Granny_Gruff's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:2.6
- Helpful Votes:22,850
- Reviews Submitted:883
- First Review:December 23, 2011
- Most Recent Review:November 23, 2022
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Step into the shoes of Mary Gilbert - guardian of Fern Flower - to once again explore the mythical realm of Slavic fables.
Overall rating
3
/
5
16 of 27 found this review helpful
So Many Questions, So Little Time
PostedApril 9, 2018
Granny_Gruff
fromAvitar has no feet and he is purple and pink. Someone has a sense of humor.
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
The Demo will go by at warp speed, so please read the synopsis carefully.
Opening animation: John has received a plea from his sister, Mary, a Ph.D. in botany. She needs a "safe" place to plant a new fern she has created from plants and her magical knowledge. As soon as they walk away, the plant starts to send out tendrils of (?) magic.
The game then begins with John and Mary walking in the woods in July to check on her plant . A storm suddenly blows up with thunder, lightning, high winds, and snow. They run for cover. Brother and sister reach John's house to see a hole in one side of the outside walls. John rushes forward to peer inside the house and is grabbed by a green and violet colored winged magical creature suggestive of a dragon and reptile hybrid. A huge owl-like bird tries to stop the creature from flying off with John, but is left buried under debris and unconscious as the other creatures fly off up a rainbow. Mary revives the giant owl and learns its name, Avitar, and that the bad creatures are Zmeys. She will need to fly with the purple and pink owl to Vyrai, a kingdom located in the clouds, to look for John.
Opening animation: John has received a plea from his sister, Mary, a Ph.D. in botany. She needs a "safe" place to plant a new fern she has created from plants and her magical knowledge. As soon as they walk away, the plant starts to send out tendrils of (?) magic.
The game then begins with John and Mary walking in the woods in July to check on her plant . A storm suddenly blows up with thunder, lightning, high winds, and snow. They run for cover. Brother and sister reach John's house to see a hole in one side of the outside walls. John rushes forward to peer inside the house and is grabbed by a green and violet colored winged magical creature suggestive of a dragon and reptile hybrid. A huge owl-like bird tries to stop the creature from flying off with John, but is left buried under debris and unconscious as the other creatures fly off up a rainbow. Mary revives the giant owl and learns its name, Avitar, and that the bad creatures are Zmeys. She will need to fly with the purple and pink owl to Vyrai, a kingdom located in the clouds, to look for John.
Good news: All the expected elements of an average child's game are here. There are bright colors, a story, easy mini-games, and HOPs.
Bad news: The upscale elements that were so very welcome and highly prized in the second Eventide game are MIA in this entry in the series. Specifically the two different collectibles are gone, players no longer can make ethical choices to affect game outcome, and the achievements are also MIA.
As those elements in the second Eventide game were voluntary perks, it should be easy to get past that point. And it would be, if so much of the bare bones story were not confusing.
Mary needs a "safe" place to plant her experimental plant. What did she expect it to do?
And if she expected something bad to happen, why does it seem that she waited months to check on it?
John suggests they "hide" in his house when the storm starts.
How bad has his experience with storms been? It couldn't have been too horrible - his first aid box contained only a bottle of menthol and broken tweezers.
And yes, the Demo is alarmingly short, which does not bode well for gamers looking for a lengthy game.
As those elements in the second Eventide game were voluntary perks, it should be easy to get past that point. And it would be, if so much of the bare bones story were not confusing.
Mary needs a "safe" place to plant her experimental plant. What did she expect it to do?
And if she expected something bad to happen, why does it seem that she waited months to check on it?
John suggests they "hide" in his house when the storm starts.
How bad has his experience with storms been? It couldn't have been too horrible - his first aid box contained only a bottle of menthol and broken tweezers.
And yes, the Demo is alarmingly short, which does not bode well for gamers looking for a lengthy game.
Bottom line: Disappointment is the key word. I almost get the impression that the Devs are experimenting with their market. Give a little, take a little, and see how much or how little they need to do to have a financial success.
I can't recommend that you buy something I wouldn't. I do recommend that you try the Demo for yourself. This might be a good game for beginners or younger players.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you save the city from a tattoo artist’s magical ink?
