cathybobcat's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:2.5
- Helpful Votes:2,025
- Reviews Submitted:145
- First Review:May 18, 2018
- Most Recent Review:January 5, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Stop a vengeful Titan from destroying Athens – and the world!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
THANK GOODNESS FOR THE MAP
PostedJuly 27, 2018
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The graphics are excellent and story is filled with interesting facts regarding Greek Mythology. The theme is different and refreshing. BUT you do so much traveling in this, I don't know what I would have done without a map, which is transportable, thank goodness. You travel to scenes from the past to the present, and although the tasks are not complicated, it is too busy at times with all of the going back and forth.
The puzzles outnumber the HOS...some of the puzzles were too time consuming, so I skipped them, and others I just did not care to do. The HOS were mediocre and could have been better....and more of them, for sure.
You have the choice of modes of play...I used Custom. Hint refills in 15 seconds. I thought that the hint could have been more directional when I had inventory to be used. It only pointed me to the place I needed to be, but not what to do when I got there. I didn't use the hint too often and this only happened to me once where I had to figure out what to do myself.
This game has an older feel to it than the year it was released, and other than the excessive going back and forth, for the most part I found it to be relaxing and enjoyable. It also appears to be a good length. I think it is well worth a sale price and I have purchased it.
I recommend this game!
Can you and your beloved escape a mad composer in time?
Overall rating
2
/
5
15 of 24 found this review helpful
A PERFORMANCE NOT WORTH IT
PostedJuly 26, 2018
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
The graphics are excellent and colorful. This game had so much potential, but falls short due to the excessive amount of inventory that needs numerous parts to fix before you can use them, the going back and forth, and too many puzzles.
It wasn't enough to have to find 3 parts of a statue, you then have to find glue....parts for a clipper, including the screw.....parts, parts, and more parts. You feed animals, you sew a bagpipe back together, first having to find the food and needle and thread. This sort of activity goes on and on, and was wearing me out to the point where I lost interest in the entire game. By the time I did find all of the inventory I needed, I forgot where I was supposed to go and put it. Also, in the inventory, you will see either a red cross next to an item indicating it needs a part, then when you find the other part or parts, the cross turns green to alert you that you have found the necessary item needed. This was both in the Custom and Casual mode because I wanted to see if I could eliminate that by changing modes. The parts are also outlined that you need when you go to place them. I don't care for that.
You're so busy with nonsense, wandering around scenes trying to place everything and find out what is needed and where to find it that there is no story to be had or enjoyment in the gameplay. It was just too much. It's not a positive sign when I begin using the hint and that is exactly what I began doing because I was tired of all the senseless activity.
There is a "ting a ling" sounding pop out from the upper right that occurs every time you find a collectible or gain an achievement. It is totally unnecessary, distracting, and annoying. I ended up having to go and mute this in the options.
Your collectibles are crystals to buy things to decorate a room, posters, and musical instruments. These all have indicators above your inventory on the left. They glow when there is one to be found. You can replay HOS and puzzles, however there are so many puzzles in this that they surely will not all be replayable. You take what they decide to give you.
The puzzles outnumber HOS in excess which is another reason I did not care for this game. This is not a balanced game. I have most of the others in this series and am very disappointed in this one. This is definitely not a performance worth dying for or buying at all.
Find the double agent in H.E.L.P. before it’s too late!
Overall rating
2
/
5
61 of 78 found this review helpful
HELP....THIS IS ANOTHER SHORT AND PUZZLE HEAVY GAME
PostedJuly 21, 2018
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Started out promising.....then went downhill FAST. You begin in the jungle of the Honduras with very atmospheric and defined graphics and from there you end up in a diner connected to a car repair garage area where you begin to perform one of too many mechanical tasks. I am not interested in being in a garage or junk yard pretending to be a mechanic....finding a power washer and nozzle along with grease remover to clean off an engine, nor dealing with jumper cables, car batteries and the like. I felt like taking a shower.
Once again, we have story HOS where you have to find the items to match the words. There are also mini hos which are a complete turn off. Art work was decent in them, but there was one HOS that was so dark, I could hardly see to find the items needed, which was a very interactive HOS. It was in the store and was more like a puzzle than a hos. It even had puzzles in it, too....which you can skip...as all of them in this game.
