Sheerija's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4
- Helpful Votes:8,740
- Reviews Submitted:102
- First Review:April 24, 2012
- Most Recent Review:May 4, 2016
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Find the festivalgoer abducted by the gargoyles of Notre Dame and uncover the cathedral’s dark past in this reimagining of the Victor Hugo’s classic tale.
Overall rating
3
/
5
34 of 48 found this review helpful
REVIEW OF COMPLETED GAME
PostedFebruary 11, 2013
Sheerija
fromEdinburgh, Scotland
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I see I am definitely the only one here who found this game lacking.
I quite liked this game but it could have been better. The cut scenes were very sticky. Another game where they just sat there after completion and would not go away till I hit skip. The iHOS were very well done and even though there were a lot of them, they were quick enough. After all, the genre is called Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure. The puzzles were nothing remarkable and many were to number-oriented for me, but some of them were quite interesting and I managed the majority of them. The wide screen graphics are very good and the jump map is great. Could not do without that, it would do my head in. I liked the story but I fail to see the correlation between the game and Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Maybe a courtesy to the author because they included the Hunchback and Esmerelda, even though he is long gone. The music was fine and the voice overs were well done. There is a little helper, a Gargoyle named Gladriel, who accompanies you and helps you out from time to time. Many games are including this feature lately and it is no longer a novelty but I did like it nevertheless.
The game is not linear and moving backwards and forwards is quick and smooth but left and right had a time delay of about 8 to 10 seconds for some reason. This got on my nerves very fast. The hint and skip are real fast and the hint is directional, though the jump map is all I used.
There are loads of achievements, but most of them are for doing what you have to do in a game anyway, so I did not really have any interest in them. No collectibles. The main game took me 3.15 hrs and the BC 45 mins. That is not really good enough at all for a CE. 4 hrs is what we expect from a SE. The BC is not relevant to the main game. Just a trip back over the centuries for an explanation of how the dark side of the Amulet got hidden. But we already know it did from the main game. A couple of new locations, but otherwise just how the Notre Dame looked back then. I feel rather short-changed.
I cannot remember the first game but am going to replay it to see how it compares.
Well, thanks Devs, you did a good job and it is interesting, but personally, I need a CE to be a little more polished and at least an hour longer, for my money.
I don't recommend this game.
A mysterious man in red summons you, sending you to a flying ship where a little girl needs your help!
Overall rating
5
/
5
145 of 161 found this review helpful
REVIEW OF COMPLETED GAME
PostedFebruary 9, 2013
Sheerija
fromEdinburgh, Scotland
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is an ingenious game that is lots of fun. It has great graphics, good story, very few iHOS and really unique and fascinating puzzles. The music is just so-so and there are no voice overs. All the dialogue is quick and clickable. The iHOS are list and silhouette. There is no map, which is a pity, because there are so many locations in the Castle, but the hint button is directional, so not really a problem. Some things you have to work out do not have skip buttons, but all the info you need is well displayed in the Diary.
There are no creepy crawlies, snakes, or nasties at all. Just one villain intent on doing the wrong thing for the wrong reasons.
Apparently it started out as a CE and got downsized to a SE for reasons unknown and I must say if it had a map and voice overs, I can certainly see it as a CE. It really is a smart and detailed game.
Thanks to the Devs. Extremely well done. Obviously took a long time to make and a great deal of flair and imagination. It took me 5 hrs and was very entertaining indeed.
I recommend this game!
An organ grinder seeks revenge, marking his victims with cards. Can you stop him before he destroys the entire city?
Overall rating
4
/
5
47 of 78 found this review helpful
REVIEW OF COMPLETED GAME
PostedFebruary 7, 2013
Sheerija
fromEdinburgh, Scotland
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Stunningly beautiful wide screen graphics make this game an absolute pleasure to look at. The story is not unique but it is well told and even though predictable, I did like it. You must investigate and right the wrong done an innocent man by a lustful and evil old Mayor who has made an orphan of a little girl to further his own ends. A thoroughly nasty piece of work. All the locations are a treat, wonderfully depicted and so enjoyable to roam around.
