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:
A mysterious force from a parallel universe wreaks havoc on a small town as a scientist fights to stop it from taking over the world!
Overall rating
5
/
5
92 of 115 found this review helpful
REVIEW OF COMPLETED GAME
PostedJanuary 23, 2013
Sheerija
fromEdinburgh, Scotland
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
I have read so much negativity about this game and I cannot understand any of it. These Devs have given us a super, solid 6 hour SE iHOPA that is just the bee's knees. I have not had this much fun with a game in a month of Sundays.
Gorgeous wide screen graphics with so much detail and so many locations, it's awesome. One of the best story lines in ages. An electromagnetic entity has come through a portal from another dimension and contaminated our world and is trying to take it over altogether. This is the Golden Boy and he is just magnificent. You are the messenger, hired to deliver a package to the town hotel, where you are roped into helping the person responsible for causing all the trouble with this portal he opened. You are directed to open the package and don the futuristic contents, which enable you to deal with electrifcity. This Golden Boy has brought fairy robots with him, which are so beautifully designed they are amazing. They interact with you throughout the game and are always seen flitting around. There are robots dotted around various locations. They ran amok at some point and have since been disabled, but you still get to use them for codes and items you need. If you do not get how good a story that is, then I have not done it justice. It's brilliant.
There are many iHOS, its true, but they are so well done, clear and quick and easy that I did not mind them at all. The puzzles are hard for the most part and although a small percentage defeated me, they are still fun. Backtracking is minimal and you never have to go back very far. Even if you did, the mechanics and navigation are so smooth and instant, it is a pleasure to roam around.
The music is piano jazz and whilst I am not a fan of jazz, I applaud anything that is not a funeral dirge. It lends style and atmosphere to the game. I wish more Devs would consider changing their music from the usual dismal orchestrals. There is no map but it's unnecessary with this game. There is a journal for all your clues and codes and information on the progress of the game. There are no voice overs but I ceased to notice that very early on, I got so caught up by the game play.
This is a really fun, creative, immersive game that is wonderfully designed and created, with everything one could wish for in a game, incorporated with flair and imagination, that gripped me straight off and held me all the way through.
From the ending I think there will be a sequel and if there is, I will be over the moon. Thanks Devs. Make more. Lots. Just like this one. Loved it.
If you can get this one with a pcc, it really will indeed, be your lucky day. I would have paid CE prices for it, it's that good. It starts off normally, just like any other game. Then it's uphill all the way. I played the whole thing with just one thought on my mind, "Wow, this is faaantastic!".
Recommend it? Heck, YES. It's a slam dunk!.
I recommend this game!
Rescue teenagers from the tragic fate of Romeo and Juliet!
Overall rating
5
/
5
113 of 135 found this review helpful
REVIEW OF COMPLETED GAME
PostedJanuary 21, 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
I feel really bad for the people who have boycotted this game because it does not have Achievements or Collectibles. What a shame to miss out on this incredibly good game. I strongly urge them to make an exception and overlook those two things, just this once. We all thought The Nutcracker could not be surpassed. We were wrong.
This game is just amazing. They have taken Romeo and Juliet and made it their own, again, and what a sterling job they did. The ending of the main game was something I wished would happen, but never dreamed would. It was just so delightful and satisfying. Yes, you get to rescue the victims, but you also get something else. Something even better.
The graphics are just superb. The villain is horribly sinister and his sidekick is like something from a nightmare. So brilliantly designed. There is and excellent jump map, in scroll sections, because the whole thing would not have fitted on the screen, there are that many locations. You get an owlet as a helper, to get you things that are out of reach. The cut scenes, dialogue and voices are done to perfection. The iHOS are the return objects type only, but they are very good. When you do not have to use the map, the navigation is flawless. I would like to give a special thank you to
Mr Shishmakov for the beautiful music this game has. He got it spot on and it is so good to listen to. The puzzles are not easy and you need patience, but they are fun. They even threw in a Match 3. All the locations are labelled on-screen, something I particularly appreciate when there is more than one direction to take in a location.
Mr Shishmakov for the beautiful music this game has. He got it spot on and it is so good to listen to. The puzzles are not easy and you need patience, but they are fun. They even threw in a Match 3. All the locations are labelled on-screen, something I particularly appreciate when there is more than one direction to take in a location.
The main game took me 5 hrs and I loved every minute of it. It ends well enough, but could be misleading, as it seems to indicate that there will be a sequel. That is why the BC is necessary, to finally put an end to the evil one. What a BC it it too. It uses another book, not by Shakespeare, but about someone we are all very familiar with and have played a game based on before, and it is a cracking chapter. Again, they have taken a well know and popular story and adapted it and made it terrific. It is just over 1 hour long.
