JustTheFacts's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.9
- Helpful Votes:33,148
- Reviews Submitted:681
- First Review:December 7, 2011
- Most Recent Review:June 4, 2018
- Featured reviews0
Status:
The epic conclusion of an amazing trilogy in Adelantado Trilogy: Book Three, a thrilling Time Management game.
Overall rating
5
/
5
53 of 73 found this review helpful
Instant Buy!
PostedDecember 23, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Beginner
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON PARTIALLY COMPLETED GAME
I didn’t even have to think about it, my fingers had already hit the buy button before I remembered that it is bonus punchcard Monday! This just never happens to me, even with games I know I’m going to buy. But the AdelantadoTrilogy is unique among build style games in being able to keep me up late to finish ‘one more level’.
This game continues the tale from the first two books of Adelantado. Don Diego is still on his quest to find the lost expedition, and he’s got some strange new challenges ahead, the most immediate of which are dinosaurs of all varieties. The cavemen are still raiding the camps, but not in the first few levels.
The game is an identical replica of Book Two, but with added structures, production goods and new gold transporters. The graphics and animation are the same high standard. Even the music is the same.
My favourite thing is this game is still that you can play it in 3 difficulty modes, or play it untimed. Something for everyone.
Some of this game’s other features include:
1. You control Don Diego, while he controls his men. So you can queue for yourself, foraging for hidden gems, for instance, and while keeping occupied with that, direct the action for all your building and production men.
2.You can demolish, restore to peak efficiency or upgrade most buildings. So when the woodcutter runs out of wood, you can reutilise the space. Which is very good, because as with the first games, space is the biggest problem.
3. There are again new buildings such as healer’s huts to add to your productive value.
4.There are gods that provide short term power ups such as increased speed or productivity.
5. Cool awards.
6. The levels are long and increase in difficulty.
The first chapter is still the ‘hand-holding’ forced building program where you can only do as instructed, but in level two you have almost complete flexibility – although you must have unlocked structures and so on, as with the other games.
I am already really enjoying this one, even though I have only completed chapter 3.
I recommend this game!
Eerie music fills the air in Vienna, where shadows terrorize people in the streets. Two musical prodigies have gone missing. Can you save them without striking a single false note?
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 6 found this review helpful
My, How He’s Grown!
PostedDecember 22, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The third game in the Maestro series is a step up and then some from its predecessors. Almost every aspect of the game has been revamped, though not so much as would lose the feel of the previous games. In fact, in more ways than one, this game is like a combination of both earlier games.
The third game in the Maestro series is a step up and then some from its predecessors. Almost every aspect of the game has been revamped, though not so much as would lose the feel of the previous games. In fact, in more ways than one, this game is like a combination of both earlier games.
SIGHTS & SOUNDS
The intro cut scenes are better than previous, at least in terms of graphics and drama. There is more definition and detail to the art and it is much brighter and more colourful than before.
The intro cut scenes are better than previous, at least in terms of graphics and drama. There is more definition and detail to the art and it is much brighter and more colourful than before.
The music is still the same, enough to really get to me after a while. It is monotonous. Another addition is a narrator voiceover. I am of two minds about it. The voice is good, and the recap of the story so far is okay, but there’s something irritating with the delivery. Luckily, that is a one-off event and the other brief voiceovers are well done.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
That brat from the last game, the ‘young maestro’, has returned for an encore performance, stealing two of the most talented young players in Vienna, and it is up to you again to find and rescue them.
That brat from the last game, the ‘young maestro’, has returned for an encore performance, stealing two of the most talented young players in Vienna, and it is up to you again to find and rescue them.
But as he has grown (he looks about 10 years older now), so have his ambitions. Now he is in possession of not only the Music of Death and the Notes of Life, but the even more dangerous Music of Immortality. And he plans to use it to acquire enormous power to himself.
MAKING PROGRESS
Plenty of HOPs. They are quite interactive when a list is given, and there are also progressive silhouettes HOPs. All of them are visited twice. There are many more puzzles this time around and they are more imaginative than the earlier ones. The hint is finally directional, but there is still no map.
Plenty of HOPs. They are quite interactive when a list is given, and there are also progressive silhouettes HOPs. All of them are visited twice. There are many more puzzles this time around and they are more imaginative than the earlier ones. The hint is finally directional, but there is still no map.