There are just the right amount of iHOS, all clear and sharp and very quick. The puzzles are mostly familiar and very, very easy, so they are not much of a challenge at all. The navigation is flawless, as are all the mechanics. The hint is directional and there is a jump map. There are collectibles but no achievements. Instead, they have put a number of new things in the Extras, like Jig Saw Puzzles, Lost Pets Inventory, which is just gorgeous, and a new mini game, as well as the usual others. There are seven chapters in the main game which came in at just under 4 hours for me. The ending could be called conclusive, in a way, but for logic's sake, the 1.15 hr BC is, in my opinion, necessary. It only has 1 new location in it, but interiors of the old ones have been changed.
You have a little fiery helper named Terrance and he's a peach. I must say the accent of the "villain" is quite atrocious. Nowhere in the UK will you ever hear the like. Does not exist. I could have done it better for them myself and I do not even have a British accent. But the others were ok. The music is not constant, but comes on very dramatically at times of significant events and is rather grand.
The cut scenes are also perfectly done, quick and smooth.
There is an in-game feature of 12 poetic cards that are given to you at varius intervals, which are part of the ending and very interesting.
Buyer beware - there is a simply gargantuan snake that you must deal with in one scene. A few spiders but none real, just in the iHOS and as an emblem for a puzzle.
While I really appreciate this game and all that has gone into it, it is not their best. That said, it is very good but it should have packed more of a wallop. It feels a little stunted, as though they finished it quickly and sooner than they intended. Perhaps incorporating the BC into the main game and creating another chapter for the bonus play would have rounded it off better.
I recommend this game!
Face a 200-year mystery and save your best friend! Discover how strong friendship ties can be and to what extremes unrequited love is ready to go.
Overall rating
4
/
5
64 of 73 found this review helpful
REVIEW OF COMPLETED GAME
PostedFebruary 4, 2013
Sheerija
fromEdinburgh, Scotland
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game brought home to me just how pampered and spoiled I have become with all the Walkthroughs, Strategy Guides and helpful hint buttons. You get none of those here. You are on your own and you had better be wearing your best memory and your most comfortable sneakers. There are not a huge amount of areas in each location, but there are certainly more than a few in the Mansion and if you cannot remember where and what you will trudge that Mansion top to bottom, left to right, repeatedly. I began to notice how satisfying it was to find something and know where to use it, or just find something and search for where to use it. Much more than in the games with all the help. This is a slow paced game and cannot be speeded up so it requires patience and a certain level of enjoyment to keep you playing. Otherwise I would imagine you will just want to give up.
The game is not exactly iHOS heavy, though there are certainly a fair number of them. Actually there were times when I was really glad to see one, as I had been wandering aimlessly and at least I would have a new item. The puzzles I would rate at intermediary level, but some of them were too fiddley for me. The graphics are well done and the story turns out to be not as bland as it first seems and has a nice twist. They plan a sequel. Music is not remarkable and the cut scenes are way too slow.
For a first time Dev, it is a good effort. It took me 6 hours. For the sequel, I would recommend they incorporate some help and that will speed it up considerably. It is not really a 6 hr game, it just takes an age to get things done. A 4 hr SE is fair enough in my book, and a little less frustrating.
But yes, Devs, you have the right idea.
I recommend this game!
Dark magic threatens our world! Can you stop the Shade and his minions before it's too late?
Overall rating
5
/
5
63 of 76 found this review helpful
REVIEW OF COMPLETED GAME
PostedFebruary 4, 2013
Sheerija
fromEdinburgh, Scotland
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is a spellbinding game from start to finish. It enchanted and delighted me constantly. A truly magical game. That is why I cannot understand why it carries an age restriction warning. To my mind this is exactly perfect for young girls. It has everything a Fairy Tale should have and then some. No one could help but be fascinated and completely immersed in this outstanding work from these top class Devs. It is even better than the prequel.
