laurakay76's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.6
- Helpful Votes:723
- Reviews Submitted:161
- First Review:November 16, 2011
- Most Recent Review:October 14, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Accompany Mary Jane and Jack on a swashbuckling hidden object adventure!
Overall rating
4
/
5
I'm only disappointed that there's no sequel
PostedAugust 24, 2021
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This in largest part is a very good game. The visuals are excellent, the voice acting is well done, and the story is interesting. Flipping between the two leads as they get separated creates nice narrative tension. I liked Jack very much; Mary Jane was only slightly less likable. (I had to admit that Jack had a point about her never saying thank you. But when she called him "dear Jack" at the end, I felt like that made up for it.)
My only complaint is that this, like so many other games, ends on a sequel hook and there is no sequel to be had. Nor does it look like there's one coming. I want to know what happens next and I fear we never will. But don't let that stop you from checking out a truly enjoyable game!
I recommend this game!
Get lost in a haunted house that keeps changing!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Another winner!
PostedAugust 21, 2021
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I grabbed the demo of this one almost as soon as I finished Black Dagger, because I enjoyed that one so much. I was really disappointed to learn that this is (at least as of right now) the last one in the series, but I plunged ahead anyway. This one is every bit as good as Black Dagger - same quality of writing and voice acting and puzzles. I was about ten minutes into the demo before I knew I'd have to buy it because the mystery hooked me almost immediately.
Literally my only complaint about the game is missing Duncan - I really liked him in the previous game and kind of hoped he and the player character would meet again in this one. But even without him, this is still really great. I'm currently waiting (with a bit of impatience) for the full game to finish downloading so I can pick up where the demo ended. Mariaglorum, please, come back to this series!
I recommend this game!
Can you stop the townspeople from paying for a dark past?
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
I'm probably not even halfway through...
PostedAugust 19, 2021
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
...but I had to stop and rave about this game. I've never played any of the MotA series, and I admit I'm not actually sure how I ended up with this one in my game manager, but I'm going to have to try them ALL. This is fantastic and I'm hooked. It's got everything I like in a game - engaging storyline, interesting and likable characters, a mysterious villain, collectibles, achievements, and puzzles galore. Full marks to Mariaglorium, and I can't wait to see how this one ends. (Also, I *really* like Duncan.)
I recommend this game!
Can Camelot survive the wrath of the Green Knight?
Overall rating
2
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
Loved the idea but...
PostedAugust 10, 2021
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
The concept behind the story was great - let me say that first. I was enchanted by the idea, being a big fan of the Arthurian legends, and I bought the game without trying it first. That... was a bad move.
I will say that the music is very pleasing and several of the puzzles were good. But as others have stated, the animation is terrible - people's faces move when they talk, but the rest of them doesn't. Merlin's voice is *ridiculous* and the rest of the voice acting isn't much better (with the exception of the Green Knight, I liked his voice well enough). The storyline is disjointed and perplexing, and it lost me when Mordred referred to Morgana as "Mother" but Merlin said that she was his sister. I'm pretty sure Merlin would know that Morgana was Mordred's mother!
I gave up shortly after that because I realized I just wasn't enjoying myself. I really wanted to like this game... but I didn't.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you keep your first solo detective case from becoming your last?
Overall rating
2
/
5
6 of 8 found this review helpful
Did nothing for me
PostedJuly 13, 2021
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I gave up after four levels. There is no tutorial, so no explanation for much of anything. I played on the untimed mode in order to try to get a feel for things, but the challenge was so baffling that it wasn't enjoyable.
Apparently you harvest food from what looks like a very large cabbage; okay, that makes sense, but gathering unspecified materials from an "Eternal Tree" is another story. There's also a recurring need for "moon dust" for some reason. Also, hidden in every level is an item shaped like... I guess it's a police badge? You have to click on that in order to acquire a puzzle piece for a little bit of bonus gameplay. That's a nice feature, but at no time is it EVER mentioned.
The graphics are kind of weird. Everything is on the small side and the animation is a little strange; at one point I noticed Olivia was basically running sideways. I didn't understand who was supposed to be helping her throughout the first level; it eventually got clarified that these are residents of the mysterious village, but they look like aliens or deep sea divers or something.
I just couldn't get into it. The story wasn't presented very well and I didn't find it engaging. But that was me; I agree with another reviewer who suggests trying it for yourself, because you might be able to appreciate it more.
The oracle’s strange vision portends cataclysmic destruction!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
I enjoyed the first one more but this is still very good.