There is a violin that you use from time to time, along with the music sheets for the magical music, to directly engage the ghosts and shadows that threaten Vienna. A couple of features have been added that I wholeheartedly applaud. There is a widescreen option with side panels that make it look like the game is on a music stand – very cool. And the inventory bar now locks. Once again, there are difficulty options.
Pleasant treat: this game has replayable HOPs (8) and mini-games (16).
FINAL VERDICT
Really like this game. It looks and plays more like a modern game with this last in the series. But it remains a fairly simple game, that is not too difficult and does not require major tracking of plot twists and obscure connections. It is still a sleepy dreamy kind of thing, great for that day when you’ve just finished an extravaganza and need a break.
Really like this game. It looks and plays more like a modern game with this last in the series. But it remains a fairly simple game, that is not too difficult and does not require major tracking of plot twists and obscure connections. It is still a sleepy dreamy kind of thing, great for that day when you’ve just finished an extravaganza and need a break.
I recommend this game!
A missing girl has been lured away by evil music! Stop the young prodigy and save everyone from the evil Maestro!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Simply Enjoyable
PostedDecember 22, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED GAME
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Again the Maestro series presents an enjoyable relaxing game, not any more difficult than you want it to be, but not tough enough, I think, for the hardliners.
Again the Maestro series presents an enjoyable relaxing game, not any more difficult than you want it to be, but not tough enough, I think, for the hardliners.
SIGHTS & SOUNDS
As with the first game, the graphics for this game include gloomy grey and sometimes even ugly. The zombie dude, eeyoo! . It is a dark game with a creepy theme and that is reflected in the artwork. Once again, it is the brushstrokes of ERS, in a rougher, darker form than is usual now.
As with the first game, the graphics for this game include gloomy grey and sometimes even ugly. The zombie dude, eeyoo! . It is a dark game with a creepy theme and that is reflected in the artwork. Once again, it is the brushstrokes of ERS, in a rougher, darker form than is usual now.
The voiceovers are okay, used wisely, but not as good as the those of the first game. The music is very similar, and the theme song obviously. Sound effects and ambient noise are really, really good, sometimes quite scary.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Having saved the town near Paris from the Music Of Death which was aging everyone, we are called in to help when another town suffers a strange musical plague of accelerated growth – the Notes of Life, played by another child prodigy. A young girl has been lured down into a deserted cellar, and you must rescue her.
Having saved the town near Paris from the Music Of Death which was aging everyone, we are called in to help when another town suffers a strange musical plague of accelerated growth – the Notes of Life, played by another child prodigy. A young girl has been lured down into a deserted cellar, and you must rescue her.
MAKING PROGRESS
Again, this is a HOP dominated game. There are oodles of them, with a little more interaction that the original game, and again they are visited twice. The scenes are sometimes dark enough to bother some people, but not enough to make items too hard to find. The puzzles are likewise easy for the most part, but again, not quite as easy as before.
Again, this is a HOP dominated game. There are oodles of them, with a little more interaction that the original game, and again they are visited twice. The scenes are sometimes dark enough to bother some people, but not enough to make items too hard to find. The puzzles are likewise easy for the most part, but again, not quite as easy as before.
The most important improvement in this game is the choice of difficulty levels – casual, advanced and hard. On hard there are no hot spots indicated, but HOPs are, and skip and hint take forever. There are far fewer black bar comments, and most of them are fairly useless. Again, there is no map and a hint that is useless outside HOPs.
FINAL VERDICT
This game shows a small step up in sophistication, but overall it is very much like the first Maestro. Which is to say, an enjoyable and easy game with a dark and atmospheric mood.
This game shows a small step up in sophistication, but overall it is very much like the first Maestro. Which is to say, an enjoyable and easy game with a dark and atmospheric mood.
I recommend this game!
Stop a mysterious illness that is causing an entire village to rapidly age! Find the cause and find a missing young girl!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Easy Relaxing Game
PostedDecember 22, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED GAME
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Having played this game several times, but not this year, I was surprised at how very different it is compared to today’s games. It is not the so called ‘dated’ pseudo-realistic games of even earlier, and it is released by ERS, and you can still see that in the graphics. But the whole atmosphere and feel for the game (in fact, the whole series) is quite unusual for them.
Having played this game several times, but not this year, I was surprised at how very different it is compared to today’s games. It is not the so called ‘dated’ pseudo-realistic games of even earlier, and it is released by ERS, and you can still see that in the graphics. But the whole atmosphere and feel for the game (in fact, the whole series) is quite unusual for them.
