LucidDream's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:407
- Reviews Submitted:25
- First Review:January 9, 2012
- Most Recent Review:January 14, 2016
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Use your survival skills to uncover artifacts, solve ancient technologies, and explore the Mysterious Island.
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Fun and charming island survival game
PostedOctober 13, 2012
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Kheops studios is one of my favourite adventure game developers and this game is a large part of the reason for that. It is fun and charming with challenging enough puzzles that fit the island survival theme perfectly.
Parts of the story are loosely based on Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea but more importantly the game is about surviving on an uninhabited island. While there are no other humans on the island, you are not alone and much of the games charm comes from interacting with a non-human companion. Much of the gameplay is inspired by the survival theme of the story but there are also sci-fi elements to the game, inspired by Jules Verne's book.
The graphics depicting the game environments are very good. However, there are no animated cutscenes. Instead story progression is presented using black and white drawings. While a bit lifeless, this format is entirely adequate for this kind of game.
The puzzles are mostly inspired by the survival theme of the story and many of them are crafting puzzles that require you to create useful items by combining items that you find on the island. Puzzles always feel well integrated with the story and offer an adequate level of challenge. Most importantly they are a lot of fun to solve.
All in all, this is a very enjoyable game with a pleasant story with a lot of charm and fun crafting puzzles. I would recommend it to anyone who likes adventure games, and in particular if you have been looking for a game with somwhat MacGyver like gameplay.
I recommend this game!
Team up with Kaptain Brawe for a brand new adventure in Episode 2! Journey to space and save the day as a Space Police Officer!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Now we're talking - second episode is more fun
PostedJune 8, 2012
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
While the second episode of Kaptain Brawe suffers from some of the same weaknesses of the first episode I found it to be more fun to play because most of the story development happens in the this episode, it has a proper ending and perhaps most importantly I preferred the new playable characters that were introduced to Kaptain Brawe himself.
In my review of the first episode I said I found the humour more silly than fun. I found the humour in the second episode to be more to my taste, in particular I think because Kaptain Brawe himself, who contributed most of the silliness is now only one of several playable characters. The second episode also had some more serious parts without any attempts at humour.
The level of challenge is roughly the same as in the first epsidoe, with some really easy puzzles and some tricky ones.
There story gets moving right from early on in this episodes, unlike in the first episode where not that much happened, and it reaches a proper conclusion at the end of the episode.
Overall I found the second episode of Kaptain Brawe to be enjoyable enough that I would recommend it to anyone who likes adventure games. It is independent enough of the first episode that it is playable on it's own or of course together with the first episode to experience the full game.
I recommend this game!
Open your mind and go on an epic adventure inspired by Jules Verne. Voyage will take you beyond into a realm of discovery.
Overall rating
5
/
5
40 of 42 found this review helpful
Exciting voyage into the unknown
PostedJune 4, 2012
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
With "Return to Mysterious Island" from the same developer being one of my favourite games from the collection here at Big Fish I approached this with high hopes. I was not disappointed. Just like Mysterious Island this is loosely based on a Jules Verne story, in this case "From the Earth to the Moon". Like most games by Kheops the game has plenty of charm and in this case a healthy dose of humour. It also offers a good level of challenge for somewhat more experienced players, although it may be too hard for someone new to the genre or someone who has only played hidden object games (some of the other reviews here suggest this may be the case).
The story, while based on serious science fiction, isn't too serious but rather takes a humorous approach to the exploration of a different planet topic and it succeeds brilliantly at mixing humour, charm and the excitement involved in exploring the unknown to produce a very enjoyable gameplay experience.
Graphics, while not of exceptionally high quality, do quite a good job at conveying the alien nature of the game world.
Puzzles are fairly varied and offer a good level of challenge. They are also well integrated in the game and feel like natural tasks to undertake in such an alien environment which help makes them fun to solve. The uniqueness of the alien game environment also helps make the puzzles feel a bit more unique which also contributes to making them fun to solve. The end result is fairly challenging puzzles that are a lot of fun to solve.
In conclusion I think this is a very good game with a charming, humorous and exciting story and good, fun to solve puzzles. I would recommend it to anyone who is experienced with and likes this type of games, but perhaps not to newcomers to the genre (Emerald City Confidential is a great starting point for newcomers).
I recommend this game!
Set in a hand drawn alternative 19th century world, Kaptain Brawe, a Space Police officer, will embark on an interstellar journey.
Overall rating
3
/
5
8 of 9 found this review helpful
Short first episode not worth playing on it's own
PostedJune 4, 2012
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
This is just the first part of the full game and it is therefore quite short and has no proper ending. The game is a space adventure that is constantly trying to be funny. Unfortunately the humour did not really work for me. I found the game to be more silly than funny. This first episode of the game ends shortly after most of the major characters of the full game have been introduced and therefore doesn't have a whole lot of a story.
The hand drawn graphics are quite good and the music and sound effects are appropriate although there is no voice acting and the music could have been a bit more varied.
