GamerCouple's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.9
- Helpful Votes:216
- Reviews Submitted:24
- First Review:April 27, 2012
- Most Recent Review:September 6, 2014
- Featured reviews0
Explore the stunning city of Rome through 360-degree photographs in this great hidden object mystery.
Overall rating
5
/
5
7 of 7 found this review helpful
Stunning visuals and interesting 360-degree gameplay
PostedSeptember 6, 2014
GamerCouple
fromthe living room
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This hidden-object game stands out from the rest because it uses a very innovative technique of 360-degree searching. Players stand in the middle of the scene and can turn the view to look up, down, and all around--and zoom in and out if need be--to find objects, some of which will be "hints" that advance the storyline. In this manner players jet all around Rome and its surrounding countryside to figure out a mystery.
I absolutely loved this game. The scenes were immersive and downright fascinating, and I learned quite a bit about Roman history and culture while playing. (I found myself dragging out my big Italian-English dictionary to look up some of the words and phrases I ran across in the scenes!) I found myself wishing for even more scenes or even for just the ability to wander around and look at stuff with that 360-degree camera.
The storyline is decent, with a strange supernatural twist that I didn't think was really necessary. The mechanics of the hidden objects were fine, though sometimes an object was painted/photographed in a vague, indistinct way that made finding it more difficult than it had to be. The zoom feature helped a lot with that problem. The game features some minigames that weren't especially difficult, like piecing together postcards and playing card games. I do wish the hidden-object screens themselves didn't have such a junkpile theme; the developers could have handled them so much better, and this game deserved more thematic screens. But overall it all works well. I've played this game through a few times and it seems like I enjoy it more every time I play it.
I recommend this game!
Allie`s on a quest to find some breaking news in Adamas, but must now choose between her friend`s well-being and true love!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Extremely solid HOG offering.
PostedSeptember 6, 2014
GamerCouple
fromthe living room
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Time Management
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is a very standard HOG--light on "adventure", heavy on junkpile hidden object screens, in love with minigames like "spot the difference," all of it propelled along by a decent little Harlequin romance-novel storyline about a reporter investigating a Mediterranean mystery and catching the attention of a dissolute prince in the process.
The graphics and music seem perfectly fine, though I don't like junkpile screens overmuch. The characters and their story are what really make this game fun to play; the prince is of course very dashing and masculine, though his interest in the heroine is almost entirely arbitrary and inexplicable, and a hint of danger draws all the "good guys" together.
Overall, this is what I'd call a "solid" game. It doesn't throw me any unpleasant curveballs, it's not too hard and not too easy, it's got hints and skips where I prefer them, the mechanics of play work like they should, and the storyline does its job without being irritating or laughable. I also actually liked the nostalgia factor of the game--it really feels like playing along an 80s-era romance novel (though without the overt stuff--this is definitely an adult's game, but it is pure as Ivory soap)! I recommend it for any adult player who wants a more lighthearted, straightforward HOG than the super-dark, grim, life-or-death offerings popular at the moment.
I recommend this game!
Track down the terrifying and menacing Phantom of the Renaissance Faire in this exciting Hidden Object Adventure
Overall rating
5
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
Absolutely charming title that grew on me.
PostedSeptember 6, 2014
GamerCouple
fromthe living room
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is a surprisingly charming title. The first time or so I tried it, I didn't really like it, but a while ago it popped up on that BFG monthly service so I gave it another try. That turned out to be the trick, because once I had unlimited time to fool around with it, I discovered myself taken with it.
This game is about a drama occurring behind the scenes at a modern Renaissance Festival. That setting alone marks it as all but unique in HOGs, but anybody who's spent any time working at a Renfest will recognize this game's atmosphere and vibe--they captured it perfectly. You, the player, wander around all the shops and venues at a large RL Renfest, interacting mostly with ghosts and sometimes shopkeepers and festival workers as you uncover the mystery of the festival's troubles. There are a few puzzles to do, none especially difficult, and the screens themselves are beautifully done. There's an "extra" in the form of fairies you collect in each scene, but if you miss some you can go back to find the missing ones if you're careful, a nice touch; alas, they don't do anything at all so that's kind of a bummer (they were meant to be a sort of teaser for the next game in the series but that never happened).
Don't let the primitive graphics and occasional red herrings fool you. This is a really good HOG and worth a look for anybody who likes their games kinda basic and laid-back. Recommended.
I recommend this game!
Explore snowy Dahlia Farms in this unique hidden object/farming sim hybrid! Build greenhouses and keep the farm going throughout the winter.
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Absolute home run hit of a sequel.
