kateblue222's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.5
- Helpful Votes:3,417
- Reviews Submitted:179
- First Review:May 6, 2014
- Most Recent Review:July 28, 2024
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Help the professor and his loyal companion fend off hordes of dinosaurs and protect their time machine from being trampled!
Overall rating
1
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
Couldn't figure out what to do even with tutorial on, and when I restarted, no more tutorial.
PostedDecember 24, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
It said something about "Defenses can be built in places like this." but then I kept couldn't figure out how to build the defenses. I clicked nearby and then something would appear and disappear.
Finally, I restarted. The tutorial was gone. When I clicked near where it had been, I got some sort of a gun thing that shot at passing dinosaurs. But it had three sets of icons around it when I clicked on it. I think they were some sort of choices, but since the tutorial disappeared when I restarted, I still could not figure out what to do.
Music was thoroughly annoying, too.
Plus, in the real world, people and dinosaurs did not actually exist at the same time. And the "storyline" (there was none) did not rationalize this point.
Deleted.
I don't recommend this game.
Why would anyone want to stop Christmas from coming?
Overall rating
3
/
5
17 of 21 found this review helpful
CE or SE? It's a beautiful game, but SO easy!
PostedDecember 24, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Match 3, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I'm think if I had it to do over again, I would buy the SE. For one thing, there's no ability to play the minigames and HOPs over from the extras menu. (But they are so easy, maybe I wouldn't want to, anyway!)
This game charming, and beautiful, and the music is great, and it is so wonderfully Christmassy that everyone should play it this time of year.
But it is SO aimed at kids! It is too simple even for me, and I rank myself an intermediate player with no aspirations to play anything on a hard setting ever.
I bought the CE to get me more into the Christmas spirit even though I only rated it 3 stars. And it has. But every so often, just when I start to get sucked into the world, it will present something so childish that it throws me right back out into the real world. One example, the duster.
Now, you don't have the problem with needing the CE to get into the Christmas spirit. Buy the SE today! And have your kids and grandkids play it while you cook dinner tomorrow. It will keep them out of your kitchen (unless your computer is in there!)
I recommend this game!
When an age spell drains your vitality, will you save your family?
Overall rating
5
/
5
24 of 32 found this review helpful
A truly great game to play over the holidays!
PostedDecember 24, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Well, the game sucked me in so much I ran out the demo, and now I have to buy it for the music, at least. I loved the music.
You are Jack, and you come home to find that your mom and sister are victims of an evil witch who has been trapped for centuries until just before you arrived for dinner. You, of course, must save them. You get a couple of helpers along the way.
The background is shown at first by a movie notable for its absence of yak-yak-yak. It's then explained gradually as you play, often through minigames. Much more interesting and fun than a bunch of exposition.
Because I ran out the demo, I am glad I looked at the extras in advance so I can report them. Unfortunately, there is no ability to play minigames and HOPs over--a downgrade for me. But all the other features are there, including:
-bonus chapter,
-a puzzle that you find pieces for during the game,
-morphing objects,
-the usual music and art.
-bonus chapter,
-a puzzle that you find pieces for during the game,
-morphing objects,
-the usual music and art.
The game plays seamlessly with no hesitations, with no extraneous, distracting icons, and with no clumsy actions required. For example, if you are holding an object and you need to zoom in on something to use it, you don’t have to drop the object, then zoom in, then pick the object back out of your inventory, then place it. All those petty annoyances that make you go, "Grr," are absent. Yay!
The art is beautifully colored, though dark.
The minigames are fun. Sometimes they seem easy, other times tricky. Sometimes they are in more than one stage and you can skip that instead of the whole puzzle, a nice touch.
The HOPs are of two types. One type is simple matching to allow you to continue to the next puzzle. The others are full blown HOP scenes with several levels. For example, you find bottles to reveal lists and eventually put an item together. I am not a HOP person, but I know that all the HOP people will love them.
The hint and skip are blessedly short. But neither they, nor the strategy guide and map, are needed often.
All in all, this game only lacks one thing--the ability to play minigames and HOPs over. I should downgrade it for that, but I got immersed totally into the world--the mark of a great game--so it's a 5 star rating for me. Try it, I bet you will love it, too.
