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:
Save your sister from the grave! After receiving a troubling phone call from your brother-in-law, you’re off on an adventure!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
A solid, long SE with some decent challenges
PostedJuly 15, 2014
mouser9169
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This review is based on a complete playthrough of the game.
First - before you even start the game you're faced with a choice of two evils: do you want the easier setting that has 'glints' everywhere, or do you want the harder setting that has a more extreme 'click penalty'? I hate click penalties, so I chose the former.
The game took me a bit over six hours to complete, and I skipped one puzzle and used the hint more than a few times.
I'm reviewing this in 2014. The game is about three years old at this point, but I have to rate it by 2014 standards as that's when the people reading this will be choosing where to spend their money.
On to the game:
THE GOOD: The game length, as I noted above. Also, the game ended conclusively, no loose ends hanging.
The graphics were ok, a dark palette which fits the tone of the game. The music fit the setting, and was 'pleasant' enough to keep on through the whole game.
You have a 'task list' in place of a journal that lists the things you need to do. The 'main quest' is at the top of the list for pretty much the whole game so you won't forget about it.
The story is a fairly standard one, with no real twists or surprises, but sometimes just sticking to the formula can be a bit of a 'surprise' in itself. At any rate, the story worked. I knew what I was doing and why throughout the game, and the main goal (saving your sister) never really leaves.
There are lots of HOS. They're the 'traditional' word list with a couple of 'interactions' for each scene. Some (all?) get repeated, but they're different the second time - objects you found may be gone, new objects to find may be added.
The puzzles were all fairly standard, medium difficulty. The last puzzle I skipped - It wasn't the puzzle itself that was too difficult, figuring out exactly what they wanted was. I'm sure it's doable if you really put your noggin to it, but at that point I was ready for the finish.
THE BAD: Lots of little things, starting with the GUI. Backing out of a scene wasn't easy, you had to put the cursor just right between your inventory (which stays open) and the scene. It wasn't terribly difficult, but always having to watch that got annoying fast.
No map. You can manage your way around without one, and at key points you are given some 'teleports' to get to where you need to go and back again. Still, a map would have been very helpful, especially during the middle of the game when you're still exploring everywhere.
The HOS were dark. Yes, it fit with the game, but when you start looking for objects painted black on black it gets old. Combine that with the incessant click penatly (you can't pace yourself to avoid it, it just happens every so many clicks) and the scenes become frustrating. I'm glad I didn't choose the longer click penalty.
No voice overs - everything is done via dialog written on screen.
The 'task list' knows WAY more than it should. You'll see lots of 'goals' listed that you have no clue about because you haven't found the place or object it's talking about yet.
THE UGLY: A few typos: "fawcet" and similar. Some ambiguous terms in the HOS list: which 'bird' or 'bow' do they want? Without giving away a spoiler, one puzzle looks like it wants numbered buttons, instead it wants light bulbs.
Those things are few and far between though, thankfully.
BOTTOM LINE: I'm giving this game four stars primarily for it's length - over six hours for me. It's an ok story, done with decent graphics but no voice-overs. You see 'yourself' (which can be good or bad depending on your preferences). Plenty of HOS, and some reasonably challenging puzzles. You are not 'cheated' out of an ending by getting the SE.
It doesn't rise to the level of the best games coming out now, but it's stood the test of time fairly well. Still a worthy SE to add to your collection.
I recommend this game!
When a medical consultation goes terribly wrong, it's up to you to realize the full potential of your ability and save the day!
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
A short psycho-thriller heavy on the HOS
PostedJuly 14, 2014
mouser9169
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This review is based on a complete playthrough of the game.
I'm reviewing this game in 2014, so I'm judging it on 2014 standards. Fair or not, this is when you'll be spending your money, so it's got to be rated against the other choices you have now.
