LavaReign's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.6
- Helpful Votes:321
- Reviews Submitted:97
- First Review:June 17, 2012
- Most Recent Review:May 12, 2015
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Help the Simmons Family in Family Vacation: California!
Overall rating
2
/
5
10 of 12 found this review helpful
For HO addicts only
PostedNovember 16, 2012
LavaReign
fromLawton, OK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Warning: This review is based on the first 20 minutes.
The scary games are growing on me but I jumped at the chance to try something different. However I also love adventure, and this game had none of that. It was straight HO after HO with a couple of puzzles in between.
Within the first 20 minutes I had already seen the same object twice, and cookie-cutter type objects scattered though out the game are one of my pet peeves. The scenes were realistic, find things to pack, etc, yet they were still borderline junk piles.
If you're an HO addict and don't care for the adventure, then I say give it a try.
I don't recommend this game.
Discover the Red Riding Hood Sisters and defeat the nefarious Wolf Queen!
Overall rating
5
/
5
11 of 11 found this review helpful
Excellent game
PostedNovember 15, 2012
LavaReign
fromLawton, OK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This one earned 5 stars for it's storyline and movie-style cutscenes alone. Beautiful graphics, much better than Rise of the Snow Queen, which I found to be excessive and gaudy.
Still with the fragmented HO scenes here, although the items were larger and easier to find, and the scenes weren't as cluttered as in the other games in this series. I actually looked forward to them.
The music was peaceful and calming, very relaxing.
The map shows you where things are but does not take you there. One random complaint, they really need a separate mouse cursor for "click for information" and "click to open an active area," because that got old quickly. A journal would have been nice but there's a task list and a helpful hint system to point you in the right direction.
I recommend this game!
Rescue the princess, defeat the villain and save your homeland!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
lovely TM game
PostedNovember 11, 2012
LavaReign
fromLawton, OK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is the first road-building game where I've been able to cue tasks, that's such a nice touch and adds a different type of strategy to the game.
Game play is smart, it's easy to tell by mousing over or clicking each task exactly how much of each resource you will need.
The graphics started out rather grainy, everything blended together especially the trees, but they seemed to improve as the game progressed.
Each "episode" lasted longer than TM games that I'm used to, so if you didn't get gold it was quite the task to replay. There were two episodes with non-stop enemy attacks that I gave up on, but the rest I played over and over until I perfected my strategy and achieved gold.
The characters were varied and comical, especially the robbers and the cyclops.
I recommend this game!
Discover the fate of your exiled kingdom, save your people, and end the ancient evil that started it all!
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
not as good as the goblins
PostedNovember 11, 2012
LavaReign
fromLawton, OK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I disliked The Moonfell Wood, loved The Goblin Kingdom, and unfortunately I'm not a fan of The Skyward Castle.
The graphics in all of the games are pretty good, and the owl and pocket dragon are adorable. But this game dragged on forever, the storyline is not at all linear so you will be running around a lot wondering what to do. The map, hint system and task list are excellent, which is good because I used them a LOT. I usually try to figure things out on my own before resorting to a hint but I got so tired of this game I used a hint every time I completed a task.
The one thing I loved about it was the HO scenes, they were fully interactive and fun, I wish the regular scenes were more like the HOs! Some of the puzzles were unique but the two that kept repeating; fill the grid, and make a pattern on the quilt, were the worst. I soon learned to wait and skip.
The Cpt Jack Sparrow character at the end didn't belong but was a welcome addition in my opinion, I love me some pirates!
This is a popular series and it's kid-friendly and familiar, but to me it lacked quality content.
I recommend this game!
After a terrible traffic accident, Amy Walters finds herself trapped in dark, mysterious world that seems to have a mind of its own!
Overall rating
2
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
definitely play the trial first
PostedNovember 10, 2012
LavaReign
fromLawton, OK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I gave this a try, I'm not a fan of things jumping out at me so that dissuaded me right away. I played some more to see if it was worthy of a daily deal but the HO scenes were what finally turned me away.
The music is nice, reminded me of Santana, and the storyline seemed interesting. The graphics weren't horrible but the HO scenes were grainy and there were so many of them! The interesting storyline came to a standstill because I was stuck doing one HO scene after another with very little in between.
I don't recommend this game.
Help gnomes to return the magic crystal and rebuild their underworld kingdom.
