firebird40's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.3
- Helpful Votes:485
- Reviews Submitted:30
- First Review:November 12, 2011
- Most Recent Review:November 25, 2017
- Featured reviews0
Status:
For years, Barton Mansion sat abandoned, a haunting reminder of an obsession gone wrong. But something sinister still lurked there...and it's stirring.
Overall rating
4
/
5
12 of 16 found this review helpful
Mixed Dimensions
PostedFebruary 13, 2015
firebird40
fromPittsburgh, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I have liked all the Dark Dimensions games, and overall, this one is very enjoyable to play, until the end.
I subtracted one star for the ending of the regular game, minus the bonus, which is one of the worst I have seen. It doesn't end, it just quits, more or less, and everyone goes home happily ever after. Boring and seriously lacking in creativity.
The villain starts out good but ultimately isn't very scary or even all that challenging to be as powerful as the game makes her out to be.
The villain starts out good but ultimately isn't very scary or even all that challenging to be as powerful as the game makes her out to be.
The graphics, visuals, and quality are all very good.The HOS are some of the best I have seen.
The puzzles are just okay, as there was a lot of matching and very little challenge.
The puzzles are just okay, as there was a lot of matching and very little challenge.
Better than most of the games we have seen lately, especially in the last few weeks, but definitely flawed.
I recommend this game!
In this scarier-than-ever story, find out what really happened on prom night, 1964...
Overall rating
3
/
5
13 of 17 found this review helpful
Phantasmal Boredom
PostedJanuary 15, 2015
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
It is fair to say that the first Phantasmat, done by a different developer, is one of my all time favorites. I bought this one hoping for similar quality and creepiness, and it failed on both counts for me.
There are some shivery moments but in between there is a lot of who-cares tasks, and back and forth movements that slow down the suspense. There are other, better ways to lengthen a game.
The story is trite and done to death - as a character, I've been in so many car crashes they would surely have taken my license by now, and the number of family members that have gone lost or missing in games must surely be in the 100s! The graphics on my gamers laptop were poor in quality and washed out, despite the creepy settings.
A shame that such a great beginning to a series ended on such a mediocre note.
There are some shivery moments but in between there is a lot of who-cares tasks, and back and forth movements that slow down the suspense. There are other, better ways to lengthen a game.
The story is trite and done to death - as a character, I've been in so many car crashes they would surely have taken my license by now, and the number of family members that have gone lost or missing in games must surely be in the 100s! The graphics on my gamers laptop were poor in quality and washed out, despite the creepy settings.
A shame that such a great beginning to a series ended on such a mediocre note.
I don't recommend this game.
The Smithsonian Castle’s secrets lie in a Civil War past.
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 4 found this review helpful
Smithsonian Shenanigans
PostedDecember 31, 2014
firebird40
fromPittsburgh, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Who knew that scientific types could brew up so much trouble? The game is good, with a few missteps that prevent it from being a great game.
The graphics are excellent, the gameplay in the HOGs is creative, and interactive, and the music is fun, if a little overdone.
The storyline was good, and I gave an extra star for attempting something other than the standard clichés that pass for a story in so many games.
The storyline was good, and I gave an extra star for attempting something other than the standard clichés that pass for a story in so many games.
That said, they get no stars for excitement, as there is NONE. The level of challenge is average at best, and the voiceovers are embarrassingly bad. The villain is not believable, but that's okay, because none of the others, with the exception of Margaret, are believable, either. They discuss threats, time travel and disappearing kids as if they were discussing the weather or anything else completely mundane. It's a very obvious flaw.
This chance to explore the Smithsonian Castle is fun, all in all, and if it didn't exactly blow me away with some key subpar elements, it was a fun way to kill off an afternoon.
This chance to explore the Smithsonian Castle is fun, all in all, and if it didn't exactly blow me away with some key subpar elements, it was a fun way to kill off an afternoon.
I recommend this game!
Reveries: Soul Collector Collector's Edition
Your wedding day gets interrupted when your fiancée is kidnapped!
Overall rating
4
/
5
24 of 26 found this review helpful
This Game goes out on a limb...
PostedDecember 13, 2014
firebird40
fromPittsburgh, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I enjoyed playing this game, although I am not a fan of this developer's games as a general rule.
Pros: The pace was faster with this game than with previous games, the helper was an animated tree which was fine with me, and the graphics and music are the quality you would expect, at least on my computer. There are collectibles and achievements.
CONS:
The storyline is set in two different worlds. This is a typical go on a journey, close a portal etc kind of rehash we often see in games. No points for originality.
CONS:
The storyline is set in two different worlds. This is a typical go on a journey, close a portal etc kind of rehash we often see in games. No points for originality.
The game is too short to qualify for a CE in my opinion, as it took me roughly 2 hours to play, start to finish.
I also felt the level of challenge was too low, even with the ability to customize your playing level.
I also felt the level of challenge was too low, even with the ability to customize your playing level.
Based on the plot rehash and the short length, I can't recommend the CE, and suggest waiting until the SE comes out.
I don't recommend this game.
A deadly secret lurks in the woods of Dire Grove!
Overall rating
3
/
5
8 of 11 found this review helpful
Not a Thrill a Minute
PostedNovember 27, 2014
firebird40
fromPittsburgh, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
The original Dire Grove was one of my all time favorite games, which is probably why I found this installment such a disappointment.
