rosekaufmann's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.2
- Helpful Votes:18,036
- Reviews Submitted:831
- First Review:April 2, 2012
- Most Recent Review:July 27, 2014
- Featured reviews0
Status:
You’re on a train in the middle of nowhere, and a band of dangerous thieves demand you tell them where to find the Hope Diamond’s shards. As the newest Hidden Expedition recruit, you’ve got to find the shards before they do…
Overall rating
5
/
5
10 of 12 found this review helpful
BEST OF THE HIDDEN EXPEDITION GAMES
PostedDecember 22, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Didn't understand all the 5-star ratings at first. Finally played the demo and understood. I like playing the Hidden Expedition games, and this is by far the best of the lot. It can hold its own against and even rival many other 5-star games for the top games. The artistry and color palette are gorgeous; although graphics could be a little crisper, they are still very, very good. Like that you can customize the game to your own specs.
The proportion of HOS to puzzles is right. The HOS are very nicely done - especially like the 3-part HOS (find X of something; then find Y of something else; and finally find the listed objects). Not all HOS are of this type - some are the typical list-based objects to find. Puzzles are well varied and are of several difficulties.
A very-well put together game with a well-written story and nice locations. A fun game to play and an excellent buy. The CE offers everything you like in a CE - morphs, achievements, music, extra puzzles, et al.
I recommend this game!
Time is running out for a worried bride! Locate her groom in a town plagued by mysterious drownings.
Overall rating
5
/
5
49 of 54 found this review helpful
BEAUTIFULLY SPECTRALLY DONE
PostedDecember 22, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
GRAPHICS are gorgeously picturesque of the times. The detail is incredible. HOS are very nicely done - a little crowded, but not excessively, and the objects are spread out and large enough that you're not pixel hunting. PUZZLES are widely varied and somewhat easy so that even novices won't get discouraged solving them.
MYSTERY involving disappearing men with a 200-year calendar. Now, who would need such a calendar and why are they walking into the lake? Lots of adventure with HOS and puzzles in the right proportion. ANIMATION is spectacular and used in the right places. Collect spectral fluid when it appears, so you know there's a paranormal aspect here.
Don't understand the mediocre reviews so far. Game has a lot to offer. JOURNAL has your clues and objectives. HINT system is very precise, giving thorough instructions on what to do in casual mode if you want it - usually on where you need to go next. MAP is very large and shows where there are activities to do. Lovely game and the demo went by so fast that I know it's a must buy.
I recommend this game!
Everyone deserves a second chance – even the stingiest of them all.
Overall rating
5
/
5
34 of 48 found this review helpful
MUST HAVE CHRISTMAS GAME
PostedDecember 22, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Beautiful game - much like the Nutcracker from last year. A true fantasy world. Puzzles are easy to moderately challenging; HOS are vivid and only a little cluttered and are far between. More puzzles than HOS. Artistry is lovely to look at; voice overs are pleasant to listen to. Music is Christmasy. What's not to love. Achievements and penguin collection. Find out what made Scrooge who he is and you may not hate him. Can you turn him into the person you know he can be by Christmas? A wonderful addition to your Christmas toys.
I recommend this game!
Track the treasure and solve the riddles of the past with Golden Trails 3: The Guardian’s Creed game!
Overall rating
2
/
5
5 of 6 found this review helpful
LENGTHY GAME BUT I GAVE UP BEFORE THE END
PostedDecember 20, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
LENGTH: I gave up at 5 ½ hours. Items are just too small, too dark, the location is too large, the objects shown in the tray do not come close very often in matching color (i.e., colors are not true), nor is the position as shown in the tray list close to the position in the scene. So you are frequently left guessing what exactly it looks like and is that tiny thing you’re looking at what you’re looking for? Many objects are only partially visible. The tools in your tool box do not tell you what they are – and, since they do not necessarily look like what you’d expect (such as the thin object you need to open a lock), you’re left at a guess. I do not find this challenging; I find this frustrating.
