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:
Can you defeat dangerous creatures and find your grandfather in time?
Overall rating
1
/
5
33 of 36 found this review helpful
Old Game Story Meets Crippled Logic and Leaves Sadness Behind
PostedOctober 15, 2017
Granny_Gruff
fromTextbook example of how to sink a series.
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
There is Kate, Grandpa, and demons called Nightcallers in the story.
The story is a “save my family member” rehash so Kate will be saving Grandpa.
This is a game with the usual game elements.
The game may be scary, but I'm not sure about that. I spent the Demo being too appalled at the mistakes the Devs made to pay much attention to the pink smoke or the Nightcallers that appeared shortly after the smoke did!
Logic is quickly wounded at the beginning of the demo.
Kate is down in the subway station, watching the guy she came to meet fighting a Nightcaller. She walks behind him to the edge of the platform to get some glue and a rubber glove.
She passes behind him again and crosses the train tracks to get a poster off the wall. There is broken glass around the poster. Does she use the rubber glove?
Of course not.
She pulls the huge shards of glass lose with her bare hands, all of this as the poor boob fights for his life.
Eventually the fight is over and the guy is down. Kate rifles a first aid box and finds smelling salts – at least that’s what the screen says after she picks them out of the stuff in the box, as only one of the other items was labeled.
Eventually she hops on a train and a Nightcaller is hanging from the speeding train as she runs around the car playing puzzles. She fixes an electrical panel to open a door, to find a raging fire, puts out the fire to play a HOP, finds the Brake handle, and stops the car.
Naturally she now has to fight the Nightcaller.
This involves a child-like puzzle where you drag the outline of a rune figure across the screen till it covers the rune it matches. Do it twice and you win! (Possibly the booby prize.)
Once she gets out of the subway tunnels, she finds herself locked behind a gate as a taxi sent to pick her up waits outside in the street.
What to do?
This must be the time to climb a pipe using a purse strap. Jump down to fish a rusty saw out of the sewer. Clean the saw with the salt stolen from the guard shack in the enclosure and the handy cut lemon you got up on the AC unit at the second floor shuttered window next to the pipe. Now Kate vandalizes the park bench nearby, climbs back up the pipe, props the shutter up with the piece of wood from the bench, and plays a HOP for a set of lock picks. Back she goes to the guard shack and uses the lock picks on the safe/locker and gets the keys to the gate just in time to jump in the taxi. (Obviously the guard was not on duty as he must have locked himself out!)
At this point I’m only about a third of the way into the Demo and rebelling against the many “Duh”moments and total ineptitude. I know that poor Logic is down for the count.
The biggest mystery was whether I could stick it out to the end of the Demo.
I’m chagrined to admit I did.
I kept hoping for better things, but they just never showed up.
Please try the Demo. Try to remember when Logic lived.
The story is a “save my family member” rehash so Kate will be saving Grandpa.
This is a game with the usual game elements.
The game may be scary, but I'm not sure about that. I spent the Demo being too appalled at the mistakes the Devs made to pay much attention to the pink smoke or the Nightcallers that appeared shortly after the smoke did!
Logic is quickly wounded at the beginning of the demo.
Kate is down in the subway station, watching the guy she came to meet fighting a Nightcaller. She walks behind him to the edge of the platform to get some glue and a rubber glove.
She passes behind him again and crosses the train tracks to get a poster off the wall. There is broken glass around the poster. Does she use the rubber glove?
Of course not.
She pulls the huge shards of glass lose with her bare hands, all of this as the poor boob fights for his life.
Eventually the fight is over and the guy is down. Kate rifles a first aid box and finds smelling salts – at least that’s what the screen says after she picks them out of the stuff in the box, as only one of the other items was labeled.
Eventually she hops on a train and a Nightcaller is hanging from the speeding train as she runs around the car playing puzzles. She fixes an electrical panel to open a door, to find a raging fire, puts out the fire to play a HOP, finds the Brake handle, and stops the car.
Naturally she now has to fight the Nightcaller.
