Zurreen's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:369
- Reviews Submitted:165
- First Review:January 31, 2015
- Most Recent Review:December 9, 2023
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Appraise Malgrey Castle, learn about it’s enigmatic inhabitants, save your boss, and learn what drove your co-worker mad!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Superb! So Funny & So Much Fun!
PostedJanuary 23, 2019
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
If you are like me, the title must have made you think, "Oh, no! Not yet another game on vampires! What IS it about vampires that thrills people so much?!" Well, if so, there is a big surprise in store for you! This is NOTHING like what you could have expected. The storyline is so original, and the whole game is so much fun AND so funny! In fact, it is unlike almost any game you might have played before!
The BF gives you a basic description of the game. I will add only a few more things to help you determine what to expect. For one thing, the game is divided into 24 chapters, but each of these chapters is quite short, consisting of some dialog, a couple of hidden object (HO) scenes, and a puzzle. Note that your progress is saved ONLY at the end of a chapter. So be sure to finish the chapter you are playing before going to the Main Menu, or else you will have to play that particular chapter all over again.
The HO scenes are not like the usual HO puzzles we see in most HO games, with one scene at a time and a list of items at the bottom. In fact, you might have to explore two, possibly even three, locations to find the necessary items. Also, it might not be readily obvious as to what we need to find. But the dialog before the search usually gives a good clue, and the game itself provides even more clues as you start to explore the location. I should note that it is not always easy to find all the objects in a given location. But you can always use the Hint, which charges very quickly. In addition, there is no difficulty mode. Thus, all players can use the Hint as much and as frequently as they like!
There is also a great and interesting variety of puzzles in the game. Most of them are fairly easy, but some of them can be rather challenging. None of them are unfairly difficult, however, and you can always SKIP a puzzle, if you like.
In short, I really enjoyed this game. The storyline, the HO quests, and the puzzles were all so interesting and fun to tackle. So this is one game I would whole-heartedly recommend to any and all players!
I recommend this game!
Luna’s friend calls her to a remote island after unearthing ancient mystery. Now together they face the cult of the Wolf Man.
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Mixed Review
PostedJanuary 17, 2019
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Family, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I must confess that the title of the game misled me. I thought it was going to be something of a "Kiddie game." So I was quite surprised when I started playing and found it to be quite a sophisticated game. The basic idea may not be so original, but it is certainly presented in a very original way.
HIDDEN OBJECTS: This is no doubt a hidden object game, but it does not have any of your familiar Hidden Object (HO) scenes or puzzles. A lot of times, the objects are found in different locations. But even if they are in one place, you don't get a list of objects at the bottom, nor are you asked to find a bunch of listed objects to get just the one item you actually need. So the HO aspect of the game is quite original as well.
PUZZLES: There are several puzzles in the game, and all of them are quite interesting. You might find a couple rather difficult, but they are always logical *and* fair.
ACHIEVEMENTS: Even though this is a Collector's Edition, there are actually NO achievements in this game. At least none of the kind we often see in HO games. The only thing that might qualify as an achievement is the "trophy" you get, featured prominently in the upper-right corner of your Menu screen, for finding 10/10 items (or "clues," as they are called), which are supposed to be the belongings of the friend you are trying to find. But this side quest is really no distraction at all, and all of these items are fairly easy to find. Thus, you can concentrate on the story and the related tasks, without being distracted by such irrelevant things like morphing objects, collectibles, etc., that are so common in most Collector's Editions these days.
In short, this is quite a well-planned and well-constructed game. But it did have some downsides, at least for me, which is why I have called mine a Mixed Review. The game is something of a mixture of Science Fiction and Fantasy. I didn't mind the storyline so much. I mean, the very title tells you that it is going to be about something... unreal. But the locations were quite surreal. What's more, the old lady (that you will meet soon enough in the game) is rather unbelievable. Perhaps she wouldn't have been so, if the developers had bothered to explain something about her. Unfortunately, they don't, and that was a serious problem in the storyline. And that's not the only thing the developers leave out. There are many other gaps in the storyline as well, e.g., how did the whole problem begin; what was the "Beast's" objective anyway; and how did the old lady happened to be such an expert on everything. In fact, I'm not even sure I know how the main game ended! I *think* I know, but it's hard to be sure.