The game starts off with a familiar theme: you're trapped in an insane asylum and need to escape. Unfortunately, there aren't too many twists and turns along that road, at least in this edition (bonus game may have some - game ends on a cliffhanger). There is an interesting mechanic that gets employed several times.
The game is VERY HOS oriented. Almost all scenes are repeated. There are a few puzzles, around easy to medium difficulty. One or two I might call hard. Now on to the game:
THE GOOD: The graphics and music fit the setting. They managed to maintain a 'creepy' atmosphere going even as the game went on.
THE GOOD: The graphics and music fit the setting. They managed to maintain a 'creepy' atmosphere going even as the game went on.
The other characters were done fairly well: both in the way they are introduced and the way you interact with them (no spoilers).
No map, but you don't need one. Journal entries 'uncover' as you find information, so check it every now and then. Hint button works in HOS as expected (circles an area) and out of HOS gives you specific instructions (Go to X and get Y. You can use A to do B). More on the hint later though.
Voice acting was well done
Voice acting was well done
THE BAD: The game took me a bit over four hours to play over three sessions, and I'm a slow player. This puts it on the 'short' side of the games in the pond. I'm sure you could blow through it in two hours if you did it in one shot and didn't stop too long to smell the roses on the way.
HOS are all junkpiles, and you have to go through them twice (one literally back to back with itself). Almost every pile had objects hidden in darkness I couldn't see even after the hint showed me roughly where they were. There's also the annoying click-penalty - made especially annoying because it's the only way to search the dark corners, of which there are many.
THE UGLY: More than once, the 'hints' out of the hidden object scenes were ahead of where I was in the game, so it would be telling me to go places or do things I couldn't do yet because there was some other step that needed to be done first.
The ending left me with the feeling I needed to see what was in the CE to get the 'real' ending. I hate that - a SE should stand on its own. That said, the game does come to a reasonable conclusion (albeit with a few plot holes along the way).
BOTTOM LINE: It's not a bad game. If you really like the HOS side of things, you'll probably like it even more. It's a story that we've seen many times, and it wasn't really told with anything new (yes, there was a new mechanic, but it really didn't change the story).
All in all, I'm going to recommend it. It does do some interesting things, and as I said, it's not a bad game, just not one of the very good ones. Great game for a punch card filler or sale day.
I recommend this game!
When a medical consultation goes terribly wrong, it’s up to you to realize the full potential of your ability and save the day!
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
A short psycho-thriller heavy on the HOS
PostedJuly 14, 2014
mouser9169
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This review is based on a complete playthrough of the game.
I'm reviewing this game in 2014, so I'm judging it on 2014 standards. Fair or not, this is when you'll be spending your money, so it's got to be rated against the other choices you have now.
The game starts off with a familiar theme: you're trapped in an insane asylum and need to escape. Unfortunately, there aren't too many twists and turns along that road, at least in this edition (bonus game may have some - game ends on a cliffhanger). There is an interesting mechanic that gets employed several times.
The game is VERY HOS oriented. Almost all scenes are repeated. There are a few puzzles, around easy to medium difficulty. One or two I might call hard. Now on to the game:
THE GOOD: The graphics and music fit the setting. They managed to maintain a 'creepy' atmosphere going even as the game went on.
The other characters were done fairly well: both in the way they are introduced and the way you interact with them (no spoilers).
No map, but you don't need one. Journal entries 'uncover' as you find information, so check it every now and then. Hint button works in HOS as expected (circles an area) and out of HOS gives you specific instructions (Go to X and get Y. You can use A to do B). More on the hint later though.
Voice acting was well done.
THE BAD: The game took me a bit over four hours to play over three sessions, and I'm a slow player. This puts it on the 'short' side of the games in the pond. I'm sure you could blow through it in two hours if you did it in one shot and didn't stop too long to smell the roses on the way.
HOS are all junkpiles, and you have to go through them twice (one literally back to back with itself). Almost every pile had objects hidden in darkness I couldn't see even after the hint showed me roughly where they were. There's also the annoying click-penalty - made especially annoying because it's the only way to search the dark corners, of which there are many.
