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 famous actor has literally stepped off the screen to kidnap your niece. Now you must find a way into the dangerous and exciting world of the film to save her!
Overall rating
5
/
5
106 of 155 found this review helpful
Wonderful, But Not The Best Surface
PostedApril 10, 2014
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
Storyline
5
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Not as impressed as I usually am by this low key intro to the fifth Surface game. The cut scene graphics are cartoony and very very rough, compared to the other aspects of the game. And the only thing surprising about the story is that it hasn’t been done more often. Every time I see a game title with anything related to the movies, I always expect it – the actor coming out of the screen.
Not as impressed as I usually am by this low key intro to the fifth Surface game. The cut scene graphics are cartoony and very very rough, compared to the other aspects of the game. And the only thing surprising about the story is that it hasn’t been done more often. Every time I see a game title with anything related to the movies, I always expect it – the actor coming out of the screen.
SIGHTS & SOUNDS
Apart from the cut scenes, the graphics are excellent, although not, I would say, inspired. I much prefer the images of say, Pantheon – beautiful, imaginative, original. They are also strangely slow. At the end of a brief narrative bit, the ‘film’ will keep rolling even though nothing is really happening. I couldn’t figure out why. The sounds are good, and I feel a good deal better than their visual counterparts. The music and sound effects are very fitting and realistic, and the voiceovers are well done.
Apart from the cut scenes, the graphics are excellent, although not, I would say, inspired. I much prefer the images of say, Pantheon – beautiful, imaginative, original. They are also strangely slow. At the end of a brief narrative bit, the ‘film’ will keep rolling even though nothing is really happening. I couldn’t figure out why. The sounds are good, and I feel a good deal better than their visual counterparts. The music and sound effects are very fitting and realistic, and the voiceovers are well done.
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
Your sister and niece go to the cinema to see your niece’s late fiancé in his last film, made some 10 years ago. Something shocking happens, though, the fiancé steps right out of the screen and grabs your niece, dragging her reluctantly back into the film. In the meantime, the rest of the movie is busy relocating as well, and there are some pretty amazing creatures in this jungle epic. Once you save your aunt from a tiger, you realise to solve this dilemma you are going to have to enter that dangerous jungle world. Super Auntie to the rescue and it isn’t even a Grim Tales game! *wink*
Your sister and niece go to the cinema to see your niece’s late fiancé in his last film, made some 10 years ago. Something shocking happens, though, the fiancé steps right out of the screen and grabs your niece, dragging her reluctantly back into the film. In the meantime, the rest of the movie is busy relocating as well, and there are some pretty amazing creatures in this jungle epic. Once you save your aunt from a tiger, you realise to solve this dilemma you are going to have to enter that dangerous jungle world. Super Auntie to the rescue and it isn’t even a Grim Tales game! *wink*
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay is a fairly easy adventure with enough of both puzzles and HOPs to satisfy your desire for either. The puzzles so far have been relatively simple, familiar and prettily done. Again, nothing engagingly original, but enjoyable. The HOPs are strictly word list, with only one or two interactions, which are with inventory items, not in the scene.
The gameplay is a fairly easy adventure with enough of both puzzles and HOPs to satisfy your desire for either. The puzzles so far have been relatively simple, familiar and prettily done. Again, nothing engagingly original, but enjoyable. The HOPs are strictly word list, with only one or two interactions, which are with inventory items, not in the scene.
There are inventory items that require further additions or manipulations to be useful. The game has the usual range of up-to-date features. Three levels of difficulty, inventory lock, journal (with replayable videos), an odd-looking interactive map that indicates scenes with tasks and completed scenes. The hint system is also teleporting. There are 7 chapters, and the demo, which took me almost exactly an hour, covers the first two.
CE BLING!
For me, the most exciting bit of the game so far! We have of course a bonus chapter. The Strategy Guide is available in game as well as in the main menu. The gallery includes nicely done wallpapers (10), saveable concept art (10), music tracks (5), and a screensaver.
For me, the most exciting bit of the game so far! We have of course a bonus chapter. The Strategy Guide is available in game as well as in the main menu. The gallery includes nicely done wallpapers (10), saveable concept art (10), music tracks (5), and a screensaver.
There are a fair number of performance-based achievements, in their own display setting, 4 of which are related to the 160 collectible metal flowers. All of which are needed to gain access to the Secret Room. Which, if you have played any recent Elephant game, you will know is where you will find a game that is almost another game using the same puzzles and HOPs. I like to call it the ‘Readers Digest’ version of the game, and I love it!
COMBINED IMPACT
It’s a winner, despite the disappointing standard of the cut scenes. I can’t resist a jungle adventure, even if I could have held out against the bonus content. But I don’t think it stands up well against the last Surface game, The Pantheon.
It’s a winner, despite the disappointing standard of the cut scenes. I can’t resist a jungle adventure, even if I could have held out against the bonus content. But I don’t think it stands up well against the last Surface game, The Pantheon.