The wide screen graphics are gorgeous. The puzzles are unique and beautiful. There are new and different iHOS. I noted every kind bar one, Silhouettes. The story is exceptional, as in the first game. The fairies, gremlins, fays, doppelgangers, pixies and all manner of other terrific characters, are so well done they left me in awe. The new locations seem endless, each one more stunning than the last, with wonderful navigtation that is often so lacking lately. There is a jump map, so forget any backtracking at all, if that is your wish. The hint and skip are not super fast, but I can overlook that. In fact I could have overlooked a lot of things, if there were any flaws in this. There are not. The music is lovely too. The hint will point out directions if you do not like maps, but it is such a trip exploring this game on your own. There are also Collectibles and Achievements.
I played this game with a sense of wonder and admiration. Of course, being female may account for that. For the guys, maybe not so much. Definitely aimed at the ladies. Scored a bullseye too.
The cut scenes are all perfect in every way. The voice overs are spot on. The SG keeps pace and there are 9 Chapters in the main game.
Unfortunantely for those who wish to wait for the SE, it will not end satisfactorily. There is more to be accomplished in the BC, which is another hour of pure pleasure. Even then, you are left in no doubt that there is a sequel in the works. Oh, yes. We are not done with that nasty Shade yet. This I look forward to with great anticipation.
The main game took me 4.15 hours and the BC 1 hour and I could have just kept on playing and playing, endlessly. Wonderful job from a team of highly talented and imaginative devs. Thanks guys.
I recommend this game!
Are a town’s superstitions justified? Follow the blood to find out!
Overall rating
3
/
5
43 of 48 found this review helpful
REVIEW OF COMPLETED GAME
PostedFebruary 2, 2013
Sheerija
fromEdinburgh, Scotland
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
These Devs have put a ding in their rep with this game. I have loads of games by them and they are good. This looks like they hauled it down from the attic, where it has been since the year dot. Plays that way too. Clumsy controls, sticky scene changes, completely stuck cut scenes that just sit there and look at you, long after they are over. Fortunately there is a skip for them. The graphics are unrefined and the whole game is very HOS heavy, all of which are extremely cluttered and fuzzy. It's the colours they have used, which they probably did in an effort to depict medievil times, but it does not work. You would have to be Clark Kent to find some of the items in them.
The music is sporadic and eerie, which is not a negative. That and the wide screen are the only good things about it.
Some of the puzzles are original and rather good, but others are silly and vague and not even possible. There is a 10 sec hint and skip button, which is invaluable. There is a journal and a standard map, but the latter is not much good. The navigation is delayed and the scenes fade into each other irritatingly slowly.
It is a vampire story, then it is not, then it is again, then not. Finally? Will not spoil it for you.
It took me 3 hours and I did not enjoy it at all.
I don't recommend this game.
Eerie music fills the air in Vienna, where shadows terrorize people in the streets. Two musical prodigies have gone missing. Can you save them without striking a single false note?
Overall rating
5
/
5
69 of 82 found this review helpful
REVIEW OF COMPLETED GAME
PostedJanuary 31, 2013
Sheerija
fromEdinburgh, Scotland
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Seems ERS has been listening to us and has finally got the message. For the first time ever they have included Collectibles. Still no map, wide screen or achievements, but it's a start.
Lovely graphics as usual and a continuation of the music theme in this, the 3rd in the series. Well done and well presented and a whole lot of fun. Very good cut scenes, not too many or too long, with good voice overs. Plaintive violin music, interspersed with ambient sounds, that makes for an intriguing atmosphere. I think this is the best of the 3. Some humour here and there to make you smile.
You get a special something to take with you that helps with various problems. Nice touch that. Game starts off with Silhouette iHOS which are little games within games, but change later to List iHOS. Both well done and not overdone so that you get sick of them. The puzzles are always easy with ERS, but they are bright, colourful and enjoyable. Also a Journal, of course, for your clues. The SG is perfectly fine, but not much of a necessity. The hint/skip are fast and the hint is directional.