I recommend this game!
Who is trying to destroy the Kingdom of Barsia?
Overall rating
3
/
5
25 of 31 found this review helpful
CE or SE? Bad directions, incomplete strategy guide, and poor hints don't help, but all the CE extra features are there.
PostedDecember 18, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Word
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game is pretty in some spots and has nice music and the CE has all the extras.
But as I said when I rated the CE . . .
"I hate the sound it makes when I do the wrong thing. Which is often.
"You see, the hint system and guide are not very good, IMHO. That’s what the rest of this review is about, so stop reading if you don’t care about that. Warning: SPOILERS
"1) I could not figure out those runes on the step of the shrine to get the last piece of hunting horn. The closeup of the steps of the shrine said I saw these runes somewhere. Well, I could not remember where. But when I hit the hint button, it did not send me to the location where I had seen them. Instead, it just took me back to the closeup of the steps of the shrine. Finally, I randomly clicked around in two scenes, but still didn’t find the rune sequence.
"2) While consulting the guide to get the rune sequence, I noted that it said to “place all 5 statues" on the steps of the shrine and also to use the hunting horn piece. But there are not 5 statues even though there are spaces for 5 statues. There are 4 statues and one hunting horn piece. And I could not find the 5th statue, though I looked around some more. I also consulted the strategy guide for a hint about where the 5th statue might be and could not find one.
"So, after wasting 2/3 of the [CE] demo just to get beyond the 1st 3 scenes, I am have played a little farther. It’s fun enough, but I am still worried that, because I did not have 5 statues to place, I will be unable to proceed at some point. I did run the demo out, but only because I wanted to give the game a fair chance."
There you have it. Since I was not that thrilled with the game, I have not played any more of it since the CE demo.
So, as with the CE, I am barely recommending this one. Parts of the gameplay are too frustrating for me. But, if you really like the game, I recommend the CE because all the bells and whistles are there.
I recommend this game!
Enjoy 120 unique levels of holiday solitaire! Ho-ho-ho Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Overall rating
1
/
5
20 of 22 found this review helpful
I'm stuck! I can't get beyond the first set of 10!
PostedDecember 16, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I have 41 points out of 50, but it won't let me proceed to level two, and there is nothing that tells me why!
Do I have to get 50 points out of 50? That seems a bit extreme, particularly on "Newbie." There are no directions about this. I looked everywhere.
I really like the music, too. I really want to keep listening to it, but it won't let me play on, so I guess I won't listen to the music anymore.
Somebody tell me the rules, and then maybe I will buy it.
I don't recommend this game.
A scream in the night... a brutal crime... a mysterious figure with eyes red as blood. Can you get to the heart of this shocking murder?
Overall rating
1
/
5
10 of 17 found this review helpful
A quick note to answer the question, "Buy the CE or buy the SE?"
PostedDecember 13, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Because I found this game's first big HOP too aggravating to continue, I write only to advise whether to buy the CE or the SE, that being what I want to know when both are out and I have bought neither.
As I recall, all the CE bells and whistles were there. As it says at the BFG site:
--Collect cards hidden throughout the game and unlock a bonus puzzle
--Earn achievements and replay your favorite mini-games and HOPs
--Extras including: art, music, wallpapers, and screensavers
--Collect cards hidden throughout the game and unlock a bonus puzzle
--Earn achievements and replay your favorite mini-games and HOPs
--Extras including: art, music, wallpapers, and screensavers
So if you like the game, the CE might be worth it to you. Try it, you might like it even though I didn't.
I don't recommend this game.
Someone's out for revenge, and she'll stop at nothing to get it.
Overall rating
4
/
5
21 of 29 found this review helpful
Aggravating in spots, but well worth playing.
PostedDecember 12, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This review is based upon playing the demo.
Your sister has asked you, a paranormal investigator, to find your niece in a haunted town where she was attending either camp or school. A counselor or teacher with an unrevealed grudge against the families of four children claims that “they are hers," and they have disappeared. Spooky, unexplained occurrences also result.
