Lolyta_IceWalker's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.8
- Helpful Votes:410
- Reviews Submitted:34
- First Review:November 19, 2011
- Most Recent Review:August 26, 2014
- Featured reviews0
Status:
PuppetShow: Lightning Strikes Collector's Edition
The women of Paris are being turned into puppets! Can you find out who's pulling the strings?
Overall rating
1
/
5
21 of 22 found this review helpful
Disappointing Addition to a Great series.
PostedAugust 26, 2014
Lolyta_IceWalker
fromGold Coast, Australia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
The PuppetShow series has always kept me due to it's great artwork and fun playstyle, moreso than it's plot or characters, which have been good while not markedly different from other games. However, Lightning Strike has taken away so much of that.
The characters, to start with, are humdrum, 2-dimensional and very much what you'd expect from a mediocre HO game. The helper, Froissart, the bad guys whose backstory you learn as time goes on. Nothing too terrible, but nothing special either.
The plot is not unoriginal, but it feels that way. Learn why the baddies are doing their thing, try to stop them before too many people get hurt. The twist is visible a mile away.
The art is not up to the usual standards. The original PuppetShow blew my mind away, and they've been going downhill since, getting slightly more average with each new game.
But the main problem I had was the play. Now, if memory serves, the last PuppetShow was disappointing in this aspect, too, changing things that worked and creating problems that never existed before. Lightning has done this too. For a start, regardless of 'difficulty' level, the game holds your hand far too much. Instead of just letting you find objects, or attracting your attention with sparkles, this game gives you a HO bar at the top of the screen to TELL YOU what you're going to be able to pick up. For everything you can pick up. It's annoying and you cannot turn it off. There are a few varieties of HOs, from 'find an object in this speech' to normal HOs to 'find all the instances of this object.' They are all inane and very easy. The puzzles are the same thing we've been seeing for a long time, not only making them routine, but they've even been dumbed down in many cases. There was little to no challenge here.
Many of these things would still make this an okay game, perhaps for younger audiences, first timers or people who just want to relax and kill some time. But here's the real problem for me. About halfway through the game, the translator seems to have given up. The speech and text simply stops making sense, and reads as being very, very badly translated. So even if you were enjoying it up to here, taking in the story, that all comes to a crashing halt when you have to re-read sentences to try to divine the meaning behind them.
It's not often I'll give a game one star, but by the end of this thing, all I wanted was to keep other people from having - and what's more, paying for - the same terrible experience I had. I might have loved this series, but I'll be thinking twice before I go near this franchise again.
The characters, to start with, are humdrum, 2-dimensional and very much what you'd expect from a mediocre HO game. The helper, Froissart, the bad guys whose backstory you learn as time goes on. Nothing too terrible, but nothing special either.
The plot is not unoriginal, but it feels that way. Learn why the baddies are doing their thing, try to stop them before too many people get hurt. The twist is visible a mile away.
The art is not up to the usual standards. The original PuppetShow blew my mind away, and they've been going downhill since, getting slightly more average with each new game.
But the main problem I had was the play. Now, if memory serves, the last PuppetShow was disappointing in this aspect, too, changing things that worked and creating problems that never existed before. Lightning has done this too. For a start, regardless of 'difficulty' level, the game holds your hand far too much. Instead of just letting you find objects, or attracting your attention with sparkles, this game gives you a HO bar at the top of the screen to TELL YOU what you're going to be able to pick up. For everything you can pick up. It's annoying and you cannot turn it off. There are a few varieties of HOs, from 'find an object in this speech' to normal HOs to 'find all the instances of this object.' They are all inane and very easy. The puzzles are the same thing we've been seeing for a long time, not only making them routine, but they've even been dumbed down in many cases. There was little to no challenge here.
Many of these things would still make this an okay game, perhaps for younger audiences, first timers or people who just want to relax and kill some time. But here's the real problem for me. About halfway through the game, the translator seems to have given up. The speech and text simply stops making sense, and reads as being very, very badly translated. So even if you were enjoying it up to here, taking in the story, that all comes to a crashing halt when you have to re-read sentences to try to divine the meaning behind them.
It's not often I'll give a game one star, but by the end of this thing, all I wanted was to keep other people from having - and what's more, paying for - the same terrible experience I had. I might have loved this series, but I'll be thinking twice before I go near this franchise again.
I don't recommend this game.
Travel to a family manor and lift the mysterious Curse of the Werewolves in this blood-chilling and enthralling Hidden Object Adventure!
Overall rating
5
/
5
21 of 25 found this review helpful
Absolutely perfect - maybe a little short
PostedDecember 20, 2012
Lolyta_IceWalker
fromGold Coast, Australia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is a complete little gem of a game, which surprised me after reading the other reviews.
The negativity meant that I trialled before I bought, and played through as fast as I was able - which meant when my hour was up I was fifteen minutes from the end of the game. I bought it to play those fifteen minutes, and to replay it to my heart's content, as I'm sure I will.