It always amazes me how ERS manage to make the main game exactly 4 hrs long and the BC exactly1 hour, without fail. The main game ends conclusively for the SE waiters. The BC revolves around something we are not made aware of at the end of the main game. It's also a fun play, with different locations and I really liked it.
There are the usual extras, including replaying of the puzzles and iHOS. This is a good way to spend a few hours. No stress, frustration, or bafflement. Just quiet admiration and appreciation of a work well done. There are some really stunning locations in this game. One in particular, a Riverboat, was a lovely addition.
I think ERS's idea of wide screen is something they made up in their own heads. It is always shown in the Options but it never works. At best, we have, once again a pretty pattern in place of the black bars, when we enable it.
Listen, Devs, that is not wide screen. Wide screen means the game fills the entire length of the monitor. If you cannot or will not do it, stop putting that Option in altogether. Maybe next time you could step outside the box a little further? Hmm? Maybe give us a map, or Achievements, or indeed, wide screen, as well as Collectibles? I can guarantee you are making more sales by having included these Collectibles than you otherwise would have.
But thank you, it is a lovely game and a delight to play. Thanks too, BF. These Devs are a credit to you.
NB: If you buy this CE you will not have found all the Collectibles at the end of the main game simply because the remainig few are in the BC. You cannot overlook any of these if you are one of those that do not bother with them, in this game, because they are necessary for the conclusion of the BC. But they are prominent and only of a limited number.
I recommend this game!
What dark and powerful secrets are hidden within the A.R.C.A.N.E. agency's old research base? Kiera Vale returns to find out.
Overall rating
5
/
5
11 of 13 found this review helpful
REVIEW OF COMPLETED GAME
PostedJanuary 28, 2013
Sheerija
fromEdinburgh, Scotland
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I beta tested this game 3 years ago and did not like it because I thought it too technical and too difficult. Shows what a rookie I was back then. Apparently, I have come on in leaps and bound, because it is not TOO difficult, just difficult. It is a PA only so no HOS, and the puzzles need you to be fired up with the old grey matter raring to go. At first they seem to make no sense, but they are actually quite straightforward. You have all the clues and codes you need in your PDA and everything is logical.
The story is great and the graphics are neat, once you get into the Research Lab. The navigation is well done, no lagging. The hint button is directional and fast to reload. I encountered no glitches and it played smoothly all the way. You will have to wait a little longer than you might wish to for the skip button.
There is a huge amount of reading matter in this game, if you want to follow the story closely and I suggest you do because it is really interesting and well told. The cut scenes have the voice of the main character but when interacting with other characters, silence, just text.
The one thing that I did not like was that almost everything in a location gets a cursor eye, but not everything that gets an eye is interactive. Seems like the Devs just want us to admire their handiwork, sometimes. Also after solving a puzzle or finding an item, the areas do not close down. You have to back out yourself and the eye is still there. Took me a while to realize I had done everything and should leave. I had the music volume up at the highest, but it was still very low.
No wide screen and the SG does not work, so I am guessing this was originally created to be a CE. At 7 hrs long, it could well have passed for one. It is a very cool game. Very technical, with an occult twist. The ending definitely indicates another in the pipeline. Hopefully it will not take another 3 years to get here. I reckon the Devs have been raking in the cash from this on their own site and once the momentum ran out there, handed it to BF for do a little more raking. Have to keep an eye on that site.
Well done, to these Devs. Definitely a cut or three above the usual fluff games in this genre.
I recommend this game!
After finding an artifact, you're whisked away to a dying world. Can you save it from the darkness?
Overall rating
3
/
5
35 of 45 found this review helpful
REVIEW OF COMPLETED GAME
PostedJanuary 27, 2013
Sheerija
fromEdinburgh, Scotland
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This is a game for beginnings, with lovely wide screen graphics, easy puzzles and clear and quick iHOS, although they have laid them on rather too thick. They could have done with a lot less.