The puzzles in the game are of quite varied level of challenge, ranging from very easy to quite challenging, and in general challenging puzzles seem to be followed by easy ones. I found this approach to work quite well as it was nice to be able to make some quick progress after solving a difficult puzzle.
One aspect of the game that I found quite unpolished was the responses that the main character gives to your attempted actions. The responses to actions that do not work are the same no matter what it is you are trying (except if what you're trying is almost the right thing) and are sometimes quite inappropriate. When I try to use a hammer on a nail and the character responds with "That is an unusual idea but..." it makes me feel that the developers haven't put a lot of thought into dealing with possible actions the players might try. This kind of inappropriate response to an attempted action reduced the sense of immersement in the game for me.
In conclusion, the failed attemps at humour, the fact that this short first episode doesn't have too much of a story and the unpolished responses to attempted player actions keep me from wanting to recommend this game, despite good hand drawn graphics and a good level of challenge. However, this is based only on this first episode, the game may well improve in the second episode, which may make the first episode worth playing to get an introduction to the characters and game universe before playing the second episode. In fact my experience with the demo of the second episode suggests that this may be the case. My rating should therefore be interpreted as a rating of this episode based on it's own merits.
I don't recommend this game.
After he falls down a hole in your basement, you must Save Rex from a City of Secrets in this incredible Adventure game!
Overall rating
2
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Dullsville
PostedMay 29, 2012
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
The graphics are good, the jazzy soundtrack is pleasant and there is the occasional moment of succesful humour but unfortunately dull gameplay and a very predictable story bring this game down.
Puzzles are not very challenging and most importantly they are not fun to solve. They generally require more tedious running from place to place than actual thinking.
The game tries very hard to be humorous, but in my opinion it only succeeds very occasionally and I found the constant failed attempts at being funny rather annoying.
The story is overall very predictable and I found myself having figured some things out long before the game character did so more than once. There are some unpredictable moments but these felt too distached from the rest of the story to add very much to my overall assessement of the quality of it.
In conclusion the game has good aspects (the best aspect is probably the soundtrack) but it is just not fun to play, due to uninspiring puzzles, constant failed attempts at humour and an all too predictable story. I would not recommend this game to anyone.
I don't recommend this game.
Help Arok navigate an underground maze filled with tribal magic and ancient denizens so he may fulfill his destiny.
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Fairly short but edutaining cave painter adventure
PostedMay 7, 2012
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I've found most of Kheops studio's games to be enjoyable and this one was no exception. Additionally, it is actually educational, but only if you want it to be.
The story is a rather simple affair about a young Cro-Magnon man striving to be a painter in a world where cave paintings have supernatural powers. While this is an interesting idea for a story, there is barely any background information or detail and I found the story to be the weakest aspect of the game. On the positive side the game contains plenty of information about life in pre-historical times but this is optional reading in a small built in encyclopedia and does not form part of the story. Like most Kheops games the game also has a pleasant atmosphere.
Puzzles are fairly challenging and for the most part quite fun. They also fit the theme of the game quite well with. For example you need to do some crafting, such as making a simple weapon, and a bit of painting. There are also some fairly original puzzles that are based on manipulating cave paintings that come alive. On the downside the game is very linear and there is often only a single puzzle to work on at a time, which means that if you get stuck on that puzzle, you cannot do something else in the game and come back to that puzzle later.
Graphics and sound are good but nothing exceptional.
The game is rather short and unfortunately not all that replayable since it is mainly the puzzles and not the story that make the game fun and having solved them once they won't present much challenge on a second playthrough.
In conclusion, this is an enjoyable and potentially educational game with fairly challenging puzzles and an interesting and original setting. Unfortunately short length combined with lack of replayability, a story without much depth and excessive linearity keeps it from being the great game it could have been but it is still good enough that I can recommend it.
I recommend this game!
Scratches Director's Cut
Help writer Michael Arthate explore the Blackwood house! Follow mysteries through the house and dive into secrets of the past!
Overall rating
4
/
5
8 of 10 found this review helpful
Genuinely scary horror game
PostedApril 10, 2012
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Many games claim to be horror games, much fewer games actually manage to scare me. This one did the job nicely. This is without a doubt the scariest game I've played, which makes it a great horror game. It also has good challenging puzzles and very good graphics.
The game takes place in a large house which the main character, a horror writer, has moved into. Gameplay is divided into a few days, and importantly nights, were progression to the next day occurs when a few goals have been achieved. The game does a nice job of gradually building up a creepy atmosphere during the day, based on texts you find that descibe past events, effective use of music and ominous comments from the main character. The nights are when the game turns really scary, but I'll leave it at that since I don't want to spoil anything.
Telephone conversations between the main character and his friend play an important role in the game by giving you an idea of what your current goals are and some hints on how to achieve them. These conversations suffer from somewhat worse writing and are the weakest aspect of the game. Also the ending felt a bit anticlimactic.
The puzzles offer a good level of challenge and all puzzle solutions are logical. Puzzles are also fairly original and the game even pokes fun at of unoriginal puzzles that are overused in other games by letting you try a common solution to one particularly common puzzle only to have it fail miserably. The only issue I had with the gameplay was that a bit too much careful searching of the house was required. This kind of challenge doesn't appeal that much to me but I can see how it may appeal to other players.
