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:
Shiver: Poltergeist Collector's Edition
After inheriting a manor in England, you begin to explore the Kangale Estate and discover its history!
Overall rating
3
/
5
51 of 94 found this review helpful
There we go again !
PostedMarch 29, 2012
Rescue_helo
fromLondon (UK) - French Alps
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Art of Murder: Secret Files
(18)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Nothing really special about this mix of HOG and pseudo "adventure" aside from the well-crafted graphics, the convincing voice-acting, the intro movie and cutscenes which convery a true impression of realism, the 3 game modes, the diary containing the task list, a map, story and photos, a decent atmospheric soundtrack, no penalty for misclicking and a hint system that recharges fast on Casual, the SG, .... and the motion of the waves on the menu screen with the lighthouse in the background.
Part of the dialogues is scripted, but they are not too lengthy and can be skipped.
The rest is "déjä vu", identical to what we've seen in many other games.
Take a manor, flog in ghosts, spirits and statues weeping tears of blood that turn into fire, and you have a new game !
As per usual, the HO Scenes are similar to hundreds of other HO Scenes, with the traditional useless items such as a monkey, a crayfish, a turtle, an elephant..... well, a zoo ! Oh I forgot... the clothespin ! Sole consolation, they are are not excessively cluttered; the whole manor is in shambles anyway.
And what on earth have all these pieces of junk got to do with a haunted manor ? Gee !
Also identical to the tasks in other games, those you have to perform require thinggies like a valve, carpet, electrical tape.....
There is no logic to theses tasks: for instance at the beginning you have to first take a valve, then place it on a pipe to empty the fountain in order to get the manor key.... WOW !
It doesn't say anywhere you need that valve ! How are we supposed to know we need it ? How do we know that key is in the water ? Pure guesswork and application of the trial-and-error method again.
Puzzles ? They shine by their absence save the two I saw which are as lame as can be. Thank Goodness, they can be skipped.
It's about time some dev somewhere started to rethink these casual games that, as they are, become so repetitive that they no longer provide any surprise and end up leading to boredom: how many times have we had to use a screwdriver or a crowbar ? How many times have we had a jigsaw puzzle, a tangram... ? How many locked doors have we had to open with a key found 4 or 5 locales away and without any indication that THIS key opens THIS door, not THAT one ?
Recommended for the wrapping, not the contents.
Part of the dialogues is scripted, but they are not too lengthy and can be skipped.
The rest is "déjä vu", identical to what we've seen in many other games.
Take a manor, flog in ghosts, spirits and statues weeping tears of blood that turn into fire, and you have a new game !
As per usual, the HO Scenes are similar to hundreds of other HO Scenes, with the traditional useless items such as a monkey, a crayfish, a turtle, an elephant..... well, a zoo ! Oh I forgot... the clothespin ! Sole consolation, they are are not excessively cluttered; the whole manor is in shambles anyway.
And what on earth have all these pieces of junk got to do with a haunted manor ? Gee !
Also identical to the tasks in other games, those you have to perform require thinggies like a valve, carpet, electrical tape.....
There is no logic to theses tasks: for instance at the beginning you have to first take a valve, then place it on a pipe to empty the fountain in order to get the manor key.... WOW !
It doesn't say anywhere you need that valve ! How are we supposed to know we need it ? How do we know that key is in the water ? Pure guesswork and application of the trial-and-error method again.
Puzzles ? They shine by their absence save the two I saw which are as lame as can be. Thank Goodness, they can be skipped.
It's about time some dev somewhere started to rethink these casual games that, as they are, become so repetitive that they no longer provide any surprise and end up leading to boredom: how many times have we had to use a screwdriver or a crowbar ? How many times have we had a jigsaw puzzle, a tangram... ? How many locked doors have we had to open with a key found 4 or 5 locales away and without any indication that THIS key opens THIS door, not THAT one ?
Recommended for the wrapping, not the contents.
Schoolmates: The Mystery of the Magical Bracelet
Help Flex and Eva find Blondie in Schoolmates: The Mystery of the Magical Bracelet!