This involves a child-like puzzle where you drag the outline of a rune figure across the screen till it covers the rune it matches. Do it twice and you win! (Possibly the booby prize.)
Once she gets out of the subway tunnels, she finds herself locked behind a gate as a taxi sent to pick her up waits outside in the street.
What to do?
This must be the time to climb a pipe using a purse strap. Jump down to fish a rusty saw out of the sewer. Clean the saw with the salt stolen from the guard shack in the enclosure and the handy cut lemon you got up on the AC unit at the second floor shuttered window next to the pipe. Now Kate vandalizes the park bench nearby, climbs back up the pipe, props the shutter up with the piece of wood from the bench, and plays a HOP for a set of lock picks. Back she goes to the guard shack and uses the lock picks on the safe/locker and gets the keys to the gate just in time to jump in the taxi. (Obviously the guard was not on duty as he must have locked himself out!)
At this point I’m only about a third of the way into the Demo and rebelling against the many “Duh”moments and total ineptitude. I know that poor Logic is down for the count.
The biggest mystery was whether I could stick it out to the end of the Demo.
I’m chagrined to admit I did.
I kept hoping for better things, but they just never showed up.
Please try the Demo. Try to remember when Logic lived.
I don't recommend this game.
A dangerous spirit has returned from the past!
Overall rating
2
/
5
21 of 25 found this review helpful
Same Old, Same Old
PostedOctober 15, 2017
Granny_Gruff
fromImitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but does not work well as a game format!
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Olivia calls you to come to the museum where she is setting up a new exhibit. She feels something is wrong and wants your advice. You arrive in time to talk to the custodian after he is thrown from a balcony and just before he turns to stone! You whip out your special glasses and see into the past to help you unravel what is going on. Apparently, this time it is an evil doctor named Moro from the middle ages. He lost his family to the plague and tried to use black magic to bring them back. He was burned at the stake for the use of black magic and threatened to return as the flames crept up.
He’s baaack!
And you get to stop him, if you can.
Good stuff: The usual game elements are here, along with those special glasses that not only show you scenes from the past, but also allow you to reach into those scenes and retrieve items you need. The HOPs have a Match 3 alternative. Most of the mini-games/puzzles have a choice of easy or hard. There are morphing items and collectible diary pages that will tell you the story of Dr. Moro, along with some other CE bling.
Bad stuff: As we’ve seen with previous Mystery Tales games, the artwork is highly colored, except when you use those special glasses, when everything is hazy blue. The music comes and goes at its own whim. Moro wears a perpetual scowl, but everyone else seems to be without emotion. Olivia’s initial phone call was singularly lifeless and, even when she was confronting Moro’s ghost, she was very preternaturally calm. The closest you’ll come to emotion is Larry, hiding in the storage room with the safe. He rustles up a bit of urgency when he tells you Moro has found you both!
I’d tell you about all the logic flaws that abound in this game, but as it has so much we’ve seen in so many other games and little else to recommend it, I leave you to find them yourself – it’s the only fun you’ll get here!
One hint: Keep an eye out for the little bags of gunpowder left out in an exhibit!
Please check out the Demo for the same old everything!
He’s baaack!
And you get to stop him, if you can.
Good stuff: The usual game elements are here, along with those special glasses that not only show you scenes from the past, but also allow you to reach into those scenes and retrieve items you need. The HOPs have a Match 3 alternative. Most of the mini-games/puzzles have a choice of easy or hard. There are morphing items and collectible diary pages that will tell you the story of Dr. Moro, along with some other CE bling.
Bad stuff: As we’ve seen with previous Mystery Tales games, the artwork is highly colored, except when you use those special glasses, when everything is hazy blue. The music comes and goes at its own whim. Moro wears a perpetual scowl, but everyone else seems to be without emotion. Olivia’s initial phone call was singularly lifeless and, even when she was confronting Moro’s ghost, she was very preternaturally calm. The closest you’ll come to emotion is Larry, hiding in the storage room with the safe. He rustles up a bit of urgency when he tells you Moro has found you both!
