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:
A shipwreck on a volcanic island unearths deadly secrets!
Overall rating
4
/
5
9 of 9 found this review helpful
Volcanic Eruptions And Mayan Curses!
PostedNovember 1, 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
4
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED GAME
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
This game is very much the direct and immediate sequel to the first Mayan Prophesies game, Ship Of Spirits. We pick up exactly where we finished the bonus chapter, taking our vicious poacher back to land. Now, however, we are lost at sea, and things are looking grim.
In an excellent intro, we are reminded, in black and white images, of the story so far, and the new dangers that we now face are picked up in colour. Fully immersive video! (You’ll get the joke when you play the intro). We end up washed ashore on some unknown island and once again have lost the poacher.
SIGHTS & SOUNDS
The quality of the graphics is great. The cut scenes involving the volcano look like real life footage of a volcano eruption. Awesome. The graphics elsewhere are not quite breathtaking, but they are very good. In the first game, colours were dominated by orange and green. I am pleased to find the colours this time focus on tropical green and a dozen vibrant contrasts.
The voiceovers are once again very good, with all characters and the narrator sounding excellent. I didn’t get into the music, but it in no way interfered with the game.
MAKING PROGRESS
The gameplay for this game is as good as the first. There are loads of mini-games as well as HOPs. This time finding the hummingbirds requires you to find a Mayan idol or artifact, activate it, then catch the bird.
The HOPs can be exchanged for a very fun mahjong game instead. The scenes themselves are beautiful, with a lot of detail, and while occasionally some items are a bit hard to find, for the most part they are really very clear.
The HOPs are interactive lists, and we visit each scene twice. The puzzles, as always for me, ranged from “do it with your eyes closed” to “even the SG solution is too hard”. Some interesting twist on a few regular games. There is of course an interactive jump map and directional hint.
BLING!
I like this game’s bling. Bonus game, gallery, SG. 20 Mahjong boards. Achievements, although not many. 40 of those lovely challenging humming birds to collect, plus 32 pieces of a Mayan calendar, and 40 beyond objects. Which were hard enough to find that I only got 2/3 of them. The main story ends well enough, although they did a line that makes it clear there’s more to be said.
FAMOUS LAST WORDS
This is a great, fun, entertaining game, and I enjoyed playing this and the first Mayan Prophesies back to back immensely satisfying.
I recommend this game!
Uncover dark forces emanating from the heart of Old Town and be spellbound by this adorably ghoulish horror-themed puzzle game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Looks Great, Plays Well Too!
PostedNovember 1, 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
3
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
This is my reward for checking out a whole lot of spooky games in honour of Halloween. This one is the gem. A Match 3 game, its mechanics is very much the same as we’ve seen a dozen times before (more than a few dozen, actually), it’s the atmosphere that is such fun in this game.
The graphics are very cartoonish but also very nice to look at, creepiness and all. The objects in the boards are all beautifully drawn, there are loads of different ones, and great animations with some of the power ups.
The same goes with the music, nothing outa this world, but appropriately spooky. The sound effects are quite amusing.
This is one of those Match 3 games where almost every level brings you a Halloween decoration for your haunted house. And you can set the pic as your desktop wallpaper. I didn’t like the fact that you can’t pick and choose your objects or their location on your house.
I did like that you can choose timed or relaxed mode. There are different goals for each level, so you may have to get several different items to beat the level.
For example, you need to collect all the gold plates beneath each image, as with most games. But you must also get, say, 4 Gold Skulls, and 30 regular skulls. It gives a bit more variety to an otherwise run of the mill Match 3 game.
I also like having you progress shown on a map, the way build games do it.
This one is my pick of the Halloween themed games for this year.
I recommend this game!
A shipwreck on a volcanic island unearths deadly secrets!
Overall rating
4
/
5
58 of 69 found this review helpful
CE vs. SE - Bonus Content Analysis
PostedNovember 1, 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
4
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED CE GAME
JUST IMPRESSIONS (For full review of game/s please read my CE review)
This is a great sequel to the first Mayan Prophecies. It begins exactly where the earlier game finished and gives us another chance at appeasing Mayan gods. The story is entertaining enough to keep you interested through several hours of play.
The look of the game is better than in the first, with the same tropical greenery but with multi-hued contrasts. The volcanic eruptions are spectacular, TOTALLY real. Other touches I liked included the volcanic ashes fluttering about in the air. Another thing I noticed and appreciated was that the ‘junk piles’ needed for the HOPs often had to be created by the game play. For example, dropping a load from a crane.
