arnold1049's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.8
- Helpful Votes:4,545
- Reviews Submitted:555
- First Review:February 24, 2012
- Most Recent Review:December 24, 2024
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Artifacts are mysteriously disappearing from the museum exhibit. Thread your way through a maze of deceit in this epic Greek Drama!
Overall rating
1
/
5
26 of 54 found this review helpful
I JUST DON'T GET IT.
PostedNovember 12, 2015
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I spent the whole demo hour moving from place to place and listening to dialog and did not accomplish a single task. I have tried other Nancy Drew games with similar results. For some reason, I just don't understand the logic of the game play or how to move through the scenes.
I found myself going in circles and not being able to get to any of the places the task list said I needed to go. One task was to get a key from one of the characters but I never found that character no matter how many arrows I followed. There is no map so I had no idea where I was let alone where I should be going.
I know these games are very popular and I wish I could figure out why I have such a bad experience with them. They just frustrate me.
Help Santa find the items he needs on Christmas Eve! Let Holly: A Christmas Tale fill you with the spirit of the season!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
GREAT CHRISTMAS ATMOSPHERE
PostedNovember 12, 2015
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
There are tons of HOS in this game that will satisfy any HOG lover. There are all different kids of HOS; lists, find all of one kind of thing, find by silhouettes, etc. I only played the demo, so further into the game, there may be even more kinds of HOS.
Hints are available, but can only be replaced or increased by finding 3 golden pine cones in the scenes.
The mini games/puzzles are not difficult and were varied enough to not be boring. This may change, as the progress I made during the demo covered very little ground in the map of locations.
There are no extras; this is a straight SE game. The storyline is only used to transition from one HOS to another.
Children will like this game, too, but it has enough challenge to entertain adults if they are looking for lots of HOS and easy, no stress, relaxing game play.
I recommend this game!
Find and save Holly`s daughter by following an elf to a magical world, full of Hidden Object scenes and exciting minigames!
Overall rating
4
/
5
12 of 13 found this review helpful
HARD ENOUGH FOR ADULTS
PostedNovember 12, 2015
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
At first glance, this game appears to be directed at the younger crowd. Fairies, elves, magic, etc. And the bright colors and fantasy locations would add to this impression. But when it comes time to play the HOS, they are tough enough for adults.
I played the demo and did not get too far into the storyline, but it was kind of cute as were the characters that join the search for Holly's daughter.
The mini games weren't that easy, either. One of them was a 7-ring rotating puzzle that had a picture much more complex than many I've seen in adult games.
So don't let the look of this game fool you. It is challenging enough for the older crowd with beautiful graphics that lift your spirits.
I recommend this game!
iCarly: iDream in Toons
The cast of iCarly have been turned into cartoons! Figure out what happened in iCarly: iDream in Toons, a fun Hidden Object game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
FOR THE YOUNGER CROWD
PostedNovember 11, 2015
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The cartoonish graphics and high-school-age characters put this game into that age group. There is lots of reading with juvenile humor that was tedious and boring to me.
The HOS themselves were good and varied with some of the items hard to find. In the hour that I played, there were 4 ways to help find objects. First, there is always the hint button. Adding to hints requires that you find a lower case "i" in the scenes. Another one is highlighting the item name and a silhouette of it will appear to the left. Third, there is a magnifying tool and last there is a "vision" machine that exposes items that can be seen no other way.
The mini games were extremely easy. One was a word scramble and a couple more were jigsaw puzzles.
I really think this game would have great appeal to late grade school and early high school players. Of course, this terminology dates me, as "early high school" is called middle school now. Anyway, not an appealing game for adults or expert HOGamers.
The wolf has returned and Red Riding Hood is in danger - but this is no fairytale!
Overall rating
2
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
ROUND AND ROUND AND ROUND WE GO AND WHERE WE STOP NOBODY KNOWS
PostedNovember 5, 2015
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This game has a very bad case of merrygoroundism. That's a new word I've invented for games that send you back and forth among the same locations so many times that you meet yourself coming and going. These kinds of games make me grit my teeth in frustration and are a pet peeve of mine.
Since this game already has almost 100 reviews, I'll keep mine simple. This game will make you dizzy; even a jump map can't save it. For me it is a waste of good money and not even worth continuing to play it, the frustration level is so high.
I don't recommend this game.
The latest Big City Adventure is here! With the perfect blend of modern and traditional influences, the renowned metropolis of Shanghai awaits you!
Overall rating
5
/
5
129 of 147 found this review helpful
ANOTHER WINNER
PostedNovember 4, 2015
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
This will probably be the shortest review I will ever write. Shanghai, the most recent game in the Big City Adventure series, continues the tradition of excellence in HOGs established by the previous games. This is a straight HOG with nothing to distract from the fun of finding HOs in beautifully rendered scenes throughout Shanghai and getting some education along the way.
I have every game in this series and was very happy to see a new one. Keep them coming.
I recommend this game!
Travel the globe with Samantha Swift to find the ancient waters that hold the secret to the Fountain of Youth!
