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 recover your memories and save a missing girl in time?
Overall rating
3
/
5
11 of 12 found this review helpful
Well, It's Sort of OK
PostedJuly 24, 2017
Granny_Gruff
fromHow unusual> an average MT game. Sorry, Elf.
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
2
/
5
I have to start by saying I really like the Mystery Trackers series, so I am prejudiced in their favor. Even so, I can't give this game more than the three stars you see. There is just not anything but a rehash of earlier games' puzzles and the usual HOPs.
The story is just fair and you see the end of the demo approaching from a great distance.
So you, as the detective, are reliving a failed case that ended with you having episodic amnesia. A psychiatrist, Dr. Specter helps you explore your subconscious to get some answers. Elf, your little helper/sidekick, will follow through your mind to assist where needed.
So, OK story, usual game.
I will wait for a free coupon and then revisit the idea of purchasing the SE.
Try the Demo for yourself; maybe you can work up some enthusiasm.
The story is just fair and you see the end of the demo approaching from a great distance.
So you, as the detective, are reliving a failed case that ended with you having episodic amnesia. A psychiatrist, Dr. Specter helps you explore your subconscious to get some answers. Elf, your little helper/sidekick, will follow through your mind to assist where needed.
So, OK story, usual game.
I will wait for a free coupon and then revisit the idea of purchasing the SE.
Try the Demo for yourself; maybe you can work up some enthusiasm.
Can you uncover who’s after your dance troupe?
Overall rating
2
/
5
8 of 12 found this review helpful
Very Little Story Told in Bad Dialect With good Artwork
PostedJuly 24, 2017
Granny_Gruff
fromAnother Eipix series on the skids!
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
And if that is what you are looking for in a game, you found it.
You and your father are part of an Irish dance troupe along with your aunt and uncle. You are about to perform at a small local festival when dear old Dad gets jittery. He has seen a banshee in the stands and wants his lucky medal. You bring him the medal, get on stage to dance, and a fire breaks out. You fall through the stage.
When you climb out, you get to put out the remnants of the fire, as the few performers still around seem unconcerned about it.
You then help to set up a tent at the bottom of the stage front - an odd occurrence as it obscures the view from some of the bleacher seats. There is a mystery afoot as you hear bits of conversations between your aunt and uncle and later between your dad and your uncle. Eventually you follow dad to the edge of a cliff and the short demo ends with you holding a fair amount of inventory and knowing very little of the story.
Good stuff: The game has all the usual game elements and decent artwork.
Bad stuff: It was all lackluster.
There is so little story and so much traveling back and forth with the now seemingly mandatory logic lapses from Eipix that there is no reason to care about the characters or the outcome.
Please try the Demo for yourself. I cannot recommend what I will not purchase.
You and your father are part of an Irish dance troupe along with your aunt and uncle. You are about to perform at a small local festival when dear old Dad gets jittery. He has seen a banshee in the stands and wants his lucky medal. You bring him the medal, get on stage to dance, and a fire breaks out. You fall through the stage.
When you climb out, you get to put out the remnants of the fire, as the few performers still around seem unconcerned about it.
You then help to set up a tent at the bottom of the stage front - an odd occurrence as it obscures the view from some of the bleacher seats. There is a mystery afoot as you hear bits of conversations between your aunt and uncle and later between your dad and your uncle. Eventually you follow dad to the edge of a cliff and the short demo ends with you holding a fair amount of inventory and knowing very little of the story.
Good stuff: The game has all the usual game elements and decent artwork.
Bad stuff: It was all lackluster.
There is so little story and so much traveling back and forth with the now seemingly mandatory logic lapses from Eipix that there is no reason to care about the characters or the outcome.
Please try the Demo for yourself. I cannot recommend what I will not purchase.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you unlock the secrets of the mysterious meteor?
Overall rating
1
/
5
49 of 73 found this review helpful
Does Anyone Award a "Worst Game" Plaque?
PostedJuly 23, 2017
Granny_Gruff
fromR.I.P. Puppet Show! We've been missing you for a while now!
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
Puppet Show: Arrogance Effect just won it, hands down!
You arrive in a small town near a meteor strike with your photographer to investigate not only the meteor but the disappearance of townsfolk and witnesses. As one problem after another arises, your assignment goes from bad to worse.