Overall rating
1
/
5
51 of 63 found this review helpful
The laziest game in the world !
PostedMarch 28, 2012
Rescue_helo
fromLondon (UK) - French Alps
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Syberia II
(77)Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
"Slow" is too weak a term to describe how the game behaves. "Sluggish" would be more appropriate. You have plenty of time to brew yourself a cup of tea between the moment a character leaves the left edge of the screen and the moment she reaches the right edge !
Needless to say that nearly 15 minutes of this ordeal was more than enough for me.
I could have been more patient had this game offered plenty of great features such as sumptuous graphics, challenging puzzles, innovative minigames, unusual tasks, a gripping storyline, in short everything we expect from a good casual game but, unfortunately, obtain far too seldom.
So, don't expect any of these great features here, everything is simply common place.
The three characters [ the girls ] are really weird-looking, drawn in false 3D in the Barbie style but without harmonious proportions.
Their animation in the intro is equally weird, and even ridiculous when one of them [slowly !] practises Kung Fu... well, sort of !
The HOs I saw were given as silhouettes and were easy to find...even for me who is no great HO hunter.
The sole puzzle I saw was a mix of gears and slider, which I solved in less than 20 seconds.
And on that fantastic brain-storming exploit, I just quit.
This Bracelet has one superb magical power though: lull you into deep sleep in no time.
Needless to say that nearly 15 minutes of this ordeal was more than enough for me.
I could have been more patient had this game offered plenty of great features such as sumptuous graphics, challenging puzzles, innovative minigames, unusual tasks, a gripping storyline, in short everything we expect from a good casual game but, unfortunately, obtain far too seldom.
So, don't expect any of these great features here, everything is simply common place.
The three characters [ the girls ] are really weird-looking, drawn in false 3D in the Barbie style but without harmonious proportions.
Their animation in the intro is equally weird, and even ridiculous when one of them [slowly !] practises Kung Fu... well, sort of !
The HOs I saw were given as silhouettes and were easy to find...even for me who is no great HO hunter.
The sole puzzle I saw was a mix of gears and slider, which I solved in less than 20 seconds.
And on that fantastic brain-storming exploit, I just quit.
This Bracelet has one superb magical power though: lull you into deep sleep in no time.
I don't recommend this game.
Rita James and the Race to Shangri La
Join the “More Brave than Brilliant” Rita James on another whirlwind adventure in search of the mythical paradise of Shangri-La!
Overall rating
4
/
5
32 of 37 found this review helpful
A race in which you can take your time
PostedMarch 26, 2012
Rescue_helo
fromLondon (UK) - French Alps
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Syberia II
(77)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I rather liked some of the locales for their graphics which are clear, not overloaded with useless details, the setting in snowy and icy Tibet and the "technical" aspect of several tasks involving machinery and tools.
It seems the devs derived their inspiration from some scenes that made the originality of Syberia and Paradise.
I was also amused by the intro, cutscenes, characters and dialogs; there is a small amount of humor to them and the voice-acting which backs them up is quite good. So is the music which shows an effort has been made to produce a decent soundtrack.
The rest however left me fairly cold [no wonder, we're in Tibet... LOL] and unimpressed.
The game would probably have been more enticing without any HO Scenes although these are quite manageable and on the whole not too cluttered.
It would also have gained in quality if the puzzles hadn't been so dead easy.
As for the tasks, well, always the same sort of stuff with the traditional screwdriver, crowbar and similar items.
Hints deplete even if there is nothing to find, but the map helps locating your whereabouts.
I am not too sure the story makes sense in the end.
Strictly speaking this is a 3 Star game.
I am giving it 4 stars mainly because of the cartoon intro movie and cutscenes and the soundtrack.
Not really challenging and rather relaxing you may want to keep this game on the side in case it comes up on the Week's or Daily Deal, the sole instance that would fully justify my recommendation, unless you like tackling machines and mechanisms or are looking for something simple to do
It seems the devs derived their inspiration from some scenes that made the originality of Syberia and Paradise.