The story is fairly basic. You're given your goal - finding grandma - at the beginning and while there are a few little surprises throughout, there isn't much more story progression til you reach the end, when you get a wonderful cinematic explaining everything you've seen on your journey. I really enjoyed this and wish more games would do it; far too often the story is part of the game and the frantic clicking of the 'endgame' scenario means you don't often check your diary in the final moments to get the big reveal. Whether you read your diary at every chance or not in this game, you won't be left with many questions.
The negativity meant that I trialled before I bought, and played through as fast as I was able - which meant when my hour was up I was fifteen minutes from the end of the game. I bought it to play those fifteen minutes, and to replay it to my heart's content, as I'm sure I will.
The story is fairly basic. You're given your goal - finding grandma - at the beginning and while there are a few little surprises throughout, there isn't much more story progression til you reach the end, when you get a wonderful cinematic explaining everything you've seen on your journey. I really enjoyed this and wish more games would do it; far too often the story is part of the game and the frantic clicking of the 'endgame' scenario means you don't often check your diary in the final moments to get the big reveal. Whether you read your diary at every chance or not in this game, you won't be left with many questions.
The playstyle is fairly magnificent. Not a whole lot new when it comes to the puzzles or HOs, though you'll want to 'look with your mouse' as it were, as occasionally your mouse becomes a hand - this is your only indication that you'll need to interact with the scene to find certain items. But what really makes this game stand out is its map. No it doesn't let you zip magically from one locale to the other, but it's a whole lot better than that.
We might be used to maps that tell us which rooms have areas of interest, but this one goes so far as to show you, in a simple schematic, where IN THE ROOM that area is. It'll also show you where the HOs pop up, and these can sometimes appear in random places so that's pretty handy. Some reviewers suggested the need of a walkthrough but I can say this with some certainty - get to know your map and there should be no point at which, when you get stuck, it will not reveal all the answers. On the one occasion where I did not know what to do next and my map provided no new clues ... it was because I'd neglected to notice the arrow to the next area. My own fault. Even that only flummoxed me for a moment, until I figured out that another zone was the only possible solution. The map is perfect. It might not show you which item to use, but it does just about everything else.
We might be used to maps that tell us which rooms have areas of interest, but this one goes so far as to show you, in a simple schematic, where IN THE ROOM that area is. It'll also show you where the HOs pop up, and these can sometimes appear in random places so that's pretty handy. Some reviewers suggested the need of a walkthrough but I can say this with some certainty - get to know your map and there should be no point at which, when you get stuck, it will not reveal all the answers. On the one occasion where I did not know what to do next and my map provided no new clues ... it was because I'd neglected to notice the arrow to the next area. My own fault. Even that only flummoxed me for a moment, until I figured out that another zone was the only possible solution. The map is perfect. It might not show you which item to use, but it does just about everything else.
This might seem like I'm only reviewing that one aspect of play, but that's only because it really did affect my entire playthrough, and it made the experience wonderful. Everything else was average or better - only the slight darkness of scenes was irksome, but you're in the woods at night, so there's not really any good reason for the scenes not to be dark!
As I mentioned earlier, I can't say much to the length. An ultimate speed run took a little over an hour, which is probably about average - if I'd been taking my time and not racing the clock I can imagine it taking two and a half to three hours. And the fulfillment of story makes it seem meaty content-wise, so overall I'm pretty pleased.
That's a definite recommend from me, for the experience, for the gameplay, for everything. A beginner might find themselves going pretty slowly, but the answers are all there, it's just a case of finding them :D
I recommend this game!
To save her father, Bella vowed to stay with the beast, but is he truly evil? Help Bella follow her heart!
Overall rating
4
/
5
7 of 8 found this review helpful
Started off slow, but really enjoyable.
PostedDecember 19, 2012
Lolyta_IceWalker
fromGold Coast, Australia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I decided I would like this game before I bought it, because I tend to love 'reimagined' fairytales, and B&tB is my all time favourite.
Half an hour into the gameplay I was beginning to doubt that decision. It barely resembled the tale it was supposed to be reimagining, and looked like any other HO of family betrayal.
By the end of the first hour I was glad I'd trusted my gut at the beginning.
Half an hour into the gameplay I was beginning to doubt that decision. It barely resembled the tale it was supposed to be reimagining, and looked like any other HO of family betrayal.
By the end of the first hour I was glad I'd trusted my gut at the beginning.
The game is a pretty wild journey from the point of view of you, the investigator, hired to free Bella from the Beast she is being forced to play consort to. Of course, we know there's more to her situation than that, but very quickly we're dragged out of the same old same old and into a wide cast of characters as shady and nefarious as the next.
The game gets a little bogged down in its red herrings from time to time, possibly to lengthen the game, but to be honest, it could have been worse. Plenty of the character interactions offer a little giggle at the characters' expense that'll keep you going.