There are 36 signs to find that have an indicator in the lower right and a morphing object in the hos which also has an indicator in the lower right that glows and then there is a check mark when you find it. I think there are only 12 morphs which is the number of HOS listed in the Extras. No big deal for Extras.
There are many technical and mechanical tasks in this that are more like a "guy thing" to do. Some of the tasks are ridiculous.....like running from 2 police officers in the garage while the officers just stand there like statues....yeah, sure. Then in the metro area, you scare the officers off with a loud clock chiming noise that distracts them. Who would want that kind of security? Are they serious?
One of the most annoying things in this is the clanging noise that you will hear every time you click on your mouse to place an item, which has to be placed exactly right or you just keep hearing the irritating noise until the item is placed correctly. I kept trying to place items that I was putting in the right place because I used a hint that directed me to the exact place I was trying to put it. You know how it is when you are experimenting with what item goes where. The noise every time I clicked was extremely distracting and I had to mute the Effects volume in the Options so I wouldn't have to listen to it anymore. Then when you do that, you can't hear any of the environmental effects and it takes away from the gameplay. I have found this to be common in many games.
This is also puzzle heavy. Puzzles always outnumber the HOS....and although it is indicated you can replay both, there are more puzzles in the game than they give you for replay. Isn't that always the way? You can always bet there are more puzzles in a game than what you can replay. I doubt that puzzle enthusiasts will be impressed with them, anyway. I wouldn't care to replay anything in this.
Graphics and story were decent, as well as some of the HOS. Because of the gameplay, I lost interest. This is an unforgiveable short game and should have been much longer. It is definitely not worthy of a CE price.
The killer from an unsolved case returns for more blood!
Overall rating
1
/
5
21 of 28 found this review helpful
GRIM INDEED
PostedJuly 20, 2018
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This game makes the last one (Time Traveler-Feb 2018) look like a masterpiece, even the graphics. I could only last 20 minutes and that was it. Maybe I am missing something (other than the time I wasted), but I did not see any replay for HOS or puzzles. The collectibles are a complete joke. There are only 3 chapters, plus a BC. How short is this one going to be for a CE price? Then there is the "buy before you try" tactic of having things locked in the extras so you don't know what you're getting beforehand. If they don't capture me in the demo, it is a done deal and a no buy.
I could hardly endure the first 2 scenes going back and forth collecting an item for this and an item for that, wondering if I was ever going to move on. When I finally did enter the 3rd scene it was more of the same...over and over...going nowhere. The gameplay is so boring and monotonous, I couldn't even get into the story, and frankly didn't care.
More and more I am beginning to absolutely loathe HOS where you have to find items to match words....storybook trash. Then there are the teeny tiny box hos where you find a few items, that is all! I was ready to exit the game right then and there in the first scene upon encountering these. I don't care to be spending my time with these types of what they consider HOS, anymore. It's like they just don't care, so why should I? Enough is enough of these types of garbage HOS. I wouldn't want to replay any of it if they gave it to me or this game which is supposed to be a CE??????
What has happened to QUALITY ? From what I played, there is none in this.
The peace in the White Kingdom is marred by the appearance of the mysterious Black Knight who has stolen your only son! Can you save him in time?
Overall rating
2
/
5
5 of 10 found this review helpful
NO THANK YOU
PostedJuly 18, 2018
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Not as described. There were no collectibles...no extras that I saw. The graphics are colorful and rich, though dark at times. The characters and story are completely juvenile. It's like a cartoon. The tasks are tiring and boring. One thing that was really a negative is that there is way too much mixing of potions and making things that you have to go back and forth finding all the ingredients and necessary items for. I do not enjoy doing these things at all and this game is overwhelmed with them.
There was a fair amount of hos which I liked....the more the better for me, but unless there was a replay for them, it is not enough to warrant a buy for this. The demo was not long enough and I think this is another very short game and not one I would want to play again.
As Cruise Director in charge, enjoy a truly sensational Cruise of a Lifetime aboard the fleet’s super luxurious flagship, USS Liberty of the Waves.
Overall rating
5
/
5
36 of 44 found this review helpful
DELIGHTFUL
PostedJuly 16, 2018
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I have all of the Casual Arts games of Christmas Wonderland, Halloween Trick or Treat, Easter Eggztravaganza, VA Park Rangers and Cruise Director. They are wonderful, relaxing and an absolute enjoyment. It is always a delight when a new one is released and I got this one right away.
