mouser9169's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.9
- Helpful Votes:292
- Reviews Submitted:90
- First Review:October 20, 2012
- Most Recent Review:April 24, 2018
- Featured reviews0
Status:
After being kidnapped, your friend is about to be sacrificed to a powerful demon and it's up to you to save him!
Overall rating
4
/
5
Long, challeging puzzle game
PostedApril 24, 2018
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
This review is based on a complete playthrough of the main game.
First off, there's not a lot of 'bling' in the CE, so you're mainly missing the two bonus adventures - no achievements, collectibles, morphs,etc... You could also replay some of the puzzles. Now on the standard edition review:
This is a pretty straightforward game. Not much of a story - Evil is coming, and we get to stop it. Friend kidnapped, etc... The 'gimmick' of the game is changing locations by opening and closing shades to switch between light and dark areas. It works well enough, and makes what would be a very small map passable.
THE GOOD: Very challenging. Lots of hard puzzles that had me scratching my head or working things out on scratch paper. A couple of them very math based, some 'flip all the tiles', arranging items in order. I skipped three or four after working on them for a while, something I seldom do.
The other main feature are reverse HO scenes, where you place items on the list into the scene - some items get placed, others get used (ie: a duster to dust off a shelf to see what's underneath). There are some traditional HO scenes as well.
The whole thing took me a good five hours over two sittings, so there's plenty of game for your money.
THE BAD: The hint system is frustrating. Lots of 'nothing to do here', or worse, showing you where to use an item you don't have yet. Maybe it's me an the aztec/inca theme, but so many of the keys and statues looked similar it was hard to remember what went where.
Also, while most of the HO scenes are good, there's more than a few that just aren't well lit enough to find some of the items. Not a deal breaker, but it did get annoying.
THE UGLY: Not much here. The game was bug free, and the graphics and sound were fine - nothing stellar, but nothing really pulling you out of the game,either.
Overall, this is a solid game if you don't need a lot of story but want a challenge and don't mind checking room after room to find out which lock the key you have fits into.
I recommend this game!
Find a kidnapped teenage girl and save yourself in Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek, a fun Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Great story with old school HO scenes
PostedApril 24, 2018
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This review is based on a complete playthrough and mostly copied from my CE review.
First off, you're not missing much getting the standard edition: the bonus game is only about an hour long in a small area. It tells a brief prequel story for one of the characters. Other than that, the CE lets you replay HO scenes - no collectibles, morphs, or achievements.
THE GOOD: The story is great, very creepy, with a couple of nice scares along the way. There are a few twists and turns and misdirects to keep you on your toes and interested in whats happening over a fairly long game (took me a good six hours).
The setting is done well with plenty of locations. Not a lot of voice acting, but what is there is solid. Visual quality still holds up well.
Many hidden object scenes, and they are all repeated several times. Puzzles range from easy to challenging, with a large sliding block puzzle one of the highlights. The 'mystery' is well done, requiring a lot of thought to figure out what to do next (in a good way). The clues are kept readily available to you on a bulletin board type page, so you can keep track of what you know.
THE BAD: Tons of backtracking - up to fourteen screens each way (I counted). This game really could have used a jump map. The HO scenes are all junkpiles. At least the objects are clear and well lit for the most part.
Some of the active areas are right next to each other, to the point where I missed a couple and needed a hint to point them out (hint is directional).
THE UGLY: Some misspellings here and there in the HO lists (spectre instead of scepter, for example) and a few mislabeled (not just the british vs. american thing).
BOTTOM LINE: This is a good game, even more so if you love the HO part of HOPA. I'm giving it four stars due to the repeated HO scenes. If you're on the fence between the standard or CE, I'd say just get the standard edition - everything wraps up nicely here.
I recommend this game!
Find a kidnapped teenage girl and save yourself in Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek, a fun Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Great story with old school HO scenes
PostedApril 24, 2018
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This review is based on a complete playthrough.
First off, the CE stuff (or why should I pay double for this game?): A short bonus chapter in a very small area that took me less than an hour. It tells a prequel story - the main story ends properly in the base game. After beating the bonus, you can replay all the HO scenes, plus wallpapers, etc... No collectibles, achievements, or morphs.
THE GOOD: The story is great, very creepy, with a couple of nice scares along the way. There are a few twists and turns and misdirects to keep you on your toes and interested in whats happening over a fairly long game (took me a good six hours).
The setting is done well with plenty of locations. Not a lot of voice acting, but what is there is solid. Visual quality still holds up well.
Many hidden object scenes, and they are all repeated several times. Puzzles range from easy to challenging, with a large sliding block puzzle one of the highlights. The 'mystery' is well done, requiring a lot of thought to figure out what to do next (in a good way). The clues are kept readily available to you on a bulletin board type page, so you can keep track of what you know.