I was also amused by the intro, cutscenes, characters and dialogs; there is a small amount of humor to them and the voice-acting which backs them up is quite good. So is the music which shows an effort has been made to produce a decent soundtrack.
The rest however left me fairly cold [no wonder, we're in Tibet... LOL] and unimpressed.
The game would probably have been more enticing without any HO Scenes although these are quite manageable and on the whole not too cluttered.
It would also have gained in quality if the puzzles hadn't been so dead easy.
As for the tasks, well, always the same sort of stuff with the traditional screwdriver, crowbar and similar items.
Hints deplete even if there is nothing to find, but the map helps locating your whereabouts.
I am not too sure the story makes sense in the end.
Strictly speaking this is a 3 Star game.
I am giving it 4 stars mainly because of the cartoon intro movie and cutscenes and the soundtrack.
Not really challenging and rather relaxing you may want to keep this game on the side in case it comes up on the Week's or Daily Deal, the sole instance that would fully justify my recommendation, unless you like tackling machines and mechanisms or are looking for something simple to do
I recommend this game!
Phenomenon: City of Cyan
20 years ago a terrible accident destroyed most of Cyan City. Now, Monica returns to uncover the secrets of her childhood!
Overall rating
3
/
5
11 of 27 found this review helpful
Very disappointing
PostedMarch 25, 2012
Rescue_helo
fromLondon (UK) - French Alps
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Syberia II
(77)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The demo took me to the start of Chapter 3; that's where I exited with red eyes and a headache.
The HO Scenes are a sheer mess, filled to the brim with all sorts of objects, in which a she-cat couldn't even find her kittens. I guess I am getting tired of having to spot the unspottable, locating useless items in piles of junk, in short finding a hairpin in a haystack in an overloaded decor. The fragmented items were the worst part.That was no fun, that was WORK !
I wasn't too surprised by the total lack of logic in the tasks; I didn't expect them to be realistic though; they do not require any reasonning, just guess-work as they are the expression of someone's figment of imagination. I didn't find them very exciting either: fill a cauldron with water, put 3 petals and 3 berries in it and you have a healing potion... uuuuhhh ? Or, put a lever in a stone pillar, press a stone button and a slate lifts up revealing a key you need to raise the bridge that slided down the moment you arrived...uuuuhhh again !
Just two examples, without revealing too much, but it's all in the integrated SG anyway. A nice feature, to solve many of the tasks. I used it without remorse.
The puzzles are of the same vein: #1 is ridiculously easy and the first minigame is just a matter of following the instructions as they appear at the bottom of the screen. Boring !
Again as just two examples.
The graphics are like the HO Scenes, overloaded, yet very colorful.
The intro and cutscenes are fine with good voice-acting.
The task list, map, diary, hints, the possibility of skipping the puzzles and minigames, and the reduced amount of mileage from scene to scene will be appreciated by many gamers.
Unfortunately, having to guess everything and not having to use one's brain cells and logic is neither my idea of fun nor my idea of an adventure or what I call a challenge.
As for the storyline, nothing that will set the planet of fire.
I'll still recommend this game in spite of it all, on account of its positive features, and although I didn't like it.
The HO Scenes are a sheer mess, filled to the brim with all sorts of objects, in which a she-cat couldn't even find her kittens. I guess I am getting tired of having to spot the unspottable, locating useless items in piles of junk, in short finding a hairpin in a haystack in an overloaded decor. The fragmented items were the worst part.That was no fun, that was WORK !
I wasn't too surprised by the total lack of logic in the tasks; I didn't expect them to be realistic though; they do not require any reasonning, just guess-work as they are the expression of someone's figment of imagination. I didn't find them very exciting either: fill a cauldron with water, put 3 petals and 3 berries in it and you have a healing potion... uuuuhhh ? Or, put a lever in a stone pillar, press a stone button and a slate lifts up revealing a key you need to raise the bridge that slided down the moment you arrived...uuuuhhh again !
Just two examples, without revealing too much, but it's all in the integrated SG anyway. A nice feature, to solve many of the tasks. I used it without remorse.
