Tikatoy's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.3
- Helpful Votes:1,359
- Reviews Submitted:111
- First Review:November 15, 2011
- Most Recent Review:April 30, 2017
- Featured reviews0
Status:
After your sister vanishes on her wedding day no one has any idea what happened to her, so it's up to you to find the truth!
Overall rating
5
/
5
9 of 9 found this review helpful
Everything I'm looking for in a HOG
PostedJanuary 6, 2013
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This game is the full package. Absolutely beautiful graphics in a luscious and dreamy hand-painted style, atmospheric sound effects, spooky story with a creepy antagonist, well-designed gameplay progression, a good variety of well-executed puzzles including some unique/challenging ones and very good game length.
Good graphics is the #1 factor for me for HOGs and this game has really beautiful artwork. There is the luscious, painted look and a nice soft glow in many of the scenes. There is no music for most of the game, but it works well as there are great atmospheric sound effects (like rain, crunching through snow) that give a good feel.
There is no map, but it's not necessary as there are only a few locations per "chapter". I like the game structure which has you exploring your family home for while, then entering a memory of your (missing, presumed dead) sister's, then returning to your family home to explore some more. I liked this; it felt like you had a "home base" and were going on missions. The only time I missed a map was at the end of the game where you were forced to make two full round trips from one end of the house to the other and I would have appreciated a shortcut.
While I expect the same types of puzzles to appear in HOGs, I appreciated the increased difficulty of a "sliding block" type puzzle and also a puzzle that I've seen only once or twice before (A drawing full of connected lines; you are shown an image on the right and have to highlight the lines in the first drawing to form the same outline as the image).
Not only was this a good game, but there was a lot of it! :) I thought it had a higher than average game length.
(I've started playing the sequel Grim Tales: The Legacy and so far it seems to be even better than The Bride!)
I recommend this game!
You have been chosen to defend all of mankind in Red Crow Mysteries: Legion! Stand up to a terrible evil and save humanity!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Good level of challenge
PostedJanuary 5, 2013
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
At first glance, this game reminded me of Tales from the Dragon Mountain: The Strix (a game I liked) and it is in fact by the same developer.
This is not really a HOG. In casual mode you do get a few screens with a list of inventory items that can be found there, but those are locations, not separate hidden objects scenes, and there are very few items to find (although you get to keep them all).
Instead, it's an adventure game that's easier than the mainstream adventure games of the '80s and '90s, but tougher than the typical HOPA casual game. Active areas do sparkle (on lower difficulty levels) but they only do so after a delay of about a minute. The puzzles require a little more thought than typical for this genre and sometimes not everything is spelled out for you (although it never gets frustrating).
The graphics are simple-looking with what appear to be 3D-modeled objects populating the locations. I generally find this ugly, but it didn't bother me in this game.
The story premise is interesting but ultimately the game ended up feeling like a prologue to the real action. Because this isn't a true HOG, the game length is on the short side.
Try this game out if you like puzzles/minigames and don't mind the graphics and lack of hidden object scenes.
I recommend this game!
Travel across beautiful forests filled with mythical creatures! Find Ragnar's daughters and defeat the evil witch and her cruel servants!
Overall rating
5
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
Addictive gameplay
PostedJanuary 5, 2013
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is a "road building" TM game like My Kingdom for the Princess or Roads of Rome. (This seems to be from the same developer as RoR, which I've always liked more than MKftP)
At first glance, the graphics appear to have taken a step back from others in the genre, but it grew on me very quickly. When you have so many different objects (obstacles, structures, resources, etc.) on the screen at the same time, it's nice to have really clean, clear visuals to plot your strategy for the level. I also liked the Viking theme.
I'm pretty neurotic about getting an expert score on every level and in the first chapter, I found myself repeating levels as early on as 5 or 6, which led me to think the game was going to be difficult. I had an easier go of it in the second chapter though, so I think I was just overly aggressive in upgrading my buildings and that's why I had problems.
At the core, you only have two types of decisions to make in this game: the order of upgrading/exploration, and the type of bonus to use. Because of the number of choices you can make, though, you end up with a lot of strategies. A lot of satisfaction in the game comes from adjusting your strategy to improve your time. (It is so nice to finish JUST as the timer starts blinking to indicate that you're about to go over the expert time)
I usually don't pay much attention to the story for this genre, but I liked this one! You have to rescue your daughters from an evil sorceress called Gesta who has kidnapped and transformed them into other forms. She has also blighted the land and they do a nice job in short dialogue of making her feel like an active antagonist. She seems especially involved in the final level where she summons monsters to oppose you and even battles you at the end!
No exciting new minigames or game mechanics, but a very solid, well-balanced and well-designed TM game overall.
I recommend this game!