There is a Special Item inventory that upgrades as you find new things for it. Very useful. The cut scenes are also a little heavy, but they are clickable and well done as well as short. There are Achievements and different Collectibles in each scene, about 4, but I could not for the life of me collect any of the owls. They just hooted at me and stayed put. The story is a simple tale of Royal Family troubles, evil step mothers and sibling rivalty. You have to restore all the has been devastated and heal The Tree of Life. Obviously, this you do and that is the end of the main game, which is 4 hrs 45 mins long. However, if you wish to achieve something to benefit yourself, you have to do the BC. This starts in the same location as the main game ended, but quickly opens out to brand new ones. It is different from the main game and I rather liked it. The music is pleasant and the voice overs are good. There is a standard map and a journal and the SG is well done.
This all sounds rather wonderful as I read it back, but the game has an amateurish feel to it. I do not understand this as these Devs also made The Final Cut, which was far superior in every way and much more challenging. There are 8 extras after the main game, one being the BC.
I would advise anyone buying this to carefully read through the last 3, maybe 4 entries at the bottom of the Index in the SG, to see how all these collectibles work. For me, collectibles are rather an irritant and I do not usually bother with them.
It is a pretty game and a sweet one, but it irked me for it would lag continually on my PC. Maybe this is why I found myself losing interest in it.
I will recommend it, but with the warning that some may find it too tame.
I recommend this game!
Your brother is kidnapped during an air show. Search for him in a beautiful world where the sky is as wide as your imagination.
Overall rating
3
/
5
39 of 82 found this review helpful
REVIEW OF COMPLETED GAME
PostedJanuary 24, 2013
Sheerija
fromEdinburgh, Scotland
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I did not particularly care for the 1st of this series. The 2nd was much better. This one I found far too taxing. There are simply way too many machines and devices, which I do not recognize, and all are broken and you must find the parts and repair them. There are too many puzzles, one after the other, all requiring a level of ability I do not have, obviously, since I could not work them out. The backtracking is enormous. Even though there is a jump map, it became too much when I had to use it every few minutes. Same with the SG - had to use it all the time because the game is too convoluted and there is way too much to do in every location, and it is not fun stuff. I am not an Engineer or a Mechanic nor anything else in those fields and this was just plain boring. For 7 hrs I have been doing this and I am worn out and got no satisfaction and little fun. The story to my mind, is inane. Winged humans in a floating city. Your brother is an inventor and he found this city by chance and invented the wings ahd bestowed them on the citizens. Really? No, man, come on now. Then he messes with the leader's girl and they fall out and it's war. You have to rescue said brother. I have the ability to suspend belief, but this is just dumb.
The graphics are not much worth commenting on. Wide screen. Very ordinary. There are collectibles and achievements. The iHOS are ok, but you cannot complete them in one go because you have to find things in other areas for the interactive objects. There are too many notes all over the place, one after the other. You have to read them, or at least open them because they contain collectibles. They did not add to the story, or tell you anything you do not already know. The cut scenes are slow and jerky and would not close after completion so I had to hit skip all the time. The lip syncing is way off. The live actors are annoying.
There is something called Philanthropy, when you can go when you have enough collectibles and use them there to do various things. Rather lame. Music? I cannot even remember hearing it.
The hint button takes 60 secs to charge. Why? Why do we have to wait? To make the game longer? Believe me, this game is way too long for what it consists of, as it is. The guys will probably love it, and I wish them well of it. I will never play it again. The main game, 5.5 hrs. The BC 1.5 hrs and just as tedious as the main game, doing exactly the same stuff in different locations.
Sorry, Elephant. I am still a fan, but this was just too much for me. I am tired and I have a headache. I could have stopped playing but the thought of coming back to it tomorrow just was not bearable. I wanted it over.
I don't recommend this game.