Good stuff:
Bad stuff: The choosing of your "character" at the beginning of the game has no effect other than to put that picture on the ID card you have for a few minutes and then see it burned up.
The puzzles were either badly conceived with faulty directions or were of infantile simplicity. There are HOPs.
The lack of logic seemed more grievous than usual: You save the Mayor's life and he hands you the key to a small box on a table that he refers to as a "closet," which contains your gift for saving him. Does this mean he is in constant need of rescue and so keeps a gift at the ready? Or did he foresee you saving him?
Luckily you did not bother to call your colleague or the guard in the street as you went in and out while you were saving the mayor - you won't have to share the gift, a little puppet doll.
You reanimate her with a piece of the meteor that you take off the mortal remains of an "accident" victim laying at the guard's feet. In a high pitched voice the puppet doll immediately announces that the mayor has restored her life! You then have to name her and will use her for important things, like winding a music box sitting in front of you during a HOP!
I did not find any reason to want to continue this game after the 29 minutes it took to finish the demo.
Please try the game for yourself.
Later we will have a memorial service for the Puppet Show series and remember the early entertaining games.
You arrive in a small town near a meteor strike with your photographer to investigate not only the meteor but the disappearance of townsfolk and witnesses. As one problem after another arises, your assignment goes from bad to worse.
Good stuff:
Bad stuff: The choosing of your "character" at the beginning of the game has no effect other than to put that picture on the ID card you have for a few minutes and then see it burned up.
The puzzles were either badly conceived with faulty directions or were of infantile simplicity. There are HOPs.
The lack of logic seemed more grievous than usual: You save the Mayor's life and he hands you the key to a small box on a table that he refers to as a "closet," which contains your gift for saving him. Does this mean he is in constant need of rescue and so keeps a gift at the ready? Or did he foresee you saving him?
Luckily you did not bother to call your colleague or the guard in the street as you went in and out while you were saving the mayor - you won't have to share the gift, a little puppet doll.
You reanimate her with a piece of the meteor that you take off the mortal remains of an "accident" victim laying at the guard's feet. In a high pitched voice the puppet doll immediately announces that the mayor has restored her life! You then have to name her and will use her for important things, like winding a music box sitting in front of you during a HOP!
I did not find any reason to want to continue this game after the 29 minutes it took to finish the demo.
Please try the game for yourself.
Later we will have a memorial service for the Puppet Show series and remember the early entertaining games.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you stop darkness from taking over the kingdoms?
Overall rating
2
/
5
24 of 29 found this review helpful
Poor Nanny Should Retire and Take Isa With Her!
PostedJuly 14, 2017
Granny_Gruff
fromWould you hire Nanny knowing that every princess she's served has been in peril?
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
Once again we have a princess in peril, Nanny to advise, Isla to be chief minion with the greater evil behind him, and a rehash of the same old story. There will be endless broken items to be fixed, puzzles, HOPs, and bits and pieces to collect to do the next puzzle.
Once again I am trying to make sense of the whole premise.
We have chatty Nanny and nasty Isla returning to the same roles they played in the previous Spirits of Mystery games, yet we seem to have another princess in another kingdom in a magical world.
Queen Mortis and her captive princesses are dressed in mummy style bandages. Why?
There does not seem to be any point in listening to Nanny's endless monologues again or trying to make sense of what you must do to get through this game in the preordained order devised by the Devs.
I'm sorry, but I just don't want to slog through this story again.
No sale!
Once again I am trying to make sense of the whole premise.
We have chatty Nanny and nasty Isla returning to the same roles they played in the previous Spirits of Mystery games, yet we seem to have another princess in another kingdom in a magical world.
Queen Mortis and her captive princesses are dressed in mummy style bandages. Why?
There does not seem to be any point in listening to Nanny's endless monologues again or trying to make sense of what you must do to get through this game in the preordained order devised by the Devs.
I'm sorry, but I just don't want to slog through this story again.
No sale!
I don't recommend this game.
Someone’s attacking the Witches’ University!
Overall rating
2
/
5
26 of 37 found this review helpful
Poor Jack! A Nonbeliever Forced to Believe.
PostedJuly 14, 2017
Granny_Gruff
fromSome artist was way too proud of a single picture and made them use it every few minutes!
