ZekesPeach's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:2.9
- Helpful Votes:1,076
- Reviews Submitted:56
- First Review:December 18, 2011
- Most Recent Review:March 6, 2021
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Can you stop the cemetery’s dark keeper in time?
Overall rating
1
/
5
24 of 31 found this review helpful
Nothing redemptive to see here...
PostedMay 12, 2017
ZekesPeach
fromMidcoast Maine
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
There should be a Frustration Factor in these reviews... From start to where I threw in the proverbial towel, this game was mostly frustrating. First, there are endless cutscenes to skip or sit through. None of them were particularly engaging or well drawn, and none were even remotely scary or even creepy. When a character is encountered, you must choose which offered questions or statements you want to use; later in the demo you can skip this, but then you get presented with three iterations of 'slide the sections' puzzles to complete so you can ask just one question...assuming most encounters will require you to ask more than one question, you will be stuck there for a chunk of time. That is when my patience ran out and I quit.
The good points were that voices could be turned off, as could the giant scorekeeping drop downs that appear when you complete a HOP, and the map will jump you to other locations.
For a CE, this is lacking. I had no interest in the characters or their plight, or even looking around to enjoy the scenery or see if touching things produced a surprise response or action. Everything is just gray, cartoonish and blah. The HOPs and puzzles are very easy; the only collectibles are coins that can be used to get information. That's it. If the cutscenes and dialog were removed, I doubt there would be more than a couple of hours of actual gameplay.
When I play a game, I want there to be some challenge and progression, not just sitting around fiddling with dialog, running back and forth to find something to use in another location, or bumping into another cutscene.
This series has been going downhill with each installment. Time to retire it and move on to fresh adventures.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you save the realms from a vengeful god?
Overall rating
3
/
5
11 of 16 found this review helpful
Plenty to see and do
PostedApril 30, 2017
ZekesPeach
fromMidcoast Maine
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
This is yet another game with weird, alien villains, gizmos and an animal helper. It also has a ho-hum storyline with lots of back and forthing to find an item here and an item there before you can complete a task and move ahead. Everywhere you go seems to have the same things you need to do -- remove dirt, or cobwebs, or vines, or rust; find a source of light or water; find something to carry water in. But it also had some redeeming qualities.
The graphics have an almost comic book quality which lends some energy and compensates for the meh storyline. There are plenty of HOPs and puzzles, and you can play match-3 instead of the HOPs and choose easy or hard mode in the puzzles. Voices can be muted, which solved the problem of the irritating voice of the horse; conversations and cutscenes can be skipped. There are collectibles, morphs, and artifacts to look for in pretty much every scene, although I am not a fan of collectibles whose purpose is so you can 'buy' decorations, or clothes, etc. in the extras section; there are also symbols on the inventory bar to help you keep track of which of those are available and how many have already been found.
Overall, I found I enjoyed the variety of the puzzles, HOPs, and searchable items, as well as the scenery, enough that I will buy this game. I'm sure it will appeal to lovers of fantasy and science fiction, and probably to players like me who are more into the activities than the storyline.
I recommend this game!
Mr. Jenkins is back to help you uncover the mystery of the haunted armor!
Overall rating
2
/
5
23 of 29 found this review helpful
More tedious than ominous...
PostedApril 28, 2017
ZekesPeach
fromMidcoast Maine
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I have enjoyed games from this series, but this one left me bored and frustrated.
The good: Artwork was fine; helper cat was cute and not always being needed; most HOPs were well done, puzzles were mostly fun (think I skipped one); morphs were not too easy, not too hard to spot, and were in pretty much every scene.
The bad: The intrusive Goals side bar that pops out and just hangs there after you complete any task!!! Too much running around with nothing to show for it; too much having to converse with characters; and, frankly, the storyline didn't do a thing for me.
I think new players and young players might enjoy this if they can deal with all the running around rather than feel like they are actually making progress...those players who prefer to be engaged and moving forward are likely to be exasperated with the pace.
If you have enjoyed previous games from this series, be sure to try the demo and not just buy it based on the past as, other than the cat, this bears little resemblance.
I don't recommend this game.
Only you can save the kingdom from a mysterious disease!
Overall rating
2
/
5
8 of 12 found this review helpful
Here a potion, there a potion, EVERYWHERE a potion!
PostedApril 19, 2017
ZekesPeach
fromMidcoast Maine
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Based on slogging my way through the demo...will comment on gameplay, which is slow and cumbersome.
Lots of conversations, in my opinion...too many, and they seem inconsistent as to the ability to skip them from the get-go or having to endure one or two 'continues' before the 'skip' appears.
As mentioned by others, everyone in the town suffers from the same problem, yet you must diagnose each person and concoct a different potion to cure each one. I started looking for a potion to relieve the tedium once I discovered that you must also figure out -- with no clues, rhyme or reason -- the correct order of placing and adding the ingredients...do it wrong and you must try, try again. Coupled with having to use the 'magic lenses' to diagnose everyone, that was the absolute deal breaker for me.
