sfr8rfan's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.4
- Helpful Votes:5,257
- Reviews Submitted:171
- First Review:July 20, 2012
- Most Recent Review:March 25, 2023
- Featured reviews0
Status:
The mystical Silver Arrow has been stolen from you on the eve of your wedding. Without it, you can’t marry your beloved Prince Philip! Can you track down the arrow in time?
Overall rating
5
/
5
74 of 107 found this review helpful
The BIG Mystery is should you get this Special Edition or the available CE?
PostedJanuary 10, 2014
sfr8rfan
fromWell, I was Princess MARK...but other than than, it was OK!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This review is based on the test period. I opted not to buy the game but NOT because I thought it was bad. There were a couple “issues” but these wouldn’t have kept me from buying the game...there were other reasons based on game "type." Aside from this, In some ways I think Arrow is a great game.
It takes place just before my wedding to my beloved Prince Phillip. Early on he sends a note to me requiring my written response. The reply is signed "Princess Mark." Very nifty idea, weaving my first name into the storyline. It would have even been niftier if the developers had anticipated that many players would be men and then make the game a third person game instead of a first person game. Speaking of perspective: The game takes place in "fairy tale times, befitting the marriage of a handsome prince and his beautiful princess. Curiously enough, my (the character's) wise old granny (whose name is Nanny) apparently comes from the deep south of the United States, inasmuch as she has a pronounced southern accent. Oh Well.
What about the game?
Fun Factor: I was amused by the stuff I mentioned above. While the game doesn't have a great fun factor for me, it's because of my preference for a "type" of game: murder/detective-police procedural/mystery. If you prefer romance, you'll like this just fine. I can put myself in the shoes of a romance-lover for this review and grade accordingly.
VISUAL/SOUND QUALITY
Sound: Even before I began playing the game I made a note that the background music was really good. It's anachronistic: it sounded, at first, like modern jazz. It didn't take long for it to morph into run-of-the mill elevator music. I'd have preferred the jazz interpretation.
Sound: Even before I began playing the game I made a note that the background music was really good. It's anachronistic: it sounded, at first, like modern jazz. It didn't take long for it to morph into run-of-the mill elevator music. I'd have preferred the jazz interpretation.
Visuals: I think the drawing and coloration are very well done. The characters look almost real. Humans look more like photographs than drawings and I commend the artists who accomplished this.
Finally, I guess this is a combination of visual and sound quality: the lip synching is THE BEST I HAVE SEEN in any game anytime.
LEVEL OF CHALLENGE
It's not a hard game. I also don't think it progresses logically and some of the "tasks" just don't make sense at all. The developers take a stab at new games, but they miss the mark. If you buy this, you'll experience early on what I mean. The HOGs are ordinary at best. They are not challenging and they are not remotely creative.
It's not a hard game. I also don't think it progresses logically and some of the "tasks" just don't make sense at all. The developers take a stab at new games, but they miss the mark. If you buy this, you'll experience early on what I mean. The HOGs are ordinary at best. They are not challenging and they are not remotely creative.
THE STORYLINE
Well, you know part of it already. You can imagine the rest: things don't go smoothly as I approach my wedding day. An evil sorcerer (who has the capability of changing his appearance) has stolen the title's "silver arrow." Without this arrow I cannot marry my beloved. The story is about getting the arrow back.
Well, you know part of it already. You can imagine the rest: things don't go smoothly as I approach my wedding day. An evil sorcerer (who has the capability of changing his appearance) has stolen the title's "silver arrow." Without this arrow I cannot marry my beloved. The story is about getting the arrow back.
Overall, as I said, I prefer detective, murder-mystery driven content. If you do as well, I don't think you'll like this game in either the CE or SE format. On the other hand, if you prefer a feel-good atmosphere, and a game where happy ending doesn't mean catching the bad guy, I think this game will be very satisfying for you.
After all this, the question is, do you want the available Collector’s Edition or is this Special Edition enough?
Here’s what you get for purchasing the CE (or, conversely, what you miss by purchasing the Special Edition:
a. A long bonus chapter (based on the length of the strategy guide devoted to it.
b. Strategy guide (duh).
c. One Collectible (an item appears, without rhyme or reason, throughout the game). These items are converted into a currency value. With the accruing currency you can purchase "services" and clean up a tower room in your Grandmother's castle.
d. Achievements (the ordinary assortment).
e. Re-playable cut-scenes, wallpaper, concept art, screensaver, music, re-playable mini-games and HOGs.
f. A "jump to" Map.
g. 3 levels of difficulty from which to choose.
a. A long bonus chapter (based on the length of the strategy guide devoted to it.
b. Strategy guide (duh).
c. One Collectible (an item appears, without rhyme or reason, throughout the game). These items are converted into a currency value. With the accruing currency you can purchase "services" and clean up a tower room in your Grandmother's castle.
d. Achievements (the ordinary assortment).
e. Re-playable cut-scenes, wallpaper, concept art, screensaver, music, re-playable mini-games and HOGs.
f. A "jump to" Map.
g. 3 levels of difficulty from which to choose.
I recommend the SE as I do not think the additional content justifies the purchase of the Collector’s Edition.
I recommend this game!
A strange premonition tells you your uncle is missing. Follow him into a world of fantasy, and discover the secrets of the Philosopher's Stone!
Overall rating
5
/
5
33 of 52 found this review helpful
This Game is a World of Wonder. And TRULY a 5-star game.