It has good graphics, but the storyline is pedestrian and boring, with a whole lot of "cookie -cutter" and no thrills, unlike the original game.
It has good graphics, but the storyline is pedestrian and boring, with a whole lot of "cookie -cutter" and no thrills, unlike the original game.
The awesome sounds and atmosphere of the first game are sorely lacking here, and I found myself waiting for something to happen. Nothing did.
There's a lot of back and forth, a lot of video watching, and forced dialogue, as well as "tapes" which seem just silly and out of place.
I played the whole game, including the bonus content, and can honestly say that I found it much less exciting than many that we get from other developers. I also found it relatively short, which surprised me after last year's great MCF game.
There's a lot of back and forth, a lot of video watching, and forced dialogue, as well as "tapes" which seem just silly and out of place.
I played the whole game, including the bonus content, and can honestly say that I found it much less exciting than many that we get from other developers. I also found it relatively short, which surprised me after last year's great MCF game.
An ordinary addition to the MCF series.
I don't recommend this game.
Nightfall: An Edgar Allan Poe Mystery
Travel to Paris and work with Monsieur Dupin! Investigate lots of cases and meet unforgettable personalities!
Overall rating
3
/
5
11 of 14 found this review helpful
More of the Same
PostedJuly 29, 2014
firebird40
fromPittsburgh, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Unfortunately, these free to play games are all the same, more or less. There are people you meet who give you quests to go on, usually for a certain item. The quests give you coins, crystals, and etc that you can use to buy some of the things you need to progress in the game.
The problem is that there is nothing free about these games, so as soon as anything interesting starts to happen, you must buy energy in order to do it.
The storylines are so chopped up by the quests that they really don't have much in them, but the graphics are very nice, ERS quality, and the music seemed nice as well.
The HOS scenes I played were very easy.
I don't really understand the appeal of games like these, as I find them boring and extremely repetitive, not to mention that they are set up to make as much money as possible off the players without really giving them much in return.
I think of them the way I think of slot machines - good for about five minutes.
I think of them the way I think of slot machines - good for about five minutes.
I don't recommend this game.
I don't recommend this game.
After a suspicious accident, you find yourself stranded at a run-down motel. But you soon realize the area hides a terrifying secret...
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Pretty good but short!
PostedJuly 1, 2014
firebird40
fromPittsburgh, PA
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
4
/
5
I thought this game had a lot of great things going for it- the storyline is interesting although I frankly didn't find it very scary, the game is well thought out, puzzles well done, and HO scenes interactive and creative.
It is, however, very short. I finished in a little less than two hours, and that isn't really worth the price for a CE, in my book. Had I played it straight through, I could have finished it in less time. I also didn't care for the live actors - they were a cheesy, stereotypical touch and didn't add anything to the game.
I recommend waiting for this game to come out in standard edition. Good but not even close to some that are out there.
I recommend this game!
Ghostly warnings in the water are terrifying a grieving family. What's causing them, and what really happened to Julia White?
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 3 found this review helpful
Not as Good as Others in Series...
PostedApril 7, 2014
firebird40
fromPittsburgh, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Nightmares from the Deep: Davy Jones Collector's Edition
(78)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I have all of the other Fear for Sale games and have found them to be fun and challenging for the most part. This one wasn't either scary or fun. The premise of the story sounded promising, but it began reminding me of a bad made-for-tv movie pretty quickly. The live actors just make it cheesy, and the plotline itself was boring and predictable. The puzzles were okay, the music was okay, but the game taken as a whole is just not worth it when there are so many better games out there.
I don't recommend this game.
An imprisoned soul will never be free until you clear his name!
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 13 found this review helpful
Not for me
PostedDecember 2, 2013
firebird40
fromPittsburgh, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This series is slow-paced, more chore-oriented (get this, get that) and the stories are usually romance with a little light mystery.
This one honestly bored me to tears after awhile and I ended up not bothering to finish it, which is rare for me. It just didn't hold my interest at all. There are so many games out there which are better than these, I can't recommend this one.
This one honestly bored me to tears after awhile and I ended up not bothering to finish it, which is rare for me. It just didn't hold my interest at all. There are so many games out there which are better than these, I can't recommend this one.
I don't recommend this game.
Defeat the giant to save the world from destruction!
Overall rating
2
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
Different but not better
PostedNovember 13, 2013
firebird40
fromPittsburgh, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
My review is based on the entire game + bonus.
I kept waiting for this game to pull me in, but it never did. The gameplay is different but often clunky and not well done. The game doesn't self-adjust to screen size and the widescreen button didn't work for me. This made the fragmented objects in the gameplay distant and harder to find.
The game feels old, the collectibles are obviously an afterthought, and the storyline just mediocre. Graphics can be beautiful, but compared to other recent games are not nearly what they should be.
In short, this was an okay game, nothing to write home about, and definitely not worth the money for a collectors' edition. I got mine with a coupon for less than the usual and still thought I paid too much.
In short, this was an okay game, nothing to write home about, and definitely not worth the money for a collectors' edition. I got mine with a coupon for less than the usual and still thought I paid too much.
I don't recommend it, but if you really want to try it, wait for the standard edition. It's unfortunately becoming more the norm for games on Big Fish to not always be very high quality, and this is one of them.
I don't recommend this game.