A 6 hour game from one of the best, if not The best, devs in the business, who really deserve the highest praise. I would just say to them that if they read the reviews here and in the game forum, they will see that they are losing sales when they do not include Achievements and Collectibles. I myself care nothing for them. I do not need a pat on the head and I always forget about collectibles anyway, unless they are integral to the end of the game and are prominent and I can always go back to find one I have overlooked. But many players demand these inclusions are are upset when they do not get them, especially from Elephant, and will not buy the game.
I have no problem telling Elephant that they "rock" or "rule" whatsoever. In my book, they do. Nor do I have a problem "gushing" or "raving". When you get a game of this quality, what are you supposed to say? "It was fine. I liked it?" Thank you very much and thank you BF.
I recommend this game!
The highly anticipated follow-up to the smash hit Mirror Mysteries is finally here! The mirror is back—can you extinguish his power for good?
Overall rating
3
/
5
95 of 109 found this review helpful
REVIEW OF COMPLETED GAME
PostedJanuary 19, 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
I am beginning to sound like a broken record. 2hrs 45 mins long, or rather 2 hrs 45 mins short. Too short. I am beginning to wonder if this is the new trend, these little short jobs. We do not seem to getting the same value for money that we used to. Maybe devs who drop the play time like this should also drop their prices. Then BF could sell them to us at a discount. Play time is never mentioned in the game description so I suspect BF has no idea how long a game will be. Perhaps people can tell by the amount of space a game takes up on their computers. I cannot.
This is a standard FROG game which is rife with them. I don't mind them, but they are all this game really consists of. There is little else to do. They are all interactive, meaning once you find all the pieces to complete an item, you use it in the scene to find a piece for another item, and so on. Outside of these, there is the odd thing to do now and again. There are only 4 mirrors, each with about 3 locations each, so no backtracking. The music is varied but unremarkable, except for the 1st track, which put me in mind of old 1950s band music. The hint fills fast if your eyes have trouble spotting some pieces, but they are easy enough to spot..
The cut scenes are nice and quick, as is the dialogue and there are not too many of them. The ones in the 1st mirror were quirky and also reminiscent of the 1950s. Those made me smile.
No wide screen or map but a map is totally unnecessary with this game. The story is the same as in the prequel. Your brother has been taken. No, really? Defeat the evil mirror and rescue him. Bit of a yawn.
The graphics are rather good. Colourful and finely drawn with lots of detail and strange and interesting devices. The puzzles are lovely but very straight forward. No calculus ones. Yay. Hate those.
Those FROG fans who do not mind how long a game is will probably love it, or if you have a pcc to use up you will get a few hours of mild entertainment, but otherwise it's not worth the full price.
I don't recommend this game.
Uncover the mystery behind an artist’s deadly talent.
Overall rating
3
/
5
92 of 103 found this review helpful
REVIEW OF COMPLETED GAME
PostedJanuary 17, 2013
Sheerija
fromEdinburgh, Scotland
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
There is nothing really wrong with this game per se. It has good graphics, if a little on the dark side. There are two types of HOS, list and silhouette, both interactive. The music is fine. The puzzles lean more towards the artistic than the academic, which is right up my alley, and the navigation is perfect. The best thing about it is the story. It rang a vague bell somewhere in my mind, from long ago, but it has enough originality, veering away from the usual, to be fresh, and as it is well thought out and well written, it deserves a credit. It is not what you first think it is is all I can say without giving it away.
It has wide screen, collectibles and achievements, though minimal, but no map. The SG is odd. They have used three different sized fonts. One is way too small, the 2nd is normal and the 3rd one is huge. ??? Dunno. I only looked at it so I could report on it here, but I never had to use it. The game plays itself.
The cursors are another oddity. There are 3. Custom and 2 game cursors. One is too small and the other too big. Game starts with the big one. There is a location consisting of about three scenes where it became a huge problem and I could do nothing but shut down and start with the custom cursor to get through it.
The cut scenes are well done. Fast and with clickable dialogue, but not animated. Don't really think that is either here nor there, but it may matter to some.
The lack of a map is not lamentable to me, as it is easy to remember where and what and there is little backtracking, but it will be lamented by some, who require all these things to make it deserving of being a CE. The hint button is directional and fast. Same with skip, but there is little need for skip with this. All the puzzles, whilst nice to do, are very simple.
Once again, another game where the thing that lets it down is the length. The main game only took me 3 hrs and that also is not really going to win it much favouritism. The BC took 1 hr 20. It has entirely different locations and is relatively interesting and of the same quality as the main game.