I recommend this game!
Violett is reluctant to move to the dreary countryside. But when a strange light lures her to into a world of magic, she may never find herself bored again!
Overall rating
3
/
5
43 of 56 found this review helpful
The Weirdest Little Game!
PostedApril 9, 2014
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
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
A story told by comic book images alone, a heroine with purple hair and a surly attitude, (good) Dali graphics, strange eerie noises and no help anywhere. No goals, no task lists, no puzzle parameters. No map, no cute companion. Even the diary is not accessible within the game! What am I doing here? I have absolutely no idea.
A story told by comic book images alone, a heroine with purple hair and a surly attitude, (good) Dali graphics, strange eerie noises and no help anywhere. No goals, no task lists, no puzzle parameters. No map, no cute companion. Even the diary is not accessible within the game! What am I doing here? I have absolutely no idea.
The only reason I have any notion as to story is because I read the advertising blurb before playing the demo. This game is so totally out there, I cannot hope to do more than give you some impressions.
SIGHTS & SOUNDS
Liked the graphics. Very good anime-style (I am old and behind the times, so forgive me if that is the wrong term for it), fantastical, but clear, delicately drawn and detailed. The sounds include no voiceovers, no narrators, no character comments beyond a “nyup” and a shaking of the head. The music is pleasant enough, although a tad repetitious, and there are some cool sound effects.
Liked the graphics. Very good anime-style (I am old and behind the times, so forgive me if that is the wrong term for it), fantastical, but clear, delicately drawn and detailed. The sounds include no voiceovers, no narrators, no character comments beyond a “nyup” and a shaking of the head. The music is pleasant enough, although a tad repetitious, and there are some cool sound effects.
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
Well, I was hoping you’d tell me! Holidays seem to be boring to our cute little purple heroine, until she spots a shiny object in a mouse hole. Now, me, I’d not be rushing to stick my hand into a rodent hole, but she’s young enough to feel no fear – which is just as well, because the minute she grabs hold of the amulet she is sucked into some kind of vortex that lands her in a surreal world in which she is the same size as a toothbrush. I don’t know what adventures lay in store for her, because I couldn’t play well enough to find out more than a few bits and pieces.
Well, I was hoping you’d tell me! Holidays seem to be boring to our cute little purple heroine, until she spots a shiny object in a mouse hole. Now, me, I’d not be rushing to stick my hand into a rodent hole, but she’s young enough to feel no fear – which is just as well, because the minute she grabs hold of the amulet she is sucked into some kind of vortex that lands her in a surreal world in which she is the same size as a toothbrush. I don’t know what adventures lay in store for her, because I couldn’t play well enough to find out more than a few bits and pieces.
GAMEPLAY
This is where I come undone. I just haven’t got the knack for these sort of games, but I have some friends more advanced in adventure gameplay than me (yes, you know who you are) who I am sure would tell me this is not an overly-difficult adventure game, just a little quirky. Forget looking for any kind of structured puzzles, mini-games or HOPs. The puzzle is every step you take, the mini-game is the movements you must make with your cursor to make the objects you need available. It’s this last that gets me. I just can’t make my cursor swing back and forth or whatever in the correct way to achieve anything.
This is where I come undone. I just haven’t got the knack for these sort of games, but I have some friends more advanced in adventure gameplay than me (yes, you know who you are) who I am sure would tell me this is not an overly-difficult adventure game, just a little quirky. Forget looking for any kind of structured puzzles, mini-games or HOPs. The puzzle is every step you take, the mini-game is the movements you must make with your cursor to make the objects you need available. It’s this last that gets me. I just can’t make my cursor swing back and forth or whatever in the correct way to achieve anything.
Another minor (*says with an almost straight face*) difficulty for me is I don’t think outside the square very well, and this game doesn’t have a square!
Each location (I only managed to get to 3) has exactly 4 hints available in the form of mini-drawings of what you need to do next, and that’s about it. No skip of any kind of course, because there’s ‘no’ puzzles. And that little shake of the head when you do something wrong.
COMBINED IMPACT
A quirky little game for seasoned full-fledged adventure players. Perhaps too, for those expert and even intermediate HOPA players desperate for something truly new. But I can’t play it, I don’t have the skills or the patience, and as I think my tastes are fairly mainstream, this game will not appeal to many fishies. Probably a very good game of its type, that I cannot recommend, unless you fit one of the above categories.
A quirky little game for seasoned full-fledged adventure players. Perhaps too, for those expert and even intermediate HOPA players desperate for something truly new. But I can’t play it, I don’t have the skills or the patience, and as I think my tastes are fairly mainstream, this game will not appeal to many fishies. Probably a very good game of its type, that I cannot recommend, unless you fit one of the above categories.