PostedJanuary 5, 2014
sfr8rfan
fromWonder=WONDERFUL
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This review is based on several hours of gameplay. I have not completed the main game and cannot yet comment on the bonus chapter which is a prologue to the main story.
Fun Factor: I wasn't so sure a the beginning that this game was going to be fun. It was clearly going to be a challenge. But fun? It seemed more like a pain in the patootie. But NO!!!
I've mentioned in several other reviews that I'm a very slow player. I'm setting new records with this game. It's like i have a 25 lb. STONE tied to my back. But it's OK. Once I realized this game is TOUGH but very rewarding, I stopped fretting over my slower than normal pace of play.
Why am I writing this review now? Because I don't want you to wait to get it for yourself. I am confident I've played enough of it to recommend it on the merits thus far.
This game is one of the most beautiful I have ever played. There's my 5-star rating for visuals. It's stunning. If they pass out awards for "set direction" then this game wins. Many of my fellow reviewers compliment a game by writing it's totally immersive. I swear I feel like I'm in the middle of a masterpiece painting. Warning: I didn't feel so positively about even the artistry of the game when I began. The opening cutscene is not spectacular. It's much weaker than the rest of the game...so I was worried I'd gotten a clunker at first. You'll forget those thoughts right away.
A note about the music: I think it's spectacular. As part of the "design" of the game, the music is superior. It's dark and plaintive and a perfect partner for this game.
As far as game play goes, I think it's a little off mark to call this an HOG. It's really an adventure in my opinion. Numbers bear this out: there are only 16 HOPs. Many more games (33, if my count is correct). Along the way you collect many items for use sooner and later in the game but for strict HOS...not so much. There is a nice variety of HOGs: find multiple of the same object; find the named item; etc. I've found the HOGs to be very challenging.
The games are either brand new, which is very nice or present such a new twist on an older game that they seem new. There's my 5-star rating for level of challenge.
Storyline: In this first person game, your uncle created a "Philosopher's Stone" (isn't that the name of a book about a certain Quidditch-Playing boy across the Pond? <There are actually two title's for that book>) to gain access to another world. He made somebody really mad when he did this. He's gotten himself in trouble and you've set out to rescue him. In each of the chapters of this game you you open up another "element" of the portal to another world. Sound fun? It is. There's my 5-star review for Storyline.
This is a Collector's Edition, so what do you get?
1. A bonus chapter of considerable length.
2. The "who cares assortment" of Wallpaper, concept art, music.
3. Achievements (nothing out of the ordinary).
4. A Map of where I am, where I should go and what I should do.
5. Morphing Objects (these are so well done I almost forgot about them. At various points you've gone too far to turn back...luckily I didn't miss the opportunities to collect the morphs).
6. Collectibles: 30 hidden symbols.
7. Game playing modes which determine the difficulty of puzzle play, NOT JUST hint modes!!!
8. The ARTIFACT: a different feature in each chapter that helps you complete the game. E.g.: in one chapter the artifact provides light when you're in a particularly dark place and unable to navigate.
2. The "who cares assortment" of Wallpaper, concept art, music.
3. Achievements (nothing out of the ordinary).
4. A Map of where I am, where I should go and what I should do.
5. Morphing Objects (these are so well done I almost forgot about them. At various points you've gone too far to turn back...luckily I didn't miss the opportunities to collect the morphs).
6. Collectibles: 30 hidden symbols.
7. Game playing modes which determine the difficulty of puzzle play, NOT JUST hint modes!!!
8. The ARTIFACT: a different feature in each chapter that helps you complete the game. E.g.: in one chapter the artifact provides light when you're in a particularly dark place and unable to navigate.
I typically like scary games. I don't find this to be scary. I think it's provocative and deep. It's unsettling at times. Scary it is not.
Whatever you want to call it, call it a winner. This game is brilliant and I strongly recommend it. By the time a Special Edition is released I'll be able to comment on the extra chapter and the value of a Collector's Edition. For now, if you're looking for excellence and are ready for a challenge, you've found it right here. Don't hesitate to get this game.
I recommend this game!
You're called to a health spa in the Alps, where an evil professor has something terrible in mind for his unwitting patients.
Overall rating
5
/
5
118 of 187 found this review helpful
You WANT this Invasion!! But, do you want this Special Edition or the CE? Find out inside!
PostedJanuary 5, 2014
sfr8rfan
fromGet ready for a LOT of fun!!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This review is based on playing the complete game, including the Bonus Chapter of the Collector's Edition.
I was very excited to see Mind Invasion from Agency of Anomalies. I remembered Cinderstone Orphanage, The Last Performance and Mystic Hospital. I knew if this was half as good as the others it would be great. Well, it's not half as good, it's twice as good. It took some time for the newest offering. It's not hard to tell what the developers were working on!!
I do NOT give out 5s easily: not every game deserves a 5, and I won't tell you a game is a 5 just to get your vote for my review. So, please believe me when I write that OVERALL this game is absolutely a 5 out 5. It's a 10 out of 5!. I've been excited recently with new offerings from old reliable developers only to be disappointed at game time. This is not the case here. The game is pretty glitzy: I mean, you know you're into something special from the very beginning. BUT, does it have the juice to maintain a high level after a few scenes? YES.
The game begins with a lengthy Introductory cut scene which explains the storyline and why you are where you are. Also at the very beginning there is an option to take advantage of a "quick" tutorial. This is a change from the past. The tutorial is done all at once and it is done quickly. I recommend doing it. Unlike previous tutorials, this one is not intrusive and it doesn't last forever. It is quick and it is helpful.
