laurakay76's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.6
- Helpful Votes:723
- Reviews Submitted:154
- First Review:November 16, 2011
- Most Recent Review:February 13, 2024
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Enter Ravenwood Park and discover the secrets hidden in the mists...
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
A LOT creepier than the first one!
PostedSeptember 23, 2018
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I loved the first Enigmatis, even though it made me jump quite a bit, so I bought the two sequels in collector's editions. I recently binged on all three for three nights in a row, because I'd never gotten around to playing the second and third. I won't rehash the plots in my review, since everyone does.
The second game is a lot darker than the first. The first was creepy but the second is like being trapped in a horror movie. I am not normally a fan of scary things but I really love these games, because they're so intelligent. The stories are engaging and there are no twists that don't make sense. The mythology of the game world is an intriguing blend of Christianity and original ideas. The voice acting is terrific and the characters are likable... even when they shouldn't be.
I enjoyed the addition of achievements this time around, and the collector's edition has a neat little bonus called the "Redwood Encyclopedia," which gives real world facts about the redwood trees. I found that fun to read.
All in all, an excellent middle part to a fascinating game trilogy!
I recommend this game!
Uncover a conspiracy against the king!
Overall rating
5
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
LOVE this!
PostedSeptember 10, 2018
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
As of this writing, I'm nowhere near finished with this game, but I already think it's one of the best games I've ever played from Big Fish. It's hitting all my sweet spots - engaging puzzles that are just the right level of challenge, beautiful visuals, lovely music, and a story that keeps my attention. I love the fact that you're not actually playing as the long-lost royal heir but as someone who loves him and wants to help him. It's so refreshing! Everything about this game is delighting me and I can't wait to see what comes next.
I recommend this game!
Will yours be your downfall?
Overall rating
2
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Didn't even finish.
PostedSeptember 10, 2018
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I love the Spirits of Mystery series, so my disappointment with this installment is tremendous. The visuals and sound quality were superb, the voice acting was fine... but the story just killed it. Absolutely too much suspension of disbelief is required. Why were you supposed to lock yourself in for safety if the person telling you to lock yourself in wanted to kill you? Why did he wait 25 years before doing so? None of it adds up at all.
The puzzles were variable. The HOS were fine, most of the other puzzles were at least mildly interesting, but the business with the mother's amulet to uncover the hidden symbols in the air was both difficult and boring. After the big reveal about a third of the way through the game, I realized that I just didn't have enough interest to continue. There are very few BF games that I couldn't at least persuade myself to finish, but this is on that short list.
I don't recommend this game.
Embark on an epic adventure through medieval times and help protect a medieval village in this match 3 adventure!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Port in a storm
PostedAugust 22, 2018
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I'm not usually one for Match 3 games, as I find them repetitive and dull. Storm Tale is a nice change of pace. It has the charming backstory of trying to help the village rebuild, and each puzzle is different from the last. There are various types of "special" plays which you can purchase by redeeming gems; happily, however, these gems are earned during gameplay and there's no real-world currency involved. The addition of trophies makes for a nice little extra challenge, even on the relaxed mode where you have no limits to how many moves you can make. I'm enjoying picking at this at odd moments and I look forward to seeing how it gets resolved. If you like Match 3 games, this is a great one to try.
I recommend this game!
The seven deadly sins have plunged peaceful Riddlestone into chaos! Rescue the royal family and save their people from destruction.
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
I admit I don't remember buying this...
PostedDecember 11, 2016
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
...but it was in my games list so I decided to play. It was very interesting. Other reviewers have explained the plot, so I'll skip that part.
I found the way the seven deadly sins were presented to be unique. Lust is usually portrayed as the lone female, so it was rather nice to see Sloth and Pride also as female (although I never did figure out who Pride had possessed, if anyone). I was intrigued by the way the game didn't shy away from the more mature themes of the sins - mentions of violence and adultery weren't emphasized, but they were definitely present.
One thing that annoyed me was the lack of a map function. It was nice that I could click on the hint button and be teleported to where I needed to go, but sometimes the game and I disagreed about the next step to be taken and I would have liked to have more agency in deciding where to go without getting lost in the process. I also found some of the puzzles more frustrating than I would have liked. The ending was... a bit anticlimactic, truthfully; I felt like such a good story deserved a better resolution.
On the whole, I give it four stars out of five and I definitely do think it was worth playing.
I recommend this game!
Act as Adam Wolfe, an investigator of the paranormal. Discover an occult world hidden in modern San Francisco!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Good game, too short
PostedDecember 7, 2016
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
There were so many positive reviews on this game that I spent a coupon on it without trying the demo. I regret nothing.
This is a well-crafted, thoroughly unique game with a well-written story, an entanglement of multiple enticing mysteries, a complex and compelling main character, and unusual puzzles. Adam Wolfe is a detective specializing in the supernatural, who is desperately trying to find his missing sister Allie. Each case brings him closer to resolving that issue.
