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:
The rivalry between two movie studios escalates into deception and murder!
Overall rating
5
/
5
48 of 58 found this review helpful
I got sucked in and ran out the demo. That's the mark of a great game.
PostedDecember 5, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Others (sunnyglow, pennmom and biscuitsmama) have already written great, detailed reviews of this game, so I will just explain why it is an immediate buy for me.
The art is bright, clear and beautiful. I love looking at it.
The music is ok--by that I mean that it's not so annoying that I had to turn it off.
The two minigames I found were fun, though easy.
The HOPs were OK, though I am not a HOP person. Better than most, though. I am somewhat annoyed by the fact that you have to solve some parts of the HOP to get access to other parts of the HOP, but that's probably because HOPs are my least favorite part.
The Extras are the real selling point for me. You get the usual collectibles, a bonus chapter, achievements, replayable movies, and all the art and music. Best of all, you get replayable puzzles, and not just for this game. There are HOPs and minigames to replay from previous Final Cut games, also. You win them by finding candy canes and Christmas stockings.
The story is a little "whaaaat?" in places, though. For example, your first goal is to meet up with Bernard, but then you kinda don't really (you'll see). Also, there is a place where a character tells you "you can't come in here," and then proceeds to watch you while you break into some object right in front of him. Didn't make sense.
One problem--leaving the HOP scenes unexpectedly. As with some other games I have played, there are objects towards the bottom of the screen that look as if they are in the HOP but are actually in the area to click in order to leave the HOP. So I keep bouncing out by accident.
Despite these two things, I am loving this game. I don't think I can wait for a good sale for this one. It's my new favorite game.
I recommend this game!
After being contacted by a secret organization of elite mystery solvers, you're sent out in the field to prove your skills. This job interview may be your last!
Overall rating
3
/
5
14 of 16 found this review helpful
OK, game. Pretty!
PostedNovember 30, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Word
Current Favorite:
Subliminal Realms: The Masterpiece Collector's Edition
(97)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
The art = bright and colorful, sometimes beautiful.
The music = so annoying I had to turn it off.
The HOPs = word lists and outlines, not particularly interesting
The Mini-games = can’t really remember
The Story = unclear
Extras = No ability to play mini-games and HOS over, though there is a bonus game and achievements.
In fact, I played this game the morning it came out for about 20 minutes. This was just 2 days again, right? Today, when I opened it up (and found myself in the museum scene—girl defending against attacking gargoyle), I decided I had to start over again because I couldn’t figure out what was going on. I could not remember a thing about it, except I thought, “oh, this is that pretty one.”
So not memorable.
I will buy this game, probably as an SE, because it is so bright and colorful, sometimes beautiful. But I’m not in any hurry. Also, I think the CE is not a good buy for me because
==cannot play HOS and Minigames over and
==if I couldn’t remember the game after 2 days, I am not going to care about the bonus chapter.
==cannot play HOS and Minigames over and
==if I couldn’t remember the game after 2 days, I am not going to care about the bonus chapter.
So try it. Maybe you will like it better than I did. And I definitely think it is worth the purchase of this CE or of the SE to come.
I recommend this game!
Rediscover Red Riding Hood in an adventure with a surprisingly original twist based loosely on the tale by Charles Perrault!
Overall rating
4
/
5
61 of 77 found this review helpful
Old style game, but tolerably fun
PostedNovember 30, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Word
Current Favorite:
Subliminal Realms: The Masterpiece Collector's Edition
(97)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Instead of the Big Bad Wolf wanting to eat Red Riding Hood, he wants to marry her.
It's awfully simplistic. Old-school. And there's an awful lot of talk talk talk. In writing.
But sometimes it's pretty and sometimes even beautiful. Except for the big white icons and arrows that are always on the screen.
Two of the musical themes were great, the little one that starts out sounding line a music box and the piano one.
Except for the HOPs, it is click and drag, not just click. Which is not so good for my elderly elbow.
Hint recharge is at least 30 seconds, which was semi-OK mostly. But in one HOS, things were invisible, so then, waiting for the hint seemed interminable.
Too many HOS and not enough puzzles for me.
The inventory stayed hidden unless you clicked on it. Great feature.
HOPS:
==HOPs are just word lists, so not that interesting. But it's good that I can just click on everything and get through them.
==There is a click penalty, though it is not too annoying because you have to click fast & close together to set it off.
==Some items were oddly named, I thought. The one I remember=I was supposed to find 2 flowers. One I never saw, the other was a fleur de lis. Didn't think to click on it because, despite its name, it is a symbol of French royalty to me, not a daisy or a rose.
==HOPs are just word lists, so not that interesting. But it's good that I can just click on everything and get through them.
==There is a click penalty, though it is not too annoying because you have to click fast & close together to set it off.
==Some items were oddly named, I thought. The one I remember=I was supposed to find 2 flowers. One I never saw, the other was a fleur de lis. Didn't think to click on it because, despite its name, it is a symbol of French royalty to me, not a daisy or a rose.
MINI-GAMES
=Directions to mini-game #1 were not really correct. The puzzles was not "grouping the symbols" so much as it was chaining them together. What characteristic to use to order them was, at first, unclear, but I figured it out. Though easy, it was fun.