So, you are looking at roughly 4.5 hrs and I think that will be held against it. You can either wait for the SE and get a 3 hr game, or pay double and get an extra 1.5 hrs.
In spite of it's shortcomings, I will recommend it on one hand, as it is a well made and nicely executed work, but not recommend it on the other hand because it is too short and very easy. Best I can do.
Devs, you are losing points here, with the length and it being too easy. Veteran fishies in this pond will not find it challenging enough to pay CE prices and too short for a SE.
I see there is another one coming in Sneak Peak and it looks really good. Full of cute creatures and bright and colourful. I hope it is longer and more aimed towards the experienced players.
I recommend this game!
A world of magic and machines is on the brink of survival when the heart of the world stops. Fix the heart of the world and save its inhabitants!
Overall rating
1
/
5
49 of 53 found this review helpful
REVIEW OF COMPLETED GAME
PostedJanuary 16, 2013
Sheerija
fromEdinburgh, Scotland
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
BF you have got to be kidding! Ten minutes after I bought this game after playing the demo, it was over!!! One hour and 10 minutes? I cannot believe this. Did you guys know it was this short? What on earth are these devs thinking! It is beyond a joke and I am mad as a snake. If I had not used a pcc on this I would be asking for a refund.
Absolutely appalling thing to do to us.
It is a HOPA, but on a smaller scale to what we are used to. Not because of the length, but the format. You do get a lot of HOS, but it has puzzles and locations changes too. The graphics are nicely done. The items are, whilst small, all recognizable and distinct. No voice overs. Story is weak. Music unremarkable. Navigation very good. No need for a map. It is only a SE so no wide screen is not an issue.
This game really should have come with a warning - very, very short. No-one is going to pay the price even with 20% off for a game like this.
It wins a prize over and above all other games: The Shortest Game Ever Created In The History Of Gaming.
Take note of these devs and, Buyer Beware.
I don't recommend this game.
Join Esther as she attempts to influence the past in order to change the future and learn the secrets of the Ambrose family!
Overall rating
3
/
5
203 of 214 found this review helpful
REVIEW OF COMPLETED GAME
PostedJanuary 13, 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
3
/
5
There is no doubt that this is a beautiful game. Wide screen graphics so wonderfully designed and executed, a real pleasure to look at.
The time travel device is terrific. Even though it is just a glorified map, it is wonderful. It transports instantly and it is a lot of fun travelling between the different centuries, which are very well depicted. Perfect navigation between scenes, like a well oiled machine. Really appreciate that. The music is good, a mix of sweet and dramatic. The hint button has no refill time and is ready straight away. The skip button is very fast.
The story, whilst not exactly riveting, is interesting enough. There are all sorts of gorgeous toys and gadgets and the like, to repair and play with. The puzzles are mostly lovely to look at, easy enough, though I found no new ones. The iHOS are well done, with quite a fair amount. Could have done with a few less, but nothing major. The SG is really well laid out, but again, and I am always saying this, superfluous. The map is all you need. All active areas are green and it is so quick and easy to find one.
That last sentence is part of the problem with this game being a CE. It is just too easy and as a result, too short. It took me 3.5 hrs for the main game and 45 mins for the BC. The BC is not worth the trouble, not just because it is too short, but it really adds nothing more. It is just a tack-on. Those aspects, coupled with the fact that there are no achievements or collectibles, make it not worth the CE price. What do you get? 45 mins extra play. For double the price, that's unfair.
So, while I admire the work and effort and all the wonderful things that went into making this very good game, I cannot recommend it as a CE. It just falls too short of the mark.
I don't recommend this game.
Dupin needs your help solving the mystery of the gold bug. Crack the codes and follow the clues to one man’s obsession with an old legend.
Overall rating
5
/
5
44 of 48 found this review helpful
REVIEW OF COMPLETED GAME
PostedJanuary 11, 2013
Sheerija
fromEdinburgh, Scotland
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I loved playing this game. The entertainment/fun factor is through the roof right from the start and it stays there all the way through. Dupin the beautiful is back and on top form. The graphics, as always with ERS, are top notch. There are just the right amount of iHOS, some lists, some silhouettes and the latter are highly interactive. Very well done and great fun. Only criticism I have is that a couple of them are repeated, and rather too soon after the first one. But only a couple, so the game loses no points for that, it's minor.
The music is the traditional French accordian music. Good to listen to and a nice change from the usual dirges. As always, ERS puzzles are easy peasy, but that did not detract at all, for me. The v/os and cut scenes are excellent - they flow and are clickable.
