cathybobcat's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:2.5
- Helpful Votes:2,025
- Reviews Submitted:149
- First Review:May 18, 2018
- Most Recent Review:May 25, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Face the fears in Sebastian's Cinema of Horrors!
Overall rating
3
/
5
28 of 35 found this review helpful
STARTED OUT GREAT......THEN WENT DOWNHILL FAST
PostedSeptember 8, 2018
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
What started out to be an exciting and enjoyable game soon turned into an entirely different atmosphere with monotonous and boring activity that was disjointed to the storyline.
Your collectibles are not very impressive in quantity. They are not in every scene. In fact, they were not in nearly enough scenes. There are 11 movie posters that are very creative....but there needed to be more of them. Why? Because you then only collect 15 Cinema Artifacts, as well as 56 movie tickets, so that you can buy things for your Auditorium Hall, which isn't a real big deal. There are moths that are on the top of your inventory and they glow when you need to find these collectibles. The problem is, the collectibles are so few and far in between...even for those 56 movie tickets. You don't see glowing moths as expected. This is a CE and I am used to having more to look for in scenes. I am not a fan of morphing objects, but this game certainly needed them. It was a real let down.
You can replay 19 HOS and 18 Puzzles. Here's a kicker....There are so many puzzles in this game that I would not have bought it had I known. Sometimes they are one right after another. The demo sure wasn't like this. Everything was well balanced in the demo.....not so, later on. You are only going to be able to replay the puzzles they give you....and the number 18 is miniscule compared to what you will encounter in the entire game.
HOS were nicely done, artistically, and were interactive, sometimes a puzzle in them (you can skip). There is also an alternative Match 3. One thing I did not like about the HOS is that there are too many story types. I don't care for them at all, even if these were done well. They are a waste of time and instead of listening to the story, I find myself looking for the irritating items.
This is a long game....8 chapters. I am only on Chapter 6 and had to take a break because of all the going back and forth....and PUZZLES. I looked at this info in the SG. The BC also seems to be a decent length.....loaded with more puzzles.
The SG is right beneath where you can view your posters on the lower left and they were too close together. I kept accessing the posters instead of the SG, which was annoying. Another issue to be taken into consideration is making the screen scenes bigger in the SG. They are incredibly small.....and there is enough space where they could enlarge them. It is difficult to view them properly. There needs to be a zoom feature...or something to lessen eye strain.
The hint is helpful and transports. I found the map to be confusing at times, as well as some of the puzzle instructions.
Even though I have just finished 5 Chapters, I do not know that I will finish the entire game. They lured me in with a fantastic demo....then it was a whole different experience after that...and not a pleasant one. I feel the saying is true, "You win some and you lose some." This is not a game I will be playing again.
The Mystery of a Lost Planet
Can you solve the mystery of a lost planet and rescue the crew of a spaceship in distress?
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
OUT OF THIS WORLD....AND CHALLENGING
PostedSeptember 8, 2018
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game is far out~ It is very different and rather too challenging for my taste, however the atmosphere is at most, ethereal, and quite irresistible with its melodic music. It just carries you away in a most relaxing way...as if you are floating.
The hint is very useful and I had to resort to using it many times as I did not have a clue as to what I was supposed to do or where to go. Scenes were too dark at times, especially in the HOS, making it difficult finding items....adding to the challenge.
It is a quiet game and not hyperactive having to find too many inventory items. There are quite a few HOS, which I like and you are not overwhelmed with puzzles. There is a skip for the puzzles. There is wide screen with great graphics....3 modes of play to choose from. I used casual, which allows you to take all the time you want, making it a pleasurable enjoyment.
One thing that was difficult, is at times you are in a scene and there is not always a hand indicator when you have something to do or an item to pick up. The mechanics in this area could have been more specific. If the hint had not been so helpful and directional, I don't think I would have made it through.
This is a well balanced game and I am glad to have come across it. It has quality and an artistic effort was employed in its development. I will play this one again~
Can you recover an ancient underwater artifact in time?
