Rescue_helo's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.2
- Helpful Votes:10,878
- Reviews Submitted:226
- First Review:December 8, 2011
- Most Recent Review:June 25, 2019
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Decades ago, a brutal crime occurred at the Lexington Hotel. Are you brave enough to uncover the truth about what happened there?
Overall rating
3
/
5
12 of 20 found this review helpful
Okay game, but nothing to rave about.
PostedNovember 12, 2015
Rescue_helo
fromLondon (UK) - French Alps
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
So, we have another ghost story, similar to all the other ghost stories used in... how many other games ? It's supposed to be creepy, but it's all so exaggerated that in fact it's funny. Yet I suppose a 7 year old would feel a few chills down his/her spine.
The sceneries are dark, as befits a story of this kind, with brief apparitions of specters and phantoms that are meant to be scary. But the graphics are neat, dominantly blue. They're not bad.
Nothing original so far ! Well, nothing original in the rest either.
Tasks ? Same old stuff. Find matches, light candle. Find boards, screws and screwdriver, repair ladder, use ladder to go up on the upper storey through a hole in the ceiling. Funny thing is that a bit later our heroin goes up to another upper storey through a window....without the ladder ! Add to that, keys that are scattered here and there in places where nobody would ever think of putting them in the first place. Plus, emblems, half emblems, amulets that open boxes, compartments where more emblems, half emblems, amulets.... and keys, are hidden. You get the picture.
Minigames ? We've played them already many times. In addition, they're good for the 7 year old, you know the one that would feel chills, but they're borderline to insult to an adult's intelligence. Dead easy, not even slightly challenging. The only one I liked in the demo though, consisted in arranging weights on a scale to balance it. No big deal ! Maybe they get better in the other chapters?
Nothing novel in the HO Scenes either, which again, are pretty easy, even for me who don't like HO Scenes.
The Hint system is very helpful all throughout, if you need it, but you can deactivate it on Hard. In any case navigation is pretty simple, so no chance of getting lost.
As pointed out by other reviewers, the CE includes collectibles, morphing objects, 4 modes of play, replayable HO Scenes and minigames, the SG, wallpaper, etc... and a bonus chapter. Well, the usual package.
I will recommend this game if you want something very simple and unoriginal. If you want a tougher nut to crack, The X will bore you to death as it did me. CE or SE ? Up to you. As for me I will probably never buy either of them.
Still, as always, do play the demo, you might like The X.
I don't recommend this game.
Artifacts are mysteriously disappearing from the museum exhibit. Thread your way through a maze of deceit in this epic Greek Drama!
Overall rating
5
/
5
52 of 61 found this review helpful
With Nancy, you can't go wrong. Another great game
PostedNovember 11, 2015
Rescue_helo
fromLondon (UK) - French Alps
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Nancy Drew is the kind of game I like to throw myself into when I have a free, lonely weekend and feel like shaking up my old brain cells (well, not that old, really ..LOL). So, I have played 23 of the Nancy Drew investigations so far, out of the 32 that, I believe, have been released to this day. Call me a fan ? Yes, I guess I am. But that won't impair my judgement.
Truth is some of the games in that series are outstanding, others quite good, and others still somewhat less so. Yet, all of them are worth your spending time on them and challenge yourself.
Because each of them is a real challenge.
Indeed, Labyrinth of Lies, like all the others, is not easy. No Hint System to help you, nothing to guide you through everything you need to do to complete the investigation. You can only rely on your intelligence, your wits, your patience and, above all, LOGIC, as these four attributes, and only them, will get you to the end. (But if you're stuck, you can find a complete walkthrough on the Internet. Just Google it)
You will have to talk to other characters to get clues, read your own notes (in the Diary), put 2 and 2 together so as to understand the whole story, as if you were a real detective. There are many things to look for and understand, that means you will have to explore, explore and explore again, and closely examine anything that you think might be significant (everything, actually)
As you explore, you will come across (or given) useful objects, like, a code for an hydraulic lift, a remote control, coins, a Guide to the Greek Vases, etc...
And of course, you will be confronted with many puzzles that you have to solve in order to progress. No possibility of skipping them ! However, they usually come in series: the first one you encounter is not skippable, but you also have additional optional puzzles; if you solve them all (like 6 levels, in one of them) you will earn a trophy... if you like collecting trophies !
But make no mistake, all of these puzzles are difficult, and some are fiendlsh. Good news is that none are impossible and all of them are fully logical: "arranging tickets of the opening night", "placing labels on vases", "getting past Cerberus ( you have to block a dog)", etc.. will have you thinking, but if you stick along and decide you will beat each of them, you'll come out a winner.