The game gets a little bogged down in its red herrings from time to time, possibly to lengthen the game, but to be honest, it could have been worse. Plenty of the character interactions offer a little giggle at the characters' expense that'll keep you going.
The only problem could be the backtracking. This is a big, or rather BIG, map. It's really huge. And while the map you're given is of the teleportational variety, occasionally that doesn't help - this is a game where HOs wil pop up in a scene you don't have to visit, but would have to pass if you were manually backtracking. Which can mean that if you zoom around using your map all the time, occasionally your play is going to come to a dead halt while you visit every single scene in search of the HO you missed. A little tedious to be sure, though the hint system is infinitely useful for deciding which fork in the road to take as you slog around searching for those abandoned clues.
The puzzles are sometimes a little complex, or rather, relatively easy but poorly explained in the tooltip. There were one or two that I figured out on guesswork alone and one I simply ended up skipping. But there were plenty that offered a very enjoyable moment of challenge. And there are more than a couple of the variety that you need only search your diary for the solution.
HOs are relatively straightforward, easy and clear. There's no penalty for multi-clicking on the easy level, which I chose purely because I am someone who likes to 'look' with my mouse - a bad habit to be sure, but I'm a compulsive clicker! They are also interactive, with one of two items requiring some puzzelling and clickery; around 50 percent of them I would say have these interactive elements.
The story, despite as I say being a little, hmm, same-old-same-old at first glance does offer a charming little twist at its completion. There are quite a few elements to remember during the main portion of the game - the character list in your diary will become your friend - but really, it's what you learn in the Beasts mansion that really matters to the main story arc. The game is long enough that you might lose a few threads here and there, so do make a point of noting the tings you learn in the castle. It's very much worth it for the climax.
All in all, this game was absolutely delightful, despite the mild tedium of back and forth. Plenty of HO, without overdoing it, plenty of puzzles or many shapes and sizes, and a well-thought through story. I'd recommend it to just about anybody.
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
3
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Playable but not their best
PostedDecember 19, 2012
Lolyta_IceWalker
fromGold Coast, Australia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
After Dorien Gray Syndrome was so magnificent, I got Lonely Hearts expecting much of the same, but somehow the makers have taken what made Dorien so stand-out amazing and completely flipped it. To be honest, I'm not sure why the two are considered part of the same series - there's no correlation!
You're playing the father of a young woman who is believed to be the latest victim of a killer. The problem is, the devs have tried to combine the pathos (loved-one-in-danger# genre with the detective genre, which means you're led from scene to scene by the detective. Fair enough, says I, seeing as plenty of Sherlock games - among others - have used this mechanic quite well.
But your companion serves little purpose other than to make the game excruciatingly long. Each time you follow him to the end of a zone, you get an incredibly long series of speech. This can only be skipped as a chunk, as opposed to speed-reading and clicking onwards. Other people have mentioned this but I had to reiterate - by maybe halfway through I felt like I was playing an interactive novel game, not a HO.
Not to mention that the characters all have things to say outside of the cutscenes too, and if you accidentally interact with something while they're talking you cut them off and have to start over. I'm sad to say that by the time I found out who the killer was I'd stopped caring
Compare this to Dorien, wherein all the dialogue was 'recorded' to be played back at leisure in your diary #something this game lacks entirely# and was vivid and even entertaining.
But your companion serves little purpose other than to make the game excruciatingly long. Each time you follow him to the end of a zone, you get an incredibly long series of speech. This can only be skipped as a chunk, as opposed to speed-reading and clicking onwards. Other people have mentioned this but I had to reiterate - by maybe halfway through I felt like I was playing an interactive novel game, not a HO.
Not to mention that the characters all have things to say outside of the cutscenes too, and if you accidentally interact with something while they're talking you cut them off and have to start over. I'm sad to say that by the time I found out who the killer was I'd stopped caring
Compare this to Dorien, wherein all the dialogue was 'recorded' to be played back at leisure in your diary #something this game lacks entirely# and was vivid and even entertaining.
The playstyle was also abnormally basic. Simple puzzles, occasional HOs; this was mostly a game of finding an item, travelling around, using it to get another item. Wash rinse and repeat. The challenge it offered was minimal, but the tedious backtracking was plentiful.
Now I'm not saying this is a totally worthless game. It is beautifully created and it's clear that a lot of care went into the artwork #which is perhaps why you are forced to watch the looong cutscenes - so that you have to appreciate all that hard work as you examine each scenery out of sheer boredom!#. And if you don't mind the excess of cutscenes or the novel-esque quality then it's very enjoyable. Indeed, if I'd been intending to play an interactive novel, I think I would have truly enjoyed this. But I played it because I was in the mood for a puzzle HO like Dorien, and in that it severely failed. If only they had not placed this in the same series...
All up I'd say that this is playable, if you're prepared for what it truly is, and have a couple credits to spare. But I can honestly say I won't be re-playing it and for me that makes it a non-reccomend.
I don't recommend this game.