The STORY does not really hang together particularly well—for example, were the children at a school or a camp? But I am just ignoring that and looking for the lost children. Lack of cohesive story might be why I found myself wondering what to do quite a bit, though. At one time, the task list didn’t even show a current task.
The ART is well drawn and appropriate to the subject matter, semi-dark but not monochromatic, with a creepy cast to it. It sets the mood nicely.
Some of the MUSIC is quite good. There is one Myst-like piece that I might actually want to listen to outside the game.
One slight problem is that you cannot see the EXTRAS menu at all before you finish the entire main story. OK, so Big Fish tells us that we get a bonus game, art, music, and trinkets that will unlock bonus mini-games and HOPs. But I'd rather look at the extras menu for myself to see what shelling out that extra money for a CE buys me.
I do think that the miniGAMES are either too easy or too aggravating (I won’t say hard—it could just be incomplete instructions). Examples follow (slight spoilers):
--Matching children's possessions to their backpacks (easy but fun.)
vs
--three bulletin boards right next to each other where you found things . . . the one in the middle made no sense to me, so I just kept clicking and/or using the hint until I was done.
--Matching children's possessions to their backpacks (easy but fun.)
vs
--three bulletin boards right next to each other where you found things . . . the one in the middle made no sense to me, so I just kept clicking and/or using the hint until I was done.
Related to this problem is a gripe that I have about other games as well as this one--too many objects that should serve the same function, but don't. Here’s just one example (slight spoilers): The game tells you that you can’t remove boards from a door with your bare hands, but the axe that you already have won’t work either. You need something else. Then, later, you use that axe on an almost identical door.
Despite these annoyances, I am having a pretty good time, so I will be buying. Try it. You might like it too.
I recommend this game!
Decades ago, a brutal crime occurred at the Lexington Hotel. Are you brave enough to uncover the truth about what happened there?
Overall rating
3
/
5
17 of 24 found this review helpful
CE or SE? Which to buy?
PostedDecember 11, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I write this review solely to suggest whether to buy the CE or the SE, that being what I want to know if both versions of a game are out and I have bought neither.
Though I did buy the CE when I needed a game on a 2-for-1 sale, I have played little more than the demo because it simply did not suck me in to its world. Getting immersed in a game to the point where I forget what time it is--that's the mark of a great game. So I cannot give this one top marks. And yes, this test is going to be different for everyone.
The game has:
All the CE bells and whistles.
Very well drawn art, fun to look at
OK musical themes, (but oh! SO dramatic I found it distracting)
Pretty easy puzzles and HOPs
A good jump map that gives you a gateway to where there is something to do
All the CE bells and whistles.
Very well drawn art, fun to look at
OK musical themes, (but oh! SO dramatic I found it distracting)
Pretty easy puzzles and HOPs
A good jump map that gives you a gateway to where there is something to do
So, if you really like the game, you might want to buy the CE because the extra features are good. Otherwise, try the SE. This game is worth playing.
I recommend this game!
Turn back time to save your true love!
Overall rating
5
/
5
34 of 39 found this review helpful
Fun and beautiful, and I got sucked into the world, the mark of a great game
PostedDecember 10, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I agree with everything Sunnyglow says about the minigames being easy, but they were fun. I also liked the HOP scenes, not because they were challenging or interesting, but because they helped move the story along instead of just finding objects for the sake of finding objects.
The art is beautiful and the music is nice.
All the extras are included. Ability to play games over, a bonus game, art and music.
Best of all, I got sucked into the world. That is the mark of a great game. Immediate buy for me. Thanks, developers!
I recommend this game!
Why would anyone want to stop Christmas from coming?
Overall rating
3
/
5
7 of 8 found this review helpful
It's a kid's game! Beautiful, though. Festive.
PostedDecember 5, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
It's beautiful. But it is too easy. Even for me.
I'm an intermediate player, and I don't want to be an advanced player because I play these games to relax.
But this one is really for kids. If your grandkids are coming over during the holidays, this one should be great for them. I have seen nothing scary yet, though I have only played the demo.
I'm going to buy it, and play it, and get in the Xmas spirit with it, but it's really too easy.
I recommend this game!