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:
Complete dangerous missions amid dazzling landscapes of prehistoric Earth and alien worlds. Can you complete these thrilling puzzles in order to return home?
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
HARD PUZZLES WITH GOOD STORYLINE
PostedAugust 9, 2015
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Word, Mahjong, Card & Board, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is one of the first time travel games that I could actually follow the storyline without getting lost and that actually made sense. Kudos to the developers and writers. I won't go into a description of the storyline, as I'm sure this has been covered by other reviewers as well as the description of the game.
There is never a dull moment in this game. I actually looked forward to the dialog boxes to be able to relax a little before tackling the next challenge. The HOS weren't difficult although you can't really breeze through them either. There were so many types of puzzles I couldn't keep track, and no two puzzle types repeated themselves.
Out of 16 achievements available in the game, only 6 or so are related to completing portions or all of the game play. The rest are won by solving the main puzzles in a limited amount of moves. I was happy just to solve them at all, let alone make fewer moves in the process. I skipped more puzzles in this game than any I have played before, even though I'm kind of stubborn and I don't like to give up.
The bonus material at the end, unusual for a SE game, is nothing but puzzles. Jigsaw, find 5 places in a scene using a circular piece to match, remove blocks from the middle of the board, one other and the fifth type was the ability to replay all the main puzzles in the game, the ones that awarded achievements if completed. That is a lot of puzzles and a lot of time that can be spent playing.
I played most of the game under the difficult mode. It seemed that the only difference between casual and hard was the length of time it took for the hint button to recharge. I found that I didn't need to use the hint button that often; most of the time I used it to quickly find the current active area within a given scene. There is an interactive map that shows you what locations have active zones and allows you to use it to jump to that location. This was another item in the game that raises it above the normal SE's and gets it closer to a CE.
This game left me with a sense of accomplishment and a tiny desire to go back to see if I can finish all the puzzles I skipped.
I recommend this game!
Mishap: An Accidental Haunting
The Burtons have just moved into a beautiful new home, which just happens to be haunted. Help them deal with the ghosts!
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
WHO YOU GONNA CALL? GHOSTBUSTERS!
PostedAugust 8, 2015
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Match 3, Word, Mahjong, Card & Board, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
A young couple have moved into a haunted house. Just about the time the wife is ready to give it up and leave, a kindly scientist appears at their door. He assures them that he can help them get rid of the ghosts.
What follows is 8 chapters played in different parts of the house that result in the capture of several ghosts in each location. All the ghosts have stories included about how they became a ghost. There is a stronger, boss ghost in each location that controls the other ghosts. Information is also provided on the boss ghost in each location. The scientist must pull the boss ghost into a machine he has on his back. For the scientist to be able to do this, all HO items must be found, and a riddle must be solved to obtain a part for the scientist's machines. At that point, the last and strongest ghost at that location appears and a final mini game must be played in competition with him.
Each chapter contains 3 separate HOS. The first and main one is panoramic and fills almost 3 screens. Within this HOS, there are two openings that lead into off shoots of the main room. These rooms also contain a HOS. The HOS are tough. There is a long list of items to be found and some of them are very small and well hidden. I used the hint button a lot and it did not recharge that quickly.
The solution to the riddle is contained in the items that have to be found in the HOS. Warning: you cannot leave a chapter until all items have been found. If you solve the riddle before you have found all the items, the hint no longer works and you may find yourself spending a lot of time randomly clicking until you find the last items. If you miss-click too many times, a ghost punishes you by popping up and making the scene fade as though it is covered with smoke. This effect lasts for a time, making it even harder to look for and find hidden items.
Once the riddle is solved, you must execute what the riddle tells you to do. This means you have to find the place in the chapter where the riddle can be done. After this step, you are able to collect a part for one of the scientist's machines.
The mini-games were very hard for me. There were several rounds to each game and the games were timed. The games require you to use your mouse exclusively and you must do it very quickly. I have never been coordinated enough to be that good at moving a mouse accurately and quickly, so I got mostly bronze trophies and one or two silver trophies.
There is a final award to be earned, but in order to win it, you must earn a gold trophy for all 8 mini-games. You can replay the mini-games as often as you want in search of the gold trophy, but I felt lucky just to get through the mini-games and had no desire to repeat them. Therefore, I have no idea what the special award is.