The residents of Bitterford, Maine have fallen prey to a terrible curse. It’s up to you to unravel the series of mysterious events that led to the town’s downfall and uncover the evil that was responsible.
Overall rating
1
/
5
6 of 8 found this review helpful
I tried to like it.
PostedNovember 28, 2012
Lolyta_IceWalker
fromGold Coast, Australia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
It takes a lot for me to dislike any game - I even managed to enjoy the last Ravenhearst one, though I didn't like how they were trying to re-vamp HOs by searching morphing objects, and undoing the wonderful creepiness we love in MCF by using gross-out factor. Sadly, no matter how much I try to keep my enthusiasm, Shadow Lake is not doing it. This isn't just bad for an MCF game - it's bad for any game. This isn't a disappointment to my high standards - it's just a disappointment.
For a start, they've lost their way with fear, going for easy frights and cheap thrills, sudden flashes of teeth and dead eyes in the mirror, or when you turn around. I hate that kind of thing - it's not scary, it doesn't set any kind of mood. It makes you jump and then you're over it. Cheap and nasty.
The same could be said for the layout. From start to finish, this game started to feel so same-y and boring - new location, HO, back to the psychic, get some drawings, back to location to match, back to psychic for vision. That's the extent of the game, but you do this about nine times. Each zone is it's own mini game, and frankly I was sick to death of it.
And the actual HO 'scenes'? In an attempt to make it organic, they say they've made the HO scene part of the room you're in. This just leads to two or three 'zoom'-able areas, AND the main area, all being searched off the main list. So it's either memorise the list and search each place independantly until it minimises itself, or randly click to narrow down your search area. It's nothing but a cheap way to make the game last longer without bringing additional enjoyment, plot, or content.
Alongside this, there are no puzzles! There's one repeated jigsaw that's made increasingly long and painstaking but no more taxing and certainly no less frustrating. I refer to the jigsaw within the psychic's mind that you must puzzle out everytime she beckons you for a reading. By the end, you've forgotten what the reading is trying to find out before you've finished the puzzle! #And a personal irritation - the actress makes a big deal about settling into a certain position for the reading, but the still image we zoon in on is a totally different position. Surely the makers could have been a little more careful?#
That's just the gameplay. Never mind that the 'big name' they used to play the psychic hams it up so much that what might have been a cheesy but spooky story just turns into something Scooby Doo should be investigating. There is no suspension of disbelief here, and frankly the 'nobody' #ie non famed# actors we've seen in the other games did so much better a job.
Visual and sound - there was no art to any of this. It could have been any game. And the sound levels were all over the place, so I had to raise it one moment and was being deafened by a crow the next.
Additional content? Worthless. A ten-minute scene and a seach for morphing objects that begins when I've finished the game, instead of on the playthrough? The reward for which, apparently, is the relief of being done with this game.
I'm sorry MCF. After these last two games, I won't just not be buying the next Collector's Edition - I'll be trialling it before I even consider buying the Standard.
This was a major letdown - new players will find it tedious and ridiculous, hardcore MCF'ers will be disappointed. Better off to just give the whole thing a miss entirely. I'm sorry to have played it. Buyer Beware.
For a start, they've lost their way with fear, going for easy frights and cheap thrills, sudden flashes of teeth and dead eyes in the mirror, or when you turn around. I hate that kind of thing - it's not scary, it doesn't set any kind of mood. It makes you jump and then you're over it. Cheap and nasty.
The same could be said for the layout. From start to finish, this game started to feel so same-y and boring - new location, HO, back to the psychic, get some drawings, back to location to match, back to psychic for vision. That's the extent of the game, but you do this about nine times. Each zone is it's own mini game, and frankly I was sick to death of it.
And the actual HO 'scenes'? In an attempt to make it organic, they say they've made the HO scene part of the room you're in. This just leads to two or three 'zoom'-able areas, AND the main area, all being searched off the main list. So it's either memorise the list and search each place independantly until it minimises itself, or randly click to narrow down your search area. It's nothing but a cheap way to make the game last longer without bringing additional enjoyment, plot, or content.
Alongside this, there are no puzzles! There's one repeated jigsaw that's made increasingly long and painstaking but no more taxing and certainly no less frustrating. I refer to the jigsaw within the psychic's mind that you must puzzle out everytime she beckons you for a reading. By the end, you've forgotten what the reading is trying to find out before you've finished the puzzle! #And a personal irritation - the actress makes a big deal about settling into a certain position for the reading, but the still image we zoon in on is a totally different position. Surely the makers could have been a little more careful?#
That's just the gameplay. Never mind that the 'big name' they used to play the psychic hams it up so much that what might have been a cheesy but spooky story just turns into something Scooby Doo should be investigating. There is no suspension of disbelief here, and frankly the 'nobody' #ie non famed# actors we've seen in the other games did so much better a job.
Visual and sound - there was no art to any of this. It could have been any game. And the sound levels were all over the place, so I had to raise it one moment and was being deafened by a crow the next.
