alsteele28's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.2
- Helpful Votes:1,950
- Reviews Submitted:209
- First Review:August 5, 2012
- Most Recent Review:April 22, 2021
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Who am I is an immersive hidden object adventure of an epic scale! Take the role of an undercover agent investigating strange sci-fi incidents in the city.
Overall rating
2
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Who am I?
PostedJanuary 26, 2014
alsteele28
fromYorkshire England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Time Management, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Before I downloaded this game I thought it was going to be on the same ilk as perhaps the 'steve the sheriff' games, not for the storyline but because the graphics were as they and cartoonesque. I was wrong. Yes the graphics are similar but unlike the aforementioned game there is absolutely no humour to the gameplay. You were therefore left with a very 1 dimensional game, which could have delivered so much more.
The sound/music was nothing special and the mini-games were the same as seen in this type of genre, though in one of them you had to 'lose to win' which kind of goes against your natural instinct'. I did play nearly the full free hour and had they been a smattering of humour in the game then I may have considered purchasing the game, but as it was it was very one dimensional and unless you like games that fall short of their promise then I unfortunately cannot recommend this game.
In answer to the game title I am someone who is not going to be purchasing this game!
Welcome to the Any Wish Hotel, where guests don't check out – they simply vanish! You've been called in to investigate a perplexing disappearance. Can you solve the case before you become a permanent guest?
Overall rating
2
/
5
3 of 6 found this review helpful
Checked out
PostedJanuary 24, 2014
alsteele28
fromYorkshire England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Arcade & Action, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
In the league of games this is probably league one with a definite chance of relegation!
This review is based on the demo version but like most games within that time you are usually able to get a full flavour of the mechanics of the game and the storyline, to give you enough information as to whether you are wanting to buy the game or not. This for me seemed to be too one dimensional, in that the game didn't seem to flow. There was a storyline there but for me it wasn't engaging or strong enough to warrant a purchase. The game was textual, with no VO, I know this was a SE but certainly with the SE games I am purchasing from different developers there is increasingly VO even in a SE game. For some reason for me the missing VO was even more noticeable than other SE that didn't have VO. I think this was because other elements such as storyline, graphics and music were also lacking so therefore there was nothing showcasing any merits of this game.
In its favour though all HO scenes (certainly the ones I played) had elements where you had to perform an action (use a compass to draw a circle, or paint spots on a ladybird/bug etc). But still this addition could not overcome the shortcomings of this game in my opinion.
This is one hotel that I have definitely checked out off and will not returning anytime soon.
Trip Advisor score 2/5.
I don't recommend this game.
I don't recommend this game.
The wolf spirit still haunts… will you heed its call?
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
Some guidance that the game missed out!
PostedJanuary 24, 2014
alsteele28
fromYorkshire England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Arcade & Action, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This as others in the series is a good strong game with good solid story and good VO, special effects and music.
There is though a few things that I feel let the game down slightly and that should have been made clear.
1) The usage of the 'amulet' this was not explained and it was only because I had played others in the series that I had some grasp that there was a 'special item' that is used and manipulated to perform actions.
2) The binoculars were never explained and had I not clicked on a random area I would have not even known of their existence. Again it was not really clear how these were used and in what circumstances until you needed to use them for the first time.
3) The third thing that I feel was not explained properly was the fact that you could do a 'marble shooter' type of game instead of the HO scenes, this I grant you was different than the usual Mahjong 'alternatives', but again this was not explained anywhere and it was only after about the seventh HO screen that out of the corner of my eye I saw this (yes I know top marks for observation).
I feel therefore that these are four major elements of the game that were not explained, which I felt should have been no matter what starting level you choose, as if you were new to the genre then you would have been left feeling very confused. As it is I had fortunately played others in the series so I was fairly au fait with these even though there were slightly different in the others.
One final thing I will say with regards to the the level choice is that even on the 'expert' level you were given 'sparkles' and the hint bar which for this level filled up rather quickly.
If you have played others in the series then yes I would highly recommend purchase of the game, if however you have never played others in the series then I would recommend you demo the game first and try to get to grips with all the different elements to the game, hopefully the above would help, then make a decision.
Something wicked has taken over Fate’s Carnival!
Overall rating
3
/
5
8 of 9 found this review helpful
Finally it is all over!
PostedJanuary 17, 2014
alsteele28
fromYorkshire England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Arcade & Action, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Review based on completed game.
After playing this game for what seemed like an eternity, I have to say that I felt that the game was way too long and the ending was a huge disappointment.