The puzzles are of the same vein: #1 is ridiculously easy and the first minigame is just a matter of following the instructions as they appear at the bottom of the screen. Boring !
Again as just two examples.
The graphics are like the HO Scenes, overloaded, yet very colorful.
The intro and cutscenes are fine with good voice-acting.
The task list, map, diary, hints, the possibility of skipping the puzzles and minigames, and the reduced amount of mileage from scene to scene will be appreciated by many gamers.
Unfortunately, having to guess everything and not having to use one's brain cells and logic is neither my idea of fun nor my idea of an adventure or what I call a challenge.
As for the storyline, nothing that will set the planet of fire.
I'll still recommend this game in spite of it all, on account of its positive features, and although I didn't like it.
I recommend this game!
Fantastic Creations: House of Brass
Escape an underground vault of clockwork wonders with the help of its mysterious and eccentric inventor in Fantastic Creations: House of Brass!
Overall rating
4
/
5
43 of 56 found this review helpful
A game for wannabe engineers....
PostedMarch 23, 2012
Rescue_helo
fromLondon (UK) - French Alps
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Syberia - Part 1
(166)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Not that there is a lack of things that need to be fixed in other games, but, here, the focus is placed on machinery and devices, and that does make a nice change even though you won't need a Master Degree to solve everything.
The puzzles and minigames are very easy and skippable; unfortunately they are by no means original; for instance the first two are the pipe-line kind.
Hidden objects are given by categories: example: find n silvery objects or n objects that resemble 2 + 2. That, too, makes a bit of a change, considering that they are not out of context.
Objectives are clear, tasks are simple, useful items easy to find and hints help mainly in the HO Scenes and don't recharge fast.
I didn't see any minigame as such save catching 6 fireflies.... if that can be called a minigame.
The intro and cutscenes are simple, the voice-acting is quite good and the graphics crisp, neat, well crafted and colorful.
There is very little bouncing from scene to scene as the useful items are used almost immediately.
I completed easily the first 2 chapters within 1 hour. This tends to show the game may be short.
I have no idea why the devs want us to play with the sound on, there is nothing special about the music and the oral narrative and comments are subtitled anyway.
A simple game, rather relaxing and entertaining, but without much challenge and little originality
The puzzles and minigames are very easy and skippable; unfortunately they are by no means original; for instance the first two are the pipe-line kind.
Hidden objects are given by categories: example: find n silvery objects or n objects that resemble 2 + 2. That, too, makes a bit of a change, considering that they are not out of context.
Objectives are clear, tasks are simple, useful items easy to find and hints help mainly in the HO Scenes and don't recharge fast.
I didn't see any minigame as such save catching 6 fireflies.... if that can be called a minigame.
The intro and cutscenes are simple, the voice-acting is quite good and the graphics crisp, neat, well crafted and colorful.
There is very little bouncing from scene to scene as the useful items are used almost immediately.
I completed easily the first 2 chapters within 1 hour. This tends to show the game may be short.
I have no idea why the devs want us to play with the sound on, there is nothing special about the music and the oral narrative and comments are subtitled anyway.
A simple game, rather relaxing and entertaining, but without much challenge and little originality
I recommend this game!
Living Legends: Ice Rose Collector's Edition
Novelist Edward Grand has found evidence of a terrible tragedy in the city of Rosemount and sets off to investigate!
Overall rating
3
/
5
50 of 76 found this review helpful
A game that freezes your expectations
PostedMarch 22, 2012
Rescue_helo
fromLondon (UK) - French Alps
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Syberia - Part 1
(166)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I didn't see anything oustanding during the 1 hour demo, not even one feature that would justify a higher rating. Ice Rose is plain standard, not very different from the dozens of HOGs available on the casual games market.
The HO Scenes are the usual junk piles we have seen much too often, filled with the traditional useless items that bear no relevance whatsoever with the story but are not too difficult to spot.
The "adventure" part is very basic, tasks are similar to those we have been performing in many other games, and key items do not differ either.