Visual/Sound Quality:
The visual quality is great. It's top of the line ART in HOGs. The sound quality is very good as well. The music doesn't so much drive the action as accompany it and it's very pleasant music.
The visual quality is great. It's top of the line ART in HOGs. The sound quality is very good as well. The music doesn't so much drive the action as accompany it and it's very pleasant music.
Level of Challenge:
There are three different types of HOG:
a. Placing items in their proper places based on context.
b. Matching silhouettes from the inventory list to the actual item. (This one was a little too easy: once you click on the actual item it automatically picks out the silhouette. Not enough challenge in this format.)
c. Standard find the listed items HOG.
There are three different types of HOG:
a. Placing items in their proper places based on context.
b. Matching silhouettes from the inventory list to the actual item. (This one was a little too easy: once you click on the actual item it automatically picks out the silhouette. Not enough challenge in this format.)
c. Standard find the listed items HOG.
The items are not crowded at all, but still they are hard to find. It's because they are well-hidden and well-drawn. Again, in type "b" above, it would have added another level of challenge if you had to find it on your own. In the big scheme, though, this doesn't hurt the overall value of Invasion.
Games: You'll be very happy with the new twists on old games and brand new games of varying difficulty. Some you'll solve quickly, others take longer. I'd like to think that was done on purpose. I think the variety adds to the interest in this superior offering.
Storyline:
THIS is the reason why I wrote that this game is superior to many others: the story line. The story line isn't always so important (often it's just a very transparent effort at tying together HOGs and mini-games). Not so with Invasion. You'll find yourself really interested in the story. Each chapter gives one example of a character whose mind has been taken oven by a society bent on controlling the world. Yes, it's cheesy, but it's done really well and I think you'll have a great time with it and have a very hard time turning off your computer.
THIS is the reason why I wrote that this game is superior to many others: the story line. The story line isn't always so important (often it's just a very transparent effort at tying together HOGs and mini-games). Not so with Invasion. You'll find yourself really interested in the story. Each chapter gives one example of a character whose mind has been taken oven by a society bent on controlling the world. Yes, it's cheesy, but it's done really well and I think you'll have a great time with it and have a very hard time turning off your computer.
I strongly recommend this game. I'd like to tell you more but I don't want to ruin what I think you'll find to be a very exciting game. It's NOT FAST. Admittedly, I'm not a fast player...so maybe you'll speed right through it. Resist the temptation if you can. This is the sort of game which makes me appreciate being a slow-poke. I'm was in no hurry for the fun to end.
So finally, do you need the CE or is this Special Edition enough?
If you get the Collector's Edition, here's what you're paying for:
1. An additional chapter which accounts for about 20% extra gameplay.
2. Concept Art.
3. 21 achievements (very typical...all the same stuff you always achieve in the normal course of a game).
4. One collectible 31 canes spread throughout the story. It doesn't get in the way of the game but it adds nothing either...and this game really doesn't require anything special added to it.
5. Built-in strategy guide.
1. An additional chapter which accounts for about 20% extra gameplay.
2. Concept Art.
3. 21 achievements (very typical...all the same stuff you always achieve in the normal course of a game).
4. One collectible 31 canes spread throughout the story. It doesn't get in the way of the game but it adds nothing either...and this game really doesn't require anything special added to it.
5. Built-in strategy guide.
From my perspective, the story is what's central to this game and I think you capture it with the Special Edition. You spend a lot more money to get the CE and I don't think it's necessary. You will be very happy with this Special Edition and you'll be glad you saved the money.
Get this game NOW. You will not regret it!
I recommend this game!
An invitation from your long lost mother leads you to a mysterious facility deep below the Atlantic Ocean.
Overall rating
3
/
5
45 of 61 found this review helpful
Symphony or Cacophony?
PostedDecember 28, 2013
sfr8rfan
fromI'd make the Hour long free-play Mandatory if I could. You better take a test drive (sail) before you board this boat for a long vacation.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I bought this game, urged on by it's status of Tomorrow's Game Today and the great "buy one CE, get the second for $1.99" deal. As of now, I'll be counting this game as the $1.99 game.
You're the protagonist. 25 years ago you were abandoned at an orphanage and now you've been invited to meet your biological mother at an event aboard a boat. This thing is CRAZY with a capital C-R-A-Z-Y.
It's one cutscene after another. If I play it for another five hours (years?) I might begin to understand who's happening. So far what I know is that aboard this boat (The Love Boat) you can choose from a variety of vacations/dreams (Total Recall) without actually going anywhere (Fantasy Island) and only very wealthy people can afford it (Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous).
There are creative mini-games and HOGs. The mini-games are nothing new but absolutely add some interesting twists. The HOGs are another issue altogether:
a. Regular HOGs: if you have any trouble at all figuring out where to locate the next item on the list, hold on for a couple seconds and the item will be highlighted by a flashing star/symbol.
b. Silhouette HOG: The silhouettes are so dark as to be indiscernible. But fear not, a description of the item is given `and if it's even partially hidden, the flashing star/symbol from the regular style HOG will reappear to help you out.
a. Regular HOGs: if you have any trouble at all figuring out where to locate the next item on the list, hold on for a couple seconds and the item will be highlighted by a flashing star/symbol.
b. Silhouette HOG: The silhouettes are so dark as to be indiscernible. But fear not, a description of the item is given `and if it's even partially hidden, the flashing star/symbol from the regular style HOG will reappear to help you out.
