arnold1049's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.8
- Helpful Votes:4,545
- Reviews Submitted:558
- First Review:February 24, 2012
- Most Recent Review:July 7, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Escape the Museum 2
After a devastating earthquake rocks the city, David must reach the museum before nightfall and save his wife and daughter!
Overall rating
5
/
5
10 of 11 found this review helpful
UNIQUE GAME
PostedNovember 24, 2015
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The obstacles facing David on his way to the Museum to reunite with his family after an earthquake are numerous and very challenging. His helper, a street person, provides guidance and humor along the way.
Each obstacle/location requires various actions to complete in order to overcome the obstacle. There are HOS, bridge parts to find, people/animals to rescue then reunite, and demands from the street person to meet. All available stars must be earned in each location to be able to overcome the last obstacle in the game, a folding bridge that must be lowered. The number of stars varies from 1 to 3. Items found in the HOS are used to complete other actions in the scene.
This is a linear game where each location must be completed before the play can progress. The only thing that can be skipped in a scene is finding the hidden bridge part. But to be able to finish the game, all of the bridge parts must be found at some point in time. I had to refer to the walkthrough a few times because finding these parts was next to impossible in some scenes.
Hints are available in the HOS and recharge fairly quickly. Help outside the HOS is provided by the street person with step by step instructions when his icon is clicked. But even with his help, I was driven to the walkthrough for more explanation a couple of times.
The HOS are pretty hard with some objects fairly small and others that blend into the background. Other parts of the game were easier. This is also a problem with the game, the lack of continuity in the difficulty of the play. Some locations were easy and could be completed very quickly. Others were much harder to the point of requiring help from the walkthrough.
I gave this game 5 stars because it provided a unique approach to HO play and broke the monotony found in playing other games that are very similar to each other.
I recommend this game!
Jewel Quest Mysteries: The Seventh Gate
Help Emma find her family in Jewel Quest Mysteries: The Seventh Gate, an incredible Hidden Object game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
12 of 12 found this review helpful
HIDDEN OBJECT AND MATCH 3
PostedNovember 22, 2015
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is a tough HOG in my opinion, partly because the objects are tiny, hard to see and well hidden and also because of the time constraint for each chapter. The Match 3 games are also timed. There are no puzzles/mini games except for the Match 3 boards.
The storyline has the heroine searching for her daughter, current boyfriend and old boyfriend throughout an island that has a currently quiet volcano. As the story unfolds, it appears that the old boyfriend kidnapped the daughter to get help in finding a jewel (of course) of great value described in ancient legends. Messing with the jewel has a direct impact on the volcano.
For each chapter, there are several list-type HOS. Hidden in some of the scenes are pieces of the jewel board which you must find in order to play the ending Match 3 game that caps off each chapter. The time constraint is not by location, but applies to completing the chapter. If time runs out, you have to start over at the very beginning of the chapter. This happened to me many times through the game.
Finding medallions in the scenes add to available hints, but there were never enough hints for me to be able to finish within the time limit. I finally developed a strategy of playing each scene quickly, finding all the objects I could without too much trouble, accumulating as many hints as I could along the way. Then I would go back to the scenes where I had not found all the objects and use the hints to finish the scene. Even though the same locations were visited over and over, there were so many available objects in each scene that there was very little to memorize in a scene for faster play the next time around.
Each scene also contains several jewels that need to be collected. These jewels are used to purchase power-ups for the Match 3 boards. The Match 3 boards were also challenging, with each one having a different kind of obstacle to overcome in addition to the timer.
I found this game to be challenging and it easily held my interest.
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
4
/
5
15 of 17 found this review helpful
SCARY TALE
PostedNovember 16, 2015
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I played the demo with a custom difficulty setting. This game has all the extras you would expect from a CE game; a map, built-in strategy guide, etc. Cards are the collectibles that, once all have been found, open up a crystal skull game of some kind. Achievements seem reasonable and attainable; during the demo, I managed to complete 3 of them.
There are warnings at the very beginning about violence and bloody scenes that are definitely warranted. Edgar Allan Poe's books are dark and violent and the game's atmosphere and graphics do an excellent job of projecting this into the game.
Game play was varied with lots of different things to do and no real pattern developed, holding my interest easily. I did not run into a classic junk pile HOS during the demo. There were lots of times where I needed to search for an object, but these searches were not relegated to a specific format or type.
All the object searches and mini puzzles blended seamlessly into the game play. Mini puzzles were played to accomplish something in the game, like opening a gate or a safe, so there was not the feeling of "exiting" the game to play a puzzle.
The game gave me the feeling of always being on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next thing to happen. It is an excellent addition to the Edgar Allan Poe series and a definite "buy" for me.
I recommend this game!
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.
Holly: A Christmas Tale Deluxe
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!
Holly 2
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.
Cruel Games: Red Riding Hood
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!
Samantha Swift and the Fountains of Fate
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!