Beeblebrox's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4
- Helpful Votes:114
- Reviews Submitted:17
- First Review:May 28, 2015
- Most Recent Review:June 19, 2015
- Featured reviews0
Something pulled your son into a shimmering portal. Dive into a magical world to find him!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Buy it already!
PostedMay 31, 2015
Beeblebrox
fromGermany
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I played the SE version on expert, took me about 5 hours to complete. You get a journal, an interactive map, and a little helper that allows you to get items from places you couldn't reach otherwise. 3 difficulty settings plus custom settings.
This game is in a league of its own. It is certainly among the best I have played yet. The story is quickly told, evil forces kidnap your son into a parallel universe and you follow and try to get him back. But who cares about the story if there is just so much to do and to explore! Each location has a multitude of puzzles, places to go, things to find. The art style is rich in details, everywhere are little animated things, insects crawling around, frogs jumping in the water. I was discovering new things everytime I revisited a place. Every location has its own ambient sounds. There is very little music in this game, which I found surprisingly relaxing and it added a lot to the atmosphere.
But games can look absolutely stunning and still be boring. Not so this one! There are different types of HOGs, which are difficult but not unfairly so, most are bright and all items are clearly visible once you actually found them. There are classical list-based ones, some where you look for outlined items, in some you need to place items in the scene rather than find them. All are interactive and often you need to solve little puzzles, not just open a box or look behind a curtain. You never visit the same HOG twice.
The minigames are good, not too easy and not too hard. Some are really innovative e.g. one where you have to reassemble a 3D model castle. Loved that!
But where this game really shines is with what I'd call adventure puzzles, where you have to run around, find items and find ways to use them. You get an owl as a helper early on that can pick items from higher places so that you really need to look at the whole screen in order not to miss anything.
The game is seperated in three larger sections on the excellent interactive map and even on expert difficulty the currently 'active' section is indicated. I liked that a lot because it cut down on the necessary running around. You will have to backtrack occasionally and all locations stay active till the end. This would amount to a lot of back and forth if the map didn't indicate currently active sections.
I did use hints a couple of times when I just couldn't find something, and thankfully it just points you to the active location the first time you click, so it doesn't spoil the fun by telling you immediately what to do.
One very minor detail that I found very satisfying nonetheless: You find a dagger early on in the game and you get to keep it for the whole game! And it cuts all sort of things! If you play this type of game regularly you probably understand why I found this extraordinary.
Anyway, I hope you can tell that I really enjoyed the game and I'm sure you will, too! At least try the demo, it gives a very good feel for the game.
I recommend this game!
Twenty years ago, the children of Greystone were taken by a mysterious fog - only you escaped. It’s time to find out why...
Overall rating
4
/
5
9 of 9 found this review helpful
One, two, buckle my shoe.
PostedMay 31, 2015
Beeblebrox
fromGermany
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I played the SE version on expert, took about 4 hours to complete. You get a journal, an interactive map, and a few extra abilities that add depth to the gameplay. Three different difficulty settings plus custom settings are available.
Hide & Seek is a visually appealing game, with bright and crisp graphics even in darker places. The music adds to the atmosphere of urgency and voice-overs were done professionally.
In Hide & Seek, you find out that your father, who you believed died years ago, might still be alive and looking for your brother who disappeared when you were young. You return to your childhood home to find your father and maybe solve the mystery of your brother's disappearence as well.
The game has a unique and effective way of unravelling the story bit by bit for you and I enjoyed it for the most part. But towards the end the story loses its steam somewhat and I didn't feel they did too good a job of tying up all the loose ends. That being said, it is still a gripping story and above average, I just wished they'd give you a bit more details in the end.
The game has a good amount of HOGs that aren't too difficult. Most are interactive and fit into the story nicely. The minigames aren't too challenging, either, but the game is not too easy, at least if you play on expert which I recommend. Everything is logical enough so that you won't get stuck if you think about what to do next. No running around blindly required.
The game adds some complexity to the gameplay by giving you a few extra abilities that you can use to solve certain puzzles. Inventory items frequently needed some additional tinkering, too.
All in all an excellent game that keeps you interested. Only the ending left me a bit unsatisfied. I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could.
I recommend this game!
Find a kidnapped teenage girl and save yourself in Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek, a fun Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!
Overall rating
2
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
Not another one, please!
PostedMay 30, 2015
Beeblebrox
fromGermany
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I completed the SE version on expert in 6 painful hours. Most of which I spend staring at yet another HO scene. This game provides a notebook and a map which isn't interactive. You also get an evidence board on which you assemble your evidence, probably the best thing about this game. Two difficulty settings, casual and expert.