Not much imagination or challenge in any of the puzzles either [at least those of the first two chapters], #1 is easy as pie, #2 is a jigsaw puzzle [boring !], #3 a slider [boring too !]...etc... Luckily they can be skipped.
The intro movie isn't bad, but the absence of voice-overs gives the impression the game is unfinished or has been put together in haste. An effort in that direction should have been made for a Collector's Edition.
Nothing special about the music which is very repetitive, as always.
The storyline is over-simple: save Edward and stop the Ice Queen from freezing the planet ! I have seen that somewhere already.
And AGAIN, the devs have scattered skulls here and there; they don't make sense, add nothing to the game; just part of a decor which would have been better without them.
And, oh, I forgot...ghosts...a good game needs at least one ghost.... LOL
The graphics are okay, no more, no less.
All in all, if you enjoy doing and redoing what you have already been doing countless times in other games, if you take pleasure in using the odd chest key, rope, oilcan and other key items also used in every game, if you're looking for easy puzzles, in short if you're content with little, this game will certainly satisfy you.
There are 3 play modes, 6 chapters plus the bonus and a possiblity of replaying the puzzles and the HO Scenes. That unfortunately is not enough to induce me to buy the CE and I'll skip the SE also. The wrapping of the package is fine, but the contents totally uninteresting
Recommended only to newbies and gamers who want something veeeeery simple.
The HO Scenes are the usual junk piles we have seen much too often, filled with the traditional useless items that bear no relevance whatsoever with the story but are not too difficult to spot.
The "adventure" part is very basic, tasks are similar to those we have been performing in many other games, and key items do not differ either.
Not much imagination or challenge in any of the puzzles either [at least those of the first two chapters], #1 is easy as pie, #2 is a jigsaw puzzle [boring !], #3 a slider [boring too !]...etc... Luckily they can be skipped.
The intro movie isn't bad, but the absence of voice-overs gives the impression the game is unfinished or has been put together in haste. An effort in that direction should have been made for a Collector's Edition.
Nothing special about the music which is very repetitive, as always.
The storyline is over-simple: save Edward and stop the Ice Queen from freezing the planet ! I have seen that somewhere already.
And AGAIN, the devs have scattered skulls here and there; they don't make sense, add nothing to the game; just part of a decor which would have been better without them.
And, oh, I forgot...ghosts...a good game needs at least one ghost.... LOL
The graphics are okay, no more, no less.
All in all, if you enjoy doing and redoing what you have already been doing countless times in other games, if you take pleasure in using the odd chest key, rope, oilcan and other key items also used in every game, if you're looking for easy puzzles, in short if you're content with little, this game will certainly satisfy you.
There are 3 play modes, 6 chapters plus the bonus and a possiblity of replaying the puzzles and the HO Scenes. That unfortunately is not enough to induce me to buy the CE and I'll skip the SE also. The wrapping of the package is fine, but the contents totally uninteresting
Recommended only to newbies and gamers who want something veeeeery simple.
I recommend this game!
Nancy Drew: Secret of Shadow Ranch
Take a wild ride into terror and trickery to rein in a ghostly secret! Discover the truth from the ghost stories before it's too late!
Overall rating
5
/
5
60 of 70 found this review helpful
Everything happens to he who can wait... well almost...
PostedMarch 18, 2012
Rescue_helo
fromLondon (UK) - French Alps
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Syberia II
(77)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Yes, I have been waiting for BFG to include Shadow Ranch in their treasure trove for over a year, and SURPRISE.. it's there now at long last !
I could have bought it directly from the developers at full price, and I was on the verge of doing it; but why spend $ 19.99 when you are a BFG member ? At $ 6.99, the game is extremely good value for money.
This time Nancy is visiting Bess' uncle's ranch. Prior to her arrrival, the uncle gets bitten by a rattlesnake. But the worst is that, at night, a glowing horse appears from nowhere, gallops around the ranch then vanishes.
Caught in the middle of that situation, our young sleuth starts deploying all her talents to solve the mystery.