Overall rating
2
/
5
45 of 62 found this review helpful
Who Let This One Loose?
PostedApril 9, 2018
Granny_Gruff
fromI want to go where there are good plots that don't need to be explained by BFG and the reviewers.
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Once upon a time a bunch of overworked Devs got together and had to come up with a game quickly.
So they took some old dirty city scapes and look around for a story. One of them thought of the story of Red Riding Hood. As no one in the group knew how to connect the story to their city scapes, they just drew some Red Riding Hood dolls for collectibles and took off from there.
So we have Chris Andersen meeting an old friend, Rachel, in a bar near her new apartment. Things rapidly get flushed when Rachel is kidnapped out of the restroom of the bar. Chris finds himself in trouble as he goes to her aid and the Bad Guys think he knows too much. It's all down hill from there, in more ways than one.
Yes, there are all the expected game elements.
Yes, this is a very short demo - I took less than a third of the time allowed to reach the end.
Yes, the instructions for some of the games were badly written.
Yes, the scenes are dark, dirty, drab, and depressing.
All would have been forgiven if I could have figured out what was going on. Rachel had a new tattoo, there was a news story on the bar TV about poisonous tattoo ink being used by some artists, and Chris is fond enough of Rachel to want to save her from whatever is happening. Where does Red Riding Hood and the wolf come in? No telling, but one reviewer said they figured it out after the Bonus Chapter.
Rather than being encouraging, that tells me that the story telling in the game is so faulty that they needed the bonus chapter just to pull things together.
I will once again strongly recommend that you try the Demo. Give the game your total attention for the time it takes to get through the trial. You may find so much more than I did.
So they took some old dirty city scapes and look around for a story. One of them thought of the story of Red Riding Hood. As no one in the group knew how to connect the story to their city scapes, they just drew some Red Riding Hood dolls for collectibles and took off from there.
So we have Chris Andersen meeting an old friend, Rachel, in a bar near her new apartment. Things rapidly get flushed when Rachel is kidnapped out of the restroom of the bar. Chris finds himself in trouble as he goes to her aid and the Bad Guys think he knows too much. It's all down hill from there, in more ways than one.
Yes, there are all the expected game elements.
Yes, this is a very short demo - I took less than a third of the time allowed to reach the end.
Yes, the instructions for some of the games were badly written.
Yes, the scenes are dark, dirty, drab, and depressing.
All would have been forgiven if I could have figured out what was going on. Rachel had a new tattoo, there was a news story on the bar TV about poisonous tattoo ink being used by some artists, and Chris is fond enough of Rachel to want to save her from whatever is happening. Where does Red Riding Hood and the wolf come in? No telling, but one reviewer said they figured it out after the Bonus Chapter.
Rather than being encouraging, that tells me that the story telling in the game is so faulty that they needed the bonus chapter just to pull things together.
I will once again strongly recommend that you try the Demo. Give the game your total attention for the time it takes to get through the trial. You may find so much more than I did.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you save Dupin from a malevolent murderer in time?
Overall rating
3
/
5
29 of 38 found this review helpful
Sometimes OK Is Just Not Enough
PostedApril 7, 2018
Granny_Gruff
fromThey have to use a long dead author's work - he can't sue!
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Another entry in the Dark Tales series has arrived. I can not tell you how much I wish I could have recommended the game. Sadly, while it functions as a game, it is not on the level we've come to expect from DT games. After playing the demo, I can only say that this is not a buy for me. I strongly suggest you try the Demo before you purchase it.
In The Pit and the Pendulum, You are going to meet Dupin at a magic show in a private home. Guests are there by invitation only and Dupin has yours. You are going to join him as he strives to protect an old friend, Zula, one of the performers. She has received threats upon her life and has foreseen her death. She has appealed to Dupin for help.
Good stuff: There are the usual assortment of HOPs and mini-games/puzzles along with a story that bears one of Edgar Allen Poe's most famous titles and has little to nothing to do with his tale. The CE bling assortment includes collectible cards for the characters and morphing objects.
Bad stuff: Same ol' complaints - missteps and logic fails abound. At a crowded party, the fire extinguisher is locked to the wall with two amulets that must be found before you can take it.
