catbag8717's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.3
- Helpful Votes:8,793
- Reviews Submitted:584
- First Review:April 27, 2012
- Most Recent Review:September 23, 2020
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Explore the Mystery Unicorn Castle and save Sophie from the Beastmaster in this exciting HOPA game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
How Did I Nearly Miss This Little Gem?
PostedApril 28, 2014
catbag8717
fromTasmania, Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
I was a bit hesitant to give this game a go because of the title. I thought “oh here we go, another cute fantasy game”. But when I played, I was quite surprised. I enjoyed the demo a lot and will be purchasing the SE of this game. It goes to show that you can't judge a game by its title!
If I'm really 100% honest, I wasn't all that interested in the story. It was your usual “girl is kidnapped by magical beast, go save her” kind of thing. The story was exciting at some points, but everything panned out the way I thought it would.
What I really liked about the story though was that you could choose what you did in some areas! And even better, what you chose has an impact on the course of the game! This is a really great idea. More developers should do this. It makes me want to replay the game already to see the alternate option- and I haven't even bought it yet!
So, overall, the plotline of the story isn't all that interesting, but the content is outstanding... The fact that developers give us somewhat of a choice as to what happens... wow!
What I really liked about the story though was that you could choose what you did in some areas! And even better, what you chose has an impact on the course of the game! This is a really great idea. More developers should do this. It makes me want to replay the game already to see the alternate option- and I haven't even bought it yet!
So, overall, the plotline of the story isn't all that interesting, but the content is outstanding... The fact that developers give us somewhat of a choice as to what happens... wow!
The gameplay is pretty good too. The HOS are great fun and I enjoyed playing them. They were pretty much the standard junkpile with a few extra-step objects. This is nothing we haven't seen before, but it was still really fun! I think I encountered (roughly) 2 in the demo. This wasn't enough for me. I would've liked to have seen a couple more.
The puzzles were fun too. There were a couple new and a coupe old, which was nice. Even though they were a bit hard (I had to skip most of them), I still enjoyed playing them. I think I counted more puzzles than HOS in the demo. I was kinda hoping this would be the other way around. I'm not too keen on puzzles. I like to see a few in there and try and attempt them though. That being said, I still think the ratio of HOS:puzzles was good.
The puzzles were fun too. There were a couple new and a coupe old, which was nice. Even though they were a bit hard (I had to skip most of them), I still enjoyed playing them. I think I counted more puzzles than HOS in the demo. I was kinda hoping this would be the other way around. I'm not too keen on puzzles. I like to see a few in there and try and attempt them though. That being said, I still think the ratio of HOS:puzzles was good.
Okay, you know that thing I told you about where you can choose your options in the story? It happens in the gameplay too! At certain points in the game, when you click on something, a little bar will come up. It gives you the option to use one of two inventory items and again, which ever one you pick will have an impact on the course of the game. And if you don't have one of the two items, you can back out and continue looking around until you find it. This is a great feature. I love games where the actions you perform have an impact on the game!
One other new feature of this game is the wisps. These are things that just float around in scenes. If you click on them, the hint recharges instantly. This is a good feature because the hint takes way too long to recharge (at 90 sec on casual mode). However, I wish it didn't have to be there. 90 sec is just too long for a hint recharge on Casual mode.
This definitely isn't your average HOPA. The gameplay is fun, new and wonderful. I hope that more developers take a step in this direction.
One thing I definitely must comment on is the usefulness of the map. It was a lot more useful than others. It let you know where active tasks where and even where a HOS could be found! This was great.
One thing I definitely must comment on is the usefulness of the map. It was a lot more useful than others. It let you know where active tasks where and even where a HOS could be found! This was great.
I wasn't really impressed with the graphics to be honest. I found some scenes, especially cutscenes, to be a bit hazy and pixelated. In some areas, the graphics were still good, but these hazy scenes decreased the quality of the game slightly.
The voice-overs are standard. I have no issue.
The voice-overs are standard. I have no issue.
FEATURES
4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Expert and Hardcore. Differences are the usual. Hardcore offers the ability to play the game with no help at all. I played Casual.
Hint/Skip- both took way too long to recharge for the difficulty I selected, at 90 sec. This would be acceptable for Advanced or Expert maybe, but not Casual. Hint was helpful outside HOS.
Wisps- appear at various places throughout the game. When found, they instantly recharge the hint. Only needed because the hint took too long to recharge. Shouldn't have been there in the first place
Map- The map is very helpful. It is interactive, tells you where active tasks are and also notifies you of any HOS you haven't completed.
4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Expert and Hardcore. Differences are the usual. Hardcore offers the ability to play the game with no help at all. I played Casual.
Hint/Skip- both took way too long to recharge for the difficulty I selected, at 90 sec. This would be acceptable for Advanced or Expert maybe, but not Casual. Hint was helpful outside HOS.
Wisps- appear at various places throughout the game. When found, they instantly recharge the hint. Only needed because the hint took too long to recharge. Shouldn't have been there in the first place
Map- The map is very helpful. It is interactive, tells you where active tasks are and also notifies you of any HOS you haven't completed.
CE EXCLUSIVES
Bonus Chapter- unsure if needed
Built-in Strategy Guide- useful for puzzles
Achievements
Collectible pumpkins (50)
Historical notes
Concept Art
Music
Wallpapers
Bonus Chapter- unsure if needed
Built-in Strategy Guide- useful for puzzles
Achievements
Collectible pumpkins (50)
Historical notes
Concept Art
Music
Wallpapers
Even though there are multiple achievements and collectibles, I will still be happy to purchase the SE on this one. I'm so glad I tried this, otherwise I would have missed out on a little gem. Don't think about the title- TRY THIS! You WON'T regret it!
I recommend this game!
Stop the bitter Spirit of Cold from killing your ancestors!
Overall rating
4
/
5
43 of 45 found this review helpful
A Wonderful Game... But The ERS Curse Has Returned!
PostedApril 26, 2014
catbag8717
fromTasmania, Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED STANDARD EDITION GAME
This is, without a doubt, the best ERS game in a long time. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. But, once again, the ERS curse has struck! The magnificent story finished off with an incomplete ending!
The story was really enjoyable. It started off excitedly. Someone is going back in time and killing your ancestors, so you have to travel back in time to stop them. I love time travel stories and this one was no exception. The start was brilliant, probably the best part of the story. The story had me hooked from the get-go. During this game we had to save three of our ancestors, meaning there were three sections of the story. Here's what I thought about each section:
Mandy (Section One): This was the best part. The story behind this is that you have to save Mandy from falling off a building. This part of the story was really intriguing. It was a great start to the game. What I liked most about this part was that we saw more of Wenonah, the villain. She seemed to disappear after this part was complete. The events in this part of the story flowed well and made sense. I feel the ending to this part did justice to the story.
Margaret: (Section Two): This was good. Like the first part, this one had a great story. In this section, Margaret had fallen on the train tracks and you had to save her from the oncoming train by first providing warmth and then giving her her heart medicine. This story was really enjoyable, good to follow and made me wonder what was going to happen next. Even so, I do have a couple of critiques about this part.
Firstly, Wenonah was gone. She appeared only in spirit form and didn't have any lines, which was a real shame. When you've got a good villain, they really do need to make appearances.
Secondly, some things were illogical. The boyfriend of Margaret tells us to rush to the pharmacy because it's an emergency, but we still return to the scenes before the pharmacy BEFORE we get the medicine. If it was such an emergency, this wouldn't happen. This makes the game a lot less realistic.
Firstly, Wenonah was gone. She appeared only in spirit form and didn't have any lines, which was a real shame. When you've got a good villain, they really do need to make appearances.
Secondly, some things were illogical. The boyfriend of Margaret tells us to rush to the pharmacy because it's an emergency, but we still return to the scenes before the pharmacy BEFORE we get the medicine. If it was such an emergency, this wouldn't happen. This makes the game a lot less realistic.
Sheenah (Section Three): Not really a surprise as I knew this was going to happen. The worst part of the story. Nothing really exciting happened; the game went as I expected. This was also the shortest part of the game. It was over in a flash. A really disappointing end to a great story.
The story was really good and the aspect of time travel was done somewhat realistically. If I had to criticise something, it would be that the game didn't have many twists and turns. For the majority of the game, it went along as I suspected it would. Nothing overly shocked me.
Another criticism I would make is that the story went downhill towards the end, to the point where I was waiting for it to finish. The last part of the story didn't interest me much at all as I knew it was going to occur. This was a really weak ending for me.
Another criticism I would make is that the story went downhill towards the end, to the point where I was waiting for it to finish. The last part of the story didn't interest me much at all as I knew it was going to occur. This was a really weak ending for me.
Overall, I thought the story as great, but I have one more problem: THE ENDING! The infamous “ERS Curse” as I call it, has struck again! This ending is shocking. It is not conclusive and ends at a point where it should have continued. Really poor form from ERS here. A note to the developers: If you want me to buy the CE, put good extras in there! Don't make the ending to the main game inconclusive! I've said over and over that an inconclusive ending won't make me buy the CE, and my stance remains firm here. Sorry, ERS, but that's just not on.
This game featured a backstory. This was told through a series of notes. It told us about Wenonah and her feelings for Koturi and the events that led us to the current situation. This was a really good element of the story and made it much more exciting! It made me understand her position and made me begin to dislike Koturi and sway to her side! Making me do this means a really good backstory. I give credit to ERS for this.
The gameplay was great. The HOS were fun, the puzzles were good and there was a great new feature in there.
