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:
Face a 200-year mystery and save your best friend! Discover how strong friendship ties can be and to what extremes unrequited love is ready to go.
Overall rating
2
/
5
13 of 16 found this review helpful
One For The DD List
PostedMarch 5, 2013
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
Story: You’re alone in a foreign snow-bound country, you friend has disappeared, and the only thing for you to do seems to try to reach the mysterious mansion, Manor Ardennes.
Developer: ?
Release Date: Feb 2013
Extras: Teddy bears? Did someone mention teddy bears?
Release Date: Feb 2013
Extras: Teddy bears? Did someone mention teddy bears?
It took me precisely one hour to complete the first chapter, which looks promising for the length of the game, as there are 7 chapters in all. The emphasis is on HOs, of which there are many. I have no problem with that – I like lots of HOs.
The difficulty I have in liking this game is the weather. That wind is already driving me nuts!
Seriously, I found I had no idea what to do next way too often for my tastes, and the game seemed to go very slow for me, perhaps for that reason. But, an hour and I still haven’t even started on my rescue mission?
I won’t rush to buy this one, but I might be grateful for a few snow scenes come our (downunder) summer, and am intrigued by teddy bear comments of another reviewer, so it maybe goes on my Daily Deals list.
I don't recommend this game.
Save the three worlds contained inside of a magical book in Azada: In Libro! Stop a dark magician from conquering Azada!
Overall rating
3
/
5
19 of 20 found this review helpful
I’m Glad I Got This As A CE – At Half Price
PostedMarch 4, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Story: The magical book Azada again summons you and you are off to Prague to save it and its interior worlds.
Developer: Big Fish Games
Release Date: Nov 2011
Extras:
Release Date: Nov 2011
Extras:
Without the integrated strategy guide, this Azada would have gone the way of the other two for me – I wouldn’t have been able to finish it. Again, I found both the puzzles and the adventure aspects too difficult for me. But at least now the game has ‘grown up’, with better graphics, game mechanics, HELP, and a more complex story. All this was good – although I agree with other reviewers that it is a shame the developers didn’t stick more closely to the original book and page-turning idea.
For a player with better puzzle skills than mine, I am sure this would be an enjoyable SE game, but it was not brilliant. It was very much in keeping with the standards we expect from the better series and developers.
Bonus Content Review *
As a CE, if the strategy guide was less important than it was to me, I think it would be a waste of money. In fact, to my mind the only reason to buy the CE would be if you were trying to improve your puzzling skills, for which you would need the SG.
The Bonus Game was laughable. I know I took longer over some of the puzzles than I did over this whole section. It added nothing to the game and was unbelievably short. As for wallpapers, music etc., none of it was spectacular enough to pay for.
I would have felt extremely disappointed with this game at full price.
I don't recommend this game.
Experience a deeper magic in this sparkling sequel, brimming with more than 20 puzzle books of classic tales.
Overall rating
2
/
5
32 of 33 found this review helpful
Another Promising Game I Just Can’t Finish
PostedMarch 3, 2013
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based On Second Attempt To Complete Game
I admit I’m not good at puzzles, but I’m not useless either. Yet, once again I am barred from playing this game because I have run out of skip and simply cannot solve the puzzle. The forums have long since stopped discussing Azada, and even what was there could not help. And of course, no walkthrough.
I don’t understand why Felix insists on puzzles with no skip. I know they’re supposed to be a challenge, but frustration overcomes any sense of accomplishment when you simply cannot proceed. I’ll probably never play this or the first Azada again, and that is a shame...
Because I was enjoying this game. The graphics, gameplay and story were all a big improvement on the original Azada. I love the idea of being trapped in a story and no way out. And there were clearly many stories in this game.
I don't recommend this game.
Love & Death ™: Bitten ™
Help Damon and Victoria defeat an evil vampire queen as they fall deeply in love with one another! Can love overcome death?
Overall rating
4
/
5
21 of 24 found this review helpful
WARNING: Adult Themes & Lots Of Fun
PostedMarch 3, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
GAME COMPLETED SEVERAL TIMES
Story: Damon, a dark, handsome vampire held in thrall by an evil witch, meets Victoria, a curious young woman determined to save her village from the vampire predators. The attraction is obvious from their first meeting, and each discovers that they are tied together as if by the fates. Will Damon and Victoria’s story end in love….or death?
Developer: PlayFirst Games
Release Date: April 2010
Extras: Collectibles & Achievements
Release Date: April 2010
Extras: Collectibles & Achievements
This is a sweet story involving a witch, her pet vampire, and a mortal. The opening scenes find us in bed with the witch, and our first task is to find a peasant to eat. So continue at your own risk!.