In Labyrinth of Lies, you have a camera; you take shots of what you think is relevant. But be careful because you are limited to 30 shots. It's just a gimmick, but it's okay.
More good news, though: there is NOT one, not a single one, of those dumb HO Scenes that are full of these even dumber, useless items (like a rubber duck or a bottle of ketchup) that plague so many so-called "adventure" games and are just cheap fill-ups. Some of the items you need are indeed "hidden" in the sense you have to have to find them, but they are all useful and available using your logic and the clues you have gathered.
The story is solid. It unfolds slowly as you progress. It, too, is perfectly logical. Suspense is complete, although there is no matter of urgency, and in the sense that, as you start, you are not quite sure of what you need to achieve. But little by little you begin to see the end of the tunnel.
Graphics are adequate, not out of this world. Unlike 90 % of the casual games, Labyrinth of Lies is not about smoke-and-mirrors visuals, it's about using your brains. So, graphics are not important.
However, I, personally, am not too keen on Ancient Greek themes. That has been rehashed so many times, that I try to avoid that kind of setting. But, again, that's just me.
All in all, and to sum it all up:
- if you like near-realistic investigations (as much as can be made in a casual game)
- if you don't mind dedicating time to solving a "mystery" (all Nancy Drew games involve some sort of mystery)
- if you like true puzzles, and a real good challenge
- if you are don't want to play only below-average games that are based on some stupid fantasy story and dwell in the realm of total absence of logic.
Then this game IS for you
- if you like near-realistic investigations (as much as can be made in a casual game)
- if you don't mind dedicating time to solving a "mystery" (all Nancy Drew games involve some sort of mystery)
- if you like true puzzles, and a real good challenge
- if you are don't want to play only below-average games that are based on some stupid fantasy story and dwell in the realm of total absence of logic.
Then this game IS for you
But:
- if you're a HO Scenes freak
- if you swallow any dumb story most games are made of, and indiscriminately give them 5 stars to all of them whenever you write a review
- if you want uninteresting puzzles, that are soooo easy to solve, and have been used over and over many times
- if you are not up to a real challenge (even though you might claim many dumb games are challenging)
- if you are too lazy, or your logic is not up to it, or don't have the mental capacity to tackle a truly challenging investigation based on pure logic
Then this game is clearly NOT for you.
- if you're a HO Scenes freak
- if you swallow any dumb story most games are made of, and indiscriminately give them 5 stars to all of them whenever you write a review
- if you want uninteresting puzzles, that are soooo easy to solve, and have been used over and over many times
- if you are not up to a real challenge (even though you might claim many dumb games are challenging)
- if you are too lazy, or your logic is not up to it, or don't have the mental capacity to tackle a truly challenging investigation based on pure logic
Then this game is clearly NOT for you.
Labyrinth of Lies is not exactly the best in the Nancy Drew Series (I preferred Phantom of Venice, among others), but it is still worth a good 4+ star rating, maybe a little more. So I'll give it 5 stars.
Try it, it's one of the few Nancy Drews that gives you a free 1 hour demo. See for yourself. But there is a LOT more to it than what you will see in the demo
I recommend this game!
Off the Record: The Final Interview
A man is dying, and you’re the prime suspect!
Overall rating
1
/
5
22 of 29 found this review helpful
Clearly a missed opportunity to develop an investigation in a clear, logical and exciting way.
PostedNovember 8, 2015
Rescue_helo
fromLondon (UK) - French Alps
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I played the full demo, hoping this final installment would be a lot better than its predecessors in the series, but boy, was I wrong!
After just a few minutes into the start of the story I was astonished by the ludicrousness of the actions the devs want you to perform.
After just a few minutes into the start of the story I was astonished by the ludicrousness of the actions the devs want you to perform.
In the most original way ever... it all starts with a car crash... (again !)... What follows is laughable: pick up a piece of metal from under the tire of the car, retrieve your bad from the trunk, empty it, dislodge stones with the piece of metal, put the stones in the bag, then stop the flow of a stream with that bag to get a rope with a grappling hook. Throw the grappling hook to the top of the cliff, then start climbing up. And that's a minigame. You can't progress unless you find matching pairs of stones and plants (wonderful !). Half way up, you have to avoid an avalanche of rocks (!!). A grappling hook left in a stream ? How convenient ! An avalanche that starts at that precise moment? How unfortunate!