The story line is incomprehensible, really: Well over an hour into the game, this is all I've experienced along with the cutscenes which are near constant: conversations with the concierge; movie reels about the "Dream Corporation" Vacations in which travelers may choose from any number of dreams to experience; a movie about your mom and dad who've traveled to the Amazon in search of an artifact which possesses great powers and provides deep insights in the subconscious mind.
Along the way you encounter cracking aquariums, strangers on elevators giving you strange looks; a robot; a mechanical octopus...and so much more. You do not encounter anything that is cohesive. You will end up walking away, scratching your head and wondering WHY?
I feel duty-bound to tell you that these following "features" are included in this Collector's Edition:
a. A bonus chapter which tells you more about the Dream Corporation.
b. Profiles of the Characters who populate the game.
c. The "who cares" collections of Concept art, Wall paper, Sketches and Movies (which is interesting because the whole game seems to be one little movie after another).
d. A very bare bones map.
e. A strategy guide.
f. Collectibles (Roses that are found along the way).
g. 4 Modes of play, including a custom mode.
b. Profiles of the Characters who populate the game.
c. The "who cares" collections of Concept art, Wall paper, Sketches and Movies (which is interesting because the whole game seems to be one little movie after another).
d. A very bare bones map.
e. A strategy guide.
f. Collectibles (Roses that are found along the way).
g. 4 Modes of play, including a custom mode.
This is such a hodgepodge of I'm-not-sure-what, I'd demand you play the free hour trial (as I did NOT) before you spend your money on this game if I could. I could be wrong but I'm thinking that by the hours end you'll decide this game is not for you.
While I have to admit this is fascinating, it's going nowhere fast.
I don't recommend this game.
You thought this would be just like any other investigation. But now you find yourself lost in a mysterious mansion brimming with strange creatures, comatose colleagues, and mysterious tentacles around every corner...
Overall rating
4
/
5
35 of 45 found this review helpful
I Dreamed a Dream like this before...not once, not twice, not...You get the idea...
PostedDecember 27, 2013
sfr8rfan
fromAnother chapter in this great series...
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This game is based on completed play of the game (including bonus features from the Collector's Edition).
I was very excited when the Collector's Edition of this game came out. I have loved this series of games. Nothing in the first hour I played changed my mind and I wrote a glowing review. Then I bought the game, played through to the end and realized that I didn't think/feel the same way after I'd completed the game as I did after playing for just an hour or so. Thankfully, BFG removed my first review so I could re-review the game and give a far more accurate accounting of my experience.
Nightmare Dwellers is an excellent game, there is no question about that. It is brought to us by the same team that produced Green Hills Sanitarium, Escape from GHS, Fears From Childhood and more.
As per usual, in the great tradition of this series, Nightmare Dwellers is technically superior and a lot of fun to play. But, these halls are not really haunted anymore. And the dreams aren't nightmares unless you're 5 years old.
In the main section of the game you get what you can reliably count on from this developer: first class visuals and sound with a fun story line and puzzles and HOGs that you're sure to enjoy. There are about 20 of each with the edge to puzzles/mini-games over HOG. Again, these are absolutely superb.
There's really nothing more to say about the game, though. Like a novelist who's figured out the winning formula and has re-written the first book 15 times over with different characters' names and backgrounds and a slightly different crime and an oh-so-minor shift in thrilling outcome, the substance of Nightmare Dwellers is the same as everything that came before it in this series. Would it be a Haunted Halls if there weren't references to Dr. Blackmore?
If you loved the first games in this series (and I did) and don't mind playing basically the same game over again (I do mind)...If this is exactly the style of game you prefer with lots of fun but not a lot of intensity (it isn't anymore), then it is a five star game. Notwithstanding my complaints, I still heartily recommend Nightmare Dwellers. I enjoyed the game. It was a lot of fun.
My complaint is that what thrilled me before is no longer thrilling: There is neither the unique approach to storytelling nor the incredible creativity of the puzzles and HOS found in Nevertales (is there anything else out there like it today?). You will not find the amazing depth of storyline or the incomparable attention to detail that you do in Portal of Evil: Stolen Runes (Talk about haunting! Down to the background music of, what sounds like, chanting monks and special effects that give new meaning to the word "special" Stolen Runes is in a class by itself!!).
After all is said and done, there is still nothing technically wrong with Nightmare Dwellers. In fact, there is much that's great. As a break from some of the intensity of other games, this is a welcome relief and a good bit of fun.
I would boil my "issue" down to this: I don't like my Arsenic serve with Old Lace anymore. I prefer games that are much more intense and much less formulaic.
With this game, a Special Edition as opposed to a Collector's Edition, the question is, does it present a better value proposition as an SE? Not necessarily. Of course it's much less expensive (free, even, if you have a coupon). Despite my complaints about the game, I still very much enjoyed it and I think it's worth what you spend on it.
If you don't get the Collector's Edition, you're also not getting:
a. A bonus chapter.
b. Achievements and Collections.
c. Re-playable mini games and Hidden Object puzzles.
d. The "who cares" assortment of screen savers, wallpapers and concept art.
e. An integrated strategy guide.
a. A bonus chapter.
b. Achievements and Collections.
c. Re-playable mini games and Hidden Object puzzles.
d. The "who cares" assortment of screen savers, wallpapers and concept art.
e. An integrated strategy guide.
