FamousAdventurer's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4
- Helpful Votes:290
- Reviews Submitted:10
- First Review:December 28, 2011
- Most Recent Review:February 20, 2012
- Featured reviews0
FamousAdventurer's Review History
Laxius Force
Help Prince Djarma leads a band of heroes against the shadowy Order, weavers of the Dark arts.
Overall rating
5
/
5
31 of 31 found this review helpful
Utterly epic RPG
PostedFebruary 20, 2012
FamousAdventurer
fromNew York
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Laxius Force, and just about any game by Aldorlea, is just one word: EPIC. It is long, full of great gameplay and level-crunching, and kept me hooked for several days on end. It has great replay value because there's always something you missed on the first few play-throughs. It really pushes RPG Maker's capabilities above and beyond, I love how the base avatars are really brought to life with beautiful hand-drawn combat sprites, character portraits, and sometimes close-ups. Now for the uninitiated, Laxius Force's storyline picks up a few years after the events of the Laxius Power series, thus if you haven't played those games you'll be a tad confused as to who some of the characters are and references to the other story arcs throughout the LP series. Casual players may be turned off, but hardcore RPG players will rejoice. I can't praise the Laxius series enough for its epic developments, and I hope Aldorlea brings us more.
I recommend this game!
Tradewinds 2
Amass a fortune by buying and selling goods. Earn enough gold to upgrade your ship and engage in land and sea battles.
Overall rating
5
/
5
41 of 43 found this review helpful
Best game in the Tradewinds series
PostedFebruary 17, 2012
FamousAdventurer
fromNew York
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I love the Tradewinds series of strategy games, and in my opinion Tradewinds 2 is by and far the best. It takes place in the the Caribbean in the golden age of piracy. I found free trade mode to be a bit boring in this installment, but I prefer the story modes-- and these stories kept me interested, plus I liked how it remained challenging throughout; unlike Tradewinds Odyssey where despite good storylines and gameplay, it just got too easy after a while. Overall, it's a very well-written game that keeps you on your toes with all the different sidequests, trading possibilities and contraband, and pirate battles plus the main quest you are working on. If you like pirate games, you'll love this one.
I recommend this game!
Bipo: The Mystery of the Red Panda
A routine trip to the cupcakery turns into a full on investigation for a ghost in a deserted manor!
Overall rating
4
/
5
11 of 12 found this review helpful
Cute and humorous puzzle adventure
PostedFebruary 17, 2012
FamousAdventurer
fromNew York
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
If you like games of a whimsical nature that involve talking animals where you're not sure what to expect, you may want to give this one a try. Despite being made in RPG Maker, this is no RPG but rather a puzzle adventure game. The story begins with Bipo the red panda who needs to earn some money, then he gets himself into something bigger. I found myself giggling infectiously after 20 minutes of gameplay and just knew I had to buy it. While it's a fairly linear game, you definitely have to use your head and there's no in-game cheating! It reminded me of old shareware games that had serious love put into them. The voiceovers range from wonderful to grating, but you'll find yourself getting a chuckle out of Bipo's voice. (And my favorite one was the badger at the newspaper office.) My only complaint is that you can't click through dialog, and there were a few headscratchers that primarily casual gamers who aren't used to clicking on everything humanly possible may find off-putting; same with the fact that you pretty much can't skip minigames (but I really like these minigames!) But overall, if you enjoy indie games and want something different, I highly recommend The Mystery of the Red Panda.
I recommend this game!
Tradewinds Odyssey
Guide five unique heroes as you embark on epic quests throughout Ancient Greece, where gods, heroes and monsters of legend await.
Overall rating
4
/
5
34 of 39 found this review helpful
Great entry in Tradewinds series but easy
PostedFebruary 16, 2012
FamousAdventurer
fromNew York
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I love the Tradewinds strategy games, and hope to see more-- I love the Grecian theme and tongue-in-cheek references to our modern times (like the sidequest with the moneylenders), the art assets are great-looking-- but this one fell short with me in terms of challenge hence I had to dock a star. The game starts off with a sufficient level of challenge in adventure mode, but then just becomes too easy once you reach about Chapter 5-6 of your character's story. All in all though, it's a very addicting game that someone who isn't used to strategy games might find challenging when playing in Normal mode. The individual story arcs for each playable character are great, then you can unlock Free Trade mode once you complete their story and all their sidequests. (Except the "Custom" character doesn't have a story and is nothing but sidequests-- "Custom" is really "Free Trade Deluxe".) I think it improved over Tradewinds Legends in terms of writing and art asset quality, but Tradewinds Legends had more surprises in terms of sidequests and what you could buy in the reliquaries. No less-- Tradewinds Odyssey is a terrific must-have game!
I recommend this game!
Go on a new adventure with Iris and Robin and help them win the Magical Tournament in Magic Farm 2: Fairy Lands!
Overall rating
2
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Unfinished game?
