Lao_Zi's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.6
- Helpful Votes:1,882
- Reviews Submitted:86
- First Review:May 24, 2012
- Most Recent Review:October 28, 2012
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Help Kate save her friend and find a mysterious briefcase! Travel across the world in Millennium Secrets: Emerald Curse!
Overall rating
4
/
5
7 of 8 found this review helpful
Keep on clicking
PostedAugust 2, 2012
Lao_Zi
fromOstend, Belgium
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I had first bought Roxanne's Necklace, the second installment of Millennium Secrets, and had quite liked this game, so I decided to give the first installment of the series a try.
What to say about it? I find it not as good as the second one, because it lacks the complexity of Roxanne's Necklace, but in itself, the game has enough merits to make it quite enjoyable.
It is more of an adventure game, since there are no HOS, piles of "junk" in which you have to find a list of objects... but every scene is in itself a HOS in which you have to score for a number of objects to unlock the next level of the game. And if you play in expert mode - which I did - you have absolutely no sparkles and you will be in for a lot of clicking to find all of those objects, because some of them are pretty well hidden. So, just click away on every box, every chair, every rock, every wall or floor tile - especially those with a slightly different coloring from the others...
All through the game, you will stumble upon puzzles, some of which are very easy, and some of which offer a bit more of a challenge. (In this respect, the second installment is more challenging.)
Hints have to be earned by finding objects. I advise you to use them wisely and sparingly... I reached the final chamber with 14 hints left.
The graphics are OK... they remind me of a number of very good adventure games I played back in the nineties, so they gave me a good nostalgic feeling.
The storyline also is OK, not very original - baddies want to achieve world domination and you put a stop to that - but enough to keep everything going and to allow for continuity in the series.
So, all in all, I would say that this game is interesting enough, being the first one in the Millenium Secrets series, and seeing that the second installment is a big improvement on the first one, things look quite promising for the third episode of the series.
What to say about it? I find it not as good as the second one, because it lacks the complexity of Roxanne's Necklace, but in itself, the game has enough merits to make it quite enjoyable.
It is more of an adventure game, since there are no HOS, piles of "junk" in which you have to find a list of objects... but every scene is in itself a HOS in which you have to score for a number of objects to unlock the next level of the game. And if you play in expert mode - which I did - you have absolutely no sparkles and you will be in for a lot of clicking to find all of those objects, because some of them are pretty well hidden. So, just click away on every box, every chair, every rock, every wall or floor tile - especially those with a slightly different coloring from the others...
All through the game, you will stumble upon puzzles, some of which are very easy, and some of which offer a bit more of a challenge. (In this respect, the second installment is more challenging.)
Hints have to be earned by finding objects. I advise you to use them wisely and sparingly... I reached the final chamber with 14 hints left.
The graphics are OK... they remind me of a number of very good adventure games I played back in the nineties, so they gave me a good nostalgic feeling.
The storyline also is OK, not very original - baddies want to achieve world domination and you put a stop to that - but enough to keep everything going and to allow for continuity in the series.
So, all in all, I would say that this game is interesting enough, being the first one in the Millenium Secrets series, and seeing that the second installment is a big improvement on the first one, things look quite promising for the third episode of the series.
I recommend this game!
A billionaire has been murdered on a tropical island, and it`s up to Detective Jack Norm to crack the case! Can you solve the mystery?
Overall rating
3
/
5
20 of 20 found this review helpful
A disappointment for White Bird
PostedJuly 30, 2012
Lao_Zi
fromOstend, Belgium
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I am a huge fan of Benoit Sokal and White Bird, and when I say "huge", I definitely mean HUGE. Syberia is, and remains, my all-time favourite, I like Amerzone, I love Paradise... and so on and so forth... so, how about Sinking Island?
Well, sorry ... I can't get into the game. Oh yes, the graphics are absolutely GORGEOUS, but the gameplay is so tedious, so slow, so undirectional... I like sleuthing around, interviewing people, investigating... but aimlessly running around is not my cup of tea... and having to click five times to run along a beach to get from one point to another, followed by the same number of clicks to get from the bottom of a tower to the top, just to ask a few questions to somebody, really is too much ... even if I adore the graphics of the scenes...
No, sorry, this is way too slow, way too tedious, way too uneventful for me to be a good game.
I cannot recommend this game... please, folks, spend your money on a book by Benoit Sokal, or go for Syberia...