The HOS were good, but nothing we haven't seen before. There were two types: junkpile and silhouette. Both were fun and both were easy. There were a good amount of HOS in the game, but there weren't many in the start and more towards the end. Perhaps it would have been better to space them out evenly.
The only criticism I have of the HOS is that some of them made you do a puzzle at the end. This was annoying. The puzzles and HOS should ALWAYS be kept separate, never together!
The puzzles were good too, even if they were a little challenging. I ended up having to skip most of them. That being said, they were still fun to attempt. Once again, nothing we haven't seen before. There were a decent amount of puzzles in the game. The ratio of HOS to puzzles is good.
The HOS were good, but nothing we haven't seen before. There were two types: junkpile and silhouette. Both were fun and both were easy. There were a good amount of HOS in the game, but there weren't many in the start and more towards the end. Perhaps it would have been better to space them out evenly.
The only criticism I have of the HOS is that some of them made you do a puzzle at the end. This was annoying. The puzzles and HOS should ALWAYS be kept separate, never together!
The puzzles were good too, even if they were a little challenging. I ended up having to skip most of them. That being said, they were still fun to attempt. Once again, nothing we haven't seen before. There were a decent amount of puzzles in the game. The ratio of HOS to puzzles is good.
There is one new feature of this game: The feather. This was used to enlarge inventory items in to useful items. This was a good feature. It was quite unique and fun to use. It was used a fair bit in the game. I hope this feature makes its return soon!
This game also featured plus objects. These were items you had to merge with another inventory item to complete. They were indicated by a + symbol. This added extra fun to the game. There were quite a lot of + objects there. Maybe a couple less would have been good.
This game also featured plus objects. These were items you had to merge with another inventory item to complete. They were indicated by a + symbol. This added extra fun to the game. There were quite a lot of + objects there. Maybe a couple less would have been good.
Other than the new features, this is your standard HOPA. There are no animal helpers or any of the kind. It was a really enjoyable game.
The graphics are good, but sort of a step back in my opinion. This game did not feature lip-syncing, which made the characters less realistic. It made me laugh just to see a blank face staring at me and blinking while the dialogue was spoken.
That being said, the graphics were drawn greatly with quite a bit of detail in them. Every scene was clear and had some great visuals. The character designs were good too. They looked very realistic.
The voice-overs were standard. I have no comment.
That being said, the graphics were drawn greatly with quite a bit of detail in them. Every scene was clear and had some great visuals. The character designs were good too. They looked very realistic.
The voice-overs were standard. I have no comment.
FEATURES
4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hardcore and Custom. Custom lets you set the game the way you want it. Differences in other difficulties are standard. I played Casual.
Hint/Skip- both recharge a bit quickly. The hint is useful outside HOS.
Diary- keeps track of events.
Map- Interactive, but not very helpful. It was set out poorly and should have been done much better.
Feather- used to enlarge items. Very good, fun feature.
+ Objects- Good feature, but too many of them for my liking.
4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hardcore and Custom. Custom lets you set the game the way you want it. Differences in other difficulties are standard. I played Casual.
Hint/Skip- both recharge a bit quickly. The hint is useful outside HOS.
Diary- keeps track of events.
Map- Interactive, but not very helpful. It was set out poorly and should have been done much better.
Feather- used to enlarge items. Very good, fun feature.
+ Objects- Good feature, but too many of them for my liking.
WHAT DO I MISS OUT ON IF I BUY THE SE?
Bonus Chapter- ending is not conclusive
Built-in Strategy Guide- good for puzzles.
Wallpapers
Concept Art
Replay HOS & Puzzles
Achievements
Collectible snowflakes
Bonus Chapter- ending is not conclusive
Built-in Strategy Guide- good for puzzles.
Wallpapers
Concept Art
Replay HOS & Puzzles
Achievements
Collectible snowflakes
WHICH IS THE BETTER BUY?
Despite the inconclusive ending, I'd advise you to go for the SE. There's nothing in the CE that makes it worth buying and an incomplete ending is no reason to even consider. We shouldn't have to buy the CE because of the incomplete ending.
Despite the inconclusive ending, I'd advise you to go for the SE. There's nothing in the CE that makes it worth buying and an incomplete ending is no reason to even consider. We shouldn't have to buy the CE because of the incomplete ending.
Overall, this was a wonderful game. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. This is definitely my favourite of the series and my favourite ERS game in a long time.
Unfortunately, what would have been a five star game must now be given a four because of the incomplete ending. Even so, I highly recommend this game. It may not be perfect, but the fun factor is high and the story is grand.
Unfortunately, what would have been a five star game must now be given a four because of the incomplete ending. Even so, I highly recommend this game. It may not be perfect, but the fun factor is high and the story is grand.
I recommend this game!
Defeat the giant to save the world from destruction!
Overall rating
3
/
5
21 of 22 found this review helpful
Very Fun! It's A Good Game... IF You Can Look Past The Length
PostedApril 20, 2014
catbag8717
fromTasmania, Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED STANDARD EDITION GAME
I wasn't a fan of the first Fairy Tale Mysteries, so my expectations were low, but this game was good! It was something new and was very, very fun. I loved it from beginning to end. So why, oh why, is this only getting a three star rating from me? One word: LENGTH.
Let's be honest here, the story really isn't that great. Some games are gameplay driven, others story driven, and this one is DEFINITELY about the gameplay. The story was lacking in all areas. It wasn't really that exciting at all. It was just a side-thing for me, I was way more focused on the gameplay itself. The story rarely got exciting. The one exciting thing in the story for me was the revelation of the villain. It was a good twist. The villain was someone I wasn't really expecting.
Other than that, the story went exactly as I thought it would. This is your typical fairy-tale story, based off of Jack and The Beanstalk.
I thought the developers did a good job on reinventing the tale and came up with some ideas that I wouldn't have thought of, but that's about as far as the positives go for me. Overall, a pretty weak story.
The game does end conclusively, but I have a big complaint: THE LENGTH. Normally, I don't really care about the length of the game, but this is an exception. I've heard of short games, but this is absolutely ridiculous. The game was 2 hours tops. I felt I was in the middle of the game when it finished. I couldn't believe it. I seriously couldn't believe the game was ending. Usually, I can tell when a game's about to end, but here I had no idea whatsoever. It's really pathetic to have a game that short. It almost makes me wish I hadn't wasted my money. I think what contributed to the game's short length was that the story was very rushed. I mean, no sooner had you discovered who the villain was than you were defeating them... get my drift?
Other than that, the story went exactly as I thought it would. This is your typical fairy-tale story, based off of Jack and The Beanstalk.
I thought the developers did a good job on reinventing the tale and came up with some ideas that I wouldn't have thought of, but that's about as far as the positives go for me. Overall, a pretty weak story.
The game does end conclusively, but I have a big complaint: THE LENGTH. Normally, I don't really care about the length of the game, but this is an exception. I've heard of short games, but this is absolutely ridiculous. The game was 2 hours tops. I felt I was in the middle of the game when it finished. I couldn't believe it. I seriously couldn't believe the game was ending. Usually, I can tell when a game's about to end, but here I had no idea whatsoever. It's really pathetic to have a game that short. It almost makes me wish I hadn't wasted my money. I think what contributed to the game's short length was that the story was very rushed. I mean, no sooner had you discovered who the villain was than you were defeating them... get my drift?
The gameplay, on the other hand, is really good. It was what first attracted me to this game. It's so different and unique, and it's really fun. Gogii have put a lot of effort in to the gameplay and I applaud them for it. So, what makes this game different, you ask? Well, HOS lovers rejoice, because EVERY SCENE is a HOS! There's heaps of items to find. The game is set out in tasks- you have to find a whole bunch of stuff to make up an inventory item, and the object isn't on your list of things to find until you actually NEED it. The tasks tell you what objects are in what scene too. If you're in a scene where an item you need can be found, the item will get brighter on the task bar, if not, it will stay dark. I really liked this in the game, it made it a lot more fun and bearable. What I also liked is that the objects weren't easy to find- a lot of them were VERY HARD. Sometimes you had to place an inventory item to get a part of another one. A great job to Gogii for making the game challenging.
Despite every scene virtually being a HOS, we did still have our normal HOS. In each HOS, you would find something as part of your task. The HOS were good. I really enjoyed playing them. They were basically just the standard junkpile with a few extra-step objects. There aren't a lot of HOS in the game, but that's because of the gameplay style. Still, was happy with the amount of HOS in the game.
The puzzles were also good, granted they were quite easy. I was able to solve the majority of them, if not all. The puzzles have good instructions, so I knew what to do straight away. Even though they were easy, the puzzles were very, very fun. I loved playing them.
There were a good amount of puzzles in the game. The HOS: Puzzles ratio is good. There's an even amount of each.
Despite every scene virtually being a HOS, we did still have our normal HOS. In each HOS, you would find something as part of your task. The HOS were good. I really enjoyed playing them. They were basically just the standard junkpile with a few extra-step objects. There aren't a lot of HOS in the game, but that's because of the gameplay style. Still, was happy with the amount of HOS in the game.
The puzzles were also good, granted they were quite easy. I was able to solve the majority of them, if not all. The puzzles have good instructions, so I knew what to do straight away. Even though they were easy, the puzzles were very, very fun. I loved playing them.
There were a good amount of puzzles in the game. The HOS: Puzzles ratio is good. There's an even amount of each.
Other than the jazzed up gameplay, this is your average HOPA. It has a custom difficulty plus two others (Casual/Advanced), and the custom difficulty has some good settings. There's no fancy new features, no plus objects, or animal helpers of any kind. It has all the gameplay of a new HOPA, but all the features of a standard one.
