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:
Track down your real parents in The Keepers: Lost Progeny! After growing up an orphan, a mysterious photo showing your parents arrives!
Overall rating
4
/
5
29 of 34 found this review helpful
Eerie, Cinematic Experience
PostedJanuary 13, 2012
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
This is a good quality HO Puzzle game, with some marvelous movie cut scenes. It is fairly dark, in theme and visuals, but it rarely affects the ability to find HOs. Which not to say they are easy - some are quite a challenge. The puzzles were I think, a little easier than most, which suited me, because it meant less I had to skip.
I found the journal particularly helpful, a necessity, because it's pretty to get lost - and not just in the labyrinth! It covers a fair slice of the story and notes codes etc. in an easy format for flicking back.
The trial doesn't do justice to the full game. It starts off with every cliche in the book, including a wrecked town, which almost put me off. But as others have commented, the story is well told and backed up by relevant game play. There is no real originality there (not for a horror story fan anyway), but a much better job of telling it than most.
The game overall falls into the "not quite" on all fronts. Not quite the best graphics, not quite the best music, not quite as long as I like, not quite enough HO scenes. Which simply means it's "not quite" spectacular.
Well worth the money.
I recommend this game!
After the police and FBI come up empty in their investigation, Bella turns to forces beyond our world to find her missing son!
Overall rating
5
/
5
63 of 67 found this review helpful
A Breath of Fresh Air
PostedJanuary 12, 2012
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
For those who enjoy a relaxing game, this is as good as it gets. The graphics are fanciful, colourful, cheerful and very clear. The music and environment sounds are also restful. The atmosphere is so upbeat, it might be tempting to write this off as a kids game, but that would be a mistake. It is true that the game is clearly designed to be kid-friendly, but it is neither childish, foolish or boring.
The gameplay is a relatively easy mix of HO lists, pix of items list, and puzzles. Most kinds of puzzle are represented. There are two levels of difficulty, and I found them both comfortable.
It is broken neatly into 5 chapters, and when you've completed the game once, you can play each chapter individually.
To those who want to sweat and strain to beat a game, this one is not for you. However, you are missing hours of easy entertainment.
I'm hoping for more "enchanted paintings' in the future.
I recommend this game!
After waking up chained to the floor of a cabin, you must discover the Secret of Agony Creek and escape before it's too late!
Overall rating
3
/
5
39 of 41 found this review helpful
Middle of the Road
PostedJanuary 11, 2012
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
3
/
5
The lousy thing about the latest and biggest monitor i could afford is that it shows up all the flaws in the graphics not seen on a smaller screen. I played this in windowed mode because the graphics were bad enough to interfere with my enjoyment playing full screen. Creep factor is good though.
This game is not bad, but would never make my A list. The story is fairly vague and the ending is, well, different than I expected; not overly convincing. It took me a long time to get into it, and the game isn't that long, so that was a negative.
On the positive, the puzzles were easy enough for me to complete most of them without skipping, and the HO scenes were interactive and unusually creative, with things like braille and binary code and plaid to look for. The logical flow was good, you never really get stuck wondering what to do next, and there is little toing and froing.
Overall an average sort of a game. I'd like to see something similar from the designers, with improved technicals.
Probably not a game to appeal to hard core HOPA players, though there is a harder level. For newer players, I think it'd be quite good.
I recommend this game!
End a centuries-old war between the Guardians and the Clan of the Nine in 9: The Dark Side!
Overall rating
5
/
5
47 of 48 found this review helpful
Awe Inspiring, and I Don't Say That Lightly
PostedJanuary 11, 2012
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
From the first moments this game impressed me. The visuals are superb, spectacular - and the reverent, church-like music was inspired and inspiring.
With more puzzles than HO scenes, this game is pretty challenging, with strikingly new ways of presenting familiar puzzles, and some innovative new ones. Fortunately, skip was activated quickly and hint was an excellent way of getting back on track, so despite the difficulty level, I didn't have to resort to the walkthrough.
The story is perfect for this kind of game, and you could get as involved in it as you wanted to, with excellent graphic and sound representation of the characters you meet, or skip them and catch the summary in the journal. Mind you, I think you're missing a lot by doing that.
Isn't there anything wrong with it? Well, I'd be hard pressed to find it... Sometimes the clicks had to be just so to perform an action and that gets very annoying. But really, in a production of this quality, it's quibbling.
I have just finished playing the game for the 2nd time in a fortnight, and loved it as much as the first time: with 100 HOPA games on my desktop, that's one HECK of a tribute.
I recommend this game!
Mystery of Mortlake Mansion
Explore the dark halls of Mortlake Mansion and discover its secrets! Break the evil spells and become the owner of the mansion!
Overall rating
4
/
5
34 of 35 found this review helpful
Delightfully Different
PostedJanuary 10, 2012
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
4
/
5
The thing that makes this game stand out for me is the unusual graphics style. It gave it a unique flavour and added a kind of "arty" feel. LOVED what they did with the bad guy. He was seriously spooky.
The story is your typical "summoned to spooky manor" line, but was a little different in that it had alternate versions of same rooms. We see a bit of that nowadays, but I still find it refreshingly fun.