PostedFebruary 2, 2014
GamerCouple
fromthe living room
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I loved the original Farmington Tales, and this game just delivers an even better, more improved experience. You don't have to have played the original to get into this one; it has a lot of cut scenes and introduction material to get newcomers up to speed (but you can click past these easily). The game is a combination hidden-object game and farm simulation; you do the HO scenes to get money that you use to buy farm improvements.
There are loads more improvements this time around--and the farming advances depend upon improving the farm, a very nice touch. The graphics are simply adorable--this isn't just a trash-heap hidden object game; the objects kinda fit where they are set, and the suggested improvements mostly make sense for a real farm. I don't think there's a time limit to get the farm totally improved, like in the first game, but the side quests are even more clever (Firefly/Serenity fans will find a lot to giggle at here). The clincher for purchasing this game for me was that the quests now run along the bottom of the screen so you can always see what you need to find--a very welcome code improvement. I used to have to keep a piece of paper by my desk with them all!
The puzzles are difficult for me, but they can be easily skipped, as in the first game, thank goodness. I'm just not a puzzles person.
So all in all, this is one of the better HO games out there. If you're tired of "dark" storylines and want something lighthearted, this is a definite recommend from me.
I recommend this game!
Let's get farming in this unique Hidden Object farming simulator hybrid! Harvest the perfect crop, sell it at the market and search the farm for treasures!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
An All-Around Knockout.
PostedJune 15, 2013
GamerCouple
fromthe living room
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
In Farmington Tales, you're helping an old man farmer who is trying to get money together to improve his farm and help pay some hospital bills (oh America, when will you learn about healthcare?). It's a straightforward HO game with a real twist: in between HO scenes, you plant crops, water them, and harvest them, and also raise animals for milk, eggs, and wool. As you raise money you can purchase not only building improvements but also farm and animal improvements (like bigger feed troughs and better fertilizer). Also, you get "quests" to complete that involve finding specific objects requested by various characters, such as "three lightbulbs" or "a mannequin," which will be found in the screens. Every few screens, you do a mini-game like Minesweeper to continue, but you can buy your way out of every one of them, so if you dislike such games, you can easily skip them. So really, there's a lot going on in this game.
The HO screens can be difficult to navigate as some things are not drawn very clearly, but overall you find that the things in them are what you kind of expect to be there without too much anachronism. The quest objects might or might not be in the list of 15 objects you are supposed to find in each scene--I found it was easiest if I just wrote them down and checked each scene for them all. But the farm includes about a dozen different settings for the HO screens and you're not forced to go to locations you dislike or find especially annoying. Each screen also includes three "gems" which can be just about any shape or size that give you additional money.
One way that this HO makes its approach particularly fresh is that in each screen you get "stretch goals" like "find 5 objects in alphabetical order" or "find 3 objects in order from lowest to highest on the screen." These are incredibly fun and add a real challenge to the screens, but they're also totally optional so you can do them or not as you please (some are incredibly difficult for me).
The quests are simply adorable. Their names often reference popular culture (one is called "How I Bet Your Mother" and another is "I Am An Evil Giraffe") in sly referential ways. Even after "beating" the game, I find myself returning to do the quests--they're a bit addictive.
The farming aspect of the game is amazing to me. After you get done with an HO screen, you get returned to your farm, where things that need doing alert you with icons you just click to get taken there. That was a really nice touch that made playing this game much easier.
I'm super-impressed and recommend this game for people who like HOs that let them improve properties and do other stuff like farming and animal husbandry. If someone prefers more "adventure" or darker aspects to their HO gaming, this might not be the game for them, but people who prefer lighter, more casual gaming and don't like adventure will really like this one. Farmington Tales really is one of the best of its genre.
I recommend this game!
Go on an Ancient Adventure to Greece and find the fantastic Gift of Zeus in this fun and exciting Hidden Object game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
16 of 16 found this review helpful
Really cute, classic, solid HOG
PostedJanuary 18, 2013
GamerCouple
fromthe living room
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
In this HOG, you play Hermes and his mother, who are searching for magic pearls to re-assemble a necklace for a dying goddess. You roam around a Greek island and beyond looking for what you need, encountering puzzles and a variety of tableaux.
The graphics all have a hand-drawn look that is slightly cartoonish but also easy on the eyes. The objects you have to find are generally thematic to Ancient Greece, and they're usually drawn well enough that you won't be guessing where stuff is. On each HO screen, there are also lavender gemstones which, as they're collected, give you perks while playing (like making the hints replenish faster). Some of the screens are hidden-object; some lists are silhouettes rather than words/names; some are "spot the differences" split-screens. The mini-games are usually really interesting and take a variety of forms from match-3 to assemble-jigsaws and the like. You get a slew of different "rooms" to search, pick which one you'll do next on a map, finish one set, and move on to the next. As you progress, as well, an encyclopedia fills up with information about Greek history and mythology. All told, the game takes several hours and I think it has replay value as I've played it a couple of times through.