Overall rating
2
/
5
32 of 47 found this review helpful
VERY SLOW MOVING....AND BORING
PostedSeptember 6, 2018
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
It was more like being a repairman than anything else....going back and forth fixing this and that with the usual mundane inventory of pliers, bolt cutters, screwdrivers, a wrench, a fuse, insulating tape, scissors...and of course, keys... as well as millions of items to place everywhere, including too many add on items to your inventory. How awesome to put a harpoon together only to use it to knock a box down from a high shelf. I also loved assembling a fishing pole....wasn't enough to find the line for it,...I needed to find the hook, too. Let's just get on with it. I couldn't get into any type of story because you are just overwhelmed with senseless activity. It was a drag and I didn't finish the demo. I think even the dog was bored....which we should have had an option whether or not to use him. He just slows things up even more.
I also have a disdain for small box mini HOS, and almost want to refuse to buy a game that incorporates them. They are cheap.
Even though the graphics were enticing once you get to the outside island, the game still did not inspire interest and it was the same type of mundane activity. I didn't care to have to repair a plane and go around in circles collecting items.
There is nothing here to get exited about. It was disappointing that the dynamics were not better and more enjoyable. This one can stay buried at sea.
Uncover a conspiracy against the king!
Overall rating
2
/
5
23 of 29 found this review helpful
SHORT....AND AN INCREDIBLY SHORT BONUS...NOT CE WORTHY
PostedAugust 20, 2018
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
The best aspect of this game is the outstanding graphics. They are rich and draw you into the atmosphere. But that is where it ends. There is way too much rain and dampness. I found it to be depressing and cold.
The game is not hyperactive. On the contrary, it is very slow moving and the gameplay is very mundane. The characters and story were not engaging or interesting to me. It was dull.
The HOS were done nicely. I really enjoyed those, but there weren't enough of them. There are too many connect the dots mini's. If there weren't, this game would have been even shorter.
With only some collectible morphing coins, a replay of hos and puzzles.....and an incredibly short BC, this is not a CE worthy game whatsoever. I cannot believe how short the BC is. It's over before you know it. This game is very disappointing, to say the least.
Can you help stop an ancient evil in time?
Overall rating
2
/
5
21 of 30 found this review helpful
MOST BORING AND SLOWEST GAME OF THE YEAR
PostedAugust 16, 2018
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I miraculously survive a hot air balloon crash without a scratch, while conveniently landing on my destination of Polynesia where everyone is speaking with an American accent. All of the scenes look the same and there is a constant going back and forth for the same you know what.
In the first HOS, my hands are bound by rope, and I find a piece of cheese to lure a mouse closer to me so that he can chew the ropes and set me free. Now that was different.
Upon the encounter of a story type HOS, even though it was with the sliding blocks, for the first time, I used the alternative of a skipping stone game which I liked, but it got tedious after a while. The other HOS were nothing to get exited about. They were bland and the fastest part of this game.
Puzzles were ridiculous. You have to match totem pole parts twice with no skip. It's no big deal, but not fun either, so why be forced to do it? The rest of them are not even worth mentioning.
It was the last straw when I acquired a gadget sea shell that enables me to speak to the elements when it glows. I ACTUALLY got to speak to the wind.... and decided to blow this one off for good.
The most interesting and exiting thing to do in this demo was to feed the chickens with some seed I found.
You are sent to a remote island to solve a simple case that quickly turns into a cat and mouse game between you and the culprits.
Overall rating
3
/
5
13 of 21 found this review helpful
GAMEPLAY....THE DOWNFALL
PostedAugust 11, 2018
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Completed the demo. The graphics are excellent as well as the story and characters....liked their accents. There is a great deal of conversation to read and a set of three questions you have to go through when encountering the numerous suspects you are investigating. It was almost like watching a movie rather than playing a game because it was so lengthy.
There is a camera (gadget) that you use to take pictures for evidence you are collecting. It was used excessively at the beginning of the game, but given the nature of this being a murder mystery, the camera gadget is acceptable.
This game had so much potential and for me fell short because of the gameplay. There was way too much going back and forth, collecting inventory. I became so bored with it, that I began using the hint (never a good sign) because there were just too many things that needed something and too many different places to put them. It slowed up the game more than the conversations. The tedium of the gameplay caused me to lose interest.