PostedJune 27, 2021
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I was a little disappointed going into this, because I wanted to continue following Lucia and Ulf on their quest to restore Ulf's humanity. Instead, this time we're playing as Scarlett, the rogue witch who helped Lucia in the first game. But it's still an interesting story, with some great new characters to meet and a terrible fate to avert.
Good things:
- Lots of morphs and collectibles to find
- Engaging story
- Further revelations about the mythology of this world
- Genuinely challenging puzzles, some of which were completely new to me
- Lots of morphs and collectibles to find
- Engaging story
- Further revelations about the mythology of this world
- Genuinely challenging puzzles, some of which were completely new to me
My only real complaint is that while most of the voice acting is excellent, Scarlett almost always sounds like she's bored. Otherwise, this is a good sequel and I hope we'll be getting more installments!
I recommend this game!
Follow Iselin on an adventure like no other, explore a magical land to stop the witch Aradia, find hidden objects, and solve challenging puzzles.
Overall rating
2
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
Very confused by the whole thing
PostedJune 26, 2021
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I think I got about ten minutes into it before I gave up because I was bored. There's definitely an effort being made here - I love a good FROG and that aspect was fine. The voice acting is okay, but the animation of the talking doesn't really line up with the voice and it just seems weird. The first puzzle I had to solve, putting the wagon wheel together, didn't work; I clearly had everything in the right spot but it wouldn't let me continue the game until I skipped the puzzle. As for the story, which is always the most important part for me, there's very little in the way of an explanation as to why Iselin is in this situation. The message from the wizard almost raises more questions than it answers. Glad I only got the demo, because based on some of these reviews, I would have been pretty annoyed if I'd kept going.
Arthurian legends are just stories, but sometimes fiction hides the truth.
Overall rating
4
/
5
8 of 10 found this review helpful
This delighted me on a personal level
PostedJune 18, 2021
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Being of Welsh descent, I've always been partial to its legends. I even just wrote an article about the last (technically only) native Princess of Wales. So there was no way I was going to not buy this game!
Loved the storyline. The devs took the legend of King Arthur and did something new and unique with it, which is impressive after so many centuries. I also liked how they wove it into real history by making Edward I an antagonist; "Longshanks" really was a thorn in the side of the native Welsh, so putting him in this version of the story made perfect sense. I was slightly less enchanted with the story in the bonus chapter, but it was still interesting and worth playing.
My only real complaint is that the final puzzle of the bonus chapter literally did not work. Despite following the instructions exactly, the puzzle did not respond to my actions and I ended up having to skip it, which I found frustrating because it was not a difficult puzzle if it had only worked. Otherwise it was a very enjoyable game with beautiful visuals and a story that spoke to my heart!
I recommend this game!
Can you solve a sinister mystery in time to save your nuptials?
Overall rating
4
/
5
34 of 41 found this review helpful
I called this one!
PostedJune 10, 2021
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I made a prediction, several weeks ago, that the 20th Haunted Hotel would be the last one and that it would feature James and Jessica's wedding. I was right! Sometimes it's not fun to be right, and I'm sad to see this series come to an end, but it was a good run.
This is a fine ending to the series. There are some call backs to previous installments, most notably HH: The Evil Inside. James's cousin Rachel comes back to participate in his wedding, but she's not the only familiar face he encounters from that game.
The storyline is interesting - only James can take advantage of a rare event that will allow him to release a bunch of trapped spirits into the afterlife. Unfortunately, that event happens to coincide with his own wedding, which gives a whole new meaning to the concept of 'til death do us part'! The puzzles are very good. The animation is superb as usual and the voice acting is as enjoyable as ever.
My only real nitpick: the voice acting credits list Agent Brown (James's pal from the Detectives United) and I was disappointed not to see him in the actual game. Otherwise, great job Elephant Games, and thanks for a fun series!
I recommend this game!
Can you stop a ghost bride and save the city?
Overall rating
3
/
5
Good puzzles
PostedJune 8, 2021
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
This is pretty middling fare, on the whole. Not the best I've played from this developer, but not the worst.
Good: It did have some good puzzles. I got a kick out of the temporary switch to an old style choose-your-own-adventure text format. I was also amused to see that I recognized a number of elements which appear in other games - I know I've seen the bar and the second crypt in installments of Dark Tales. The underground maze was a nice touch.
Bad: Some of the puzzles were really frustrating, particularly the one in the second crypt involving the three different-colored magnifying glasses. It simply refused to cooperate or acknowledge the final symbol, even though I could see it perfectly clearly on the screen. Most of all, though, I really didn't care for the storyline, which didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. The ending was particularly unsatisfying.
Not a bad game, but not one that I would play again.