Oh, and somebody? Anybody! Would you please get me out of the bathroom, it’s creepy in here! I’m starting to feel like lunch!
Make friends with sorcerer kings and see the power of the elemental magic in action!
Overall rating
5
/
5
54 of 63 found this review helpful
Another Irresistible Viking Adventure
PostedApril 8, 2014
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
5
/
5
BASED ON FULL DEMO
This and the Adelantado Trilogy are my all time favourite types of TM game. This game is much like the previous Northern Tales, so if you loved them as much as I did you are in for another Nordic treat. We still have our brave and sturdy Vikings, rushing against time to rescue the cursed kings of the neighbouring kingdoms.
There are few obvious signs of change. It looks and feels and sounds very similar. But there is no voiceover narrator – and of course there are new foes to overcome, new buildings, and some great new tricks. Like travelling by eagle (you’ll see).
Everything else you’d like is the same. Like:
*The 3 modes of play – normal, multi-click, no timer.
I played normal for the first level, and was already in trouble, having run out of time. This is because, not only are you timed, but you cannot queue. In multi-click mode, I reached level 12, and was still operating in daylight. (One of the cool things about this game, even if you play timed, you can still continue after you run out of time). Multi-click allows you to queue up the tasks you set for your Vikings. Saves heaps of time and irritable waiting!
*45 levels, with 5 bonus levels which you can only play if you complete the main game.
*Top scores and Awards are kept in main menu.
*You can repeat any level you’ve tried before.
*The option to switch off the voices, the music, the sounds.
*Thor’s hammer, the “power ups”, and some of your favourite characters, like the druids, are all here as well.
I liked the way some sources of resources (*groan*) require you to spend time to collect them, while others must be picked up and your buildings can add to resources independently. And how you can exchange resources with the merchants. Keeping track of what you have and what is coming is a real challenge.
One thing made the early part of the game especially tricky, it occurs in the mountains and the snow did in fact make it harder. Don’t know whether I approve of it or not.
It is a fun little game, and worth scores of hours fun for a novice like me.
I recommend this game!
Dive into the world's greatest Mahjong tournament and emerge a master!
Overall rating
3
/
5
21 of 27 found this review helpful
Need I Even Download It?
PostedApril 7, 2014
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
3
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
Sadly, the answer is no. This latest production from 8 Floor is another “same ole, same ole” mahjong game. If you like their stuff, this is another for your collection.
The only things that this game has that differs from the first of this series is green felt table background (with awful purple wallpaper on the side bars for widescreen), music that sounds much more Chinese in flavour, and some extra large boards.
For the rest, I am not even going to list them here. This game has everything you’d expect, except originality or anything to make it stand out, let alone seem unique.
Another monthly ration of cookies.
Enter the enchanted realm of the Snow Kingdom!
Overall rating
4
/
5
84 of 106 found this review helpful
Not Like The Last Dark Strokes
PostedApril 5, 2014
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
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
This game is not even remotely like the first Dark Strokes game. I am having a hard time imagining any excuse for releasing it under this series title. It is nevertheless a well-made and enjoyable game, which at least is that much it has in common with the first game. The opening is excellent; exciting, intriguing, and the graphics are fantastic. This is a somewhat dark fantasy, with enough of the unusual about it to make it stand out among lesser games.
This game is not even remotely like the first Dark Strokes game. I am having a hard time imagining any excuse for releasing it under this series title. It is nevertheless a well-made and enjoyable game, which at least is that much it has in common with the first game. The opening is excellent; exciting, intriguing, and the graphics are fantastic. This is a somewhat dark fantasy, with enough of the unusual about it to make it stand out among lesser games.
SIGHTS & SOUNDS
The graphics are great. Clear and detailed, with strong colours and excellent artwork. It is fairly dark for much of the demo, perhaps a little too much so for some. The animated cut-scenes are a delight, and the little touches are fun. Clicking around at anything interesting provided me with lots of gratuitous fun, as owls turned their heads, butterflies flew away, and rabbits escaped down their holes. The story is told in many ways – shadow plays, scrolls, and mini-games, all of which adds variety to the visual experience.
The graphics are great. Clear and detailed, with strong colours and excellent artwork. It is fairly dark for much of the demo, perhaps a little too much so for some. The animated cut-scenes are a delight, and the little touches are fun. Clicking around at anything interesting provided me with lots of gratuitous fun, as owls turned their heads, butterflies flew away, and rabbits escaped down their holes. The story is told in many ways – shadow plays, scrolls, and mini-games, all of which adds variety to the visual experience.
The sounds are a bit loud, but after lowering them, the music was very relaxing and pleasant. I would have enjoyed more ambient sounds. The voiceovers vary. The narrator’s voice is wonderful. The girl’s I could really live without, and I am of two minds about the heavy Southern US (?) accent of one of the other characters.