Well, sorry ... I can't get into the game. Oh yes, the graphics are absolutely GORGEOUS, but the gameplay is so tedious, so slow, so undirectional... I like sleuthing around, interviewing people, investigating... but aimlessly running around is not my cup of tea... and having to click five times to run along a beach to get from one point to another, followed by the same number of clicks to get from the bottom of a tower to the top, just to ask a few questions to somebody, really is too much ... even if I adore the graphics of the scenes...
No, sorry, this is way too slow, way too tedious, way too uneventful for me to be a good game.
I cannot recommend this game... please, folks, spend your money on a book by Benoit Sokal, or go for Syberia...
I don't recommend this game.
A terrifying explosion has destroyed a secret bunker and you have been called in to investigate! Capture the culprit before it’s too late!
Overall rating
4
/
5
19 of 20 found this review helpful
Perfectly good entertainment
PostedJuly 30, 2012
Lao_Zi
fromOstend, Belgium
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I don't understand why some people would want to give this game a bad review. It has everything you can expect from an unpretentious HOAG.
The graphics are good, the storyline is good... you have to find a lot of hidden objects, but not always in HOS... score the scenes for tiny details and you find what you are looking for... and the puzzles can be quite tricky, oh yes, they can!
The hint button is absolutely helpfull whenever you get really stuck. The map is so well conceived, with indications of where you are, where you have finished doing things, where you still have to go looking for something, etc.... no need to hunt on the internet for a walkthrough in order to get through the game... you have everything you need right at hand.
I like it, I really do... this is a very good HOAG... if you decide to purchase this one, you are in for a lot of hours of good entertainment with just enough spice to keep your braincells awake without giving them a burndown... good anti-Alzheimer medecine, as far as I am concerned.
The graphics are good, the storyline is good... you have to find a lot of hidden objects, but not always in HOS... score the scenes for tiny details and you find what you are looking for... and the puzzles can be quite tricky, oh yes, they can!
The hint button is absolutely helpfull whenever you get really stuck. The map is so well conceived, with indications of where you are, where you have finished doing things, where you still have to go looking for something, etc.... no need to hunt on the internet for a walkthrough in order to get through the game... you have everything you need right at hand.
I like it, I really do... this is a very good HOAG... if you decide to purchase this one, you are in for a lot of hours of good entertainment with just enough spice to keep your braincells awake without giving them a burndown... good anti-Alzheimer medecine, as far as I am concerned.
I recommend this game!
After her plane crashes, Ann Smith wakes up safe, but is unable to remember anything. Help her find her identity!
Overall rating
5
/
5
30 of 34 found this review helpful
Let's hear it for Benoit Sokal!
PostedJuly 30, 2012
Lao_Zi
fromOstend, Belgium
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Yes, yes, yes, I like the artwork of Benoit Sokal, and I like his stories, such as the Inspector Canardo series. Together with Enki Bilal, he is one of my most favourite graphic artists. I am simply wild about Syberia and I love Amerzone - albeit a bit too short to my liking - and Paradise follows suit.
I played and replayed the game a number of times, and I can't get enough of it.
So, instead of getting ecstatic about the graphics, the storyline, the challenges - which I could easily do - I advise you to get into the skin of Ann Smith and start to explore Paradise, a most gratifying experience.
I played and replayed the game a number of times, and I can't get enough of it.
So, instead of getting ecstatic about the graphics, the storyline, the challenges - which I could easily do - I advise you to get into the skin of Ann Smith and start to explore Paradise, a most gratifying experience.
I recommend this game!
A mysterious fortune teller has foreseen her demise at midnight this very day. Can you find the soul who seeks to kill Madame Fate? You be the detective.
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 4 found this review helpful
I'm not all that sure about this one
PostedJuly 30, 2012
Lao_Zi
fromOstend, Belgium
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Looking for a change from the same old storyline about madhouses, haunted manors, gothic romance, vampires, etcetera, with one bizarre lock after another to open and with one object after another to find in the most impossible locations, I stumbled upon the reviews about Madame Fate and decided with high hopes to try this game.
Immediately upon starting the game, I remembered why I had detested Ravenhearst so much: this was the same interface, with the same series of HOS, repeated again and again, to look for the same objects again and again. Drat and double drat!