When you finally get to the top you're greeted by a hostile cop, and you learn that you are suspected of trying to kill the guy you interviewed earlier on although the guy in question has been already ill with a bad heart for some time but is still alive.
You're then taken to the police station where you are asked questions that lead nowhere and that you can't answer because you're suffering from amnesia. Following that you're left all by yourself and you can snoop around the station as much as you like, fix a broken wire, find a code to open the outside gate so that you can go to your hotel, etc, etc....
Later on you have to cut a wire in a car that doesn't belong to you in order to open the trunk and have access to a HOS. All other actions that you need to perform are equally stupid and/or unlikely.
Just a few examples!
No logic whatsoever, not the slightest bit of realism, a highly questionable story that doesn't make much sense, and boredom that set in so quickly I was glad when the demo was over. I actually played it to its end to see how things would improve. They don't.
The HO Scenes are probably the best feature you can find in the game, if you're a fan of HO Scenes, that is. I am not. So what was left ? The minigames ? Nope ! They're lame, easy, not challenging at all, well, boring like the rest.
One funny thing: the adventure is supposed to take place in Devon, UK, but the police cars look like they're American ! As for the decor, houses in Devon or anywhere in the UK do not resemble German houses ! Why can't you do your homework properly, Eipix?
You're right to close the series, it's never been good, now it has come to a dead end. No buy for me, and no recommendation
I don't recommend this game.
You're the last hope to stop the ancient curse!
Overall rating
4
/
5
12 of 14 found this review helpful
A bit weird but not bad
PostedNovember 7, 2015
Rescue_helo
fromLondon (UK) - French Alps
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
It's a mishmash of different genres, based on some sort of Celtic background, intertwined with medieval settings, yet with an open door onto the modern world. Druids, a trebuchet, cannons, medieval torture devices, some mechanical contraptions (!?), a curse and a few corpses and skeletons here and there.
The story is a fantasy, of course, so, in that sense, there isn't much realism about it. It is not particularly outstanding or riveting, just okay.
The game could have been much better had the devs not included silly tasks to complete such as fixing a broken ladder with... two belts (!!) or gluing pieces of a map together with.... chewing gum (yes !), or using a trebuchet to knock down a piece of rock that falls right into a gap on a natural bridge so that you can go forward (you have to find the lever first !). And as usual, you start off with a DIY project: repair a bridge ! Later, you also have to fix a pickaxe and several other things using bits that are scattered all over the place. Why is everything always broken in those games ? You come to a mechanism and Bingo !... it's missing a piece ! You get to another one, Bingo again !.... it's also missing a piece. Hilarious !
Apart from these mundane tasks, a few others are a little more imaginative. But the main interest lies in the HO Scenes and the Minigames. No laundry list, no junkpile, just silhouetted items that you need to find then use to obtain other items, well, a kind of puzzle.
Interesting also are the minigames, although there isn't much novelty in any of them. Some are easy, others a little more challenging, still, nothing you can't handle with a bit of time and patience. You can skip them if you get stuck.
And as always, a journal, a map that allows you to teleport to the different locations (so, no excessive back and forth), a good Hint system if you need it and a SG in the CE.
Graphics are nice, sound is fine, voice overs are quite good and cutscenes are not intrusive.
All in all, a relaxing game that is enjoyable if you disregard the old same run of the mill stuff it contains. Rating ? I gave it 4 stars, but for me it's a just a nice little 3.5 star game that doesn't shine by its excellence.
If you value collectibles, morphing objects, wallpaper etc.... if you wish to replay the HO Scenes and the minigames, you may want to consider buying the CE. I don't care much for all these extras, so I'll wait for the SE or better yet a Daily Deal.
I'll recommend this game on account of the HO Scenes and the minigames, but I'll also recommend that you play the trial first.
I recommend this game!
Grim Tales: Threads of Destiny
Can you free Jackie's parents from their deadly fates?
Overall rating
1
/
5
25 of 32 found this review helpful
Dumb and utterly boring
PostedNovember 6, 2015
Rescue_helo
fromLondon (UK) - French Alps
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I have no idea why this game got so many 5 star reviews when the CE was released. It is not even worth half that.
The story briefly starts with a couple being murdered by a serial killer then switches to time travel so that the protagonist can save the couple before they get killed. From then on stupidity is around every corner.