It's always like that with many of her adventures; something weird or fantastic triggers her intervention, only to find out bit by bit that what appeared as a supernatural or magic phenomenon is but the logical succession of a number of earthly events.
In parallel to the investigation, Nancy has to perform certain tasks that are perfectly natural as they fit in the context very well, such as feeding the horses or the chickens, getting information on how to ride a horse, etc... And unlike some other of her adventures, these tasks that could be called menial never give the impression of being forced.
All her actions, all the items she has to use make sense.
In Shadow Ranch, Nancy has to rely a lot on her cellphone to get tips from different friends of hers or being in contact with local people such as the sheriff as well as obtaining information on various subjects by browsing pre-set web pages next to reading books and notes found in the ranch.
As usual, Nancy interacts with the various characters populating the ranch by means of dialogues.
Nancy wouldn't be Nancy if there were not many puzzles for her to solve, and even quizzes. All of them respond to logic, are relevant to the plot and never arbitrary.
Only the slot machine minigame which has to be won before she can progress further, and that, of chourse, is based on pure chance. But perserverance pays off and she wins sooner or later.
The graphics are good, the voice-acting is superb, navigation easy, and on Junior level a task list is provided as well as a diary to keep track of the information [there is a lot of it] she gathers, as in all her other adventures.
The game never leads you by the hand; you need to think out of the box and do a fair amount of reading as you go along. Nothing is really easy. These features tend to discourage many gamers, yet they bestow realism on the whole adventure.
This 10th instalment in the Nancy Drew series keeps the suspense going to the very end and will have you guessing all along: who did it ?
Note: The trial version is a good idea, but the game is so rich that the one hour demo can't even scratch the surface, just give a vague idea of what a Nancy Drew investigation looks like. That applies to other adventures like Syberia or Paradise. If you have never played a Nancy Drew before, the best is to buy the full game and take it from there. If you like Shadow Ranch, you're bound to like her other investigations.
I could have bought it directly from the developers at full price, and I was on the verge of doing it; but why spend $ 19.99 when you are a BFG member ? At $ 6.99, the game is extremely good value for money.
This time Nancy is visiting Bess' uncle's ranch. Prior to her arrrival, the uncle gets bitten by a rattlesnake. But the worst is that, at night, a glowing horse appears from nowhere, gallops around the ranch then vanishes.
Caught in the middle of that situation, our young sleuth starts deploying all her talents to solve the mystery.
It's always like that with many of her adventures; something weird or fantastic triggers her intervention, only to find out bit by bit that what appeared as a supernatural or magic phenomenon is but the logical succession of a number of earthly events.
In parallel to the investigation, Nancy has to perform certain tasks that are perfectly natural as they fit in the context very well, such as feeding the horses or the chickens, getting information on how to ride a horse, etc... And unlike some other of her adventures, these tasks that could be called menial never give the impression of being forced.
All her actions, all the items she has to use make sense.
In Shadow Ranch, Nancy has to rely a lot on her cellphone to get tips from different friends of hers or being in contact with local people such as the sheriff as well as obtaining information on various subjects by browsing pre-set web pages next to reading books and notes found in the ranch.
As usual, Nancy interacts with the various characters populating the ranch by means of dialogues.
Nancy wouldn't be Nancy if there were not many puzzles for her to solve, and even quizzes. All of them respond to logic, are relevant to the plot and never arbitrary.
Only the slot machine minigame which has to be won before she can progress further, and that, of chourse, is based on pure chance. But perserverance pays off and she wins sooner or later.
The graphics are good, the voice-acting is superb, navigation easy, and on Junior level a task list is provided as well as a diary to keep track of the information [there is a lot of it] she gathers, as in all her other adventures.
The game never leads you by the hand; you need to think out of the box and do a fair amount of reading as you go along. Nothing is really easy. These features tend to discourage many gamers, yet they bestow realism on the whole adventure.
This 10th instalment in the Nancy Drew series keeps the suspense going to the very end and will have you guessing all along: who did it ?