Additional content? Worthless. A ten-minute scene and a seach for morphing objects that begins when I've finished the game, instead of on the playthrough? The reward for which, apparently, is the relief of being done with this game.
I'm sorry MCF. After these last two games, I won't just not be buying the next Collector's Edition - I'll be trialling it before I even consider buying the Standard.
This was a major letdown - new players will find it tedious and ridiculous, hardcore MCF'ers will be disappointed. Better off to just give the whole thing a miss entirely. I'm sorry to have played it. Buyer Beware.
I don't recommend this game.
A new breed of virus has spread throughout the City of Oxford. You must search the city for a missing girl who holds the key to stopping the global epidemic!
Overall rating
5
/
5
Yes, Yes, Yes!
PostedAugust 5, 2012
Lolyta_IceWalker
fromGold Coast, Australia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Infected is a new breed of HO. Taking interactivity to a new level, and finally making sense in that everything you're hunting for leads you to the final item in the scene, which you keep. I've long since wondered if Gamemakers reaslised that we often find the necessary hammer or what have you before all the other stuff, and so why need we keep searching? Infected has cured this problem.
There are a couple Frog - Fragmented Object - scenes too, just to keep you on your toes. Two, if memory serves, through the game.
The difficulty level is - oh my word - fully customisable. You can have no sparklies or hints but still allow yourself skips on the puzzles, or any combination you like. Lots of sparkles, but no hints or skips, nothing at all, all three, it's a slidable bar for each option so you can decide how much and what kind of help you'll need or want.
Scenes are amazingly realistic, there's movement and things to catch your eye - the omni-present helicopter that becomes such a big plot point later.
The storyline is not amazingly new, and your antagonist is pretty see through - you'll guess what's going on there pretty quickly. But there is enough plot to keep you striving forwards.
Scene changes take a couple seconds with a 'footsteps' noise, but it's not hugely bothersome except on the occasions where you have to backtrack more than 2 scenes. You shouldn't need to do this much though.
The only problem I have is that there wasn't enough. I want more, more puzzles, more HO scenes and more everything! The game was relatively short, and there weren't an abundance of puzzles, but Gogi is a name I'll be watching out for. There's sure to be an Infected sequel and pretty much anything else they make can really only get better from here on out - they've done superbly with this game and once they get that length issue figured out they'll be a powerhouse!
It's a reccomend from me, and a powerful one. This game was incredibly enjoyable and a brilliant change from the norm.
There are a couple Frog - Fragmented Object - scenes too, just to keep you on your toes. Two, if memory serves, through the game.
The difficulty level is - oh my word - fully customisable. You can have no sparklies or hints but still allow yourself skips on the puzzles, or any combination you like. Lots of sparkles, but no hints or skips, nothing at all, all three, it's a slidable bar for each option so you can decide how much and what kind of help you'll need or want.
Scenes are amazingly realistic, there's movement and things to catch your eye - the omni-present helicopter that becomes such a big plot point later.
The storyline is not amazingly new, and your antagonist is pretty see through - you'll guess what's going on there pretty quickly. But there is enough plot to keep you striving forwards.
Scene changes take a couple seconds with a 'footsteps' noise, but it's not hugely bothersome except on the occasions where you have to backtrack more than 2 scenes. You shouldn't need to do this much though.
The only problem I have is that there wasn't enough. I want more, more puzzles, more HO scenes and more everything! The game was relatively short, and there weren't an abundance of puzzles, but Gogi is a name I'll be watching out for. There's sure to be an Infected sequel and pretty much anything else they make can really only get better from here on out - they've done superbly with this game and once they get that length issue figured out they'll be a powerhouse!
It's a reccomend from me, and a powerful one. This game was incredibly enjoyable and a brilliant change from the norm.
I recommend this game!
Step into a dark and mysterious world and help young Caroline solve her father's mysterious disappearance.
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
More for HO lovers than puzzlers
PostedJuly 29, 2012
Lolyta_IceWalker
fromGold Coast, Australia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
If you're a HO kind of player, then this game will certainly draw you in. If you miss the days gone by when Mystery Case Files were pure HO, if you want a relaxed HO challenge with some storyline to boot, then yep, A Vampire Tale could be for you.
Hidden Object lists are much longer than with most games, and there's the added challenge that the scene you're searching can sometimes span across two pages, which definitely adds an extra something to the gameplay, but can be frustrating if it's not for you. Also - make sure your brightness is turned way up, because they do like to hide things in dark corners.
There's maybe one puzzle for every two HO scenes, and these are fairly simple. The jigsaw type ones annoyed me a lot as the mouse-to-puzzle-piece relationship could go a bit skee-whiff from time to time.
Both the HO scenes and the puzzles are times, but don't let this put you off - you're given more than enough time to find the objects, and you have a time-based recharging hint button if you get stuck. Only once was I down to the last minute on one of the puzzles and that was because of the aforementioned pointer issue.