I really enjoyed the traditional list HOS and their artistry. Even though they didn't take very long to complete, I enjoyed viewing them and thought they were well done. It was refreshing to see them because there was an effort put into them artistically. It was also a GREAT relief not being bombarded with puzzles in excess. That alone may just spur my interest in trying the SE when it is released.
The collectibles are morphing bears....forget how many. They don't fit in with this at all and aside from them being so easy to find, I wasn't even paying much attention to them because the story and everything else had my attention instead. I thought they were a waste, really.
You can replay 16 HOS and 18 mini games. I didn't use the SG....the hint is very efficient. I skipped the puzzles. I don't think this is CE worthy and will wait until the SE is released to be able to see a walkthrough. It isn't the worst, but isn't the best either and did leave something to be desired, which was a disappointment.
Work with new puppet allies to uncover the true puppet master!
Overall rating
3
/
5
36 of 42 found this review helpful
MEDIOCRE AND SHORT
PostedAugust 10, 2018
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I have all of these, some in CE and some in SE and think this was the most disappointing of them all, as well as the shortest. There were parts I enjoyed and many I did not. The characters are very cartoonish, shallow, and unconvincing. They came across in an extremely juvenile manner. The voices are the biggest turn off about them, especially Miriam's, whose was so whiney and phony. I got sick of listening to her. It was like finger nails on a blackboard, so I muted the voices.
There are only so many story lines that can be used, so I didn't mind the story and dealing with the duos, even though I thought it was lacking and childish. The dynamics of gameplay is what takes precedence over the story for me.
The graphics are excellent and atmospheric and typical of this series. You are not overwhelmed with the collecting of inventory for everything. You have the option of choosing your character. There is the clicking on of conversations, which is an annoyance because it is senseless and makes no difference in this game and is also time consuming. The going back and forth was not in excess. There didn't seem to be that many scenes, so maybe that is why they added all of the conversation and puzzles, so it would lengthen what should have been a longer and more quality game had they put more effort into this.
There were some full HOS that were quite good, but they were outnumbered greatly by all of the mundane mini games. There were a few mini hos that are nothing but a waste....finding a few items. There are only a few items in them to begin with, so they are right there in front of you. It cheapens a game.
Too much of the gameplay is taken up with the mini games, which I highly disliked having an overabundance of. You're either doing them or skipping them. It was too many, often one right after another, taking up so much time in what is a very short game. Even though many of them are quick and doable, it was still excessive. It takes away from the story as well as the gameplay, creating an imbalance.
Your collectibles are very limited in the CE version. There are piggy banks to find that deliver coins that you can use to buy mechanical toys for a mechanical cat. It is not very impressive. There are also some morphs which I care nothing about. Unless you can see them, you spend your time staring at a screen becoming almost hypnotized, which is not my idea of a good time. I neglected to even try to find them.
Probably the biggest disappointment of all is the incredibly short length of the Bonus...unbelievable. It is not CE worthy nor worth the price for it. It is a cheat. The BC was nothing but a few new scenes....nothing new or different to add to the story....had a few added hos (one was a stencil that was very interesting and creative). There were too many mini games... one where you are mixing a multi potion, which I hate. It consumed even more of that short BC time.
The SE is sufficient just fine as the main story ends well without the unnecessary BC in the CE, which to me was just a continuation of the same story and ending. There isn't anything adequate to warrant this as a CE worthy game, particularly the lack of a proper length for the entire game, so I think the SE is a better buy.
There are better games and worse games. I think this one falls in between the two. Graphics and atmosphere alone do make it enjoyable.
Three legendary detectives join forces to solve a horrible crime!
Overall rating
1
/
5
41 of 61 found this review helpful
UNBELIEVABLE
PostedAugust 9, 2018
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
The gameplay is absolutely horrendous in this with utterly boring tasks that you have done hundreds of times. The story is a drag and shallow. It is so slow moving....back and forth...back and forth. Of course, you have to find batteries for the device gadget (yes, there is another beloved gadget that is going to be used to pan around a scene finding things). There is rust remover x2 to use. I retrieve an item from a fireplace with a violin bow??? I have to scare off a crow with a whistle I had to find in order to get a ladder to get a screwdriver from a rooftop. I could hardly contain myself when having to repair a chainsaw and elevator where I have to tape up wires, unscrew a panel with the screwdriver I acquired and replace a button in that elevator....and there is much much more for your complete entertainment. It's just what I don't want to spend time with.
