Boomer1097's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.4
- Helpful Votes:714
- Reviews Submitted:216
- First Review:June 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:January 4, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Discover the city of Apothecarium, where inhabitants are caught in a perilous struggle against a powerful alchemist who is taking the lives of innocent!
Overall rating
2
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
Tedious and Confusing
PostedOctober 2, 2013
Boomer1097
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I really wanted to like this game. The rave reviews swayed me to purchase it without doing the demo, what a mistake! The story is confusing, what to do next is confusing, the goal of the game is confusing. The story begins abruptly and seems to revolve around a plague in Italy and you needing to go to one town to find the cure. The town is under the control of a madman or an alien or something.
The graphics are nice, the voice overs are acceptable, the music is annoying (but can be muted). The iHOS are interesting in that some of the objects morph and you have to search and wait for them to morph back. The downside to this is you can't always click on an object even when it shows the "correct" morph'd item. On one of the iHOS scenes, one item could only be collected when it was the "incorrect" morph'd item.
The mini games are so-so and get tedious. There are surprise chests you can click to play additional mini games and collect coins or hint refills. There are also two coins in each scene that you can collect. You can use the coins in the "store" to buy hints (although I never did this). You do earn achievements which is a nice touch in an SE game.
The journal/map combo is clever in that it is a scroll. However, the map is awful. It is confusing and doesn't always show where "to do" items are located. It is interactive, but that doesn't help much when you can't rely on it to give accurate information.
The walkthrough is helpful and I used it a lot since it is so difficult to figure out what to do next. There are several potions you have to make, but the recipes you have to follow are not clear.
I realize I'm in the minority, but I do not recommend this game. I slogged through it because I was determined to see if it got any better. It didn't. As soon as I finished the game, I uninstalled it.
I don't recommend this game.
Rescue teenagers from the tragic fate of Romeo and Juliet!
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
So So Game
PostedSeptember 22, 2013
Boomer1097
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I so wanted to enjoy this game, but just could not get into it. You are looking for three missing teenagers last seen in the town library. You have to enter several books to rescue them. The graphics were nice, the cut scenes were good, the voice overs were okay. The iHOS were the best part of the game. You had to place items back in the iHOS scene, which was fun. The mini games were so-so, some were fun, but some were just frustrating.
There is an interactive map and you will need it because there is a lot of back and forth during the game. The story didn't seem to flow well and was confusing at several points. The SG is built in and useful to some degree. There are no collectibles or achievements.
I probably should have demo'd this game prior to purchasing. I do not recommend this game.
I don't recommend this game.
Sable Maze: Norwich Caves Collector's Edition
Your students have gone missing during an expedition under the university. Can you track them down before the water rises?
Overall rating
5
/
5
8 of 8 found this review helpful
The Water is Rising
PostedSeptember 16, 2013
Boomer1097
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This game was so much fun! The story starts with four missing college students and a professor who seems to have gone to the dark side. You play as another professor who is enlisted to locate the students. The graphics are excellent, the voice overs and cut scenes are well done, the music is acceptable. The iHOS are a real change from the "find item on list" in that you have to pick an object, have it interact with another object to get a third object and so on. I really enjoyed the iHOS. The mini games were fun and challenging enough to keep you interested.
There is an interactive map which shows where "to do" items are located. There are collectibles that relate to various students. They are kept in your journal and once you obtain three for a student, it unlocks some interesting info about that person. There are also trophies to collect, which is always fun. The built in SG is always available if you get stuck at a location.
The main game was fun and had a satisfying ending. The bonus chapter was really good and added to the story. It included some new locations and had a satisfying ending.
I highly recommend this game!
I recommend this game!
Long-forgotten memories bubble to the surface when the past invades the present in the Collector's Edition of Lake House: Children of Silence!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Excellent Game
PostedSeptember 10, 2013
Boomer1097
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I really enjoyed playing this game. The game revolves around a childhood trauma experienced by one of the main characters. You play as her fiance and you accompany her to the house where she grew up. The graphics are excellent, the voice overs and cut scenes are well done and the music is acceptable. The iHOS are crisp and mini games are fun.
There is a journal and map. The map is not interactive, but does show you where the "to do" items are located. You go to several locations as you work through the game and each of them are nicely done. There is a built in SG, but I never opened it. You collect film strips during the game and they "play" in a projector. You can replay them during the game. Each clip gives you a piece of the story.
While I think the developers gave away the twist a bit early, it was still nicely handled. The ending of the main game was very satisfying.
The bonus chapter was a great addition and had it's own twist. I thoroughly enjoyed the bonus chapter and felt it was a great addition to the game. The other bonus material is pretty standard for a CE except for the trivia portion which is unlocked once you complete the bonus chapter. The trivia was quite amusing.
I highly recommend this game!
I recommend this game!
Amazing Adventures Riddle of the Two Knights
Follow a curious trail through crowded bazaars and snow-swept summits to find what is missing!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Basic HO Game
PostedSeptember 2, 2013
Boomer1097
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game is primarily HOS with a few mini games thrown in. You are on the trail of a chess set that is tied to two knights. You go to Switzerland and Morocco. There are 25 levels and you visit each HOS location numerous times. They become repetitive after awhile. This is a fairly basic HO game, but most of the objects are well hidden.
I became bored with this game towards the end. Had visited the same locations one too many times. The hint button refills quickly, which is helpful if you hit the boredom stage.
I recommend this game to those that need a change of pace and want a slower moving game or to those that prefer HOS over mini games.
I recommend this game!
