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:
Find the clues, solve the mystery of November 1963.
Overall rating
2
/
5
94 of 104 found this review helpful
PASSABLE ONLY
PostedNovember 19, 2012
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
2
/
5
Nothing new in this game. Familiar cutscene of Kennedy’s assassination day, but after that people look like they’re made of plastic. Graphics are passable and animation is rather shaky (ex: plane shaking from turbulence looks obviously made up – not in the least trying to be realistic). Could have put more effort into developing game. Compared with what’s out there today, game resembles those put out 2-3 years ago.
STORY: You’re going to Dallas to follow-up on your mother’s visions. In flight, you suddenly have your mother’s teddy bear (not very cuddly) and you dream for an instant of a strange guy, whom you later see on the ground in Dallas and who claims the teddy bear is his. BASICS: Casual and expert modes of play. You have a journal and an interactive map. Good blend of HOS and puzzles. HOS scenes are not too crowded and objects are readily identifiable. Puzzles vary and are easy to moderately challenging. Hints are helpful, but the recharge time is rather lengthy. I don’t know that I would buy this game even if it was a DD. Or maybe I just think Kennedy’s assassination deserves more respect and thought.
I don't recommend this game.
Lured to an old building by a puzzling picture, two Private Investigators step in to solve the mystery and find a missing girl!
Overall rating
4
/
5
18 of 21 found this review helpful
SECRET OBJECTIVES; HALF FOR THE BOYS
PostedNovember 19, 2012
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
BASICS: Two modes: classic for short, non-interactive conversations; novel for longer interactive conversations, much like a novel. 5 chapters and you can change modes after each chapter. A journal lists your objectives and tasks, provides information about each of the characters and case progress and has an interactive map. Hints will show an item or a text hint and recharges fairly well. Exit the game in process via the map. 3 1/2 hours in novel mode.
STORYLINE: Muller and Chandler are private investigators. Someone sent Muller a mysterious photo of a girl in a third story window who appeared to need rescuing. So off they go to rescue her.
GAMEPLAY: Story, characters and voice overs are reminiscent of some of the 1950’s dramas (think Sam Spade, Perry Mason). Investigate all the areas and residents of the apartment building. In questioning the characters, you can chose how you wish to pursue follow-up questions (aggressive, truth, lie, silence, preachy, friendly). You must choose in a few seconds or the program will assume your response is silence. You have 14 secret objectives to find – once in a while, a secret objective appears on your task list but most of the time you won’t have a clue until your discover one. I only found 7. You play alternately as Muller and Chandler.
HOS: are not handled like traditional HOS. You must find either a list of objects (which can be anywhere in the room) or a set number of one object (which can be anywhere in the building). If in a room, you will have to do a close up in different areas of the room to find your objects. It is a quite interesting concept and you should try it since it’s so hard to describe accurately. Puzzles are varied and easy to moderately challenging.
I recommend this game!
Track down your real parents in The Keepers: Lost Progeny! After growing up an orphan, a mysterious photo showing your parents arrives!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
OMINOUS WARNINGS FROM A MYSTERIOUS BOY
PostedNovember 19, 2012
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
STORYLINE: Member of the Sword and Rose have been disappearing and need a hero to defeat the evil penetrating earth. You’re the hero on your way to Rutland, which a photo appearing on your doorstep compels you to visit. Once you get there, you’re warned repeatedly by a mysterious boy that the town is dangerous and to leave. You find old newspapers with articles about birds falling from the air, streets littered with corpses, fissures cracking the ground and swallowing people and an exodus from the town.
BASICS: Adventure-HOS. You can play casual, advanced and hardcore. You have a journal. Music is okay. Graphics are very detailed. Well executed gameplay. Appropriate ending, with another surprise. About 5 hours relaxed game play.
GAMEPLAY: To find out what’s happened, you explore the town and end up having to find all the artifacts of the Sword and Rose fraternity to put a stop to the evil. Unexpected personal surprises plus a couple mysteries (like why would a hotel in an apparently deserted town have a concierge and close for the evening, who’s feeding the watchdog, who’s the strange boy that keeps appearing with his ominous warnings). Good balance between HOS, puzzles and adventure. HOS are not crowded and objects are easy to find. Puzzles vary by degree of complexity. Well thought-out story.