The graphics are good. They've got some good detail there, the character designs are drawn well, but I still believe that Gogii could have done much better. One issue I have is that in some areas, the graphics were too bright. This was a little distracting and sometimes, when I used the hint, it was too hard to see where the hint was directing me and I'd have to see it again. Perhaps Gogii should have focused on making the scenes a little less bright and colourful and a little more detailed.
The voice-overs are standard. I have no issue.
The voice-overs are standard. I have no issue.
FEATURES
3 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced and Custom. The differences are the usual. Custom lets you set the game the way you want. I was happy with the Casual settings, so I played Casual.
Hint/Skip- both recharged at a reasonable rate for the difficulty I selected. The hint is helpful outside HOS.
Diary- keeps track of events. Good for remembering story details.
Map- interactive and quite helpful. Lets you know where active tasks are.
3 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced and Custom. The differences are the usual. Custom lets you set the game the way you want. I was happy with the Casual settings, so I played Casual.
Hint/Skip- both recharged at a reasonable rate for the difficulty I selected. The hint is helpful outside HOS.
Diary- keeps track of events. Good for remembering story details.
Map- interactive and quite helpful. Lets you know where active tasks are.
WHAT DO I MISS OUT ON IF I BUY THE SE?
Bonus Chapter- not needed.
Built-in Strategy Guide
Collectible eggs
Concept Art
Wallpapers
Music
Replay Movies
Bonus Chapter- not needed.
Built-in Strategy Guide
Collectible eggs
Concept Art
Wallpapers
Music
Replay Movies
WHICH IS THE BETTER BUY?
Definitely the SE. Absolutely no doubt. This game has next to no CE Extras. The SE game was fine for me.
Definitely the SE. Absolutely no doubt. This game has next to no CE Extras. The SE game was fine for me.
So, overall, it was an extremely fun game, but it was very, very short. Should I recommend this? I don't know. The game was very enjoyable... well, if you can look past the game length, give it a go. I definitely say download the trial.
ON THE GAME LENGTH
Very, very short. A heck of a lot shorter than any other HOPA I've played. I don't time my gameplay, but I estimate 2 hours on Casual. 2.5 hours tops. Every other game I've played has been 3 hours at least, but this was WAY shorter than that. If you want a rough estimate, let's say I had completely finished the third chapter by the time the demo ended. There are 7 chapters.
Very, very short. A heck of a lot shorter than any other HOPA I've played. I don't time my gameplay, but I estimate 2 hours on Casual. 2.5 hours tops. Every other game I've played has been 3 hours at least, but this was WAY shorter than that. If you want a rough estimate, let's say I had completely finished the third chapter by the time the demo ended. There are 7 chapters.
I recommend this game!
Track down the wily Fox’ before he slips away into the beauty of Venice!
Overall rating
2
/
5
33 of 42 found this review helpful
Let's Keep This One Off The Record, Shall We?
PostedApril 18, 2014
catbag8717
fromTasmania, Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
Eipix is fast becoming the leading game developer. This game here is their fifth in four months, the most from any developer this year so far. Of course, when you're making games at that speed, there's always the risk of developing a really poor game amongst the good ones, and this game here is an example of that.
Let's start with the story. It was very boring, uneventful and was not surprising at all. Every supposedly “shocking” event that occurred, I already knew was going to happen. Developers, here's a hint: Don't make things so blatantly obvious. It ruins the story. I anticipated every turning point. The only thing that surprised me remotely was the ending, but I'd already anticipated that the villain was definitely involved and not all he claimed to be.
All that stuff in between was a bit boring too. Nothing interesting happened at all really. I can say I liked the characters though. The characters were good for the story and entertaining. It's a shame I have to say this, but the characters were one of the best parts of the game.
Probably the only highlight as far as story content goes are the tapes. There are 8 of them to collect and I found 2 in the demo. These were a great addition to the story and really enjoyable. It's a real shame that I have to pick this out as one of the highlights. The content of the story is really flat and dull and so obvious to me. Really poor performance from Eipix.
All that stuff in between was a bit boring too. Nothing interesting happened at all really. I can say I liked the characters though. The characters were good for the story and entertaining. It's a shame I have to say this, but the characters were one of the best parts of the game.
Probably the only highlight as far as story content goes are the tapes. There are 8 of them to collect and I found 2 in the demo. These were a great addition to the story and really enjoyable. It's a real shame that I have to pick this out as one of the highlights. The content of the story is really flat and dull and so obvious to me. Really poor performance from Eipix.
When the story's not so strong, the gameplay has to be absolutely fantastic and this wasn't. While there were some positive aspects of the gameplay, it wasn't enough to make me hit the buy button.
The HOS were pretty good. I really enjoyed them. Eipix has mixed up the HOS a little, giving us a variety. There were silhouette objects, junkpile, the mini-HOS and a special kind of HOS in the hotel room. All varieties were great fun. A little easy, but fun. The HOS were done well in my opinion. There aren't many HOS, but there's enough to make it a HOPA. It's a good amount for me.
For the first time, I'm going to say that there weren't enough puzzles. There were about two in the demo, nowhere near enough. The puzzles were good to attempt, but there just were not enough. I would have liked to see a couple more puzzles in the demo. Even with the puzzles there were, they were just ones that we'd seen before. That being said, I still liked them. I just believe that Eipix should have put a few more puzzles in there.
The HOS were pretty good. I really enjoyed them. Eipix has mixed up the HOS a little, giving us a variety. There were silhouette objects, junkpile, the mini-HOS and a special kind of HOS in the hotel room. All varieties were great fun. A little easy, but fun. The HOS were done well in my opinion. There aren't many HOS, but there's enough to make it a HOPA. It's a good amount for me.
For the first time, I'm going to say that there weren't enough puzzles. There were about two in the demo, nowhere near enough. The puzzles were good to attempt, but there just were not enough. I would have liked to see a couple more puzzles in the demo. Even with the puzzles there were, they were just ones that we'd seen before. That being said, I still liked them. I just believe that Eipix should have put a few more puzzles in there.
This game also feature plus objects. These were items you had to interact with to complete. This is becoming a standard feature now, but even so, it was a great feature, one that I really enjoyed.
Another new feature was the camera. I absolutely HATED it! It was awful. Just awful. You had to take a picture of something and then it turned in to a puzzle; picking the right symbol, adjusting the sliders. This was really annoying and significantly decreased the fun factor. This is one of the worst features I've seen in a game. Really poor.
Another new feature was the camera. I absolutely HATED it! It was awful. Just awful. You had to take a picture of something and then it turned in to a puzzle; picking the right symbol, adjusting the sliders. This was really annoying and significantly decreased the fun factor. This is one of the worst features I've seen in a game. Really poor.
Other than that, this is your standard HOPA. I don't know if I'd recommend this to beginners, due to the camera feature/plus objects.
The graphics are good as usual. The character designs are good and every scene is clear and drawn wonderfully with a lot of detail. Good job to the developers on this. One thing I should note is that sometimes, during dialogue scenes, the heads would disappear off the characters! This was a bit weird, probably a tech issue, but was still really funny. It didn't affect my game at all, just thought I'd point this out!
The voice-overs are standard. I have one very small issue. This is set in Italy, yet only one character has a slightly Italian voice. Everyone else, even The Fox, is American. If you set a game in a different country, you should have their accents, don't you think?
The voice-overs are standard. I have one very small issue. This is set in Italy, yet only one character has a slightly Italian voice. Everyone else, even The Fox, is American. If you set a game in a different country, you should have their accents, don't you think?
FEATURES
4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom. I tried Custom at first, but it didn't work for me, so I played Casual. Differences are the usual.
Hint/Skip- both recharge at a reasonable rate for the difficulty I selected.
Diary- keeps track of events. Good for remembering important details of the story.
Map- the map is interactive and helpful
+ objects- these are objects you have to interact with to complete. A great feature.
Camera- awful. Hated it. See description for more info.
4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom. I tried Custom at first, but it didn't work for me, so I played Casual. Differences are the usual.
Hint/Skip- both recharge at a reasonable rate for the difficulty I selected.
Diary- keeps track of events. Good for remembering important details of the story.
Map- the map is interactive and helpful
+ objects- these are objects you have to interact with to complete. A great feature.
Camera- awful. Hated it. See description for more info.
CE EXCLUSIVES
Bonus Chapter
Strategy Guide- good for puzzles.
Achievements- there are quite a lot.
Collectible Foxes (32)- one in every scene
Wallpapers
Concept Art
Replay HOS & Puzzles
Music
“Fox's Den”- unsure what this is
Souvenir Room
“Pictures”- unsure what this is
Replay movies
Behind the Scenes
Bonus Chapter
Strategy Guide- good for puzzles.
Achievements- there are quite a lot.
Collectible Foxes (32)- one in every scene
Wallpapers
Concept Art
Replay HOS & Puzzles
Music
“Fox's Den”- unsure what this is
Souvenir Room
“Pictures”- unsure what this is
Replay movies
Behind the Scenes
This game has a lot of bonus content, but I really didn't care for it. The first Off the Record was enjoyable, but this one did not cut it. The story was really boring and predictable. I suggest Eipix slow down a little and really take the time to refine their games. I can't recommend this one. Two stars for me.
I don't recommend this game.
The seven deadly sins have plunged peaceful Riddlestone into chaos! Rescue the royal family and save their people from destruction.
Overall rating
4
/
5
19 of 19 found this review helpful
Great Story and Great Fun!