I’d tell you about all the logic flaws that abound in this game, but as it has so much we’ve seen in so many other games and little else to recommend it, I leave you to find them yourself – it’s the only fun you’ll get here!
One hint: Keep an eye out for the little bags of gunpowder left out in an exhibit!
Please check out the Demo for the same old everything!
I don't recommend this game.
Can you delve into a dangerous past and escape in time?
Overall rating
2
/
5
26 of 33 found this review helpful
Gone Are The Days...
PostedOctober 14, 2017
Granny_Gruff
fromDisappointed City, in Sorry State
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
1
/
5
TThe first game in the Phantasmat series had a story filled with finesse. The games and HOPs were well done and it was above and beyond anything around right then.
That's NOT this game. Apparently the Devs phoned in this entry in the series, because the story is up in your face by the end of the demo and gameplay is choppy.
In addition, no synopsis would make sense unless it was full of spoilers, but I'll try to keep them out:
The cut scenes start with a small boy named Kevin climbing rocks as his friends watch from below. He falls.
You are driving down the road. Your car is hit on the driver's side by a truck coming from a side road.
You are in the hospital and wake to hear the doctor tell a man, presumably your husband, that you have amnesia and need a long rest.
You are at an old dirty, decrepit farm house and your husband, Stan, is going to secure the house against a heavy storm that is moving in.
Left alone, you see the ghost of a small boy in the hall. He runs into a locked room.
Good Stuff: There is good artwork.
Bad stuff: Most of the story is there if you care to see it - and it isn't pretty. The HOPs are full of small dark items. The mini-games are down right wicked - I'm not sure if they are as unsolvable as they seem or I'm just aging faster than I'd like to admit.
Once you are finished with the demo, you will realize that this is an almost average game with no mystery as to what's going on and where it is headed.
You REALLY need to try the Demo before you consider buying.
That's NOT this game. Apparently the Devs phoned in this entry in the series, because the story is up in your face by the end of the demo and gameplay is choppy.
In addition, no synopsis would make sense unless it was full of spoilers, but I'll try to keep them out:
The cut scenes start with a small boy named Kevin climbing rocks as his friends watch from below. He falls.
You are driving down the road. Your car is hit on the driver's side by a truck coming from a side road.
You are in the hospital and wake to hear the doctor tell a man, presumably your husband, that you have amnesia and need a long rest.
You are at an old dirty, decrepit farm house and your husband, Stan, is going to secure the house against a heavy storm that is moving in.
Left alone, you see the ghost of a small boy in the hall. He runs into a locked room.
Good Stuff: There is good artwork.
Bad stuff: Most of the story is there if you care to see it - and it isn't pretty. The HOPs are full of small dark items. The mini-games are down right wicked - I'm not sure if they are as unsolvable as they seem or I'm just aging faster than I'd like to admit.
Once you are finished with the demo, you will realize that this is an almost average game with no mystery as to what's going on and where it is headed.
You REALLY need to try the Demo before you consider buying.
I don't recommend this game.
A Halloween party becomes a spine-tingling fight for survival!
Overall rating
5
/
5
30 of 44 found this review helpful
Time to Get a Little Batty!
PostedOctober 13, 2017
Granny_Gruff
fromIn a state of Anticipation!
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Joe Benson and Jane Stone have an invitation to THE Halloween Party of the year. Joe can't wait to get Jane into the Spooky house where the party already has started. If only it was just a party.
Of course, it's a trap! The spooks on hand grab Joe and chase Jane, who plays a little HOP as she looks around the room for a hiding place. Maybe they should have stuck to trick or treating!
Good stuff: All the game elements are well done, the story is appropriately spooky and dark, and there were several times I jumped in place. In fact the whole game is very well crafted. The morphing objects to collect are fairly well hidden and there is CE bling.
Bad stuff: You will need a sharp object twice inside of five minutes - and you have to find a new one each time. Sigh.
Bottom Line: If you go to only one Halloween party this year,
This is the one to attend!