The good things first: Amazing storyline! You are a detective who wakes up in a small village after what looks like a car crash but you don't remember why you are there or what happened to you. You find your half-burnt notebook and find out that you were looking for a girl who disappeared and you decide to continue trying to find her and recover your memories along the way. You soon realise that strange things are going on in Maple Creek and what started as a simple missing person case becomes way more complex.
The evidence board is easy the best thing about this game. Whatever evidence you find is pinned to this board. You can investigate each piece of evidence with a magnifying glass which will sometimes provide you with important additional clues. The goal is to answer different questions by grouping pieces of evidence together. If you have collected all evidence that is related to a question and grouped them correctly, a deduction is made which is also written down in your notebook. Sometimes this opens up other follow-up questions which continue your investigation.
The first hour or so of Ghosts of Maple Creek is a blast. You get to explore, find bits and pieces for your board, there are a couple of minigames and a few very difficult HOGs. But after that the fun stops. It is just one HOG after the other. You'll visit each HOG location at least three times, some even more. They are all, without exception, list-based HOGs. You stop just finding things - you need something? Here's yet another HOG to solve. Enjoy. Or not.
And the game makes you run around, a lot. You need 6 pieces of something to open a lock? You have to go to 6 different locations all over the map just to complete 6 HOGs and the map doesn't even allow you to jump between places. I don't think there's a single minigame besides "press this buttons in the correct order" in the last half of the game.
By the end I was bored to tears. Or my eyes were really tired. Probably both.
I recommend playing the game in casual mode for the story and the evidence board but only if you really, really (really) like HOGs and if you can live with the obnoxious sparkles on everything active that ruin even the last bit of exploring on your own.
I don't recommend this game.
PuppetShow: The Price of Immortality
Your friend vanishes after investigating the mysterious Theater of Emotions.
Overall rating
5
/
5
14 of 15 found this review helpful
This is how it's done!
PostedMay 29, 2015
Beeblebrox
fromGermany
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I played the SE version on expert difficulty. It took me over 5 hours to complete (w/o using hints or skipping). You get a map but no notebook. Instead, if you find a hint for a puzzle it ends up in you inventory until you can apply it to the corresponding puzzle. I liked that a lot!
The SE has no achievements or collectibles.
The SE has no achievements or collectibles.
Puppetshow: Price of Immortality has it all, great visuals and sound, interesting storyline, and best of all, actually requires you to think at times.
I immediately liked the theme of this game, reminded me of steampunk design in places. Every location has a lot of details, all fitting to the general theme, it is really worth looking around a bit. The art style is bright and clear and even a bit cutsey, but the story of the game is definitely not cute and you see disturbing signs of that right from the start and the contrast adds to the creepy factor.
You get a little helper, who is not only lovely but also indeed very helpful since she lets you see in dark places and can crawl in tiny spaces.
There are a variety of HOs, some classical list-based ones but also some where you need to look for outlines, or pairs of things, or items that fit to a specific theme. Most have some interactive element, too. A few HOs are very unusual, e.g. there is one were you have to look for animal-shaped clouds with a spyglass.
The minigames are of varying difficulty, some very easy, while others take some time to figure out, just as I like it. If you play a lot of this type of game you'll know a few of them in principle already, but the game designers managed to give even these a new touch with their unique style.
What I liked most about Puppetshow, though, was the way in which all the HOs and minigames and quests to find items were tied into the storyline. To give an example, at some point you need to dress a puppet for a ruse. To complete this task you need to open some boxes/doors, complete a HOs, find some bits and piece etc, and after each miniquest you've completed you can put another part of the costume on the puppet. Throughout the game you always have these intermediate goals you are working towards, so you never have to ask yourself, why am I doing this again?
Another nice detail is that you can choose whether you want to play as a man or woman and between three different looks for each. I do recommend to play as a woman, though, since the female voice does sound a lot more natural than the male voice, imo.
My only complaint with this game is that the ending is quite abrupt. Yes, you did what you came to do, but there is no final dialogue or anything, just a short cutscene and that's it. Compared to the love they put into the rest of the game that is a bit disappointing. Maybe there is a more elaborate ending in the CE version.
Overall I liked this game a lot, definitely among my favourites. Check out the demo, you won't regret it!
I recommend this game!
Help Goldilocks's son protect his village from invading bears!
Overall rating
4
/
5
7 of 7 found this review helpful
One of the better HOGs
PostedMay 29, 2015
Beeblebrox
fromGermany
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I played the SE on expert, took me a bit over 4 hours to complete. It has a map and notes, although the notes are a bit hidden, you need to open the map and then change to the notes tab. I found it only after I'd already played for a couple of hours...