PostedApril 18, 2014
catbag8717
fromTasmania, Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED STANDARD EDITION GAME
Riddles of Fate was always that one series by Elephant that failed to please me. All that has changed with this game! This game is a really enjoyable, unique twist on the age old tale of the Seven Sins. From beginning to end, I really enjoyed the story, and supported by good gameplay, this game was fantastic.
What first attracted me to the game was the story. It was wonderful and kicked off with a bang from the moment it started. The Queen requests your help to defeat the Seven Deadly Sins that are trying to take over her kingdom and, one by one, you go around saving the members of the royal family and vanquishing the evil Sins.
What really impressed me about this story was how logical it was and how it stuck well with the tale itself. Each sin makes its own appearance and is characterised as it should be (Sloth being lazy, Lust being charming, etc.). It was really well thought out and executed greatly. The Sins took the form of real people to destroy the town, which actually made a lot of sense. Elephant deserves a lot of credit for how well they did this story. It wasn't illogical and thrown all over the place like some fantasy games. Very good job.
The content of the story is also great. It's very gripping and the story panned out well. There were quite a few really exciting twists in there. Some of the events in the game really shocked and surprised me in a good way. What really excited me was defeating the Seven Sins one by one.
The demo builds up the excitement with some great things happening in it. The demo ends on an absolutely shocking cliffhanger and I had to play on.
From there, I will admit the story did stall a little. Nothing interesting really happened in the middle parts of the game. It just focused on defeating a few of the Sins. During this period, I just focused on the gameplay.
Towards the end, I saw a really exciting twist that just enthralled me and made me unable to stop playing. For a long time, the game tricked me in to thinking someone was involved. During this period, I was shocked. Had it been true, I would have never seen it coming, not in a million years. This was a BRILLIANT twist. Great job.
The game ends conclusively with a happy ending. The ending itself is good, pretty much what you'd expect.
Overall, this was a really great story. It had a great beginning, a somewhat lacking middle and a brilliant ending.
To be honest, I actually really enjoyed the gameplay. It's a step up from the norm for Elephant Games, given that it's got plus objects this time. This is a first for Elephant and really goes to show they're starting to listen to the reviews of fans.
Even though I enjoyed it, the gameplay is quite easy. The HOS could be solved in a matter of seconds and I could solve quite a few of the puzzles. In the demo period especially, I hardly needed the hint and only used it because the map was useless.
Even though they were extremely easy, I loved doing the HOS. They were just the standard HOS with a few extra-step objects, but they were really fun! I absolutely loved the HOS. And the best part? There's just the right amount. There aren't too many to make them boring, it's just right.
The puzzles are a mix of hard and easy, but quite a few of them are easy. Some I could solve in a clicks, others it was obvious what to do, and some were hard. It was a mixed bag. This is good in some ways because it caters to the abilities of all puzzlers, but expert puzzlers will be frustrated.
That being said, I did enjoy attempting the puzzles. The fun factor in this game is really high. Good job to the developers.
What really impressed me about this story was how logical it was and how it stuck well with the tale itself. Each sin makes its own appearance and is characterised as it should be (Sloth being lazy, Lust being charming, etc.). It was really well thought out and executed greatly. The Sins took the form of real people to destroy the town, which actually made a lot of sense. Elephant deserves a lot of credit for how well they did this story. It wasn't illogical and thrown all over the place like some fantasy games. Very good job.
The content of the story is also great. It's very gripping and the story panned out well. There were quite a few really exciting twists in there. Some of the events in the game really shocked and surprised me in a good way. What really excited me was defeating the Seven Sins one by one.
The demo builds up the excitement with some great things happening in it. The demo ends on an absolutely shocking cliffhanger and I had to play on.
From there, I will admit the story did stall a little. Nothing interesting really happened in the middle parts of the game. It just focused on defeating a few of the Sins. During this period, I just focused on the gameplay.
Towards the end, I saw a really exciting twist that just enthralled me and made me unable to stop playing. For a long time, the game tricked me in to thinking someone was involved. During this period, I was shocked. Had it been true, I would have never seen it coming, not in a million years. This was a BRILLIANT twist. Great job.
The game ends conclusively with a happy ending. The ending itself is good, pretty much what you'd expect.
Overall, this was a really great story. It had a great beginning, a somewhat lacking middle and a brilliant ending.
To be honest, I actually really enjoyed the gameplay. It's a step up from the norm for Elephant Games, given that it's got plus objects this time. This is a first for Elephant and really goes to show they're starting to listen to the reviews of fans.
Even though I enjoyed it, the gameplay is quite easy. The HOS could be solved in a matter of seconds and I could solve quite a few of the puzzles. In the demo period especially, I hardly needed the hint and only used it because the map was useless.
Even though they were extremely easy, I loved doing the HOS. They were just the standard HOS with a few extra-step objects, but they were really fun! I absolutely loved the HOS. And the best part? There's just the right amount. There aren't too many to make them boring, it's just right.
The puzzles are a mix of hard and easy, but quite a few of them are easy. Some I could solve in a clicks, others it was obvious what to do, and some were hard. It was a mixed bag. This is good in some ways because it caters to the abilities of all puzzlers, but expert puzzlers will be frustrated.
That being said, I did enjoy attempting the puzzles. The fun factor in this game is really high. Good job to the developers.
As I said, this game has + objects, which is a step up for this developer. These are objects you have to interact with to complete. Some take one extra object, others more. These objects are indicated by a + sign, hence their name. There were quite a few of these in the game. This was a great feature.
Other than that, this is your standard HOPA. There's no fancy new features or animal helpers. Excluding a diary, it's got all the basic features (map, hint, etc.) To be honest, I was a bit disappointed that there was no diary. It made it slightly harder to remember some of the story events.
One thing I feel obligated to comment on is the map. The map, as I've mentioned before, was absolutely USELESS. It was set out really poorly. I had no idea how to use it, and when I figured it out, I discovered it wasn't much help anyway. It tells you where you have an active task, not where your next task is. The hint acted as a portal of some description. If you clicked on it and your next task was in a different area, it gave you the option to teleport there. Much better than the map.
One thing I feel obligated to comment on is the map. The map, as I've mentioned before, was absolutely USELESS. It was set out really poorly. I had no idea how to use it, and when I figured it out, I discovered it wasn't much help anyway. It tells you where you have an active task, not where your next task is. The hint acted as a portal of some description. If you clicked on it and your next task was in a different area, it gave you the option to teleport there. Much better than the map.
The graphics are good, as usual. The scenes are drawn with quite a bit of detail and are very clear. The character designs are also good. They look a lot like real people. As with the last Riddles of Fate, everything is cartoon style. Overall, all the scenes were clear and had some good detail in them.
Normally, I don't have an issue with voice-overs, but this is an exception. The game gives you the idea that it is set in Britain (with the town name and monarchy ruling system), so what's with the American voices? There were about 2 characters with British voices, while the rest were American. SERIOUSLY? If it's got a Queen and a King, and the town is called Riddlestone, it has to be all British voice-overs. The fact that it wasn't made the game less realistic. The US does NOT have a royal family. Very poor choice from the developer to use US voices for this one. Also, I found the voice of Gluttony to be really annoying. It was really rough and low and a bit off-putting. I almost skipped the dialogue. Developers should realise that poor voices decrease the quality of the game.
FEATURES
3 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced and Hardcore. Differences are hint/skip charge times, sparkles, etc. I played Casual.
Hint/Skip- both recharge at a reasonable speed for the difficulty. Hint is useful outside HOS.
Map- The map, as I mentioned before, is absolutely USELESS. Really poorly set out. Only tells you where there are active tasks.
+ objects- These are objects you have to interact with to complete. There were quite a few in the game. A really nice feature.
3 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced and Hardcore. Differences are hint/skip charge times, sparkles, etc. I played Casual.
Hint/Skip- both recharge at a reasonable speed for the difficulty. Hint is useful outside HOS.
Map- The map, as I mentioned before, is absolutely USELESS. Really poorly set out. Only tells you where there are active tasks.
+ objects- These are objects you have to interact with to complete. There were quite a few in the game. A really nice feature.
WHAT DO I MISS OUT ON IF I BUY THE SE?
Bonus Chapter- not needed. The game finishes conclusively and ties up all loose ends. Absolutely 0 need for the BC.
Built-in Strategy Guide- not needed as the game is quite easy. Would have been useful for some puzzles. Plus, if you do get stuck, the hint is really helpful.
Collectibles- all of the royal family.
Achievements
Replay HOS/Puzzles
Wallpaper
Music
Concept Art
Bonus Chapter- not needed. The game finishes conclusively and ties up all loose ends. Absolutely 0 need for the BC.
Built-in Strategy Guide- not needed as the game is quite easy. Would have been useful for some puzzles. Plus, if you do get stuck, the hint is really helpful.
Collectibles- all of the royal family.
Achievements
Replay HOS/Puzzles
Wallpaper
Music
Concept Art
WHICH IS THE BETTER BUY?
Definitely the SE. There's absolutely nothing in the CE that warrants spending the extra cash. Plus, the story ends conclusively and leaves no questions unanswered, so there is not really any point to the CE at all.
Definitely the SE. There's absolutely nothing in the CE that warrants spending the extra cash. Plus, the story ends conclusively and leaves no questions unanswered, so there is not really any point to the CE at all.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable game. I loved playing it from beginning to end. It had a really wonderful story. This is one of Elephant's best in a while. I can't give it a five, but it earns a solid four star rating from me. I highly recommend it.
ON THE GAME LENGTH
The game length was standard. I don't time my gameplay, but I felt it was roughly 3 hours on Casual mode. This was with a few puzzles skipped. This is in my ideal game length
The game length was standard. I don't time my gameplay, but I felt it was roughly 3 hours on Casual mode. This was with a few puzzles skipped. This is in my ideal game length
I recommend this game!