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Excellent TM game
PostedNovember 4, 2012
LavaReign
fromLawton, OK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I loved this game! The game play is similar to Roads of Rome. There are differences, in Gnome's Home you can wave the mouse over supplies to collect them, and there's not an actual road to build. Also, once you build a resource you will have to put a worker in the building, a slight change that took a minute to get used to. But once I did I found it fun and challenging to try to reach gold in every level.
The storyline doesn't matter, and I honestly don't remember it, but the characters were cute and the game play was remarkable, the developers put a lot of effort into making sure each level changed enough to make it challenging without being overwhelming.
If you're a fan of Roads of Rome, I highly recommend this game.
I recommend this game!
Escape from a town that is lost in time and space! Explore the mysterious city and solve its riddles to make it home!
Overall rating
5
/
5
14 of 16 found this review helpful
A smart, fun game
PostedOctober 31, 2012
LavaReign
fromLawton, OK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
At first glance the graphics seem a bit old-school, not the clear crispness or beautiful hand-painted quality that I love. But the game play itself was exceptional. This game took smart fun details to a level I haven't seen yet in a HO/adventure game.
HO scenes weren't the best, but I loved rooting around in drawers for objects, which is what a person realistically would do. Return trips did not magically replace found objects. The cursor lights up when information is available, a nice touch. The game progression was linear, rarely will you root around for no reason, and as you find new items and solve puzzles the villain shows up to thwart your plans.... changing the scene and even the sounds in the background.
I really enjoyed this game, I didn't feel the need to rush and finish because I was tired of it, it remained fun throughout. The puzzles were smart, you won't get handheld instruction but if you take some time you can figure them out with logic and reason. They weren't they type that were easy to solve even with a walkthrough, but still fun and satisfying when you do.
The music was beautiful and constantly changing. And the hint system will give you sparkles directing you where you need to go, and then highlighting the next task.
I highly recommend this game, it looks like the typical old-school HO-happy snooze fest, but contains a lot of hidden fun!
I recommend this game!
Save the three worlds contained inside of a magical book in Azada: In Libro! Stop a dark magician from conquering Azada!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
Azada: In Libro
PostedOctober 28, 2012
LavaReign
fromLawton, OK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The puzzles are simple and fun. The game play is logical, although toward the end of each "world" you will end up with an inventory of items and it becomes very sluggish trying to find where they go. The hint system is "there's nothing to do here" which is particularly frustrating in this case.
I tried the first Azada and I can see why people say this is not the same, but that's a good thing! Personally I'd rather play a HO/adventure game than timed puzzles.
There's no map but you don't need one, and a handy journal.
The graphics were crisp and clear and detailed, however I would have rather stayed in Prague, the last two worlds were unattractive and boring!
I don't regret buying the game on a discount, but it could have been more fun. The developers could have added in some helpful characters along the way, and a little humor is always nice.
I recommend this game!
Journey into the mythical Snowfall Kingdom and investigate the disappearance of children in Dark Parables: Rise of the Snow Queen!
Overall rating
3
/
5
slow start but good game
PostedOctober 27, 2012
LavaReign
fromLawton, OK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
At first I bitterly despised the fragmented HO scenes but they grew on me. I didn't notice a misclick penalty so I started clicking around on anything that seemed out of place.
The adventure and the puzzles were great, I liked watching locations develop as the story progressed. The puzzles were all similar but still fun.
The graphics were very detailed, but gaudy and overdone. And there's no humor or wit which I need in a great game.
The map is there, but it doesn't teleport you to locations and although it shows you "objectives" and "areas of interest," those aren't always helpful in showing you the next step.
The hint system is the always disappointing "there's nothing to do here," so if you're stuck, you'll be clicking a lot.
The game seemed short to me but I'm not sure I wanted more.
I recommend this game!
After overcoming the Dreamless Castle and Moonfell Wood, you have come to the rugged, mountainous snow-peaked Goblin Kingdom!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Much better!
PostedOctober 24, 2012
LavaReign
fromLawton, OK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I had attempted to play Awakening: Moonfell Wood but found it too childish. This was a huge improvement! Each task had specific items to collect, not your usual find a random hammer for this, or bas-relief for that. There's plenty to keep you busy and interested. It's obvious that the develops put a lot of effort into every little detail.
There's some humor in the game from your owl friend and some of the Goblin residents.
Puzzles are interesting and challenging, there are a lot of code-breaker type games which I loved. The only ones I disliked were the tangrams so I skipped those.
The HO scenes are hit and miss, in the beginning they are very jumbled and poorly drawn, but they seemed to get better as the game progressed. There are no repeats on the HO scenes, and almost no backtracking throughout the game.
I recommend this game!