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:
Explore a world of magic to stop an ancient evil!
Overall rating
5
/
5
89 of 97 found this review helpful
Just Brilliant!
PostedOctober 17, 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
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
The previous two Otherworld games have been breathtakingly beautiful, entertaining and challenging. This one tops them on all fronts.
Particularly impressive to me is the originality of both the puzzles and the HOPs. According to the bonus content, there are 23 HOPs and 24 other puzzles. Yet the HOPs are so different from what we’re used to, it’s hard to decide which category a puzzle fits into.
In the demo so far (which I didn’t complete in the hour), we have only one interactive list, and it is so interactive almost every item is hidden from view.
The others include a HOP where multiples of certain objects are required, but can only be found using an arrow system to align their two parts in the scene. Tricky. There are others, all of them different, in the demo, but you get the idea.
The other puzzles and mini-games are equally original, brilliantly so, but not as difficult as the puzzles in the previous games – so far! Gorgeous to look at, they could easily keep me happily puzzling along for much longer. Skip is very quick (on Casual).
The adventure side of this game is also a little more straightforward this time. There is an interactive jump map, which is handy as there is a little to and fro action. There is no journal but another delightful idea, a ‘clues inventory’, which consists of photographs of those patterns, codes etc. for use later.
There are a lot of magical characters to meet, all beautifully drawn, with good voiceovers, including a white fluffy talking cat who becomes your hint button. I didn’t use him in that function, I used the map, so I don't know if he’s a directional hint or whatever. I do know he pipes up with the occasional comment of his own.
There is also the Perpetual Prison, which is what our quest is all about, we must repair it in order to capture the Shade (evil creature of dark magic) before he turns the world into endless winter. We must also again rescue Fiona.
If you’ve not played the other games, this will not interfere with your enjoyment, because the intro gives you a full explanation. The intro is extremely well done (voiceover, narration, cutscenes, graphics), but is not fireworks, both good and bad behave in a much more gentle way in this game.
The CE includes a bunch of extras, all the usuals, plus replayable mini-games. There are 60 fay dragons to collect. Easy to find, and not very well integrated into the scenes. I didn’t like them. There are also achievements, and a room to show them off.
This game is wonderful, and I may not be able to resist getting the CE on this one and upgrading the others. If you've not yet tried them, they are well worth a look.
I recommend this game!
Uncover your grandfather’s secret in Youda Mystery: The Stanwick Legacy, an incredible Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Not Bad, Not Great
PostedOctober 16, 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
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED GAME
This is definitely a HOG, with HOPs (Hidden Object Puzzles) outweighing any other aspect of the game. There are some other puzzles, mostly familiar, but I found myself having a fair bit of difficulty solving them. It did not help having no instructions.
The story is simple. Your grandfather dies leaving you the family mansion, which you haven’t seen in years. You know there is a secret stored within the old mansion and you are determined to find it.
The graphics are good, but not to my taste; they have that shiny quality that I think interferes with your focus. The house and the HOP scenes are all clearly presented, although there is some playing around with the lighting (which is often too dark to begin with) in the HOPs. The HOPs are static lists, and very long. There are 16 slots, but with the multiples that are always a part of the list, this can get as high as 30. Each scene is visited twice. Even on easy mode, hint and skip are slow to fill.
There is a notebook that keeps ESSENTIAL INFO about what to do, as well as a task list. There is also an interactive map that tells you where you have unfinished tasks. It is not a jump map. It is very useful, though, because it is a 4 level mansion, and a lot of rooms to cover that are connected to each other in odd ways. Getting lost is par for the course.
The voiceovers in this game deserve a special mention. They are appropriate and well acted, although I got a little tired of the chatter after a while, but then, so apparently did the developers. Because just when I was thinking “enough already”, she stopped commenting out loud about everything.
Finally, one important note, the game is not very long. Under 3 hours, and I wasn’t in any kind of a hurry.
This is an okay game, nothing brilliant, and I much prefer the second of this series “Legacy Tales: The Mercy of the Gallows”.
I recommend this game!
Create a little slice of Heaven in the underworld!
Overall rating
3
/
5
10 of 12 found this review helpful
Funny Little Build Game
PostedOctober 15, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Beginner
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
Charming and different, this game is such an odd little one, it is hard to know where to start with it. The very premise of the game is cute. Nice little zombies just waiting to worship you as their God, and a new nirvana to create.
Well, it is a build game, one where you get your workers to achieve your goals, trying to keep them all busy and get the resources you need. In this way it is no different than the dozens of build games out there. With this one, though, you must also keep your workers happy, which seems to mean keeping the food up. Sounds like me. *grin*
There are lots of funny-looking zombies to meet and to help, artifacts to find, territory to explore and quests to complete.