And, yes, there *is* a Bonus Chapter, as all Collector's Editions do. The first part of this chapter though is pretty tedious and, for me at least, even boring. The latter part is interesting, but all too short and ends quite abruptly. I'm glad they added this chapter, because it does provide a nice closing to the overall story. Unfortunately, the developers did not develop it properly. There is a cutscene that tells me that the chapter is over; but, instead of showing us the credits or taking us to the Main Menu, the developers bring us back to where the second part of the Bonus Game had begun! And then, if we haven't done so already, we can still search for and use a few things which allow us to see some stuff that other HO games usually present in a separate "Extras" section! Specifically, these are:
"Deleted Scenes" - no idea why they called them that, since they are neither cutscenes nor HO scenes;
"The Evolution of the Art" - another name for what is usually called Concept Art in HO games; and
"The Characters & The Island" - which show just what it says: the characters and the island.
With all due respect, however, none of these "features" are even interesting! It would have been much better if, in this one case, they *had* stuck to the more common stuff - e.g., cutscenes, music, etc.
In short, yes, this is quite a well-planned and well-made game. But, in my opinion at least, it really needed more work. And so, based on everything I have shared with you, I will let you decide for yourself whether or not you would enjoy this game. Good Luck! & Happy Gaming!
Explore the mystical woods and mountains to defeat the evil spirit called Strix in this Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Nice, fun game
PostedJanuary 15, 2019
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
It's a light-hearted, fun game. A kind of fairy tale, but without fairies - except for possibly one, but with a minor role. It's not about a prince or princess either. Just a simple story, a bit of fantasy, but fun.
The description of the game calls it an adventure, but make no mistake: it *is* a Hidden Object (HO) game. It doesn't have your classic HO scenes or puzzles, however. Rather, you have to find objects hidden in one or more locations. The game has three difficulty modes: Easy, Casual, and Adventure. Both the Easy and Casual modes offer you a panel at the bottom of the screen, which tells you what items can be found in the given location. There is no such panel in the Adventure mode, but you do get a hand icon on objects you can pick up. I know the Easy mode does not give you this hand icon on items you can pick up from the different locations. I suppose the Casual mode does not do it either, but I can't be sure since I never tried the game in that mode.
The hidden objects are rather easy to find. The game also has a few puzzles, all of which are pretty straightforward and rather easy. The game also has 20 achievements. NOTE: It might be a good idea to check out these achievements before you start playing, and perhaps even as you play, because it might be too late to get an achievement after you have already finished a location.
As for the nature of these achievements, there are six related directly to finishing the chapters and the game itself. There are other achievements much like the ones we see in most HO games - for example, for not using the Hints or skipping puzzles. But then there are some achievements that are peculiar to this game - for example, the Settings Master, which you get for simply turning the Sparkles OFF (or ON, in the Adventure mode) in the Settings section of the Main Menu. Be careful though! If you turn the Sparkles ON in the Adventure mode to get this Settings Master achievement, you will lose the achievement for playing the game in the hardest (Adventure) mode, even if you had just turned the Sparkles ON only to turn them back OFF again after you got the Settings Master achievement, playing the game itself all in the Adventure mode. So you just have to see what achievements you want to get and how many times you are willing to play the game. In fact, you *would* have to play the game at least twice if you want to get all the achievements, especially the Speed Run achievement which requires you to finish the game in less than an hour. You would have to SKIP just about all the dialogs and cutscenes, to get that achievement. But then, you would have to play again because other achievements require you to listen to all those dialogs and watch all the cutscenes! So this is how I did it, and I do believe it is the best way to do it. Play the whole game in Adventure mode the first time, enjoying everything from dialogs to cutscenes; and then play it on Easy mode the second time, when it really goes very fast as you SKIP all the dialogs and cutscenes, and can freely use the Hints and SKIPs, which are recharged very quickly in the Easy mode. The achievements you got the first time around are yours to keep, so there is no risk of losing them as you play the game a second time for the rest of the achievements.
In short, this is a pretty nice game, enjoyable by adults and children alike. Happy Gaming! :)
I recommend this game!