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
You are a forester who rescues a beautiful young maiden from a seriously scary attacker with unknown intent, but black magic at his finger tips. She stays with you, brightening your life, until a hot air balloon drops a gift on the porch. Upon opening, the package freezes absolutely everything in your cabin, and assaults your girl – I’ll leave you to find out the results of that. In any case, it is clear you must follow the balloon to the city to find out how to undo what has been done, and to discover the mystery of the young girl’s past.
You are a forester who rescues a beautiful young maiden from a seriously scary attacker with unknown intent, but black magic at his finger tips. She stays with you, brightening your life, until a hot air balloon drops a gift on the porch. Upon opening, the package freezes absolutely everything in your cabin, and assaults your girl – I’ll leave you to find out the results of that. In any case, it is clear you must follow the balloon to the city to find out how to undo what has been done, and to discover the mystery of the young girl’s past.
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay is a little different than your standard HOPA. Although it is primarily puzzles and HOPs, both of them are unusual in style. The 3 HOPs in the demo are an interactive search for pieces of an item you must assemble, a multiples of (musical instruments), again interactive, and a more traditional interactive word list. The mini-games/puzzles are unusual too. They include more than one panorama-style game, each of a different nature, and a game in which you must choose the right path, on the go, to avoid obstacles. Another is one where you choose the way, hoping to avoid unseen obstacles. Many involve small amounts of easy assembly or construction work. As well, items in inventory can be combined, or changed by extra clicks. Sometimes they have other items inside them.
The gameplay is a little different than your standard HOPA. Although it is primarily puzzles and HOPs, both of them are unusual in style. The 3 HOPs in the demo are an interactive search for pieces of an item you must assemble, a multiples of (musical instruments), again interactive, and a more traditional interactive word list. The mini-games/puzzles are unusual too. They include more than one panorama-style game, each of a different nature, and a game in which you must choose the right path, on the go, to avoid obstacles. Another is one where you choose the way, hoping to avoid unseen obstacles. Many involve small amounts of easy assembly or construction work. As well, items in inventory can be combined, or changed by extra clicks. Sometimes they have other items inside them.
The hint is directional. The interactive jump map indicates where actions are available, and you can choose from 3 difficulty levels. There is a shadow box that stays above hint and gives back story when the slides for it are found. And there are potions that stay with us and grant special powers.
There is a helper, and it is cute, also very useful. As well, there is a fair amount of interaction with other animals along the way. I really had a hard time with the other 'help' we got from the girl we saved - her inane assistance was driving me batty! It all fits into this story, but seems strange to have so much cute in a Dark Strokes game. Many who enjoyed the first game will probably be very disappointed with this one.
CE BLING!
Achievements and collectibles – 12 scrolls, 35 dreadfully easy to see snowflakes, and 10 ‘magic’ (morphing and hard to see) items found in the HOPs. The achievements are displayed with the pet in its room. There are both story and performance achievements. The demo covers the first 3 of 10 chapters, and the bonus play is a further 3 chapters.
Achievements and collectibles – 12 scrolls, 35 dreadfully easy to see snowflakes, and 10 ‘magic’ (morphing and hard to see) items found in the HOPs. The achievements are displayed with the pet in its room. There are both story and performance achievements. The demo covers the first 3 of 10 chapters, and the bonus play is a further 3 chapters.
The strategy guide is pictorial only. I have never tried to use one like this, and I am intrigued about discovering how useful it really is. The gallery has the usual wallpapers, concept art, music, videos, and character dossiers. There are also replayable “mini-games” and “puzzles”. Seeing I couldn’t get a look at any of these extras without buying, I cannot tell you whether HOPs fall into either of these categories, or how many there is of anything.
COMBINED IMPACT
This is a fine game, and I really enjoyed playing it – for what it is. Which is a darkish fantasy game with some unusual touches. Linking it with the first Dark Strokes, though, seems almost like false advertising.
This is a fine game, and I really enjoyed playing it – for what it is. Which is a darkish fantasy game with some unusual touches. Linking it with the first Dark Strokes, though, seems almost like false advertising.
I recommend this game!
Puzzle your way through Fill-A-Pix or Pic-A-Pix on your quest to restore the Great Tapestries and save Mysteria from darkness!
Overall rating
5
/
5
39 of 42 found this review helpful
At Last! A Different Puzzler
PostedApril 3, 2014
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
5
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
This terrific new game looks good, sounds good, and offers us two different ways to put a mosaic-like puzzle together. And a little bit of an excuse for a story is in there as well. We are not talking monumental graphics and great crashing excitement and special effects, but the art is pleasant and unobtrusive. The background drops fit the ‘story’, which is told in brief, between sets of 10 puzzles, so it doesn’t really enter into the game.
The two types of gameplay are first: mosaics-style pictographs, or whatever name you know them by. They are grids with a set of numbers at the beginning of each column and row, which define whether a tile is filled or empty. From the beginning these grids are 10x10, so there’s no chance for a serious practice run, but the tutorial does go through the moves thoroughly. This game thankfully gives you five hints and allows five mistakes from the outset.