Please play the demo and see if you want an invite.
Of course, it's a trap! The spooks on hand grab Joe and chase Jane, who plays a little HOP as she looks around the room for a hiding place. Maybe they should have stuck to trick or treating!
Good stuff: All the game elements are well done, the story is appropriately spooky and dark, and there were several times I jumped in place. In fact the whole game is very well crafted. The morphing objects to collect are fairly well hidden and there is CE bling.
Bad stuff: You will need a sharp object twice inside of five minutes - and you have to find a new one each time. Sigh.
Bottom Line: If you go to only one Halloween party this year,
This is the one to attend!
Please play the demo and see if you want an invite.
I recommend this game!
Discover a world of fantastical creations in this hidden object adventure!
Overall rating
1
/
5
30 of 38 found this review helpful
Welcome to the Past
PostedOctober 10, 2017
Granny_Gruff
fromSad City in Disappointed State
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
You are going to be helping the manager of the Katz Factory to appease the original owner's daughter, Victoria, and presumably set up a banquet at some point.
I say presumably, because even though this game was out in 2016, it still comes with major glitches in game play.
Good stuff: You won't be paying CE prices for this older game as it only comes in the SE version.
Bad stuff: There are two levels of game play: easy and normal. The opening 20 to 30 seconds does have a voice over, but there is no action and no story. Once you get to the factory, there is no VO, no action and still no story. There are shimmers - the game's term, not mine, for the little stars that twinkle over one single area/doorway at a time. There are a lot of tiny items well camouflaged in the orange and brown artwork in the HOPs.
Worse stuff: I abandoned the demo in absolute frustration before finishing. I can only remember one other time that has happened. I found the limping hint was NO help - it is a little decorative piece that turns more swiftly as you approach a hidden object. In the key ring HOP, this was little to no help - the keys were very well hidden, really tiny, drawn with thin lines, and often the lines are part of the object they are hiding against.
Then when I found the last key after much zooming and aggravation, the game sent me to the west factory floor, where there was nothing to do and the hint had disappeared off of my screen along with any sparkles. After searching the overly ornate area - with a whole building standing on the factory floor - I bailed.
There was some possibility that I could reload the game and start over, but I am not that masochistic.
So you have a ten month old game, a throw-back to the beginning of HOPs, with no story, no movement, and no fun.
PLEASE try the demo before you purchase, even with a coupon!
I say presumably, because even though this game was out in 2016, it still comes with major glitches in game play.
Good stuff: You won't be paying CE prices for this older game as it only comes in the SE version.
Bad stuff: There are two levels of game play: easy and normal. The opening 20 to 30 seconds does have a voice over, but there is no action and no story. Once you get to the factory, there is no VO, no action and still no story. There are shimmers - the game's term, not mine, for the little stars that twinkle over one single area/doorway at a time. There are a lot of tiny items well camouflaged in the orange and brown artwork in the HOPs.
Worse stuff: I abandoned the demo in absolute frustration before finishing. I can only remember one other time that has happened. I found the limping hint was NO help - it is a little decorative piece that turns more swiftly as you approach a hidden object. In the key ring HOP, this was little to no help - the keys were very well hidden, really tiny, drawn with thin lines, and often the lines are part of the object they are hiding against.
Then when I found the last key after much zooming and aggravation, the game sent me to the west factory floor, where there was nothing to do and the hint had disappeared off of my screen along with any sparkles. After searching the overly ornate area - with a whole building standing on the factory floor - I bailed.
There was some possibility that I could reload the game and start over, but I am not that masochistic.
So you have a ten month old game, a throw-back to the beginning of HOPs, with no story, no movement, and no fun.
PLEASE try the demo before you purchase, even with a coupon!
I don't recommend this game.
Can you stop history from repeating itself?
Overall rating
3
/
5
10 of 17 found this review helpful
Fire, Lovers, Injustice, and One Hundred and Five Years
PostedOctober 9, 2017
Granny_Gruff
fromIf Emma had evidence in her hand of a suspect, why didn't she hold on to it?