After you and Dupin enter a room where a prime suspect was locked in with the doorman, Matt, the "bad guy," Jacob, Zula's partner, jumps through a window into the garden. Dupin goes after him just before a security gate clangs down. You must find three masks to add to the one in place on the gate to raise it, but only after you solve still another puzzle. By the time you've run back and forth retrieving the other masks from safe, cabinet, and trunk, using a seeming unending supply of amulets, there seems little point in rushing after Dupin and Jacob. Fortunately they are still fighting in the garden. You catch up in time to have Jacob hurtle a poison gas canister at you and you see him drag off Dupin as you pass out. You regain consciousness to find that the secret passage they went through can be opened when you find four statuettes.
So you trek back and forth again. Unfortunately the mini-games/puzzles are quite easy and with the light weight story, there just does not seem to be much incentive to purchase the game.
Please try the Demo. Don't take my word for the necessity - believe the reviewer who lamented not checking it out before his disappointing purchase of this game.
I can't recommend what I will not be purchasing. I miss the early DT games and wish the Devs would just start a new series and stop abusing E.A.P.
In The Pit and the Pendulum, You are going to meet Dupin at a magic show in a private home. Guests are there by invitation only and Dupin has yours. You are going to join him as he strives to protect an old friend, Zula, one of the performers. She has received threats upon her life and has foreseen her death. She has appealed to Dupin for help.
Good stuff: There are the usual assortment of HOPs and mini-games/puzzles along with a story that bears one of Edgar Allen Poe's most famous titles and has little to nothing to do with his tale. The CE bling assortment includes collectible cards for the characters and morphing objects.
Bad stuff: Same ol' complaints - missteps and logic fails abound. At a crowded party, the fire extinguisher is locked to the wall with two amulets that must be found before you can take it.
After you and Dupin enter a room where a prime suspect was locked in with the doorman, Matt, the "bad guy," Jacob, Zula's partner, jumps through a window into the garden. Dupin goes after him just before a security gate clangs down. You must find three masks to add to the one in place on the gate to raise it, but only after you solve still another puzzle. By the time you've run back and forth retrieving the other masks from safe, cabinet, and trunk, using a seeming unending supply of amulets, there seems little point in rushing after Dupin and Jacob. Fortunately they are still fighting in the garden. You catch up in time to have Jacob hurtle a poison gas canister at you and you see him drag off Dupin as you pass out. You regain consciousness to find that the secret passage they went through can be opened when you find four statuettes.
So you trek back and forth again. Unfortunately the mini-games/puzzles are quite easy and with the light weight story, there just does not seem to be much incentive to purchase the game.
Please try the Demo. Don't take my word for the necessity - believe the reviewer who lamented not checking it out before his disappointing purchase of this game.
I can't recommend what I will not be purchasing. I miss the early DT games and wish the Devs would just start a new series and stop abusing E.A.P.
I don't recommend this game.
Mark’s reality unravels as he discovers the truth about his life.
Overall rating
3
/
5
21 of 26 found this review helpful
Why Should I Care About Mark and Jane?
PostedApril 6, 2018
Granny_Gruff
fromBored and uninvolved in Kentucky
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
The opening animation shows a man walking to the edge of a cliff. He is holding a glowing crystal in his hand. When he gets to the edge of the cliff, he looks down on smoke billowing from twisted train cars below him.
The game opens with Jane and Mark talking in their train car. Within seconds, the lights go out and everything goes dark for Mark. He awakens in what looks to be a hotel room, somewhat decrepit, with a locked door to the hall and a rusted handle on the only other exit in the room.
After puzzles and HOPs, Mark has figured out this is the Schneider Hotel and Spa. He makes it out to the hall and eventually is led onward by Jane. She is in a wheel chair, and constantly out of reach, and calling to Mark.
The game opens with Jane and Mark talking in their train car. Within seconds, the lights go out and everything goes dark for Mark. He awakens in what looks to be a hotel room, somewhat decrepit, with a locked door to the hall and a rusted handle on the only other exit in the room.
After puzzles and HOPs, Mark has figured out this is the Schneider Hotel and Spa. He makes it out to the hall and eventually is led onward by Jane. She is in a wheel chair, and constantly out of reach, and calling to Mark.