THE UGLY: More than once, the 'hints' out of the hidden object scenes were ahead of where I was in the game, so it would be telling me to go places or do things I couldn't do yet because there was some other step that needed to be done first.
The ending left me with the feeling I needed to see what was in the CE to get the 'real' ending. I hate that - a SE should stand on its own. That said, the game does come to a reasonable conclusion (albeit with a few plot holes along the way).
BOTTOM LINE: It's not a bad game. If you really like the HOS side of things, you'll probably like it even more. It's a story that we've seen many times, and it wasn't really told with anything new (yes, there was a new mechanic, but it really didn't change the story).
All in all, I'm going to recommend it. It does do some interesting things, and as I said, it's not a bad game, just not one of the very good ones. Great game for a punch card filler or sale day.
I recommend this game!
Explore the magical world of Enchantia as you race to save the land from the evil Phoenix Queen.
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Battling a force of nature
PostedJuly 12, 2014
mouser9169
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This review is based on a complete playthrough of the game (and bonus content).
First - the CE stuff so you know what you'll be missing: A bonus chapter that took me about two hours on the hardest difficulty (no hints, no skips, no sparkles). It's a prequel - the plot of the main game is completely wrapped up at the end, so you don't need this to enjoy the story.
There's also a few replayable mini-games, replayable cut-scenes, and the usual package of swag.
Now, the game:
THE GOOD: On the hardest difficulty the game took me about six hours to complete. I tested the hint (you can change difficulty levels during the game) and it's directional - no "Nothing to do here" messages.
Graphics and voice acting were outstanding. The HOS were well lit, and the items still managed to be well hidden. If you don't know, Blue Tea Games are all FROG's (you find pieces of an item based on picture clues, they get put together, and you get an item for your inventory). I don't think my inventory ever had more than a dozen items in it, so they got used pretty quickly after they were found. Scenes are repeated.
The story is an interesting one. Personally, I found the 'villian' to be a sympathetic character. She's just doing her job, like a force of nature (very much like a forest fire - in the US we're finally getting past all the extra damage caused by decades of fighting every forest fire rather than letting the naturally started ones burn themselves out.). But we're the Chosen One and it's our job to stop her for good.
The storyline is ok. Too many broad strokes and not enough depth for me. There were a lot of characters they could really have gone somewhere with, but they chose not to. I'm not going to call it BAD, because it wasn't. It just wasn't as good as it could have been with a bit more work on the writing side.
THE BAD: Voice overs repeat every time you click on someone. This gets annoying fast, especially when you didn't mean to click on said person.
There's a 'world map' that lets you jump from one "section" of the world to another, but no map to help you keep track of where to go locally. Blue Tea is never big on maps, and the areas aren't that large so you can find your way around.
The world map also shows a LOT of areas that you never visit in the game. (normal or bonus). Not sure what that was about. Maybe they're planning a sequel. It made the part of the world you could go around in feel a lot smaller though when you saw so many other places you might have gone.
I'll mention this as some may not like it: At one point in the game you help one group of people kill another group of people basically because they don't like each other. If there was a 'peaceful' solution, I couldn't find it. It isn't a matter of right vs. wrong, or good vs. evil. You just pick a side. Probably one of the most realistic things put into one of these games, honestly.
THE UGLY: More than a few bugs in the game, though none game-breaking. One object opened up to "_SCENE23_A_NOTE_INSIDE_TREASURE_BODY". Still much better than a crash from not finding a label.
One plot critical conversation gets swamped out by music that kicks in to the point you almost can't hear what's being said.
BOTTOM LINE: Even with it's flaws, it's a very good game. I can't give it five stars, but it's a solid four. I didn't feel cheated by the CE, but the SE wouldn't be a bad buy either if you don't care about bonus stuff. If it ever comes up on a DD or CotW I'd call it a no-brainer.