Upon arriving in a strange city, you find the citizens ready to burn Menes at the stake in Ghost Towns: The Cats of Ulthar!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Original story, fun item collection optional game
PostedJanuary 1, 2013
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This game starts not with a car crash, missing/kidnapped relative, or mysterious inheritance, but a boy who's falsely accused of murder and sentence to death. An original premise, and an orignal story overall that develops to reveal that all is not what it seems.
The art has a gorgeous, hand-painted look to it and is beautifully illuminated by moonlight or candlelight. There were a variety of puzzles, but they were all of pretty average (i.e. easy) difficulty for this genre. I especially enjoyed doing the jigsaw puzzles as the complete picture reveals more of the back story with some voiceover narration.
I always like it when games have an optional task to collect specific types of items, and in this case it's cats. They're pretty well-hidden, and in a couple of cases, despite looking closely in every location, I had to refer to the walkthrough to find the cat.
Overall, this was a pretty good HOG that stood out to me for its original story and fun optional collection game (of cats).
I recommend this game!
Help Catherine save the Magic Academy from a fate worse than foreclosure in Magic Encyclopedia: Illusions, a new Hidden Object game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
FROG with fun "illusion" mode
PostedJanuary 1, 2013
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
I like FROGs (fragmented object games) a lot and this one has an interesting twist to it; each scene can be viewed in real and "illusion" mode that look slightly different and the fragmented objects can be found in both.
As with most other FROGs, once you find all the object fragments, you can combine them to make inventory items. You also have a good variety of puzzles that provide a decent challenge, although nothing too innovative. The graphics are bright, colourful, and while not on the beautiful/gorgeous end of the scale, they have a nice magical quality to them and works great for all of the exotic locations you travel to.
After finishing each "chapter" (a group of locations), you can revisit the scenes to play optional spot the differences minigames.
While not one of the best in this genre, it's pretty good overall.
I recommend this game!
Long banished from Fogmere for the practice of dark magic, an evil wizard now holds the kingdom under a reign of darkness!
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 6 found this review helpful
The puzzles are better than the Match 3 gameplay
PostedDecember 31, 2012
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
I got this game because it was a DD and I liked the idea of a Match 3 game as a medieval fantasy adventure. There are a variety of puzzles mixed in with the Match 3 boards and a very basic adventure game element which consists of talking to characters you encounter along the way and figuring out what inventory item to give them.
The M3 gameplay isn't going to be exciting for M3 fans. Making combos or 4-5 of a kind doesn't seem to give any discernible benefit; no special items created like bombs or row/column destroyers. You can buy spells using money earned from playing levels that function like these power ups, though, and I needed them for later levels to clear the last few required tiles.
Some of the tiles are locked, double-locked or triple-locked, but other than that, the levels are very basic. There's no variety e.g. selecting hexagons instead of square tiles, or finding matches by highlighting "chains" or clicking on groups of the same tile. It's just the basic M3 gameplay of swapping tiles to make 3 or more in a row. M3 is a pretty zen/brainless thing for me so I didn't mind this.
There are also about 5-6 different types of puzzles that recur throughout at the game. You have common types like fitting gears together, rotating pipe pieces to form a path, one like Alchemy, etc. but they increase in difficulty as you get to the end of the game and I had to retry some of them a few times. They were a surprisingly decent challenge! I also enjoyed the final puzzle which was a variation on changing the angle of mirrors to direct light to a certain spot. You have to complete a few levels within a certain amount of time and failing means you have to start all over. I enjoyed the challenge of the time limit and it was satisfying to complete it.
All puzzles can be skipped, so if you don't like them you don't have to play.
The graphics look outdated. A lot of the creatures and items in the game seem to be made of low-polygon 3D models with low-res graphics. The backgrounds are decent but very basic. I did like the look of the swappable items in the M3 boards though!
If you're a M3 fan, I would recommend something else like Lost in Reefs. If you're a puzzle fan and would like playing through basic M3 boards to get to puzzles then you might like this.
I don't recommend this game.
Relive the fantasy of Beauty & the Beast in this never before told story of magic and love!
Overall rating
4
/
5
Interesting continuation of the Beauty and the Beast story
PostedDecember 31, 2012
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This game picks up after the story of Beauty and the Beast, introducing an evil enchantress as the antagonist. I got this mainly because I really enjoyed the first game in this series: Phantom of the Opera.
The artwork looks nice but a little washed out; it does a good job of conveying a magical sense of wonder. I was pleasantly surprised by how whimsical a couple of the hidden object scenes were; there was a small animal's cosy little home under a tree root, complete with tea party. There was also humour in the form of some characters whining about their lives. I didn't expect this after the seriousness of Phantom of the Opera, but as this game is based on a fairy tale, it's appropriate.
There is a map that shows you where there are actions to do. I used this a lot to check for new hidden object scenes popping up in old locations and as well as small inventory items I might have missed.
