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:
Escape from Thunder Island
Join the more-brave-than-brilliant aviatrix Rita James on a quest to rescue her kidnapped father in Escape from Thunder Island!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 5 found this review helpful
VERY ENJOYABLE GAME
PostedNovember 28, 2012
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game was a nice change from a lot of the doom and gloom, dark games that seem so prevalent.
It included a token search option that, supposedly, would provide additional play if you were able to find 80 of them throughout the game. I'm pretty sure I didn't meet this requirement, as the game ended with no further action. I may decide to play it again, just to see if I can hit the mark.
It has a map, which comes in very handy when trying to figure out what to do next. The hint button was good, particularly when used in conjunction with the map. I wish I had figured out the map sooner, as it would have saved some time by reducing the need to go back and forth between locations. I did have to refer to the walk through a few times.
My biggest complaint is the many puzzle mini games that were very hard to do. The dark, subdued colors, mostly brown and tan, blended together and the border offered few clues. The subject of the puzzles did not seem to have any connection to the game. Here the hint button helped a lot, as it was specific to the mini game, and I used it a lot.
All in all, a good, enjoyable game.
I recommend this game!
After a group of young students go missing, the Mystery Trackers are called in to search the city of Raincliff!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
OUTSTANDING
PostedNovember 26, 2012
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I really liked this game. The graphics are awesome. I never play with sound, so can't express an opinion on that. The map is one of the best features. You can move to another location with the map, which eliminates all the backing out and going left/right to get to the next active area.
The mini games were varied and some were very hard to figure out. The information on how to play the mini games was not always enough to know exactly what was required to play. Because of this, I had to skip some of them, which kept me from winning one of the awards.
That was another neat thing about the game, the ability to earn awards based on how you played. That just added another dimension that just made the game that much more interesting.
The hints were right on the spot and very detailed; I used them a lot to find out what I needed to do next, eliminating the need to go to the walk through for this information. However, I did not need hints in the HO scenes.
This game is almost perfect and I highly recommend it.
I recommend this game!
An evil dwarf collects the souls of those who enter the neglected park! Will you be able to rid the world of his presence?
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
HELD MY INTEREST
PostedNovember 26, 2012
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is a good HO game that held my interest through the very end. The mini games were varied and challenging, and the story line was well constructed. Having a map is always a plus, but the map would have been better if it showed the locations where further action was needed. The map only showed where HO scenes needed to be played, so there was a lot of back and forth that is frustrating. The hints were good and were often enough to help figure out the next step.
I recommend this game!
Nightmares from the Deep: The Cursed Heart Collector's Edition
Dive into an epic journey as a museum owner in pursuit of an undead pirate who has kidnapped your daughter in Nightmares from the Deep: The Cursed Heart!
Overall rating
4
/
5
A CE WORTH THE EXTRA COST
PostedOctober 31, 2012
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Up until now, I've not been impressed with the CE I've purchased, but this game proved that CE can be done correctly. The extra play at the end was a perfect extension of the storyline and the play was just as complex as the original game.
The entire game was very engaging, with excellent graphics and voice overs. Although there is a lot of running around and back and forths, the map made it extremely easy to keep track of things. The inventory items never got too far ahead of the story, and needed items were never too many steps backwards or forwards to find.
I never had to use the strategy guide/walkthrough, which is a big plus for me. The HOS and the puzzles weren't too hard, although I did have to use the occasional hint and I think I might have skipped one or two puzzles just because I grew impatient.
What I thought was very interesting, and something I think I've seen only once before, was an alternative to playing the HOS. You could choose to play a matching game based on mahjong tiles. I thought it was just an extra puzzle, but immediately realized that once I had played the tiles, the HOS went away as completed.
I recommend this game!
Trapped at the bottom of the sea by Davy Jones, you must discover his secrets, save your father and find a way to escape!
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
NEARLY PERFECT
PostedOctober 29, 2012
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Up until the very last part of the game, I really thought this was about the best game I've ever played. Everything worked and the Notes, Clues, and Map made it really easy to figure out where I was and where I needed to be. The mini games were not too hard and neither were the HOS. I rarely had to use the hint button, and only at the very end did I need to check out the walk through. I pretty much played it in one sitting, which may explain why, by the end of the game, I was not thinking as sharply as I should have been. When I have to refer to the walk through to figure out the next step, then my opinion of the game goes down a little. I hate not being able to figure out where to go to play the next HOS or puzzles. It's one thing to be unable to solve a puzzle or figure out how to use an inventory item and a whole other issue not knowing where to go to play next. The latter issue just drives me crazy.
The storyline was great and the graphics very good. I never play with sound, so cannot comment on that area. All in all, an excellent game.
I recommend this game!
Your favorite professor summons you to the island of Castle Rock. He wants you to find the philosopher’s stone and save the world!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
AVERAGE GAME
PostedOctober 29, 2012
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This game was enjoyable. It runs you around some, but not enough to be classified as one of my "pet peeve" games. The hint button worked to help get me to the next applicable area to play. There were a couple of mini games that were way too small and busy for me to even attempt to play, so I immediately skipped them. I did not lose track of the storyline and looked forward to seeing what the next area revealed. Nothing much else stood out, either good or bad.