Life imitates art with deadly results in this thrilling whodunit!
Overall rating
4
/
5
9 of 9 found this review helpful
A Great Murder Mystery With Some Serious Gameplay Flaws.
PostedApril 15, 2014
catbag8717
fromTasmania, Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED STANDARD EDITION GAME
Everyone knows I'm a sucker for murder mysteries, so as soon as I played the demo, I just had to have this one. While it's not a fantastic game, I did enjoy watching the story unfold.
The story was everything a murder mystery should be: saving lives, entering crime scenes, multiple suspects, heaps of twists and turns, etc. Blam did a great job of doing the basics of a murder mystery.
The content of the story was good too. It started with a bang (literally), and went up from there. It was full of us saving victims. What I especially liked about this was the way they were being killed. It was very clever and different from the norm. The demo ended with a spectacular twist, one that I wasn't expecting and one the game gave no indication of happening.
The story continued well from the cut off-point and followed the lines of a murder mystery well. Suspects were ruled out, new evidence was found, new people were saved, and we got closer and closer to the mystery...
The story itself ended well. Everything was conclusive and everything ended the way it should in terms of a murder mystery.
This storyline was almost perfect, save for two errors:
1) I picked out the murderer about halfway through the game. This was a real shame for me. The real key to an exciting story in this genre is to keep the reader/player guessing. Figuring out the murderer halfway through was a real bummer. It took away from the suspense of the game. A tip for next time would be to pick someone who is NOT so obvious. There were a few characters in there I didn't suspect once, so they would've been good choices.
2) Some things happened in the game that just weren't logical at all. For example, after you were arrested, the police officer just left you alone in the cell with no other cops around. This would NEVER happen in real life and made the story far less believable. RESEARCH is the key. If Blam had have done a little more research, this would've been left out.
The content of the story was good too. It started with a bang (literally), and went up from there. It was full of us saving victims. What I especially liked about this was the way they were being killed. It was very clever and different from the norm. The demo ended with a spectacular twist, one that I wasn't expecting and one the game gave no indication of happening.
The story continued well from the cut off-point and followed the lines of a murder mystery well. Suspects were ruled out, new evidence was found, new people were saved, and we got closer and closer to the mystery...
The story itself ended well. Everything was conclusive and everything ended the way it should in terms of a murder mystery.
This storyline was almost perfect, save for two errors:
1) I picked out the murderer about halfway through the game. This was a real shame for me. The real key to an exciting story in this genre is to keep the reader/player guessing. Figuring out the murderer halfway through was a real bummer. It took away from the suspense of the game. A tip for next time would be to pick someone who is NOT so obvious. There were a few characters in there I didn't suspect once, so they would've been good choices.
2) Some things happened in the game that just weren't logical at all. For example, after you were arrested, the police officer just left you alone in the cell with no other cops around. This would NEVER happen in real life and made the story far less believable. RESEARCH is the key. If Blam had have done a little more research, this would've been left out.
Overall, save for those two mistakes, a decent story with many exciting twists. I especially liked the ending.
One major flaw in this game is the gameplay. It was nothing new. There were no new features, fancy puzzles, fancy HOS, animal helpers, no nothing. This decreased the fun factor dramatically.
The HOS were good, but as I said, were nothing new. They were the standard junkpile HOS with a few extra-step objects. Nothing fancy.
The puzzles were also nice to attempt, but again, they were nothing new. I've seen them all before. Experienced players would have noted this. I thought the puzzles were a bit too hard for me, as I had to skip most of them.
Overall, I thought the ratio of HOS-Puzzles was good, but I have one complaint. My pet peeve in a HOPA is when developers pile on the HOS towards the end. Blam has done so here. In the closing stages of the game, there was a HOS every 1-2 scenes. I would just finish one, go to the scene with the next active task, complete it, and then another HOS would appear! Don't get me wrong, I love HOS, but that was just too many at once!
The HOS were good, but as I said, were nothing new. They were the standard junkpile HOS with a few extra-step objects. Nothing fancy.
The puzzles were also nice to attempt, but again, they were nothing new. I've seen them all before. Experienced players would have noted this. I thought the puzzles were a bit too hard for me, as I had to skip most of them.
Overall, I thought the ratio of HOS-Puzzles was good, but I have one complaint. My pet peeve in a HOPA is when developers pile on the HOS towards the end. Blam has done so here. In the closing stages of the game, there was a HOS every 1-2 scenes. I would just finish one, go to the scene with the next active task, complete it, and then another HOS would appear! Don't get me wrong, I love HOS, but that was just too many at once!
This is basically your average HOPA. Nothing fancy about it. I think where Blam could really improve on their next game is making their games more enjoyable. It's all well and good to have a great story, but great ganeplay would have made this game almost perfect. I'd definitely recommend this to beginners to start out. Advanced or Expert players may find this game tiring. It's just my opinion, but I think a game with just HOS, puzzles and adventure is starting to get out-dated. I think Blam need to do some serious work on their next game.
The graphics were good. They were clear and drawn with some good detail. The character designs were good. Blam did a great job with moving the lips in time.
The voice-overs were standard. I have no issue.
The voice-overs were standard. I have no issue.
FEATURES
3 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard. Differences are hint/skip charge times, sparkles, etc. I played Casual.
Hint/Skip- both recharged at a reasonable rate for the difficulty and the hint is helpful outside HOS.
Diary- keeps track of events. There is also something called “Russell's book”,which keeps all of the book pages found.
Map- Interactive and helpful. Lets you know where you have tasks to complete, but not necessarily your next task. There is an option to turn off the interactive map in the main menu.
3 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard. Differences are hint/skip charge times, sparkles, etc. I played Casual.
Hint/Skip- both recharged at a reasonable rate for the difficulty and the hint is helpful outside HOS.
Diary- keeps track of events. There is also something called “Russell's book”,which keeps all of the book pages found.
Map- Interactive and helpful. Lets you know where you have tasks to complete, but not necessarily your next task. There is an option to turn off the interactive map in the main menu.
WHAT DO I MISS OUT ON IF I BUY THE SE?
Bonus Chapter- not needed. Game ends conclusively.
Built-in Strategy Guide. Would be useful for puzzles.
Wallpapers
Music
Concept Art
Achievements
Microscope
Re-watch cutscenes
Replay HOS & Puzzles
Bonus Chapter- not needed. Game ends conclusively.
Built-in Strategy Guide. Would be useful for puzzles.
Wallpapers
Music
Concept Art
Achievements
Microscope
Re-watch cutscenes
Replay HOS & Puzzles
WHICH IS THE BETTER BUY?
Definitely the SE. The CE was not worth it. There were no appealing extras and the game ended conclusively, so why bother spending the price of 2 SE games on the CE?
Definitely the SE. The CE was not worth it. There were no appealing extras and the game ended conclusively, so why bother spending the price of 2 SE games on the CE?
Overall, this was a nice game. It was good, but it was definitely far from amazing. Players will love this game for its story as I did. The gameplay is a major flaw and seriously needs to be worked on for future games from this developer, otherwise they will lose some gamers.
I recommend this game!
You've returned from school to visit your father at his famous Jazz Pepper Club during Mardi Gras, but everyone is hypnotized. Have they heard the wrong note?
Overall rating
4
/
5
14 of 22 found this review helpful
Really Good Game! But Some of that Shine is Missing...
PostedApril 13, 2014
catbag8717
fromTasmania, Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
I've been waiting for this one for a while, and I've got to say... IT'S GREAT! Great gameplay, REALLY great story... who can resist? I think I see this game's SE with my name on it!
The story was really, really exciting! It did take quite a while to get in to, but it was really good! A revived sprit returns with a vengeance, and he's after your dad! This is a great mix of murder mystery and fantasy, a game that I'm sure to enjoy.
As I said, the story does take quite a while to get in to. There's the opening scene, about half an hour of nothing exciting, and then a great ending. It's good to see Mad Head is working on their stories a bit. I don't like stories that are all action, but I don't like ones that take a long time to get in to the action either. Perhaps if it was gotten in to a bit sooner, the story would have been perfect. In my opinion, there was one cutscene that didn't need to be there. It dragged out the story a bit and was actually quite annoying. The cutscene I'm referring to is the picture cutscene that had the main character narrating a scene where there was singing and music. This was not necessary to the story in my opinion and seemed to be there just to increase length.
This is the only downside to an otherwise great story. It was really exciting and was full of wonderful twists and turns. I absolutely loved the story of the demo and I can't WAIT to see how it ends!
As I said, the story does take quite a while to get in to. There's the opening scene, about half an hour of nothing exciting, and then a great ending. It's good to see Mad Head is working on their stories a bit. I don't like stories that are all action, but I don't like ones that take a long time to get in to the action either. Perhaps if it was gotten in to a bit sooner, the story would have been perfect. In my opinion, there was one cutscene that didn't need to be there. It dragged out the story a bit and was actually quite annoying. The cutscene I'm referring to is the picture cutscene that had the main character narrating a scene where there was singing and music. This was not necessary to the story in my opinion and seemed to be there just to increase length.
This is the only downside to an otherwise great story. It was really exciting and was full of wonderful twists and turns. I absolutely loved the story of the demo and I can't WAIT to see how it ends!
The gameplay... oh my gosh, the gameplay! I've been crying out for new, fun things and this game did just that! NEW HOS! NEW Minigames! NEW gameplay! New everything! This developer really knows how to go above and beyond in the world of HOPA games!