I think all of the components listed above really add to the value of Nightmare Dwellers and consequently, while I recommend this game as an SE or a CE, I much prefer the Collector's Edition and all the extras that come with it. I think you will as well.
I recommend this game!
Gatsby's criminal past intrudes as Judy, a young architect, is caught up in a kidnapper's scheme to unearth the socialite's secret treasure.
Overall rating
1
/
5
24 of 37 found this review helpful
This is NOT a Treasure
PostedDecember 27, 2013
sfr8rfan
fromThis is not remotely intriguing. It's soporific.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Go ahead and downgrade this review as unhelpful.
This game presents no challenge when it comes to the ordinary work of a Hidden Object/Adventure:
a. The regular acquisition of items is simple.
b. The HOGs themselves are simplistic and preent no challenge.
c. The puzzles, while, in some cases, new-ish are still not creative and are neither difficult nor fun.
d. The visual/sound quality: Some people who're intrigued by this game have in other similarly designed games complained of choppiness and cartoonish characterizations. That is certainly exactly what you get here. The voice acting is embarrassingly poor. Actors, however, say they are only as good as the script given...usually this is a praise to the screenwriter. HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE SCRIPT:
a. The regular acquisition of items is simple.
b. The HOGs themselves are simplistic and preent no challenge.
c. The puzzles, while, in some cases, new-ish are still not creative and are neither difficult nor fun.
d. The visual/sound quality: Some people who're intrigued by this game have in other similarly designed games complained of choppiness and cartoonish characterizations. That is certainly exactly what you get here. The voice acting is embarrassingly poor. Actors, however, say they are only as good as the script given...usually this is a praise to the screenwriter. HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE SCRIPT:
Situation: The protagonist of the story, Judy, has gotten a phone call from her roommate Amy who asks Judy to join her for dinner. Judy can't participate because she's having dinner wit her boyfriend Peter. Amy hangs up and Judy immediately determines something is wrong and drives to their apartment.
(They are roommates).
(They are roommates).
Upon entering the apartment and seeing it disheveled:
(paraphrasing) "Oh my God, what's happened?"
(paraphrasing) "Oh my God, what's happened?"
(Phone Rings and it's Amy, to whom Judy says: "oh my God Amy, you're alive" (yes I always jump to the conclusion that my roommate is dead).
The kidnapper calls and threatens Judy.
Judy thinks to herself "Oh My God, my dinner with Peter. Well, I have to save Amy."
Seriously. This is the quality of the "storyline." In other words, this treasure is bankrupt.
Use your botany skills to survive the strange new planet of Botanica. Can you find your way back to Earth in this thrilling Hidden Object adventure?
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
The Unknown was, at times, Unknowable.
PostedDecember 23, 2013
sfr8rfan
fromGet the game, but think carefully about spending the money for a CE. I'm thinking an SE is the way to go. Read on for my take on it!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I played this game from start to finish, including the bonus features. I liked this game and will recommend it, but with a few caveats.
FUN FACTOR
There was the right mix of puzzles, HOG, characters, music, storyline, activity, sites/sights etc. to make this a fun game.
There was the right mix of puzzles, HOG, characters, music, storyline, activity, sites/sights etc. to make this a fun game.
VISUAL/SOUND QUALITY
Visuals: It was beautiful to look at. So, I guess the visuals were good, right? It was a very vibrant, colorful game. The Cut scenes were nicely choreographed and really capped the adventure.
Sound Quality: The background music, ever-present, was quite good and really supported the kind of tropical/island feel of the game. The Voice Overs were very good, I thought. The actors were good. Some have suggested stiffness. I didn't detect that. I liked the characters (save one, who was kind of an annoying kid) overall.
Visual/Sound Quality come together in Lip Synching. There wasn't any in the game and I think that's where some feel the game seemed a bit amateurish. I don't understand why there wasn't. There'd be a drawing of a character and a voice over but no moving lips. It would have taken this from comic strip to movie-like. Because it's not an old game that missing feature made no sense to me. Character movement was a bit choppy and that was disappointing as well.
LEVEL OF CHALLENGE
HOGs: There were a few different types of HOG. You've seen them all before. They were all executed well. Nothing earth-shattering, nothing new, but what was done was fully satisfying.
Mini-Games/Puzzles: Here was a profound problem for me. First, the directions for the mini-games were almost uniformly deficient. Not good. (On the other hand, maybe I'm thick and don't know how interpret what I read). I don't think some of the puzzles were just difficult, I think they were incomprehensible. This was the weakest point of the game for me. While some mini-games were silly easy others just made no sense. Based on the enormously high ratings others have given perhaps it really was me..but I don't think so. Play it yourself and see what you think. I'm betting you'll agree with me. I'm not afraid to say I don't understand something. And yes, I do consider myself an expert. Perhaps I should re-think that. But I will not lie to you.
Storyline: It's interesting enough and it drives the action in the game. You can read about it in everyone's review. You don't need another one from me...I won't add anything to the recap. I thought it was fun. Sometimes we review these things and sound like we were expecting works of literature. No. That's not what these are. The best I've seen don't qualify for that distinction and this was certainly not the best I've seen, But it's good.