After their yacht is sunk by an incredible storm, Jane and Mike are separated in Sea Legends: Phantasmal Light!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Nice Game Overall
PostedJanuary 12, 2019
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I thought the game was pretty good and fun, overall. I just didn't care for the underlying idea. In fact, I find that whole modern Science Fiction idea pretty silly and rather obnoxious that humans of past ages cannot possibly have been responsible for things like the pyramids, etc., just because the present-day scientists, with all their high-tech and rather monstrous instruments and knowledge are totally incapable of understanding what people in biblical times, for instance, had achieved. So they come up with these fantastic theories about aliens, with superhuman abilities, who "must" have made all these structures - even though there is not a shred of evidence to support such outlandish theories. The game would have been a whole lot better if the developers didn't feel *compelled* to explain the phenomena explored in this story, and had just left it to the players' own imagination to come up with their own theories.
The graphics are pretty good, but rather flat. Perhaps that was because the game is a bit old (2011). The flatness is especially a problem in the hidden-object scenes (HOS's), which are not so well-drawn, to begin with, both of these problems making it rather difficult to find the objects in the list. I am happy to report, however, that I didn't have to use the HINT a single time for any of these HOS's. So I guess these scenes were okay overall. But they certainly would have been a lot more fun if they had been a bit more vivid and better drawn. It would also have been better if there weren't just *so many* of these HOS's in the game.
The puzzles were pretty straightforward and easy. And, yes, the game also has a Bonus Chapter, as most Collector's Editions. I guess it was actually a good idea to have such a chapter in this game, because it is from the point-of-view of the other main character in the story, and does a good job of explaining just how that character happened to show up at the right place, at the right time. But I actually liked the main game a whole lot more than the Bonus Chapter. I also did not care much for this character himself, as I got to know him better through the Bonus Chapter. I just thought he was rather chauvinistic as well as insensitive. But I will let you figure out for yourselves what I mean by this, when and if you decide to play this game. ;)
Last but not least, there are NO achievements in this game, even though it's supposed to be a Collector's Edition. That's a good thing, in my book at least, because it means you can concentrate solely on the game itself, without being distracted by such extraneous (and rather silly) things like the morphing objects and what-not.
In short, I did like the game overall; and I think most of you will as well. Happy Gaming! :)
I recommend this game!
Explore a terrifying tale in Mystery Stories: Mountains of Madness! Find out what happened to an entire team of researchers!
Overall rating
2
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Brrrrrrr... As In BORING...
PostedJanuary 10, 2019
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
According to the game's credits, the game is based on H. P. Lovecraft's "At The Mountains Of Madness." But there is hardly any story at all in the game, and what little storyline there is it appears only in the introduction of each of the five chapters and a rather long epilogue at the end of the game. But that's not all! The game's storyline is actually a gross misrepresentation of Lovecraft's story, which had focused on an investigative mission by two men, the archeologist Dyer and a graduate student Danforth. The game adds a third character, a woman called Lynn, who does all of the hard and footwork while Danforth is injured (and thus put out of commission, so to speak) in the plane landing and Dyer himself takes a backseat, occasionally solving a puzzle or two to *assist* Lynn!
As I mentioned, however, there is hardly any storyline in the game, except for the little narration at the beginning of each chapter and the rather long epilogue. There are some puzzles, and I must say I enjoyed all of them. They were all pretty easy and fun as well. But the bulk of the game consists of hidden object (HO) scenes, some in the form of the classic HO puzzles (HOP's) with a single scene and a list of objects to find at the bottom, while many are in the form of such HO's hidden all over the location and sometimes in multiple locations at that! What's more, these objects can be really small. Worse, we are often not even told where to find the HOPs, let alone the HOs spread across the locations! Thankfully, the game provides us with two aids: An Advice button, which provides us with just general guidance, and requires no charging; and a Hint button, which is the kind we find in all HO games, but charges rather quickly even when we play the game in Expert mode. But then, don't be surprised if, after a while, you find yourself using that Hint button far too often than you usually do, and even if you never did before in other games. I for one wouldn't blame you for using it so often, because those HOPs and HO's across locations really start to get to you after a while...
The locations in the game are all quite dreary and not even realistic. All the snow makes those locations even more dreary, and the game quite dull. And, yes, there are actually Achievements in the game, 30 in all. But all of them seem to be related to the game. In other words, you just play the game and you get all those achievements as you go. So not really an "achievement" in any sense of the word. But I tried to be cautious, adding "seem" to my statement that the achievements seem to be all related to the game, because it is possible you might *not* get a certain achievement if you SKIP a puzzle. I didn't get a chance to test that idea because, as I mentioned, the puzzles *are* about the only interesting part of the game! And I really could not bring myself to play the game a second time, just to see whether skipping a puzzle did cost an achievement!