SIGHTS & SOUNDS
The intro to Music Of Death, though it has decent quality graphics, is almost ugly. Not quite, this is ERS after all, but about as close as they can get. Roses bloom into skulls, the environment is dark and gloomy, the music is an irritating violin. But it works. This is a gloomy sort of game, the artwork reflects that, and some may find the graphics difficult to see. The use of voiceovers is limited and very good. Not all the music is that violin. *wink*
The intro to Music Of Death, though it has decent quality graphics, is almost ugly. Not quite, this is ERS after all, but about as close as they can get. Roses bloom into skulls, the environment is dark and gloomy, the music is an irritating violin. But it works. This is a gloomy sort of game, the artwork reflects that, and some may find the graphics difficult to see. The use of voiceovers is limited and very good. Not all the music is that violin. *wink*
WHAT’S HAPPENING
You are returning to your part of Paris, but it is blocked off by soldiers, saying there is an epidemic aging everybody so fast they are dying in minutes. You meet a woman whose child is still in the town, and when you go back to the guards to argue her case, all the soldiers are dead. You make your way to the empty plague-ridden city, searching for the child.
You are returning to your part of Paris, but it is blocked off by soldiers, saying there is an epidemic aging everybody so fast they are dying in minutes. You meet a woman whose child is still in the town, and when you go back to the guards to argue her case, all the soldiers are dead. You make your way to the empty plague-ridden city, searching for the child.
MAKING PROGRESS
This is where this game really feels strange after the games of this year. It is so simple by comparison. The HOPs are many, word lists that are only occasionally interactive, and which are visited twice. There are a fair few puzzles, although not as many as the HOPs. They are very, very simple, although they do get harder as you go along.
This is where this game really feels strange after the games of this year. It is so simple by comparison. The HOPs are many, word lists that are only occasionally interactive, and which are visited twice. There are a fair few puzzles, although not as many as the HOPs. They are very, very simple, although they do get harder as you go along.
The adventure side of the game is also simple and most will not have much trouble with it. However, with no map and no (useful) hint outside HOPs, there is a challenge here if you’ve been spoiling yourself with jump maps and hints.
There is a good journal, but you must keep far more in your head about what needs doing where than we’ve become used to. So while it may well be a reasonable game for a beginner to start on, it also makes a relaxing but not tedious game for intermediate players. Except for sentimental reasons, I can’t imagine this game appealing to the harder line experts.
FINAL VERDICT
I really enjoyed myself with this game. I found myself ‘getting back to basics’ in a comfortable amble for about 3-4 hours.
I really enjoyed myself with this game. I found myself ‘getting back to basics’ in a comfortable amble for about 3-4 hours.
I recommend this game!
Time is running out for a worried bride! Locate her groom in a town plagued by mysterious drownings.
Overall rating
4
/
5
76 of 89 found this review helpful
Nice Game, Just Nice
PostedDecember 21, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The opening scenes are eerie, ominous, but low key. Nothing too overwhelming. But it is obvious this game is going to be spooky. This game looks good and has the right atmosphere, and while the story starts out on a very familiar pattern – detective hired to find missing loved one, the details offer a fresh approach.
The opening scenes are eerie, ominous, but low key. Nothing too overwhelming. But it is obvious this game is going to be spooky. This game looks good and has the right atmosphere, and while the story starts out on a very familiar pattern – detective hired to find missing loved one, the details offer a fresh approach.
SIGHTS & SOUNDS
The graphics are very pleasant to look at. Realistic, but with a softness around the edges that gives the game an artistic feel. It is also very consistent in its depiction of art deco era visuals. The atmosphere, while eerie, is also dreamy.
The graphics are very pleasant to look at. Realistic, but with a softness around the edges that gives the game an artistic feel. It is also very consistent in its depiction of art deco era visuals. The atmosphere, while eerie, is also dreamy.
The music is perfectly matched for this, also era-appropriate, tinkling along, sometimes there, sometimes not, never irritating. Background noises are soothing. No attempt has been made to lip synch the very professionally done voiceovers. Which I always think looks the best.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Seems like the town of Lake Bliss is suffering from the attentions of a siren. Young men are disappearing. Bodies are found in the water. And Molly’s very sensible fiancé Tommy does not turn up at the altar. You are the detective called in to investigate. All your actions and equipment, including the tools and so forth found in town, reflect the 20s era story.