Not only do you have to steal a bike, break into someone else's tent, but you also go (on the bike) to where the serial killer has parked his truck. You'd think the truck is empty ? Noooo ! The serial killer is sitting at the wheel. And that's where it becomes real dumb: you pick the lock of the truck, yes (!!), open the door, take out a photo of him to make sure it's really him, then you say: "maybe I should restrain him somehow". Meanwhile the killer doesn't made a single move, just sitting there as if you were not there at all,....maybe you're invisible....
Come on Elephant Games, who are you kidding ?
And that's where I decided I had had enough of this nonsense, I quit the demo and deleted the game.
The few tasks I had to perform were equally nonsensical and utterly boring. Imagine having to repair a ladder in order to have access to a hole in a tree, (in the middle of the night) to get a few nuts that you must give to a squirrel to let him drop a.... golden nut (!!) which will open a coin purse that contains some scrap paper ! Add to that that the "tools" you need for other tasks are not different from those we have used in many other games and are always located in the most unlikely places.
Seriously !
I know this is only a game, but why can't we have some logic, some novelty and a bit of realism for a change ?
I did like Grim Tales The Bride, and bought it long ago. However I wasn't too impressed by the subsequent releases although they aren't bad, but Threads of Destiny really takes the cake. Looks like the series is going downhill !
Needless to say this is a no-buy for me.
I don't recommend this game.
Haunted Legends: The Secret of Life Collector's Edition
You've traveled the world in search of a cure for your deadly illness, and you've finally found it! But it won't be easy to get – are you up to the task?
Overall rating
3
/
5
19 of 23 found this review helpful
Just about average
PostedNovember 5, 2015
Rescue_helo
fromLondon (UK) - French Alps
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Judging by the demo which lets you play the first chapter only and stops abruptly at the beginning of chapter two when things seem to become a bit more interesting, there isn't much in this CE that really makes me want to buy it. But no, I will not give you any spoilers, just my honest opinion.
The story isn't overly original, fairly simple in fact, and it is well summed up in BFG's presentation of the game. To put it in a nutshell, you have to save a whole village from a nefarious fate.....what would all these casual games be if you didn't have to save something, someone, somewhere ??? As to whether the plot unravels well in subsequent chapters can only be determined after playing the whole game and therefore buying it first.
I rather liked the visuals, neat, well drawn, colorful. The voice acting is good too, at least it sounds natural, and the cutscenes are okay, though nothing spectacular, but they are not intrusive, just adding what's needed for the progression of the plot and setting the general atmosphere.
The game doesn't seem to be overwhelmed with HO scenes, which is something I always appreciate. Only two in Chapter 1. In the first scene you find objects given along the lines of a story narrated by a male voice (the items are highlighted in the text below). The second is the usual laundry list. Both are interactive. Neither is cluttered. But of course the items, except the final one, are totally useless and add nothing to the story line. As usual.
The tasks you have to accomplish are simple without any novelty in them. Several tools are the usual stuff, keys, matches, etc....others are trinkets: two halves of an emblem, whole emblems, jewels.... Again, the run of the mill stuff.
Simplistic too are the minigames. They won't fry your brain, believe me. Nothing new there either, we've seen them a dozen time elsewhere. They're all skippable.
The overall atmosphere is kinda creepy, well, mildly creepy, but be prepared to see skulls, coffins, graveyards and you know, all the morbid stuff that devs seem to like so much.
Fours play modes: this is becoming the norm nowadays. In Custom, you can down the Hints and Skip recharging time to 5 seconds. Not that you really need hints, as everything is pretty simple, and you don't have a lot of back and forth to do either. You also get a Map, tasks are listed clearly, and the SG in the CE leads you every step of the way. Difficult to get lost with all this help ! Even on Hard figuring out your whereabouts is no big deal.
The CE offers many extras: replayable minigames and HO Scenes, recipes (??), 1 bonus puzzle, collectibles, achievements, art music, screensaver, a "match-cat" !?? and a Test on your knowledge on the Haunted Legends series. I didn't see a Bonus Chapter though.
My conclusion is that this game is not much fun, quite low on the challenge level, with a CE that, for me, is not worth the extra expense. For me that's a 2.5 star game, not more, but I still have given it 3 stars because it might appeal to novice players, people that love morbid stuff, gamers that indiscriminately award 5 stars to every game that comes out, or someone who is not too demanding and just wants to spend a relaxing evening without putting in too much effort.
So I won't recommend the CE. The SE might be a better deal if you really want that game. In any case I strongly suggest you play the trial version first and foremost.
I don't recommend this game.
The arts-loving town of Everton has been overrun by sentient shadows. Race to escape before you're trapped in the darkness forever!