I'll start with the basics. The HOS: They were absolutely WONDERFUL! They were brand new and really fun to play! There were two HOS and two different types of HOS in the demo. In the first one, there was a little sidebar. You only had to find one object at a time. Sometimes it was only finding an object, sometimes it was adding part of an object to another one.
The second scene involved finding matching pairs. This was also fun, but I preferred the first type. In both HOS, there were dots above the HOS item bar which told you how many objects you had left to find. This was a great addition.
The puzzles were good too. Although not new, they were still very enjoyable. I found each puzzle to be rather easy. I could solve them all. They had very clear instructions, so I knew what to straight away.
The second scene involved finding matching pairs. This was also fun, but I preferred the first type. In both HOS, there were dots above the HOS item bar which told you how many objects you had left to find. This was a great addition.
The puzzles were good too. Although not new, they were still very enjoyable. I found each puzzle to be rather easy. I could solve them all. They had very clear instructions, so I knew what to straight away.
And of course, with a Mad Head game, we see the return of the minishows. These are a puzzle, a HOS and a story rolled in to one. There was 1 minishow in the demo and it was awesome. It involved finding objects in a scene and placing them somewhere to learn the next part of a story. This has been a great story addition in previous games and I know it will be here.
This game also has + objects, which are items that need to be interacted with to complete. This is a nice feature, but is beginning to lose its shine, since it seems to be appearing in every game these days. I still enjoyed every time I had one in my inventory.
One final feature of this game was the timer. This lets you know how long you've been playing the game and is excellent for those who like to time their gameplay.
One final feature of this game was the timer. This lets you know how long you've been playing the game and is excellent for those who like to time their gameplay.
Other than that, this is your normal HOPA. Mad Head have done a great job with the gameplay as usual, but this game is not as fresh and new as other ones. There's no animal helper and no overly new features, just new HOS and Puzzles. Maybe a couple of extra features would've been nice.
The graphics are great as usual. They are drawn in great detail, with every scene being exceptionally clear. The character designs were also good.
My main problem (and my only problem) with this game is with the voice-overs and music. Multiple characters' voices in the game were very annoying. My least favourite of all was the main character. I found her voice to be breathy and she had a terrible accent. Another bad one for me was the voice of the woman who asked for the protection amulet. There was definitely some foreign accent in there, but the voice itself was really annoying. The third and final issue I have is with the voice of the taxi driver. It was really low and irritating.
My issue with the music is a big one. I disliked the music in the game. The saxophone at the beginning was awful and hurt my ears. The music in general in the game was annoying and off-putting, so I had to switch it off. I've only had to do this a couple of times with games, and when I do, it's because I can't stand it anymore. Developers should realise that, sometimes, games can be ruined by poor voice-overs and music. Luckily for the developer and myself, this was not the case, because of the story and gameplay.
My issue with the music is a big one. I disliked the music in the game. The saxophone at the beginning was awful and hurt my ears. The music in general in the game was annoying and off-putting, so I had to switch it off. I've only had to do this a couple of times with games, and when I do, it's because I can't stand it anymore. Developers should realise that, sometimes, games can be ruined by poor voice-overs and music. Luckily for the developer and myself, this was not the case, because of the story and gameplay.
FEATURES
4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom. Differences are hint/skip times, sparkles, etc. Custom lets you set the game your way. I played Custom and set the hint to 30 seconds, skip to 45, and left everything ticked.
Hint/Skip- the hint is helpful outside HOS.
Diary- keeps track of events. No notes, just pictures. The notes in the diary are a good addition to the game and that was missing here.
Map- the map is slightly different than usual and does take getting used to, but once you're used to it, it's a good help. The map is interactive and lets you know where a task is.
+ objects- These are objects that you have to interact with to complete. A nice addition to the game.
Minishows- this is a story, puzzle and HOS all rolled in to one. There was only one in the demo, and judging by previous games, this will be rare. This is an awesome feature.
Timer- lets you know how long you've been playing the game.
4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom. Differences are hint/skip times, sparkles, etc. Custom lets you set the game your way. I played Custom and set the hint to 30 seconds, skip to 45, and left everything ticked.
Hint/Skip- the hint is helpful outside HOS.
Diary- keeps track of events. No notes, just pictures. The notes in the diary are a good addition to the game and that was missing here.
Map- the map is slightly different than usual and does take getting used to, but once you're used to it, it's a good help. The map is interactive and lets you know where a task is.
+ objects- These are objects that you have to interact with to complete. A nice addition to the game.
Minishows- this is a story, puzzle and HOS all rolled in to one. There was only one in the demo, and judging by previous games, this will be rare. This is an awesome feature.
Timer- lets you know how long you've been playing the game.
CE EXCLUSIVES
Achievements
Built-in Strategy Guide- good for puzzles.
Bonus Chapter- won't be needed
Collectible notes (41)- There is one in every scene.
Collectible morphing objects- one in every HOS.
Instrument workshop- can be unlocked after finding a certain HOS.
Connections- Bonus Chapter only
Replay HOS & Puzzles
Wallpapers
Concept Art
Music
Achievements
Built-in Strategy Guide- good for puzzles.
Bonus Chapter- won't be needed
Collectible notes (41)- There is one in every scene.
Collectible morphing objects- one in every HOS.
Instrument workshop- can be unlocked after finding a certain HOS.
Connections- Bonus Chapter only
Replay HOS & Puzzles
Wallpapers
Concept Art
Music
So, overall, this was a great game. It had new gameplay that I'd been dying for. However, I think Mad Head have taken a step back with new features and CE Extras. There weren't nearly as many CE Extras in the game as there were in others, and there weren't any new puzzles or fancy new features this time around either. I think I'll give this four and a half stars since it's not as good as other games. This still is a really great game, but some of the Mad Head Magic was missing on this one. The developers weren't as “out there” as they were in previous games. I'm getting the SE this time because I don't think the CE is worth it.
I recommend this game!
You're on a train in the middle of nowhere, and a band of dangerous thieves demand you tell them where to find the Hope Diamond's shards. As the newest Hidden Expedition recruit, you've got to find the shards before they do...X
Overall rating
4
/
5
7 of 8 found this review helpful
Eipix Shines Yet Again!
PostedApril 12, 2014
catbag8717
fromTasmania, Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED STANDARD EDITION GAME
This installment from Eipix is what I like to call a “middle game”. It's not their best, but it's definitely not their worst either. I enjoyed this game quite a lot, but a few flaws in the story cut back on the fun for me.
The story starts off about ¾ of the way through the story (if that doesn't make sense, bear with me). The story starts off with a really exciting cutscene involving an escape from a moving train that looks like it belongs in an action movie rather than a HOPA. Then, we're transported back in time three weeks earlier to be told about the events that lead up to it.
To be honest, after the opening cutscene, the story leads on really well and gets really exciting towards the end of the demo. The demo ends on a great note, so I bought the SE to continue.
To be honest, after the opening cutscene, the story leads on really well and gets really exciting towards the end of the demo. The demo ends on a great note, so I bought the SE to continue.
The story continued to be good after that and reached its highest point in the game. As the story continued, I got really in to the investigation. It took a really great twist and I was really excited for more. It showed that every character in the game had importance, no matter how short their appearance. I really was not expecting that twist!
Then, sadly, the story went downhill. Because of that opening cutscene, I got to a point in the game where I knew what was going to happen next. This took away all the suspense and the excitement and I found that I was dragging myself through that portion of the story. Truly, I believe it was a bad decision to put something that happens later in the story as the opening cutscene, because when you get to the events right before said cutscene, all the suspense is gone. You know what's happening next. A very bad decision.
The story then picked up again. I discovered the true reason why the baddies were doing what they were doing. This shocked me. I thought this was a really great addition to the story. Well done to the developers for making me understand the villain!
And so, I thought I was in for a ripper finish, but oh, I was disappointed! The ending was AWFUL! Seriously. It finished conclusively, don't worry about that, but it was a really poor, flat finish. Such a disastrous end to a good story. What a shame.
Then, sadly, the story went downhill. Because of that opening cutscene, I got to a point in the game where I knew what was going to happen next. This took away all the suspense and the excitement and I found that I was dragging myself through that portion of the story. Truly, I believe it was a bad decision to put something that happens later in the story as the opening cutscene, because when you get to the events right before said cutscene, all the suspense is gone. You know what's happening next. A very bad decision.
The story then picked up again. I discovered the true reason why the baddies were doing what they were doing. This shocked me. I thought this was a really great addition to the story. Well done to the developers for making me understand the villain!
And so, I thought I was in for a ripper finish, but oh, I was disappointed! The ending was AWFUL! Seriously. It finished conclusively, don't worry about that, but it was a really poor, flat finish. Such a disastrous end to a good story. What a shame.
The gameplay was good. Eipix made a bit of an effort with their gameplay this time. There are + objects, longer HOS and some good puzzles too! There's no new features or anything, but the old ones have been tweaked to become more enjoyable.
The HOS were very good. They were the standard junkpile with a few extra-step objects, but they were so much longer than the norm! There were heaps of items to find, each broken up in to separate parts, so once you thought you were done with the HOS, you realised you had to find a lot more! This was a great touch on the old feature by Eipix. I think more developers should take note of this and include it in their games.
Eipix also have mini-HOS in this game. These are HOS with only 5 or 6 items to find. There were a few of these in the game, and they were really easy (I could solve them in a matter of seconds), but I still really liked them. Overall, a great job on HOS from the developer.