This is a Collector's Edition. Here's what you get:
a. Additional chapter, an epilogue. Nice length. Nice content.
b. Strategy Guide
c. The "who cares" combination of Cut Scenes, Soundtrack, Wall paper and Concept Art.
d. Achievements. Most of these you'll accomplish just by playing the game and if you don't achieve them, it's because you stopped playing. Others are simply speed and not-skipping accomplishments. Finally there are awards for how many of the collectibles you get (50 are available in toto).
a. Additional chapter, an epilogue. Nice length. Nice content.
b. Strategy Guide
c. The "who cares" combination of Cut Scenes, Soundtrack, Wall paper and Concept Art.
d. Achievements. Most of these you'll accomplish just by playing the game and if you don't achieve them, it's because you stopped playing. Others are simply speed and not-skipping accomplishments. Finally there are awards for how many of the collectibles you get (50 are available in toto).
It's what you DON'T GET in the CE that surprises and disappoints me: based on the difficulty I had with the puzzles/mini-games I'd have enjoyed replaying some of them to try and gain an understanding of them. Not an option here. Of course you can replay the game, but you cannot go directly to the puzzles...or the HOG, for that matter. This is a problem.
There are other features of the game, but I haven't played the SE, so I I'm not sure, but I rather doubt they are CE only features:
a. Something called the Encyclopedia Botanica: this is just a collection of pictures (drawings) and descriptions of the plants found in the story.
b. A collectable: kind of a dragon fly of close relative that is hidden, no so carefully.
c. Botanist Kit: in the normal course of play you collect fluids and elements. These are used to make potions that you use throughout the game.
d. A journal, a to-do list and a map.
e. a few different modes of playing (btw, one, rather self-effacing "achievement," is to use the skip feature 10 times in the hard mode....Ok, whatever.
a. Something called the Encyclopedia Botanica: this is just a collection of pictures (drawings) and descriptions of the plants found in the story.
b. A collectable: kind of a dragon fly of close relative that is hidden, no so carefully.
c. Botanist Kit: in the normal course of play you collect fluids and elements. These are used to make potions that you use throughout the game.
d. A journal, a to-do list and a map.
e. a few different modes of playing (btw, one, rather self-effacing "achievement," is to use the skip feature 10 times in the hard mode....Ok, whatever.
Bottom line: I liked the game despite its shortcomings. I do not think it's worthy of CE status or the price you pay. As always, I recommend the "try me" feature which BFG generously offers. I ended up buying the CE and really wish I hadn't. The SE would have been quite sufficient I think. And the $:value proposition adds up for the SE in a way it doesn't for the CE.
I recommend this game!
Time is running out for a worried bride! Locate her groom in a town plagued by mysterious drownings.
Overall rating
2
/
5
57 of 80 found this review helpful
No, I did not find my Bliss.
PostedDecember 21, 2013
sfr8rfan
fromIf this isn't your very first HOG/Adventure/Puzzle game, you will be bored.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
This game is not offensive. There's nothing WRONG with it. It just presents absolutely zero challenge and consequently, zero fun. I stopped playing after an hour or so when I realized I wasn't enjoying myself at all...but AFTER I'd paid the discounted rate of $8.99. (arrgggh!)
FUN FACTOR
See above.
See above.
VISUAL/SOUND QUALITY
Visuals: The game is actually stunningly beautiful and the artistic renderings make you feel though you are in a resort town.
Sound Quality: Not a lot to judge on besides the background music. There are not a lot of voice overs (it's a first-person game and while you're interacting with objects and situations, you are not interacting with people because there really aren't any. There are references to other people but not a lot of direct contact.
LEVEL OF CHALLENGE
HOGs: These are way too easy, presenting no challenge.
PUZZLEs: Again, these are way too easy and present no challenge. There's nothing new about the puzzles and they are extremely simple. In some cases, little games masquerade as puzzles but the solution is in your journal.
PUZZLEs: Again, these are way too easy and present no challenge. There's nothing new about the puzzles and they are extremely simple. In some cases, little games masquerade as puzzles but the solution is in your journal.
STORYLINE:
It's a little confusing to me, honestly. Because of the poor HOGs and Puzzles and general lack of challenge in the game I guess the storyline isn't that important. Anyway, you're marrying a guy who's having some career issues. While surprised that your wedding is taking place in this ritzy location, you'll learn to like it. Upon your arrival, after being summoned to the town you learn your groom-to-be is missing. There are some strange goings-on in the lakeside town and it's not clear why he's gone but at issue is a strange "spectral" material (some pink stuff that, when you encounter it, you collect.
It's a little confusing to me, honestly. Because of the poor HOGs and Puzzles and general lack of challenge in the game I guess the storyline isn't that important. Anyway, you're marrying a guy who's having some career issues. While surprised that your wedding is taking place in this ritzy location, you'll learn to like it. Upon your arrival, after being summoned to the town you learn your groom-to-be is missing. There are some strange goings-on in the lakeside town and it's not clear why he's gone but at issue is a strange "spectral" material (some pink stuff that, when you encounter it, you collect.
This game is a Collector's Edition and here's what you get:
a. The normal assortment of wallpaper, screen savers, music and cut scenes.
b. A Bonus Chapter
c. Achievements (nothing special).
d. A collectible (nothing particularly appealing: the silhouette of what looks to be a dragonfly, is spread around in a variety of places and its your job to collect them all.
e. A Strategy Guide
a. The normal assortment of wallpaper, screen savers, music and cut scenes.
b. A Bonus Chapter
c. Achievements (nothing special).
d. A collectible (nothing particularly appealing: the silhouette of what looks to be a dragonfly, is spread around in a variety of places and its your job to collect them all.
e. A Strategy Guide
So, the question is, should you buy the game all? And, if you decide you should, should you spend the money on a CE or wait for the lower price of an SE (zero price if you have a coupon)?