There are a few regular pop-up HOS which are much better – but they are few and far between. Voice overs are nice enough. I think those who rated this high played only the demo. I probably agreed with them on that basis since I bought it after playing the demo. But after 2 or 3 hours, it seemed the locations got busier and the objects smaller and scenery darker. I’ve never quite a game before and, even if I didn’t particularly like it, forced myself to finish to write a better review (some games actually get good at the end). I just can’t do it with this one, no matter how much I liked it to begin with, and no matter how much I liked the prequels. So I guess I’ll never know how it ends.
I recommend this game!
Stop the evil Vansig family before they point their vengeful wrath at your friend Christine in Nightfall Mysteries: Black Heart!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
THIRD IN THE SERIES
PostedDecember 20, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
LENGTH: 5 hours casual for the main game. Bonus add another hour. Anticlimatic ending. Ending for the detective wasn’t very believable, but I guess it could happen. The first two in the series were better.
GOOD:
- Plenty of HOS.
- Hint recharges very fast.
- Gameplay focuses on plenty of HOS, generally not too busy.
- Mini-games are of varying degrees of difficulty, starting fairly easy, ending with more challenging puzzles.
- Map shows where actions can be taken. Not interactive, but not really needed.
- Plenty of HOS.
- Hint recharges very fast.
- Gameplay focuses on plenty of HOS, generally not too busy.
- Mini-games are of varying degrees of difficulty, starting fairly easy, ending with more challenging puzzles.
- Map shows where actions can be taken. Not interactive, but not really needed.
IMPROVEMENT NEEDED:
- Information on the top black line – s not there long enough to read.
- Music, while not intrusive, does not always fit with the on-screen locations.
- Hint could be more helpful. Points out nothing to do there – fine. But it also points to something to be done; only you don’t have the tools for the task yet, so you waste time trying to figure out why your inventory tools won’t work and wonder what you’re doing wrong.
- Story: Christine and Viggo and Det. Thomas keep disappearing. I can understand the detective going off on his own. But Christine should at least be accompanying you. Where is she? What is she doing to help? It’s like she was cast into the story for some unfathomable reason, other than she was in prior stories. And she and Viggo disappear after he’s rescued and you have no idea what they were doing to help escape.
- Low resolution graphics – okay but not great.
- Couple of the puzzles near the end didn’t appear to work. In one, the beginning portion of the puzzle looked like the solution. Maybe I missed something, but I looked at it several times.
- Information on the top black line – s not there long enough to read.
- Music, while not intrusive, does not always fit with the on-screen locations.
- Hint could be more helpful. Points out nothing to do there – fine. But it also points to something to be done; only you don’t have the tools for the task yet, so you waste time trying to figure out why your inventory tools won’t work and wonder what you’re doing wrong.
- Story: Christine and Viggo and Det. Thomas keep disappearing. I can understand the detective going off on his own. But Christine should at least be accompanying you. Where is she? What is she doing to help? It’s like she was cast into the story for some unfathomable reason, other than she was in prior stories. And she and Viggo disappear after he’s rescued and you have no idea what they were doing to help escape.
- Low resolution graphics – okay but not great.
- Couple of the puzzles near the end didn’t appear to work. In one, the beginning portion of the puzzle looked like the solution. Maybe I missed something, but I looked at it several times.
I recommend this game!
Stop the evil Vansig family before they point their vengeful wrath at your friend Christine in Nightfall Mysteries: Black Heart!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
THIRD IN THE SERIES
PostedDecember 20, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
LENGTH: 5 hours casual. Anticlimatic ending. Ending for the detective wasn’t very believable, but I guess it could happen. The first two in the series were better.
GOOD:
- Plenty of HOS.
- Hint recharges very fast.
- Gameplay focuses on plenty of HOS, generally not too busy.
- Mini-games are of varying degrees of difficulty, starting fairly easy, ending with more challenging puzzles.
- Map shows where actions can be taken. Not interactive, but not really needed.
- Plenty of HOS.
- Hint recharges very fast.
- Gameplay focuses on plenty of HOS, generally not too busy.
- Mini-games are of varying degrees of difficulty, starting fairly easy, ending with more challenging puzzles.