But this is a delightful little tale, so light hearted you tend to forget the dark theme. We get to play vampire by night, and his mortal prey by day. Which is *fun*!
It’s hard to believe this game was released almost four years ago. The graphics are lovely, voiceovers excellent, and though it is quite an easy mix of puzzles and HOs, some surprise extras are included. Collectibles, which unlock a glimpse of the future for our love-struck fools, and a simple form of Achievements, which show up at the end of each chapter.
It’s a great shame that no sequel was ever made of this one.
I recommend this game!
A witch's quest for revenge spells trouble for a young mother and her son in this haunting Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
17 of 17 found this review helpful
An Almost Identical Sequel
PostedMarch 2, 2013
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Story: Sending her to jail wasn’t enough to get rid of the witch who has now sworn revenge, and again your son is stolen by her. She is determined to have his soul, and before you can rescue him she escapes with him through alternate realities again. You’ll meet other victims of the witch this time, who will help, but it is still a race against time to get to your boy.
Developer: ******
Release Date: Mar 2012
Extras: None
Release Date: Mar 2012
Extras: None
This is so like its predecessor, it’s almost like an additional few chapters to the original story. Once again we are faced with magical mirrors and alternate realities. The graphics are the same style, although there is some technical improvement, and the music is the same mind-shatteringly irritating few bars from the first game.
The game play has not changed either. There are things to find to complete tasks, which can be found either openly or hidden in the location, or occasionally in another close by. There are HOs and puzzles to complete others.
All of it is as easy as you could possibly want, and will bore a more experienced player who likes a bit of challenge. But for quiet afternoons, and a cuppa, I think it’s a great fit.
I prefer this game to the earlier one because it has interesting characters and parallel worlds, one of which I found quite intriguing...
Help a mother rescue her son from the parallel world inside a mirror as you explore stunning locations and assemble gadgets!
Overall rating
3
/
5
23 of 24 found this review helpful
Varied Game Play Makes Simple Game Interesting
PostedMarch 1, 2013
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Story: Your son is kidnapped and held captive in a parallel world inside a mirror. You must enter the mirror and the warped alternate reality behind it, to overcome a conniving witch and get him back home.
Developer: *****
Release Date: Feb 2011
Extras: None
Release Date: Feb 2011
Extras: None
The graphics are a bit dated, although clear, and the HOs have no animation or interaction, and the music is absolutely maddening, but this is an enjoyable little game, because the different search methods used make it so.
Confronted with a new task, you must find tools and parts you’ll need. These appear in a ring of pictured items. Some of the items you need will be right there in the location, but some could be hidden in a trunk, or a book. Also at least one item will likely be in a HOs, or you might need to complete a small puzzle or mini-game to get it. Occasionally, you’ll even have to look in a location nearby.
Don’t worry, though, this is an easy game and indicates the hot spots. This is not, however, a game for superior players who will find nothing to challenge them here.
I recommend this game!
After the Countess is discovered dead, it’s up to you to find her murderer in Mystery Chronicles: Betrayals of Love!
Overall rating
3
/
5
31 of 32 found this review helpful
A Great Game for HO Lovers With A Touch Of Adventure Lite
PostedFebruary 26, 2013
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
GAME COMPLETED SEVERAL TIMES
Story: The Countess has been murdered, and the Count has disappeared. The French Commissionaire calls you in to solve the baffling mystery...
Developer: Lazy Turtle Games
Release Date: May 2011
Extras: None
Release Date: May 2011
Extras: None
I enjoyed playing this game today, though I haven’t in the past. It’s a bit dated in its style and the graphics are odd. Sometimes they seem almost photo realistic, at others more like cartoons. But they do this thing with the water that looks excellent – enough to make you thirsty.
It’s gameplay is quite good. There is a story that carries itself and gives motivation to the considerable running around needed to find clues and talk to suspects. This process involves a lot of HOs and very little else, yet maintains that feeling of being in the story that similar HO games can’t manage.
There were only a couple of puzzles, and very few ‘found’ items for inventory (everything came from HOs), except 16 torn pieces of paper which act much like collectibles and are needed to solve the final mystery.
A good afternoon's entertainment.
I recommend this game!
What is Azada ™? Uncover the secret in the missing pages of an enchanted book and break free from a magical puzzle prison.
Overall rating
1
/
5
22 of 29 found this review helpful
Unfinished And Unsolvable – Boring!
PostedFebruary 25, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Story: Titus kidnaps you so you can free him from the prison his magician great-uncle trapped him in. This entails cracking the uncrackable puzzles found on the pages of Azada, the great book of magic.
Developer: Big Fish Games
Release Date: Feb 2008
Extras: None
Release Date: Feb 2008
Extras: None
Azada is a classic puzzle adventure developed by our own Felix and friends. But classic can also mean antiquated. And this is certainly true for this game.