Seems like the town of Lake Bliss is suffering from the attentions of a siren. Young men are disappearing. Bodies are found in the water. And Molly’s very sensible fiancé Tommy does not turn up at the altar. You are the detective called in to investigate. All your actions and equipment, including the tools and so forth found in town, reflect the 20s era story.
MAKING PROGRESS
HOPs and other puzzles form most of the gameplay, but there is some adventuring to be had as well. The HOPs are either fragmented objects or word lists. These are not much in the way of interactive, but the last (inventory) item is found in a different way for each HOP. Hidden objects are very well hidden without distortion. The puzzles so far are easy and familiar. There is an interactive jump map, directional hint and a useful diary.
HOPs and other puzzles form most of the gameplay, but there is some adventuring to be had as well. The HOPs are either fragmented objects or word lists. These are not much in the way of interactive, but the last (inventory) item is found in a different way for each HOP. Hidden objects are very well hidden without distortion. The puzzles so far are easy and familiar. There is an interactive jump map, directional hint and a useful diary.
One unique touch I liked, the notes that are being taken in your notebook are displayed briefly above it in glowing letters, so you know what is going in there without needing to look immediately. Another oddity is the Spectral Fluid Jar, which soaks up supernatural barriers.
CE BLING!
There are many Achievements presented very nicely in an office, 54 Collectible dragonflies, Concept Art, Wallpapers, Music. The SG is helpful. And the Bonus Chapter of course.
There are many Achievements presented very nicely in an office, 54 Collectible dragonflies, Concept Art, Wallpapers, Music. The SG is helpful. And the Bonus Chapter of course.
FINAL VERDICT
All around nice game. But that is all it is. This is not a blockbuster. I will be very happy to buy the SE of this game, but I don’t think it is quite up to my CE standards. Many others will however.
All around nice game. But that is all it is. This is not a blockbuster. I will be very happy to buy the SE of this game, but I don’t think it is quite up to my CE standards. Many others will however.
I checked these guys out and it appears that they are a new development company, consisting of personnel from names we are familiar with. If so, go to it guys, you’ve got what it takes!
I recommend this game!
Help Hero and Ann wake up all of mankind in Lost in the City: Post Scriptum! Put an end to the curse and save the entire world!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Very Urban Jungle
PostedDecember 20, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED GAME
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
This sequel to the original Lost In The City is a great example of the difference a year makes in the gaming world. This is very much the same style game as the first, and uniquely so, but is leaps and bounds improved in not only graphics quality, but also in sophistication and design.
This sequel to the original Lost In The City is a great example of the difference a year makes in the gaming world. This is very much the same style game as the first, and uniquely so, but is leaps and bounds improved in not only graphics quality, but also in sophistication and design.
SIGHTS & SOUNDS
I love the use of colour in this rather drab and dark game. Despite being largely displayed in colours ranging from white through the greys to black, little bursts of colour (particularly purple) give it a lift and a sense of real art – a film noir perhaps The art is massively improved on the original, but still does not equal today’s standards. In this case, there’s a kind of beauty in that, as any art critic will tell you. *rolling eyes*.
I love the use of colour in this rather drab and dark game. Despite being largely displayed in colours ranging from white through the greys to black, little bursts of colour (particularly purple) give it a lift and a sense of real art – a film noir perhaps The art is massively improved on the original, but still does not equal today’s standards. In this case, there’s a kind of beauty in that, as any art critic will tell you. *rolling eyes*.
One really neat visual is the fluttering of dozens of butterflies as each HO item is drawn away, and the inventory items, which are kept not in a bar but individually in their own barbed wire environment.
I did find the music a bit monotonous. It had just the right taste and feel, and I enjoyed it, but there just wasn’t enough variation. There are no voiceovers in this game and very little sound effects. But the electric hum pervades everything, keeping your teeth on edge.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
You and your sweetheart Ann found each other in the first Lost In The City, but had to give up life in the human world in order to be together. Now they have been told they can go home. But of course, nothing is ever easy with those kinds of deal. We embark on the outbound journey and discover almost immediately that something is terribly wrong.
You and your sweetheart Ann found each other in the first Lost In The City, but had to give up life in the human world in order to be together. Now they have been told they can go home. But of course, nothing is ever easy with those kinds of deal. We embark on the outbound journey and discover almost immediately that something is terribly wrong.
