense ruins the whole game.
With so many negative reviews, I had to try out this game before buying it. I'm not sure that I get why it gets so much flack. Sure the puzzles are too easy but the graphics are done well, the VOs aren't obnoxious, and I find that I like it. Like some reviewers of other games have said, not every game has to be a brain buster. Sometimes just a relaxed game play is all you need. Give it try for yourself. One thing I will say...it's WAAAYYY past time for ERS to get some new sound effects. They've been using the same ones for so long. Ditto for some of the other developers as well (EIPIX)
I typically love the games in this series but this one just isn't cutting it. (I purchased the game unfortunately.) First, it has the same annoying voice-overs as the Adam Wolfe series. Second, the plot is largely ridiculous. And lastly the music, which is usually the big draw, is cheesy at best. The devs need to redirect the series in a hurry or watch it die. It seems they tried to use the same Adam Wolfe formula with this series and it just won't work!
This is one of the most beautifully drawn games to come along on BFG in quite some time. My hat is off to the developers. I'm about 75% done with the purchased game and the art quality holds throughout the entire game. Graphics quality is my #1 consideration in liking or disliking a game. The storyline has a bit of a surprise and is well-done also. It isn't the most challenging game in regards to the puzzles, but that didn't really bother me as I was engrossed in the game itself.