I recommend this game!
Olivia has been kidnapped by the mysterious Lonely Hearts Killer who murders those suffering from a shattered love. Save her!
Overall rating
5
/
5
172 of 185 found this review helpful
SO VERY MUCH TO OFFER
PostedNovember 18, 2012
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 is even better than the first Brink of Consciousness. This is one game where the voice overs are terrific and movements of the characters appear natural. I think V/Os are one of gamers’ pet peeves and the production team has to be specially commended for this effort. Graphics are spectacular; music relaxing.
Storyline is so intriguing that you can’t put the game away until you find out what happened. Very nice blend of adventure, HOS and puzzles. HOS are crisp and clear. Wide variety of puzzles that vary in difficulty. Map, although not interactive, shows you the areas of interest as well as where your current objective can be met.
Volume controls for special effects, music, voice and the environment. You can also control “film grain” but I didn’t notice any difference in appearance. Extremely polished and well thought out game. Well above-average production values in every phase. This will be one of my favs. It's a large file, but thankfully I have a lot of room still on my computer.
I recommend this game!
Guide a young lady on a magical quest to find her brother and stop the manifestation of a terrible and ancient evil!
Overall rating
4
/
5
8 of 9 found this review helpful
FUN FOR ENTIRE FAMILY
PostedNovember 17, 2012
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
3
/
5
Fun adventure for the family. Game is an interactive FRAG, but there are enough puzzles that you don’t get bored with looking for pieces of objects. You will also need your thinking cap nearby. You’re a first year magic student on the hunt for dragons threatening the world. Dialogue at the end is written but speeds by too fast to read all of it. Too bad.
GAMEPLAY: 12 chapters follow this format: usually 2-3 locations per chapter. Search for fragments, crystals and question marks (which will give you additional hints). The number of crystals for each location is noted on an interactive map; you will need all the crystals to complete the game. Objects you assembled during the FRAG will be used in one of the two or three locations. A flag will appear on the map at each location in which all fragments have been assembled and used and all crystals found. There are a variety of puzzles, some of which are timed. If not solved within the generous time frame, you have to start the puzzle over. There is no skip button.
[TIP so you don’t get frustrated using the wrong object when you’re sure it’s correct: When you get to the Indian Settlement, the object that looks like a drum is actually the “top” that goes over the smoking pipe inside the tent. You will have a lid, but it’s not the one you need.] About 5-5 ½ hours. 4 ½ stars.
I recommend this game!
The wolf has returned and Red Riding Hood is in danger - but this is no fairytale!
Overall rating
4
/
5
77 of 97 found this review helpful
FUN GAME ON TAKE-OFF OF THE FAIRY TALE
PostedNovember 17, 2012
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Takeoff on the fairy tale by a criminal known as The Storyteller, who has signed the current case "The Big Bad Wolf." Mostly adventure. Fair amount of HOS. Music makes you feel the sense of urgency in saving your boyfriend from the Big Bad Wolf. What does he have in store for him? for you? The Wolf's left you a clue in a crypt in an infamous cemetery.
Casual and Expert modes of play. You have an interactive map, as well as a journal that includes a lot of information, including background, that isn't apparent from the gameplay. Nonlinear game play. Visually pleasing graphics. HOS are not too crowded and objects are fairly easy to find. Fun game - t'was a must buy for me.
I recommend this game!
A crime spree baffles Huntsville™ police! Can you help solve the crime?
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
HOURS OF FUN FOR FULL-FLEDGED HOGGERS
PostedNovember 17, 2012
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
There is a crimewave in Huntsville and you are called in to investigate. You have 15 cases to solve – no murders or felonies – mostly nuisance crimes. Each follows this format: you’re given a short summary of the case; investigate a varying number of locations for clues (i.e., find objects in HO scenes); then unscramble a picture of the culprit engaged in the crime in one of the locations. No other puzzles. This is one of the older HOGs; graphics are not as sharp and crisp as they are in today’s games.