Investigate the disappearance of the chancellor's daughter and uncover the long lost kingdom of the exiled Frog Prince!
Overall rating
3
/
5
ANOTHER "PET PEEVE" GAME
PostedOctober 29, 2012
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I have both the SE and the CE of this game, and, thankfully, played the SE first. Now I won't waste my time playing the CE. This game is guilty of the one thing that drives me crazy; sending me forwards and backwards and sideways until I'm dizzy and don't have a clue where I am or where I need to go. The map was little, if any, help and contained such good advice as "Find all the hidden objects." Often, the map wouldn't even show you where you where or where you needed to be until you backed out far enough for the applicable piece of the map to show. The hint button did not work outside the HOS, so was no help in getting to the next place to play. By the time I had been run around and around, I had completely lost track of the storyline and all I wanted to do was get done with it, as I never give up on a game, no matter how bad.
I don't recommend this game.
Discover the light-hearted, bizarre, and charming parts of America! Visit the Hamburger Museum, Pez Museum, and much more!
Overall rating
4
/
5
11 of 13 found this review helpful
NEED HOS PRACTICE? THIS GAME IS FOR YOU!
PostedOctober 19, 2012
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This game is totally HOS; no puzzles, and a very limited, although cute, story line. It has 3 levels of play. The easiest has no time limit on the HOS and quick hint button refresh; the middle level has a time limit on each scene (that I couldn't always make), with longer hint button refresh time, and the hardest level has shorter time limits and longer hint button refreshes. On all levels, you have unlimited hints, although in the timed levels, you can only get so many hints in before your time runs out. If you run out of time, you can replay the scene with no penalty, at least at the middle level, where I played. The scenes do repeat themselves through the game with some, but not all, different objects to find.
The HOS graphics were clear and crisp, but some were so busy that you almost didn't know where to start. There was some limited information on real museums around the country that was very interesting, and some of the HOS were based on the contents of these museums. Some that were included in the game were, of course, an Elvis museum, a Pez museum, and my favorite, a roach museum. Makes you want to get in your car and take a trip.
I rarely, if ever, play with sound and this game was no exception. I started out with sound, and the music was catchy and suitable to the museum being featured, but I simply prefer to play my games in silence.
I think this would be a great, light-hearted game to start kids on, and for more experienced players, a straight dose of HOS to keep our skills fresh.
I recommend this game!
Someone is killing the guests at a mountain resort, and you could be next if you don't figure out the mystery and solve a Mountain Crime!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
ENDING LEFT ME SHAKING MY HEAD
PostedOctober 18, 2012
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
This is a very intricate game with lots of clues and lots of characters intertwined. I was looking forward to finding out the solution when the game seemed to end abruptly and nothing was tied up in a neat knot. I went looking for a sequel or a prequel that would help explain the story, but there is no such thing, I guess. So, if you don't care how the story ends, then you should like this game OK.
There is a lot of back and forth in this game, which usually frustrates me, but the hint button was an easy way to find which area needed to be worked next. The puzzles were various and interesting, but the skip button took forever to load. I never had to use the walkthrough, thanks to the hint button. I had to skip one puzzle because I didn't refer to the journal that contained the solution. So be sure the refer to the journal often.
This was one of the first games I purchased when I started playing hidden object games, and I couldn't figure it out at all. After getting a little more experience, I came back to it and had no problems with it. I liked that at times, it gave you choices on how the game continued. However, if this contributed to the inexplicable ending, then I would rather have foregone this option. This game is definitely not for beginners.
Investigating her parents’ deaths, Edwina rekindles a centuries old tale of love and revenge. End the curse of the severed heart!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
EVEN MY PET PEEVE DIDN'T KEEP ME FROM LIKING THIS GAME
PostedOctober 17, 2012
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Normally, if a game is guilty of my pet peeve, then I don't rate it very highly. This game, however, is an exception. My pet peeve is being sent back and forth through the many scenes to get new items for inventory or to solve a puzzle until you have no idea where you are or where to go next. Often I am forced to go to a Strategy Guide to find the next play area. However, in this game, the hint button was so well done, that I was always able to use it to figure out where to go next. And I used the hint button a lot for this reason only. I rarely had to use a hint in the HOS.
The storyline was excellent and I loved the British accents in the voice overs. Some of the items in the HOS were also British flavored. The mini games weren't too hard, but one or two of them needed an explanation as to what needed to be done. Of course, I'm sure the strategy guide would have told me, but I would rather skip a puzzle than break my rhythm.
I played with the music off, but the background sounds on, which allowed for the voice overs to be heard. Usually, I play with no sound at all, as the music and background noises distract me. This often leaves me reading the voice overs instead of hearing them, which would have been bad in this game because of the great British accents. Not many games allow you to hear the voice overs if you turn off some of the sound settings.
Great game.
I recommend this game!