A hearty recommendation!
I recommend this game!
Explore the magical world of Enchantia as you race to save the land from the evil Phoenix Queen.
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Battling to stop a force of nature
PostedJuly 12, 2014
mouser9169
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This review is based on a complete playthrough of the game and the bonus content.
First, as always, the CE Stuff (or "Why should I pay double for this game?"): The bonus game is a prequel, answering questions you pretty much know the answers to if you played the game. That said, it was an entertaining two hours. Not many locations to visit, and easier versions of the puzzles you faced in the main game as well as some HOS.
You also get some replayable mini-games: One is a variation of the variation of fox and the hounds, but the fox can't escape off the sides of the board. You have limited squares you can block (they fade after a few 'moves') so you have to plan ahead. It only made one appearance in the main game, but they give you three boards to play it on in the bonus. There's also a couple other puzzles to test your wits against.
Twenty collectible objects to speed up your hint meter (I played on the hardest difficulty, so I don't know how fast it would have gotten). I found 18 of 20.
Putting all that together, I'd say you can go either way on this one. The main game is completely wrapped up at the end, and the 'story' of the bonus chapter wasn't nearly as good as the main game.
Now for the game:
THE GOOD: On the hardest difficulty the game took me about six hours to complete. I tested the hint (you can change difficulty levels during the game) and it's directional - no "Nothing to do here" messages.
Graphics and voice acting were outstanding. The HOS were well lit, and the items still managed to be well hidden. If you don't know, Blue Tea Games are all FROG's (you find pieces of an item based on picture clues, they get put together, and you get an item for your inventory). I don't think my inventory ever had more than a dozen items in it, so they got used pretty quickly after they were found. Scenes are repeated.
The story is an interesting one. Personally, I found the 'villian' to be a sympathetic character. She's just doing her job, like a force of nature (very much like a forest fire - in the US we're finally getting past all the extra damage caused by decades of fighting every forest fire rather than letting the naturally started ones burn themselves out.). But we're the Chosen One and it's our job to stop her for good.
The storyline is ok. Too many broad strokes and not enough depth for me. There were a lot of characters they could really have gone somewhere with, but they chose not to. I'm not going to call it BAD, because it wasn't. It just wasn't as good as it could have been with a bit more work on the writing side.
THE BAD: Voice overs repeat every time you click on someone. This gets annoying fast, especially when you didn't mean to click on said person.
There's a 'world map' that lets you jump from one "section" of the world to another, but no map to help you keep track of where to go locally. Blue Tea is never big on maps, and the areas aren't that large so you can find your way around. The world map also shows a LOT of areas that you never visit in the game. (normal or bonus). Not sure what that was about. Maybe they're planning a sequel. It made the part of the world you could go around in feel a lot smaller though when you saw so many other places you might have gone.
THE UGLY: More than a few bugs in the game, though none game-breaking. One object opened up to "_SCENE23_A_NOTE_INSIDE_TREASURE_BODY". Still much better than a crash from not finding a label.
One plot critical conversation gets swamped out by music that kicks in to the point you almost can't hear what's being said.
BOTTOM LINE: Even with it's flaws, it's a very good game. I can't give it five stars, but it's a solid four. I didn't feel cheated by the CE, but the SE wouldn't be a bad buy either if you don't care about bonus stuff.
A hearty recommendation!
I recommend this game!
Save Witchville before it's too late in Guardians of Beyond: Witchville, a thrilling Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Stick with it, it gets interesting.
PostedJuly 10, 2014
mouser9169
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This review is based on a complete playthrough of the game and bonus content.
I'm copying most of this from my review of the CE.
To be concise: the only thing the CE has is a bonus game that takes about an hour. It's interesting, but personally I don't feel it worth the price of another SE. No collectibles, no morphs, no achievements.
The game is two years old now, but I've got to compare to the games coming out now (2014) since now is when you're spending your money.