The second type of game is one I’ve not seen before, but I have seen one like it. Remember when you first got your Windows PC, and the only games on there were solitaire and Mine Sweeper? This puzzle is very like Mine Sweeper. Tiles on the grid have not only a number but also a colour, and the number indicates how many adjacent tiles are of that colour. The hardest thing about the game is getting used to the fact that the tile that is numbered is also included with reference to colour. Anyway, there is a very good tutorial that will set you straight on the rules. I found it a quite difficult game to play, though, right from the start, and I was grateful for the hints. These indicated ALL the tiles of the colour of the tile you select. Sorry, sounds convoluted. Just give it a try *grin*.
There are 100 puzzles in each category, but it is the same story and backdrop in each. The final mosaic pictures (which actually look like the thing they are supposed to be!) are not the same though.
A good challenging game, without being impossible, and a delightful much needed breath of fresh air in the “other games” puzzles genre.
I recommend this game!
Ghostly warnings in the water are terrifying a grieving family. What's causing them, and what really happened to Julia White?
Overall rating
4
/
5
58 of 72 found this review helpful
Good Solid Game
PostedApril 3, 2014
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
Storyline
5
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Very professionally done, the intro scenes are different – there’s no car crashes, or other explosive arrivals, just the weirdest water you’ve ever seen! This is the 4th in the Fear For Sale series, and I am convinced this will be the best yet. The special effects alone are a joy, and the story is pleasantly new and different. This game is a surprising mix of very well done modern normality and absurdly impossible incidents.
Very professionally done, the intro scenes are different – there’s no car crashes, or other explosive arrivals, just the weirdest water you’ve ever seen! This is the 4th in the Fear For Sale series, and I am convinced this will be the best yet. The special effects alone are a joy, and the story is pleasantly new and different. This game is a surprising mix of very well done modern normality and absurdly impossible incidents.
SIGHTS & SOUNDS
The graphics are very bright, clear and sharp, and well drawn. The HOP scenes are easy to see and items are easy to identify. The special effects with water are fabulous. I am particularly fond of the water in the paintings on the walls. The voiceovers are also very good, and it is a shame that such well acted voices have been paired with such wooden faces. The lip synch almost makes it. The music tracks are different and enjoyable for that. The ambient sounds are almost inaudible in the face of everything else going on. All in all, definitely waterlogged.
The graphics are very bright, clear and sharp, and well drawn. The HOP scenes are easy to see and items are easy to identify. The special effects with water are fabulous. I am particularly fond of the water in the paintings on the walls. The voiceovers are also very good, and it is a shame that such well acted voices have been paired with such wooden faces. The lip synch almost makes it. The music tracks are different and enjoyable for that. The ambient sounds are almost inaudible in the face of everything else going on. All in all, definitely waterlogged.
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
You are Emma, investigative reporter specialising in paranormal events. You are called in to help a recently widowed father and his young daughter, who seem to be haunted by a poltergeist that can control water. Just how much control is displayed on your arrival, with some surprising happenings outside even your experience. There is also the suspicious death of the mother to delve into. And someone is definitely watching you. What could they want?
You are Emma, investigative reporter specialising in paranormal events. You are called in to help a recently widowed father and his young daughter, who seem to be haunted by a poltergeist that can control water. Just how much control is displayed on your arrival, with some surprising happenings outside even your experience. There is also the suspicious death of the mother to delve into. And someone is definitely watching you. What could they want?
GAMEPLAY
Fairly standard fare here, with more HOPs than puzzles, and easy adventure components. The HOPs are interactive lists, visited twice, but you can choose instead to play a not-entirely-easy jigsaw game. The puzzles are not new, at least none that I saw – I didn’t finish the demo within the hour. The rest is also as expected – interactive jump map, directional hint, 4 levels of difficulty (including custom).
Fairly standard fare here, with more HOPs than puzzles, and easy adventure components. The HOPs are interactive lists, visited twice, but you can choose instead to play a not-entirely-easy jigsaw game. The puzzles are not new, at least none that I saw – I didn’t finish the demo within the hour. The rest is also as expected – interactive jump map, directional hint, 4 levels of difficulty (including custom).
There is one whacky gadget. It is a shell which can control water – extremely handy in this game!
CE BLING!
Wallpapers x 9, Concept Art x 12 (saveable), screensavers x 3, Music x 7. There are of course, also the SG and bonus chapter. There are a huge number of collectibles: 7 sets of 5 items each in collections such as Heirloom Jewellery and Tea Set Collection. There are also 36 morphing objects. There are also 10 achievements, both story and performance.