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
Norm loves Olivia. Olivia's Daddy, the Sheriff of Whitefall, does not like Norm. Olivia is murdered. Fast forward one hundred and five years and Emma Roberts, our journalist from Fear For Sale magazine is on her way to investigate mysterious happenings at the site of a new resort hotel being built on the spot where Whitefall existed until it burned down in 1912.
Emma is thwarted on every side as she gamely tries to get to work with little help from the local who seems to be the only one around when she arrives.
Good stuff: All the usual game elements including a Puzzle alternative to the HOPs, collectibles, and CE bling. The VO's and animation were well done. Another mystery is afoot, with a little time travel thrown in for novelty.
Bad stuff: The usual failed logic rears its head as you find pieces to a safe lock everywhere from a public fountain to an abandoned wagon in the woods, with the key hidden in plain sight. And you get to do odd stuff like making not one, but two sleeping potions just in the demo. Yawn.
Bottom line: The time travel and story line may be enough to peak your interest.
Try the demo and see if this one is for you.
Emma is thwarted on every side as she gamely tries to get to work with little help from the local who seems to be the only one around when she arrives.
Good stuff: All the usual game elements including a Puzzle alternative to the HOPs, collectibles, and CE bling. The VO's and animation were well done. Another mystery is afoot, with a little time travel thrown in for novelty.
Bad stuff: The usual failed logic rears its head as you find pieces to a safe lock everywhere from a public fountain to an abandoned wagon in the woods, with the key hidden in plain sight. And you get to do odd stuff like making not one, but two sleeping potions just in the demo. Yawn.
Bottom line: The time travel and story line may be enough to peak your interest.
Try the demo and see if this one is for you.
Can you break free from your nightmares in time?
Overall rating
2
/
5
16 of 23 found this review helpful
Good night, Allen. Sour Dreams
PostedOctober 8, 2017
Granny_Gruff
fromMaybe one solution would be to ditch the nightmare inducing sleeping pills!
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
Allen and Ash Reynolds are headed for bed. Allen takes his usual two sleeping pills and is immediately drawn into a nightmare world. He is standing on a ledge, looking down at a giant maze in the distance. The maze is enclosed by high walls and looks dark and forbidding. As Allen, you look through a pair of observation glasses mounted near the fence. Caught in that maze are places from your memories, Grandma's house, the old farm, high school. You will need to cross the maze to save yourself as the shadows from your hidden memories want to "harvest" your soul at dawn. Good luck!
Good news: There are several different types of HOPs, with a Match 3 alternative.
But: They were fairly standard types and often quite dark.
Good news: Some mini-games/ puzzles had a choice of easy or hard.
But: The mini-games/puzzles do not always work as they should. Some had sorry instructions, others were too simple to amuse the youngest gamer, still others were beyond aggravating and had to be played to progress - the block puzzle behind the bicycle was a case in point, as you could not skip and have to keep hitting two blocks back and forth, till they finally release their hidden piece to yet another lock/puzzle, which will, of course, need multiple pieces.
Good news: The dark artwork is well drawn and the animation is good.
But: Somewhere there is a shortage of blue ink, as almost every scene of Allen’s nightmares is colored with it.
Good news: The story is not bad, nor particularly scary, unless you are still in grade school and of a nervous nature. Your memories are not so dark they would really frighten an adult.
But: There is not enough of the story to make you feel invested in solving Allen's nightmares and why they are bothering him. Add to that, those memories aren’t particularly troubling to Allen either. He is rather flippant in his comments on the bullying he withstood in school. Worse, his counselor’s solution is to send Allen to a school for troubled boys, as presumably that was easier than dealing with the bullies!
Bottom Line: After the Beta test, I suggested beefing up the story, giving players some small details that would make us like Allen enough to "rescue" him. I just didn’t see anything new or engaging enough to make me want to work through the rest of the game.
Please try the Demo before you buy.
Good news: There are several different types of HOPs, with a Match 3 alternative.
But: They were fairly standard types and often quite dark.