In short, this is quite a dull and dreary game. And Lovecraft, for one, would probably turn in his grave if he knew how the developers twisted his story, but still dared to cite his name in their credits. Quite a pity indeed ...
I don't recommend this game.
What was a regular day turned into a nightmare for a young woman wakes up not knowing what happened or what will happen next!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Fun Game, Awful Storyline
PostedJanuary 9, 2019
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Family, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
This is actually a very fun game, except for the storyline. As I indicated, the underlying story is rather - well, annoying. As the description of this game tells you, a woman is travelling with her two kids and stops by a mysterious house for a short rest. What the description does not spell out, however, is that her kids are actually a couple of brats who go in the house, as she is napping, and break all the mirrors in that house! What's worse is that those mirrors were magical, each with a "world" inside. So, in breaking the mirrors, the kids also damage (the entrance, I think, to) the worlds inside. The Mirror tells the woman all this at the beginning of the story, as she comes in the house, looking for her little brats. It also tells her that it is holding the kids, in effect, hostage; but that she can get them back if she repairs the damage those kids caused. Quite fair, don't you think? Well, she has no choice but to agree, of course. But, instead of being apologetic and happily agreeing to make amends for her brats' misdeed, she is all huff and puff, so righteous and indignant, as she goes about finding the pieces of the mirrors inside the worlds in trying to repair the damaged mirrors.
If you can get past all this "attitude" and UN-righteous indignation, however, the game is actually a lot of fun. The graphics are wonderful, and the locations quite nice. The Mirror (in my opinion, the only real "nice guy" in the whole story) actually tells you what you need to do. Basically, the game is a series of Hidden Object scenes. These objects are usually quite easy to find. But if you have any difficulty seeing the objects, or just want to make the search easy, there is a magnifying glass available to you at all times. In addition, you get the Hints, of course, and these Hints fill rather quickly.
You also have some puzzles along the way. Most of them are pretty easy. There were only a couple that I recall that weren't so straightforward, and had to be solved by trial-and-error. You can also always SKIP any puzzle you don't like, of course.
Finally, I should mention that there is no choice of difficulty modes in this game. So all the players get to enjoy all the above "perks": the Hints, the Magnifying Glass, and the SKIP (for the puzzles).
In short, if you just ignore the storyline, you should really enjoy this game. It is pretty easy, short, and lots of fun! :)
I recommend this game!
Immortal Lovers
Explore beautiful Hidden Object scenes and solve challenging puzzles in this romantic tale of Immortal Lovers and betrayal!
Overall rating
2
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Boring & Unimaginative
PostedJanuary 9, 2019
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I would like to note at the very beginning that I usually like to write generous reviews, because I can appreciate just how hard it must be to put together such games. At the same time, however, I realize that the purpose of these reviews is to let fellow gamers know more or less what to expect from a given game; and the last thing I would like to do is mislead anyone into spending their valuable time, effort, and money on a game that turns out to be a complete waste of all these things! So I am sorry to say it, but I must give you my honest opinion that this game is just such a waste ...
The very title of the game, "Immortal Lovers," is a dead give-away that it's going to be about Vampires. Again... As if we don't have enough games, movies, and what-not about that subject already... Frankly, I don't understand what kind of a morbid fascination people have about the "batty" undead, who go around sucking people's blood and turning them into creatures like themselves! And as if that idea were not nutty enough, now they are even romanticizing those creatures, as they have done in this game!
But, hey! To each, his or her own, right? But aside from having a really tired and old subject/theme, the game itself is quite boring as well. The graphics are really poor, the hidden objects too small to even see, and the differences to spot in the compare-the-scenes are equally too small to spot. In addition, the puzzles are either too simplistic or too obscure, and not interesting either way. About the only thing good in this game was the drawings/sketches that pop up from time to time. But the storyline is neither original, nor even believable, for the most part.
In short, this is a pretty dull game, folks. There is absolutely nothing "thrilling" or even remotely exciting about it. Don't waste your time *or* your money on it.
