samizdat's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.9
- Helpful Votes:237
- Reviews Submitted:16
- First Review:January 30, 2012
- Most Recent Review:June 3, 2016
- Featured reviews0
Take a journey through an isolated research facility in the Antarctic and discover the secrets of its past.
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
Something Different for an Adventure and Puzzle Game
PostedJune 3, 2016
samizdat
fromNew England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Large File, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This game had a great storyline, some fun surprises and just enough challenge with the puzzles to make things interesting.
The setting is pretty bleak and gets sadder as you go along. There are plenty of places to explore. The game is not linear in many places, so you can complete tasks and explore places at your own pace to some extent. You never have that "stuck" feeling where you don't know what to do next.
Two criticisms: The game is a bit short. You could play in one setting pretty easily. And the "hint" feature just gives you the answer instead of hinting at how to solve a puzzle or approach a problem.
I recommend this game!
Fantasy Mosaics 9: Portal in the Woods
Follow the penguin through the portal in this colorful mosaics adventure!
Overall rating
2
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Ugly to Look at and Disappointing to Play
PostedOctober 18, 2015
samizdat
fromNew England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
This is a pretty weak game visually - very ugly and old-looking graphics and very simple mosaic puzzles to solve. Not challenging at all.
There's supposed to be a storyline about helping a penguin get home. But that's baloney. For each chapter of puzzles you solve, you get an item in a "garden." The items make no sense - one is called "soap bubbles of childhood." You can't interact with the items either.
This is only a good game if you want some mindless, unchallenging puzzles to solve.
I don't recommend this game.
Lost in the City
After the first date with a charming girl named April, our hero wakes up alone in an abandoned city after being drugged.
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Strange but Compelling Game Sets an Eerie Mood
PostedMay 1, 2013
samizdat
fromNew England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is one of the strangest HOG/adventure type games I've played. It puts out a kind of eerie mood that grabs hold of you. The dark storyline's probably not for everyone, but I found it to be an interesting change of pace.
The downsides are the graphics are rather blurry - a magnifying glass option helps you find things. The puzzles were not very challenging,and they became repetitive by the end.
The biggest selling point is the storyline about a man who searches for his abducted girlfriend in a ruined city. The tableaus for each of the HOG scenes were strangely creepy and many were beautiful in a way that's hard to describe.
I recommend this game!
Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek
Play as Nancy Drew and do double duty as a maid and detective as you clean for clues.
Overall rating
5
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
A Romp in the Snow with Nancy Drew
PostedMarch 25, 2013
samizdat
fromNew England
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Large File
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is one of the "older" Nancy Drew games, and it's well worth a play despite its age. I've played most of these games, and I think this is one of my favorites. It has a great story, lots of action, some fun moments, few annoyances and a thrilling ending.
The only downsides of this game are the quality of the video, which is understandable given the game's age. You also have to do some repetitive tasks which can be annoying, so I got down a system to get through them as quickly as possible.
A lot of people dislike this game because of the "fox and geese" challenge. It was not too difficult once I got the hang of it.
I also liked this game because there was not a lot of talking. Some of the newer games have way too much dialogue. There's a fair amount of snooping and several places to explore. The wolf of the title is a cutie!
Big City Adventure: London Story
Fitzpatrick McGovern is long gone, but his mysterious lost legacy is still out there! Find it in Big City Adventure: London Story!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Great Story Adds Fun to HOG
PostedFebruary 3, 2013
samizdat
fromNew England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is a fun twist on the usual HOG. You have to solve little puzzles and actually use some of the objects you find to advance the game. You sometimes get funny little comments from the narrator when you make a mistake.
I recommend this game!
Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy
Mystery is afoot at Castle Malloy! Unveil a ghostly legend and find the vanished groom in this chilling adventure game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
7 of 9 found this review helpful
Very Challenging and Different Nancy Drew Game
PostedSeptember 24, 2012
samizdat
fromNew England
Favorite Genre(s):Large File
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This Nancy Drew game is more of a challenge than many - I recommend it for experienced players.
What I liked about it: Minimal talking to the characters, no long boring tunnels or halls to walk down, lots of exploring, a few laughs and one very cool contraption that Nancy has to build.
I didn't like: Pointless mini games and earning of tokens to play, guess what? More mini games. A few places were not as snoopable as I'd have liked.
I recommend this game!
Nancy Drew: The Creature of Kapu Cave
Team up with the Hardy Boys® and investigate an ancient legend on the Big Island of Hawaii in this Adventure mystery.
Overall rating
2
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
The Worst of the Nancy Drew Games I've Played
PostedJune 19, 2012
samizdat
fromNew England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Current Favorite:
Nancy Drew: Legend of the Crystal Skull
(15)Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
This game looked so promising, with a pretty Hawaiian setting, but it was a big disappointment. The characters were mostly annoying, many of the puzzles and tasks were incredibly boring and repetitive, and the story did not make any sense.
I don't recommend this game.
Nancy Drew: Legend of the Crystal Skull
Play as Nancy Drew and find an unearthly artifact before it falls into the wrong hands!
Overall rating
5
/
5
12 of 13 found this review helpful
Fun and Funny Nancy Drew Game
PostedJune 5, 2012
samizdat
fromNew England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is my favorite of the newer Nancy Drew games. It was complex and challenging, spooky and funny.
The setting is New Orleans, and the developers really got the atmosphere and culture of the city right, including the historic cemeteries and the little gumbo shops.
This game has more places to explore and snoop around in than many games I've played. It's also less linear - you can explore things and look for clues more on at your own pace than with some games where you feel stuck until you've accomplished a certain task.
An added twist is that you get to play at Bess sometimes - with hilarious consequences.
The puzzles range in difficulty. I adored one game where you had to build a giant Rube Goldberg style contraption - seriously the most creative and funny puzzle in any ND game I've seen.
I also liked this game because there wasn't a ton of talking with the suspects. One suspect is a broody teenage boy who has little to say - fine by me!
I recommend this game!
Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water's Edge
Uncover a secret that lies beneath the surface of a traditional ryokan! Stop the terrifying ghost before it has its revenge!
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
Beautiful Setting, but Tedious to Play
PostedMay 11, 2012
samizdat
fromNew England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This game has beautiful graphics and a good taste of Japanese culture, including some puzzles, but I found it tedious to play.
The tedium comes from having to talk way too much to all the characters. They said very little to advance the story and mostly just repeated their narratives over and over.
Some of puzzles are different from most Nancy Drew games. True to the setting, some puzzles are Japanese-style paper and pencil puzzles. A nice change from the usual, but probably not for everyone.
I don't recommend this game.
Nancy Drew: The Haunted Carousel
Investigate a series of mishaps at the Jersey Shore in Captain`s Cove Amusement Park as Miss Nancy Drew.
Overall rating
4
/
5
18 of 20 found this review helpful
Good for Beginners to the Nancy Drew Series
PostedMay 7, 2012
samizdat
fromNew England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Current Favorite:
Life Quest®
(147)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is one of the simpler and older of the Nancy Drew series of games. It's good for a beginner or for someone who wants a less scary game.
On the negative side, the puzzles are not as challenging and the game is not as long as some others I've played. On the plus side, the story is good, with some funny characters to meet and interview.
I recommend this game!