I don't have much negative stuff to say about this game. I think the art style would have been more effective in a more realistic, less cartoony style, and the screens can get repetitive. As HOGs go, though, this one is really solid and it focuses less on "adventure" than on straight HO screens and puzzles. It's become one of my favorites.
I really liked this game and recommend it to people who prefer a more classical feel to their HOGs. The storyline is fairly light-hearted, the graphics are cute, and the challenge is good for an intermediate or more casual HOG enthusiast, especially one who is into Greek mythology or maybe wants to learn a little about it.
I recommend this game!
Get land to build cities with houses, schools, markets, farms and a network of roads to improve the quality of life and the economy of the Roman Empire.
Overall rating
2
/
5
27 of 30 found this review helpful
GORGEOUS but unplayable.
PostedJanuary 8, 2013
GamerCouple
fromthe living room
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I was completely stoked to see this game pop up on the "Tomorrow's Game Today" thing yesterday and downloaded it the moment I could today onto my Mac. I wish I could say that the game lived up to my hopes.
It's a really nice, refreshing, straightforward game. You're managing a series of cities for Ancient Rome. You get goals that you have to meet. There aren't really any time limits or other restrictions, other than the space provided in which to build. You finish the goals and move to the next city. As in "Palace Builder," when you finish a goal you get points to spend to build and improve your dream villa. The graphics are amazing, the sound and audio just superb, and this game boasts a resolution setting--you don't normally see that on a casual game. You can zoom in and out to get remarkable detail. You build houses for your little Romans, and they rely upon goods you produce like squash and bread. They want resource buildings like fire stations and schools, too, and roads to connect them all. It's a gorgeous SimCity-type idea and it is beautiful to behold.
Despite all of this, I found the game just about unplayable.
I could forgive the rather sparse tutorial and instructions, and I could even overlook how the player isn't told how far a resource building's influence extends (a rather standard feature on most city-builder games). I don't even mind that even after an hour I still don't know how trade buildings work--I never seemed to get my trade money from it, and any time I clicked on it it just asked me what delivery option I wanted, without any reaction when I tried to click on the donkeys. Each building has a pop-up label which is helpful but which has an "i" on it that I couldn't click so whatever information it's supposed to convey, I couldn't access. It's very mystifying but I imagine I'd have figured it all out in time.
No, what really makes this game unplayable are the constant fires. Fires everywhere, even if you have a fire station right across the street (their influence seems to extend 1" past their own building's border). Even two or three buildings over from a fire station, buildings caught fire constantly and they burned to a crisp. Fires destroy your houses and goods, fires ravage your city, and render whatever you're doing completely moot. Almost every 30 seconds, I got a new fire. I'm not exaggerating; I timed it. Apparently you can put out the fire by clicking zillions of times on the buildings "I'm burning!" icon, but whenever I tried that the fire went faster, so I'm not sure if I was clicking the right thing or what.
My cities' shocking flammability is a singularly frustrating situation. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to address this issue beyond building a fire station every other building, and if that's the idea then forget it, I'll just opt out. Those things are not cheap and you don't have unlimited land. I struggled through the 1-hour demo and a half-dozen cities that were in blackened ruins before I finally gave up.
I must reluctantly concede that I will not be buying this game.
I hope that the makers of this game see this review and realize how completely devastating this "feature" is to the game. I'm a history wonk and realize that Ancient Rome had a lot of trouble with fire, but this was ridiculous.
I do not recommend this game unless you're a lot more patient than I am. I might try it again one day if it's on major sale, but as things stand, I can't even imagine it. And that pains me to say, because this game has so much going for it that to see it wrecked by one completely out of balance issue is just heartbreaking.
I don't recommend this game.
Help Audrey find her missing husband! After disappearing mysteriously, the only clue left behind are the Letters from Nowhere!
Overall rating
5
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
Excellent HOG with great replay value.
PostedDecember 21, 2012
GamerCouple
fromthe living room
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
In "Letters to Nowhere," a young woman seeks to find and rescue her presumed-dead husband from nefarious people and forces. In her desperation, she travels all over the place to seek clues to his disappearance and spirals deeper and deeper into a supernatural plot.