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
3
/
5
Jack is back with Annabel and Bertha on another quest to stop evil. This time it is an evil Wizard trapped in a sphere who has only one night to get out. Jack will have to stop him to save Annabel, Bertha, and the students from the witch university. Despite his scientific bent, Jack will be forced to use various magical devices to catch the wizard and stop him. Good luck, Jack.
Good stuff: HOPs with a matching game alternative, various mini games, and CE bling.
Bad stuff: Color saturated artwork; Bartha, the ferret; and a single blood moon picture between every scene, puzzle, and HOP, not to mention the same old plot from previous games in the series.
Poor Jack has saved the world one too many times and needs to settle down with Bertha and raise his own family - hopefully the kids will be human and not ferrets.
I urge you to try the Demo for yourself.
Good stuff: HOPs with a matching game alternative, various mini games, and CE bling.
Bad stuff: Color saturated artwork; Bartha, the ferret; and a single blood moon picture between every scene, puzzle, and HOP, not to mention the same old plot from previous games in the series.
Poor Jack has saved the world one too many times and needs to settle down with Bertha and raise his own family - hopefully the kids will be human and not ferrets.
I urge you to try the Demo for yourself.
Your brother gets in trouble during the filming of his ghost hunting show!
Overall rating
2
/
5
8 of 10 found this review helpful
Seventh Mystery Tales Game Is Just Sad
PostedJuly 11, 2017
Granny_Gruff
fromCan there be too much color? Apparently.
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
2
/
5
Your brother, Patrick, stole your "special" glasses and managed to get in trouble with them. He was investigating Count Valack Arden's house for his program on ghosts when he became the latest victim of the Count. Count Arden went off the deep end when his daughter, Helen, died of illness and subsequently became a serial killer in his efforts to bring her back from the dead. (Helen is the only faintly believable character and she is a ghost!)
Now Patrick is trapped in the house as a spirit and the serial killer is using his body. His fiance, Stephanie, is about to become the new "vessel" for the killer's daughter. Guess who gets to fix this mess?
Good stuff: The usual game elements are present as is some CE bling and collectibles.
Bad stuff: The artwork is garishly colored, the puzzles are sad, the HOPs are sadder, and the story and characters fit right into that mix.
Please try the Demo.
I don't know how the five star reviews came about, but you really need to try this one for yourself!
Now Patrick is trapped in the house as a spirit and the serial killer is using his body. His fiance, Stephanie, is about to become the new "vessel" for the killer's daughter. Guess who gets to fix this mess?
Good stuff: The usual game elements are present as is some CE bling and collectibles.
Bad stuff: The artwork is garishly colored, the puzzles are sad, the HOPs are sadder, and the story and characters fit right into that mix.
Please try the Demo.
I don't know how the five star reviews came about, but you really need to try this one for yourself!
I don't recommend this game.
Become a Firewielder and prevent the Dark Lord’s rise!
Overall rating
2
/
5
18 of 31 found this review helpful
Guardian of Flames is a Game
PostedJuly 10, 2017
Granny_Gruff
fromQueen Valeria is going to save the kingdom without me this 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
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Queen Valeria finds her special amulet is deteriorating. She goes to her aunt for help and advice. She is with her aunt when there is a rapid eclipse of the sun followed by the appearance of Azomond, a minion of the Dark Lord. Valeria and her aunt manage to find that the ancient seal that kept the Dark Lord in the Dark Realm was the target of Azomond. He hoped to free the Dark Lord to ravage the kingdom.
Good stuff: The artwork is well done.
Bad stuff: Everything else is average or below. The story is by way of an ongoing chapter of the Dark Realm saga, but after the previous chapters that involved saving the world, we have to do it again.
I found the previous two games that I purchased, went downhill after the Demo. In fact I was sorely disappointed in them.
There is an old saying: Catch me once, shame on you. Catch me twice, shame on me.
I don't want to be caught a third time with game play that goes downhill following the Demo, especially when the current Demo is lackluster.
Please try the demo for yourself.
Good stuff: The artwork is well done.
Bad stuff: Everything else is average or below. The story is by way of an ongoing chapter of the Dark Realm saga, but after the previous chapters that involved saving the world, we have to do it again.