I began by saying there's nothing offensive about the game. I think this is a very good FIRST TIME game. Once you have even the most basic experience at HOG/Adventure/Puzzle games you'll find you've graduated from beyond the level of challenge and interest provided by Mysterium. As for CE or SE: I don't think there's an SE available right now. There is a sale going on so you can get the CE for $8.99. That's still too much IMO but if you must have a game...
So, the bottom line is, unless this is going to be your first game and you want a gentle first experience, avoid this game...not because it's a bad game that's littered with a lot of stupid errors, but because you passed this game by long ago.
I don't 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…
Overall rating
5
/
5
96 of 118 found this review helpful
THIS GAME IS DEFINITELY RATED DIAMOND LEVEL
PostedDecember 19, 2013
sfr8rfan
fromFamily Advisory: This is a great game for the whole family! It's educational and fun at the same time!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This is a very high quality game, befitting a partnership between the Smithsonian Institution and Big Fish Games.
Here's the story: You've been recruited by the Hidden Exhibition crew to find shards of the Hope Diamond before a family of crooks beats you to the punch. The game begins with with you held hostage on a train but just as fast as you jump out the speeding train's window, we go back in time a few weeks to the Smithsonian whence you were summoned.
This game is less driven by the story line than by the objects of your attention. This is a classic HOG/mini-game adventure.
FUN FACTOR
Very high. There's much to do and you're ceaselessly moving from one activity to the next, punctuated by HOPs and puzzles.
Very high. There's much to do and you're ceaselessly moving from one activity to the next, punctuated by HOPs and puzzles.
VISUAL/SOUND QUALITY
Visuals: As good as it gets, this game seems more movie-like and photographic than animated drawings. This is truly High Def. It's colorful...and not just the environment, but even the puzzles make extensive use of the whole palette of colors. It's beautiful to look at.
Sounds:
The background music is exactly that. It's a jaunty theme going on. This is NOT a scary game and the music isn't intended to scare the wits out of you...it's just accompaniment.
The background music is exactly that. It's a jaunty theme going on. This is NOT a scary game and the music isn't intended to scare the wits out of you...it's just accompaniment.
Joined together in lip synching, visuals and sounds are not great yet you don't feel like you're missing much. There's some character interaction at the beginning and there's lip synching. While the voice over acting is good, the lip synching is not stupendous. As a first-person game, you're viewing what's happening through your own eyes and person to person chat isn't a big part.
LEVEL OF CHALLENGE
HOGs: These are very well done. Items are not impossible to find but are well-hidden and well-described. Some of the items are straight-forward. Others are "plus one" where you combine one item with another to achieve some purpose.
Within each of the HOGs there is a morphing item (a collector's edition feature, I'm guessing). Finding each of them will gain you an "achievement." (Yet another CE feature).
Puzzles: The puzzles are not new, but many of them add a twist or two that makes them more than just the ordinary. You will enjoy the puzzles. As I mentioned earlier, the puzzles are also very colorful.
Additionally, there are available puzzles just in the course of game play...for example, you collect 4 bobble-heads in early game play. There's a "station" where other bobble head dolls are gathered in the "museum." You're given the task of matching the bobble head doll with the character's name. This reminds me of actual exhibits at the Smithsonian. The characters are American heroes...a learning/teaching moment.
This game is a Collector's Edition and it's in the assortment of CE features that you find the real value of this game:
a. A bonus chapter.
b. The previously mentioned Morphing Items found in the HOGs.
c. Achievements
d. Collectibles
1. Fact Cards: Found intermittently, these are interesting factoids about the Smithsonian Institute. I believe there are 20 of them. Each one is bound to tell you something interesting about the Smithsonian that you didn't know before.
b. The previously mentioned Morphing Items found in the HOGs.
c. Achievements
d. Collectibles
1. Fact Cards: Found intermittently, these are interesting factoids about the Smithsonian Institute. I believe there are 20 of them. Each one is bound to tell you something interesting about the Smithsonian that you didn't know before.
2. Smithsonian Emblems: along the way, in virtually every scene, you need to find one of the 49 total Smithsonian Institute Logo emblems. These are sometimes obviously located and other times more playfully placed. You need to be on the lookout for them. This is one case where a collectible is really fun and is really a challenge that adds to the quality of the game.
e. The "who cares" collection: Re-playable movies/cut scenes; re-playable HOGs; Music; Pics (screen savers? wallpaper?).
f. Maps, varying in the information provided, based on the level of difficulty you choose to play. The easy level map tells you where you are, where you need to accomplish things and the objectives. The next level up tells you only where you are and what you need to do, not where to go to do it; Level 3 gives only the layout of the game/museum. Finally, there is a custom level of play and a customizable map.
f. Maps, varying in the information provided, based on the level of difficulty you choose to play. The easy level map tells you where you are, where you need to accomplish things and the objectives. The next level up tells you only where you are and what you need to do, not where to go to do it; Level 3 gives only the layout of the game/museum. Finally, there is a custom level of play and a customizable map.
One of the very attractive features of this game is it's applicability to kids. My 12 year old son already helps me out with HOGs sometimes if the scenes aren't too graphic. He get a kick out of lending a hand. Because this is not a heavy-duty slasher type game I think it really lends itself to a kid's involvement and I intend to do exactly that with mine. He'll learn a little something about the country and the Smithsonian that will underscore what he saw in D.C. last summer!