The storyline is cute and funny and the voiceovers are excellent. I do not play with music or other sounds. The graphics were interesting and at times dark. The cut-out scenes are on the order of comic book illustrations.
The ending is unexpected and gratifying. This game is heavy on HOS and the mini-puzzles are unique. This game was a challenge to me and I think it will be to most players. There is a sequel and I'm ready to play it based on how much I enjoyed this game.
I recommend this game!
Build a town for ghosts in the beautiful valley by the sea and recreate all of the four seasons.
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 4 found this review helpful
THE LOVELY GHOSTS ARE BACK!
PostedAugust 5, 2015
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Word, Mahjong, Card & Board, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I only played the demo for this game but I have already played Lauraville 1 so I had hoped that this one would be as good. And it is. I played on the easiest mode because I can enjoy the game play and the graphics much better if I am not pressed for time. And I admit I don't move real fast in the first place.
The ghosts are again looking for a home and they have arrived at a land that has no seasons. Industrious as they are, they set to work immediately to first create the seasons and along the way build their town. In order to help them do this, you must earn coins by playing the various games within the game.
The match 3 and mahjong games seem to be even more complicated than the first game in the series. I spent a lot of my 60 minutes reading about how to play the game. This was not time lost, though, as the instructions showed what would be coming up in the game and actually whetted my appetite for further play. I only encountered one mahjong game during the trial. I also encountered one "find the difference" game which was not real hard but it took awhile to find the last difference.
The graphics are simple, bright and colorful. Definitely a feast for the eyes. I don't ever play with sound or music and there are no voiceovers. The ghosts "talk" to you about the progress of their town. During the free play I encountered two characters, a woman and the wizard, both returns from the previous games.
Tutorial hints pop up when you first encounter a new item so it adds to the play instead of getting in the way. Again, reading the "how to play" book is necessary to be able to play the game as effectively as possible.
This is not a hard game for players with experience in the type of games that are included. In addition to time limits, there is another limit on something that you can also choose to make the game harder. I can't remember what the 2nd limitation is on; number of moves maybe? Playing with these limits is what would make this game hard.
This is a definite buy for me and I will continue to look forward to the next chapter in this series.
I recommend this game!
Buku Kakuro
Experience the puzzle sensation that is sweeping the nation! Buku Kakuro contains millions of puzzles layouts for hours of fun.
Overall rating
1
/
5
UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO PLAY
PostedAugust 4, 2015
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Word, Card & Board, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
I find it extremely interesting that there is only one other review of this game. When I went to the community forums, there is no current activity on this game; all threads have been locked. Why this game is still being offered by Big Fish is beyond me.
Being totally unfamiliar with this type of game, but liking Sudoku, I decided to play the demo. I'm very glad I did not purchase the game. I read all the possible help available, both within the game and in the forum. Although all topics were locked in the forum, I could read what players had said before the lock. I attempted to play this game twice, going back to it thinking I was just having one of those dense days. But after 2 attempts and 39 minutes of research (I was never able to play it), I still cannot understand how to play.
I take exception to the description of this game that states it is good for beginners and the tutorial is so good that anyone can learn how to play. Well, I guess I'm not anyone, because I have been unable to figure out how to play. The frustration this causes me is something I don't need when I am trying to enjoy myself.
This game needs a better tutorial or needs a sample puzzle where you are led step by step in how to figure out what goes into each square.
I don't recommend this game.
From the makers of the Rite of Passage series comes a ground-breaking new series that's as creepy as it gets.
Overall rating
5
/
5
10 of 15 found this review helpful
NEVER ENDING TWISTS AND TURNS
PostedAugust 2, 2015
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Word, Mahjong, Card & Board, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This review is based on playing the demo. This game grabs you from the very beginning and I had to purchase it after the demo was over because the game play is so interesting that I couldn't wait to continue playing it. Thankfully, CE games were on sale.
The storyline includes your progress through the maze, as well as flashbacks that show how you ended up in the maze in the first place. In the first few flashbacks, you are headed to a beach vacation when you almost run into a deer. Convinced that you need sleep before you continue, you find that there is a hotel just around the corner. This hotel is not what it seems to be, but you check in anyway. You wake up in a maze controlled by a little girl and you must find your way out to survive. The little girl provides directions through the maze that require you to meet her tests.