In conclusion this is a very effective horror game with good puzzles that was made somwhat less enjoyable by a somewhat excessive need for careful searching for important objects, some not all that good conversations and an anticlimactic ending. Still, it is a very good game that I would strongly recommend to anyone who likes horror games.
I recommend this game!
Emerald City Confidential
Help Petra explore the seedy underbelly of Emerald City, and find Dee Gale’s missing fiancé. Mysteries abound in this dark tale.
Overall rating
5
/
5
21 of 23 found this review helpful
Highly enjoyable noir adventure
PostedApril 5, 2012
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
A noirish detective story set in the world of Oz. A game with a premise like had better be good because I'm going to approach it with high expectations. Luckily Emerald City Confidential is a great game, and did not dissapoint me in the least.
The story appealed to me right from the start. The best thing about the game is probably the characters, who are anything but bland with well developed personalities that suit the noirish nature of the game. It was interesting to see the characters from the well known story with completely different personalities from what I am used to.
The graphics, music and voice acting are all very good and serve to give the game a uniqe atmosphere of cartoonish noir which I found very appealing.
The only downside for an experienced player like myself was that the game just wasn't very challenging. In fact it hardly offered any resistance at all until very close to the end. However, for a game like this that is story driven and entertaining enough to be highly replayable that isn't a major problem. It also makes the game an ideal choice for less experienced players.
In conclusion I found this to be a very enjoyable game that I would recommend to everyone who likes adventure games as well as anyone who is interested in giving the genre a try since this game would serve as an excellent introduction to the genre.
I recommend this game!
A billionaire has been murdered on a tropical island, and it`s up to Detective Jack Norm to crack the case! Can you solve the mystery?
Overall rating
4
/
5
43 of 45 found this review helpful
Enjoyable crime investigation
PostedApril 2, 2012
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I'll admit my bias from the start. I love playing the role of the detective, whether it is a police detective or a private detective, and that is exactly what this game let me do. It is all about conducting detective work, including among other things interviewing suspects, collecting fingerprints and searching the crime scene for evidence. With a good detailed story, a diverse bunch of characters and very good graphics it was an enjoyable game even though the gameplay eventually started to feel a bit repetitive.
While the gameplay involves various kinds of detective work, a large portion of it is interviewing suspects. And this is the main weakness of the game for two reasons. First, there is so much interviewing to be done that it does get a bit repetitive. Second, the suspect interviewing parts of the game can be performed by simply asking everyone about everything, and therefore do not present much of a challenge. It also means you have to do a lot of walking between different locations. However, with the beautiful graphics and pleasant music I did not mind a bit of strolling through the gameworld. Also the dialog is interesting enough that I didn't mind that there was a lot of it (and there really is a lot of dialog).
The game has a few a bit more challenging puzzles, but since a large portion of the game, as mentioned above, can be solved by asking everyone about everything, the average challenge level is a bit lower than I would have preferred.
The story was rather interesting and quite detailed. The characters are a fairly colorful bunch, and also reasonably realistic, and you get to learn more about each of them and their secrets throughout the game. The story lacked any real originality though, which is why I can't give it a full rating.
In conclusion I would recommend this game to anyone who, like myself, enjoys playing the role of the detective.
I recommend this game!
Play the role of an expert safecracker and find the hidden deed to riches within and extravagant mansion.
Overall rating
4
/
5
9 of 15 found this review helpful
Nice collection of puzzles
PostedMarch 31, 2012
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
This is advertised as being "The Ultimate Puzzle Adventure" but it is not so much an adventure game as it is a collection of puzzles. This is fine with me though, and while the game doesn't quite live up to the promise of being the ultimate puzzle game, it does offer some enjoyable challenges.
I feel it would be unfair to the game to rate it based on it's story, which is really simple and doesn't add much to the game, which is really all about the puzzles. Therefore I've refrained from giving a storyline rating even if there is a story of sorts.
The visuals are great and adds to the atmosphere of the game, as does the pleasant and appropriate music and the unusually good voice acting for the main character. However, since you can mostly just interact with the safes, apart from a few puzzles where the surroundings play an important role in the solution, and the game zooms in on the safe when you interact with it, the beautiful surroundings feel mostly just like eyecandy with little role in the actual gameplay.
The puzzles range from fairly easy to quite challenging. My main complaint is that many puzzles weren't all that original, being either slight variations on puzzles I've solved before or in at least one case exactly the same as a puzzle I've solved before. There are a couple of more original puzzles but these are in general less challenging than the less original ones. This is why I can't give the game a full rating for level of challenge because I was already familiar with the inherently most challenging puzzles which made solving them less of a challenge. The puzzles were still challenging enough to be fun though. In particular the more original puzzles, while not always that difficult to solve, were a lot of fun because of creative design.
To sum up, I found this game to provide a nice collection of fun to solve puzzles and I would recommend it to all puzzle enthusiasts.
I recommend this game!