Good news: Some mini-games/ puzzles had a choice of easy or hard.
But: The mini-games/puzzles do not always work as they should. Some had sorry instructions, others were too simple to amuse the youngest gamer, still others were beyond aggravating and had to be played to progress - the block puzzle behind the bicycle was a case in point, as you could not skip and have to keep hitting two blocks back and forth, till they finally release their hidden piece to yet another lock/puzzle, which will, of course, need multiple pieces.
Good news: The dark artwork is well drawn and the animation is good.
But: Somewhere there is a shortage of blue ink, as almost every scene of Allen’s nightmares is colored with it.
Good news: The story is not bad, nor particularly scary, unless you are still in grade school and of a nervous nature. Your memories are not so dark they would really frighten an adult.
But: There is not enough of the story to make you feel invested in solving Allen's nightmares and why they are bothering him. Add to that, those memories aren’t particularly troubling to Allen either. He is rather flippant in his comments on the bullying he withstood in school. Worse, his counselor’s solution is to send Allen to a school for troubled boys, as presumably that was easier than dealing with the bullies!
Bottom Line: After the Beta test, I suggested beefing up the story, giving players some small details that would make us like Allen enough to "rescue" him. I just didn’t see anything new or engaging enough to make me want to work through the rest of the game.
Please try the Demo before you buy.
I don't recommend this game.
Mysterious portraits are causing their subjects to transform into monsters!
Overall rating
2
/
5
19 of 22 found this review helpful
Hit or Miss? MISS!
PostedOctober 7, 2017
Granny_Gruff
fromSomebody on staff was "dying" to exhibit their knowledge of adrenalin and heart problems.
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
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
**Spoiler Alert** This may let the cat out of the bag - pun intended!
Nigel and Sybil are newlyweds with a big problem - Nigel's psycho friend, Basil. Up until fairly recently Basil, Nigel, and Henry were friends - we know this from a portrait on the wall of Nigel's home. It shows the three grown friends together.
Apparently though, Basil has decided to blame Nigel and Henry for Basil's Father's gambling addiction which led to Daddy losing the family fortune when Basil was a child.
I guess it took him all those years to go over the edge mentally.
So Basil is taking his crazy out on his friends and their young brides.
Luckily, another friend, Dr. Benjamin, will try to help Nigel and Sybil after Basil's wedding gift of a portrait of Sybil starts to turn her into a monster. The good Doctor offers to hide her in the woods with Henry's wife, changed to a panther.
Good stuff: There are the usual game elements and a story along with art work that varies wildly between clean sharp lines and a blurry fuzz of over-colored shapes. The background noises are good as are the VO"s. There is a Match 3 alternative to the HOPs.
Bad stuff: Not only does the artwork fuzz out, but the characters’ movements are laughable as they often look like paper dolls in a stop motion cartoon by small children. The background sounds - birds in the forest, the crackling fire in the hearth, dripping water - will be drowned out by overly loud orchestral music that will suddenly invade a scene, thunder dramatically on, and disappear abruptly.
Beyond the irritation of all those bits, is the glaring lack of logic - Nigel transforms into a hawk to find Basil's house in the forest. When he lands, he is still carrying the hacksaw and rope he picked up at home!
When Sybil and Dr. Benjamin are attacked by Basil's henchmen, she not only bandages Dr. Benjamin's wound, but does a little cardiac massage and a shot of adrenaline to his heart before he rides off bareback on his way back to town!
Luckily the craziness provided an irritant that kept me awake long enough to finish the Demo, as the beginning was slow enough to set me nodding and there seemed a chance I'd doze off at one point.
I found this entry in the Dark Romance series to be a miss. The previous games have varied wildly from really good to awful. This one is a miss for me.
You may enjoy this game and I leave you to it.
Just, please, try the Demo before committing to this chapter in the Dark Romance series.
Nigel and Sybil are newlyweds with a big problem - Nigel's psycho friend, Basil. Up until fairly recently Basil, Nigel, and Henry were friends - we know this from a portrait on the wall of Nigel's home. It shows the three grown friends together.