OK, the game proved to contain a series of very interesting puzzles - word puzzles and others - which, sadly enough, also came back again and again.
OK, most of the puzzles coming at the end of each "chapter" were different, very interactive and sometimes quite challenging.
Also the fact that you have to manage your hints and look out for scenes containing morphing objects in order to earn a few new hints or bonus time, proves to be a challenge.
And yes, the gallery of characters you get to meet is funny and entertaining.
So, all in all, I would say that Madame Fate is better than Ravenhearst... but you have to be a real HOS lover - and I am not such a person - to get ecstatic about this game, which does not mean that I didn't spend an agreeable 12 hours of gameplay, because I did.
Immediately upon starting the game, I remembered why I had detested Ravenhearst so much: this was the same interface, with the same series of HOS, repeated again and again, to look for the same objects again and again. Drat and double drat!
OK, the game proved to contain a series of very interesting puzzles - word puzzles and others - which, sadly enough, also came back again and again.
OK, most of the puzzles coming at the end of each "chapter" were different, very interactive and sometimes quite challenging.
Also the fact that you have to manage your hints and look out for scenes containing morphing objects in order to earn a few new hints or bonus time, proves to be a challenge.
And yes, the gallery of characters you get to meet is funny and entertaining.
So, all in all, I would say that Madame Fate is better than Ravenhearst... but you have to be a real HOS lover - and I am not such a person - to get ecstatic about this game, which does not mean that I didn't spend an agreeable 12 hours of gameplay, because I did.
I recommend this game!
Blue Madonna: A Carol Reed Story
Local painter Christina Falk asks Carol for help regarding some strange recent occurrences. When Christina is found dead, Carol is drawn into a 600 year old mystery.
Overall rating
2
/
5
17 of 23 found this review helpful
Some may like it, but not me...
PostedJuly 28, 2012
Lao_Zi
fromOstend, Belgium
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I had played two other CR stories before without actually liking them and really hesitated to purchase this one... I had better decided against spending a credit for Blue Madonna.
Of course, I don't like the idea of using real photographs instead of computer or hand drawn graphics. But OK, I could put myself over this.
But what to think about a storyline in which nothing is logical? It it weren't for the notebook with the hints, you would be turning around and going aimlessly from one location to another without ever knowing what you are doing or what you are even supposed to do. How about going to three different locations and opening trapdoors and closets in the most incongruous ways, just to find a note and a tool that will help you to open a box in which you will find another note or tool that should serve somewhere else? And so on and so forth...
And how about going from one junkpile to another cluttered barn or garage to another garbagecan to another heap of trash... just to find one single object that should come in handy sometime or other, once again in a most incongruous way?
No, definitely no, this is not what I expect from a good whodunnit. I for one am over and done with Carole Reed.
Of course, I don't like the idea of using real photographs instead of computer or hand drawn graphics. But OK, I could put myself over this.
But what to think about a storyline in which nothing is logical? It it weren't for the notebook with the hints, you would be turning around and going aimlessly from one location to another without ever knowing what you are doing or what you are even supposed to do. How about going to three different locations and opening trapdoors and closets in the most incongruous ways, just to find a note and a tool that will help you to open a box in which you will find another note or tool that should serve somewhere else? And so on and so forth...
And how about going from one junkpile to another cluttered barn or garage to another garbagecan to another heap of trash... just to find one single object that should come in handy sometime or other, once again in a most incongruous way?
No, definitely no, this is not what I expect from a good whodunnit. I for one am over and done with Carole Reed.
I don't recommend this game.
The Color of Murder
Explore the cityscapes of Sweden and unravel the mystery surrounding the murder of a local artist in this clever Large File game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
13 of 23 found this review helpful
Enjoyable but farfetched
PostedJuly 28, 2012
Lao_Zi
fromOstend, Belgium
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Let's be honest, as a photographer I don't really like the use of real photographs as "graphics" in a computer game, even if they have been slightly transformed with a Photoshop filter. That is why I don't really like the graphics of this game.
How about the storyline? I like a good detective novel, a real whodunnit, and I can muster up a fair amount of "willing suspension of disbelief", but this really is too farfetched. You cannot expect a story to develop itself the way it does in this game.
On the other hand, I must say that with the aid of the notebook, you can safely navigate through the whole story and spend some enjoyable hours... although I have to admit that at one moment, I had to consult a walkthrough in order to get "unstuck"... finding things in photographs can be very hard to do.