The formulaic gameplay becomes very tedious – ten chapters with ten puzzles each, a lot of them repeated through the course of the game, and every one timed separately. There are hints, but they cost you in time and I never figured out how to earn skips – only that sometimes the game would tell me I had. The puzzles themselves were quite interesting and varied.
The infrequent appearances of skip finally decided my fate. I ran out in Chapter 8 and came unstuck because there was a puzzle I couldn’t complete. What has Felix got against Skip buttons? This subject will be raised again when I get to reviewing the MCF games!
I really can’t recommend this game to play, but obsessive game collectors...
I recommend this game!
Join Esther as she attempts to influence the past in order to change the future and learn the secrets of the Ambrose family!
Overall rating
4
/
5
48 of 49 found this review helpful
A Not-So-Final Finale
PostedFebruary 24, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED GAME
Story: We were left hanging at the end of “The Ancient Spectres”, with Esther Ambrose fighting off the evil witch Viviana, Merlin’s main squeeze back in the 5th Century – before he became a tree. Now she must help her uncle and a mysterious man from the future finally stop the threat of Viviana’s evil influence for good. This means going back to the original confrontation between Merlin and Viviana, and an adventure across time and space.
Developer: Artifex Mundi
Release Date: Feb 2013
Extras: Portable Time Device (PTD), Toggle to Match 3 game.
Release Date: Feb 2013
Extras: Portable Time Device (PTD), Toggle to Match 3 game.
Almost everything I said about “The Ancient Spectres” remains true for this episode of the Time Mysteries series. The bright glary light still illuminates clear and beautiful objects. You have sonar and can toggle a Match 3 game in HOs, and the game leans towards HOs rather than PA.
The action continues to centre round the PTD. Which remains addictive. And this game’s story is also as hard to follow and, though ending conclusively this time, ultimately as unsatisfying.
Still, tripping across time and altering futures is irresistible fun, and it really is a beautiful game. And if I’m left feeling a bit ambivalent, I guess I was hoping for more out of this than it gave.
To those who’ve not played the other games, this one can stand alone, but just barely. It’s a lot more interesting if you’ve played the backstory.
And is Viviana Vivien? I’ll never tell!
I recommend this game!
Expose a secret brotherhood called The Seekers and save the performers of the theatre who became the brotherhood’s victims.
Overall rating
5
/
5
34 of 39 found this review helpful
Oh Brother, What A Ride!
PostedFebruary 24, 2013
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
GAME COMPLETED TWICE
Story: It’s your 3rd and most difficult case with the Agency of Anomalies, Take on the task of exposing a secret brotherhood called The Seekers and save the performers of the theatre who became the brotherhood's victims. As an agent of The Agency of Anomalies, help the performers restore their human form, return their paranormal powers and find out what happened to the theatre’s founder.
Developer: *****
Release Date: Sep 2012
Extras: Cut Scene Replays, Achievements, Collectibles
! For Bonus Content See Below !
Release Date: Sep 2012
Extras: Cut Scene Replays, Achievements, Collectibles
! For Bonus Content See Below !
This is third of the series surpasses even the excellent Cinderstone Orphanage. Its visuals and sounds can match any game out there, so please take it as a given that you’ll not be disappointed with any of the game’s artistry. I’m on a strict word limit here :-# ;) .
For the record, this is very like the other two, except we have silhouettes and lists for HOs, but still visited each 3 times. The puzzles are harder, and everything feels more original and alive.
I’m rather ‘over’ carnivals, and therefore was very pleasantly surprised with the originality of characters, their predicaments and their visuals; all were excellent and new.
That’s one reason I am so impressed with the game, the other was the new styled mini-games associated with each special ability you acquire. Both are exciting and different, visually appealing. It’s definitely a ‘must have’.
Bonus Content Review
The Strategy Guide, which I used only a couple of times, seems clear, stays where you left it, and gives you the location of the ‘secret objects’ aka collectibles at the end. There are 6 bonus mini games and 11 achievements. This was a beautiful game to look at, and for once I actually enjoyed the concept art.
.
The Bonus Adventure was not at all essential to the main game, and took me roughly one quarter of the time of the main game, but I skipped the puzzles in it, because I was too tired for them. There were more puzzles than in the main game relatively speaking, and you must uncover the solutions in layer after layer, which although it was done well, I got a bit tired of.
.
The Bonus Adventure was not at all essential to the main game, and took me roughly one quarter of the time of the main game, but I skipped the puzzles in it, because I was too tired for them. There were more puzzles than in the main game relatively speaking, and you must uncover the solutions in layer after layer, which although it was done well, I got a bit tired of.
Would I buy the CE again? No, I think I’d have been just as happy with the SE.
I recommend this game!