Good stuff: There are HOPs, mini-games/puzzles, and a scant story.
Bad stuff: The story is so light on details, it should float. Mark is chasing after Jane, with occasional glimpses of an alien presence and shifting scenes. There will surely be something bad going on - after all this is an entry in the Haunted Hotel series - but it will take some digging to get more details out of this game.
Meanwhile you will find that each locked object seemed to have more than one amulet to open it and, sometimes, multiple objects/amulets/pieces to open multiple sections of a single box/cabinet/drawer.
Since there were only bits and pieces of the supposed tragedy involving the Schneider family and only seconds of dialogue between Jane and Mark, it was hard to care about what was going on or about the characters.
Add to that the familiar puzzles and how quickly the demo was completed, and it is easy to walk away from this HH series game.
Meanwhile you will find that each locked object seemed to have more than one amulet to open it and, sometimes, multiple objects/amulets/pieces to open multiple sections of a single box/cabinet/drawer.
Since there were only bits and pieces of the supposed tragedy involving the Schneider family and only seconds of dialogue between Jane and Mark, it was hard to care about what was going on or about the characters.
Add to that the familiar puzzles and how quickly the demo was completed, and it is easy to walk away from this HH series game.
Please try the demo. The game is tamer than the last couple in this series and this one may be the one you want.
Return to Nerinia and save the neighboring kingdom Merovina in this epic match-3 adventure! Build majestic monuments for the prosperity of the realm!
Overall rating
3
/
5
27 of 35 found this review helpful
It was OK, But....
PostedApril 5, 2018
Granny_Gruff
fromFlustered and frenzied in Kentucky
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This is the follow up to the first Jewel Match Royal. The story continues with the gardener's son having finally married his princess and now he's in a position to help the kingdom and rule a kingdom of his own. Of course first he'll have to work his way through dozens of Match 3 boards and various bonus levels, using his earnings to build things along the way.
Good stuff: This is a Match 3 with so many things going on, I felt dizzy. There are levels of play, bonus levels, coins popping up, pieces that move, shake, explode, glitter, and transform.
There are bonus games and treasure boxes to upgrade. Plus there are coins to collect, extra items to buy, and monuments to build.
There are bonus games and treasure boxes to upgrade. Plus there are coins to collect, extra items to buy, and monuments to build.
Bad stuff: In the end, it is a Match 3 game. I didn't see anything that made it worth the price if I already own the first Jewel Match Royale. I can just play the first Jewel Match game as no board will ever come out the same way twice. There is a striking similarity between the two games, as the only real change is the minimal, but new, story thrown in with the gameand a couple of extras to collect/buy. There were pop up messages that had to be "answered" before you could continue to play as part of the tutorial. You can't skip them as there is so much going on, you may wish for a manual. Mostly the constant barrage of new play facets coming at me just left me wondering if I was even doing a good job of playing the game. I kept wondering if I had missed some bit of strategy or a bonus. Those "special" pieces that shake, rattle, and roll tend to be more distracting than anything else.
Bottom line, from the levels apparently available, this should be a virtually endless game. Usually I like a Match 3 or puzzle game to offset the HOPs/Adventure games, but I felt confused and disoriented even though I had played the first Jewel Match. Apparently there can be too much of a good thing!
Please try the demo. You may like the barrage of game elements and frenzied action. I am just overwhelmed.
Take a road trip across the USA, visit beautiful locations, find the hidden objects and play fun puzzles.
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
Nice Variety of HOPs and Puzzles
PostedApril 4, 2018
Granny_Gruff
fromGetting ready for Derby!
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
I always like to sprinkle a bit of variety among my HOP/Adventure games. I love the World Mosaics for that reason and now I have found a new favorite in Road Trip USA.
There are a variety of HOPs - I really liked the scrambled word list ones - and other puzzles - Spot the Difference, mahjong, or Match 3 among others. The HOPs are very clear and objects are sometimes very cleverly hidden. No puzzle is so hard you will tear your hair, just good fun.
For a change of pace, try the demo for a little mind stretching and relaxation.
There are a variety of HOPs - I really liked the scrambled word list ones - and other puzzles - Spot the Difference, mahjong, or Match 3 among others. The HOPs are very clear and objects are sometimes very cleverly hidden. No puzzle is so hard you will tear your hair, just good fun.