This is a beautiful game to look at, the music is fitting and the voice-overs are well done.
I really liked the variety of HOs in this game. The majority is very interactive, e.g. you need to find an item that helps you reveal another item that in turn will get you yet another item. In the end you'd get something you need to progress in the game, which I like because it helps with the flow of the game.
The minigames were a mix of standard fare (e.g. put this mosaic back together) and some really unusual ones, and of varying difficulty. They did a really good job at integrating some of these minigames into the storyline as well, e.g. at some point you need to walk through a maze to get to your next destination and it turns into a minigame.
Overall I liked the level of challenge in this game, not much running back and forth required, all very logical even if it wasn't immediately obvious what was needed to solve a puzzle.
So, why only 4 stars? Actually, I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could but there were a couple of things that I didn't like as much as the rest. First, there were a lot of animated scenes in this game and it just took a tad too long to return to the active scene. By the end of the game that really got on my nerves. It also crashed to desktop a few times for me, which rarely happens with other HOGs so I think it might be something related to this game.
And then, the storyline. I can't say why exactly, but it just didn't grip me even though it should have. This is an epic tale of betrayal, unreturned love, finding your destiny, and even a bit of a whodunnit, but it just left me cold. This is probably just me, though.
All in all, the positives far outweigh the negatives, definitely a game you should try out!
I recommend this game!
Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe's The Mystery of Marie Roget
A newlywed is threatened, and supernatural forces are afoot!
Overall rating
3
/
5
5 of 7 found this review helpful
Nice story, but no challenge whatsoever
PostedMay 28, 2015
Beeblebrox
fromGermany
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I played the SE on expert but enabled blackbar messages. It took me under 4 hours to complete.
This could've been a great game. The music is nice, the graphics are appealing, the story is gripping. It even has some humour here and there in the blackbar texts. The story itself is rather grim.
But this game provides no challenge. None. Unless you are intimidated by this children's toy where you have to fit different geometrical shapes in fitting slots you won't have any problems solving the 'puzzles' in this game. You can choose between casual and hard difficulty on a few of the minigames which makes them not really more difficult but more tedious. A few of the puzzles I 'solved' by accidentally clicking in the right spot before I'd even figured out what the puzzle was supposed to be about.
As a result this game is just too short. I would've finished it even faster if I hadn't missed a couple of items due to the fact that I had stopped actually looking for details since for the most part objects were really obvious, so I had to search through some places again.
Another thing that I didn't like about this game is that expert mode just disables blackbar text altogether. You don't even get a "that's not right" message that would tell you whether or not you actually hit the right spot but with the wrong item or just missed it. Fortunately, this game lets you customise your difficulty settings so I enabled blackbar text at some point. It doesn't tell you exactly what to do, anyway, and occasionally is even a little funny, so that's a plus.
I still give it three stars because of story and presentation. If you are looking for a game that'll distract you without requiring too much thinking, then this is the game for you!
I don't recommend this game.
A murder mystery party turns deadly in real life!
Overall rating
5
/
5
16 of 16 found this review helpful
The Butler in the Library with the Candlestick
PostedMay 28, 2015
Beeblebrox
fromGermany
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I played the SE on expert and completed it in about 5 hours.
Interesting story line, good music and sounds, professional voice-overs, beautiful graphics.
The HOGs are done well, sometimes the things you look for are outlined, or you search for 5 items of the same type, or you have to answer a short riddle to know what to find. Some are interactive and in a really memorable one close to the end a little action scene unfolds with each item you find. There is just the right amount of them but if for some reason you don't feel like doing another one you can play a bubble game instead - which I haven't done, so I can't comment on that.
Brassfield Manor is a murder mystery, and the clues you collect throughout the game are organised in a neat evidence folder where you can review your case and the suspects. It gives you a good sense of your progress and ties the story together nicely. You have a map, too.
You also get to interview the suspects and question them by pointing at pieces of evidence or things you see about their person.
DR: Brassfield Manor does a lot of things right. So, it is a bit of a shame that it isn't a little bit more challenging. The mini-games are almost all very easy. For the adventure part of the game you mostly look for things to do in a room, then look for the things you need to do them with, without requiring too much thought (oh, a bird-shaped gap, what might go in there?!). I loved interviewing the suspects, but the game doesn't let you choose what piece of evidence you ask them about, instead, it shows you a little icon of the item you need to find and click to ask the next question. It would've been great if at least the game would let you connect your evidence to the different suspects on your own, or put together the items about which you want to ask a specific suspect.
Overall a great game that shows how diverse and interesting the HOG genre can be. If only they made it a bit more challenging, this game would've been truly outstanding.
I recommend this game!