You have an assistant who tells you what others want of you and arrows indicating where your destination is. So there is plenty of hand holding in the beginning if you want it. It was almost more than I could stand, and I like help in these sort of games. Presumably that will not go on forever.
The nice thing about this game, too, is that there are no time limits or points to achieve to stress you out. You can explore and build and develop and acquire resources at your own pace.
The game looks good, its graphics are cartoony and funny, and the lands are imaginative. The music strikes me as perfect for this game, upbeat and a little shambolic.
So, if you like a giggle in your game, you might do far worse than this “happy hereafter”.
I recommend this game!
With 60 exciting, colorful levels, Summer Mahjong will take you on a journey through beautiful island sites.
Overall rating
3
/
5
23 of 27 found this review helpful
Very Simple & Very Pleasant
PostedOctober 15, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
When it comes to mah-jong, I am very old-fashioned. I like my tiles to look Chinese, the layouts to be playable, and the experience to be relaxing. I don’t much care for all the new-fangled variations you get with, say, Great Cities mah-jong, and I can live without fancy power ups. Which is perhaps I like this game so much.
The first thing you notice about this game is the music. Oh boy is it wrong for this game! Sounds like you should be doing aerobics to it. But it deceptive. The actual rounds have no music at all, only some of the most delightful background sounds of waves, birds etc. Well worth the blare at the end of each round.
The game looks good. Nothing fancy, but pleasant, and there are 8 views to choose from, but you must unlock them with play. There are 3 tile types; 2 x Chinese and one Jewelled set. There are 4 power ups if you want them – hammer, whirlwind, magnifier, bomb. You have the number of tiles and the number of possible matches up the top of the screen. There are a lot of layouts – I didn’t see them all in the demo – and none of them look like the crazy unplayable ones. The tiles are large and clear, so you can always see what you’re doing.
The one complaint I have about the design is the auto-shuffle. I’d like to have to do the board again until I get it right.
As well as mah-jong, there are 2 other mini-games, which appear seemingly at random, but not often. There is an excellent little HO game where you must find a number of the objects, indicated by their pix below. The second is the swap tiles mini-game. I like this touch of something other.
This is a nice little game, well thought out and very relaxing.
I recommend this game!
Play your cards right and you might escape the zombie apocalypse! Biting humor and fun card game action await you in Zombie Solitaire.
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Light-hearted & Amusing
PostedOctober 14, 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
3
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
Good quality graphics drawn cartoon style, very amusing characters for each card. Music gets a bit annoying fairly quickly.
A nice little story to keep us entertained. A toxic tofu burger creates an epidemic, and you must get away from your house to an island where you’ll be safe. There is a map, and as you complete each level, you move further on your journey.
Dozens and dozens of repeatable levels. The game is a traditional solitaire game, with many different placements of the cards. There are lots of bonus cards, such as Zombie Slap, which removes the card of your choice and Machete, which opens up the Jungle Blocks. Another obstacle is Infected Ravens, which must be stopped by use of the Zombie Repellent.
You get points by making combos (the number of cards you can select without drawing from the pack), the longer the combo, the greater the multiplier used at the end of the level. These points can be used in the shop to buy more power ups and bonus cards.
I enjoyed the demo a lot, and it was amusing as well as absorbing.
I recommend this game!
Reveal the secret of an ancient prophecy! Fascinating tasks and exciting puzzles await you behind the breathtaking scenery of a mysterious island!
Overall rating
5
/
5
173 of 186 found this review helpful
This Year’s Best & Easiest Stand Alone SE!
PostedOctober 14, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
I am totally charmed by the unassuming but delightful game. There are no soaring vistas, no fireworks, no terrifying catastrophic events. It is simple and pleasing, with a stack of fun and easy puzzles and some tricky HOPs.
I am totally charmed by the unassuming but delightful game. There are no soaring vistas, no fireworks, no terrifying catastrophic events. It is simple and pleasing, with a stack of fun and easy puzzles and some tricky HOPs.
SIGHTS & SOUNDS
The graphics don’t run to the extravagant, but they are beautiful to look at, and somehow more gentle on the eyes than other, more dramatic visuals. The cut scenes are a mix of still shots and light animation that works well. There is no voiceover, which at first seems a bit of a problem, but after the introductory scenes, there is not a lot of talking to do, so it’s not missed. Music is no symphony either, just relaxing. Very quiet too, I had to turn up my volume to hear it at all.
The graphics don’t run to the extravagant, but they are beautiful to look at, and somehow more gentle on the eyes than other, more dramatic visuals. The cut scenes are a mix of still shots and light animation that works well. There is no voiceover, which at first seems a bit of a problem, but after the introductory scenes, there is not a lot of talking to do, so it’s not missed. Music is no symphony either, just relaxing. Very quiet too, I had to turn up my volume to hear it at all.