Cases are timed (there is no other mode of play) to include all the HOS and the picture. You might get a little stressed having to find 40 items and solve the picture puzzle in 20 minutes, especially if you have a small screen. A very large screen seems to smear the edges of objects. You begin each case with 3 hints. TIP: You might want to break the game up because playing straight through for several hours can get tedious.
I recommend this game!
Reveal an ancient curse and save the kingdom and its inhabitants. The last prince of Orion is waiting for your help!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
PETRIFIED CASTLE DWELLERS--PRELUDE TO NEXT GAME
PostedNovember 17, 2012
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
STORYLINE: During a tour of a royal castle, you’re transported into medieval times when the last Prince of Orion disappeared. Mirrors you collect will tell you the history of the castle and its inhabitants. The inhabitants have been petrified and you will need to unpetrify them.
GAMEPLAY: Nonlinear. Good blend of HOS and puzzles/mini-games. After completing a HOS, you will need to find another item to move the play along. Game tells you when everything has been done in a scene for the moment; but note that you may come back to it later. In casual mode, sparkles from an open doorway will signal the sight of a new HOS. Wide variety of puzzles with varied degrees of difficulty. Lot of traveling but the distance is not great (usually 4-5 scenes), so the lack of an interactive map isn’t really a detriment.
OTHER STUFF: Diary has information that is not gleaned from gameplay. HOS was not as crisp on a large screen as it was on a 17” widescreen. Starts with 10 free hints. Find the 2 mirrors hidden in each HOS for additional hints. Play took 3 hours the 3rd time I played it. I think I liked it more the first time I played it.
I recommend this game!
Investigate the disappearance of the chancellor's daughter and uncover the long lost kingdom of the exiled Frog Prince!
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
TRAGIC STORY OF A FROG PRINCE
PostedNovember 16, 2012
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
4
/
5
STORYLINE: People are disappearing while walking in the woods. The Chancellor’s daughter and her bodyguard have joined the missing and the Frog Prince has naturally boomed to the top of the suspect list. The ending was as suspected and gave a hint to the follow-up game in the snow-capped mountains. 10 chapters.
GAMEPLAY: Non-linear, although the direction to normally take is usually intuitive. Map shows where you are. No HOS – exclusively fragmented object game. My one complaint is objects in the tray may not be the same color in the scene (e.g. rose colored object in the tray was actually green in the FRAG scene). Most puzzles are moderately difficult; skipping one will make the hints inactive for 5 minutes. Hints will show a partial solution for puzzles.
IMPORTANT ASPECTS: Top-notch graphics are absolutely spectacular, as are the production values. Music is non-intrusive. There are 20 morphing objects; each one collected will shorten the recharge time for the hint (which isn’t that long to begin with). I found all 20 – the morphing objects may not appear in a location until a subsequent visit, so always be on the watch. The map will advise where there are FRAGs to be done, but it is not interactive. It does, however, list your next objective (though it need not be your next move as game is not linear) and sometimes has a hint for reaching the objective.
OTHER STUFF: There are two modes of play. You must play the normal difficulty first. You can play hard core after you’ve finished the game. Hard core has a few areas that you cannot access at the normal mode. Although a terrific game, I liked Briar Rose and Snow Queen better, which is why I'm only giving 4 stars.
I recommend this game!
After being called to Paris, you find yourself in the middle of a shocking mystery involving an ancient werewolf hungry for revenge.
Overall rating
5
/
5
85 of 91 found this review helpful
MEPHISTUS THE WEREWOLF
PostedNovember 16, 2012
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
Werewolf Mephistus is seeking revenge on Veronica and her family a few days before her wedding. You’re called in to save the day. Well developed and thought-out storyline and characters. Catches your attention from the beginning. The spooky cutscenes and haunting music send a chill up your spine. Good balance of detailed HOS and variety of puzzles with varying difficulty.
Some backtracking. You’ll be seeking out people for an object, only to be told you needed to do an errand for them before they’ll give you the object. 3 modes of play: casual, advanced and hard. Gorgeously crisp and clear graphics. Very polished gameplay flows smoothly and easily – usually what needs to be done is intuitive. A lot of fun to play.
I recommend this game!