BONUS CONTENT ANALYSIS
There are some wonderful features in this game. Sorting out which ones are CE exclusive is a bit tricky. It includes:
*Bonus chapter follows on from the point where the main story ended. It is not necessary for closure. Bonus chapter is longer than most, and is quite interesting. It doesn’t feel ‘tacked’ on, and includes a lot of new material. The achievements and collectibles continue through to the end.
*Strategy guide – didn’t really need it except for a couple of puzzles.
*20 Mahjong boards – playable ones, with real designs and minimum flash like powerups.
*Gallery includes wallpaper, concept art, movies (of all those wonderful volcanoes), screensavers and music.
*40 collectible hummingbirds, which must be brought into existence by activating an artifact or totem in each location.
*40 beyond objects (morphing).
*Strategy guide – didn’t really need it except for a couple of puzzles.
*20 Mahjong boards – playable ones, with real designs and minimum flash like powerups.
*Gallery includes wallpaper, concept art, movies (of all those wonderful volcanoes), screensavers and music.
*40 collectible hummingbirds, which must be brought into existence by activating an artifact or totem in each location.
*40 beyond objects (morphing).
*32 pieces of a Mayan calendar, which is NOT a CE exclusive and reveal the backstory.
FAMOUS LAST WORDS
I loved having so much to do in each location, even though I almost never get the collecting achievements, I do enjoy coming across them whenever I can. Also I love the mahjong from the first game and can now enjoy these boards as well. So, personally, I am glad I bought the CE.
Which does not make this any less of a game. For half the price, it’s still a good buy!
I recommend this game!
Dive into Halloween: Trick or Treat and go on a seasonal Hidden Object Adventure! Explore spooky locations and solve terrifying puzzles!
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
Another Decent But Dated HOG
PostedOctober 31, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
This must have been more than an okay game when it was released. And clearly designed for kids. The graphics are good in a cartoonish kind of way, but the HOGs are photorealistic. The animations are fun and combine with the sound effects to create an atmosphere that’s almost overwhelming at times. There’s thunder and moaning and just plain ominous noise. All of which makes the game even sound like a kid’s game. The heroes are a pair of kids as well, and their voices are excellent.
There is no adventure component of any sort in this game. They do manage to have a kind of story to draw the activities together, which is at least something.
Gameplay consists of one HOG in an extremely overcrowded scene with loads of junk, much of it almost too small to see, or behind something. Today, I don’t think many would put up with it. After successful completion of each HOG, there is a very simple puzzle to do, and again the reminder that’s for kids is just how simple and easy these puzzles are – easy jigsaws, spot the difference, memory. You can skip, too, if you want. You have options on the level of difficulty, which increases recharge time. There are no scenes outside the HOGs, so no other widgets are necessary.
There are candy canes to collect and there are 2 or more in a scene. The game keeps track of how many of these you collect, and how many tricks you get. I haven’t been able to work out yet how you get the tricks, but I believe they are connected to the strange and sudden movement in the scene. Anyway, they are not a good thing, you lose points if you get one. Points are accumulated and there is a top score section in the main menu.
As I say, in its day, this might well have been pretty good, but it’s not much by comparison to more modern HOGs.
I don't recommend this game.
Trick the computer as you treat yourself to a ghoulish game of solitaire Mahjong!
Overall rating
3
/
5
13 of 16 found this review helpful
I’ve Seen Better
PostedOctober 31, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
This version of mahjong has its good points, but it is really only so-so by the standard of games in the genre. The graphics are cartoonish and not at all attractive. The interface is not intuitive. There are no points system, but in timed mode you can choose the limit. For instance, you can choose 10 min, 15 min, or 1 hour.
One thing that nearly drove me nuts was the music and the sound effects each time you got a pair. It sounded like a pinball arcade, or slot machines I’ve played. The very essence of non-relaxing.
It does stick very close to the theme though, and you get a choice of 3 Halloween related tiles, much trickier than the more familiar ones. You also get a great number of layouts and backgrounds to choose from. All in keeping with the mood. Many of the layouts are just for fun, they are not ‘doable’, but you can change your set up to exclude unwinnable layouts. You can have either timed or untimed mode.
In all, it has to be said that unless you have a real desire for a spooky-themed game, I wouldn’t recommend this game.
I don't recommend this game.
Prepare your mansion for Tricks and Treats in this incredible Puzzle game! Throw a devilishly fun midnight Halloween party!
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Amusing Time Filler
PostedOctober 31, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
Nice little Match 3 game, a la Gardenscape and Fishdom. You have a spooky mansion which you can decorate for a family Halloween party. The decorations include the usual Jack O’Lanterns, scarecrows, and spooky woods.