The game started of good, and to that end I played the game on one of the harder settings as I thought this would give me a challenge, this was ok and worked well for the first few chapters, but when I got to about chapter 7 I was becoming ‘bored’ with the game and just wanted the game to finish, (but I wanted to complete the game), I therefor e changed the setting to the second easiest level and started ‘playing by hints’ in that I used the hint button to show me where to teleport to and then used that to complete that puzzle on that scene and carried this on. Even doing this the game still to around five hours to complete and this was already on top of the around 6 hours I had been playing.
At the beginning the puzzles were innovative and in-depth, but they were repeated all the way through the game so quickly became slightly repetitive and frustrating, I admit I used the ‘puzzle’ button’ on each of the different puzzles. These puzzle boards were the main puzzles within the game, the HO scenes had some normal and some ‘puzzles within a puzzle’ sections, so this made it slightly interesting, Elephant though are known for doing this and so if you have played other Elephant games then you will be familiar with these types of HO scenes.
The version I am reviewing is the SE version and this included good VO and the music and sound-bites were good and in keeping with the overall mood of the game.
The controls were responsive and the graphics were good and very appropriate for the game and the feel and mood the developers were trying to recreate for the game, that of a slightly eerie, rundown carnival atmosphere.
Overall I felt the game went on way to long and that it could have been trimmed down by at least 3 or so chapters. I think the developers were possibly eking out all the good ideas and overtime whilst the storyline was good and interactive I felt that as it went on it was becoming a bit tedious, and I wanted to finish as I had paid and have enjoyed others in the series.
The biggest disappointment for me though was the ending (or lack of), I know I purchased the SE and they are not known for having the most ‘glorious’ of endings but I thought that given that this was around 10(ish) hours of game-play that the ending would be slightly better than the veiled promise (threat), take your pick of another sequel. This to me was the biggest let-down and after ploughing through the marathon of the game was the biggest letdown. Other games by this developer, do usually have a better and more conclusive ending, even on a SE, but this wasn’t and I felt really let-down.
Overall I am in two minds as to whether I can recommend this or not, I mean yes it is part of the MCF series and based on that alone some will purchase, but for me the game was too long, and the puzzles whilst slightly different, were still repetitive and based on the same style of set-up, and on top of all that the ending on the SE version was a major let-down. Given that the game is so long, I don’t think even downloading the demo would actually give you a full flavour of the game. If you have a spare credit, or BPT (Bonus Punch Ticket), then yes a freebie it may be worth it, but if you were paying then based on my experience I don’t think I would purchase.
This is a good example of how the length of a game does not always lead to longevity and sometimes the game developers maybe need to reconsider ‘portion control’, and go by the mantra that you can have too much of a good thing.
Can you defeat the Four Horsemen and save the city?
Overall rating
2
/
5
9 of 12 found this review helpful
One book I won't be keeping.
PostedDecember 31, 2013
Seeing that at the start of the game this was by one of my favourite developers (trunk and tusks), then I thought that this would be a good indicator that I was in for a treat. How wrong I was, I know others have said that the game was this or that, but personally I couldn't get 'into the game' I tried the demo for around 20 minutes, given the fact that it was a runner-up of the 2013 BF awards, I thought I would at least try it, but no couldn't get into the game at all.
I tried the SE edition and yes there was VO, and the graphics were on par with others from this developer, but it was the story that didn't grab me at all, and like all games from this developer, the stories are strong and are what really drive the game, thus if you can't get into the story then there is no point in 'reading'. No I am glad that BF allows us to 'borrow a book before buying' as this was one story that I couldn't read to the end.
I don't recommend this game.
Discover the secrets of your family's past on a mystical island!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
The not quite a sequel sequel!
PostedDecember 31, 2013
alsteele28
fromYorkshire England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Arcade & Action, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is similar to the previous ‘Phenomenon’ game in that you have been disposed from your home surroundings for in suspicious circumstances but now 20 years later you are back to the ‘scene of the crime’. The game whilst not a full on sequel to the last, given that the main protagonist is now male and this time it is not ‘plasma’ but a meteorite that is at the central cause of your ‘special abilities’.
The game though follows the first in that in the puzzles you have to find pieces of the amulet this then allows access to other areas. The other puzzles follow the same vain and you have to find items that then need to be fixed or placed into other objects that then give you other objects, thus the game continues.
The game though follows the first in that in the puzzles you have to find pieces of the amulet this then allows access to other areas. The other puzzles follow the same vain and you have to find items that then need to be fixed or placed into other objects that then give you other objects, thus the game continues.