But, if you don't mind doing some sightseeing of Norköpping and its surroundings, and if you want to get a taste of Sweden, you will like this game. It has a particular feeling and I recognize the atmosphere that I experienced when I was in Sweden or when i read a Swedish detective novel.
So, all in all, it was OK and I might be inclined to try another CR mystery.
How about the storyline? I like a good detective novel, a real whodunnit, and I can muster up a fair amount of "willing suspension of disbelief", but this really is too farfetched. You cannot expect a story to develop itself the way it does in this game.
On the other hand, I must say that with the aid of the notebook, you can safely navigate through the whole story and spend some enjoyable hours... although I have to admit that at one moment, I had to consult a walkthrough in order to get "unstuck"... finding things in photographs can be very hard to do.
But, if you don't mind doing some sightseeing of Norköpping and its surroundings, and if you want to get a taste of Sweden, you will like this game. It has a particular feeling and I recognize the atmosphere that I experienced when I was in Sweden or when i read a Swedish detective novel.
So, all in all, it was OK and I might be inclined to try another CR mystery.
I recommend this game!
Explore The Dark Hills of Cherai and find The Regal Scepter in this unique Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
Keep your head together... you're going to need it
PostedJuly 24, 2012
Lao_Zi
fromOstend, Belgium
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I played the first Dark Hills of Cherai and had some difficulty getting into the gameplay with the different characters and the swapping of objects. So I hesitated to purchase this one, luckily I did, because the gameplay is AWESOME!
- You have this gorgeous map which lets you jump from one location to another in the blink of an eye... and, it indicates where you are, which locations you have finished off, which locations still have something left to do and which locations you haven't reached yet;
- you have this button which lets you travel straight to the meeting point and you have these buttons which let you switch from one character to another: these two combined let you swap objects between the different characters very easily... and once swapping is finished, off you go again to where you want to be with the help of the map;
- and if you are at a loss what to do with a certain object, just drop it on the imperial peacock (the hint button) and it will show you where to go to, without spoiling the fun.
And what to stay about the graphics, except that they are OUTSTANDING. I love those crisp, neat, sharp graphics, full of colour saturation, with deep contrast and a lovely play of light tones and shadows.
The puzzles are good, some of them are even quite challenging. You have lots of things to do, lots of scenes to explore, lots of objects to combine... yes, you will need to keep your head together to finish this one, I can assure you that.
The only drawback to the whole game - and one which refrains me from awarding 5 stars - is the number of HOS... moreover the fact that the same HOS are being repeated... I really don't like that in a game.
Anyway... I love this challenging and very lengthy game, which took me several days to finish. Please, let there be a sequel, please...
- You have this gorgeous map which lets you jump from one location to another in the blink of an eye... and, it indicates where you are, which locations you have finished off, which locations still have something left to do and which locations you haven't reached yet;
- you have this button which lets you travel straight to the meeting point and you have these buttons which let you switch from one character to another: these two combined let you swap objects between the different characters very easily... and once swapping is finished, off you go again to where you want to be with the help of the map;
- and if you are at a loss what to do with a certain object, just drop it on the imperial peacock (the hint button) and it will show you where to go to, without spoiling the fun.
And what to stay about the graphics, except that they are OUTSTANDING. I love those crisp, neat, sharp graphics, full of colour saturation, with deep contrast and a lovely play of light tones and shadows.
The puzzles are good, some of them are even quite challenging. You have lots of things to do, lots of scenes to explore, lots of objects to combine... yes, you will need to keep your head together to finish this one, I can assure you that.
The only drawback to the whole game - and one which refrains me from awarding 5 stars - is the number of HOS... moreover the fact that the same HOS are being repeated... I really don't like that in a game.
Anyway... I love this challenging and very lengthy game, which took me several days to finish. Please, let there be a sequel, please...
I recommend this game!
Lift an evil curse that has been cast on the kingdom by a witch looking for revenge in Love Chronicles: The Sword and the Rose!
Overall rating
4
/
5
7 of 9 found this review helpful
Sweet and entertaining
PostedJuly 23, 2012
Lao_Zi
fromOstend, Belgium
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I must say that I hesitated to purchase this one, fearing for some all too romantic hogwash. But I had played the first installment of what appears to become a series, so I decided to give it a try... and I am glad I did.
