My title says it all. I found this to be rather bland. It bored me so much that I couldn't finish the demo. I deleted. I normally don't review a game unless I've finished the whole thing but there's no way I'm ever going to finish this.
Good: Artwork, VOs, plenty of easy puzzles for people who like them.
Bad: Cliche story, lack of music (too quiet), bland gameplay.
Not a whole lot to add as it's all been said, but this was very entertaining. The storyline was interesting and held together throughout. The gameplay was smooth. The artwork beautiful and fittingly eerie in places, and the VOs well done and well-acted (except for the female lead whose voice was a lil bit annoying.) The puzzles were fun and challenging.
I don't necessarily need all the CE bling. When I buy a CE it's because I enjoy the gameplay enough to want it to continue with the bonus chapter. I miss the days of less "who cares" bling and more bonus chapter. Either way, this game made me want to play the bonus chapter.
I've found that, unlike some series who really give you excitement in the demo but fall flat during the gameplay, the Dark Romance series tends to underplay in the demo and bring in the A game throughout the remainder. They build on the plot as you go along providing a first-class experience from beginning to end.
This isn't the first time I've underestimated this series and chosen the SE only to regret the decision later. This series is going on my CE buy list from now on!
I went into the demo with a bit of skepticism as the Rite of Passage series has been hit-or-miss with me ever since the first one. However this game had me hooked from the get-go! Loved it. I'm a puzzle fanatic and favor plot driven games. This one is heavy on the puzzles AND the plot.
The story is interesting and VERY different. (At first it reminded me of Surface:Game of Gods - but, no.) It holds together from beginning to end without gaping plot holes or blatant incidents of illogic. The VOs are well-acted and move the story along at a fast pace. The gameplay is exciting. In the first few chapters you really feel the character's sense of urgency and danger. If you're not into plot-driven games then you may have a problem with the number of VOs. The artwork is beautiful and provides a vivid backdrop for the action.
The only problem I had with it was the repeating puzzles every time a card was played. That got a little tired. If they had been more challenging or fun then it would've been ok, but it was just slightly annoying, not enough for me to take a star away as I enjoyed myself immensely playing this game.
CE or SE? .... I buy CEs for the bonus chapter. All the other bling usually goes right over my head. Don't care about it too much. This game wraps up fairly nicely in the main game. The bonus chapter is a continuation - not very long - where you play as Melissa, the rescued wife from the main game. If you like your HEAs nice and neat then you don't want to play the Bonus Chapter because the end, while touching, is very bittersweet.
I could've gotten this one as an SE but the BOGO this weekend made the CE worth it. If you like all the extras and the collectibles (beast paw prints) then I'd say get the CE during this weekend's sale. Otherwise, you might want to wait for the SE.
Even though I don't usually go for timed Match-3s, I liked this game at first. Pirates and building up your own secret pirate cove while searching for your "girl" and keeping your citizens from robbing you blind. What's not to like? It was different and I was kinda high off of playing Silvertale, which I love, so I decided to try it.
In the beginning the challenge was fun but, as other reviewers have said, it quickly got old. The problem is that the power-ups are very weak and you have to get to higher levels to obtain the more powerful ones, the timer goes much too quickly on some very difficult levels, and there is no option to skip a level or turn off the timer. So players find themselves stuck on a level with no way out but to keep trying it over and over and over. It got tired. Very frustrating.
I didn't want that type of frustration from this game.
When a famous shapeshifting alchemist is charged with looking into the murder of the king's most trusted agent and friend, the last thing she expects to discover is an intricate network of shadowy criminals, intent on bringing chaos to the land.
This game has absolutely stunning artwork. It is a little girl's wonderland of ooohs and aaahs complete with fluttering, chirping hummingbirds and visits to Mr. Hamster and the king of the snails. However an adult player looking for a challenge would find this tedious.
The story reflects a Little Red Riding Hood theme and focuses on the mystery of who killed the wolf. However this time the wolf works for the king and the huntsman is a murder suspect. You act as the alchemist/detective working for the king to solve the case.
It is very well-acted with believable VOs but the puzzles and HOs are very childish. If you have little kids to play this with then I'd say go for it. The children will fall in love in the first five minutes when they have to interact with the talking pot! (Too cute.)
But if you're an adult who likes fantasy games then you won't find any challenge here. This feels like it's made for an 8 yr old. If you're not looking to spend some time with the kids or grandkids, then give this a pass.
