NJMysteryMan's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.7
- Helpful Votes:326
- Reviews Submitted:16
- First Review:November 24, 2011
- Most Recent Review:January 25, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Play as a clairvoyant detective and investigate the baffling disappearance of a carnival magician in this colorful Hidden Object game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
A Nice Little HOG Game.
PostedJuly 18, 2012
NJMysteryMan
fromSouth Plainfield, NJ
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I don't know why, but I enjoyed this game. It's nice to find a decent HOG game that's not a collector's edition. You play a clairvoyant detective assigned to find a missing magician at a shady carnival. I liked the atmosphere. Granted, the backgrounds were pretty basic but they evoked enough of the atmosphere to keep you in the mood. As other reviews have said, there's not much character interaction, but the voice-overs, when done, are really good. The few characters you do interact with don't animate when talking to you, which I would have liked to see. There are a lot of HOG scenes and you usually search each one twice in each chapter. They were clean, clear and except for one or two items pretty easy. I don't understand all the complaints about so many of them...it is a HOG game, isn't it? With only a handful of suspects, it's pretty easy to figure out the culprits. Like the Collector's Edition games, you have a bonus game of trying to find all the Ace of Spade cards. I actually replayed the game because I missed all 26 the first go round. So, what do you have here? A simple HOG game, with a bare bones plot that's easily guessed. No big maps, journals or clues and the map itself really doesn't help you during play. Simply drawn yet clear and crisp. In the end, I would normally rate this on the low end. But for some reason, I just enjoyed the game. I would recommend this one, especially if you're new to HOG games. Great intro for first time or novice players. The puzzles between scenes are all ones we've seen, but there's something comforting about familiar things, at least in my opinion. There's nothing jaw-dropping here, but like my title says, It's just a nice little HOG game.
I recommend this game!
Challenge yourself in the role of the scientist-historian-scholar of ancient civilizations and mystical legends and save your friend from the Demon of Darkness!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
Fun But Difficult HOG!
PostedMay 12, 2012
NJMysteryMan
fromSouth Plainfield, NJ
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I really liked Secrets of the Dark: Eclipse Mountain. It had a refreshingly different setting and atmosphere, with an Asian theme. The story itself is pretty typical of the many other HOG games out there, a demon threatens to destroy the world, you need to send it back into it's dimension and keep the world (and your friend), safe. This game is beautifully made, the scenes and graphics are top notch. The game play is very long, and when you add the bonus chapter, I think this is one of the longer HOG games out there. Although it could just have been me, as I like to take my time when playing a game. I want to experience it all, get my money's worth. I stopped at giving the game a full, 5-star rating, only because of a few little quirks. First off, I'm no computer expert, but this game would only play in a small screen for me. I've noticed that some games I buy here do the same thing. Even if you select full screen, it only opens into a small box in the middle of my monitor. If there is a way to fix this, then maybe I'm just not finding it. And with a HOG game, a bigger screen makes it easier for my old eyes. But actually, the main reason I only gave it 4 stars, is because this game is hard. I actually, for the first time in a great while, had to skip a few puzzles, as they were very challenging or way too complex. It also got a little too much, especially with many sliding puzzles. I enjoy a good one now and then, but some of these were real brain teasers. And lastly, there was a lot of back and forth and too many places to remember. The confusion was added to, because you could change certain scenes to another time period. For example, an old general store, could be turned into a modern gift shop, complete with an apartment and office upstairs. Being that these scene changes opened up a ton of other rooms, it was pretty easy to get lost, or to remember which tasks still needed completion and where did you have to go back to, to find them. I think if you love a tough level of challenge and a nice, long game, this is the one for you. I enjoyed it and would certainly play a sequel if one comes along, but though I enjoyed it, after a while it got to be a little much for me. You might have a different experience but I strongly urge you to give this game a shot as the setting is unique and despite my few complaints, it is a good game.
I recommend this game!
Reunite the Dragon and Phoenix Kingdoms to stop the evil witch!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Fun Fantasy Adventure/HOG Game!
PostedMay 12, 2012
NJMysteryMan
fromSouth Plainfield, NJ
Skill Level:Intermediate
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
This game was a great change of pace. I'm a big fan of all the "haunted house/horror" HOG games, but I'm also a big fantasy fan. Spirits of Mystery: Song of the Phoenix was great fun. You play a princess trying to save her beloved prince from an ancient evil and unite your two warring kingdoms. It's great fantasy and the graphics are wonderful. I love the facial movements when talking with other characters, and the voice acting talents were great. The voices matched the characters. There was a nice mix of puzzles and challenges, nothing too difficult. And the HOG scenes were done well. The additional steps to find certain objects were pretty reasonable, without being too far fetched. All in all, a fun HOG game with an enjoyable fantasy story. Also, I'd like to add that the bonus chapter was fun. Sometimes I get tired of the bonus chapter just being about how the villain manages to get away, thus prompting a sequel game. If it's a good game, I know a sequel is on it's way. Original story ideas are better and this bonus game doesn't have you pitted against the villain again. Instead, it's the final problem to solve and brings the story to a nice conclusion. I would enjoy another fantasy adventure in this kingdom in the future. Check it out, I'm sure you'll enjoy this game too!