Overall rating
2
/
5
8 of 9 found this review helpful
Not exactly a thrilling game
PostedNovember 1, 2015
Rescue_helo
fromLondon (UK) - French Alps
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
And that's a euphemism.
First the story: nothing enticing there: you just keep chasing evil shadows in order to save your friend. Eliminate them with a lantern ! Haven't we already seen that somewhere else ? And of course it all starts with a bus crash.
The demo only lets you play the first chapter. Yes, I always play the trial version first, before deciding whether I think a game is worth buying or not. And this one isn't. Not for me, anyway. What I saw in that demo didn't convince me to place that game on my bucket list. Perhaps the other chapters are better, who knows ?
I appreciated the fact that there are not many HO scenes. Unfortunately they are boring and unchallenging in spite of being interactive. Easy too, although some of the things you have do are somewhat baffling like the HO Scene in the food truck: press a lemon to get its juice into a glass, then pour the juice over a hot lid in order to retrieve a hot dog with tongs, pour mustard over the sausage, and keep it in your inventory to give it later to a dog (giving mustard to a dog ? Uuuh ?). Question: why not use the tongs to lift the lid up, hey ? By the way you have to put sleeping tablets in the hot dog too !
Tasks are the just the ordinary routine. We have performed them in dozens of other games: keys, screwdrivers, fuses, flashlight, hairpin, shears, trowel....At one point you have to open the door of an ambulance in a very unusual way. I'll have to remember that trick if I lose my car keys ! LOL. However I liked the last task and the cutscene that concludes Chapter 1. Good fun !
Minigames/puzzles are not puzzling at all. They are basic and unchallenging, like the rest. The "unentangle" puzzle is irritating. Not only does it reappear often, but there seems to be a glitch: the stars won't let go and keep sticking to your cursor even after you have completed the puzzle. I had to hit Skip in order to exit and progress through the "adventure".
Fortunately you have a Custom option which allows you to decrease the Hint and Skip charging time down to 5 seconds or less.
Other than that I found the graphics quite pleasant, simple, clear, crisp and not eye-straining. They're not too dark either, but you can adjust the brightness in the Custom option if you wish.
Saying the game is awful may be a bit harsh, but it doesn't meet my standards of what I consider a good game. It might be adequate in the eyes of novice or over-enthusiastic players, but BFG has a lots of games you can choose from, that are much more exciting and challenging .
As always, I suggest you play the trial version, you might like it, after all.
I don't recommend this game.
A visitor arrives through Prof. Bennett's portal, seeking help.
Overall rating
2
/
5
16 of 17 found this review helpful
Weird and mediocre
PostedOctober 30, 2015
Rescue_helo
fromLondon (UK) - French Alps
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I wish I could find some nice things to say about this game. Oh yes, there is one ! You can set the Hint and Skip timing down to 10 seconds in the Custom option.
Not that you will ever need to do that, as the game is unbelievably simplistic, even on higher difficulty.
It's a story that mixes sci-fi (sort of) and fantasy elements, in which nothing makes much sense. First you have to cure an alien from another planet, then you have to follow him to his world through a portal in a lab, as per the instructions of a Professor (Bennett) who is the head of said lab. But before you can go through you have to repair the portal, would you believe ? Bennett doesn't have a clue how to do it, so it seems. And in order to do that you first have to find 3 fuses that are hidden in 3 different places..... in a high tech lab ? Gimme a break !
Everything else is of the same nonsensical vein. Needless to say you also have to obtain various objects like... a key, of course, as well as a few more that are the fruits of the developers' bizarre imagination, and whose use is just a matter of applying the trial and error method, because you don't know what the heck they're for.
There are only a few HO scenes, which suits me fine, but they are totally boring.... like having to click on butterflies to retrieve the lab's logo.
The minigames I had to play can be solved by a 10 year old. Find matching pairs (dead easy), move 4 cardboard buildings around (even easier), reconstruct the logo in a tangram style (boring), etc.... In chapter 2 you have a multi puzzle that looks like a mess full of weird signs; solving it is simply a matter of spending a bit of time on it as logic is non-existant.
The intro is okay, but the cutscenes are lame. The characters look as if they had swallowed a rake and the lip sync is bad. I didn't even like the graphics even though they are acceptable in the first chapter but totally crooked and convoluted in the second.
I was bored to tears by the end of that second chapter. I uninstalled the game and decided to let the Orb and Amaranthine fall into oblivion.
