Arien1's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.1
- Helpful Votes:309
- Reviews Submitted:27
- First Review:October 21, 2015
- Most Recent Review:March 18, 2023
- Featured reviews0
The most perfect town in the world hides a terrible secret!
Overall rating
2
/
5
11 of 12 found this review helpful
A huge disappointment for this series; I wasted a free code
PostedJanuary 2, 2021
Arien1
fromArizona
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Family, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
First of all, warning! This review contains spoilers not only for this game, but also for Mystery Trackers: Raincliff.
I have played all of the Grim Tales, Mystery Trackers, Haunted Hotel and Detectives United games. I have loved most of them. I was thrilled when I saw that this game would possibly revisit Agent Brown's family or past, as Mystery Trackers: Raincliff is one of my favorite games. And this game did revisit those things, and got them completely wrong.
The good: the graphics and music were beautiful. The voice acting for Dorian/Mortimer, James, and Anna were great.
The bad: the puzzles were so easy, my 4 year old could have solved them. No challenge at all. The flower girl's voice acting was monotone. I'm guessing she was supposed to be drugged by the blue roses, but no one else in town spoke with such monotony. And her voice didn't get much better in the bonus game either. And why wasn't James affected by the roses? That was never explained.
The really bad: this is probably just me being nitpicky, but I really don't like it when games alter details from previous games with no explanation whatsoever. And way too many things were brought up as if they were important, then dropped with no explanation. It felt as if the whole game was unfinished.
WARNING! Spoilers from this point on!
Dorian and Mortimer being twins...okay, I can deal with that. I understand why it works for this particular game. But (SPOILER ALERT for Raincliff!!!) no explanation whatsoever for how Mortimer is even in this game considering we watch him die in the bonus chapter of Raincliff! I'm guessing this game is just pretending that the bonus chapter of that game never happened??
And an uncle is mentioned, then never mentioned again. He's mentioned as the sheriff. The current sheriff? A previous sheriff? I thought we'd go somewhere with that, but no.
Why does Anna find a Detectives United badge hidden in the town in the past? No explanation for that either.
They made a bit of a deal about James not being as affected by the blue roses as expected, but then that was just dropped. Why wasn't he affected?! I want to know!
What was Brown doing for 2 months? Yes, he was investigating, but was he in hiding that whole time? Was Mortimer aware that Dorian was in town that long? Considering Dorian walks out of Mortimer's office right after Mortimer does, it would appear they were in there together. Some comments in the game make it seem as if Mortimer was aware of Dorian's presence, while other comments seem to indicate that Dorian was in hiding the whole time. Dorian also makes comments to the effect that he has to repeatedly clean up his brother's messes, but we get no further explanation. There was so much unexplored potential there!
What the heck did Dorian defeat Mortimer with at the end? What was that box for? What did it do? I was so confused. I don't think I've ever finished a game and not understood how I defeated the bad guy.
And exactly what was Mortimer's crime? Drugging people into happiness? Yeah, drugging people is not good, but he didn't seem to have a nefarious purpose. What was his motivation? Was he really just trying to make people happy? To create a happy town with happy people? Did he have some ulterior motive that was never revealed? What was the whole point?
There are other flaws in the story line. The whole game just felt like it was rushed and things were dropped or not completed. It felt like several different people worked on it without consulting each other, then just threw their different pieces together and released it without making sure everything fit.
I had a free code for this game, and I feel like I wasted it.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you and your daughter save your loved one's life in time?