PostedFebruary 16, 2012
FamousAdventurer
fromNew York
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I bought this game with a good impression, since I really liked the gameplay in the demo-- to be fair, it is good. The graphics are pretty nice and the challenge level is decent. But I somehow get the feeling the developer (or meddling executives in publishing) rushed this game out the door because it just seems...unfinished? It seems there weren't enough levels before the game was just abruptly over. Once the "storyline" is through, all that's left to play for require big amounts of in-game currency which then just becomes boring to attain. I think this had the potential to be a 5-star game if it had more levels/worlds within. Thus I'd recommend it if it's on special or you have a free game voucher, but an incomplete game is not a must-have.
I don't recommend this game.
Shiver: Vanishing Hitchhiker
After leaving something in your car, a hitchhiker vanishes! Track her down and return her things in Shiver: Vanishing Hitchhiker!
Overall rating
4
/
5
Very suspenseful and immersing iHOG
PostedFebruary 8, 2012
FamousAdventurer
fromNew York
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
If you're a fan of scary hidden object games, you will definitely want to give this one a go. Since I'm a die-hard point and click adventure player, I've happily watched iHOGs evolve and this is one fine example of bringing the best elements of both genres together. This has to be one of the first iHOGs I've played where the setting isn't a contrived plot device, and it's a scary and suspenseful story that leaves you eagerly wanting to play more. The CG video sequences are done well and actually add to the game rather than take away from it. I had to dock a star though for some confusing design bits and poorly-defined clickable areas.
I recommend this game!
Restaurant Empire
A gastronome's dream come true! Build a restaurant from the bottom up and work your way to creating a food empire.
Overall rating
3
/
5
30 of 39 found this review helpful
Good gameplay but loaded with design flaws
PostedJanuary 24, 2012
FamousAdventurer
fromNew York
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
If you like cooking games, sim games, and are looking more something less casual and more intense, Restaurant Empire seems like an excellent title-- it has a lot of aspects I really enjoy such as picking out recipes, the minigames in the story mode, and decorating the restaurant. But it's loaded with design flaws in that there is no way to really address customer complaints or control the food quality. The sandbox mode also just lets too much happen at once while the story mode is incredibly limiting. All in all, it can be a fun play if you have cheat codes but has too much going on at once for the casual gamer while the seasoned gamer will get turned off by design flaws.
I don't recommend this game.
Charlaine Harris: Dying for Daylight
Enter a vampire world as Dahlia, a vampire with a fantastic sense of fashion and a razor-sharp wit! Find the legendary sun potion!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
Best iHOG I've seen, and how a licensed game SHOULD be!
PostedJanuary 21, 2012
FamousAdventurer
fromNew York
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
I am seriously impressed with this game. To put my review in perspective, I have been playing classic point-n-click adventure games for 23 years. I settle for iHOGs occasionally these days since there are so few real adventure games available commercially now; and I was impressed at just how adventure-game-like this was between the quests, character/narrator commentary, and while it didn't have the level of challenge I'm accustomed to there were still plenty of times I had to think my way through things. The visuals were top-notch and I liked the visual novel type cutscenes-- reminded me a bit of Gabriel Knight-- no shock since I noticed the hat's off to Jane Jensen in the Restful Acres directory so I can see the game designer had a good influence here! The gameplay will keep you interested and this does not suffer from what most iHOGs and poor "adventure" titles today suffer from where characters are just weak plot devices; you will not want to peel yourself away from this game. Additionally, THIS is how a licensed game should be done: it is very true to Charlaine Harris' vampire-driven universe, unlike these poorly-made cash-in games I keep seeing! That also really shocked me since this is an iHOG. All in all, I HIGHLY recommend this game and can't wait for Dying For Daylight II!
I recommend this game!
Tasty Planet: Back for Seconds
Gobble up the entire Tasty Planet in this fun and exciting Adventure game! Grow in size and take on even more delectable items!
Overall rating
5
/
5
110 of 140 found this review helpful
Great mindless fun
PostedJanuary 4, 2012
FamousAdventurer
fromNew York
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
This game seriously needs to be made smartphone and tablet compatible. It's so much fun just sweeping the blob across the screen, and I couldn't help but laugh at the stuff it ends up eating. The comic book like inter-titles also add to it. The elevator music like audio took away from it for me, but was kind of a funny dissonance (like how gangsta rap comprised the soundtrack to Office Space.) All in all, I recommend this game; it's incredibly easy to play, switching between keyboard and mouse control is seamless and it's simple enough controls to play on a laptop computer. I hope to see more games in this series!
I recommend this game!
Cooking Quest
Gather ingredients and manage your budget while preparing gourmet meals in this Hidden Object sizzler.
Overall rating
3
/
5
28 of 37 found this review helpful
Love the concept but too short
PostedDecember 28, 2011
FamousAdventurer
fromNew York
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
I really like the idea of combining a Hidden Object game with a cooking game, and all the different descriptions/possibilities depending on what your budget was. But I played about 80% of the game within the hour time limit, bought it, then was disappointed at how few levels were left. The other things I didn't like were how tiny so many of the objects were-- it was a literal pixel hunt. That, and while I liked the idea of finding special objects that gave descriptions, they should've been highlighted on the object list because I'd be trying to get a speed bonus then suddenly it would stop clicking. Also, I had to switch from full-screen to windowed just to click on objects at the very bottom of the screen. Overall, I felt this game would've been worth the money had there been more levels and these design flaws addressed because I really like the concept and want to see another cooking game like this.
I recommend this game!