Evidence points to the fact that you are not the first person to be trapped in this maze. Your number, 360, seems to confirm this. Puzzles and HOS have to be completed in order to advance through the maze. At some points, you are given a choice on how to proceed and making the wrong choice can prove fatal. The game does allow you to go back and make the right choice.
It also allows you to replay puzzles that are intended to stop your progress through the maze. The one I ran into was a room that filled with water and within a set period of time, you must find a way to get out of the water before you drown. I was unable to solve this one in the time allotted, but the game let me replay the scene and I made it the second time.
There are the standard items found in most CE such as an interactive map, achievements, morphing objects, bonus play and collectibles related directly to game play. Other items like wallpapers, music, etc. are also available.
The graphics are well done and the HOS actually come from locations within the maze and thus are directly related to game play. The HOS are varied from a junk pile list and require some effort to complete. For instance, one HOS is filled with pigeons and the list of objects to find just says Pigeon. Somehow you must figure out which pigeons in the scene are the ones that will result in one of the Pigeons being crossed off the list.
I did not play the music but did leave the sound on for the voiceovers. This is an option that I think every game should have; being able to hear the voiceovers without having to listen to the other sounds.
Although not so difficult that it is frustrating, you still are challenged by the game. The variation in puzzles and locations makes it very interesting. This game has so much going on that it is almost like a book that has twists and turns every time you turn around and you just can't stop reading it. I am doing this review while I am waiting for the complete game to download and install so I can continue playing this excellent game immediately. Bravo to the developers and Big Fish for making this game available.
I recommend this game!
Can you find and catch the notorious Sea Ripper?
Overall rating
4
/
5
10 of 12 found this review helpful
DEMO JUST WETTED MY APPETITE
PostedJuly 31, 2015
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Word, Mahjong, Card & Board, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I played the one hour demo and this is a definite buy for me. I have played other games in the Sea of Lies series and this one does not disappoint.
The plot behind the game is covered in the description of the game on Big Fish. This game has all the extras you would expect from a great CE game. The graphics are beautiful.
This is not an easy game and you have to keep on your toes to find all the HO and solve all the puzzles. I would expect the game to get better and better the longer you play it, as the game is complicated and the one hour demo cannot do it justice.
Definitely a buy for me, particularly on Bonus Punch Monday.
I recommend this game!
Real estate agent Angie Dee must get her first home ready for sale. Explore, solve puzzles and clean cobwebs to unravel the house’s mystery in this amusing adventure.
Overall rating
2
/
5
NOT A GOOD USE OF YOUR TIME
PostedJuly 31, 2015
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Word, Mahjong, Card & Board, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I played the one hour demo and as a result decided not to purchase the game, even with a coupon, All the other reviewers' comments about the items being too small and too hard to see against the background are right on the money. I don't mind a challenge, but there has to be some way to feel you have a chance at finding an object. This game just left me with a feeling of frustration. A challenge is when you have to use a hint and when you see the object you tell yourself that you should have been able to find that. Frustration comes when the hint shows the object and "clicks" it for you and you still have no idea what the object looked like or how you could have been able to find it.
There is a map, but it tells you nothing about where you are or where there are things that need to be done. It will transport you from place to place.
One reviewer talked about playing an updated version that had some of the "bugs" worked out, but I'm not sure this is it. Although there was a sort of tutorial, there were a lot of things that were not explained. What does it mean when the words on the list turn yellow? Another review answered this one to say it would remain yellow until you clicked on the next object. What possible purpose does this serve? At other times clicking on something produced a question mark. This was also never ecplained.
Challenging is good; frustration is not.
I don't recommend this game.
Help the FBI catch the infamous Unicorn Killer! Chase the murderer, Ira Einhorn, around the world as you bring him to justice.
Overall rating
3
/
5
5 of 6 found this review helpful
EXTREMELY SHORT GAME
PostedJuly 30, 2015
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Word, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game follows the investigation and capture of a man calling himself the Unicorn who killed his girlfriend and kept her in a trunk in his closet for 2 years. Because of the influence of his well-to-do friends, he was let out on a bond of $40,000 at which point he disappeared into Europe.
You play a new FBI agent assigned to this case to help the FBI agent who has been working the case since the beginning. As a result, a lot of the written storyline (no voiceovers) is involved with teaching you lessons. There is a lot of dialog, but without it, the game would have been even shorter.