Apparently though, Basil has decided to blame Nigel and Henry for Basil's Father's gambling addiction which led to Daddy losing the family fortune when Basil was a child.
I guess it took him all those years to go over the edge mentally.
So Basil is taking his crazy out on his friends and their young brides.
Luckily, another friend, Dr. Benjamin, will try to help Nigel and Sybil after Basil's wedding gift of a portrait of Sybil starts to turn her into a monster. The good Doctor offers to hide her in the woods with Henry's wife, changed to a panther.
Good stuff: There are the usual game elements and a story along with art work that varies wildly between clean sharp lines and a blurry fuzz of over-colored shapes. The background noises are good as are the VO"s. There is a Match 3 alternative to the HOPs.
Bad stuff: Not only does the artwork fuzz out, but the characters’ movements are laughable as they often look like paper dolls in a stop motion cartoon by small children. The background sounds - birds in the forest, the crackling fire in the hearth, dripping water - will be drowned out by overly loud orchestral music that will suddenly invade a scene, thunder dramatically on, and disappear abruptly.
Beyond the irritation of all those bits, is the glaring lack of logic - Nigel transforms into a hawk to find Basil's house in the forest. When he lands, he is still carrying the hacksaw and rope he picked up at home!
When Sybil and Dr. Benjamin are attacked by Basil's henchmen, she not only bandages Dr. Benjamin's wound, but does a little cardiac massage and a shot of adrenaline to his heart before he rides off bareback on his way back to town!
Luckily the craziness provided an irritant that kept me awake long enough to finish the Demo, as the beginning was slow enough to set me nodding and there seemed a chance I'd doze off at one point.
I found this entry in the Dark Romance series to be a miss. The previous games have varied wildly from really good to awful. This one is a miss for me.
You may enjoy this game and I leave you to it.
Just, please, try the Demo before committing to this chapter in the Dark Romance series.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you save the mayor’s wife in time?
Overall rating
1
/
5
34 of 45 found this review helpful
Not Content to Destroy the Series, Devs Have Carved the Tombstone!
PostedOctober 6, 2017
Granny_Gruff
fromAfter the bad reviews on the last few Puppet Show games, I'm guessing this is the Dev's last hurrah! As it should be!
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Mayor Richard has sent you an urgent letter. There is a wave of violence running through his town and his beloved wife, Rosalind, is missing. He doesn't want to call in the local police, as he feels he has been implicated in the violence. The Mayor asks for your help.
You ride into town, watching numerous fires from the window. Things look even worse than you were told. You are met outside Richard's home by a thug in a mask. Guess who loses the fight?
Better luck next time, detective.
Good stuff: The artwork was OK. Some of the VOs were OK.
Bad stuff: There are the familiar elements of a Puppet Show game. There is an annoying achievement banner that covers the screen when you do something right, complete with fanfare and flags. There is a puppet helper that comes with a repeating Match 3 puzzle to get his help. He also gets repaired periodically.
There is the now SOP lack of logic: The story line will hit you in the face - not so the Mayor. Even after he has seen his wife's letters with most of the problem explained, it is not until you decode the last letter that he claims to "get" what is happening. Duh.
There is a violent content warning at the beginning of the game. I would have made it a distasteful story warning, as that describes the game better. This is tragically similar to the last few games in the Puppet Show series, all of which were panned by gamers for the same problems this entry has.
The first games in the series were so much better that it is hard to imagine why the Devs went down this dark road to annihilate the series.
I can only shake my head and back away!
Please try the demo before you contemplate a purchase.
You ride into town, watching numerous fires from the window. Things look even worse than you were told. You are met outside Richard's home by a thug in a mask. Guess who loses the fight?
Better luck next time, detective.
Good stuff: The artwork was OK. Some of the VOs were OK.
Bad stuff: There are the familiar elements of a Puppet Show game. There is an annoying achievement banner that covers the screen when you do something right, complete with fanfare and flags. There is a puppet helper that comes with a repeating Match 3 puzzle to get his help. He also gets repaired periodically.