Two stars because I am feeling generous.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you find the key to Ravenhearst's resurrection?
Overall rating
3
/
5
40 of 53 found this review helpful
Not as good as the first two
PostedOctober 27, 2015
Rescue_helo
fromLondon (UK) - French Alps
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I really enjoyed playing and replaying Ravenhearst and Return to Ravenhearst as these first installments are truly two of the best games in BFG's collection. I was kinda disappointed with # 3 (Escape from Ravenhearst) in spite of its spooky atmosphere and some interesting puzzles as that one was in my opinion inferior to the others, so I did not buy it.
Now we have # 4 and the demo left me unimpressed.
Set aside the intro, cutscenes and voice acting which are good, I didn't find the visuals as well crafted as in the other installments.
Action wise, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Everything is, once again, alas, the same kind of stuff that has been used, re-used and abused in many other games. A fishing rod to retrieve gloves and use them to forage through a thorny bush, a flare gun to scare the ravens away, duct tape to fix a wire, and ax to smash a few boards, and keys, keys, keys....just to name a few examples. When will a developer, any developer, come up with some really novel ideas ?
As for the HO scenes, well, same old items, most of which, as usual, have nothing to do with the story and hence don't add anything. Just a fill up, mostly interactive, but still a fill up. No doubt they will however delight all HO scenes junkies out there.
The puzzles/minigames are the only feature that piqued my interest. Some are easy, others moderately difficult and none seem to be undoable. Maybe later on in the game ? Those I played had an aura of novelty about them, and if a few are still a bit old school, they nonetheless had a twist to them that made them fun to play. But do you buy a CE just for the puzzles, even if they are replayable ? I won't.
I didn't pay much attention to the rest. I always turn off the music anyway. As for the storyline, nothing there that I will remember by Christmas....which is two months away.
Now the difficult part: should I recommend this game or not ? If you're an unconditional fan of the Ravenhearst series, if you love HO scenes and if you want mildly challenging puzzles to enliven an adventure that would be boring without them, then yes, by all means, do buy the game.
But if you value not only good puzzles but also a truly gripping, highly logical and well crafted adventure, devoid of nonsensical HO Scenes, there are other games to choose from that offer just that.
I don't recommend this game.
Someone has stolen two powerful magic doves from your kingdom, and the consequences could be disastrous. Embark on an extraordinary journey to stop the thief.
Overall rating
1
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
Soapy and boring
PostedOctober 25, 2015
Rescue_helo
fromLondon (UK) - French Alps
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Intrigued by the amount of 5 stars given by other reviewers I thought I'd miss something if I didn't try this game. So I did !
....and that lasted 8 minutes. I quit and uninstalled the game. I had seen enough and wasn't ready to see more.
The game may be okay for a 10 year old, but for adults ? My Goodness me ! I've never been so put off by a game so fast.
Graphics are colorful but overloaded and very cartoonish. Most of the objects you need to find are just mere weird artifacts whose use doesn't make sense. You simply have no idea where to place them. They are also mixed with other more down to earth objects like tweezers. I know, it's a fantasy world and anything is permitted, but that doesn't mean you can't throw in some logic into it. And logic there is none.
You pick up a female elf and you have to name her (why ?). Each time you click on her, she says she can help, but she just sits right in the middle of the screen, smiling at you with a stupid look in her eyes. Sole option, click again to make her disappear. Then you pick up a male elf.... that you also have to name (what, again ?). That's your hint system ! And I am glad he was there, because the tasks you have to perform are sooooooo incredibly idiotic, so out of any frame of logic, that I kept clicking on him as I couldn't figure out what to do next.
Not much fun, hey ?
One other thing that left me wondering: the lion cub. Cute, yes, but do you really need a cub to climb a tree in order to get one of those weird artifacts that you can't reach ? And thereafter, he just disappears. In spite of having gone through hard games like Syberia, Nancy Drew and a few more, it never crossed my mind that I had to get a lion cub up a tree.
Luckily the Strategy Guide told me how to use him !
The only HO Scene I played was just sub-standard. I don't like HO scenes anyway, but I have had a bit of fun with some of them in other games. None whatsoever with this one.
And that was about all I could stand.
Didn't get to play one puzzle, but if they're like the rest, I didn't miss anything.
As for the story, it's just dumb and not worth a nickel.
I think one reviewer used the right word to describe that game: "sickening". I totally agree. And, no, I wouldn't call it cute either, just dull, boring, unexciting and in short... plain stupid.
I don't recommend this game.