THE BAD: Tons of backtracking - up to fourteen screens each way (I counted). This game really could have used a jump map. The HO scenes are all junkpiles. At least the objects are clear and well lit for the most part.
Some of the active areas are right next to each other, to the point where I missed a couple and needed a hint to point them out (hint is directional).
THE UGLY: Some misspellings here and there in the HO lists (spectre instead of scepter, for example) and a few mislabeled (not just the british vs. american thing).
BOTTOM LINE: This is a good game, even more so if you love the HO part of HOPA. I'm giving it four stars due to the repeated HO scenes. If you're on the fence between the standard or CE, I'd say just get the standard edition - everything wraps up nicely there.
I recommend this game!
After crashing your car in the middle of nowhere, you stumble upon a mysterious town with a shady background. Solve a dark mystery!
Overall rating
4
/
5
Pretty much a pure HO (or M3) game
PostedJune 30, 2015
mouser9169
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
This review is based on a complete playthrough.
Like the title says, this game is all about the HO scenes, which are straight lists. You have the option of doing match 3 instead if you prefer (which was my choice). The story is pure cliche: crashed car, eerie hotel, town frozen in time, dark and stormy night. The game even lampshades it for you several times.
THE GOOD: It's a long game. Doing the match 3's the game took me over 6 hours to play. I went on the middle difficulty, which put the hint on a 6 minute timer outside of the HO, and a 3 minute timer in them.
The graphics are well done, voice acting is spot on. Not too much depth to the characters or twists to the story, as it's really just there to propel you from one scene to the next.
The match 3 games increased in difficulty as the game went on.
THE BAD: Not a lot so long as you know what you're getting. If you want a lot of 'adventure' or puzzles with your games, this isn't the one for you.
THE UGLY: A few mistranslations, not enough to really throw me, but I didn't go through all the HO lists since I was doing M3.
BOTTOM LINE: This is probably the closest we're going to get these days to a 'pure' HO game. At least, it's the closest I've seen. No random lists, so it won't have the replay value of Prime Suspects, but there is a bit more story attached and the graphics are much better.
If working the HO scenes is your thing, then this is a game for you.
I recommend this game!
Investigate the threat shrouded in the approaching fog. Plunge into danger to bring a mysterious island's secrets to the surface!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
A solid game, but not one of the best
PostedJune 29, 2015
mouser9169
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Large File
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This review is based on a complete playthrough.
This is one of the 'old school' ND games, with the big interface and all that. I played through on Senior Detective, and pretty much made it through (checked for two 'vague' hints, and needed help with one puzzle).
THE GOOD : Challenging game with even less 'hand holding' than some earlier games in the series (which wasn't much to begin with), at least on senior detective.
Well fleshed out characters, with personalities and little side stories. I suspected EVERYBODY in this one, suspected that everyone was in it together at one point, and other times thought there were multiple unrelated mysteries with multiple culprits. I won't spoil the surprise though ;)
THE BAD: Not really bad, but the mystery part of the story didn't hold up to me as well as some of the rest (judging just against the 'old school' games). It starts off as a case of petty vandalism - nothing to get to concerned about, honestly. And there were a few points in the game where (even in ND game logic), the 'sane' thing to do would be to take what you know to the sheriff and wash your hands of the mess. Finally the game takes a hard swerve at the end.
Those points aside, the mystery does grow as the story moves along, and Nancy finds herself in deep at the end, as always. Only thing missing was the mid-game deathtrap sequence.
THE UGLY: Other than the interface, not much. You can either deal with that or you can't. I've been playing games for a long, long time now, and remember when these were absolutely mind blowing graphics. Others may not be so forgiving.
BOTTOM LINE: A great addition to your ND collection. While I can't give it 5 stars, it rates a solid four and gave me a good dozen hours or so of enjoyment in one marathon session. If you let yourself sleep on the puzzles when you get stuck, you'll probably get a good two or three days gaming out of it.
I recommend this game!
These nursery rhymes are cursed, and your sister’s been taken by the Crooked Man!
Overall rating
5
/
5
As dark as the "original" mother goose and grimm
PostedJune 28, 2015
mouser9169
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Large File
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This review is based on a complete playthrough of the game.
Very solid game from Blue Tea. It's a dark fairy tale, like most fairy tales originally were. Don't expect a disney-fied 'happily ever after' at the end. Loads of puzzles and a few FROG's. HO scenes repeat, and so do some puzzle themes.
3 difficulty's, separate option to turn off sparklies, misclick penalty in FROG's, and two sets of instruction for puzzles: a riddle, and then you can click for more prosaic instructions if you don't 'get' it.
THE GOOD: The story is excellent. Pacing is spot on. Information is revealed to you as the game goes, and there's more than one 'twist' along this crooked path. Took me about five and a half hours, working out almost all the puzzles and finding the items in the FROG's.