This had to be the most nonsensical disappointment of a game I've ever played on BigFish. Bottom line = The demo is pretty good but just after it, all logic and storyline creativity go right out of the window.
There is no way to suspend disbelief when you have to build the bucket to put out a fire in the stable (again, cause you do it in the main game too) but you have to go all the way into the house, into the lord of the manor's bedroom to get water to put it out! Yes, he has a marble fountain in the middle of his wooden bedroom and I'm sure he lets the servants traipse in at all hours to get water for the stables ... and did I mention that you already did that same thing in the main game? Pfffffff.
Or let me not forget the library (that you spent quite a bit of time exploring in the main game) that was miraculously moved to the basement in the bonus chapter but was still the same room with the same huge window! LOL. Wow.......
The storyline in the demo also looked pretty decent - an interesting Poe twisty story with a somewhat supernatural twist, but NO it looses all steam and descends into the predictable, mundane land of HUH?
So while the artwork is absolutely beautiful and the VOs well done (except for Dupin) it isn't enough to save this game.
I'm not usually a TM game enthusiast but this one hooked me from the beginning. I love a story driven game and, for a light-hearted genre, this has real depth.
The basic premise is that you're Allison, new intern at a hospital. Her planned stint in the surgery department gets derailed and she winds up interning in "the ward" in the demo then cycles through different departments every 10 levels in the game - pharmacology, radiology, physiology, emergency room, etc. All throughout you're following the stories of the people she meets and their lives, their tragedies, their triumphs and how it's all intertwined with this hospital. We're talking issues of family dynamics, drug addiction, theft, death, survivors guilt, depression, self-esteem, etc... and, of course, the love interest for Allison. I'm not a fan of medical tv dramas like Greys Anatomy, but as a game this rocks!
The characters are very well defined. The layers of the story are intricate. Even the way the characters are drawn to manifest emotion is remarkable.
The gameplay is .... hmmmm ... I want to say difficultish. If you're into TM games then you'll love this because it's definitely a challenge. Some hospital departments are harder than others and some are fairly simple. There are also "Challenge" chapters that open up between levels = difficult! You get diamonds from the challenge chapters that allow you to purchase things for Allison.
All-in-all this is a winner of a game. Challenging tasks and an intriguing story. If you play the demo, you'll be left on a cliffhanger that will make you want to know what's going on. Because it's such a story-driven game I'm glad I got the CE so I'll have the bonus chapter. Somehow I think that the SE might leave something out.
I recommend this game!
+21points
26of31voted this as helpful.
Haunted Legends: The Iron Mask Collector's Edition
Explore 17th-century France as you track down a masked killer.
Haunted Legends: The Iron Mask Collector's Edition
(38)
Fun Factor
5/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
5/ 5
Level of Challenge
4/ 5
Storyline
5/ 5
This game has been out for a while so it's all been said already... My two cents 1) The story is great and engaging. It's the Man in the Iron Mask but the way they present it keeps you guessing about their version until it actually unfolds. 2) The puzzles and HOS are also great! A well-done mix of all different kinds. Not the hardest but not the easiest either. I was vastly entertained!
Great story, lots of action, good puzzles. The bonus chapter is a continuation of the story - fallout for one of the main characters actually. If you're as OCD as I am then you always want all the details and the wrap-up. (Plus there's a hint about St Germaine's next meddlesome adventure.)
I won't add much as there are twenty-something other detailed reviews about this game. What I will say is BRAVO!
I've been known to rag on Eipix because (imho) they ruined my Dark Parables. But in this game Eipix shined. They did what they do best and provided a beautifully detailed, rip-roaring, swashbuckling adventure. They hit all the marks and brought back all the magic of the first two games in this series. Beautiful artwork, strong engaging plot, variety of interesting puzzles, and enough "Aaarrgh!" in the voice-overs to make it work.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I read somewhere that Eipix was discontinuing this series - that Leviathan Reef is the last one. If so, then it was a great way to end the series. If not, even better, because I'd love another like this one.
This is a cool game. It's a challenging point and click adventure. The 1970s eerie arctic atmosphere reminds me of "The Thing."
There's no hand-holding but the hint button is very helpful if you get stuck. If you liked a challenge like the original MCF: Dire Grove then you'll like this.
It makes you think and then presents you with a moral dilemma. Be careful how you choose!
My only negative criticism is that it felt short to me (or maybe the time just flew by) and it doesn't really have a lot of replay value. It's heavily story-driven so once you've finished the story there's not really a lot that would bring you back to it multiple times.