I enjoyed many of the puzzles, particularly the unique rune puzzles. Again, fun and different.
This game doesn't compare to many of the top rung games, but has its own style and is in a class of its own.
I've already played it 3 times, and know I'll be back there again.
I recommend this game!
Save your sister from Bluebeard’s Castle in this incredible Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
21 of 21 found this review helpful
Easier Than Most But...
PostedJanuary 10, 2012
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
I enjoyed this game because for once the puzzles were not too hard for me, the HO scenes were clear and attractive (in a macabre sort of way) and the graphics were good, though somewhat grainy on closeups.
The "but..." is because there is no journal/map/task list available outside HOS and therefore I spent too much time trying to figure out what I missed. Hint was worse than useless - "Investigate the castle and its grounds for more clues" is not helpful.
The story is simple and familiar, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It meant no confusion trying to figure out what was going on. The clues are presented in verse which is kind of corny but also kinda nice. Considerable imagination went into making the locations varied and interesting.
I'll be playing it again - often
I recommend this game!
Gather items, solve puzzles and make spine-chilling discoveries as you explore a deserted island in Twisted Lands: Shadow Town!
Overall rating
4
/
5
65 of 70 found this review helpful
Don't Go On First Impressions
PostedDecember 30, 2011
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
First time I tried this game, I gave up almost before I started. There is too much time spent on the (irritating) lead in and I found the gameplay annoyingly hard to follow at first.
However, I'm here to say I was wrong. After playing and enjoying the sequel, Insomniac, I gave this one another try. It's actually very well done, and I have no hesitation in recommending it.
The intro doesn't really lead you to expect the superb artwork that follows. HO scenes are uncluttered yet challenging and relevant. Music very atmospheric although it got on my nerves after a while. I enjoyed the focus being on HO rather than puzzles as I'm not much at them.
The adventure stuff was a little difficult to follow and I needed to use hint to point me to the next task more often than usual, but it did follow a logical sequence in line with the story.
My only criticism (other than the 'film' segments, which I never took to) is that there is too many clicks involved in getting from the scene where you find the tool and the scene where you use it. To and froing is okay by me usually, but it tried my patience here.
In the game's defense, part of its governing logic and theme is being trapped in mazes, so there is a reason for it.
The ending was satisfying even though you never really find out what was going on. More on this is available in the sequel, where much of this game's story makes more sense. Great games to play back-to-back.
I recommend this game!
Search for a town consumed by fog! Unlock forbidden doors and uncover mysterious items!
Overall rating
4
/
5
83 of 90 found this review helpful
Yes, It's A Great Game, But...
PostedDecember 15, 2011
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
There is a lot to like in this game. Graphics, music, story, (the fact that the weather actually changes and it doesn't rain!) and most of the gameplay. I had a few problems with it, though.
The puzzles were particularly original but too hard for me, and skip takes forever.
The tools/inventory bar pops up and changes to its own rhythm, leading to frustrating clicking back and forth.
And speaking of clicking, the need for accuracy is so tight I made a dozen attempts to get some interactions accepted.
To add insult to injury (repetitive mouse syndrome), the response to this type of clicking is invariably "That only works in the movies" - gets real tiresome.
These problems really spoiled a game I would otherwise have given a five. Still, for a more sophisticated gamer...
I recommend this game!
Use your Paranormal Crime Investigation skills to solve a string of bizarre murders plaguing the city of New Orleans!
Overall rating
4
/
5
34 of 38 found this review helpful
Good All-Rounder
PostedDecember 15, 2011
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
4
/
5
Not going to set the world on fire, but this is an enjoyable game to play.
Its HO scenes were good and easy without being a total bore. Again, graphics good not great. Their bright colours and modern objects were a pleasant change from the usual dreary game. I really liked the music.
Story was easy to follow but unusual despite the just-now-everywhere setting in New Orleans Mardi Gras, voodoo added.
I also enjoyed having a character to work with through the game. Somehow, it seems to make it more involving.
The ending was satisfying, the investigation was completed, but another one was about to start. Left the possibility of a sequel without leaving you hanging and frustrated.
I am sure I will be playing this often.
I recommend this game!
Take on Time Mysteries: The Ancient Spectres, a challenging Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game! Stop the evil witch Viviana!
Overall rating
4
/
5
26 of 27 found this review helpful
Very Good, But Not Brilliant
PostedDecember 13, 2011
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
This is not my new favourite game, but it is very good. I enjoyed the quality production - graphics, sound effects, atmosphere. I also like the silhouette feature.
There are lots of HO scenes with enjoyable puzzles. Optional Match 3 game was an interesting toy, but I'm mostly into HO so I didn't use it much.
Help is good and you get plenty of direction using the time machine itself. I thought the family tree, tracing the branches of the family throughout history particularly fun.
Why not brilliant? Sometimes I lost track of the "why" in the storyline, some tasks didn't exactly have an obvious purpose that carried the story forward. Also, much as I loved the fireflies, I wished they'd have disappeared as history was being fixed.
The primary reason this game didn't get 5/5 is the ending. The game ended without finishing the story and I hate that. If you are enjoying the story, it leaves you feeling conned.
I recommend this game!