Note: The trial version is a good idea, but the game is so rich that the one hour demo can't even scratch the surface, just give a vague idea of what a Nancy Drew investigation looks like. That applies to other adventures like Syberia or Paradise. If you have never played a Nancy Drew before, the best is to buy the full game and take it from there. If you like Shadow Ranch, you're bound to like her other investigations.
I recommend this game!
Small Town Terrors: Livingston
Your family is missing and the town is in chaos in Small Town Terrors: Livingston!
Overall rating
2
/
5
84 of 117 found this review helpful
Neither terrific nor enthralling
PostedMarch 17, 2012
Rescue_helo
fromLondon (UK) - French Alps
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Syberia - Part 1
(166)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
There we go again... Same old story that has been hashed and rehashed in several previous games: some kind of disaster has struck a little town turning it into Leipzig after the Allied Bombing and where no-one is left except your family, two men [one watching a movie in a movie theater...uuhhh ???] and a shadow that appears every now and then. Objective: save the family. And that takes care of the plot. Highly original, isn' it ?
The decor is pretty depressing even though the artwork is clear..... and very red in Chapter 1, a feature that after a while becomes eye straining. Things turn blue in Chapter 2, green in Chapter 3, purple in Chapter 4.
The HO Scenes are a mess and progressing through the different locales is rather tedious due to the constant backtracking that doesn't seem to follow any logic, and even though some of the tasks are not without interest.
Finding Medikits to replenish your health is a novelty never used in a HOG before, but it doesn't add much excitement to an adventure that quickly turns to be boring.
Some minigames are interesting too, like moving a boat through a maze, but others are just common place. They can be skipped.
No voice-over, no widescreen option, two gaming modes, a map, clearly stated tasks, and a hint system that points at what you can do next or tells you to visit another location.
A warning at the start tells you the game is not for the faint hearted. LOL. I didn't see anything scary in it. Maybe later on in the game....
I played the demo, didn't like it, and decided Livingston would be a no-buy for me.
The decor is pretty depressing even though the artwork is clear..... and very red in Chapter 1, a feature that after a while becomes eye straining. Things turn blue in Chapter 2, green in Chapter 3, purple in Chapter 4.
The HO Scenes are a mess and progressing through the different locales is rather tedious due to the constant backtracking that doesn't seem to follow any logic, and even though some of the tasks are not without interest.
Finding Medikits to replenish your health is a novelty never used in a HOG before, but it doesn't add much excitement to an adventure that quickly turns to be boring.
Some minigames are interesting too, like moving a boat through a maze, but others are just common place. They can be skipped.
No voice-over, no widescreen option, two gaming modes, a map, clearly stated tasks, and a hint system that points at what you can do next or tells you to visit another location.
A warning at the start tells you the game is not for the faint hearted. LOL. I didn't see anything scary in it. Maybe later on in the game....
I played the demo, didn't like it, and decided Livingston would be a no-buy for me.
I don't recommend this game.
Depths of Betrayal
Stop a mechanical monster before it destroys an entire town in Depths of Betrayal! Uncover the truth and stop the terrifying machine!
Overall rating
3
/
5
59 of 74 found this review helpful
Not bad......
PostedMarch 16, 2012
Rescue_helo
fromLondon (UK) - French Alps
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Art of Murder: FBI Confidential
(13)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Once again we are offered a standard HOG with a simplistic adventure side and a couple of minigames there and then.
The story is very much in the style of Dr Frankenstein: a man creates a creature (here, a sort of robot) from scratch and gives it life; the creature then turns into a bloodthirsty monster who kills his creator. Objective: find the monster at large and destroy it.
Not much originality either in the HO Scenes save that instead of getting shopping lists you are given the silhouettes of the objects to find, most of which are, once more, perfectly useless and irrelevant to the story, and then place them in the little popping up round boxes
Luckily they are easy to recognize and not difficult to spot.
The graphics are neat, colorful, pleasant to the eye. The music is dramatic and somewhat disturbing.
The minigames are simple, so are the task. The overall level of challenge is low.
The goals are clearly stated in the journal, you have 2 play modes and a widescreen option.