Wallpapers x 9, Concept Art x 12 (saveable), screensavers x 3, Music x 7. There are of course, also the SG and bonus chapter. There are a huge number of collectibles: 7 sets of 5 items each in collections such as Heirloom Jewellery and Tea Set Collection. There are also 36 morphing objects. There are also 10 achievements, both story and performance.
COMBINED IMPACT
Two things stop this game from being just a standard CE game. That magic they do with the water, and the sheer scope and variety of the collectibles, which will keep you very busy indeed. As with each game in this series, a good solid game.
Two things stop this game from being just a standard CE game. That magic they do with the water, and the sheer scope and variety of the collectibles, which will keep you very busy indeed. As with each game in this series, a good solid game.
I recommend this game!
You are one of the planet's only survivors after a natural disaster devours all signs of life. Amid the destruction, the legend of a Mysterious Oasis offers a glimmer of hope...
Overall rating
2
/
5
22 of 31 found this review helpful
It’s Not That It’s Bad...
PostedMarch 19, 2014
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
It’s just that there’s not enough of anything. This is a very basic game on all fronts, but it’s greatest and only real crime is its slow pace, created by the absence of things to do. There are few actions needed in each location, even fewer items to sort through in each of the HOP scenes, and few choices to make about our next move. It makes what would otherwise have been an okayish game dismal.
It’s just that there’s not enough of anything. This is a very basic game on all fronts, but it’s greatest and only real crime is its slow pace, created by the absence of things to do. There are few actions needed in each location, even fewer items to sort through in each of the HOP scenes, and few choices to make about our next move. It makes what would otherwise have been an okayish game dismal.
SIGHTS & SOUNDS
To describe the game is to list the things it doesn’t have. There are no cut scenes to speak of, no voiceovers, almost no story. No widescreen or aspect correction. Graphics that are dark but bearable, with no animation most of the time. Music with insufficient variety, only the most rudimentary sound effects. With the result that, even with the music on, it feels like we are wandering through a silent, static world, empty of movement of any sort.
To describe the game is to list the things it doesn’t have. There are no cut scenes to speak of, no voiceovers, almost no story. No widescreen or aspect correction. Graphics that are dark but bearable, with no animation most of the time. Music with insufficient variety, only the most rudimentary sound effects. With the result that, even with the music on, it feels like we are wandering through a silent, static world, empty of movement of any sort.
But there should be movement, because there are things happening and other characters, but they are totally simplistic in depiction, character and dialogue. The English is a little stilted, but mostly accurate. Reading it with a blank and inanimate face renders it deathly though. Which would have been alright if it had all been done on purpose... But I don’t think it was.
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
Not a bleeding lot, actually. We are in a post-apocalyptic Earth, alone in our shelter, but apparently we have some contact with others, and one of them insists it is necessary to leave the shelter and find the “Mysterious Oasis”, a modern myth of a small bastion of civilization in the midst of destruction and anarchy. So off we go, our mighty sword (wait up, SWORD? In the immediate future of the 21st century? Let’s not even go there.) in our hand. During the demo we make a slow kind of progress in the direction we may be needing to go – no clues about the oasis’ whereabouts yet, leads me to assume we are trying to get to our friend.
Not a bleeding lot, actually. We are in a post-apocalyptic Earth, alone in our shelter, but apparently we have some contact with others, and one of them insists it is necessary to leave the shelter and find the “Mysterious Oasis”, a modern myth of a small bastion of civilization in the midst of destruction and anarchy. So off we go, our mighty sword (wait up, SWORD? In the immediate future of the 21st century? Let’s not even go there.) in our hand. During the demo we make a slow kind of progress in the direction we may be needing to go – no clues about the oasis’ whereabouts yet, leads me to assume we are trying to get to our friend.
The one moment of moment is the appearance of the Spirit Of Nature. It being the only excitement, I’ll let you find her, and what she’s got to do with our story.
GAMEPLAY
Again, basic. HOPs are the predominant kind of puzzle, and they are invariably interactive lists in almost empty scenes. The hint requires you to choose an item to be pointed out and there is a click penalty (on both difficulty levels). At least we only seem to visit them once, that would have been unbearably tedious, otherwise. The scenes are for the most part static, although we managed to find healthy active flies in the dumpster – maybe this is realistic after all! The interactions are logical, although not always obvious immediately.
Again, basic. HOPs are the predominant kind of puzzle, and they are invariably interactive lists in almost empty scenes. The hint requires you to choose an item to be pointed out and there is a click penalty (on both difficulty levels). At least we only seem to visit them once, that would have been unbearably tedious, otherwise. The scenes are for the most part static, although we managed to find healthy active flies in the dumpster – maybe this is realistic after all! The interactions are logical, although not always obvious immediately.
Outside HOP scenes, hint is directional, but needs to recharge after each direction. Not fun. The notes give us basic story information. There is, of course, no map. And gameplay is unfortunately too linear, we rarely have any real choices about what direction we choose to follow next. With only two or three moves required in each location, with a HOP in each one and maybe a very simple puzzle every few locations, there is no challenge in this game, and it isn’t even much fun in terms of mindless gaming, because there’s just enough adventure skill required to force you to pay attention and use the brain.