=Mini-game #2 was impossible, though, and I skipped it.
=I never found mini-game #3 before the demo time ran out. Did I say not enough mini-games?
=Directions to mini-game #1 were not really correct. The puzzles was not "grouping the symbols" so much as it was chaining them together. What characteristic to use to order them was, at first, unclear, but I figured it out. Though easy, it was fun.
=Mini-game #2 was impossible, though, and I skipped it.
=I never found mini-game #3 before the demo time ran out. Did I say not enough mini-games?
But despite all these quibbles, I had a good time. That's why 4 stars. Try it, you might like it.
I recommend this game!
The eyes are watching... and they're everywhere.
Overall rating
5
/
5
52 of 69 found this review helpful
CE or SE? Great game, but lacks some CE features, so SE might be a better buy.
PostedNovember 27, 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
I write the recommend whether to buy the CE or the SE because that is what I want to know if both are out and I have bought neither.
I'm playing the 4th chapter now, so I am over halfway through. The game is still as much fun as it was during the demo.
Some reasons to buy the CE are:
-A bonus chapter which I cannot advise about because I have not gotten that far yet.
-Replayable music that I actually might listen to outside the game.
-Achievements and collectables, but I mostly don't pay attention to those so I cannot advise.
-A map which also tells you if there is a collectable object at a location, a feature I have not noticed in other games.
-Replayable music that I actually might listen to outside the game.
-Achievements and collectables, but I mostly don't pay attention to those so I cannot advise.
-A map which also tells you if there is a collectable object at a location, a feature I have not noticed in other games.
As I said in my CE review, there's no ability to play the great HOPs and puzzles over again. Usually, I will grade a game down for that and not buy the CE. But I bought the CE because I was having so much fun playing that I couldn't wait to buy. That doesn't happen often
You don't have that problem, though; you can just buy the SE. And you should if you don't buy the CE. It's my favorite game.
Go, go! Why are you still reading? Everything is two-for-one today!
I recommend this game!
Experience an authentic Slavic legend! Save the creatures from destruction!
Overall rating
5
/
5
40 of 57 found this review helpful
Not yet ready for Thanksgiving's table 'cause totally sucked into Slavic Fable.
PostedNovember 26, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Word
Current Favorite:
Subliminal Realms: The Masterpiece Collector's Edition
(97)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Time got away from me and I ran out the demo. Fun!
I’m not that crazy about the art. It’s a little cartoonish for me.
But the music makes up for it. So full marks.
But the music makes up for it. So full marks.
The game plays seamlessly.
I even like the HOPs, not my favorite part, usually.
The minigames are sometimes too easy, but still fun.
The minigames are sometimes too easy, but still fun.
An extra feature on my Mac=Click at top of the game’s screen to get the Mac menu to (for example) adjust all computer sound up or down without going to windowed mode. I’ve never seen this before. Also, it would allow “Force Quit” in case of game lockup (as opposed to whole computer lockup.) Great! All Mac games should have this. I just had to do a hard boot yesterday, and I would like to avoid them as much as possible.
There seems to be no ability to play the minigames over which is too bad, but there’s an ability to replay HOPs, a bonus chapter, and art+music.
Even marking down for no replay of minigames and cartoonish art, I got sucked in to the world, and that is my measure of a great game.
Top marks. Buying soon.
I recommend this game!
Set off on an epic solitaire card adventure with Prince Ram in his quest to free his wife from the clutches of the Demon King Raavan!
Overall rating
2
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
Very slow and boring.
PostedNovember 23, 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
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
It's just another "play the next card higher or lower" game.
I liked the little piano intervals music, but the rest? Bleah. There are some guys that can get rid of cards for you, and there are some wild cards and achievements, but even with all that--slow and boring.
It even seemed that the cards turned over slowly. I quit after 23 minutes.
I actually love to play card games with the computer, but not this one.
C'mon, developers, pick some OTHER solitaire game and make something cool out of it.
I don't recommend this game.
Who is trying to destroy the Kingdom of Barsia?
Overall rating
3
/
5
14 of 22 found this review helpful
Confused by all the high grades
PostedNovember 20, 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
OK, it’s pretty in some spots and has nice music
It’s got all the extras
But 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 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.
Also, I am certainly not sucked into the world of the game, and I wasn’t even before I got stuck. So I am confused by all the 5 star grades. I think 5 stars should be reserved only for those games that you cannot stop playing even if it is bedtime.
I am barely recommending this one. It seems ok and it works well, but parts of the gameplay=too frustrating. I will probably wait for the SE.
I recommend this game!
Discover the story of Jean Valjean, the hero of the novel "Les Misérables"!
Overall rating
1
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Bombed on my Mac and took the computer down with it!
PostedNovember 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
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Big Fish, I know you are not posting this, but you should not sell it for a Mac until fixed. I figure this is the quickest way to tell you. Please forward appropriately.
It bombed when I put the key in the lock of the bedroom cabinet.