You must buy the decorations with coins you have received while playing. You can also buy the usual power ups with coins.
The Match gameplay had all the usual powerups and moves that you find in every game – such as crate opens when you make a match nearby, or you must let a gold coin drop off the bottom. The interesting thing was that the game levels each seem to come up with new extras, so the challenge is there from the beginning.
The graphics are nice and suitably gloomy. The music is tolerable.
All very ordinary, but quite an enjoyable time filler.
I recommend this game!
Halloween puzzles await you in Holiday Jigsaw: Halloween!
Overall rating
4
/
5
8 of 8 found this review helpful
Happy Holiday Fever!
PostedOctober 31, 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
BASED ON ONE HOUR DEMO
Australians never celebrated Halloween, but the more American TV shows we watch, the more kids are demanding costumes and sweets. So I thought I’d get into the spirit of the whole, even though I’ve got no candy for the neighbour’s kids.
This jigsaw game seems a good game. There are 4 boxes with 25 photos each. There’s all sorts of stuff in them and no individual theme to the boxes that I could see. The photos are well chosen for the theme, and professionally taken, but nothing overly exciting.
Standard for these kinds of 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, or to have a ‘ghost’ (groan – pardon the pun). 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.
The interface is non intrusive. The music is lovely. So relaxing and pleasant.
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 a big player of jigsaws, I can see an appeal in this game, because it has all the good features as well as a large number of photos, and a ‘theme’.
I recommend this game!
To save your father from a hideous monster, you've decided to sacrifice your own freedom. Now you must journey through a strange and magical land before time runs out!
Overall rating
5
/
5
160 of 175 found this review helpful
I'm So Embarassed! Another Cute Game And I Love It...
PostedOctober 31, 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
I admit, I’m a sucker for cute, but I genuinely thought I had reached my fill of them and would not love another saccharine sweet story with cute companions and delightful fantasy locations. But I’m in love again. This game is more than just ‘cute’, however, it offers a genuinely new story, a new and interesting mini-games alternative to HOPs, and a new look for the developers (ERS).
I admit, I’m a sucker for cute, but I genuinely thought I had reached my fill of them and would not love another saccharine sweet story with cute companions and delightful fantasy locations. But I’m in love again. This game is more than just ‘cute’, however, it offers a genuinely new story, a new and interesting mini-games alternative to HOPs, and a new look for the developers (ERS).
However, I would suggest that those who don’t like cute, or want radically new gameplay and/or serious challenges to their puzzling skills, might want to skip this game completely.
SIGHTS & SOUNDS
Although the beautifully hand-drawn quality of ERS games is still there, the style of the art is quite a bit different, and gives me an impression of the Dark Parables games, which are well-known for their spectacularly beautiful imagery. I particularly love the beautifully fanciful critters that have, this year, become the norm for ERS. I would so like to take them home with me! In all, it is a visual gem. The background sound, in a game about a nightingale, is as you’d expect, filled with bird song. But that is not all of course, and both the music and the voices are well done.
Although the beautifully hand-drawn quality of ERS games is still there, the style of the art is quite a bit different, and gives me an impression of the Dark Parables games, which are well-known for their spectacularly beautiful imagery. I particularly love the beautifully fanciful critters that have, this year, become the norm for ERS. I would so like to take them home with me! In all, it is a visual gem. The background sound, in a game about a nightingale, is as you’d expect, filled with bird song. But that is not all of course, and both the music and the voices are well done.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
A new fairy tale! Your father steals (by accident of course!) a beast’s magic nightingale (it makes plants grow), which he then gives to you. But it seems that the owner of the bird has set a trap, because now either he gives you to the beast in marriage, or he must give himself into slavery for the rest of his life (sounds like the same thing to me). This, Father intends to do, but you take off to the beast’s castle while he sleeps.
A new fairy tale! Your father steals (by accident of course!) a beast’s magic nightingale (it makes plants grow), which he then gives to you. But it seems that the owner of the bird has set a trap, because now either he gives you to the beast in marriage, or he must give himself into slavery for the rest of his life (sounds like the same thing to me). This, Father intends to do, but you take off to the beast’s castle while he sleeps.
Then, unexpected complication, some crazy witch decides she will stop you getting there! When she attacks you, in a crusading leap away from other games, it is you who gets rescued, by your long-time admirer Dorian. Well, I certainly want to know if, given such a revolutionary work, the essential ‘happily ever after’ ending is overturned as well!