Then there is Arthur, who is great. Arthur is a huge black curly-haired hound lent to Dupin by LeGrand to help him and he travels along throughout the game. When a paw print appears over and inventory item, that item is placed on Arthur and he bounds into the game and uncovers something helpful for Dupin. Clever and endearing, that's Arthur. There are no spiders, snakes nor supernatural/occult themes in this. Again, a really nice change. In one scene I clicked on something hanging from the roof and Dupin himself stepped into the game and hooked it with his cane. It was startling because I have not seen this done before with people, only animals. I hoped for more of the same, but it was only a one off, unfortunately.
Many will not buy this CE because it has no collectibles, achievements, map or wide screen, although you can do away with the black bars by adjusting your screen resolution to the 2nd from the top. What you get for the extra money is a SG and a BC. I cannot disagree with them that these things should be included, but it is ERS we are talking about and they simply just do not give us these things. Personally I could not care less. I only mention them for the newbies and folks who may not be familiar with these devs and are wondering if the game is worth the price. Up to the individual.
The main game took me 4 hrs and ended as it should. So the SE will be quite adequate. The BC took 1 hr and I liked it. It took the story in a slightly different direction and kept up the standard of the main game.
In the Extras you can replay puzzles and iHOS, there are 4 music tracks, although French music and I have only a passing acquaintance so they all sounded pretty much the same to me. Also, the usual wallpapers, art etc.
5 hrs of my life spent on this great game. Time well spent. An excellent addition to the series. May they never end. Thank you ERS, you just keep getting better.
I recommend this game!
A terrible legend has become reality. The legend of a terrifying creature returned from hell.
Overall rating
2
/
5
65 of 95 found this review helpful
REVIEW OF COMPLETED GAME
PostedJanuary 6, 2013
Sheerija
fromEdinburgh, Scotland
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I expected more from this game, even though the demo was not inspiring, because I always think that the first hour can be misleading. In this case it was not. I spent it achieving very little and not getting very far. I should have been warned, but I loved the excellent wide screen graphics, the perfect navigation, which flowed like silk, and I have always loved The Sleepy Hollow Legend.
All of the above still stand, but the game play after the 2nd hr did not improve and by then I was bored. There is little fun factor to this game. It drags on monotonously, with very little or no entertainment value.
The iHOS are a real drag. Some objects are large and prominent, while others are miniscule and the worst ones are the ones which are totally invisible because they are hidden behind other objects. Lot of time spend waiting for a very slow hint button to refill. I got really sick and tired of them and there are far too many. They all have light shafts running through them and of course, some of the items are in the light and I could not see them.
Spent ages acquiring things to open doors or solve puzzles only to find another iHOS behind them. iHOS are supposed to show up on their own, not be hidden behind puzzles. There is a click penalty in them. Listen, devs, I own this game. I payed for it. It's mine for life. I want to play it any way I like. I do not need you telling me "There's no point in guessing" and freezing my cursor. What is the flaming point?
The music was tedious, even depressing. The v/os were excellent. The SG was unnecessary since the chapters are complete in themselves and there are only a handful of locations in each one. The puzzles were the easiest I have ever encountered before and just as dull as the rest of the game. Small children could solve most of them. I did not feel inspired to even bother with the majority of them.
There are achievements and collectibles by way of golden horseshoes, which I was told at the beginning could be used to buy trophies. At that time that sentence did not really register with me for what it was. Why should it? Who ever heard of earning collectibles so that at the end of the game you can buy trophies that you should have earned during the game but didn't because you couldn't be bothered? So, next time you go to replay this game #neeever going to happen#you check out what trophies you earned in the first one and go "Wow, I really cracked this game back then. Look at all the achievements I won." No, you did'nt. You cheated and bought them. Like the stupid Brit law here that allows anyone to buy a Royal Title and have themselves called Lord This or Lady That. Ridiculous.
When you come across a puzzle or an object that needs items to make it function, it does not tell you what you need. Instead it says "I should use something here" or the other one that went "I'll have to think about this". What? WHAT?
Unless you have a degree in Carpentry or a Masters in Engineering, you end up with an inventory as long as your arm, with which you have to run around from puzzle to needy object, trying everything you have and inevitably you have not yet found the needed darn thing yet. So, it's off to the next one. Same thing. Mop my brow and fan my face, I'm out of breath and flat out of interest. Three keys I had, one time, and not one of them opened either of the two doors in the same scene. No wonder it's such a long game.
Unless you have a degree in Carpentry or a Masters in Engineering, you end up with an inventory as long as your arm, with which you have to run around from puzzle to needy object, trying everything you have and inevitably you have not yet found the needed darn thing yet. So, it's off to the next one. Same thing. Mop my brow and fan my face, I'm out of breath and flat out of interest. Three keys I had, one time, and not one of them opened either of the two doors in the same scene. No wonder it's such a long game.