The hidden object scenes look nice, and the puzzles are fairly standard fare for the most part until the end, where there are a couple of arcade-style ones (involving spiders; warning for the arachnophobes).
A pretty good game, although not exceptional, but short! I finished it in about 3 hours and I took my time.
I recommend this game!
Join Patricia on her quest to find Sun! Immerse yourself in this beautiful and exciting Puzzle Adventure game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
16 of 16 found this review helpful
Endearingly weird game
PostedDecember 28, 2012
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The basic gameplay is sort of like a jigsaw puzzle; imagine a picture that is cut into a grid of small squares, then those squares are jumbled around. You swap those squares around until you form the original picture. That's it. That's the only puzzle in this game.
And yet... I couldn't stop playing! This was because of the gorgeous and unique artwork, and creative and bizarre story. I actually got a little emotional at the ending--that's never happened to me with a casual game before!
Do check out the demo. While the art style and story really appealed to me, it probably doesn't to everyone. You can get a good feel for the game after playing one puzzle.
I recommend this game!
A classic Christmas tale tail, with a whole new twist! Help the Nutcracker rescue the princess from the evil Rat King!
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Impressive
PostedDecember 27, 2012
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is the best HOG I've played in a long time. I had pretty low expectations to start because typically these holiday games aren't great, but I was completely sucked in by the intro scene and the gorgeous starting locations, highlighted by a beautifully decorated Christmas tree and a magical atmosphere of wonder.
The visuals are definitely the best thing about this game. It successfully blends hand-painted backgrounds with pretty 3D models/objects and animated cut scenes while still retaining a dreamy, magical overall atmosphere.
There are fewer hidden object scenes than typical for this genre, but I appreciated it. I don't like playing one scene after the other continuously, so I thought there were a good number in this game and they were spaced apart well. The scenes were beautiful; some of the items require an additional step (e.g. putting two halves of a pair of scissors together) but they were always logical.
At first the puzzles seemed on the easy side (although they required some careful thinking), but there were also a couple of unique puzzles that I really appreciated and enjoyed solving. even the puzzles that seem more familiar had enough of a variation on them to make them challenging/interesting. It's rare to find something fresh and creative for puzzles in this genre, so big props to Elephant for that!
There is quite a bit of backtracking in the game, but it isn't a problem because there's a map that you can use to jump around. It also shows you locations where you can take an action, which I really appreciated.
The adventure (collecting and using inventory items) portion of the game is very good. You find obstacles like locked chests, screwed in grates, etc. in some of the early locations that you can't open until later on in the game when you find the necessary items, so the game has more of a non-linear feel to it, which I like. The real highlight was being able to carry companions around in your inventory who you could call on for specific tasks. The nutcracker fights rats, the candle can light things on fire, and the cat is able to access high places. Each usage of these companions has a nice animated cut scene, and it made me feel like I had some buddies accompanying me on my journey. You see only one person (the doorman) - where did all the guests go? - in the whole game (and a bunch of rats) so it would have felt lonely without the companions.
The story is pretty straightforward (save the princess!), but there is a very interesting backstory that melds several fairy tales and children's stories, along with an original twist on things. This back story is told in high quality cut scenes with voice overs and I really enjoyed them.
Overall this was a beautiful, well made game that was a delight to play.
I recommend this game!
Stop the villainous Visage from ruining Mardi Gras in Shattered Minds: Masquerade, an incredible Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
Great bonus content
PostedNovember 22, 2012
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The main game was very good but to me it was 4 and not quite 5 stars. The bonus content had great puzzles that pushed it up to five stars for me.
I love anything set in New Orleans so that was a big draw for me. The mysterious masked villain, though cliched, was interesting and I really liked the spooky visuals and varied settings, although I wouldn't rank the artwork among the best I've seen.
The hidden object scenes are typically my least favourite part of HOPAs, but I really enjoyed the ones in this game. Most of the objects are fairly easy to find (like most HOGs), but a few are very well camouflaged along the natural shape of other objects in the scene. A bit like the early MCF games but with much better graphics. Would have liked it if objects weren't repeated when playing the same scene again though.
The main game is divided into five distinct zones that each have a few locations; this means there is minimal backtracking. The puzzles were fun and provided a decent challenge; nothing unique though.
The real strength of the game is in the bonus content. There are a few really great logical puzzles that require some thought and while the main game is a self-contained story with a satisfying ending, the bonus content added a new dimension to the story that I would like to see explored further (perhaps it is in the sequel).
There are also morphing/beyond objects (which I love) in some of the scenes. Finding these will unlock extras like wallpaper and concept art. A nice extra in the bonus content is that you get to play several bonus puzzles of the same type as puzzles from the game with increasing levels of difficulty.
I recommend this game!