My only complaint is that the game is too short. It has two acts, which are roughly as long as your standard bonus chapter in a regular BFG game, and the player is left wanting a lot more than what's given. Sequels, please, and soon!
I recommend this game!
A sudden murder overshadows the writing opportunity of a lifetime.
Overall rating
5
/
5
If it were a book, it would be hard to put down.
PostedDecember 4, 2016
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This was my first foray into the Dead Reckoning series, and I didn't know what to expect. But the mystery sucked me in almost from the first, and kept me guessing right up until the reveal.
I really got a kick out of the way Eipix presented several of their games as novel series authored by different characters. You play as Ms. Douglas, the author of the Dead Reckoning series, and you're competing with the authors of four other popular series for the chance to write the biography of a famous millionaire. But when murder interrupts the proceedings, you start to realize that nothing is quite what it seems.
I'm going to have to look into the earlier games in this series, because this one was just that good.
Can you clear her name before it’s too late?
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
Proper Elizabethan adventure!
PostedNovember 5, 2016
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I'm a big old history nerd, and Queen Elizabeth I is one of my favorite historical figures, so I was very eager to play this once I understood that it really was about her. Some of the reviews, not to mention the email I received from Big Fish, were very deceiving - there is no "King Robert" upset about his wife's situation, because Elizabeth was never married. So that had me thinking that this was purely fictitious; but no, it's Good Queen Bess that I'm here to save!
In the role of trusted handmaiden Lady Jane, the player must uncover the blackmail plot which is an attempt to force the queen off of her throne. The whole thing is pretty interesting; the voice acting is nice; it's all visually pleasing, and I particularly liked the fact that Lady Jane has the famous portrait of young Elizabeth in her room.
I haven't finished the game as of this writing, but I'm very eager to see how it's all resolved. I hope there are more "Secrets of Great Queens" in the future!
I recommend this game!
After the Countess is discovered dead, it’s up to you to find her murderer in Mystery Chronicles: Betrayals of Love!
Overall rating
2
/
5
If I got a do-over, I wouldn't do this over.
PostedJanuary 1, 2016
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I found this game to be utterly ridiculous. I can't remember ever playing a game where I had to do so much running back and forth. Very little of where to find anything was remotely intuitive; I felt like I was constantly clicking on the hint button for a clue as to where I was going and what I needed to find when I got there. The worst offender has to be the final confrontation with the murderer. First I needed to collect three boards to fix the broken ladder. Then I had to get the ladder from one location. Then I needed to get nails from another location, and a hammer from yet another location. Then once I climbed the ladder, I needed to go someplace else to get a rope to lower myself. THEN I needed a weapon, which was in yet another location! Finally I got inside the building where the final confrontation was to take place...and was told that "I need something long to hang from that hook." The constant backing up to find more and more components gave me an absolute headache. I actually have not finished the game as of writing this review, because I became so thoroughly annoyed that I don't even care anymore.
The H0 puzzles were okay, but they got on my nerves too. So many of the objects were hidden behind one another or at the edges of the scene. The non-H0 puzzles were at least interesting, and challenging.
The story wasn't bad, but compared to the irritation of the running around, it felt simplistic and contrived. The graphics were a mix; the environments were beautiful and felt real, but the people, not so much. I couldn't bring myself to care about any of the characters either.
I think I bought this as a DD or COTW in order to fill up a punch card, and the reviews were positive enough to encourage the purchase. If I had it to do over, though, I wouldn't buy this one again.
I don't recommend this game.
The kingdom is under threat from pirates! Sail to the farthest islands to save your sister and become hero of the kingdom.
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
If you liked the first one, you'll like this one too.
PostedJanuary 1, 2016
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I enjoyed the original "Hero of the Kingdom" much more than I expected, so when I saw that there was a sequel, I was only too happy to buy it sight unseen.
It's pretty much the same game all over again, in the sense that the objectives are similar. You play a young man who, following personal tragedy, has to save the kingdom from evildoers - in this case, bloodthirsty pirates. Along the way you acquire skills and learn to spot microscopic items which will be of use during the quest. You also interact with various medieval-esque characters and perform small side quests for them, which increase your heroic reputation as well as earning you much-needed gold and the occasional plot coupon.
It's not quite as good as the original, to be honest. The gameplay itself is the same and just as enjoyable, but this time the story is more convoluted. There's a romance which feels incredibly contrived, as does the big revelation concerning the pirate boss. There's also a lot of hopping around to buy components for various things, ranging from parts to the ship you must build to weapons to help you stop a zombie invasion. (Yes, really.) The interactive map helps a lot with the travel, but it's also tricky to remember which merchant will sell - and, sometimes more importantly, buy - which item.
My complaints are few, though, and this was well worth the price tag. If they make a third one, I'll be getting that too.
I recommend this game!