dragoncat453's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.2
- Helpful Votes:76
- Reviews Submitted:27
- First Review:February 16, 2012
- Most Recent Review:June 3, 2018
- Featured reviews0
Something wicked has taken over Fate’s Carnival!
Overall rating
5
/
5
27 of 29 found this review helpful
Wow….just, Wow.
PostedJanuary 8, 2014
dragoncat453
fromNYC
Skill Level:Intermediate
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Hard to imagine that it's been years since the last Mystery Case Files/Madame Fate. I remember playing that one over and over trying to find those pesky hidden objects. This one is soooo much better and I'm still playing the bonus items.
The story is a continuation of the former carnival theme and we meet characters we've known from the previous game--all in peril from the master Villain. What's amazing here is the depth and complexity of the puzzles. We have the usual hidden object games with some interactive parts, always a plus. Then there are mini plots and games to solve to save each imperiled character. What's different here are the very complex "master games"--entire interactive puzzles that really are challenging and fun. Not easy to solve without help.
There are collectibles; an interactive map; different modes of play. A great cat helper, Isis, for whom you collect money and buy toys. There are so many things going on in this game!
The extras in the Collector's Edition include a bonus chapter that is a great length and adds to the story. And there is, in addition to the usual wallpaper, concept art, etc. a "Secret Room" where you can replay all the hidden object games and the master puzzles.
Hours and hours of brain tickling fun. Really wonderful. I hope it won't be 3 years before the next one!
I recommend this game!
Enter Ravenwood Park and discover the secrets hidden in the mists...
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 3 found this review helpful
Good Game; Mediocre Graphics
PostedOctober 8, 2013
dragoncat453
fromNYC
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
I really enjoyed this game. The story is a continuation of the first game. There is much to do, collect butterflies, find morphing objects. The HO games are a mix of traditional and the newer "collect and construct" type. I enjoyed that. And if you get bored with the regular HO you can do a better than average matching game. There are achievements and an interactive map. The complexity and length were great.
Complaints, and they are really not important as the game itself is fab, is that the characters are not particularly well executed, kind of wooden, and the voices can be grating--the main character (you the player) says her s's like a snake. The child character has a horrible voice. Sometimes the speed of the voices is so slow you could scream. But in general a really good game that I really enjoyed.
Complaints, and they are really not important as the game itself is fab, is that the characters are not particularly well executed, kind of wooden, and the voices can be grating--the main character (you the player) says her s's like a snake. The child character has a horrible voice. Sometimes the speed of the voices is so slow you could scream. But in general a really good game that I really enjoyed.
I recommend this game!
The mysterious League of Light has chosen you as their newest member. Are you up to your first assignment?
Overall rating
5
/
5
5 of 6 found this review helpful
No Hints--You can do it!
PostedSeptember 8, 2013
dragoncat453
fromNYC
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This game was purchased on a whim with no pre-conceived notions. I was drawn by the sale. So glad I did!
The artwork in this game is exceptional. Each scene is carefully and beautifully drawn with lots to look at and admire.
The story line is good. I was worried when there was a little demon very much like the Grim Tales one (who becomes more annoying with each addition) but this one was not so bad. There is an interactive map that is most helpful. Each item is used pretty much as soon as you collect it, with a few exceptions, so you can logically figure out where most are useful. Puzzles have been seen before which is why I collected the achievement of never reading the description of how to solve it. But that didn't detract from the fun of solving. HOPs are both the usual and the silhouette collect and use types. There are owls to collect as well as scrolls. The story incorporates almost all mythical creatures and explains their history. No morphing objects. Beginning to think that that gimmick is patented -- haven't seen it in several games now.
The length of the game is great--took me hours. I've just begun the bonus game and it's more of the same although nothing to collect.
Really a great game and I enjoyed it very much.
The artwork in this game is exceptional. Each scene is carefully and beautifully drawn with lots to look at and admire.
The story line is good. I was worried when there was a little demon very much like the Grim Tales one (who becomes more annoying with each addition) but this one was not so bad. There is an interactive map that is most helpful. Each item is used pretty much as soon as you collect it, with a few exceptions, so you can logically figure out where most are useful. Puzzles have been seen before which is why I collected the achievement of never reading the description of how to solve it. But that didn't detract from the fun of solving. HOPs are both the usual and the silhouette collect and use types. There are owls to collect as well as scrolls. The story incorporates almost all mythical creatures and explains their history. No morphing objects. Beginning to think that that gimmick is patented -- haven't seen it in several games now.
The length of the game is great--took me hours. I've just begun the bonus game and it's more of the same although nothing to collect.
Really a great game and I enjoyed it very much.
I recommend this game!
Save your niece from the evil presence haunting her school!
Overall rating
5
/
5
This One Was Great
PostedAugust 24, 2013
dragoncat453
fromNYC
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
I've played the other Grim Tales and thought this one sounded intriguing. It had all the bells and whistles. Good story, good length. Lots of twists and turns. Interactive map. Good mini puzzles. A good strategy guide. Levels of play. The graphics were exceptional and intricate. The music was interesting. In the beginning there were a couple of scary moments that made me jump. There were collectibles. Extras in the CE included a good bonus chapter and a replay of some of the better puzzles.