COMBINED IMPACT
As I say, it is a game with very few glaring flaws, but no good points at all. Treble the amount of activity in each location, and this would have been a nice little standalone SE. The story had real potential too! Sadly,
As I say, it is a game with very few glaring flaws, but no good points at all. Treble the amount of activity in each location, and this would have been a nice little standalone SE. The story had real potential too! Sadly,
I don't recommend this game.
A serial killer nicknamed “the Toymaker” is wreaking havoc on a sleepy town. Can the lead detective piece together clues left at the scene and stop him before he sets his sights on her?
Overall rating
5
/
5
79 of 106 found this review helpful
Excellent HOG!
PostedMarch 19, 2014
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
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON BETA & DEMO
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
It’s been a while since we had a truly exclusively Hidden Object game. It’s been worth the wait. This a marvellous whodunit with all the flavour and quality of a HOPA without the added stress and confusion associated with complex stories and quests. Here we follow the investigation from HOP to HOP with a smooth and easy transition that will delight true HOG players.
It’s been a while since we had a truly exclusively Hidden Object game. It’s been worth the wait. This a marvellous whodunit with all the flavour and quality of a HOPA without the added stress and confusion associated with complex stories and quests. Here we follow the investigation from HOP to HOP with a smooth and easy transition that will delight true HOG players.
SIGHTS & SOUNDS
Sadly, this game is not made for wide-screen, but it does have an aspect correction option, and in any case looks quite good stretched. Good quality ‘painted’ graphics make items easy to see – once you look at them the right way, of course! They are accompanied by fun ambient sounds and an excellent voiceover who keeps us up to date without too much waffling and stating of the obvious (yeah, sure, there is a little of that of course). The bad guy is fun, clear voiceover, and the way he hides his identity is a giggle. I love how subtle the music can be – for instance, the ‘Asia lover’s’ apartment has ‘Asian’ music that is for once not overdone.
Sadly, this game is not made for wide-screen, but it does have an aspect correction option, and in any case looks quite good stretched. Good quality ‘painted’ graphics make items easy to see – once you look at them the right way, of course! They are accompanied by fun ambient sounds and an excellent voiceover who keeps us up to date without too much waffling and stating of the obvious (yeah, sure, there is a little of that of course). The bad guy is fun, clear voiceover, and the way he hides his identity is a giggle. I love how subtle the music can be – for instance, the ‘Asia lover’s’ apartment has ‘Asian’ music that is for once not overdone.
One feature I first found in the beta (done eons ago, I thought this game was doomed), that really tickled me, I found the overhead fan’s steady whup, whup, whup, annoying. Out of pique I clicked on it as if that would shut it up, and it did!! But, in the demo, we aren’t tortured by that noise, but we can turn the fan on, if we want or need to (full realism here, it’s hot so we need to). What a wonderful touch! We are also expected to take a little care of that office of ours, so click around. *wink*
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
A serial killer calling himself the “Toymaker” is playing games with us. He leaves clues and video recordings at the scenes of his crimes, taunting us. As the detective in charge of the case, we must follow his clues to various locations and find what he has left for us, solve his cryptic clues and track him down.
A serial killer calling himself the “Toymaker” is playing games with us. He leaves clues and video recordings at the scenes of his crimes, taunting us. As the detective in charge of the case, we must follow his clues to various locations and find what he has left for us, solve his cryptic clues and track him down.
GAMEPLAY
This is suitably simple. We work in our office. And travel from there to the locations on the map.
This is suitably simple. We work in our office. And travel from there to the locations on the map.
Each location has something the Toymaker has left us, which forms part of a puzzle we need to solve. Or sometimes the clues are brought to us from other sources, such as emergency phone calls. Either way, we always find more and more locations to investigate. So each chapter consists of us receiving an initial clue, pointing in the direction of one or more locations. In each we conduct a HOP to find another piece of the puzzle. Once all locations have been cleared, we must solve the puzzle to move on.
There is a help button, that works in your office, but it has very little it can tell you there. It is sometimes useful in the HOP scenes, which contain objects that are cleverly disguised, although obvious once you see them. The game has a notebook, where details of the puzzles are kept, but not the dossier information on suspects that I would have liked to see recorded after they are displayed to us. While most HOG players aren’t much interested in story, this game has a great one, and a dossier on suspects or similar would have added to the fun.
My one serious criticism is that the cursor is way too big.
COMBINED IMPACT
This is a neat game, both in design and production standards. I would absolutely have to own it were I a primarily HOG player. As it is, despite preferring HOPAs, it goes straight on to my wish list.