Graphics are solid, with some really good voice casting. There were a few 'jarring' moments when they threw things in that didn't fit the theme they laid out that keep it from the perfect five (a pair of bolt cutters straight out of your local hardware store in the first scene being one example).
Puzzles are challenging, and the 'riddle' instructions are a nice change of pace. If you don't get the riddle, normal instructions are just a click away. There was only one puzzle I had to skip.
If you've played any of the Dark Parables, you know what the HO scenes are like (there's even an easter egg to one of the DP games). Same system used here. Find item pieces that match the pictures, and they all get put together to make one item for your inventory. They do a good job hiding them, but the hint is there to help you.
THE BAD: Widescreen option distorts the image rather than giving a true widescreen picture. That's about the only technical fault I can come up with.
THE UGLY: There were a few times I got knocked out of the flow of the game, either by artwork not matching the style and palette of the surroundings, or else the story not following the games own logic (someone asks for a weapon, there's a sword right there on the wall. Why can't I hand them the sword?) These are minor and far between though.
BOTTOM LINE: Loved this game. If you like darker stories, and have the patience to work through some challenging puzzles, give this game a go.
I recommend this game!
Enter a vampire world as Dahlia, a vampire with a fantastic sense of fashion and a razor-sharp wit! Find the legendary sun potion!
Overall rating
5
/
5
13 of 15 found this review helpful
Why can't more games be this good?
PostedJune 28, 2015
mouser9169
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This review is based on a complete playthough of the game.
First, let me get this out of the way. There is no part 2, nor is there likely to ever be. It doesn't matter. This is a complete story as is. Just pretend the <to be continued> at the end isn't there. How many stories do you love where the hero walks off into the sunset into another adventure?
Some great features for a SE - an optional mini-game, reviewable movies, and 'trophies' you can find along the way (I'm pretty sure some are missable). There is a misclick penalty, but nothing terrible. HO scenes are fairly straight forward with a bit of 'interactivity'. Scenes are repeated with different objects.
The puzzles are more of the 'point and click adventure' type rather than the usual HOPA fare (making this a HOPaCA?). Very logical. Items are used intelligently and often not immediately discarded.
THE GOOD: The story is incredible. Interesting characters, quirky humor, family friendly with nods and winks to the grown-ups. Fun, fun, fun.
The game took me about 5 1/2 hours to play, taking my time and working through everything. I did get stuck twice and resorted to the walkthrough. If the story wasn't so good I might have put the game aside and come back to it to solve later - I wanted to keep going.
The best music I think I've heard in one of these games. I love that theme song (not hard to find file). Even the 'ambient' sounds and general game music didn't get repetitive or annoying.
The graphics are flash animation comic book style, and for this game IT WORKS! That's the only thing keeping this game from getting straight 5's from me, but I'm honestly not sure that doing it in FMV would have made it better. Sometimes you have to choose the medium that fits the work, and they did that well here.
THE BAD: Not much. The parts I got stuck on were simply me missing things. The ending was a bit abrupt, and left some loose ends I would have liked to see tied up, but that's where the planned sequel came in. It's still a complete ending, and everything made sense, which is more than I can say for a lot of 'complete' series in media (not just games).
THE UGLY: Dahlia's not my girlfriend in this game :(
Seriously, the game, the characters, everything is beautiful.
Seriously, the game, the characters, everything is beautiful.
BOTTOM LINE: Wholehearted recommendation, this is now one of my favorite games, and one I'm sure I'll replay more than once down the road. Easily makes my top five, maybe even top 3. Far better than most CE games I've played. Well worth it at full price, and an absolute steal if you ever see it as a DD or CotW.
I recommend this game!
Help detective Ashley Clark uncover the truth behind a series of mysterious kidnappings, and reveal the secrets of the ruby pendant!
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
A long puzzle/HO game light on story
PostedJune 27, 2015
mouser9169
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Large File
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
This review is based on a complete playthrough of the game on Normal difficulty.
This is a primarily a puzzle game with some HO scenes and just a smattering of story. It's main redeeming feature is its length: the game took me about 6 hours to complete, even with skipping a few puzzles.
There are four difficulty levels, I played on the second (no sparklies, but hints and skips normal). You have a limited number of hints, but can get more by finding 'collectible' type objects. The hint is directional if nothing is in your scene, and using it that way doesn't use up your hint, so you can use it to find out where to go next without worry.
The HO scenes vary between lists and silhouettes. There is a minor misclick penalty.
THE GOOD: The puzzles are varied and challenging. Some of them I haven't seen before, or only rarely, others are variations on themes. This is the game's strong point, and together with its length is why the game gets three stars and not two.
THE BAD: Directions for some of the puzzles are not clear, and others have alternate solutions that weren't accounted for.