I don't recommend this game.
Enter an enchanting world of legends, mystery and magic, where your destiny was written in blood and the soft murmurs of true love...
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Absolutely SUPERB in every way!
PostedJanuary 8, 2019
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I can't even remember when I truly enjoyed a Hidden-Object game; and, even of those that I did enjoy, this one truly is the best! Yes, the graphics are great - but then, that's not saying much, considering almost all (possibly even all) of the Big Fish games tend to have great graphics. And, yes, the music is certainly wonderful - but then again, there are quite a few Big Fish games with really good music as well. No, what makes this particular game exceptionally great is its Storyline. Oh, it's a fairy tale, no doubt; and probably not an original one at that. But the game presents it in a uniquely interesting way, enjoyable by both kids and adults alike.
And, yes, this game does have a "Bonus Adventure," as most Collector's Editions do. But in this game, the bonus game has not been just "added on," as is the case with so many HO games. On the contrary, not only is the Bonus game an intrinsic part of the story *and* a fitting conclusion, it is really the only way this conclusion could have been even presented to us. In other words, it is fitting both as a bonus game as well as a great conclusion to the story overall. So, to folks who like to buy only Standard Editions, I would urge you to make an exception in this case and buy the Collector's Edition itself. You'll be glad you did! :)
Moving on now... Yes, this Collector's Edition does have Achievements. But, unlike most other games which require you to do a bunch of often quite silly stuff to get their achievements, the developers of this game have actually put a lot of thought in their Achievements, dividing them in the following four groups.
TROPHIES. These are the kind of Achievements we often see in Hidden Object games. Unlike other games, however, this game has a very reasonable number of such "trophies" - only 11, to be exact. There are the familiar types, e.g., finish a HOP in less than a minute, finish half the HOP's without using a Hint, etc. But then, there are three trophies with a catch, requiring you to play Domino Games *instead of* the HOP's. Thus, you have to play both the main game and the Bonus Adventure twice, if you want to try for these trophies. I should note that one of these three trophies is extremely challenging: finishing a Domino Game in less than a minute. But then, you don't *have* to get all the Achievements, do you? And these Domino Games really can be quite fun in and of themselves. Then again, the game is interesting enough to be replayed even if you weren't interested in either those Domino Games or their related trophies. It's all up to you!
STORY ACHIEVEMENTS. There are only 13 of these, and they are all pretty easy to get: just play the game and you get these achievements as you move forward! Easy, peasy!
SPIRITS. There is a total of 30 of them and, as the Achievement section itself shows you, 3 of them are found in the Bonus Adventure. Again, these are pretty easy to find - in close ups. And what's most wonderful is that the close up will *not* close and deprive you of getting the Spirit (as is mournfully the case in most HO games) until you have clicked and gotten the Spirit from there! Now *that's* truly gracious of the developers. Once you get a Spirit, you can always go to the Achievements section and check out its name in the Spirit board there. A cute touch, indeed, but ... that's about all you get for this "achievement."
ELUSIVE OBJECTS. These are really what are more commonly known as "morphing objects" in other games. There are 28 in all, and mind you - they are *not* always easy to find! But it's worth getting them, for the following reason. Check out the Achievements section and you will find an open book, right above the "Elusive Objects" count. Every time you find an elusive object, a paragraph in that book becomes legible. You can click on the "play" button to hear it. Thus, you actually get a synopsis of the game's storyline - told in a very much old-fashioned, fairy-tale style. The developers keep you from learning anything prematurely, of course, by controlling when and where you find the elusive objects necessary to learn the related parts of the story. So, again, it's definitely worth it to try to find these objects!
Finally, I would like to note that all these Collector's-Edition achievements (or gimmicks, as I would call them) do bother and even annoy me in most games. But not in this one! On the contrary, I actually enjoyed trying to get this game's achievements, partly because the storyline was so strong that the achievements did not distract or bother me at all; and partly because the achievements themselves were so reasonable in number *and* nature, innovative, and interesting. They were also quite well-integrated in the storyline.
In short, I really enjoyed this game; and I hope that you will too. :)
I recommend this game!