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
I admit, this is a little confusing, but the bottom line is a not unfamiliar story. You crash your hot air balloon on a magical island, which turns out to be ruled by an evil witch who has enchanted everyone, and coincidentally is the home you never knew. The magic mirror that is the only symbol of your past, will protect you while you find a way to defeat the witch and reverse the curse.
I admit, this is a little confusing, but the bottom line is a not unfamiliar story. You crash your hot air balloon on a magical island, which turns out to be ruled by an evil witch who has enchanted everyone, and coincidentally is the home you never knew. The magic mirror that is the only symbol of your past, will protect you while you find a way to defeat the witch and reverse the curse.
MAKING PROGRESS
More than anything else, this is a puzzle game. There are HOs, but they are very much in the minority. There are a total of 48 puzzles in all, all easy, and some repeated, but I saw only 2 interactive list HO scenes, visited twice, in the hour I played. There are also some multiple-items puzzles, within the main location.
More than anything else, this is a puzzle game. There are HOs, but they are very much in the minority. There are a total of 48 puzzles in all, all easy, and some repeated, but I saw only 2 interactive list HO scenes, visited twice, in the hour I played. There are also some multiple-items puzzles, within the main location.
A special treat for an SE, we have achievements, all mostly story-based. But it includes the collection of 31 very easy to find fireflies. Also rare, we can replay the puzzles from the main menu, some of them with extra levels!
There is a journal, no map, but you do have a knife that you get to keep and a racoon who is the (directional) hint button (no cute feeding or anything). But you won’t be needing it very much. The adventure part of the game is very easy indeed, and is the least important part of the game.
FAMOUS LAST WORDS
I know a lot of gamers are going to scream that this game is too easy to any good, but it IS special, just not for those experts who believe nothing’s good for you if it doesn’t hurt!
I know a lot of gamers are going to scream that this game is too easy to any good, but it IS special, just not for those experts who believe nothing’s good for you if it doesn’t hurt!
Certainly, beginners will love this game, but I’m pretty much an expert at these things myself these days, and I love it too. So if you’re not into brain strain, give this game a chance, I think it will surprise you.
I recommend this game!
Explore the Haunted Hotel and experience supernatural phenomenon for yourself in Haunted Hotel: The Lonely Dream!
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
We’ve Come A Long Way...
PostedOctober 13, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
Again, this game is a genuine sequel to the previous 2 Haunted Hotel games. Unfortunately in this case, I think it really does matter that we have played the other games in order to appreciate the story. And the story is a part of this game far more than in the others.
But it is still a HOG primarily, although we are introduced to the use of inventory here, as well as a sense of movement, and there is a greater number of puzzles. We have also done away with points, and time limits.
We start this story at a time after the FBI agent’s arrest of the priest, who seems to be behind the strange supernatural events and phenomena found in the Lonely Dream Hotel. However, an ex-cop time travelling private investigator says we have been duped and must return to the hotel to prevent catastrophe for those still residing there.
We are expected to do a little more of the work ourselves in this game. Some of the items we collect from the HO scenes go into inventory and we will need to use those items later, usually to unlock a puzzle or HOP. The rooms were the HOPs, with 12 items needed. Some HOPs actually don’t have a list. You have to find an item by the gears cursor or by merrily clicking and then find the place to use it. Something a bit different!
The puzzles were still easy, but I found myself not knowing what to do next far too often for my liking. A hint that gives you the next step is useful.
The cut scenes are comic style, no animation, with dialogue down the bottom. The graphics are good enough, but are nothing unexpected, and I think the second game was better in this regard. Again, the soundtrack can be a bit unsettling at times.
These first three games in the Haunted Hotel series are classic examples of the history and evolution of HOGs, with this one hinting at the possibilities of true HOPAs.
A good game, but dated of course. Nevertheless, ...
I recommend this game!
A lone FBI agent has come to the Haunted Hotel, from which no one can escape, until its mysteries are unraveled.
Overall rating
3
/
5
8 of 10 found this review helpful
Warning! Purely Addictive Pure HOG
PostedOctober 13, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
Well, I never thought when I started this demo that I would find myself totally addicted in just a few minutes. This sequel to the classic HOG, Haunted Hotel, is a much improved version and still a great game to play even today.
As a pure HOG, you can’t expect to see sophisticated story told in complex and intriguing ways. You can expect good graphics, easily matching more modern ‘average’ stand alone standard editions. You can expect extravagant junk piles filled with an unbelievable number of (sometimes too small) unexpected items.