For a change of pace, try the demo for a little mind stretching and relaxation.
I recommend this game!
Nobody comes back from the Dark Side unchanged, but it’s the only way to re-light the fading flame.
Overall rating
3
/
5
21 of 36 found this review helpful
Alice Is Back To Fight the Dark Side
PostedApril 1, 2018
Granny_Gruff
fromSo many maps, so little time.
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Alice, the little girl who found a magic phoenix to fight the Dark Knight with in the first chapter of the Darkness and Flame series, is back again in this third installment, ready to continue the fight.
Alice, her Uncle Colin, and their friend, Farador, had blown a hole in a dam to flood out the dark army at the end of chapter two. Unfortunately the Dark Knight was able to survive and calls on the dark powers to send Alice, Colin, and Farador into a tornado in their hot air balloon. The two men jump out of the balloon, but Alice hits her head. She awakens in the balloon, caught in a tree and suspended over a canyon on the Dark Side. We will travel with Alice as she looks for her friends and runs from the Dark.
Alice, her Uncle Colin, and their friend, Farador, had blown a hole in a dam to flood out the dark army at the end of chapter two. Unfortunately the Dark Knight was able to survive and calls on the dark powers to send Alice, Colin, and Farador into a tornado in their hot air balloon. The two men jump out of the balloon, but Alice hits her head. She awakens in the balloon, caught in a tree and suspended over a canyon on the Dark Side. We will travel with Alice as she looks for her friends and runs from the Dark.
Good stuff: there are HOPs, mini-games, good artwork, morphing objects in each scene and, included in the CE bling, a variety of other collectibles, with gold statues, flies, lotus flowers, and origami showing up in the demo scenes. Alice still has her phoenix tattoo on her arm to help against the Dark forces, but it's strength is fading.
Bad stuff: Logic fatality: I have a knife in my inventory as I search frantically for scissors to trim the branches of a bonsai tree to get a key. Then I use the knife to take cherry blossoms off another tree.
Actually, that's just the kind of "logic" most of us expect at this point.
Unfortunately the game also includes the reams of maps as in the first two games. So, not only do you run back and forth between scenes, you do so between maps of scenes. Alice's first thought when becoming conscious in the balloon basket was: "I've got to get out of here." Then she returns repeatedly after reaching a safe place, even climbing over the far side of the basket to reach a ledge below it.
I appreciate that there are lots of places to explore, I just don't want to run thru all of them over and over and over ....
Actually, that's just the kind of "logic" most of us expect at this point.
Unfortunately the game also includes the reams of maps as in the first two games. So, not only do you run back and forth between scenes, you do so between maps of scenes. Alice's first thought when becoming conscious in the balloon basket was: "I've got to get out of here." Then she returns repeatedly after reaching a safe place, even climbing over the far side of the basket to reach a ledge below it.
I appreciate that there are lots of places to explore, I just don't want to run thru all of them over and over and over ....
Please try the demo. If you enjoyed the first two games in the series, you will most likely want to see this one. If you missed either or both earlier games, the new one gives enough background to keep you in the loop. Just please play the demo to see if you will enjoy your purchase.
It's the find of a century, but will you live to tell about it?
Overall rating
4
/
5
12 of 16 found this review helpful
Madhead Needs to Promote This Group of Developers!
PostedMarch 31, 2018
Granny_Gruff
fromNo bee smoker, we avoided the crash, and I haven't seen a zipper or paper clip yet!
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
In 1962, in the Amazon, a pyramid appears. Did it rise from the jungle floor? Mysterious Mr. Gate hires Archeology Professor Sylva to investigate. She will be in a race against time against a competing group of investigators lead by her sister, Elsa.
The two sisters have been antagonists since their father fell while at a dig with Sylva. Elsa cannot forgive her sister.
All too quickly the sisters find themselves in an unknown land, forced to help each other if they ever want to return home.
Good stuff: Along with good artwork and VO's there will be the usual assortment of HOPs and mini-games/puzzles. There are five levels of game play. Number five was reasonably customizable. The Sci-fi story was of the save-my-family-member type but the interesting background and locales made it seem fresher. Plot twists helped keep the drama alive. You will acquire a tool kit that will stay with you and prove very useful.