MAKING PROGRESS
This is still basically a HOG. Almost all the gameplay involves them, but now the game extends into more puzzles and a little more of adventure action. The HOPs are interactive lists. Hints can be accumulated by collecting purple butterflies both in and out of HOPs. None of the puzzles were astonishing hard, but sometimes tricky.
This is still basically a HOG. Almost all the gameplay involves them, but now the game extends into more puzzles and a little more of adventure action. The HOPs are interactive lists. Hints can be accumulated by collecting purple butterflies both in and out of HOPs. None of the puzzles were astonishing hard, but sometimes tricky.
There is no map or movement outside a particular scene except when the section you are in is completed. Then you will be given 2 or 3 options to choose from, and again a couple of times more until you reach the same place every time – but it does feel like you have some control. *wry scowl*
FINAL VERDICT
I loved the edginess of the first game, and it is true that some of that is lost in this one’s polish, but I love this one too. There atmosphere of urban degeneration and despair is palpable.
I recommend this game!
HO HO HO! Unforgettable adventure awaits you in Holiday Jigsaw! Start your journey with a Merry Christmas!
Overall rating
4
/
5
31 of 36 found this review helpful
Another Happy Holiday Jigsaw!
PostedDecember 20, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
BASED ON ONE HOUR DEMO
The new series Holiday Jigsaw began with Halloween and is followed up by another using the same formula. And again, it seems a good game of its type.
There are 4 boxes with roughly 36 photos each, totalling over 100. There’s all sorts of stuff in them and no individual theme to the boxes that I could see. The photos are not particularly good, some seem quite amateurish, but most seem in theme. Some don’t though, and it’s hard to see why they are here. I am concerned that I recognise at least one of these un-Christmas-like photos from previous jigsaw games. This developer publishes a lot of jigsaw games, but I hope they’re not stooping so low as to recycle the photos.
Other than that misgiving the game seems pretty standard for the better sort of these games, you can edit the puzzles by number of pieces (from about 12 up to about 300) or degree of irregularity of the cuts. Some of the games have pieces that must be rotated, others not.
You can choose to have the image pinned to one corner and magnified or not, or you can have a ‘ghost’ . You can also have them sorted or the edges separated. There is also a box for putting away some pieces manually, and you can have the pieces stick to the desktop. You also have a magnifier. There is a choice of background colour.
The interface is clean and professional, and the music is serene. Would have been nice if it could have sounded more seasonal.
You can get scores based on speed and you can also get trophies for the usual achievements, numbers of pieces placed, times etc.
If you’re looking for a Christmas themed game to give you hours of entertainment, I think this one will suit you.
I recommend this game!
Get into the holiday spirit with this festive Christmas-themed Mahjong game!
Overall rating
2
/
5
22 of 25 found this review helpful
Awful
PostedDecember 20, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
BASED ON 10 MINS DEMO
You have to work pretty hard to get me giving you only two stars, particularly with a Christmas themed game, where a lot more leeway is allowed because, let’s face it, you’re just looking for something mood-appropriate, not rocket science.
But this game managed to really annoy me in only a few minutes. It kept dropping out too, while my system tried to cope with it.
The graphics are so low resolution my monitor couldn’t adjust enough to keep the whole picture on the page. I can’t believe people are even thinking about making a game so visually cheap and nasty. Admittedly, the images, when my pc finally found a compromise, were clear and pleasant enough, although fake looking and totally lacking in detail.
The music sounded like a disco tune on fast forward, cheery yes, but seriously irritating, in a game traditionally associated with calm and peaceful sounds. Again, admittedly, the music would probably appeal to the young kids that this game seems to be aiming at, but...
The game does stay within the theme though, and you get a choice of 3 Christmas related tiles, interesting ones. You also get plenty of layouts and backgrounds to choose from. All in keeping with the mood. Many of the layouts are not ‘doable’, but just continuing with the Christmas touch. You can change your set up to exclude unwinnable layouts. You can have either timed or untimed mode. You can also undo, or get a hint.
It’s basic, it’s shallow, it’s just awful, and there are better Christmas mahjong and other games to be had.
I don't recommend this game.
Something wicked has taken over Fate’s Carnival!
Overall rating
5
/
5
114 of 134 found this review helpful
Most Arduous Game Yet!