HO scene quality varies. The game starts off in our world, with realistic graphics and very clear scenes, then switches quickly to another place with more 'normal' HOPA style graphics. As the game goes on the HO become more cluttered and less clear - objects hidden in shadows, that sort of thing.
The story starts off with a great hook, then suddenly vanishes as you go from scene to scene and puzzle to puzzle. The ending tries to pull everything back together, but doesn't quite succeed. Ultimately, I'd sum it up as 'boring'.
THE UGLY: Dialog varies between voiced and not almost randomly. Misspelled words, poorly formatted lines, and just plain wrong words in places.
BOTTOM LINE: If you don't mind not having a story, this is a fair puzzle/HO game. It's long enough to justify it's existence, especially as a DD or CotW. There's nothing really special about it though to elevate it to the level of the four and five star games available. Could be a good punch card filler, but there's not enough for me to recommend it as a regular purchase.
I don't recommend this game.
Can a vampire and an ordinary girl be together, if the vampire's father opposes this?
Overall rating
4
/
5
13 of 13 found this review helpful
Play as two protagonists through this vampire tale
PostedJune 23, 2015
mouser9169
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Large File
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Mostly copied over from my review of the CE:
The games comes to a full, if a bit abrupt, conclusion, so you don't get cheated out of an ending by not getting the CE. You miss collectibles, about an hour or so of additional play, and a 'twist/choice' ending in the bonus by not going the CE route.
THE GOOD: Graphically, it's solid, voice overs are well done, and you get customizable options for hint/skip, sparklies, and tutorial.
You have a choice of Match-3 or HO. The match 3 isn't insultingly simple either, so you have a nice bit of fun either way. A few 'interactive' objects in the scenes, but nothing really new going on there. Well drawn though, so you can generally see what you're looking for (no black on black in shadows...).
The 'cool' feature for this game is the ability to switch between the two protagonists. You progress so far as one, then you hit a wall, and need to play as the other to pass the block. I've seen the concept done before in handheld console games, and they carried it over fairly well here. I think Emily's portion got better treatment than Enron's though, so I ding them a bit for that.
The puzzles are the games best feature. The run the gamut from simple to very complex. Most are variations on common themes but there are a few they put some twists on to up the challenge level.
THE BAD: Music gets repetitive, especially the 'jump' swells. The journal 'reveals' as you go, which means you can get info in your journal your character wouldn't know yet (like quests from characters you haven't met).
THE UGLY: A few missteps in the subtitles, and some objects flag as interactive in the HO scenes even when they aren't on the list (scenes are repeated with different objects). Those are minor things though - not nearly enough to detract from the game.
Bottom line: It's a solid title. The story is nothing really new, but the mechanics are a nice twist. The puzzles will keep you engaged, and the HO scenes aren't overdone.
I recommend this game!
Can a vampire and an ordinary girl be together, if the vampire's father opposes this?
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Play as two protagonist through this vampire tale
PostedJune 23, 2015
mouser9169
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Large File
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This is a Collector's Edition, so first up, why should you pay double for this game? It's got a decent length bonus chapter than begins immediately at the end of the normal game (you do get a 'complete' ending either way). A castle you can decorate with a collectible shop. Interface bling in another collectible shop, and all the usual achievements, concept art, and bells and whistles. The end of the Bonus Chapter presents you with an interesting choice, so you'll have to play twice if you want all the achievements.
Now for the main game:
THE GOOD: Graphically, it's solid, voice overs are well done, and you get customizable options for hint/skip, sparklies, and tutorial.
You have a choice of Match-3 or HO. The match 3 isn't insultingly simple either, so you have a nice bit of fun either way. A few 'interactive' objects in the scenes, but nothing really new going on there. Well drawn though, so you can generally see what you're looking for (no black on black in shadows...).
The 'cool' feature for this game is the ability to switch between the two protagonists. You progress so far as one, then you hit a wall, and need to play as the other to pass the block. I've seen the concept done before in handheld console games, and they carried it over fairly well here. I think Emily's portion got better treatment than Enron's though, so I ding them a bit for that.
The puzzles are the games best feature. The run the gamut from simple to very complex. Most are variations on common themes but there are a few they put some twists on to up the challenge level.
THE BAD: Music gets repetitive, especially the 'jump' swells. The journal 'reveals' as you go, which means you can get info in your journal your character wouldn't know yet (like quests from characters you haven't met).
THE UGLY: A few missteps in the subtitles, and some objects flag as interactive in the HO scenes even when they aren't on the list (scenes are repeated with different objects). Those are minor things though - not nearly enough to detract from the game.
Bottom line: It's a solid title. The story is nothing really new, but the mechanics are a nice twist. The puzzles will keep you engaged, and the HO scenes aren't overdone. The CE gives you extra stuff, without being cheating the main game of an ending.
I recommend this game!