Bad stuff: Not all the puzzles worked as someone expected them to, and there were more than a few times when you had to click on a target - not a fan favorite. The story advanced very slowly as each animation sequence halted movement till it was over. The toolkit all but grabs your throat to get your attention each time there is something you can do with one of the three tools in it. The game is very puzzle heavy, something to be aware of if you prefer HOPs.
Bottom line: This is a nice little game for the SE price. It helped that I came to it fresh - I missed the CE coming out and so this is first time I saw this one. I could view it with clearer eyes.
Try the Demo and see what you think. And have a good Spring Break.
The two sisters have been antagonists since their father fell while at a dig with Sylva. Elsa cannot forgive her sister.
All too quickly the sisters find themselves in an unknown land, forced to help each other if they ever want to return home.
Good stuff: Along with good artwork and VO's there will be the usual assortment of HOPs and mini-games/puzzles. There are five levels of game play. Number five was reasonably customizable. The Sci-fi story was of the save-my-family-member type but the interesting background and locales made it seem fresher. Plot twists helped keep the drama alive. You will acquire a tool kit that will stay with you and prove very useful.
Bad stuff: Not all the puzzles worked as someone expected them to, and there were more than a few times when you had to click on a target - not a fan favorite. The story advanced very slowly as each animation sequence halted movement till it was over. The toolkit all but grabs your throat to get your attention each time there is something you can do with one of the three tools in it. The game is very puzzle heavy, something to be aware of if you prefer HOPs.
Bottom line: This is a nice little game for the SE price. It helped that I came to it fresh - I missed the CE coming out and so this is first time I saw this one. I could view it with clearer eyes.
Try the Demo and see what you think. And have a good Spring Break.
I recommend this game!
Can you confront an otherworldly foe and save your nephew?
Overall rating
3
/
5
26 of 38 found this review helpful
Does Anybody Think Games Through?
PostedMarch 30, 2018
Granny_Gruff
fromI shouldn't need that bee smoker - too much smoke from the nearby crash!
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Uncle Harold and nephew Isaac are traveling to a festival in the local village. They hope to sell some small inventions. Already fireworks are lighting up the sky ahead.
Suddenly a ball of fire streaks down into the nearby woods. At the same time a small toy space ship of Isaac's making, just repaired by Harold, takes off in the direction of the crash. Isaac runs to catch it. But another ball of fire crashes near the wagon and Uncle Harold has both frightened horses and a fire to bring under control, before he can chase after Isaac.
Suddenly a ball of fire streaks down into the nearby woods. At the same time a small toy space ship of Isaac's making, just repaired by Harold, takes off in the direction of the crash. Isaac runs to catch it. But another ball of fire crashes near the wagon and Uncle Harold has both frightened horses and a fire to bring under control, before he can chase after Isaac.
Good news: Some imagination has gone into the sci-fi story for this game. The artwork is well done. There are several types of HOPs and mini-games. There are more characters than we usually see in a demo and a good set up of the story. There will be collectible swirls in scenes and a morphing object in HOPs.
We play as Uncle Harold, who acquires a special hand/wrist piece from the alien in the aircraft that crashed. This bit of technology will enable Harold to understand some of the technology and writing he will soon see.
We play as Uncle Harold, who acquires a special hand/wrist piece from the alien in the aircraft that crashed. This bit of technology will enable Harold to understand some of the technology and writing he will soon see.
Bad news: Just when you thought there would not be another game starting with a vehicle crash, it appears. Then the ubiquitous bee smoker will put in a distressingly early appearance. It seems that no matter what the subject may be, the Devs can slip a crash and a smoker into the story. This time you not only get to load that smoker with flammable bits, you get to find the steel and flint, each separately, so you can light it.
As for the story, it had potential. However, between the overly heavy dose of bad guy with stiff neck and the inattention to detail, you may well find yourself with less enthusiasm than you expected.
For instance: Every structure or vehicle from Uncle Harold's horse drawn caravan wagon to the science building on the second moon will be like a Dr. Who tardis - structure will be significantly altered from what you'd expect after seeing the outside. The inside will be bigger and taller and you will wonder why this flight of fancy in the artwork.