After it bombed, (and sorry, the report was lost in the reboot) I went back in, and I was stuck. Required a hard reboot. Would not show the menu to let me out of the game, though I could click on the arrows that led to other locations. But that's all. No other clicking worked. Even the hint froze.
So all I could do was move between the first two rooms. And I could not escape. But at least I didn't steal bread :-)
There appear to be no reviews since the Mac release scheduled for tomorrow--all but one are dated 2014, which must be when the PC version came out. So any other Mac input out there?
I suggest somebody there at Big Fish try running it on a Mac and pull it back if my result is duplicated. I am running a late 2012 Mac mini that has been upgraded to Yosemite. And it is NOT my computer, really. I am all updated, except that I have not loaded El Capitan yet.
By the way, I liked the story, the art and the music. Nice clear art and pretty music. Too bad!
My computer seems to be working ok, I hope.
Deleted
I don't recommend this game.
Your wedding day goes dark... and your fiancée has no idea who's behind it all.
Overall rating
3
/
5
17 of 19 found this review helpful
CE or SE for this Illogical game?
PostedNovember 15, 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
1
/
5
Based upon playing the first four chapters (out of six) of the CE.
-The art is ok, though sometimes it seems as if the perspective is off.
-The music is sort of schmalzy, but of course, it IS supposed to be a romantic game. When I reviewed the CE, I said I wouldn't care if I ever heard it again. Since then, I have turned it off
-The CE has all the bells and whistles
-The music is sort of schmalzy, but of course, it IS supposed to be a romantic game. When I reviewed the CE, I said I wouldn't care if I ever heard it again. Since then, I have turned it off
-The CE has all the bells and whistles
BUT
As I have played this game, I have found that I have been having less and less fun. For one thing, this game is not particularly logical. Like, you have a rake which would seem to be the ideal thing for pulling a nail toward you when one arm is chained up. But instead, you are supposed to use a rope?? This lack of logic makes the playing of the game non-intuitive and promotes overuse of hint button and strategy guide. I wrote of some more illogical things in my CE review, found HERE: http://www.bigfishgames.com/games/8973/dark-romance-3-the-swan-sonata-ce/?mac
Also, the point of view keeps changing without warning. In most games, you are just one person. Here, you start out as the bride to be, and then you are the Prince. This might not be a problem if you can sit and play the game for a long period, but when you return after a hiatus, it’s confusing. Finally, at the beginning of chapter 5 I saw the transition. Perhaps there were other transitions and I just didn’t catch on, but I will not bother to go back and see.
I don’t get the point of the boudoir.
Also, I have found many of the minigames tedious in the extreme, increased by the similarity to each other—many are "switch the picture around" puzzles. Which is too bad since usually, minigames are my favorite part.
Although I would not call them junk piles, the HOPs nothing special, though there are lots of combining objects and an option for match three.
And how many rakes and I gonna have to find in this dang game? Though I must say the saw cutting a shape out of wood as if it were scissors cutting out a paper doll made me laugh.
So, CE or SE? If you really like the game, I say buy the CE because all the bells and whistles are there. But I thought that the game was worthy of 4 stars when I had only played the demo, and now not so much. So SE on a daily deal is my recommendation now. Sorry.
I 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
12 of 14 found this review helpful
HOPs too aggravating to continue.
PostedNovember 14, 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
I did not get all the way through the demo. Keep reading and I will explain why.
Pros:
=I actually liked the music, although I find the art drab. I guess that makes sense as it is supposed to be gloomy, scary Edgar Allen Poe.
=The game seemed to function very well.
=The minigames were fun, though some were quite simple.
=All the CE bells and whistles seemed to be there.
=You can set the hint reset after 5 seconds (which is the only reason I got as far as I did--keep reading!)
=I actually liked the music, although I find the art drab. I guess that makes sense as it is supposed to be gloomy, scary Edgar Allen Poe.
=The game seemed to function very well.
=The minigames were fun, though some were quite simple.
=All the CE bells and whistles seemed to be there.
=You can set the hint reset after 5 seconds (which is the only reason I got as far as I did--keep reading!)
One big con:
I have just made a new rule in honor of this game. I do not buy games that I continuously curse at.
I have just made a new rule in honor of this game. I do not buy games that I continuously curse at.
There's a room, a bedroom, and the entire thing seems to be a big HOP. It has hidden objects all over it--some in closeups and some not--with silhouettes of them on a list that pops up on the right side of the screen. I got most of the way through that HOP room--mostly by clicking and clicking and muttering, "C'mon!" That's basically how I did it.
But then I was required to find eyelashes. They were not as tiny as real eyelashes and didn't look like eyelashes, but they were small, and they were same color as something else I'd been saying "C'mon" to while struggling to put it together. The eyelashes were what made me give up. Nope. Not for me.
There needed to be a way to skip this big HOP and there wasn't. Perhaps if you are a real HOP lover--but this room really wasn't a true HOP. It was too interactive for that.
If I knew that there would never be anything else like this in this game again, I might buy it--because I was having a pretty fun time until then. But I can't count on that. In fact, I'm not sure I could even get through the HOP room.
Can't recommend. Deleted. Sorry.
I don't recommend this game.