Has a spectral horror has arisen from an archeological dig site? Uncover the truth in this haunting Hidden Object game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Fun & Easy
PostedDecember 30, 2018
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I must confess I had my share of doubts by the very name of the title character, "Dr. Lynch," and seeing him as the story began did not help much. It didn't take long, however, before the game turned out to be a real pleasant surprise. In fact, I was so intrigued, I had to play it all the way to the finish, taking few breaks in between.
The storyline is really good. It starts off with a ghost sighting, but soon develops into a real murder mystery. The game itself is divided into fourteen chapters, which consist mostly of hidden-object (HO) scenes. There are no cut scenes between chapters. Instead, you get a comic-strip sequence. But the HO scenes themselves are nothing like that, and are more like real-life photographs. Thus, you should have no difficulty solving those scenes, at least in this respect.
I have qualified my remark about the HO scenes for two reasons. First, I should tell you that all the HO scenes are timed. That might daunt some players, but it really shouldn't, because you do get plenty of time per chapter. Second, I should also tell you that the HO's are often quite small and difficult to spot. But, again, there is no need to worry because you also get plenty of hints per chapter. What's more, you can add some hints yourself by finding some optional items. Note, however, that even though the developers call them "optional," I don't think you can skip these items; and you don't get any hints for finding these particular items either. But the worst that can happen is you run out of time and would have to start just that chapter once again; and, believe me, it goes a whole lot faster the second time around!
In addition to the HO scenes, there are a few puzzles in the game. But they are all quite easy, and none of them are timed. You can also SKIP them altogether, if you like.
Finally, I would suggest you check out the HELP section in the Main Menu. Mind you, this is not your run-of-the-mill HO game, in which you just go blindly finding HO's, paying little or no attention to the storyline, usually because there is hardly any storyline worth the attention at all! In contrast, this game has a very rich storyline, and it even gives you things like Clues and Clue Cards to reinforce the information you collect, allowing you to refer to all this information any time you like, and does not time you either on such references. So it would be a good idea to check out the HELP section, because it basically tells you everything you need to know to get the most enjoyment out of the game.
In short, this is really quite a fun *and* easy game, which I hope you will enjoy as much as I did.
I recommend this game!
Join the beautiful demon-huntress, Vida, on her investigation into a series of mysterious kidnappings!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
What A Wonderful Surprise!
PostedNovember 14, 2018
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I say surprise because, I must confess, I expected this to be just a "kiddie" game. The title of the game certainly suggested it, what with the name of the heroine herself (Vida) and the fact that it was supposed to be a "story" about a missing "princess." So I figured that it would be a fairytale, most suited for children. And in fact, it *is* a fairytale, but one that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike.
The storyline is quite interesting, and not really dark as the title might suggest. In fact, I actually found the locations quite cozy, and the conversations between Vida and her travelling companion, Black the Ferret, very entertaining. Indeed, those conversations do help a lot in keeping the story and/or locations from becoming dark in any way. It is true that sometimes these conversations sound like chatter, especially when the two characters start talking as you are trying to solve a puzzle. For the most part, however, they are not only interesting and keep the game from becoming monotonous, but actually provide clues as to what you need to do next. So pay attention, because these conversations are both fun *and* informative.
As for the other features of the game - both the puzzles and the Hidden Object (HO) scenes are pretty easy and interesting. It's true that there *are* more objects in each HO scene than in most games; and, yes, it can be tricky to spot some of the objects. But these scenes are really not hard; and you can always use a hint, of course. But note that there *is* one achievement that requires you to not use any hints in any *one* HO scene. But then, there are no penalties for misclicks. So you can always get that achievement by completing a HO scene without using a hint, and finding that one elusive object by clicking all over the scene! :D
And, yes, I did say achievements, even though this is *not* a Collector's Edition. In fact, there are 14 achievements, but they are all pretty easy to get. In fact, there are five chapters in the game, and five of the achievements are related to your not using any "quest hints" in those chapters. In other words, you get one achievement for each chapter in which you didn't use a hint to figure out what to do next in that chapter. So keep that in mind as you go through the game, if you would like to get those achievements. But, as I indicated already, the game is pretty easy. Just pay attention - to the visual clues as well as the conversations between the two characters - and you will have no problem getting all of those achievements.
In short, this is quite a delightful game - one you would love to play especially through a cold, Winter night. That's what I did! And I enjoyed it thoroughly. I hope you will too. :)
I recommend this game!