GAMEPLAY
I saw nothing in the adventure gameplay that deviated much from the norm for ERS. It is interesting enough without being a headache, and comes with a directional hint and a good map. This one gives you areas where you have finished, ones that are still be done, and can reveal locations within locations, as well as jump there.
I saw nothing in the adventure gameplay that deviated much from the norm for ERS. It is interesting enough without being a headache, and comes with a directional hint and a good map. This one gives you areas where you have finished, ones that are still be done, and can reveal locations within locations, as well as jump there.
The HOPs are standard interactive lists so far, but I didn’t get to finish the demo, so there may have been more. They were well lit and great to look at, but a somewhat unusual style. The mini-games were not difficult, but some were interesting, more difficult, examples of familiar ones. BUT... instead of HOPs, you could choose to do a differently styled Match 3 mini-game that I’ve not seen before and which was really fun.
BLING! (or WHY I MUST HAVE THE CE)
Well, see, um, ah. Oh okay,okay, I have to have the critters, and I can’t resist the extras!
Well, see, um, ah. Oh okay,okay, I have to have the critters, and I can’t resist the extras!
There are some lovely collectible birds (all different) which go into your bird cage where they will sing and dance. Then there’s the achievements, which end up in your fairy tales book, in the form of well known figures.
The gallery has the usual wallpapers etc., there is a bonus chapter, replayable HOPs and mini-games. Strategy Guide as well.
FAMOUS LAST WORDS
This just hit the top of my buy list!
This just hit the top of my buy list!
I recommend this game!
Paranormal State: Poison Spring
Thrills abound as the ghost-hunters from the hit A&E TV show "Paranormal State" race to solve terrifying Civil War hauntings.
Overall rating
3
/
5
68 of 82 found this review helpful
From A Non-Viewer
PostedOctober 29, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Based On Demo
First Impressions
Good quality production was my first thought. Nice crisp and realistic grahics, good voice, different take n the paranormal theme. You are the newest member of an investigative agency dealing with supernatural phenomena.
For me, dealing with so many fellow investigaters became a bit irritating, it slowed down the action and distracted me. If you know the show, I'm guessing that won't be a problem.
Gameplay
Most of your energies so far have been spent on getting to know the job and practical tasks - in other words, adventure. The HOP are an interactive list with more action than most and with some items needed to be found to uncover others. The puzzles are medium to easy so far.
There is a good interactive map but not a transporter, and only accessed from the journal. Hint is directional. I know there's no Strategy Guide yet, but I think most people will be able to play without it.
Famous Last Words
A nice supernatural whodunit and playing with a team certainly makes it different.
I recommend this game!
Halloween adventures await you in this tasty puzzle game.
Overall rating
3
/
5
18 of 23 found this review helpful
Unsophisticated & Low Key Fun!
PostedOctober 28, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Beginner
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The few minutes when I am not playing HOPAs, I spend with this type of game. This one is not particularly memorable, but it is a pleasant game if you’re looking for a Halloween-theme.
The few minutes when I am not playing HOPAs, I spend with this type of game. This one is not particularly memorable, but it is a pleasant game if you’re looking for a Halloween-theme.
The first thing that caught my eye was that the backgrounds in this game are from the HOPA game “Shadows: The Price For Our Sins”. This is not a complaint – I liked the graphics.
GAMEPLAY
This puzzle type is called all sorts of names, nangrams, mosaics, and many more. Here it is called Fill & Cross. (Skip the next paragraph if you know this kind of puzzle)
This puzzle type is called all sorts of names, nangrams, mosaics, and many more. Here it is called Fill & Cross. (Skip the next paragraph if you know this kind of puzzle)
The idea of it is we get a tiled grid of 5x5 (to begin with) tiles, all empty. Surrounding this grid are sequences of numbers. You must use logic to figure out the pattern, and whether a tile is “on” or “off” in. The result is a usually pretty strange interpretation of the image you are looking to create. At low levels this is a fairly simple game once you've got the hang of it. But it's not long before it becomes mind-bendingly difficult.
This game’s play seems no different to any other mosaic. The question marks on the right bar are up to 6 hints, where one hint gives one tile. You are allowed up to 8 mistakes (locks on the right bar). Hint and Mistake allowance is different according to each game.
You get random candies under some tiles. These you can use in the shop to buy yourself useful artifacts such as “extra hints”, or to buy trophies.
FAMOUS LAST WORDS
Light weight fun, which promises to keep you busy and challenged for endless hours.
Light weight fun, which promises to keep you busy and challenged for endless hours.
I recommend this game!