I recommend this game!
After inheriting a manor in England, you begin to explore the Kangale Estate and discover its history!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Very Solid Haunted House Adventure Game!
PostedMarch 30, 2012
NJMysteryMan
fromSouth Plainfield, NJ
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I enjoyed the first Shiver game, but to me, this one tops it. The graphics, music and sound effects are simply eye-catching. Yes, the plot is yet another haunted house story, but it plays out like a good made-for-TV movie. Something Mary Higgins Clark might have written. And yes, I figured out what was going on way ahead of the ending, but I still had a great time going along the mansion. The added touches, like dust motes flying by in the scene as you creep around. A few ghostly interactions but nothing to make you jump. The fact that some scenes you had to use a flashlight to search around made it seem much more like being there. The puzzles were pretty standard, nothing too difficult. Sometimes I needed to use the walk-through not to solve a puzzle but just to figure out where to go next. Actually using the Hint button was easier for this, as sometimes I just needed the arrows to point me in the right direction. I play most of these HOGS on casual mode. I just enjoy the story and atmosphere. The bonus chapter was very good. My only complaint would be that you need to have the bonus chapter to see the entire solution to the mystery. If I only played the standard game, would I have gotten the entire ending? Still, this bonus game was a good add on to complete the story rather than just another excuse to leave us with a cliffhanger ending for a pending sequel. I hope more games like this are on their way. A lot of fun with a tried and true genre.
I recommend this game!
Uncover a dark scheme in Entwined: Strings of Deception and solve an elaborate murder mystery!
Overall rating
4
/
5
8 of 9 found this review helpful
Simple Yet Fun Murder Mystery!
PostedMarch 13, 2012
NJMysteryMan
fromSouth Plainfield, NJ
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Finally, this is something I've wanted to see from a HOG. A normal, murder mystery story. This game is very simple. The graphics are crisp and clear and the storyline is very intriguing. It's a classic set up: a rich inventor is murdered and 5 suspects were present in the mansion at the time. Whodunit? It's even a dark and stormy night for our investigation. I hope to see more mysteries like this. I also thought the addition of finding fingerprints and missing jewelry along the way as extra tasks was a nice touch, instead of the normal morphing objects, etc. Yes, I will agree with previous reviews, the mini games are pretty easy as are the Hidden Object Scenes, but at least they are clear and there was no dark areas or pixel hunting, which was a plus. True, I guessed the identity of the murderer about midway through, but I still enjoyed the story. I found nothing wrong with the character animation. Some people said how dated it looked, but I thought it was fine. Reminded me of the suspects in the Nancy Drew PC games. My only other gripe, is that though the story is set in the 70's, there's really no vibe for the time period. It actually seems pretty modern. This game is by no means Collector Edition worthy, and it's nice to finally have a simple game I can use my "free games" on. I hope this is the start of a new wave of murder mystery HOGS. I think, in time, this sort of game will improve. I enjoyed reading the suspect bios and re-reading the clues and evidence as I found them. In the future, it would also be fun to actually have to solve the crime yourself in some fashion. But, all in all, this was a fun little mystery game, especially good for first time players of HOGS. Happy Sleuthing!
I recommend this game!
Help Sara find her missing husband and stop an evil pirate's ancient curse in Mystery Case Files: 13th Skull!
Overall rating
5
/
5
239 of 270 found this review helpful
Lots of Fun, Nostalgic Feel!
PostedNovember 24, 2011
NJMysteryMan
fromSouth Plainfield, NJ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
I don't understand all the negative reviews about this game. I think the different setting and live action actors was a nice change of pace. As with all the other MCF games, the graphics are crisp and clear and the game looks great. The visuals are fun and it gives a great sense of place as it puts you right into the action. I think since this was such a departure from previous MCF games, it put some people off. Many people complained about questioning the live actors, but I thought this was fun and it brought me back to the old CD-ROM games like The 7th Guest and Myst. With other HOG you keep clicking through conversations. I liked the fact that these conversations were acted out. And what you need to ask is always in view on your screen, so what was the big deal? I enjoyed the interaction. The mystery was interesting and a nice twist at the end of the game. Except for playing the Master Detective, this game has little connection to the Ravenhurst storyline but as a stand alone game, it's fun. The puzzles and HOG scenes are the usual mix of easy to hard. I still needed help along the way. I also liked how you had to hunt for items around the scenes. Again, this added to the immersion factor. So things you casually saw before you need to remember. For example, you have to hunt down cleaning supplies for the maid to get her to talk. Supplies you may have noticed in your other explorations. I also liked that the game felt big from the start, like you had a lot of places to explore, even though you really didn't. All in all, I totally enjoyed this game. I played it during a two week cruise on my laptop and was a fun way to relax. I hope future MCF games keep improving on this format. Whether people believe it or not, change is good from time to time.
I recommend this game!