This is a neat game, both in design and production standards. I would absolutely have to own it were I a primarily HOG player. As it is, despite preferring HOPAs, it goes straight on to my wish list.
I recommend this game!
I recommend this game!
A dragon has awoken after a hundred years - and it's after your son.
Overall rating
5
/
5
161 of 196 found this review helpful
Marvellous Fantasy Puzzle Adventure
PostedMarch 15, 2014
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Dark Dimensions: Somber Song Collector's Edition
(61)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
This is a truly gorgeous game to look at from the first moments. But that is hardly surprising, if you know the Awakening series, made by the same developer. The location scenes are “realistic” fantasy in style, while the close ups have a more ‘painterly’ look about them. Both are beautiful.
This is a truly gorgeous game to look at from the first moments. But that is hardly surprising, if you know the Awakening series, made by the same developer. The location scenes are “realistic” fantasy in style, while the close ups have a more ‘painterly’ look about them. Both are beautiful.
The cut-scenes are wonderful, cinematic and engrossing. And I didn’t even mind that there were a lot of them early up, giving us a lot of back story via interaction with other characters. All of whom spoke well. For those of you who’d rather skip these interactions, there is a brief summary of the conversation that flashes up instead. Fabulous idea! Another subtle touch I liked was having the centre of the cursor change colour, rather than a complete change of cursor, to indicate something of interest.
From the beginning sound is an integral part of the atmosphere. It is so sweet in the opening sequences, and the ambient noises are lovely. Then it is exciting and dramatic in the next series of cut-scenes, somehow turning the same music ominous.
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
Our son has always been fascinated by stories of dragons, but until now, they’ve never shown any interest in him, and stayed safely in their story books *grin*. Now one has stolen the boy and is taking heaven knows where, and you are desperate to follow. That is immediately fraught with difficulty. From the fire he started in your home, to the long drop down from the balcony, there are obstacles both magical and mundane in your way.
Our son has always been fascinated by stories of dragons, but until now, they’ve never shown any interest in him, and stayed safely in their story books *grin*. Now one has stolen the boy and is taking heaven knows where, and you are desperate to follow. That is immediately fraught with difficulty. From the fire he started in your home, to the long drop down from the balcony, there are obstacles both magical and mundane in your way.
You meet an uncertain ally, the Dark Elf Eridan, who is also hunting the dragon, and you take up his offer of help. Together, you must find out what the dragon wants with your son, rescue him and defeat the dragon, who is a threat to the whole Dark Elvin kingdom and other kind who live in the Dark Forest.
GAMEPLAY
There are NO STANDARD HOPs in this game – at least none in the demo. There is one mini-game where you must find a multiple number of a single item, spread across a half a dozen different paintings on the wall. So far, that’s it.
There are NO STANDARD HOPs in this game – at least none in the demo. There is one mini-game where you must find a multiple number of a single item, spread across a half a dozen different paintings on the wall. So far, that’s it.
This is, I therefore conclude, is a Puzzle Adventure, so HOP players, this may not be for you. The puzzles so far have been interesting and different, and not so difficult I couldn’t figure them out with enough time. Some are quite charming. There is a diorama I enjoyed in part because it is so quirky. In adventure terms, it had its tricky moments, but overall, I did not find it overly difficult.
Getting around and finding the tools you need is helped by an excellent map that gives you your current objective as well as where tasks are immediately available, at least, on the lowest of the three levels of difficulty. There is no journal. The hint is directional.
And there is no animal companion or special gadget to use. Of course, there is Eridan. He might be... entertaining. I finished the demo in about 45 minutes, and it is 2 chapters of an 8 chapter main game.
CE BLING!
The gallery items include wallpapers (14) of the kind where some effort has been made to make these interesting. I feel I represent a minority of one here. I like wallpapers, and will be swayed by good ones, like these, into going with a CE, if I am kinda leaning that way. Concept art (29), cut scenes, and music (12) – good sign for variety in the sound!
The gallery items include wallpapers (14) of the kind where some effort has been made to make these interesting. I feel I represent a minority of one here. I like wallpapers, and will be swayed by good ones, like these, into going with a CE, if I am kinda leaning that way. Concept art (29), cut scenes, and music (12) – good sign for variety in the sound!
The achievements include collectibles – 50 gold medallions. Both performance and story based awards.
*SPOILER ALERT* There is also an achievement for spotting the company logo.
*END ALERT*
*END ALERT*
COMBINED IMPACT
I am impressed. This is shaping up to be a really nice story, a bit different from the rest. And likewise, while this is another gorgeous fantasy game, it is again a bit different from all the others, being a bit darker and being basically a puzzle game.
I am impressed. This is shaping up to be a really nice story, a bit different from the rest. And likewise, while this is another gorgeous fantasy game, it is again a bit different from all the others, being a bit darker and being basically a puzzle game.
Even though, as I said, I love my HOPs, I will be giving this one a go.
I recommend this game!