The graphics are shady and could have been much better and more defined. You can adjust brightness which I had to do in order to see more clearly. The HOS are one big disaster. Mini hos with a few items to find in most of them. One full HOS was finding pairs by moving other items which I don't like....and the tiny story book one with sketch type items. There was nothing....nothing to them at all! They were disgracefully poor as is this game. I skipped the puzzles because I simply didn't care to be aggravated any more than I was already with this demo.
I could not complete the demo and exited upon finding scum remover, which is what this game needs....big time.
Can you and your sister escape the deadly history of Reed Valley?
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
UNIQUE IN ITS OWN WAY
PostedAugust 9, 2018
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Did the demo for the SE and also the CE and decided to go for the CE. I don't really like to compare games because they all have differences in their own way. This is in a class by itself, adding much to the imagination if one is open to it. I thought the story was far out and convoluted, but that's part of what distinguishes it. It is the gameplay that matters to me more than the story and I liked the way this game flowed, as well as the challenge factor....not too easy....not too hard. For the most part, it held my interest until the end of the game, including the Bonus Chapter.
The graphics are atmospheric and typical of this series, adding to its eeriness and mystery. Even though dark and foggy, they were excellent. I became immersed in it.
There is a fair amount of a variety of HOS which I really enjoyed. Effort went into some of these both in artistry and challenge. I would have liked more of them.
There are more puzzles than HOS, but it was in balance with the rest of the game. Some of them I liked and some I skipped. One thing I never like with many puzzles is when they are very time consuming (pain in the brain), which can make a game appear longer than it really is. I don't care to be spending too much of game time with puzzles, anyway.
You can replay 19 HOS and 21 puzzles....and some of these, I feel are replay worthy. You collect 36 brains in a jar...humorous. There are 16 morphs to collect...and there was a morph hos in the main game that was different, not taking up too much time. I never care for waiting around forever for something to morph.
The bonus chapter was short, but enjoyable. It is not necessary to the main game, which I thought ended abruptly, but either version of this is fine and stands on its own. I liked having the extra gameplay and don't buy too many CE's. With the addition of the SG, as well as the additional extras, I am pleased to have the CE version and think it is worth it.
Can you and your sister escape the deadly history of Reed Valley?
Overall rating
4
/
5
10 of 13 found this review helpful
UNIQUE IN ITS OWN WAY
PostedAugust 7, 2018
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Did the demo for this SE and also the CE and decided to go for the CE. I don't really like to compare games because they all have differences in their own way. This is in a class by itself, adding much to the imagination if one is open to it. I thought the story was far out and convoluted, but that's part of what distinguishes it. It is the gameplay that matters to me more than the story and I liked the way this game flowed, as well as the challenge factor....not too easy....not too hard. For the most part, it held my interest until the end of the game, including the Bonus Chapter.
The graphics are atmospheric and typical of this series, adding to its eeriness and mystery. Even though dark and foggy, they were excellent. I became immersed in it.
There is a fair amount of a variety of HOS which I really enjoyed. Effort went into some of these both in artistry and challenge. I would have like more of them.
There are more puzzles than HOS, but it was in balance with the rest of the game. Some of them I liked and some I skipped. One thing I never like with many puzzles is when they are very time consuming (pain in the brain), which can make a game appear longer than it really is.
You can replay 19 HOS and 21 puzzles....and some of these, I feel are replay worthy. You collect 36 brains in a jar...humorous. There are 16 morphs to collect...and there was a morph hos in the main game that was different, not taking up too much time. I never care for waiting around forever for something to morph.
The bonus chapter was short, but enjoyable. It is not necessary to the main game, which I thought ended abruptly, but either version of this is fine and stands on its own. I liked having the extra gameplay and don't buy too many CE's. With the addition of the SG, as well as the additional extras, I am pleased to have the CE version and think it is worth it.