Help Escape the Lost Kingdom! After being invited to a newly opened museum, a cursed pharaoh has trapped the whole family!
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 4 found this review helpful
So-So Game
PostedAugust 30, 2013
Boomer1097
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I wanted to like this game, but had so much trouble getting it to play nicely with my security software that it was very frustrating. I finally resorted to disconnecting a laptop from my home network and shutting down the security software to get the game to play properly. This has never happened with any of the 90+ games I've purchased on Big Fish. Having said all that, the game was okay. A family is visiting Egypt and gets separated in a tomb that contains a curse.
Once the family members are separated, you end up playing as each family member (and you choose the order of play). Each family member has a "hook" during game play - the son has glyph goggles, the daughter has a time amulet and the parents have a tool kit. There are HOS and mini games. There is a map showing the location of each family member and which areas have been cleared. The map is helpful as you work your way through the game.
The graphics are okay, the family members are cartoonish and didn't fit with the background graphics. The voice overs are well done.
The game has a satisfying ending. If I had not experienced so many difficulties trying to get the game to run, I would have rated it higher. I was so frustrated, it affected my perception of the game. I was disappointed that, after all the effort to get the game to run, it was a very short game.
I don't recommend this game.
Explore the city of London through 360-degree photographs and investigate it`s notorious past in this great Hidden Object mystery.
Overall rating
5
/
5
15 of 15 found this review helpful
The Hunt is On
PostedAugust 29, 2013
Boomer1097
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I really enjoyed this game! You play as a tourist in London and stumble into solving one of the greatest mysteries while you are sight seeing. There are a number of locations to visit around London. Each location has 360 degree views, which I really enjoyed. The game is primarily HOS, but they are some variations such as find moving objects, find foods, find animals, etc. The mini games are not too numerous, but are fun.
You visit most locations more than once. The game is broken into 19 chapters. You have a map and journal, both of which come in handy. You meet several characters along the way. You also get interesting fun facts/historical info at each location, which was quite entertaining.
The cut scenes and voice overs are well done, the graphics are great, the music is appropriate and not annoying. This game had me yearning to grab the passport and call the airlines. It's been too long since I've been to London.
For those players that enjoy HOS and want a slower paced game, this is an excellent choice!
I recommend this game!
Return to the House of 1,000 Doors to save mankind from annihilation!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Excellent Game
PostedAugust 16, 2013
Boomer1097
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Another excellent "House of 1000 Doors" game! You find yourself in the house once again and have to help save the world from evil serpents. The graphics, cut scenes and voice overs are excellent. The iHOS are great and the mini games are fun. There are a lot of locations, so the interactive map is essential. You have morphing objects to find.
You go back in time to four locations to help save the world. Each location is unique and quite fun. There is a journal, but I was so caught up in the story, I forgot to look at it much. The SG is built in and I used it a couple of times. The map is wonderful and allows you to jump to a location.
The ending of the main story was very satisfying and the bonus chapter was excellent. The other extras are the usual concept art, music, etc. You can also replay HOS and mini games.
If you don't like snakes, don't worry...there aren't that many of them and they shouldn't present a problem. I don't like snakes at all and they didn't bother me in the least.
I highly recommend this game. The CE was well worth the price. I look forward to the next installment!
I recommend this game!
The quaint mountain town of Hochwald hides a deadly secret. Defeat a mechanical mastermind and save your friend before another earthquake strikes!
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
So So Game
PostedAugust 14, 2013
Boomer1097
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I wanted to like this game, but just could not. You play as a detective called in to assist Dr. Ink. You start in a small village (and only access one building) and move on to the castle (where you only go to four rooms). The graphics are good and the voice overs are acceptable to the setting. The HOS are okay, the best were the ones where you look for parts and "build" something once they're found. The mini games were okay, nothing unique. You can skip them if/when you get bored. There is a lot of dialogue, too much in my opinion, but you can skip it.
You have a mechanical companion that helps during the game. While it was a cute idea, the developers could have done so much more with the concept. The storyline started with a bang and fizzled out quickly. I lost interest in the story before I was half way through the game.
You have a map, but you will never need it. The built in SG is good, but you'll seldom if ever need it. There is a "journal" showing your objectives, but you won't need to look at it. The game is short and consists of so few locations that it was disappointing. There are collectibles, but they are so obvious it isn't a challenge to find all of them.
The main game is short and the bonus chapter is really short. The ending of the main game was what you expect it to be once you are 15 minutes into the game. The bonus chapter is a "prequel" that was short and disappointing.
I would not recommend this game as a CE, it is not worth the price. As an SE (when on sale), it would be worth it.
I really like some of the other games from this developer. I was probably overly disappointed because I expected so much more from these developers.
I don't recommend this game.
Dracula: Love Kills
The Queen of Vampires is back and is determined to destroy the world! Help Van Helsing and Dracula as they team up to stop her!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
Fun with Vampires
PostedAugust 14, 2013
Boomer1097
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I loved this game! You play as Count Dracula. You have Igor as your sidekick and you hook up with Dr. van Helsing. The graphics are good and the voice overs are appropriate for the storyline. The HOS are excellent and the mini games are acceptable (nothing unique). There is a lot of dialogue, but it adds to the story and is humorous. There is an interactive map that you earn shortly after the game begins. There is a hint button, but you won't need it.
The Igor character cracked me up! For an SE, this game was packed with achievements to earn and blood containers to "bite." In addition, you earn special powers as you complete certain portions of the game. The ending to the story was satisfying.
I highly recommend this game!
I recommend this game!