The HO areas are the usual junk-piles although to add a bit of variety there is some interaction in that you may have to ‘paint a picture’ or ‘add numbers’ etc. in order to cross off one on the list.
Like the first game this also included VO and lip-syncs was good considering this was a SE game. The story was ok given that I find it slightly odd why the number ‘20’ featured in both games as the time the main character had been away and was now coming back to save not only themselves but also their parents, thus the storyline whilst good, certainly something from the norm with regards to this genre, it still seemed a little strange and slightly far-fetched. Saying that the little girl who drives the story along makes the storyline strong and tries to add slight elements of comedy into the script, but again in the time I played, this review is based on the demo, some of the dialogue was a tad strange, with regards to timeframe and how she (given the fact she only seemed around 10) knew about his past.
The controls were good but like the first in the series, the difficulty level was as such that even on the ‘hard’ setting you still had access to hints and skips, therefore like I suggested in my other ‘phenomenon’ review I would suggest this game is for first-timers, newbies to this genre or just someone who wants an ‘easy’ game.
This game is not going to ‘set the world alight’ with regards to game-play, innovation or storyline, but for what it is then it may be worth a free credit or as a purchase when there is a sale. It certainly worthy of a download, but for me as the game whilst storyline wise is different from the last one, there are too many elements that are the same when you consider that this is not really a sequel just kind of like a sequel that is not a sequel.
Participate in the construction of the iconic Empire State Building while learning tons of anecdotes.
Overall rating
4
/
5
12 of 20 found this review helpful
Where have all the horses gone?
PostedDecember 31, 2013
alsteele28
fromYorkshire England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Card & Board, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Time Management, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
This game is exactly like the others in the series, and like the last one in terms of updated graphics.
There is not really a lot more to say, the soundbytes are the same, the music is the same, and the way the information is relayed is the same. This though instead of about the Eiffel tower, or the titanic is about another iconic building that of the Empire State Building.
The title refers to the fact that the one overriding difference between this and the other games is that instead of horses we now have Henry Ford vehicles, though of course the effect is the same, though I think they move marginally faster that the 1hp of the horses, I do mean marginally though :)
I can't really say any more about the game, if you have played the others then you know exactly what to expect, if you haven't but want to learn a bit more about the construction of this iconic building, then I would recommend this game as not only do you get an history/geography lesson but you get a semi-decent game booted in for free.
It may not be a 'credit' purchaser game, but if you have a free credit or you buy it in one of the numerous sales that BF have, then I would definitely buy it if you have previously bought into the genre, or you want to learn about the Empire State Building. It is definitely on my list for the next time there is a sale.
I recommend this game!
20 years ago a terrible accident destroyed most of Cyan City. Now, Monica returns to uncover the secrets of her childhood!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Good game, abrupt ending.
PostedDecember 30, 2013
alsteele28
fromYorkshire England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Arcade & Action, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I had actually downloaded this game about a year ago but as these things sometimes happen I have not actually played until yesterday.
I wanted a game that I could just while away a few hours and complete on a cold Sunday afternoon, this seemed to fit the bill.
I wanted a game that I could just while away a few hours and complete on a cold Sunday afternoon, this seemed to fit the bill.
The game itself was an average game, it had VO even though it was a standard edition. The music and the graphics were good and in-keeping with the overall atmosphere of the game. Given the fact that the game is now well over a year old , the graphics and story-line have stood the test of time. The game is what I would describe as having a slight ‘industrial’ feel in that the actual story line was. The mini-games that were in the game were different, but two of them were duplicated, which was fine but again it gave the feeling of a slightly less than polished game, perhaps in the league of games this would be a ‘b’ list rather that an ‘a’ list. Don’t let that put you entirely off though as the game overall was good, and the story flowed, it was a bit confusing at some points as unusually the developers had decided that the dialogue spoken between other characters to have that subtitled, but now when the main protagonist was speaking, being someone who is hard of hearing, this meant that I did miss parts of the story, which therefore meant that I perhaps did not get a ‘full flavour’ of the whole story.
The game is billed as HO, but at the beginning of the game there is not that many HO scenes, the scenes that they are do sometimes suffer slightly with the objects being very much ‘hidden’. Towards the end of the game though it would seem that the developers had suddenly remembered it was a HO genre game and stuck a load in at the end.
I played the game on hard, but this still ‘allowed’ for the hints and skips, just being recharged slower, I think in the whole of the game I used the hint button 4 times and three of those were to find that final ‘elusive’ object in a HO scene. For me this is good as I usually have to ‘cheat’ a lot more than that in an HO game, this combined with the fact that I completed the game in around 3 ½ hours then I would say that this game is possibly billed more for the first timers or very causal HO players, or someone like me who just wanted a ‘quick’ game to complete in an afternoon.