In HOG terms, this isn't one of the "adventure" styled games that are heavy on puzzles. This one is very heavy on the hidden-objects end, but rooms contain mostly what you think they should and aren't too anachronistic or non-thematic. The few puzzles aren't too hard to get through. And the HO screens feel like they're actually advancing the story through the game's clever use of dialogue, so it's not just one junk-pile after another. The storyline itself is engaging and interesting and adult players will likely find themselves sympathizing greatly with the heroine.
The art and music for the game are decent, as is the voice acting. The game introduces some interesting twists in the HOG genre by the use of "helper objects" which the player buys in advance, like the standard Polaroid camera and thermometer. Doing specific things or reaching specific milestones gets you achievement badges, which here are styled like the stamps one puts on a letter to mail.
This game reminds me very strongly and pleasantly of "Golden Trails 2: The Lost Legacy." Not only does it share that game's thematic nature, but it also boasts one of the developer's best innovations: an unlimited mode that allows you to go replay each hidden-object screen one at a time against a timed mode. It adds to the concept from GT2 by introducing more achievement "stamps" for unlimited mode. As there are a couple dozen HO screens, unlimited mode adds considerably to the game's length and replay value.
I liked this game and recommend it to people who prefer their HOGs have mostly HO screens and who prefer HOGs with mostly thematic search screens.
I recommend this game!
Investigate a mysterious, medieval monastery and reveal the terrifying truth!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Really nice adventure game
PostedNovember 6, 2012
GamerCouple
fromthe living room
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This isn't an HOG; there aren't really any formal HOG screens at all that I've seen. But it's a really good adventure game with a lot of that hunt-for-stuff feel that HOGs use.
The player assumes the identity of a monk sent to investigate miraculous claims at a monastery that's seeing some mysterious activity. While there, the player goes into various rooms in the monastery, finds stuff, makes soup, gardens, and collects angel statues. As storylines go, this one's a bit dry, but it gets the action moving forward. I especially liked how "medieval" everything was. This game takes place in the high Middle Ages, and it looks like it. The attention to detail here was appreciated and really noteworthy. Such historical attention is why I didn't mind there not being formal HOG screens, incidentally. The whole monastery is the HOG screen, in a sense. For this game, that approach makes a lot of sense.
The game does have a variety of puzzles; some are fairly easy, others quite difficult. The skip button worked as well as one might wish. There are also sequence-games that require you to dash all over to get stuff, and games where you must assemble tools to accomplish goals. I'm not a real fan of mini-games and puzzles, but these weren't bad.
The graphics are simply lovely; the hint system is useful and contextual. The sound is also pleasant without being cloying. Overall I have only good things to say about either.
I liked this game; I don't normally like adventure games, but this one seems really solid, with lovely graphics, a decent storyline, and really thematic props. My concern would be that it doesn't seem exceptionally long, so the value might be wanting, though I can see someone replaying this on other difficulties or just to enjoy the story again.
I recommend this game!
Help Thomas find his master Akkad and fulfill a prophecy! Akkad is on a quest from Cleopatra herself, and must end a civil war!
Overall rating
2
/
5
12 of 12 found this review helpful
Stunning visually, but not very intuitive.
PostedOctober 29, 2012
GamerCouple
fromthe living room
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Absolutely stunning game, gorgeous visuals, gorgeous sound quality, interesting storyline, but wow, just exceptionally poor mechanics and gameplay. Right out of the gate, this game shows you how complex and immersive it is, which makes its lack of smooth mechanics all the more jarring.
A fascinating concept--astrology--gets used very poorly as apparently some objects are visible when the stars ruling your character's chosen sign are propitious or ill-fated, but invisible at other times. I didn't have the patience to go over every single part of the courtyard several times to find all the objects I needed to complete tasks. I could have really used a skip function but didn't notice one available during the puzzles. This is billed as a HOG but there really aren't any HOG screens that I saw; it's a more intuitive, flowing game than a normal HOG, so the objects are scattered around and must be picked up.
Another fascinating concept in the game is how it works with combining and disassembling objects, and I love its inventory. But neither is particularly intuitive. For example, clicking on an object just right will take you out of the inventory screen and have the object in the upper corner, but from there there's no clue how to use the object or what to do with it, or why it's even up there. I see this shortcoming as a general statement about the game: it has such beautiful ideas, but when it comes to actually seeing them in play, this game falls flat.
As it was, I couldn't even get out of the courtyard due to the extreme difficulty of the puzzles. Lovely, lovely game, but I suspect it's geared more for the hardcore folks who prefer a more first-person style of game than a traditional HOG enthusiast. It's such a shame, because this is one of the most visually and conceptually stunning games in the BigFish stable and it looks like the game has many hours of play in it.
I don't recommend this game.