I found the previous two games that I purchased, went downhill after the Demo. In fact I was sorely disappointed in them.
There is an old saying: Catch me once, shame on you. Catch me twice, shame on me.
I don't want to be caught a third time with game play that goes downhill following the Demo, especially when the current Demo is lackluster.
Please try the demo for yourself.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you free Prometheus from Zeus's eternal punishment?
Overall rating
1
/
5
13 of 19 found this review helpful
Dear Eipix, Please Stop!
PostedJuly 9, 2017
Granny_Gruff
fromWhy rewrite an already good story?
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
Another game has arrived from Eipix.
Once again, I am underwhelmed by the story and the game play.
This new entry in the Myths of the World series is a fractured take on the story of Prometheus.
Good news: It is a game.
Bad news: the story is unsuccessful, the game play is similar to all the recent Eipix games, the HOPs and minigames are unoriginal, and the over all pace of the game is glacial.
Please try the demo for yourself.
Perhaps you will not be as disappointed as I was!
Once again, I am underwhelmed by the story and the game play.
This new entry in the Myths of the World series is a fractured take on the story of Prometheus.
Good news: It is a game.
Bad news: the story is unsuccessful, the game play is similar to all the recent Eipix games, the HOPs and minigames are unoriginal, and the over all pace of the game is glacial.
Please try the demo for yourself.
Perhaps you will not be as disappointed as I was!
I don't recommend this game.
A young journalist following a wanted felon chases him to a golden elevator that takes her to other worlds, where huge danger threatens everything.
Overall rating
3
/
5
17 of 24 found this review helpful
Do You Remember..
PostedJune 26, 2017
Granny_Gruff
fromI like a good story, just not repeated immediately after the first time around.
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
Do you remember the Nevertales game that had the player popping in and out of books to stop the evil bent on destroying the world?
Well, it's back.....
I'm sorry to point out that Nevertales: Hidden Doorway featured this plot first. I pointed the same thing out to the Devs when I played the Bets Test. I'm guessing they were just so enamored of the basic story, they could not let go of the plot idea without trying to use it again.
So the good news is: here is a game with all the expected elements of a HOP game.
The bad news is: it’s not exactly a new plotline.
But if you liked the idea the first time, you may want to try it again.
Please play the demo to see if perhaps you like the different game elements enough to ignore the story.
Well, it's back.....
I'm sorry to point out that Nevertales: Hidden Doorway featured this plot first. I pointed the same thing out to the Devs when I played the Bets Test. I'm guessing they were just so enamored of the basic story, they could not let go of the plot idea without trying to use it again.
So the good news is: here is a game with all the expected elements of a HOP game.
The bad news is: it’s not exactly a new plotline.
But if you liked the idea the first time, you may want to try it again.
Please play the demo to see if perhaps you like the different game elements enough to ignore the story.
Journey to the mythical Nine Worlds to save the Earth!
Overall rating
2
/
5
21 of 26 found this review helpful
Another Game
PostedJune 25, 2017
Granny_Gruff
fromI want the world to be saved, just not by my playing this game.
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
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Super short version of story: Dragon attacks, you ALMOST fight back successfully, you awaken in a boat, go on a quest to find three companions, and then you will try to save the world.
Good news: All the usual game elements are here.
Bad news: The slow start to the story almost put me to sleep. The over stylized print style is aggravating and unnecessary to the story. A lot of that slow story gets caught up in the effort to add that "style" to everything in the game. There will be lots of dialog, puzzles that are over-easy or badly designed, and you will be unwillingly immersed in cartoon Norse culture.
Bottom line: The beautiful artwork cannot save the ancient story and the trite games, so this all boils down to whether you want to save the world again while slogging through a slow story and the attendant details.
Please try the demo for yourself.
Good news: All the usual game elements are here.
Bad news: The slow start to the story almost put me to sleep. The over stylized print style is aggravating and unnecessary to the story. A lot of that slow story gets caught up in the effort to add that "style" to everything in the game. There will be lots of dialog, puzzles that are over-easy or badly designed, and you will be unwillingly immersed in cartoon Norse culture.
Bottom line: The beautiful artwork cannot save the ancient story and the trite games, so this all boils down to whether you want to save the world again while slogging through a slow story and the attendant details.
Please try the demo for yourself.
I don't recommend this game.