I'm going to say that yes, I reccomend this game, but it this case it's really only to a certain kind of player. I can't say it enough - lots of HO focus, with minigames as much more of a side feature. If that's not for you - and it wasn't really for me - then avoid this one.
However if you can put up with, or better still enjoy that, then this game has plenty to offer. Thes story lines before and after each scene keep it from getting boring, and the voice-overs, although sometimes melodramatic, are interesting. Once you've played through the 'extras' tab lets you replay the minigames at your leisure, and if you want to challenge yourself you can set out to get all the pieces of the extra picture, hidden throughout the scenes for the hawk-eyed.
All up, I'm not sorry I bought it, even if it wasn't my thing, and I'm quietly hoping that the next one will be a little less HO oriented and a little less linear - that is to say, you don't move yourself around, you just change automatically from scene to scene with the story - becauseI really want to play it so that I can find out what happens next with the story.
To sum - if you're looking for a HO more challenging than the garden variety, then this could well be what you've been long searching for. If you lean more to puzzles and exploration, object finding and using, then give this one a miss.
Hidden Object lists are much longer than with most games, and there's the added challenge that the scene you're searching can sometimes span across two pages, which definitely adds an extra something to the gameplay, but can be frustrating if it's not for you. Also - make sure your brightness is turned way up, because they do like to hide things in dark corners.
There's maybe one puzzle for every two HO scenes, and these are fairly simple. The jigsaw type ones annoyed me a lot as the mouse-to-puzzle-piece relationship could go a bit skee-whiff from time to time.
Both the HO scenes and the puzzles are times, but don't let this put you off - you're given more than enough time to find the objects, and you have a time-based recharging hint button if you get stuck. Only once was I down to the last minute on one of the puzzles and that was because of the aforementioned pointer issue.
I'm going to say that yes, I reccomend this game, but it this case it's really only to a certain kind of player. I can't say it enough - lots of HO focus, with minigames as much more of a side feature. If that's not for you - and it wasn't really for me - then avoid this one.
However if you can put up with, or better still enjoy that, then this game has plenty to offer. Thes story lines before and after each scene keep it from getting boring, and the voice-overs, although sometimes melodramatic, are interesting. Once you've played through the 'extras' tab lets you replay the minigames at your leisure, and if you want to challenge yourself you can set out to get all the pieces of the extra picture, hidden throughout the scenes for the hawk-eyed.
All up, I'm not sorry I bought it, even if it wasn't my thing, and I'm quietly hoping that the next one will be a little less HO oriented and a little less linear - that is to say, you don't move yourself around, you just change automatically from scene to scene with the story - becauseI really want to play it so that I can find out what happens next with the story.
To sum - if you're looking for a HO more challenging than the garden variety, then this could well be what you've been long searching for. If you lean more to puzzles and exploration, object finding and using, then give this one a miss.
I recommend this game!
Save the three worlds contained inside of a magical book in Azada: In Libro! Stop a dark magician from conquering Azada!
Overall rating
4
/
5
Breaking Tradition Isn't Always Bad
PostedJuly 28, 2012
Lolyta_IceWalker
fromGold Coast, Australia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Warning: This game is not what you'd expect from Azada.
But let's face it - there was at least a little evolution from game 1 to game 2, so I was expecting another level from In Libro. Frankly, I got everything I expected, without the letdowns I'd assume would come with it.
In Libro is still the puzzle-based adventure we've come to love from Azada, but it has taken leaps and bounds in the 'adventure' part of that genre. This one, rather than pages or book with self-contained puzzles, play more like a HO - dicovering new areas, using items to unlock puzzles etc. This movement is what keeps things interesting for me - rather than watching numbers count down til I could get a block of text to progress the story, this method allows for a lot more flow of narrative.
But I did say, plays like a HO. The unexpected lack of letdown is that it is NOT a HO. Lovers of Azada who are sick of junkpiles and hidden object searches - which I don't mind as such but to me always seemed like a picture, and therefore easier version of kiddie find-a-words - do not fear! Items are picked up directly from the puzzles and scenery - although I do recommend playing on a setting with hints the first time, as one or two items are used in ways I felt were a little counter-intuitive.
Butoh, what scenery. Even if I didn't find the gameplay to be the best of both worlds, I'd still play and replay this for the mini-universes you travel through on your quest. And the voice-overs this game has means we finally know how to pronouce Azada! - And of course, I've been saying it wrong the whole time. - Some of the music sounded very familiar, but I liked it in the other games, so that didn't bother me at all.
The only place it let me down was the ending. The plot stops quite suddenly, and I never got a chance to use the 'Cellar Door' hint we were given at the end of the last game. However, it does seem to end on a hint of another game in the series. I have a feeling we won't get to see the characters who's ends we see in In Libro coming back to life, but I hope that we will discover what happens to Titus' evil uncle.
So dispite the abrupt finish, this was a definite 'enjoyed it' for me, and would have gotten four bars, but for those two niggles.