Overall rating
5
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
CHALLENGING GAME
PostedNovember 2, 2015
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The HOS in this game were very challenging. Many of the items were small and others blended into the background so much that they were almost impossible to find without the help of a hint.
I had a little trouble following the storyline, but it wasn't necessary to enjoy the game. And it didn't take too much time away from playing the scenes.
Each scene contained 2 swift birds and a lightening bolt to find. Finding all the swift birds wins a trophy while the lightening bolts add to the number of hints. In the darker scenes I found some of the birds impossible to find, and I didn't find them all. There is a counter on the lower right of the scene that keeps track of how many birds have been found in the scene.
The graphics were fabulous and provided great atmosphere to the scenes. One scene that depicts a rain storm made me feel like I was actually in it.
The hints have a scanner function that shows the silhouette of the item your are trying to find. This sometimes helps and reduces the need to use a hint. If you click on too many wrong items, the scanner goes haywire and must reset itself before you can use it again.
As mentioned before, there are trophies to be won, some attainable and some not so much. Using no hints in the entire game, finding all the birds and lightening bolts. not skipping any of the puzzles are examples of some.
There is no back and forth in this game. Once a location is finished, you never return to it. At some point during the game, an "extra" is unlocked, called unlimited HO play. This option provided the 8 scenes to be played over again, this time with every single item in the scene appearing in the list to find. Playing all 8 scenes in this way also wins a trophy. Depending on the accuracy and speed in which these scenes are replayed you can earn a bronze, silver or gold coin. Considering how complex and challenging the scenes were the first time around, I settled for bronze everytime, just being happy to finally find all the items.
This is the second game in this series that I have played and I have enjoyed both of them.
I recommend this game!
Home Makeover 3 is bigger and better than ever! Hidden Object, Match-3 and decoration all in one game!
Overall rating
2
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
FIVE STARS FOR KIDS
PostedNovember 2, 2015
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
This is based on playing the demo. I played the first game in this series and really liked it. This one has been reduced to a child's game and I am really disappointed.
The game has lots to do that will keep a child interested. Even in the one hour I played, I was just starting to get into some new areas. Looking at the available "decor" also showed that this game has many more levels to it than the first game, like time management play, quests, having to purchase certain levels of "decor" before being able to unlock other decor, etc.
I played the time mode and several times I was unable to find all the objects in the allotted time. There is an untimed mode so that is great. There were supposed to be coins and origami stuff to find in each scene, but I never saw them. Perhaps I was too busy trying to beat the clock, which is the only thing that makes this game any challenge at all.
The graphics and bright colors will appeal to children. There is a lot of dialog to read, but it is fairly simple, another thing that made me rank this game low. The dialog might interest a child, but I really don't think they care about a budding romance between next door neighbors. And this part of the game was really boring.
Take out the tobacco products and the extremely realistic poisonous snakes and this would be a winning childs game.
I recommend this game for Family/Children only.
I don't recommend this game.
Help Alex and Lisa return to the present, and each other, before a rumbling volcano spews its contents in this Hidden Object game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
LIKED THE FIRST ONE A LOT BETTER
PostedOctober 31, 2015
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I played the prequel to this game and really enjoyed it. I went looking for this one, hoping it would be the same. I played the one hour demo and I am very disappointed.
The first game did not take itself too seriously and it was lighthearted and fun. This game decided it would grow up and even changed the characters so that they seemed more mature and serious.
This is a fragmented HOG, one of my least favorite types. There is also a lot of back and forth between locations, often to get just one item to then return to the original location to use. This is one of my pet peeves in games, so another strike against it.
The storyline is about a couple who are engaged to each other who find themselves on a group of tropical islands. The game starts with the male character, who wakes up not knowing where he is or how he got there. The story progressed enough during the demo to reveal that this is a time-travel game, with the characters trapped in time ten years apart. They both start looking for ways to get back to each other. The shaman from the previous game is back, but he has turned into a bad guy.
Maybe if I hadn't played the previous game, I would like this one better. But I was hoping for a similar game and this is not it.
Search for Oliver Hook’s lost treasures all around the world! Explore exciting scenes and find more clues hidden by the pirate!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
FOR HOG LOVERS
PostedOctober 31, 2015
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I played the 60 minute demo and actually played it in two separate sessions, so my impression of the game is a little disjointed. However, based on the last 30 minutes I played, this is a coupon-code buy for me.
As the description of the game says, locations for HOS are found all over the world. The scenes are bright (unless you have to search with a flashlight) and the graphics clear. The HO themselves can be very small and often a challenge to find, which is good and makes this game appeal to me.
Your performance on each scene is rated according to the time it took you to finish, the number of coins you found, and other criteria. There are coins scattered throughout each scene and these coins can be used to purchase power ups from the travel store. Hints are also available. I did not need either the hints or the power ups during the time I played.
The mini-puzzles that I played during the hour demo were extremely easy and repetitive. Perhaps as the game progresses, this may change. The ratio between HOS and puzzles was about 2 to 1.
This game has nothing really to make it stand out. It is just a good-quality, HOG for those of use who prefer looking for objects over other activities.
I recommend this game!