Items in your inventory don't always make sense if you finally figure out where to use them. An unnecessary 'helper'. Too many things to remember to collect. Too many achievements to strive for; some of what you collect is used to buy animals for your zoo, others are used to help you decorate a room, if I remember correctly...that is just a worthless addition to the bonus extras, in my opinion. You buy them, that's it. Give me extra HOPs or puzzles instead!
The only part I enjoyed was searching for the morphs, which could be tough to find.
Definitely try it before buying! If you like interacting with helpers, diagnosing, fiddling with gadgets, and messing with concocting potions, this might be your cup of herbal tea.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you find your long-lost brother in time?!
Overall rating
4
/
5
23 of 27 found this review helpful
Comfortably creepy
PostedMarch 30, 2017
ZekesPeach
fromMidcoast Maine
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is based on playing the demo.
Once again, we are looking for a long-lost relative who, as a baby, wore some fancy pendant around his neck...your character is shown as a reporter in Victorian clothes, yet all the characters shown in the scenes from when she was a child are wearing clothes and have hairstyles from today. Maybe we are going back in time as we age? While that detracted a bit from my enjoyment, as I was distracted by trying to figure out what times of their lives were happening, that part was left behind once I got moving along in the game.
I mute voices, so can't comment on those. I found the graphics suitable for the premise of the storyline; colors were nice, characters moved smoothly enough to not look like a pop-up book. The music and environment sounds were well done and enhanced the atmosphere. Morphs that I encountered weren't too obvious, but not impossible to find; likewise the collectable chalk drawings once I knew what they looked like. The HOPs were nicely drawn and not difficult; hadn't found missing parts to the couple of puzzles I encountered, so don't know how I will feel about them. There was some back-and-forthing, but not enough to be tiresome...yet.
As others have commented, it is an easy-breezy sort of game...I found it a pleasant game for occupying some time. Easy to walk away from if necessary, and easy to get back into when you return.
There was some excessive handholding in the first scene -- like one or two places where an inventory item would be needed to advance, and the outline of that object lit up when the cursor passed over the area where it was needed -- but once outside of the house, it seemed to stop.
Overall, I like the game enough to buy it. I think it will appeal to all levels of players; it will challenge beginners and younger players, and more experienced players might find it a pleasant diversion. Try it for yourself!
I recommend this game!
Uncover the mystery of Huxley’s Boarding House before time runs out!
Overall rating
5
/
5
5 of 8 found this review helpful
Stay Inside Until the Room Comes to a Complete Stop!
PostedMarch 27, 2017
ZekesPeach
fromMidcoast Maine
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Thank you, Eipix, for bringing back your signature, multi-step puzzles, well-hidden morphs, surprises, and great music and sound effects!
Others do a great job of discussing the various HOPs and puzzles, so I will point out the things that made this great for me: Skip All ability; voiceover mute option; interactive map; Skip This Part in multi-stage puzzles for times when I am in a hurry or lack patience; not too much conversation or interaction with characters; not too much hand holding; nice music and environment sounds. What I was surprised and delighted by were the moving rooms! I won't reveal too much about them, but my habit of touching everything in a scene was very rewarding!
I did not feel this was cookie cutter like some reviewers did...there are so many games and developers have been turning them out for years...at some point we are going to see repeats of various things. The key is that Eipix managed not to get bogged down with repetitious use of one or more HOP scenes, didn't keep me chasing from one place to another in order to get small pieces of stuff before I could accomplish a task, and there were no annoying gadgets to fiddle with to see things or battle ogres. As a matter of fact, there were NO ogres, fairies, stolen babies, dragons, or helpers! Other than a bloody bandage and a close-up of stitches, there was no real gore, so safe for all ages.
Try it for yourself!
I recommend this game!
In the midst of a battle for the Academy of Alchemy, a young promising student, Eliana, is sent on a dangerous mission of retrieving three powerful artifacts, the Dragon Crystals.
Overall rating
2
/
5
13 of 18 found this review helpful
Fe Fi Ho Hum
PostedMarch 25, 2017
ZekesPeach
fromMidcoast Maine
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
While visually very attractive, and with fun little extras where objects, animals and insects react if you click on them, I found nothing else about this game that would cause me to buy it...not even if it were free.
First, there is just a whole lot of going back and forth. There's also a lot of searching around to find things that will work with things in your inventory so that you can open something else to get another piece of something.
The storyline didn't hold my interest at all. I am not a fan of fairytale type games, but have purchased ones that had a sufficient quantity of good HOPs and puzzles, combined with either a faster pace or less fiddling with helpers, formulas and gadgets. I still had 17 minutes left on the demo timer when I gave up trying to like the game...and I probably wasted about 20 minutes of gameplay just watching TV because the game was so boring. I only encountered 2 HOPs -- neither of which were challenging -- I don't recall any puzzles. The collectables weren't too hard to spot, but trying to remember what they all were was a pain; the morphs are in the HOPs and were the only thing that held my interest.