Overall rating
1
/
5
18 of 23 found this review helpful
I could barely stomach the demo
PostedSeptember 26, 2020
Arien1
fromArizona
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Family, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I don't think I've ever left a review based just off the demo before, but this game is so awful that I could barely drag myself just through that. I did play it twice, just to make sure I wasn't being unfair, and it was just as bad the second time. The voice acting is some of the worst I've ever heard, especially Alice. Did they get the same robot to play her that they used in the previous game? There's no logical progression to the clues and objects you find. Games like this always lack some logic (who stores a screwdriver in a secret panel in a wall?), but it seemed as if every step of this game was lacking in logic. I had to use the hint button 2 or 3 times in the demo because the progression of events just didn't make sense. I've played tons of games like this. I know it's not my intelligence that's lacking, although it's possible that my lack of interest was stunting my ability to figure out what to do next. At one point the murderer is right in front of you, frozen in the middle of committing the act, and instead of walking up to them and looking at their face to see who it is you have to waste time working on puzzles, hunting for various items and commenting that Anna needs to travel to the past to figure out who the murderer is. Say what??! And no Richard! I know not everyone likes Richard, but judging by other comments I'm not alone in being upset that he's been removed from the game. His banter and dry wit are the highlights of the GT games for me and this turkey of a game needs his humor even more than the previous games did! I definitely will not be buying this game. This series has gone way, way downhill.
I don't recommend this game.
A small-town murder case hides a revelation that will shake the agency to its core!
Overall rating
2
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
This game left me a little confused
PostedAugust 21, 2020
Arien1
fromArizona
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Hidden Object, Large File, Time Management
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I've played all of the MCF games. I played this one all the way through, including the bonus game. I felt that this one started off good, but the ending left me completely confused. Even after playing the bonus game I'm just not sure what happened. Unfortunately, I really can't explain why without posting major spoilers. I haven't been happy with how Eipix has treated the series for the most part (although I did enjoy Black Crown a lot), but with Grandma Games now taking over I thought I'd give it another shot. Unfortunately, I'm having a hard time figuring out where they're trying to take this series. The voice acting was good. The artwork is pretty although I miss the rich graphics and live actors of the second and third Ravenhearst games. The puzzles and minigames were entertaining at first but by probably the last third of the game I was getting bored with them and started skipping them. I skipped almost all of the minigames in the bonus chapter because I just wanted to get it over with. This game just did not feel like a MCF game to me. I was hoping this developer would take the series back to its roots, but no such luck. The bonus game ends with a cliffhanger however, so expect another entry in this series in the not too distant future.
I don't recommend this game.
A mysterious birthday gift uncovers a sinister kidnapping plot!
Overall rating
2
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
This series seems to be running out of ideas
PostedMay 14, 2020
Arien1
fromArizona
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Family, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Time Management
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I have loved the Grim Tales series since the very first game. I have bought every single one, but the last few games have left me feeling "meh" and this one is no exception, I'm sorry to say. It's starting to feel like the developers are grasping at straws trying to come up with an interesting story and it's just the same old too easy puzzles and repetitive actions over and over again. Some of the actions Anna has to perform and the locations of some items just don't make logical sense. It's not even about suspending your disbelief for the sake of a fantasy game that takes place in another world. There should still be some basic logic as to why certain items are found where they are or why Anna would go to considerable lengths to avoid waking a sleeping security guard after her daughter has been kidnapped.
And I feel bad saying this, but little Alice sounds like a robot. She sounds just like the recorded voice over the phone that repeats back info you've entered on the keypad. Please tell me she wasn't voiced by a real little girl because that's just sad if she was.
Richard was great, as always. I prefer to see more of him in games and I feel like he's been underused in the more recent ones, including this one.
This is the first time I've given such a low rating to a Grim Tales game and I'll be very cautious about buying the next one. I think for the first time in this series I can honestly say that I can't recommend this one, which makes me sad.
I don't recommend this game.
A mysterious fog hides a small town’s secrets… and something even darker!
Overall rating
2
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
The HOPs and puzzles were ok, but the storyline was so confusing
PostedMarch 18, 2020
Arien1
fromArizona
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Family, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I've played all the Bonfire Stories games and this one just left me scratching my head. I played the full game and the bonus game and found the story to be very confusing and seemingly unfinished. The graphics were beautiful. The games and puzzles were decently challenging without being too hard. The voice acting was great. Everything started out well, but the ending left me thoroughly confused as to what had happened. Did we, the player character, survive or not? The bonus game was disappointingly short (it only took me about 15 minutes to finish) and just created even more confusion. I usually really enjoy the Bonfire Stories games, but the way this one ended was a huge letdown.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you help the train’s passengers save their holidays in time?