The voice acting is quite good and you can dialogue with the characters you meet.
A fair game for beginners, with decent playlength, but which might not fully satisfy seasoned HO hunters and die-hard adventurers.
Recommended with restrictions
The story is very much in the style of Dr Frankenstein: a man creates a creature (here, a sort of robot) from scratch and gives it life; the creature then turns into a bloodthirsty monster who kills his creator. Objective: find the monster at large and destroy it.
Not much originality either in the HO Scenes save that instead of getting shopping lists you are given the silhouettes of the objects to find, most of which are, once more, perfectly useless and irrelevant to the story, and then place them in the little popping up round boxes
Luckily they are easy to recognize and not difficult to spot.
The graphics are neat, colorful, pleasant to the eye. The music is dramatic and somewhat disturbing.
The minigames are simple, so are the task. The overall level of challenge is low.
The goals are clearly stated in the journal, you have 2 play modes and a widescreen option.
The voice acting is quite good and you can dialogue with the characters you meet.
A fair game for beginners, with decent playlength, but which might not fully satisfy seasoned HO hunters and die-hard adventurers.
Recommended with restrictions
I recommend this game!
Silent Nights: The Pianist Collector's Edition
Save your sister and uncover the secrets of an ancient organization in Silent Nights: The Pianist!
Overall rating
3
/
5
57 of 88 found this review helpful
Not exactly a masterpiece
PostedMarch 15, 2012
Rescue_helo
fromLondon (UK) - French Alps
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Large File, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Art of Murder: Secret Files
(18)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Another standard HOG mixed with basic adventure and rare minigames.
The artwork is neat though darkish [you can use an option to brighten the screen up... not a luxury !] and the HO scenes are the usual clutter filled with useless items, except the very first scene which is a bit more tidy than the rest.
Among the thinggies you need to find you will see AGAIN the odd skull looking at you ! Now, why systematically include skulls in HO Scenes ? Practically all games follow that trend, now. It's morbid, ugly and totally unecessary. Especially when you are visiting a hotel ! Gee !!!
Hints recharge fast on Casual and misclicking is not penalized.
Anyway, the tasks are simple and totally unoriginal, we have performed them a dozen times in other games, the few useful items easy to find.
Two minigames in the demo: assemble a lock and repeat the sequence ! Very exciting !
No voice-over except on the phone, a basic intro and a weirdish music on a piano in dire need of tuning that is most unpleasant.
Two game modes, no widescreen option, a storyline which, like the rest, has been used, re-used and abused, and that's about all.
The SG displays 3 chapters but lets you see only the first two.
I don't think The Pianist is worth a CE, the SE sould suffice.
I'll still recommend this game for what it's worth and because it's just about okay, but there are better games around.
Note: The name of the family is "Deux"...that means "Two"...uuuuhhhh ????
The artwork is neat though darkish [you can use an option to brighten the screen up... not a luxury !] and the HO scenes are the usual clutter filled with useless items, except the very first scene which is a bit more tidy than the rest.
Among the thinggies you need to find you will see AGAIN the odd skull looking at you ! Now, why systematically include skulls in HO Scenes ? Practically all games follow that trend, now. It's morbid, ugly and totally unecessary. Especially when you are visiting a hotel ! Gee !!!
Hints recharge fast on Casual and misclicking is not penalized.
Anyway, the tasks are simple and totally unoriginal, we have performed them a dozen times in other games, the few useful items easy to find.
Two minigames in the demo: assemble a lock and repeat the sequence ! Very exciting !
No voice-over except on the phone, a basic intro and a weirdish music on a piano in dire need of tuning that is most unpleasant.
Two game modes, no widescreen option, a storyline which, like the rest, has been used, re-used and abused, and that's about all.
The SG displays 3 chapters but lets you see only the first two.
I don't think The Pianist is worth a CE, the SE sould suffice.
I'll still recommend this game for what it's worth and because it's just about okay, but there are better games around.
Note: The name of the family is "Deux"...that means "Two"...uuuuhhhh ????
I recommend this game!