The structure of the game is simple. Each room (which has its own theme) hides 30 items you must find, at the end of which you must search for a clue to the mystery. This involves a simple puzzle. These are not arcade (fast click) games, so there’s not the stress. But you are, technically, on a time limit, and it’s time that decides your ranking.
One important variation from the original game – the mini-games include a skip button. And the story is not told in detail by the diary. The story is fairly similar to the first game, and a genuine sequel to it, but this is not a game you play for the story.
The theme rooms are a great way to vary the ‘feel’ of the game and prevent boredom. Not only are the objects mostly related to the theme, the music is appropriate too. This sometimes leads to problems – the hardish rock in the hacker’s room, for instance, was REALLY disruptive!
As a general rule, I’m not into pure HOGs, but I ran out of time with this demo and realised I was going to have to get the game!
I recommend this game!
Check in to the spooky Haunted Hotel and immerse yourself in a thrilling adventure!
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 4 found this review helpful
Just Like Reading A Book
PostedOctober 13, 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
I imagine this game must have been quite something in its day (Jan 2009). The production values are great. The graphics are adequate even by today’s standards. The gameplay is a classic example of the way HO games used to be played. Dated, yes, but appealing all the same.
The one thing that will really put a lot of people off, but which I find endearing, (partly because no developer would be brave enough to do it these days) is the extensive prologue and subsequent instalments of the story. The story is told by a diary, each line appearing at about reading pace. There is of course no voiceover, and after the intro cut scene (excellent comic graphics), all the action is narrated threw this method. During each chapter thereafter there is also several pages of story that take longer to read sometimes than the chapter takes to play.
But it is a fine story. A traveller is involved in a car accident and ventures down the road to a hotel in search of assistance. When he gets there the place is deserted. The more he looks around, the more he discovers mysterious and ominous surroundings, strange phenomena and terrifying screams. This is the stuff of the diary. The game itself is pure HO, so you must read this to get any sense of progress.
GAMEPLAY
Each level has a number of mini-games you must complete in order to move on. These include puzzles like untangle ropes and a variety of arcade-like mini-games. Within the demo, these are not too difficult, but I anticipate a time when they will be. Which makes the fact that there is no skip for some of them, and that everything is timed, daunting.
Each level has a number of mini-games you must complete in order to move on. These include puzzles like untangle ropes and a variety of arcade-like mini-games. Within the demo, these are not too difficult, but I anticipate a time when they will be. Which makes the fact that there is no skip for some of them, and that everything is timed, daunting.
The increasing number of ‘rooms’ (HO scenes) in each level require you to find an ever increasing numbers of items from a list, as well as some bonus items that get you power ups such as more time. You get five hints per level.
My one major criticism is that the background for the listed items is too ‘busy’, making it difficult to read the words.
This game is certainly not for everyone. Many would actively loathe it. But if you’re feeling nostalgic for the way it used to be, when HOGs were as challenging and high stress as any other casual game, then this could well be your thing. It is also fun to see how this series started and how it evolved to what we love now.
Your father was murdered while he was investigating a crime. Travel back through time to save him!
Overall rating
4
/
5
56 of 62 found this review helpful
A New HO Style In A Good Game
PostedOctober 13, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
The thing that stands out most about this game is its HOPs. Not that it is a HO game, mind you, it is definitely a HO Puzzle Adventure (HOPA), but the new style gives the game an interesting twist.
The HOP is the familiar interactive list, but the list is quite long and you won’t see some items until you’ve cleared enough of the list. As well, there are 2 or 3 silhouettes to be found, and these will be needed to interact within the scene in order to find other items on the list. It sounds a bit awkward, but it is fun to play.
The other gameplay is good too. The puzzles are not all original, but a number of them are, and others are stylish adaptations of some familiar ones.
The adventure action is fairly linear, I had little use for the directional hint and interactive jump map, but they’re always nice to have. Inventory includes items which can be combined. There is a task list as well.
There are the usual black bar thought/hints, but they are not so obvious in the help they offer, and the sparkles even on the easiest level are not overwhelming.
The story is a nice change, being a little different from the usual ‘rescue relative’. The relative is your Dad, a cop killed in the line of duty, and the amulet you find takes you back to only two hours before his death, which is the timeframe you have for changing the events that lead to his death. I really like this story, and can’t remember many others that use time travel this way.
The graphics are good without being in danger of being spectacular. But they are bright and colourful, ‘cheery with the occasional eerie’, which also describes the music. Voices are quite well done. The HO scenes are clear and precise, and objects are easily found.
FAMOUS LAST WORDS
I chose to wait for the SE of this one, and I’m still convinced, looking at it, that I made the right choice. An excellent example of a SE game.
I chose to wait for the SE of this one, and I’m still convinced, looking at it, that I made the right choice. An excellent example of a SE game.
I recommend this game!