But let's face it - there was at least a little evolution from game 1 to game 2, so I was expecting another level from In Libro. Frankly, I got everything I expected, without the letdowns I'd assume would come with it.
In Libro is still the puzzle-based adventure we've come to love from Azada, but it has taken leaps and bounds in the 'adventure' part of that genre. This one, rather than pages or book with self-contained puzzles, play more like a HO - dicovering new areas, using items to unlock puzzles etc. This movement is what keeps things interesting for me - rather than watching numbers count down til I could get a block of text to progress the story, this method allows for a lot more flow of narrative.
But I did say, plays like a HO. The unexpected lack of letdown is that it is NOT a HO. Lovers of Azada who are sick of junkpiles and hidden object searches - which I don't mind as such but to me always seemed like a picture, and therefore easier version of kiddie find-a-words - do not fear! Items are picked up directly from the puzzles and scenery - although I do recommend playing on a setting with hints the first time, as one or two items are used in ways I felt were a little counter-intuitive.
Butoh, what scenery. Even if I didn't find the gameplay to be the best of both worlds, I'd still play and replay this for the mini-universes you travel through on your quest. And the voice-overs this game has means we finally know how to pronouce Azada! - And of course, I've been saying it wrong the whole time. - Some of the music sounded very familiar, but I liked it in the other games, so that didn't bother me at all.
The only place it let me down was the ending. The plot stops quite suddenly, and I never got a chance to use the 'Cellar Door' hint we were given at the end of the last game. However, it does seem to end on a hint of another game in the series. I have a feeling we won't get to see the characters who's ends we see in In Libro coming back to life, but I hope that we will discover what happens to Titus' evil uncle.
So dispite the abrupt finish, this was a definite 'enjoyed it' for me, and would have gotten four bars, but for those two niggles.
I recommend this game!
Be careful what you wish for... A deadly bargain has been made, and it's up to you to set things right before your nephew pays the terrible price!
Overall rating
5
/
5
8 of 12 found this review helpful
Developers are Listening!
PostedJuly 19, 2012
Lolyta_IceWalker
fromGold Coast, Australia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I hate to repeat a lot of what I've said in reviews for the other two games in this series, but I know I'm lazy, so I won't make other people do what I wouldn't!
Graphics are stunning, some beautiful locations. The atmosphere in this one didn't seem as dark as the others, possibly because the music came and went, leaving us with just environment sounds. If your a listen-to-iTunes-while-you-play person, you're not going to miss much.
Story is great as ever - it's a few years since we last saw Luisa and her family, and now her son is about ten or so, and getting into all kinds of trouble. I will say this - while the atmosphere isn't dark, there is one scene with the son near the end with 'scary' art of the son. Its only for moments and it doesn't jump at you or anything, so it shouldn't be a problem, but it's an enjoyable #and in casual mode nicely short# game to play through once yourself to make sure its okay.
Speaking of modes, once again there are 3 - casual with hints and sparkles, middle with hints and hard with no help at all.
Once again we have our map to teleport around and we're also joined by a cute puppet friend who chats to us and even has a few dry one-liners.
And the makers must have been listening to past reviews, because the HOs are better than ever! Still no penalty for random clicks, and items are mostly easy to find, but they now come with interactive items! As this was the only thing missing from earlier games, to me this one is now perfect.
And, as with the other Grim Tales, this one is ALLLLL about the minigames. I warn you now - don't play this game whilst in an impatient mood. While the games are 80% and 20% hard, the easy ones are more often than not of the time-consuming kind. And this time around you do have to repeat some of the games. Normally that might frustrate me, if I was playing close to bed time, so if you're the same, play it when you have oodles of free time and don't let rushing ruin the enjoyment.
All over, this was a brilliant little game. The only problem is how long we're going to have to wait for the next one!
Graphics are stunning, some beautiful locations. The atmosphere in this one didn't seem as dark as the others, possibly because the music came and went, leaving us with just environment sounds. If your a listen-to-iTunes-while-you-play person, you're not going to miss much.
Story is great as ever - it's a few years since we last saw Luisa and her family, and now her son is about ten or so, and getting into all kinds of trouble. I will say this - while the atmosphere isn't dark, there is one scene with the son near the end with 'scary' art of the son. Its only for moments and it doesn't jump at you or anything, so it shouldn't be a problem, but it's an enjoyable #and in casual mode nicely short# game to play through once yourself to make sure its okay.
Speaking of modes, once again there are 3 - casual with hints and sparkles, middle with hints and hard with no help at all.
Once again we have our map to teleport around and we're also joined by a cute puppet friend who chats to us and even has a few dry one-liners.
And the makers must have been listening to past reviews, because the HOs are better than ever! Still no penalty for random clicks, and items are mostly easy to find, but they now come with interactive items! As this was the only thing missing from earlier games, to me this one is now perfect.