The story is the classic fairy tale one, of course, with an evil witch, a damsel in distress and a prince who comes to her rescue. Nothing wrong with that.
What I liked the most is, that the dev's really used their creative minds to introduce a lot of unexpected elements in the story.
Another good find are the zany machines that you have to put together after playing a HOS. About those HOS, they are far from abundant and are never repeated, which I think is a very good thing. Moreover, they are not junkpiles, so you rarely need the hint button to finish them off.
The puzzles are mostly on the easy side, but some are far more tricky.
The graphics are good, sometimes a bit blurry, but this adds to the fairy tale atmosphere.
The gameplay itself is rather linear... most of the time, you find an object or objects you need within armslength. Although this is not always the case, I have to admit.
The hint button is very helpful, without being a spoiler. When you are at a loss what to do, it just indicates you where you have to go in order to continue the story.
What I disliked, was the rather painful navigation in the game. The cursor moved very slowly, especially in scenes with a lot of moving elements. But, oh well, I adapted my gaming speed to this small setback.
To conclude with, yes, I spent some agreeable hours playing this game, and am looking forward to the third episode of the series.
The story is the classic fairy tale one, of course, with an evil witch, a damsel in distress and a prince who comes to her rescue. Nothing wrong with that.
What I liked the most is, that the dev's really used their creative minds to introduce a lot of unexpected elements in the story.
Another good find are the zany machines that you have to put together after playing a HOS. About those HOS, they are far from abundant and are never repeated, which I think is a very good thing. Moreover, they are not junkpiles, so you rarely need the hint button to finish them off.
The puzzles are mostly on the easy side, but some are far more tricky.
The graphics are good, sometimes a bit blurry, but this adds to the fairy tale atmosphere.
The gameplay itself is rather linear... most of the time, you find an object or objects you need within armslength. Although this is not always the case, I have to admit.
The hint button is very helpful, without being a spoiler. When you are at a loss what to do, it just indicates you where you have to go in order to continue the story.
What I disliked, was the rather painful navigation in the game. The cursor moved very slowly, especially in scenes with a lot of moving elements. But, oh well, I adapted my gaming speed to this small setback.
To conclude with, yes, I spent some agreeable hours playing this game, and am looking forward to the third episode of the series.
I recommend this game!
Trapped at the bottom of the sea by Davy Jones, you must discover his secrets, save your father and find a way to escape!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Pirates of the Caribbean galore!
PostedJuly 22, 2012
Lao_Zi
fromOstend, Belgium
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Prepare for battle against the infamous Davy Jones, captain of the Flying Dutchman... you'll love it, except for a few regrettable flaws in the game.
Likes: graphics, storyline, soundtrack, length of the game, number of scenes to be explored, challenge...
Dislikes: repetition of HOS - even with the same objects to find - and some puzzles that keep coming back...
And then there are the dialogues... I know that some people are hard of hearing or understanding, but there really is no need for repeating every sentence twice or even thrice. Once is enough, and if you really need to be told again what you should do, just click on your interlocutor... or take a look a the tasks page in your journal.
Apart from these flaws, nothing but praise for the dev's ... I especially liked the map, which isn't a spoiler at all, but boy, believe me, do you ever need it to find your way around with all the objects that you carry around - at one moment, I had 25 of them in my inventory - and have to use one way or another to complete all your tasks.
All in all a very good game, which I thorougly enjoyed playing... honestly, I regretted feeling the end drawing near ... so, I may have some seconds, in a while...
Likes: graphics, storyline, soundtrack, length of the game, number of scenes to be explored, challenge...
Dislikes: repetition of HOS - even with the same objects to find - and some puzzles that keep coming back...
And then there are the dialogues... I know that some people are hard of hearing or understanding, but there really is no need for repeating every sentence twice or even thrice. Once is enough, and if you really need to be told again what you should do, just click on your interlocutor... or take a look a the tasks page in your journal.
Apart from these flaws, nothing but praise for the dev's ... I especially liked the map, which isn't a spoiler at all, but boy, believe me, do you ever need it to find your way around with all the objects that you carry around - at one moment, I had 25 of them in my inventory - and have to use one way or another to complete all your tasks.
All in all a very good game, which I thorougly enjoyed playing... honestly, I regretted feeling the end drawing near ... so, I may have some seconds, in a while...
I recommend this game!