usafxena's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.2
- Helpful Votes:30
- Reviews Submitted:6
- First Review:December 30, 2012
- Most Recent Review:January 23, 2025
- Featured reviews0
usafxena's Review History
Investigate bizarre mysteries by finding clues and solving puzzles!
Overall rating
5
/
5
Great Game & Great Value for Your Money
PostedJanuary 23, 2025
usafxena
fromFalls Church, VA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I really like this game. You are a young (green) detective trying to make a name for yourself. The game is broken into 3 different cases, which are each about as long as other full games. Kind of like getting 3-games for the price of 1. I finished the first case where the bad guy is posing as a magical dog to scare the villagers so he can get the land cheap. You find clues, build a case file, and prove your case. No HOPs, just puzzles. And nowhere near as much find-the-door-handle-in-the-flower-pot kind of silliness as in other games. I also appreciate that the storyline makes sense (unlike some other games). My only (minor) criticism is that the sparkles are a bit misleading – they will continue to sparkle even after you have completed the necessary action. Another strange feature is that you really can't walk between areas, you have to use the map to get around. Odd, but you get used to it. Overall, I really enjoy this and look forward to playing the next two cases.
I recommend this game!
My Brother Rabbit is a beautifully drawn adventure set in a surreal world that mixes reality with a child’s imagination
Overall rating
2
/
5
Use Your Words!!!
PostedJanuary 16, 2025
usafxena
fromFalls Church, VA
Skill Level:Beginner
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Time Management
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I bought this game based on the reviews and the "one of the best games of the year" ratings, I did not care for it at all. It is very different from other hidden object and adventure games, but that is why I did not like it. I think it depends on if you like fantasy stories or not. I don't. But, if you enjoy Roald Dahl or Lewis Carroll, LSD-inspired fantasy, then you may love this. The story line is that you are the older brother and your little sister gets sick. While your sister is going through medical treatment in the real world, you are (apparently) playing along with your (?) (her?) stuffed rabbit in a fantasy world doing medical treatments and transporting your sister to different medical facilities. But it is out-there Alice-through-the-looking -lass, decide which-side-of-the-mushroom-to-eat kind of play. I had a really hard time figuring out what the game wanted me to do. As other reviewers have noted, there is no walkthrough included in this CE game (so not sure why it is sold as a CE). Along with other reviewers, I also used the hint button A TON (and I rarely need the hint button is "normal" games). At one point (the water world where you have to bring the bike-copter up to the top floor using a shell-less hermit crab on a winch (see what I mean??!?!) ) I got completely stuck, so I searched the internet for a walk-through. Thankfully I found a good one and was able to finish the game, referring to the walk-through a couple times. There were several puzzles where I did not comprehend what the hint was trying to tell me so I had to use factorial logic to solve it (4x4x4x4 possible combinations. Start with 1-1-1-1, then go 1-1-1-2, then 1-1-1-3, 1-1-1-4, then 1-1-2-1, 1-1-2-2, etc. until I hit upon the right combo). I really wanted to yell at the game "Use your words!!!!" Overall I found the game tedious and irritating, but again I do NOT like the fantasy genre (books, movies, etc.). So, decide what kind of person you are before buying -- or, try the demo first.
I don't recommend this game.
A disastrous avalanche... an evacuation... did anyone survive? The ski trip you've dreamed of for so long turns into a nightmare.
Overall rating
5
/
5
New Favorite!
PostedJanuary 9, 2025
usafxena
fromFalls Church, VA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
LOVED it. Probably my current favorite game. You are skiing in the Alps & get caught in an avalanche. You wind up in a town that was buried by an earlier avalanche & interact with the ghosts who got stuck there. Good mix of adventure (find the hammer to break the glass to get into the building) and HOP. Not too hard, not too easy. Good graphics. The background music did remind me of a scary rendition of the ABBA song “don’t go wasting my emptions . . . lay all your love on me.” Would do others in the series.
I recommend this game!
When the clock strikes, London shall burn!
Overall rating
4
/
5
The First Dark City Game - Fun!
PostedApril 20, 2024
usafxena
fromFalls Church, VA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
You are a detective who is called in because there is a threat of sabotage (and a curse) o the opening ceremony for Big Ben. You have to solve the mystery of who is perpetrating the crime. It is fun because as you complete puzzles and such, you get "clues" which you then "deduce" about what is going on before moving to the next section of game play. This is different from other games of this type. At the end, when you have figured out whodunit, you get to decide whether to turn the person into the police or not. Again, just a bit different from other games of this type. I originally bought Dark City Vienna when I travelled to Austria last year, and I really liked the game. So now I've gone back to the beginning of the series and plan to work my way through sequentially. I don't think this is necessary, it isn't like the games build on each other - I'm just neurotic like this. Anyway - fun game, I would recommend others in the series.
I recommend this game!
Can your love survive the vampire’s curse?
Overall rating
4
/
5
Fun Vampire Game
PostedApril 20, 2024
usafxena
fromFalls Church, VA
Skill Level:Beginner
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I've finished the main game - have not done the bonus yet. The game is fun, but not too challenging. I like the glowing icons that let you know you still have bonus items to find (vampire blood, jewelry, coins). I also like that you get to switch game play between the two main characters - Gabriel and Sabrina. The story line and characters are fun, but semi-ridiculous (as they all are in these games). Example: Diana Van Helsing comes out to shoot the vampire with a crossbow but then falls through her own basement steps and needs you to help her get out. And you have to run between three rooms to find all the bits and bobs that allow you to repair the stairs. Again, this is standard in these sorts of games. It is nice that the game won't let you leave an area without completing all the required actions. I also like that the map tells you where you have a task to do. This helped me a couple times when I otherwise would have been stuck. It made me go back to an area and relook at everything to see what I had missed. Overall, this is a fun, but not super challenging game. The only thing I noticed about it that was odd was the lack of background music. Of course, this can be nice - sometimes the background music gets irritating. But in this instance, there were times when your character is wandering around in silence. It was fine, I just noticed it. I would get others in the series and I plan to finish the bonus game.
I recommend this game!
Worried that you are wasting your life, you finally decide to take action. Dump your dead-end job and find your true calling!
Overall rating
5
/
5
30 of 30 found this review helpful
Fun!
PostedDecember 30, 2012
usafxena
fromSan Antonio, TX
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Adventure, Hidden Object, Brain Teaser, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I did not play the first My Life Quest, so this review is based solely on this "sequel." I really liked it. I don't like the hectic sim games, so this simplified, linear game was perfect. I liked it and my 8 y.o. son liked it as well. I thought the characters were cute, the graphics were good, the story-line amusing, and the objectives sufficiently challenging. I also really liked Life Quest 1 & 2 #for compairison# & am hoping to find more games like these three. So, if you are looking for a frenetic pace game, this is not it; if you are looking to relax and enjoy a calmer sim game, then this is for you. ALso perfectly suitable for children.
I recommend this game!