And, as with the other Grim Tales, this one is ALLLLL about the minigames. I warn you now - don't play this game whilst in an impatient mood. While the games are 80% and 20% hard, the easy ones are more often than not of the time-consuming kind. And this time around you do have to repeat some of the games. Normally that might frustrate me, if I was playing close to bed time, so if you're the same, play it when you have oodles of free time and don't let rushing ruin the enjoyment.
All over, this was a brilliant little game. The only problem is how long we're going to have to wait for the next one!
A note on the CE bonus:
I bought the CE so I could play it nownownow, rather than waiting, but if you're not as impatient as me, then I advice waiting for the SE. There's some bonus artwork and an extra chapter, but it's the 'good' kind - at least that's how I see it. Which is to say, it's fun to play but doesn't mean you'll have missed out on any story if you don't get it. The plot wraps itself up nice and cleanly in the regular game, and the bonus chapter is more like an extra miniature plotline, with the demon attempting to exact revenge and you attempting to foil him. Fun and cute, with some more gorgeous scenes - and some darkish ones - but not integral.
I bought the CE so I could play it nownownow, rather than waiting, but if you're not as impatient as me, then I advice waiting for the SE. There's some bonus artwork and an extra chapter, but it's the 'good' kind - at least that's how I see it. Which is to say, it's fun to play but doesn't mean you'll have missed out on any story if you don't get it. The plot wraps itself up nice and cleanly in the regular game, and the bonus chapter is more like an extra miniature plotline, with the demon attempting to exact revenge and you attempting to foil him. Fun and cute, with some more gorgeous scenes - and some darkish ones - but not integral.
I recommend this game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 4 found this review helpful
An excellent followup, or brilliant on its on.
PostedJuly 19, 2012
Lolyta_IceWalker
fromGold Coast, Australia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The Legacy is the followup to The Bride, keeping the same three key characters - our narrator, her sister and her then-fiance, now-husband.
I won't talk too much about the plot, because while it is fairly predictable, and you'll feel several steps ahead of the narrator at times, it is also beautiful in its simplicity and oughtn't to be spoiled ahead of time.
The zones you're exploring are frequently beautiful and always interesting, with their mood enhanced by the music and sound effects.
Playstyle could be taken different ways. For me, the uber-easy, no-penalty-for-clicking HO scenes are just what I like. They offer a little challenge, but don't take you away from the story or the puzzles. If you're here for high-level Ho though, this might disappoint. HOs are not interactive.
Objects are usually fairly obvious, but on occasion you'll have to used something for other than it's clear intended purpose. For that reason I advice all but the most patient of players to play on middle difficulty - you'll get rid of those all-too-easy sparkles, but still have a hint when the going gets really tough. The final level offers no aid whatsoever, which would certainly be a lot of fun for those with plenty of experience.
But minigames is that this game is really all about. Like The Bride, Legacy is filled with locked doors and hidden compartments, which all require a hidden item to begin and then some thought and logic to open. These are what space the game out and make it last.
And as a final bonus, the game comes complete with a map that lets you zip around quickly. Most of the time this is great, but one has to be careful not to use it too much, as after major events most rooms change in some way, which the activity indicators on the map don't reveal. But they will always show where you have been, where to go, and a mouseover tells you what activities must still be completed in the rooms marked with a !.
It was a brilliant game, challenging without being impossible and great fun to get to know the characters a little more. The sometimes humourous narrator voice-overs offer a little extra something too.
I won't talk too much about the plot, because while it is fairly predictable, and you'll feel several steps ahead of the narrator at times, it is also beautiful in its simplicity and oughtn't to be spoiled ahead of time.
The zones you're exploring are frequently beautiful and always interesting, with their mood enhanced by the music and sound effects.
Playstyle could be taken different ways. For me, the uber-easy, no-penalty-for-clicking HO scenes are just what I like. They offer a little challenge, but don't take you away from the story or the puzzles. If you're here for high-level Ho though, this might disappoint. HOs are not interactive.
Objects are usually fairly obvious, but on occasion you'll have to used something for other than it's clear intended purpose. For that reason I advice all but the most patient of players to play on middle difficulty - you'll get rid of those all-too-easy sparkles, but still have a hint when the going gets really tough. The final level offers no aid whatsoever, which would certainly be a lot of fun for those with plenty of experience.
But minigames is that this game is really all about. Like The Bride, Legacy is filled with locked doors and hidden compartments, which all require a hidden item to begin and then some thought and logic to open. These are what space the game out and make it last.
And as a final bonus, the game comes complete with a map that lets you zip around quickly. Most of the time this is great, but one has to be careful not to use it too much, as after major events most rooms change in some way, which the activity indicators on the map don't reveal. But they will always show where you have been, where to go, and a mouseover tells you what activities must still be completed in the rooms marked with a !.
It was a brilliant game, challenging without being impossible and great fun to get to know the characters a little more. The sometimes humourous narrator voice-overs offer a little extra something too.
I recommend this game!