PostedDecember 20, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
This is the 10th game of the Mystery Case Files (MCF) series, perhaps the most beloved, and definitely the most controversial of all series released on Big Fish. It is nothing less than overpowering, astonishing, awesome, unbelievable – pick your hyperbole. It is also the most difficult and complex HOPA game I’ve ever played. And the longest by far! I can’t say how long, but it took me several sittings over a few days to complete it, as opposed to my usual game-in-one-sitting.
SIGHTS & SOUNDS
Marvellous. Gaudy carnival atmosphere some of the time, gross and scary at others. The graphics are as good as any out there, and there are delightful cameo appearances of other MCF characters and items to look out for. The music is very reminiscent of earlier games, including the actual MCF theme. Background sound is wonderful – very creepy carnival.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
The carnival is cursed. Madame Fate is in trouble again, and who’s that? Is that Dalimar?! You have 15 doomed carnies to save and another complicated ominous and supernatural mystery to solve. If you’ve not played Madame Fate or the other MCF games, there is much in the form of casual allusions that you’ll not notice, but the story itself stands alone.
GAMEPLAY HIGHLIGHTS
Over and above the usual kinds of HOPs and puzzles, this game has the SUPERPUZZLES. These are puzzle boards, seen before in this series, but unbelievably colourful inventive involving - and impossible. I ended up skipping at least part of most of them, despite the innovation of a in-puzzle hint which guides you step by step, if necessary. They are a series of interconnected mini-puzzles that completed in the right order solve the major one and reward you with an item. Even in the easy mode, the skip is twice as long as it is for all other puzzles.
Another unique feature is the BLACK DIARY. As well as providing key information, it is sometimes necessary to solve puzzles within its pages in order to find that information. There is also ISIS the cat. She is beautiful, but way too haughty to be called cute.
Other assistance is provided by a very well done interactive jump map, and a teleporting hint system. Both definitely needed, as there is a lot of toing and froing, and as I mentioned, a heck of a lot to do!
The regular puzzles and HOPs are clever, and very much into the atmosphere of not just any carnival, but as awesomely creepy one. They are also a fair bit more difficult than usual. The HOPs are interactive lists for the most part, with some twists.
FINAL COMMENTS
This is an overwhelming game, and when it comes to delivering those, nobody does it better than Elephant. I am always a little miffed when a game site’s own productions get the awards, but in this case, if they win Game of the Year, and I think it might, it will be well deserved.
Even if I’m still lost. *forlorn stare*
I recommend this game!
Follow the Hidden Expedition Adventure Team to Devil`s Triangle and help track down Phoebe, a famous ace pilot lost at sea!
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 8 found this review helpful
Giant Leap Forward
PostedDecember 19, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
Despite valiant efforts in the first two games, and a disastrous fall backwards in the third of this series, finally I can recommend a Hidden Expedition game without hesitation. The changes have all been for the good, an increasing sophistication evident in all aspects of the game.
The graphics are the most obvious improvement, and the change is huge. From being unable to see anything at all practically in Amazon, here we have visuals that are perfectly respectable even 4 years later. The locations and characters are well chosen and well drawn. Particularly the many HOP scenes, where the items are clearly defined and well detailed.
There are once again several types of HOP, including:
• Much more active interactive lists
• Progressive lists, where some objects must be found and used on the scene in order to find others
• Match related pairs
• Multiples
• Riddle-forms. e.g. 12 bits of pollution, where you have to figure out the appropriate items
• Progressive lists, where some objects must be found and used on the scene in order to find others
• Match related pairs
• Multiples
• Riddle-forms. e.g. 12 bits of pollution, where you have to figure out the appropriate items
This is a true HOPA now, not a HOG. We have a larger number of puzzles than ever before, and many are quite complex. Likewise, the gameplay is no longer map-driven (your choice of actions is determined by the map) to a more inventory directed game where finding and using the inventory items is what drives the game. You can also now combine certain items within the inventory panel.
There is also no more timers, and no misclick penalties. This is good. Sadly, the collectible items used to accumulate hints has gone too, in favour of a rechargeable hint that can also be used outside the HOPs.
The notebook holds important information about the adventure so far, characters, and the tidbits of information about the Devil’s Triangle that are found as part of the game.
It is a good not brilliant game (for that you must seek out the Hidden Expedition Smithsonian Hope Diamond), with all the characteristics that have made this series popular, with a new sophisticated look and feel and a new approach to gameplay.
I recommend this game!