The puzzles were good too, but a little bit on the hard side. I had to skip a lot of them, which probably shortened my game time a little. That being said, I did enjoy attempting them. There were a few I could solve, but it would've been nice if the developers had've accounted for those who aren't very good at puzzles.
The HOS were very good. They were the standard junkpile with a few extra-step objects, but they were so much longer than the norm! There were heaps of items to find, each broken up in to separate parts, so once you thought you were done with the HOS, you realised you had to find a lot more! This was a great touch on the old feature by Eipix. I think more developers should take note of this and include it in their games.
Eipix also have mini-HOS in this game. These are HOS with only 5 or 6 items to find. There were a few of these in the game, and they were really easy (I could solve them in a matter of seconds), but I still really liked them. Overall, a great job on HOS from the developer.
The puzzles were good too, but a little bit on the hard side. I had to skip a lot of them, which probably shortened my game time a little. That being said, I did enjoy attempting them. There were a few I could solve, but it would've been nice if the developers had've accounted for those who aren't very good at puzzles.
This game also included + objects. These are objects you have to interact with to complete. There were quite a few in the game. This is a great feature and makes the game more enjoyable, but it's starting to lose its shine a little as it seems to be becoming a standard feature now.
Other than that, this is pretty much your normal HOPA. No animal helpers or other fancy features, but the developers did a great job in enhancing the old ones.
Other than that, this is pretty much your normal HOPA. No animal helpers or other fancy features, but the developers did a great job in enhancing the old ones.
The graphics are good as always. They are drawn with excellent detail and are wonderful to look at. Every scene is clear. The thing I liked best about this game were the character designs. They were so good, so detailed that they almost looked real! Wonderful job by the developers on this one!
The voice-overs are standard I have no issue with them.
The voice-overs are standard I have no issue with them.
FEATURES
4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom. Differences are hint/skip charge, sparkles, etc. Custom lets you set the game the way you want. I played Casual.
Hint/Skip- both recharged a little fast for the difficulty and the hint is helpful outside HOS. I would've liked it if the hint was a little slower (the only time you'll ever hear me say THAT) so it would've given me a chance to think more in the game. I think sometimes I used the hint because it was there.
Diary- comes in the form of a H.E.L.P box. Keeps track of events. Also used for viewing the info on the collectible cards.
Collectible Smithsonian Cards- gives information about the history of the Smithsonian Institute, the Hope Diamond and other stuff.
Map- the map is very helpful. It is interactive and lets you know where your next task is.
+ objects- These are objects that you have to interact with to complete. There were quite a few in the game.
4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom. Differences are hint/skip charge, sparkles, etc. Custom lets you set the game the way you want. I played Casual.
Hint/Skip- both recharged a little fast for the difficulty and the hint is helpful outside HOS. I would've liked it if the hint was a little slower (the only time you'll ever hear me say THAT) so it would've given me a chance to think more in the game. I think sometimes I used the hint because it was there.
Diary- comes in the form of a H.E.L.P box. Keeps track of events. Also used for viewing the info on the collectible cards.
Collectible Smithsonian Cards- gives information about the history of the Smithsonian Institute, the Hope Diamond and other stuff.
Map- the map is very helpful. It is interactive and lets you know where your next task is.
+ objects- These are objects that you have to interact with to complete. There were quite a few in the game.
WHAT DO I MISS OUT ON IF I GET THE SE?
Bonus Chapter- NOT needed
Built-in Strategy Guide- handy for puzzles
Achievements
Morphing Objects
Collectible Smithsonian symbols
Replay HOS & Puzzles
Music
Concept Art
Wallpapers
Souvenir Room
Bonus Chapter- NOT needed
Built-in Strategy Guide- handy for puzzles
Achievements
Morphing Objects
Collectible Smithsonian symbols
Replay HOS & Puzzles
Music
Concept Art
Wallpapers
Souvenir Room
WHICH IS THE BETTER BUY?
The SE. Easily. There's nothing in the CE that made me even think twice about getting it. The story ends conclusively, so there's no need for the Bonus Chapter, and even if there was, I wouldn't buy it. I don't reward developers for sloppy work.
The SE. Easily. There's nothing in the CE that made me even think twice about getting it. The story ends conclusively, so there's no need for the Bonus Chapter, and even if there was, I wouldn't buy it. I don't reward developers for sloppy work.
So, overall, this was a quite enjoyable game. The demo got five stars from me, but after completing the game, I'm bumping my rating down to a four. Had the story been done a little better, we might be seeing a five. Even still, this is a great game, and I highly recommend it.
I recommend this game!
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
3
/
5
12 of 16 found this review helpful
Great Game, AWFUL Bonus Content!
PostedApril 11, 2014
catbag8717
fromTasmania, Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
Surface is probably one of my all time favourite game series. I own three of the four released, and the last one was pretty good, so I naturally had high expectations for this one, and I have to say... WOW! The story was great, but the CE Extras were downright awful. I will be waiting for the SE and highly advise you to do the same.
The story... really good, pretty new, all round exciting! It starts off with a bang... normal people watching a normal movie. Then it goes off script and the actor steps off the screen and kidnaps your niece! So you must fix the projector, fire it up and go in to the world of “Cinecity”.
The story was exciting and had a few good twists. For one, everything you interacted with from the movie (be it characters, animals or plants), vanished once you'd interacted with it! That was just creepy.
Other than that, no twists and everything went along as expected.
One thing I'm really looking forward to is the story of the villain. The story is starting to be told, and it's really interesting. It's like a murder mystery and a sci-fi story... all rolled in to one! The demo ended on a somewhat low note, but I'm still keen to see how this one pans out.
The story was exciting and had a few good twists. For one, everything you interacted with from the movie (be it characters, animals or plants), vanished once you'd interacted with it! That was just creepy.
Other than that, no twists and everything went along as expected.
One thing I'm really looking forward to is the story of the villain. The story is starting to be told, and it's really interesting. It's like a murder mystery and a sci-fi story... all rolled in to one! The demo ended on a somewhat low note, but I'm still keen to see how this one pans out.
It seems Elephant have taken my advice on the last game. They've really worked on their gameplay. This is one step upwards from their previous games; they're really trying something different from the norm. The inventory-HOS (which I love) have made their return, and Elephant has introduced something new for their games; complex objects. Complex objects are not new anymore (they seem to be appearing in every game these days), but it was a great step forward for Elephant. It goes to show that developers do listen to the reviews. There were quite a few complex objects in the game, with some needing one step to complete and some needing two.
Going back to the basics, I did quite enjoy the HOS. They needed inventory items to complete, which made them a lot more enjoyable and slightly more challenging. There was only one type of HOS, which was this one. There were a few HOS in the demo (about three), which indicates to me that the HOS will be evenly spread out.
The puzzles were a mix of easy and hard as usual. Some I could solve in a couple of clicks and others required the use of the skip button. This proves to me that Elephant are catering for all puzzlers, no matter what their experience. Great job.
Apart from the addition of the complex objects, this is your average HOPA. No animal helpers, no new gameplay, just average HOPA. Even so, I did find the game to be quite challenging. I had to use the hint a lot, mostly because the map was almost useless. Because of this, I would not recommend this game to beginners.
Going back to the basics, I did quite enjoy the HOS. They needed inventory items to complete, which made them a lot more enjoyable and slightly more challenging. There was only one type of HOS, which was this one. There were a few HOS in the demo (about three), which indicates to me that the HOS will be evenly spread out.
The puzzles were a mix of easy and hard as usual. Some I could solve in a couple of clicks and others required the use of the skip button. This proves to me that Elephant are catering for all puzzlers, no matter what their experience. Great job.
Apart from the addition of the complex objects, this is your average HOPA. No animal helpers, no new gameplay, just average HOPA. Even so, I did find the game to be quite challenging. I had to use the hint a lot, mostly because the map was almost useless. Because of this, I would not recommend this game to beginners.
The graphics are good as usual. There is a lot of detail there and the character designs are good. Every scene is clear. The artists really are talented. These graphics are really good, and almost look like they're real.
The voice-overs are standard I have no issue.
The voice-overs are standard I have no issue.
FEATURES
3 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced and Hard. I played Casual. Differences are sparkles, hint/skip charge times, etc.
Hint/Skip- both recharged at a reasonable speed for the difficulty. What disappointed me a little was that the hint changed from being a worded hint to just directing you like a normal hint. The worded hint made things a bit more challenging and that was taken away this time around.
Diary- keeps track of events.
Map- almost useless. It only tells you where there are active tasks, not where your next task is. This caused me to use a lot of hints.
Complex objects- these were objects that required an extra action or two to complete. Complex objects are indicated by a + sign. There were a few of these in the demo and I liked them.
3 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced and Hard. I played Casual. Differences are sparkles, hint/skip charge times, etc.
Hint/Skip- both recharged at a reasonable speed for the difficulty. What disappointed me a little was that the hint changed from being a worded hint to just directing you like a normal hint. The worded hint made things a bit more challenging and that was taken away this time around.
Diary- keeps track of events.
Map- almost useless. It only tells you where there are active tasks, not where your next task is. This caused me to use a lot of hints.
Complex objects- these were objects that required an extra action or two to complete. Complex objects are indicated by a + sign. There were a few of these in the demo and I liked them.
CE EXCLUSIVES
Built-in Strategy Guide- useful for puzzles.
Bonus Chapter- unsure if needed. Most likely not.
Collectible flowers- scattered everywhere throughout the game. Didn't care much for them.
Secret Room- has 3 bonus films in it that can only be bought by collecting flowers.
Achievements
Concept Art
Music
Wallpapers
Screensaver
Built-in Strategy Guide- useful for puzzles.