Cons: No morphing objects--a personal favorite. And some of the voices were not particularly pleasant or believable as children's voices. But these are minor objections. Overall a great game of considerable length and complexity. Recommended.
Cons: No morphing objects--a personal favorite. And some of the voices were not particularly pleasant or believable as children's voices. But these are minor objections. Overall a great game of considerable length and complexity. Recommended.
I recommend this game!
With your carriage broken, and a wolf nearby, you must find shelter. What awaits you in the village just ahead?
Overall rating
4
/
5
Complex Fun
PostedJune 25, 2013
dragoncat453
fromNYC
Skill Level:Intermediate
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 was a much better game than the previous Shiver installment. The werewolf theme isn't new but the story was interesting and made sense most of the time. The graphics were really well drawn. Not all of the scenes were involved in the story so it was more of a challenge in that regard. What was different in this game was the layers within the puzzles. The HO scenes often had several steps needed to complete and acquire the desired item. This was also true with the mini puzzles--sometimes you had to come back to complete them with an item you had not yet found. Not every item you acquired made logicial sense in the way it was eventually used so you had to think more creatively. This game has the added twist of having to manipulate items or combine them in order to use them. So the level of challenge was great. The game could have benefited from a map to limit the back and forth. Morphing objects and collectibles are always a plus and would have been welcome here. Finally, if you finish it, tell me: was he rescuing his sister? If so, why does he address her as "Darling" in the last moment? Felt a little jarring. But overall a great game.
I recommend this game!
The lighthouse fails and darkness invades Willow Ridge. Your husband runs into the forest for answers, unaware of the shadow hunting him.
Overall rating
4
/
5
Puzzles Within Puzzles
PostedMay 25, 2013
dragoncat453
fromNYC
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I really like Mad Head games. This one had so many levels. The story is intricate. As you go along there are not only HO puzzles, but interactive puzzles that have a few levels. I was particularly fond of the little "dioramas" that moved the story along but also had a "seek and find" component. There were achievements, items to collect, and morphing objects (a personal favorite in any game) in the bonus chapter. The one thing I haven't figured out (haven't finished the bonus chapter so perhaps all will be revealed) is why there was a locked door that I could never open in the main game.
This was also very well drawn and the music was a nice surprise. Some of it was quite lovely and not annoying as in so many games.
Really loved this and went back to re-play immediately which I never do. Highly recommended.
I recommend this game!
If you have enough courage to challenge the darkness, then you’ll manage to find out the mystery of the Rossolimo family.
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Lots of different challenges
PostedMay 17, 2013
dragoncat453
fromNYC
Skill Level:Intermediate
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is a great game. The visuals are beautiful. The story line is good. I hadn't played this series before and I loved the switching back and forth from "light" scenes to "dark". I found the HO games to be much more interesting than the usual--place the displaced items. Much more fun. The mini games were often so hard I had to skip them. Going to play it again to try them anew. That was a little frustrating. This was not a CE and the lack of a strategy guide was felt. Also the game would have benefited from an interactive map as there was too much to-ing and fro-ing. But it is a good length and a good challenge and I really enjoyed it. I think I'll try the others in this series. A good buy.
I recommend this game!
A late-night subway ride takes a bizarre turn into a mystical cemetery. You have been summoned by a strange entity to free the cemetery’s lost souls. Will you succeed, or is this the end of the line?
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Has Just about Everything
PostedMay 9, 2013
dragoncat453
fromNYC
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This series has a lot to offer. This edition itself is of good length and is well drawn with some really exceptional scenes, esp in the bonus chapter. You collect medals for your dog which allow you to play extra games, puzzles that are separate. There is a map that directs you to where you need to be and transports you there, so there isn't a lot of back and forth. Not a lot of HO games which isn't a bad thing. The other games are great. I'm a fan of the "find the silhouetted object" and figure out where it is needed. Those are challenging. Most of the puzzles are good fun as you progress although I admit I'm less patient with the ones that have you turning circles and stuff--I tend to skip them if there is no penalty for skipping. There are a lot of extras in the SE. All of the puzzles are reproduced so you can do them again. There is a separate section of "puppy" puzzles. Wallpaper, and other usual extras. Really chock full of stuff and a good story too. I really enjoyed this.
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
Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk!
PostedApril 27, 2013
dragoncat453
fromNYC
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I actually turned off the sound after a while because I couldn't bear to listen to these characters anymore. The game was ok but the characters did nothing but talk. The dialog went on for hours, no sorry, many minutes at a time. If you wanted to watch a Masterpiece Theater type of who-dunnit with a little bit of game thrown in, this is your buy. Some of the puzzles were interesting and eventually we get to the point. But this game could have benefited from a map and a good editor.
I recommend this game!
When the entire audience disappears from a film screening at an old theater, you must go behind the scenes to find out who is running the mysterious Nightmare Cinema.
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
Practically Played it all the Way Through at One Sitting
PostedApril 11, 2013
dragoncat453
fromNYC
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I really enjoyed this one. It had all the best features: good story, challenging HO games, collectibles, morphing objects. The works. The mini games had some new wrinkles that I hadn't seen, Graphics were good. Voice overs were better than average. The bonus chapter was too short but tied up some plot ends. Definitely a keeper. Will play it again to find all those morphing objects!!
I recommend this game!