Locations are related to the crime and some are visited more than once. There maybe 20 locations, with only one HOS per location, which is another reason the game is so short. The HOS are straight junk piles with no upgrades at all. The HOS are fairly clear and not too hard although I did need a hint a couple of times.Additional hints are earned by finishing mini puzzles correctly and other actions in the HOS.
Mini puzzles are mixed in with the HOS and are also repetitive. These puzzles center around the FBI lab and include such games as swapping tiles and matching two of a kind.
This appears to be a very old game that probably should be retired, although it might work well for a beginning player if you can get past the subject matter.
I don't recommend this game.
Virtually crime-free, the Topley Police Department's statistics for solving crimes are... embarrassing. Turn the department around!
Overall rating
3
/
5
KEYSTONE COPS ENFORCE THE LAW
PostedJuly 29, 2015
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Word, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This solitaire game has you visiting various locations in the town of Topley to find clues to eliminate suspects for various crimes until you have narrowed down the suspects to the criminal If you have earned enough money during play you can then issue a warrant for the culprit's arrest.
The Keystone Cops must have been in charge of passing the laws in this city because the various criminals are convicted of such crimes as sleeping on a refrigerator. The enforcement of these weird laws enable the Police Department statistics to look good. Each crime is introduced by an article on the front page of the local paper. Other articles on the front page cover more weird events happening in the city.
The solitaire board layouts are varied and one of the game options is to play with card decks that randomly change color. There are several types of power-ups, such as the availability of a wild card. These power-ups build up extremely slowly and I rarely used them. At times you earn the chance to spin a wheel of misfortune that may result in you losing money or cards, although occasionally you actually get a good prize. You also win achievements for accomplishing certain things during play, like solving 20 games or getting a string of cards in consecutive order.
A good arrest and conviction record brings you promotions until you top out at the highest level. Play does not stop at this point, but continues on with new crimes and new criminals. In fact I'm not sure there is an actual end to this game. Each board must be replayed until you complete the board. In the available achievements, one was for solving XX number of crimes. The highest level of this achievement was 80 games, with 20 being the lowest. It took a lot of playing to solve 20 crimes and I can't imagine hanging around for 80 games.
There is a lot of repetition in the game, including crimes committed. The number of suspects increased and the cost of the warrant increased as the game continued until at some point, it seemed the game started over with fewer suspects and cheaper warrants. That was when I quit.
The humor in the crimes and criminals and the various other parts of the game was fun for awhile, but, again, continued repetition dulled the senses. If you like solitaire games without a clear goal or stopping point, then you will like this game.
Help Aiden save the Magic Kingdom and his friend from a dark sorcerer that has enslaved a magical realm.
Overall rating
4
/
5
74 of 78 found this review helpful
SOLID SE
PostedJuly 28, 2015
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Word, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I played the free hour and was able to open one portal and enter one world, the world of magic. At that point, my time ran out.
The story is about parallel worlds and how what happens in one world affects another world. In your world, you are a good friend of Allison, who is sick and no one seems to be able to help her. Her illness seems to be coming from a dark mage who is trying to kill her in order to kill a Queen Allison in a parallel world. The key to her illness seems to be the fact that the evil mage thinks she has no friends. You must change this perception and save Allison in both worlds. I just barely met a goblin that is supposed to be a main character in the game and another friend of Allison. Not sure what his role in the game will be.
The game has good, clear, bright graphics. The one HOS I played was a combination of silhouette and interactive. Once you found one of the items, you used it to get another one.
Puzzles seemed to be plentiful and were relevant to the story line. Neither the puzzles nor the HOS were too difficult. The hint button works good and I used it several times to figure out where to go next. I did not need any hints in the HOS, but I did have to ponder awhile to get it right.
There is a jump map that makes movements between locations very easy and is a good addition to a SE game. If I had referred to the map more, I would not have needed to use the hints, as the map seems to show where something needs to be done. I'm not real sure about this, though, as I got the keys for the piano but the map did not show the location where the piano was as one that needed action, unless I was reading the map wrong.
There are no extras (other than the map) with this game, as it is a SE.
It took me a little while to get into the flow of the game and the hour seemed to go by very quickly. The storyline is tantalizing and makes me want to know the steps needed to rescue both Allisons.
I will probably use a coupon to purchase, as it is not a great game and not that challenging but one that should be entertaining. Would be good for Beginners and Intermediate players.
I recommend this game!