Although the game is similar to all of the others, there is a great deal of effort and care put into each one of them. Graphics are excellent and colorful....and items are often very well hidden. It is always a challenge finding all of the trash items. There are a variety of things to do...no time for boredom in any of these games. It is a welcome delight to just relax and play this game while enjoying the trip on this brand new VA Cruise Director 5.
Keep them coming~
Can you discover the truth about the Queen’s disappearance and save the kingdom?
Overall rating
3
/
5
31 of 36 found this review helpful
FROM THE WORLD'S SHORTEST CE
PostedJuly 15, 2018
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The biggest drawback to me is the miserly short length of this game....like they just didn't care and were in a hurry to get it done and over with. It is beyond me how anyone making a game can expect to make sales on such an ungenerous length. It astounded me and still does.
The graphics are lovely and very typical of the others in this series. I have every one....some in CE and others in SE. The story is secondary to gameplay for me and didn't bother me in this game one way or another.
The game may be too player friendly for some, but I don't really mind that as there is more time to enjoy and appreciate the beautiful graphical scenery. I don't care to be overwhelmed with hyperactivity of actions and inundated with brain paining puzzles that can consume a great deal of your life time. It is stressful and I don't need to be challenged to death....not my idea of a pleasurable time. Sometimes I just want to relax.
It isn't the best game and not the worst. I would have given this 4 stars if it had not been for the short length. I am sure it would have been more popular if it had been longer. It would have been with me, that is for sure. I think this SE is worthy of a pcc or a good sale price. I am not at a loss to have acquired this version and am glad to have it.
Alison Ester, insurance investigator, is responsible for leading the investigation in a dilapidated asylum with a grave and mysterious past.
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
EERIE AND ATMOSPHERIC
PostedJuly 14, 2018
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Although this is an older style game, I thought it was ghostly, eerie, and appropriately atmospheric for the title. The opening video is especially effective and captivating with what appears to be life like scenes of actual places and people. I would like to have seen more of that.
The gameplay could have been easier to navigate. It is not always a player friendly game and you have to figure some things out. The hint could have been more useful and specific. There were some times I was stuck and had to resort to the forums to inform me. I did find a video walkthrough which was helpful, also. For the most part, however, I did fine without help....and am just an intermediate player.
There is no timer and puzzles can be skipped...thank you.
There are many hos and they are revisited. There are times when you have to revisit a hos that is located in a different area than where you are, so that you can collect the inventory you need...patience is needed as you play.
In the game scenes and hos there are shadows of ghosts to find which are not always easy to find because they blend in with the scene. When you do find them, it brings up very interesting true facts of other asylums and the people that inhabited them, movies and programs that were made...very haunting. It added to the eerieness of being alone in this atmosphere.
I enjoyed wandering around this abandoned, dark and dreary asylum on my own and one of the regrets I do have is that the game was not longer. It would have been more enjoyable to have had more scenes and more ghosts to find with historical facts to read. It is a short game with what I thought was an abrupt ending. It was like they got tired of making it and just quit.
Except for the abrupt ending, the story was ok...there are only so many story lines you can have, so the main thing to me is the dynamics of gameplay as well as atmosphere. Gameplay could have been better in this, but the atmosphere is definitely there. The game is different and has a uniqueness of its own. I will be playing it again.
Can you solve the mystery of the murderous dolls?
Overall rating
1
/
5
21 of 34 found this review helpful
ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE
PostedJuly 14, 2018
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Could not even finish this demo, which was a total waste of time. Graphics are hazy.....story a drag...you collect eyes so you can assemble a puzzle (wow)...collect magazines (there's enough of those in the numerous loading scenes, which was the best part of the demo to me)....and then there are the delightful morphs. No replay of hos or puzzles.....and in this case, who cares?
The tasks are a total bore and at times don't even make any sense, but given this game which is in dire need itself, it is no surprise. HOS and puzzles are a joke. No wonder everyone is passed out in this game. It's a dead deal.
Can you recover your memories and save a missing girl in time?
Overall rating
2
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
TOO BUSY....TOO MANY PUZZLES
PostedJuly 14, 2018
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This is such a poorly lit game. The few hos I came across were so dark I couldn't see the items. There are way too many puzzles.....too much collecting of inventory and going back and forth. It is exhausting and not enjoyable at all.