It took me 5 hrs for the main game #groan# and 1.15 hrs for the BC, which is just another exercise in frustration and boredom and completely belies the ending of the main game, where the Horseman is defeated and banished. These devs decided to invent something that could bring him back so you can defeat him all over again #yawn#, thereby nullifying the traditional Sleepy Hollow Legend..
Having read all the rave reviews here and in the game forum, I was wondering if I am having an off day, or am just tired. Nope. Feel fine and slept like a log. Good job too because I could have dozed of during this snoozefest, many times.
If these devs are not new, it's been eons since their last game because I do not remember seeing their name before and if this is what they have spent all that time on, time to quit and go in another direction.
Dull as dishwater.
I don't recommend this game.
The family saga continues when your nephew Brandon encounters the mysterious Stone Queen in a lonely mountain town.
Overall rating
3
/
5
82 of 91 found this review helpful
REVIEW OF COMPLETED GAME
PostedJanuary 4, 2013
Sheerija
fromEdinburgh, Scotland
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Dear old Hefelump. I am so fond of these devs. They are without a doubt one of the few who I considered deliver top of the line games consistently. That is why I was so surprised to find no achievements, no collectibles, a complete absence of music, and graphics of a quality I know they can do much better. It strikes me as very strange and I wonder where they got this game from, as it does not seem like an Elephant game to me.
That said, it is still a good game. The graphics are very colourful, on wide screen, they just look a little mundane, at first. Later they take on a sort of jagged look, as though they weren't properly finished off. There is a jump map. The story I think excellent. They are also one of the few devs who seem able to write original scripts. Gents, beware. You are at serious risk of falling in love with the Stone Queen. She made my eyes pop, Jim Carey style, and I'm female. What a knockout.
The SG is well laid out but does not keep pace. However, unless you want solutions to puzzles, it is not really necessary as the hint tells you where to go and what to do, and is quck to refill.
There are golems and goblins, 1 exotic cat, 1 mole and 1 raven. That is all I can remember but there may be a couple more. No snakes, and spiders only in emblem form to open things.
My main beef is the lack of music. That made it s little dull - not much atmosphere. I kept going into the options to see if somehow the volume had diminished, but no, it was where I set it, at the highest level.. But it is good, well made and has enough of a fun factor to have kept me interested enough that I am not at all sorry I bought it.
The main game took me 4.5 hrs and ended very well. The BC took me 2 hrs, which is rare. So in this case, where BF says hours of extra bonus play, it is true. In this game, the BC has only 2 new locations, again strange for Elephant Games and a little disappointing. It also did not seem very necessary or relevant to me.
So, my opinion is that this is not one of their best efforts, but, if it were their first, and I had nothing to compare it to I would probably be a lot more enthusiastic.
It just lacks some of the features that we have come to expect from the Ellie people.
I recommend this game!
Is it just a high fever or something much worse? One doctor's house call is about to become an investigation!
Overall rating
4
/
5
161 of 169 found this review helpful
REVIEW OF COMPLETED GAME
PostedJanuary 2, 2013
Sheerija
fromEdinburgh, Scotland
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
When I hit the download button for the demo the whole game installed. Brilliant idea, don't you think, other devs? Hmmm? Just let the entire thing download and insert a cut-off point for the demo? Can be done, these guys did it. Save us those interminable waits.
This is a perfectly made game that plays like a charm. It has lovely graphics in rich vibrant colours. It is, however, for those who like something challenging and more demanding, very simplistic. The story is somewhat weak, but the HOS and puzzles were done well enough to hold my interest. There is a jump map, but it does not show active areas, a journal and option to play a shoot game instead of doing the HOS. I don't like those so I only played one. They are, I think, all the same puzzle.
The music was rather depressing. The hint button acts like a SG outside the HOS. The cut scenes are a bit childish looking, but the voice overs are very good and clickable, for fast readers. The options say there is wide screen available, but it did not activate for me and I am not into fiddling about with my screen resolutions, but that never bothers me. Although they only played one minor role each, there is a squirrel, a hedgehog, a kitten, a dog and a raven, included to make us smile. The game is not entirely linear, with a 3 directional choice at the fountain and then 2 in another place.
I liked it well enough to use a pcc on it and at 4hrs 20 mins, a very decent length, I can honestly say that it was another relaxing, non-taxing and fun game. I just love it when games run perfectly like this one, so I have given it one more star than I think it actually deserves.
Not bad at all, though very HOS friendly.
I recommend this game!