Emerald_Storm's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.6
- Helpful Votes:569
- Reviews Submitted:29
- First Review:January 15, 2012
- Most Recent Review:June 15, 2023
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Appease terrifying ghosts before they kidnap and punish the entire city of Sunnyvale in this dark and mysterious Hidden Object game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
Easy Navigation - Good Help/Hint feature
PostedApril 30, 2012
Emerald_Storm
fromCincinnati, Ohio, USA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Storyline is not unusual - murder, ghosts, etc.
The hint feature is helpful, and will continue to direct you to where you need to be without depleting itself until a real hint is given.
Navigation is easy point and click.
HOS's are about the right level - challenging without being maddening.
Object/clue location is methodical and logical, and there was only a minimum of scene back tracking to find what I needed.
I recommend this game!
Help solve an ancient mystery as you discover and capture Edgar Allan Poe`s murderer! Collect clues and crack the conspiracy!
Overall rating
4
/
5
23 of 26 found this review helpful
3 Mini Poe episodes to Investigate
PostedFebruary 26, 2012
Emerald_Storm
fromCincinnati, Ohio, USA
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
There are three separate episodes in this game - The Murder of Marie Roget, The Gold Bug, The Edgar Allan Poe Conspiracy.
Each episode focuses on HOS's, interviewing different people at different locations and unlocking different clues.
The hint system is adequate, though you need to be judicious in using them. You replenish your hints by finding the raven in every new scene. When you run out of ravens, you have to figure it out yourself - however, I never ran out of ravens as most of the objects were able to be found with a little intense looking.
This is NOT an adventure type game - the game moves you along to the scenes. There is no navigation - you get a scene and work the scene - you never move around within a scene. (except for close up investigations)
The game is a bit short compared to others, but don't let that stop you - it's a fun game for an afternoon of playing.
I recommend this game!
Track down the terrifying and menacing Phantom of the Renaissance Faire in this exciting Hidden Object Adventure
Overall rating
4
/
5
14 of 15 found this review helpful
A Good, Balanced Game!
PostedFebruary 25, 2012
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Inspect a deserted Renaissance Faire!
Graphics could be more crisp, but I was not unhappy with the game's visuals. It is a dark game when playing, but you're snooping around at night.
Some of the HOS's were more challenging than others, but none made you go blind looking for something.
The story line does a lot to help move the game along, and will help you decide what you should do next.
I recommend this game!
Peel back the curtains and search for treasure in one of the grandest buildings in the western world – Buckingham Palace!
Overall rating
3
/
5
16 of 19 found this review helpful
No Story - Just HOS after HOS
PostedFebruary 25, 2012
Emerald_Storm
fromCincinnati, Ohio, USA
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
The visuals were very nicely done, with HOS's set within various rooms of the Palace.
Unfortunately, that is primarily the entire premise of the game.
And... you'll be doing the same room a couple times before the game is over.
It wasn't bad... just not what I was looking for.
I recommend this game!
The Inquisitor
Take on the role of Tobias, a young and inquisitive monk, as you search for the truth in order to save a remote village!
Overall rating
2
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
Promising, but Lacking
PostedFebruary 25, 2012
Emerald_Storm
fromCincinnati, Ohio, USA
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
The story line held some promise, but didn't play out well in the end, and the game play tended to go from one extreme to another. (Ridiculously Easy to Stupidly Difficult)
HOS's were sometimes doable in under a minute, as everything was clearly visible and set apart from other objects, while the next HOS was enough to make you go blind. Worse, the same HOS scene was often repeated, and you were then looking for the exact same items - again.
Scenery didn't vary much, and the graphics weren't as good as they could have been. The areas to explore were very limited, as well.
I found the game was actually short by the clock, but it felt like forever to play, simply because it was repetitive and tedious.
I'm not in the habit of giving bad reviews, but I honestly have to say I would not recommend this game.
I don't recommend this game.
Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches
Explore a haunted farmstead in Wales called Ty Pryderi! Chris has been asked to house-sit, and is in for a spooky surprise!
Overall rating
4
/
5
7 of 8 found this review helpful
Complex and Lengthy!
PostedFebruary 25, 2012
Emerald_Storm
fromCincinnati, Ohio, USA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
While many games seem to rush you through to the end, Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches doesn't do that.
Settle in for a long while for this game - it is very lengthy, even if you resort to some walk-throughs.
The frustrating part for me was being able to pick up an object, but not be able to put it inventory until you were close to needing it. That meant literally writing notes about where I saw something - otherwise, four hours later I was searching every area again!
The story line involves a lot of old Welsh legends, and while it is important to the game, you don't have to immerse yourself in tons of reading on background history and lore to keep moving forward in the game.
The pace of the game is slower than many adventure games currently out. This allows the necessary time to explore and discover things; No one is tied up and about to die if you don't hurry and find that clue like some games. You are also not going to interact with other people - it's just you, the farmhouse, outbuildings on the property, and lots of acreage and tree groves to root through.
There are no hints or help, other than your task notebook. It IS helpful to keep your own notes in a real life notebook, as I mentioned earlier.
This game was what I had been looking for: complex, well-thought out and very lengthy!
I recommend this game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
Long game - Fun Game - but not Stellar!
PostedFebruary 25, 2012
Emerald_Storm
fromCincinnati, Ohio, USA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The premise of the game is excellent, but the execution was lacking for me.
The visuals were very good, and the game area/length was very good as well. There always seemed to be a new area to explore, or something to collect or do.
Challenge level is set at medium, with most things falling in to place logically.
I recommend this game!
Celtic folklore seems to be more truth than lore when the Samhain festival goers disappear! Find the missing people and save the day!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 5 found this review helpful
Lots to do!
PostedFebruary 25, 2012
Emerald_Storm
fromCincinnati, Ohio, USA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
the story moves you forward with multiple areas/scenes/times to search through. You will always be wondering what to do next, or what you need to do with the stuff in your inventory.
I liked the flow of tasks to do, but many of the tasks were overly apparent or simplified beyond necessity, taking some of the fun out of it.
I recommend this game!
An archeologist comes home from an expedition with an ancient medallion. The next day she goes missing and James must save her!
Overall rating
3
/
5
10 of 10 found this review helpful
Lacked Something For Me!
PostedFebruary 25, 2012
Emerald_Storm
fromCincinnati, Ohio, USA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This isn't a bad game - but I wouldn't classify it as a stellar game, either.
The story line started out interesting, but the last few *chapters* or areas to be explored just didn't work for me. There was a lot of back and forth to collect things without a great deal of logic to them.
The HOS's were not overly difficult. You mostly collected individual pieces to make up a particular piece that you would then use in the scene, rather than looking for whole objects. Some of the HOS's were very nicely done, or very different (like collecting multiples of the same jungle animals)
Just not what I was looking for, though it was a decent game.
I recommend this game!
After a group of young students go missing, the Mystery Trackers are called in to search the city of Raincliff!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Better than Expected!
PostedFebruary 25, 2012
Emerald_Storm
fromCincinnati, Ohio, USA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I purchased this game on a whim when it was offered as a special purchase when I bought a Collector's Edition for a completely different game. For $2.99, I'd give it a try.
I AM NOT SORRY! Truth be told, I was happier with this game than the CE I purchased.
The mix of HOS and things to collect/do/unlock combined with a sense of urgency to save the people in the story made this game a winner.
There are numerous areas to explore, and many of the tasks are not immediately apparent - you really have to think.
If you need a hint, this game provides one of the best hint systems I've ever seen - nothing is vague, and they don't just give you sparkles in a certain direction - It TELLS you word for word what you should do or use next. The hints also recharge very fast in casual mode.
This is a good, long game. Well worth the price!
I recommend this game!