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
I've play the full game several times and really enjoy it
PostedFebruary 10, 2020
Arien1
fromArizona
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Family, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I have played the demos to all of the Christmas Stories games and so far this is the only one that I liked enough to buy the full game. Like many people, I was confused at the Storyteller's motivations at first. I don't see him as evil, just mischievous (in the end, he gives you an insanely easy puzzle to decide your fate with). I personally got the impression that he just enjoys challenging the player character, to "spice things up" as he says at one point. I also disagree with reviewers who say he kidnaps the children. Based on what is said in-game, the train is drawn only to those who feel guilt at something they have done (whether they deserve the guilt or not) and want to correct it. Both children enter the train of their own free will and they sure didn't seem traumatized at all in the end. I wouldn't mind having an opportunity to board a train and listen to some stories to undo some things I've done in the past!
I loved the brightly colored, pretty graphics of the game. They sure put me in the Christmas spirit, even now when Christmas is over. I could see myself playing this game all year when I feel a need for something Christmas-y. I also felt the voice acting was very well done. I especially enjoyed the Storyteller's and Daphne's voices, but I really thought everyone was cast well.
Was anyone else confused by Gretel's age? Her voice sounds like someone in their teens and she repeatedly refers to Hansel as her "little brother", but when they show her image in one of the stories she looks like a very little girl, maybe even younger than Hansel. A minor detail, but I'm someone who prefers consistency and clarity in the characters. I was also expecting a tie-in to the Hansel and Gretel story given these characters' names, or even a general tie-in to fairytales, but that never happened (but maybe these stories are related to fairytales that I'm just not familiar with).
Although the music did not include specifically Christmas songs, I enjoyed the light-hearted, fun feeling of the songs they did include and they still had a Christmas-y feel for me. The puzzles were hit and miss for me. Some were ridiculously easy, but some were very tedious or more challenging than they seemed like they should be compared to the others. I played on the custom level with no tutorial, so I'm not sure what difficulty level that sets the puzzles and games at. Some seemed way too easy and made me think this game is aimed at children, but others were far too difficult for young kids. Maybe they were trying to offer a little something for everyone. I did like the mouse helper. I don't like a lot of the helpers in games like these, but the mouse was cute, well-animated and mostly quiet.
All in all, I have a lot of fun playing this game, although I can see why the storyline is a bit disturbing for some. I'm one of the lone dissenters who did not enjoy the bonus game. I don't know why, but I find it tedious and just not interesting. I've played it through a couple of times just to collect all of the morphing objects and collectibles, but now that I've done that I doubt I'll ever play the bonus game again. I'll stick with the main game.
I recommend this game!
A visit to Manchester Asylum takes a dangerous turn into madness!
Overall rating
5
/
5
41 of 48 found this review helpful
One of the better MCF games, almost on par with some earlier games
PostedNovember 28, 2019
Arien1
fromArizona
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Family, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I really enjoyed The Black Crown. One of the better MCF games in a very long time. I almost felt like I was playing one of the earlier games under Big Fish, like Thirteen Skulls or Return to Ravenhearst...almost. Is the game scary? No, but it's a good mystery. Some parts kept me guessing up until almost the end. A few of the puzzles were a bit tedious and I ended up skipping them, but that seems to be the case with a lot of games lately. But for the most part I felt most of the puzzles were a decent challenge without being too difficult. Some were very easy, but I wasn't playing on the hardest difficulty level either.
The voice acting was a bit dodgy at times, like the actors were just reading the scripts and not really emoting, with the exception of the actress who played patient #11. She was excellent and it's a shame we didn't hear more from her throughout the game. I loved the storyline and the music and I thought the graphics were beautiful. All in all, this is a game I will probably play more than once and it definitely makes me want to go back and play previous MCF games, especially Thirteen Skulls.