I'm aware as I write this I might give the impression that Hidden Expeditions: Smithsonian is so light weight as to be uninteresting to the serious gamer. Not the case. As much as I like the dark side in games, even I find this a welcome and fun relief from the intensity.
I'm pretty certain you'll enjoy this game. And, if you have kids, this is a really great and really rare opportunity to get them involved.
I strongly recommend this game...i don't think that's a surprise. I'm really enjoying it.
I recommend this game!
Take on Time Mysteries: The Ancient Spectres, a challenging Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game! Stop the evil witch Viviana!
Overall rating
1
/
5
10 of 10 found this review helpful
There's a Mystery here: How did The Ancient Spectres achieve a 4.2 overall rating?!?!?!?
PostedDecember 18, 2013
sfr8rfan
fromCaveat Emptor: Make SURE you try the "Play Now" feature before buying this game.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I played this game for the one hour trial. I made very little progress. Based on the one hour's play I could not justify spending the money required to own Ancient Spectres. I would not apply game credits to get it for free. That would be a waste of a precious "CE coupon.
Before I proceed with the "play now" option of a game for testing purposes, I read the reviews of others. There are a few, Pennmom36, Nilosh, and a relatively newer reviewer, ElitistGeek, whom I ALWAYS seek out because they put a lot of thought and work into their reviews. I don't necessarily agree with their findings, but I absolutely trust their business-like approach to reviews and the integrity with which they write. They inspire me to write the best possible reviews I can. Please believe me when I say, I'm not just taking potshots Time Mysteries.
THIS GAME gave me nothing in the first hour of play that made me want to continue.
OVERALL: Guess.
FUN FACTOR: Well, there were points in the game where I laughed out loud. It was because it was a funny moment, not a fun moment. Fun is what I have when the other elements of judgment are good: Audio-Visual elements, Storyline, Challenge (HOG and Puzzles). My "Fun" score and my "Overall" score are usually the same.
VISUAL/SOUND QUALITY
Visual: Perhaps the developers did exactly what they set out to do...if what they set out to do was create a game with virtually incomprehensible visuals. Every scene seemed as though I were looking through a smudged dirty window into a room with very poor lighting. I couldn't make anything out, and my eyesight isn't failing. Objects were not discernible to me. Consequently, the majority of the hour test time was spent on two HOS. Throughout both I got to a point where I just rapid clicked in order to clear the items.
Sound Quality: The voice actors were annoying at best. They were wooden in the voice acting. Emotions of surprise, fear, discovery, trepidation, success...These don't sound the same...right? In this case they did sound the same. The couple/few voice actors I heard sounded like they were reading, not acting.
Another annoying audio "feature" is the repetition of a spoken line: you click in a certain are and that sparks a particular line of script to be spoken. This area is too large. As a result there's way too much repetition of spoken lines of script. You cannot short-circuit the line by clicking on something else: once the line of script is started, it plays through to completion and you can do nothing else while it's being spoken. When you add this repetitiveness to the poor acting, it's almost unbearable.
LEVEL OF CHALLENGE
HOGs: As I wrote earlier, it's difficult to see the individual items because of the hazy and poorly lighting. Additionally, the scenes are heaps of items thrown together in piles and indistinguishable. These objects are not hard to see because they blend into the background or are exceptionally well-hidden. They are hard to see because they're unclear, because they are poorly described AND AFTER AWHILE, because you just give up, realizing that it's a fool's errand searching after them.
Puzzles: The challenge here is more realistic. In my hour I played only two puzzles/mini-games. They were not difficult, particularly, but they were fun. They are not new, but presented a slightly different take on old, reliable styles of games. (At the time Ancient Spectres was published, these games may have been new and state of the art. If so, bravo to them.
STORYLINE
I only know what I've read and it does sound interesting. I know there's a lot more to the story than what experienced in the hour I played but I'm not paying to play a poor quality game just to find out.
CONTEXTUALIZING OTHER REVIEWS:
This is not a new game and game development has come a long way since this Ancient Spectres was "born." When I looked at the reviews of this game, I discovered that the likelihood of a high score increased with the age of the review. Older review=higher score. Newer review=lower score. This is a function of the great strides in game design over the last year: games have gotten a lot better. A high score on on a recent review of an old game translates into CLASSIC!! That is not what we see here. Please bear this in mind when making decisions based on reviews that are relatively old.
This is not a new game and game development has come a long way since this Ancient Spectres was "born." When I looked at the reviews of this game, I discovered that the likelihood of a high score increased with the age of the review. Older review=higher score. Newer review=lower score. This is a function of the great strides in game design over the last year: games have gotten a lot better. A high score on on a recent review of an old game translates into CLASSIC!! That is not what we see here. Please bear this in mind when making decisions based on reviews that are relatively old.
Considering the age of Ancient Spectres, I think you can do much better than this. You can find classics: for instance, try Edgar Allan Poe: The Black Cat Collector's Edition; Haunted Halls: Fears From Childhood; and, Macabre Mysteries: Curse of the Nightingale Collector's Edition. These are examples of games which, while old, stand the test of time and are objectively good games. While they may no longer be your "up of tea" you will not see them as being qualitatively deficient.
I cannot recommend this game to you in any format...CE, SE, paid or free...This is a waste of time and money. And...it's a good reason to find a few reviewers whom you can trust: read what they write carefully, depend on them.
I don't recommend this game.