There is the now SOP lack of logic: The story line will hit you in the face - not so the Mayor. Even after he has seen his wife's letters with most of the problem explained, it is not until you decode the last letter that he claims to "get" what is happening. Duh.
There is a violent content warning at the beginning of the game. I would have made it a distasteful story warning, as that describes the game better. This is tragically similar to the last few games in the Puppet Show series, all of which were panned by gamers for the same problems this entry has.
The first games in the series were so much better that it is hard to imagine why the Devs went down this dark road to annihilate the series.
I can only shake my head and back away!
Please try the demo before you contemplate a purchase.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you save your sister from her new abilities in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
14 of 18 found this review helpful
Tornados With Minds of Their Own? Not Good!
PostedOctober 5, 2017
Granny_Gruff
fromWould you challenge Oberon with just an amulet, one that isn't even yours?
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Lynn and her stepsister, Astrid, need to get out of the path of a tornado. Well, the tornado doesn't move at first, so they really need to get out of the destructive winds. In the process of abandoning their home, Lynn suddenly exhibits a strange power to control lightening that is somehow linked to an amulet she has had since she was a child. Luckily this talent helps her save Astrid, but then Astrid must turn about and rescue Lynn as she is weak after using her new power and needs help. The girls have only each other in this twisted future world. There seems to be no one around town other than a surly shopkeeper and, eventually, the mayor. As Lynn has to almost be carried, Astrid must find a safe place for her.
Oddly, Astrid decides they need to go see the Mayor. Along the way to his home, Astrid repairs the amulet and solves various puzzles and HOPs. Naturally, not all is as it seems, and the Mayor is not the help Astrid hoped for.
This new entry in the Dawn of Hope series seems to have little to link it to the first game other than being another view on a possible post-apocalyptic world. This one will feature a conflict between Oberon, King of the Fairy realm and Astrid, trying to reunite with her sister, Lynn, Oberon's target.
Good stuff: A nice assortment of HOPs and puzzles, the only repetitious one is the one you must complete to use the amulet. The artwork is well done, so well done I felt somewhat breathless in the high winds near the tornado.
There is sufficient story to draw you into the adventure. I am interested to see more of this new world the Devs have created for this game.
Bad stuff: Some of the setup is trite, like packing a bag that blows away in the wind and you only grab the amulet as the bag takes off. Seeing as how the wind had already blown a good bit of the walls and furniture away, I would have been holding on to the bag itself. Some other plot points and scenes were rough after the beautifully crafted first game of the series.
But I do want this game and will eventually add it to my collection. In the meantime, I urge you to try the Demo for yourself to see if you are also ready to go on this adventure with Astrid and Lynn.
Oddly, Astrid decides they need to go see the Mayor. Along the way to his home, Astrid repairs the amulet and solves various puzzles and HOPs. Naturally, not all is as it seems, and the Mayor is not the help Astrid hoped for.
This new entry in the Dawn of Hope series seems to have little to link it to the first game other than being another view on a possible post-apocalyptic world. This one will feature a conflict between Oberon, King of the Fairy realm and Astrid, trying to reunite with her sister, Lynn, Oberon's target.
Good stuff: A nice assortment of HOPs and puzzles, the only repetitious one is the one you must complete to use the amulet. The artwork is well done, so well done I felt somewhat breathless in the high winds near the tornado.
There is sufficient story to draw you into the adventure. I am interested to see more of this new world the Devs have created for this game.
Bad stuff: Some of the setup is trite, like packing a bag that blows away in the wind and you only grab the amulet as the bag takes off. Seeing as how the wind had already blown a good bit of the walls and furniture away, I would have been holding on to the bag itself. Some other plot points and scenes were rough after the beautifully crafted first game of the series.
But I do want this game and will eventually add it to my collection. In the meantime, I urge you to try the Demo for yourself to see if you are also ready to go on this adventure with Astrid and Lynn.
I recommend this game!