One thing I didn’t quite ‘get’ was the abruptness of the ending, the game finished with dialogue about whether the mother is found and then it was ‘cut-dead’. As this was no CE edition of this game and I know that sometimes (mostimes) people who purchase a SE of the game are sometimes wondering the actual ending, this cannot be the case in this game as there wasn’t a CE version. I am therefore searched for a sequel to see if there was one, but whilst there is another ‘Phenomenon’ game from the same developers, the story is completely different. I am therefore left feeling slightly baffled as to the exact reason for the abrupt ending of the game.
Apart from that though, and I know from other games that I have played on BF that games don’t always have a natural and final conclusion, the actual game was good, and if you have a free credit, or there is a sale then I would highly recommend the game, as to actually paying for it then I may have second thoughts.
I recommend this game!
Stop a madman from taking over a city using a mind control device!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
For once the 'blurb' was correct.
PostedDecember 26, 2013
alsteele28
fromYorkshire England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Arcade & Action, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
For once the blurb was right. This game does evoke the feeling of the Marple/Poirot and Sherlock Holmes games. The story maybe a familiar one with regards to PI and needing to find a missing person.
This is a SE but even with this being the case, there are 'secrets' to be found and the VO and lip sync acting is very good considering that is was a one credit game. The music was good and the soundbytes were in keeping with the overall mood of the game. The graphics were good and again evoked the time period of a Victorian period. The 'purists' of the genre may argue that the 'secrets' should not be able to be sought so easily as clues of to their whereabouts were given, however, for me this was a good thing as many a time I have purchased a CE edition and got all but a handful of the 'morph objects' etc thus I did not unlock the 'final secret'. So for me to be given 'guidence' as to their whereabouts was a good thing and will allow me, when I have purchased the full game, to be able to fully explore the whole game.
There are only two levels casual and hard, and even on the hard you can skip the puzzles and have hints, so again this game maybe pitched more towards the first-timers or 'newbies' to the genre. However if you are just wanting a nice relaxing game with a good story and good graphics, VO etc then I would highly recommend this game.
I recommend this game!
Find Santa's missing reindeer to avoid a Yuletide cancellation!
Overall rating
2
/
5
9 of 12 found this review helpful
Crab-walking?
PostedDecember 26, 2013
alsteele28
fromYorkshire England
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Arcade & Action, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
I downloaded the demo, not really expecting that much as I realised that this was probably a 'rush release' given the season, however I didn't actually realise how 'rushed' this game felt. The Game developer have a long heritage thus should have been able to 'throw together' a better game than this. The premise of the game itself was usual 'clear the obstacles' type of game-play. The dialogue would have probably been fun, if I had continued to play beyond five minutes, but unfortunately that is all I could realistically spend on the game.
The music was ok, and for once with from this game developer (others that I have tried recently didn’t) the game controls were mapped with the systems settings of the computer are, I am left-handed thus have the buttons mapped for a left-hand person, and this was unusual for an Game developer game was reflected in the game. The graphics were good, and the 'snow' was falling, it did evoke a saccharine American Christmas, with the decorated trees and the jolly cartoonesque elves.
Now we come to one of the main reasons why I can't in all honesty recommend the game, the title really says it all, but let me explain a bit further.
The characters sort of do a side-ways shuffle walk in that instead of walking in a straight-line they don't, I mean how long have we had computer games and how long have this particular Game developer been in business to not be able to let the characters walk in a straight line, have they been on the egg-nog? Another reason for the negative is that you had to 'drive' a polar bear away, in the instructions it said to click on the bear several times to drive it away, I tried this but, it didn't go away it just kept roaming, after I had clicked several times it stood on its back-legs but then just kept getting closer to the crops, so I couldn't actually see what I was supposed to do to actually drive the polar bear away.
As another review stated with the advancement over the last few months of these kinds of game, this one sadly is not really 'cutting the mustard' for Christmas 2013, it may have been ok two or even three years ago, given the way they walk, but now casual gamers deservedly expect more.
I have not given a score for the 'storyline' as whilst the beginning was good, and it felt like it may have developed into a cute, Christmas sweet storyline, I don't think I have played the game long enough to warrant actually giving it a score. If I was to score on the little bit that I did view then I would give it around a 3.
Sorry no can do.
I don't recommend the game.
I don't recommend the game.
I don't recommend this game.