- Map shows where actions can be taken. Not interactive, but not really needed.
IMPROVEMENT NEEDED:
- Information on the top black line – s not there long enough to read.
- Music, while not intrusive, does not always fit with the on-screen locations.
- Hint could be more helpful. Points out nothing to do there – fine. But it also points to something to be done; only you don’t have the tools for the task yet, so you waste time trying to figure out why your inventory tools won’t work and wonder what you’re doing wrong.
- Story: Christine and Viggo and Det. Thomas keep disappearing. I can understand the detective going off on his own. But Christine should at least be accompanying you. Where is she? What is she doing to help? It’s like she was cast into the story for some unfathomable reason, other than she was in prior stories. And she and Viggo disappear after he’s rescued and you have no idea what they were doing to help escape.
- Low resolution graphics – okay but not great.
- Couple of the puzzles near the end didn’t appear to work. In one, the beginning portion of the puzzle looked like the solution. Maybe I missed something, but I looked at it several times.
- Information on the top black line – s not there long enough to read.
- Music, while not intrusive, does not always fit with the on-screen locations.
- Hint could be more helpful. Points out nothing to do there – fine. But it also points to something to be done; only you don’t have the tools for the task yet, so you waste time trying to figure out why your inventory tools won’t work and wonder what you’re doing wrong.
- Story: Christine and Viggo and Det. Thomas keep disappearing. I can understand the detective going off on his own. But Christine should at least be accompanying you. Where is she? What is she doing to help? It’s like she was cast into the story for some unfathomable reason, other than she was in prior stories. And she and Viggo disappear after he’s rescued and you have no idea what they were doing to help escape.
- Low resolution graphics – okay but not great.
- Couple of the puzzles near the end didn’t appear to work. In one, the beginning portion of the puzzle looked like the solution. Maybe I missed something, but I looked at it several times.
I recommend this game!
Something wicked has taken over Fate’s Carnival!
Overall rating
5
/
5
63 of 79 found this review helpful
GETTING BACK TO BASICS
PostedDecember 20, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
If you like lots of unique, interesting and fun puzzles of infinite variety and difficulty, a delightful helper, lots of animation, many types of activities, this is the game for you. Animation and graphics are beautiful as you revisit the Fate Carnival for another brilliant mystery. Rather mind-blowing in its design and complexities. First rate production values. You won't be able to wait to play the entire game; it's better than the prequel.
I recommend this game!
Help the secret organization of Mystery Trackers find 3 missing celebrities in the mysterious Void family mansion!
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
PLEASURE TO PLAY
PostedDecember 18, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
LENGTH: 5 hours
SUMMARY: Investigate the mysterious atmosphere of Void’s to find out what happened to 3 celebrities who disappeared in Void’s manor. Highly-polished game with lots to do and see in well-constructed and beautifully detailed environments. Story is skillfully told at a good pace; ending was rather abrupt, but brings closure. A pleasure to play.
DETAILS:
- Plenty of HOS – some are very crowded while others are busy only in spots. All objects are crisply detailed with good visibility, but are sometimes near the very edge of the screen, so don’t forget to look there. No tiny or blurry objects that are easy to miss.
- Lovely detailed graphics beautifully define environments. Wonderful color palettes. Looks lovely.
- Cutscenes separate chapters. Each chapter begins with no inventory. You need to read the journal to understand the entire story.
- No map is needed because each chapter has limited environments. So not much backtracking.
- Wide variety of fun puzzles – most are moderately difficult (although some are quite easy and some a bit more challenging). Not an inordinate amount of doors to open.
- Journal has a lot of background information, as well as plenty of puzzle solutions.
- One of the most helpful hint systems – tells you what you need to do with what inventory you have.
- Plenty of HOS – some are very crowded while others are busy only in spots. All objects are crisply detailed with good visibility, but are sometimes near the very edge of the screen, so don’t forget to look there. No tiny or blurry objects that are easy to miss.
- Lovely detailed graphics beautifully define environments. Wonderful color palettes. Looks lovely.