As for basic logic, not to worry. That is also twisted into something else, something not particularly attractive.
So you will see a technology-impaired Harold repair a space ship and initiate a rescue on another world. Then there is uber bad guy, Blacksands, who locks up his evil weapon experiment with a lock that the yokel can open within a few minutes of landing.
As for the story, it had potential. However, between the overly heavy dose of bad guy with stiff neck and the inattention to detail, you may well find yourself with less enthusiasm than you expected.
For instance: Every structure or vehicle from Uncle Harold's horse drawn caravan wagon to the science building on the second moon will be like a Dr. Who tardis - structure will be significantly altered from what you'd expect after seeing the outside. The inside will be bigger and taller and you will wonder why this flight of fancy in the artwork.
As for basic logic, not to worry. That is also twisted into something else, something not particularly attractive.
So you will see a technology-impaired Harold repair a space ship and initiate a rescue on another world. Then there is uber bad guy, Blacksands, who locks up his evil weapon experiment with a lock that the yokel can open within a few minutes of landing.
Bottom line: Just having a story in a less used genre does not ensure that the game will be a shining success.
In this case I intend to check back on the SE when it arrives. Perhaps the sour taste of this demo will have faded.
In this case I intend to check back on the SE when it arrives. Perhaps the sour taste of this demo will have faded.
Challenge an evil presence in this chilling hidden object adventure and save your loved ones before it's too late!
Overall rating
2
/
5
20 of 26 found this review helpful
No, Really - That's What Happened....
PostedMarch 29, 2018
Granny_Gruff
fromWhy did I get tied up for my flight with the Harpies when everyone else got carried in their talons?
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
The villagers are gathered in the square as the local leader shouts at them. The Harpies fly in and start to carry some of them off, including the parents of our protagonist. She - I know we are playing as a woman because we are addressed as such by several characters - manages to hit a Harpy with a rock and is tied by the ankles and carried off. She cuts herself loose and, after landing head first, is thrown into prison for trying to stop the Harpies! Her sister stops by to berate her in jail. Our heroine breaks out and heads for home. There sister throws an amulet out of the upstairs window. We go off to repair a wagon, and build a ladder to enter our home through the second story window. Once inside we retrieve a combination to open a secret compartment in a spinning wheel. Once opened, we find the second amulet to go with the first one and we open the wardrobe a few feet from our sister, asleep at a desk. Then we proceed to repair shoes, dresses, hats, and statues inside the wardrobe so that a compartment in the top pops open to reveal a harness for the horse that we are going to steal along with a peddler's wagon to leave town at night. As we finally leave, the guards shoot arrows after us - that way we will have ammo for the bow we repaired and are carrying around. Now we can save the Druid.
Things will get crazier and not in a good way.
Good news: You save a Druid from a werewolf. He will help you along the way - so long as you run around getting things together that he needs and does not help you find.
Bad news: We only temporarily cure his wounds after we save him from the werewolf. Unfortunately the wounds reappear when we reach the river bank near the evil mage's mountain.
Good news: We don't have to smoke the bees to get their honey.
Bad news: We have to find a beekeeper's hat as these bees will let us take the jar of honey standing outside the hives as long as we have the hat.
Good news: We get to carry around pieces of a totem that is as tall as the mage to help us summon his forest tree friend.
Bad news: None of those developing this game is conversant with a dictionary. So mage - a learned person or magician - is used interchangeably with demon - a devil or evil spirit. And demons are popularly believed to live forever, but this one wants souls to keep him alive. And he looks like someone's grandfather, while the village leader looks scarier!
Good news: There are more scattered bits of silliness in this demo than in any other this week, and you can bail at the end.
Bad news: When you try to recount the story to any rational person, they may accuse you of deceit or delusion as the story is a confusion of superstition, magic, mythology, and mislabeled characters.
I recommend only that you try the demo.
If you can frame the story in a way that sounds sane, then this is a game you might want.
If you back away from your monitor and look for a good book, I have several I'll lend.
If you can frame the story in a way that sounds sane, then this is a game you might want.
If you back away from your monitor and look for a good book, I have several I'll lend.
I don't recommend this game.