That said, this is a game that will appeal to those who enjoy wizardry, fairies, mixing potions, etc. Beginners and young players will probably find the pace and level of challenge about right, so I will say I recommend it, but only for the reasons I just stated. I think it will bore everyone else to tears.
I recommend this game!
A locked room murder awaits you! Was the killer human or something else?
Overall rating
2
/
5
25 of 27 found this review helpful
This game needs a few cups of coffee.
PostedMarch 3, 2017
ZekesPeach
fromMidcoast Maine
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Here is another game with a vague and peculiar storyline, one or more useless characters (Donovan is the worst as he takes forever to say anything and just stands around looking as perplexed as I felt playing), and gameplay that just drags.
While the colors were nice and the graphics decent, I wasn't able to listen to the music because there is no way to mute the voiceovers, which drove me crazy.
The conversations with other characters were very annoying, not just because they can't be muted, but because they take forever to get through -- some can be skipped, but not all...very inconsistent...and most were stating the obvious or just time fillers.
The HOPs were just okay, and I found some of the games just plain odd and confusing. Even after reading the info I had to turn to the SG because there seemed to be no logic to them; the ones that did make sense were easy.
There are only clover leaf images and a small number of statues to collect, neither of which are hard to spot, and only eight achievements. No morphs. The map worked well enough. I stopped playing right after rescuing the tree creature so have no idea how useful or engaging he might be.
I am tired of Gothic romances, fairy tales, 'mysterious' illnesses and spells, and having to fiddle around with devices that have to be used to discover unimportant things in order to move forward...this game has two out of four.
I'm sure there are players who will enjoy this one, just not me. Play the demo before buying and judge for yourself.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you give Romeo and Juliet the happy ending they desire?
Overall rating
2
/
5
12 of 16 found this review helpful
Wherefore art thou, Delete Button?
PostedMarch 1, 2017
ZekesPeach
fromMidcoast Maine
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Sorry to say, this demo was so boring that I struggled to play the first 20 minutes...my mind kept wandering when it wasn't focused on how ridiculous the anachronistic items and many of the tasks were. Out of those tasks I did get to during my blessedly brief gameplay, the straw that broke this camel's back was using the heel tip of a woman's stiletto to unscrew something. The slot was triangular...it was impossible to see that the heel tip was also triangular. Who would even entertain the thought of using a shoe as a screwdriver?? That's not a clever challenge, it's ridiculous!
When the opening scene started with a medieval theme, but the person on horseback is holding a cassette player, I sensed trouble ahead. For me. The story made no sense; there was no challenge beyond figuring out the nonsensical use of inventory items, and that was more frustrating than challenging; it is a tag-team setup where you switch between characters, which I feel is just a useless gameplay extender when the devs can't come up with enough strong storyline and engaging HOPs and puzzles. There is a boudoir to spend the collectible coins on -- a waste of time that adds nothing to the interest level. The HOPs and puzzles were extremely easy even on the Hard mode.
The only nice thing I can say is that the graphics were largely colorful and nicely drawn.
Beginners and younger players might enjoy this, but more experienced players will likely find it tedious at best...especially if they have any sense of history.
After 20 minutes or so I got up to let the dog out and promptly forgot I was in the midst of the demo...came back to discover I only had 20 minutes left to play. I couldn't force myself to do it and deleted it.
I don't recommend this game.
A sudden murder overshadows the writing opportunity of a lifetime.
Overall rating
5
/
5
Like the Good Old Days
PostedFebruary 22, 2017
ZekesPeach
fromMidcoast Maine
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Thank you, Eipix, for giving us a game that matches the quality of some of your best games from before!! It has the graphics, the music, not too much conversation or interaction with characters, HOPs and puzzles that are varied and not too simplistic or tough, morphs that can be tricky to spot and an interactive map.
What struck me as soon as I got into the first scenes was the great atmosphere! Eipix has a knack for giving me the feeling like I'm entering a room that someone just left...there is still some of their energy left, along with the edge of not knowing who they were or what they were up to. It has been missing in quite a few of their recent games, so I was very pleased to get back into that mysterious type of setting.
I would have preferred more morphs!! Eipix used to do lots of morphs and now they seem to use very few. That was one of the things that sold me on their earlier games, and on them as a developer. While there was interaction with characters, and some 'search for evidence on the person' scenes, it was kept to a comfortable level without having to do a bunch of multiple choice responses, and they provided skip options most of the time. There was a lot of back and forth, but the interactive map takes care of having to retrace steps -- although there may well be players who enjoy figuring it all out with no assistance.
Overall I was very pleased to slip into the Eipix aura again. Keep it up, Eipix!!
I recommend this game!