Bonus Chapter- unsure if needed. Most likely not.
Collectible flowers- scattered everywhere throughout the game. Didn't care much for them.
Secret Room- has 3 bonus films in it that can only be bought by collecting flowers.
Achievements
Concept Art
Music
Wallpapers
Screensaver
I'm very disappointed with the CE Extras. I did not like them one bit. Usually Elephant makes their CE's good, but this is not one. There's absolutely NOTHING in the bonus content that makes this game worth the extra money.
I did enjoy the game, but it's only good. It falls well short of being a great game. Most reviewers will rate this 5 stars, but it's ridiculous. This is nowhere near a 5 star game, especially compared to previous games in the Surface series.
THIS version of the game (the CE) gets three stars because of the bad bonus content. The SE game will get a four star rating from me. I recommend you play the trial.
THIS version of the game (the CE) gets three stars because of the bad bonus content. The SE game will get a four star rating from me. I recommend you play the trial.
I recommend this game!
Enter the enchanted realm of the Snow Kingdom!
Overall rating
4
/
5
11 of 13 found this review helpful
Brilliant Gameplay + Average Story= Hard Decision!
PostedApril 6, 2014
catbag8717
fromTasmania, Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
I really liked the first Dark Strokes by this developer, so naturally, my expectations were pretty high. I can say with 100% assurance that this is not as good as the first Dark Strokes, but I think this game did live up to my expectations! It's not all about the story, I think it's about the gameplay too.
The story is good, but not great. It certainly has a slow start. It takes almost to the end of the demo to get in to. I thought this story was nothing but fantasy junk, then I got in to it and it was okay. It's true what they say, this story is nothing like the first Dark Strokes, so it probably shouldn't be under the name, but it was a good game all the same.
The story coasted along as I expected, with only one major twist. The end of the demo left me on a cliffhanger, with one of the most exciting twists I've seen! I certainly didn't see that coming. It was a really nice twist to an otherwise lacking story.
This game also includes a little backstory of how the events in the game came to be. This is done through a little machine thing. This was a really nice, unique addition to the story.
What I didn't like about the story was the girl in the glass ball/snowglobe thing. She just kept popping up at random times and quickly became a pest. This was the worst part of the story. I don't think it was necessary. She popped up and told us things we already knew (like: “Look! We're on the airship!”). It was really annoying and dragged down the story a bit.
The story coasted along as I expected, with only one major twist. The end of the demo left me on a cliffhanger, with one of the most exciting twists I've seen! I certainly didn't see that coming. It was a really nice twist to an otherwise lacking story.
This game also includes a little backstory of how the events in the game came to be. This is done through a little machine thing. This was a really nice, unique addition to the story.
What I didn't like about the story was the girl in the glass ball/snowglobe thing. She just kept popping up at random times and quickly became a pest. This was the worst part of the story. I don't think it was necessary. She popped up and told us things we already knew (like: “Look! We're on the airship!”). It was really annoying and dragged down the story a bit.
The gameplay... Oh my God, the gameplay! I have been crying out for new, fun stuff and this game has DELIVERED! The HOS were different, the puzzles were different, the gameplay was different, and it was a blast!
The HOS were good. There were two types: there was the standard junkpile and a junkpile with a little alteration. The first HOS was the altered junkpile. You had to find certain items to make up one larger item. This was really fun and I enjoyed it. The second was a standard junkpile with a few extra step objects. The good thing about this was that some of the extra step objects needed more than one extra step to complete. Overall, both types of HOS were enjoyable.
The puzzles were brilliant too. They were so fun and unique. I loved every one of them (and I could solve them too!). The first one was my favourite. You set up a saddle to ride the horse in to town and then you clicked the arrow to go there. Most developers would have made it just one long cutscene, but this one turned it in to a puzzle! You have 4 tries to get the horse in to town without hitting an obstacle. If you hit an obstacle, you lose a life. You have to switch paths to avoid the obstacles. This puzzle in particular was extremely fun and unique. It was a really good addition to the game. I hope to see puzzles like this in future games!
The other two puzzles I came across were good too. They were very fun. They even had a difficulty setting, which was awesome, and a great addition to the gameplay.
The HOS were good. There were two types: there was the standard junkpile and a junkpile with a little alteration. The first HOS was the altered junkpile. You had to find certain items to make up one larger item. This was really fun and I enjoyed it. The second was a standard junkpile with a few extra step objects. The good thing about this was that some of the extra step objects needed more than one extra step to complete. Overall, both types of HOS were enjoyable.
The puzzles were brilliant too. They were so fun and unique. I loved every one of them (and I could solve them too!). The first one was my favourite. You set up a saddle to ride the horse in to town and then you clicked the arrow to go there. Most developers would have made it just one long cutscene, but this one turned it in to a puzzle! You have 4 tries to get the horse in to town without hitting an obstacle. If you hit an obstacle, you lose a life. You have to switch paths to avoid the obstacles. This puzzle in particular was extremely fun and unique. It was a really good addition to the game. I hope to see puzzles like this in future games!
The other two puzzles I came across were good too. They were very fun. They even had a difficulty setting, which was awesome, and a great addition to the gameplay.
This game is packed with new, awesome features. I'm so glad at least one developers has listened to my pleas. To start with, this game has + objects. These are inventory items that you need to interact with to complete. This is not necessarily new, but is not used in many games, so was a great addition.
We also have an animal helper in the form of a lynx, which you get to name. I must be going soft, because I love him/her! I named my lynx Fabian. The Lynx is a great help. It gets things in places you can't reach while staying within the laws of physics (ie: climbing tress, jumping on tables, etc.). Again, this is not necessarily new, but isn't used often, so it's a great feature.
One more new feature that is actually relatively new is the potion. You have a set of potions (they are unlocked throughout the game, and I'm guessing it's a set due to the extra space) that can be used for different purposes. There is only one potion unlocked during the demo (towards the end). This is levitation. It is used a few times and is really awesome.
And, of course, we have the little machine thing that can read the past of someone. This can be achieved by collecting various story slides. This is a great addition to the game.
We also have an animal helper in the form of a lynx, which you get to name. I must be going soft, because I love him/her! I named my lynx Fabian. The Lynx is a great help. It gets things in places you can't reach while staying within the laws of physics (ie: climbing tress, jumping on tables, etc.). Again, this is not necessarily new, but isn't used often, so it's a great feature.
One more new feature that is actually relatively new is the potion. You have a set of potions (they are unlocked throughout the game, and I'm guessing it's a set due to the extra space) that can be used for different purposes. There is only one potion unlocked during the demo (towards the end). This is levitation. It is used a few times and is really awesome.
And, of course, we have the little machine thing that can read the past of someone. This can be achieved by collecting various story slides. This is a great addition to the game.
This is nothing like your standard HOPA. This is a really good change from the norm, and experienced players like me will love the new gameplay. I wouldn't recommend this to beginners though, because of all the extra stuff. Overall, this has really good gameplay. If I had to make one criticism, it would be that there aren't enough HOS. I only came across two in the demo.
The graphics are pretty good. They are drawn with a good amount of detail. All scenes, character desings and everything else was clear.
The voice-overs are standard. I have no issue.
The voice-overs are standard. I have no issue.
FEATURES
2 modes of difficulty: Casual and Advanced, Differences are sparkles, misclick penalty, hint charge times, etc. I played Casual.
Hint/Skip- both recharged at a reasonable rate for the difficulty I chose. Hint is useful outside HOS.
Diary- keeps track of events.
Map- interactive and helpful.
Animal Helper- a lynx which you get to name. Used quite often. Used to reach things in high or small places.
Potions- Only one is unlocked through the demo. This is levitation, which is used often.
+ objects- inventory items that you need to interact with to complete. There are quite a few of them.
Machine- this is for seeing in to people's pasts, which can be accessed by collecting story slides and placing them in to the machine. This is a backstory to the main game.
2 modes of difficulty: Casual and Advanced, Differences are sparkles, misclick penalty, hint charge times, etc. I played Casual.
Hint/Skip- both recharged at a reasonable rate for the difficulty I chose. Hint is useful outside HOS.
Diary- keeps track of events.
Map- interactive and helpful.
Animal Helper- a lynx which you get to name. Used quite often. Used to reach things in high or small places.
Potions- Only one is unlocked through the demo. This is levitation, which is used often.
+ objects- inventory items that you need to interact with to complete. There are quite a few of them.
Machine- this is for seeing in to people's pasts, which can be accessed by collecting story slides and placing them in to the machine. This is a backstory to the main game.
CE EXCLUSIVES
Achievements
Collectible Snowflakes (35)- used to unlock “trivia” section in bonus content.
Collectible magic objects (10)
Collectible magic scrolls
Bonus Chapter
Strategy Guide- picture only
Concept Art
Wallpaper
Replay HOS & Puzzles
Music
Re-watch cutscenes
Something called “characters”. Unsure what this is.
Achievements
Collectible Snowflakes (35)- used to unlock “trivia” section in bonus content.
Collectible magic objects (10)
Collectible magic scrolls
Bonus Chapter
Strategy Guide- picture only
Concept Art
Wallpaper
Replay HOS & Puzzles
Music
Re-watch cutscenes
Something called “characters”. Unsure what this is.
Overall, I'm undecided. This has absolutely AMAZING gameplay, but the story is average. I don't know what to do. Part of me is saying go for it, because of the awesome gameplay, but part of me is saying no, because of the average story. I think I might go for the SE. I would recommend the SE to you because I don't find the SE worth it.
This earns four stars from me.
This earns four stars from me.
I recommend this game!