One thing I don't get is why Eipix changed the Master Detective from female to male. Sometimes I wonder if the current developers actually played the earlier games.
I recommend this game!
The past returns inside the Zenith Museum of Oddities!
Overall rating
3
/
5
8 of 16 found this review helpful
One of the better games in the series, but not the best.
PostedAugust 25, 2019
Arien1
fromArizona
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Family, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I said in a previous review that I was done with this series after the travesties that were Key to Ravenhearst and Ravenhearst Unlocked, but The Countess drew me back in and now Moths to a Flame. I have to say I was a bit more impressed with Moths than some of the previous entries. My all time favorite MCF games are still the first three in the Ravenhearst series and this one came fairly close to Return to Ravenhearst and Escape From Ravehearst in terms of atmosphere and graphics. I thought the storyline was well done, the music was enjoyable although a bit understated for my tastes. I thought the graphics were beautiful and the sound effects reminded me of the third Ravenhearst game, which is my all-time favorite, so that brought on a nice sense of nostalgia. I found the puzzles to be a real mixed bag. Some were so easy my 6 year old could have done them. Some were much more challenging. A couple involved making the same movement over and over and over and then having to start all over if you mess up the sequence. I hate puzzles like that and ended up skipping them. I also discovered a major glitch in the clock tower. I don't want to spoil anything, but at one point I got locked into an area and was not able to get out because I had not performed a task that must be completed first if you want to progress. It involves a doll and the clock tower. Make sure that doll is complete before you go up there! I had to start the game over, which I was not thrilled about. One thing I am very confused on is what gender Eipix thinks the Master Detective is. In the earlier Ravenhearst games the MD was a woman, but more recent games seem to use a male figure. In this game the MD seemed to go back and forth. What little we see of the gloved hands appears too masculine for a woman and the antagonist refers to the MD as a 'he'. But at another point in the game the MD is referred to as a 'she' and the one time we hear the MD's voice it is clearly female. Is this a case of different developers not working together and getting their wires crossed? Overall, I did enjoy the game but would not play it over and over like I do earlier games in the series. I bought it with a promo code for only $10 and I'd say it was worth that and not much more.
I recommend this game!
Can you stop a past case from destroying the present?
Overall rating
1
/
5
18 of 22 found this review helpful
This game could have and should have been so much more than it is.
PostedJune 5, 2019
Arien1
fromArizona
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I love Sherlock Holmes and I was pretty excited when I saw this game. I even played the demo and enjoyed it, so I figured it was safe to shell out the money to purchase the full game. It turned out to be a huge disappointment. The full game isn't that much longer than the demo. The placement of most of the items you have to find just makes no sense. Hidden object games have always required the player to suspend their disbelief to some extent, but this game wants us to throw it out the window entirely. When I reached the end of the game I was stunned that it was already over. It felt like a big part of the game was just missing entirely. The game was far too short, it seemed rushed and unfinished and I felt like it left too many unanswered questions (and not in a "to be continued" type of way either). I haven't even finished the bonus chapter. It is so uninteresting to me that I have already uninstalled the game and won't bother finishing the bonus chapter. I don't expect to be buying future games in this series, if there are any.
I don't recommend this game.
Three legendary detectives join forces to solve a horrible crime!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 5 found this review helpful
The combination of three of the best series on Big Fish
PostedAugust 23, 2018
Arien1
fromArizona
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Family, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Mystery Trackers, Grim Tales and Haunted Hotel are three of my favorite series that are available from Big Fish Games. Now they are combined in a new, very well done series. The artwork is beautiful, the voice actors are enjoyable to listen to, the puzzles and HOPs are an improvement over many recent games and the music is beautiful. It's clear that the developers put a lot of thought and effort into this game. If future games in this series are as good as this one was, I may have a new favorite series!
I recommend this game!