- Cutscenes separate chapters. Each chapter begins with no inventory. You need to read the journal to understand the entire story.
- No map is needed because each chapter has limited environments. So not much backtracking.
- Wide variety of fun puzzles – most are moderately difficult (although some are quite easy and some a bit more challenging). Not an inordinate amount of doors to open.
- Journal has a lot of background information, as well as plenty of puzzle solutions.
- One of the most helpful hint systems – tells you what you need to do with what inventory you have.
I recommend this game!
Help the secret organization of Mystery Trackers find 3 missing celebrities in the mysterious Void family mansion!
Overall rating
5
/
5
10 of 10 found this review helpful
PLEASURE TO PLAY
PostedDecember 18, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
LENGTH: 5 hours for main game
SUMMARY: Investigate the mysterious atmosphere of Void’s to find out what happened to 3 celebrities who disappeared in Void’s manor. Highly-polished game with lots to do and see in well-constructed and beautifully detailed environments. Story is skillfully told at a good pace; ending was rather abrupt, but brings closure. A pleasure to play.
DETAILS:
- Plenty of HOS – some are very crowded while others are busy only in spots. All objects are crisply detailed with good visibility, but are sometimes near the very edge of the screen, so don’t forget to look there. No tiny or blurry objects that are easy to miss.
- Lovely detailed graphics beautifully define environments. Wonderful color palettes. Looks lovely.
- Cutscenes separate chapters. Each chapter begins with no inventory. You need to read the journal to understand the entire story.
- No map is needed because each chapter has limited environments. So not much backtracking.
- Wide variety of fun puzzles – most are moderately difficult (although some are quite easy and some a bit more challenging). Not an inordinate amount of doors to open.
- Journal has a lot of background information, as well as plenty of puzzle solutions.
- One of the most helpful hint systems – tells you what you need to do with what inventory you have.
- Plenty of HOS – some are very crowded while others are busy only in spots. All objects are crisply detailed with good visibility, but are sometimes near the very edge of the screen, so don’t forget to look there. No tiny or blurry objects that are easy to miss.
- Lovely detailed graphics beautifully define environments. Wonderful color palettes. Looks lovely.
- Cutscenes separate chapters. Each chapter begins with no inventory. You need to read the journal to understand the entire story.
- No map is needed because each chapter has limited environments. So not much backtracking.
- Wide variety of fun puzzles – most are moderately difficult (although some are quite easy and some a bit more challenging). Not an inordinate amount of doors to open.
- Journal has a lot of background information, as well as plenty of puzzle solutions.
- One of the most helpful hint systems – tells you what you need to do with what inventory you have.
I recommend this game!
Black Isle was supposedly abandoned after an earthquake but the truth is much more sinister! Join the Mystery Trackers and learn the truth!
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
LOVELY PREQUEL TO SOMETHING
PostedDecember 13, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Game took almost 7 hours to complete. It’s mostly adventure with a lot of locks and doors to unlock. So you have to find a lot of puzzle pieces involving locks and keys to move forward into the next area. Moderate number of interactive HOS, in which you frequently use an item that is already included in your inventory from prior acquisitions. Not many HOS are blessedly very crowded, but some items are very well concealed. As the story progressed, I found myself feeling sorry for the protagonist; there are hints about how he and others in his predicament as a paranormal were previously mistreated by a doctor. We don’t find out in this story about what that entailed. I didn’t find a journal, only notes.
NOTE RE: MAP: At first I thought it was useless. Then I realized it is multi-layered and is indeed interactive. On the main map, click on any of the main parts of the island and you’ll get a more detailed map, with pending activities and somewhat detailed tasks to be performed noted. The HINT system is extremely helpful. It will tell you what to do, where, with what and why. I like how it’s worded – like a friend giving advice without pointing fingers at how unwise you sometimes can be.
Moderate number of locations which are very nicely drawn and colored. So even if you chose not to use the map, you won’t get lost. Graphics are crisp and lovely; animation is terrific. There are a lot of activities to do. Puzzles not connected with doors and locks are refreshing and a pleasure to play.
I recommend this game!