Now the review of the main game:
THE GOOD: Graphics were ok, the music really shined - rather than play the same loop over and over, they had ambient sounds, and a clip of music - maybe 12 or 14 bars that would come in every now and then just to keep you on edge, then go back to the quiet.
The story is a fairly good one. It starts off slow, and I'll admit I wasn't expecting much - but I bought the game and wanted to play through it. About halfway through though, I started to care about what was going on. There were some character twists that were unexpected, then it started hinting at some other things (trying not to give anything away here).
The game took me about four hours to complete. It ends conclusively (The bonus content is a completely separate story). There are LOTS of HOS and quite a few puzzles. Several of the puzzles repeat, but they were good puzzles so it was ok (kind of like doing more than one sudoku - same puzzle, different solutions). A lot (most?) of the HOS are repeated as well.
On the middle difficulty there are NO SPARKLIES on anything. Especially not the HOS. so you've got to look around on your own to find things. Places that were simply pick up an item might be a HOS later, or vice versa.
No click penalty in the HOS, the hint recharges quickly. Outside of the HOS the hint gives you specific prose instructions: "Go to X and get Y, use it in A to get B" type of thing. Generally telling you several things at once so you may already have done some of them. The hint system is good enough I don't think you really need the SG (I think i used it once or twice).
THE BAD: The HOS are junkpiles. Random, not to scale, junkpiles. Many of the objects were completely ambiguous - even after clicking on them after a hint I had to look at the list to tell what the thing I clicked on was. They also had VERY precise click zones for a lot of small or thin items.
No voicing at all. Everything is read onscreen in talk bubble type things or across the top of the screen. There is no map - but you really don't need one, at any point in the game you're no more than three or four clicks from anywhere else you can go.
THE UGLY: The story just took too long to get going. There were a few badly worded phrases, and some ambiguous names to find in the HOS. Those were the minority though.
No other serious bugs or playthough problems.
BOTTOM LINE: While I couldn't recommend the CE, I think this is a good (not great) SE. If it ever comes up as a DD or CotW I'd say but it for sure. The demo probably doesn't last long enough for you to get drawn into the story (I can't tell when it would end).
As a SE, I can give this game a solid recommendation to buy. Three and half stars, rounded up to four. It's better than just ok, but I'd buy it whenever a sale of some sort comes along or you need that last punch.
I recommend this game!
Save Witchville before it’s too late in Guardians of Beyond: Witchville, a thrilling Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
Stick with it, it gets interesting.
PostedJuly 10, 2014
mouser9169
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This review is based on a complete playthrough of the game and bonus content.
At this point the game is a little over two years old. Fair or not, I've got to compare it to the games coming out now (2014) because that's when you'll be spending your money.
First, as always, the bonus content (or "Why should I pay double for this game?"): Unfortunately, there's not a lot going for it here. If you get Collector's Editions for achievements and morphing objects, than skip this one as it has none of those. All it has is a bit of swag (screensavers, music, etc...) and a bonus game.
The bonus game took me an hour to complete. It was interesting - you play a different person than you did in the main game. It had none of the really interesting puzzles of the first game, and ended kind of abruptly (though conclusively).
If I were to buy this again, I would go for the SE. I can't completely dismiss it as some games that really have almost nothing, but unless there's a great sale and you need a CE to fill your bucket, I'd say pass on this.
Now the review of the main game:
THE GOOD: Graphics were ok, the music really shined - rather than play the same loop over and over, they had ambient sounds, and a clip of music - maybe 12 or 14 bars that would come in every now and then just to keep you on edge, then go back to the quiet.
The story is a fairly good one. It starts off slow, and I'll admit I wasn't expecting much - but I bought the game and wanted to play through it. About halfway through though, I started to care about what was going on. There were some character twists that were unexpected, then it started hinting at some other things (trying not to give anything away here).
The game took me about four hours to complete. It ends conclusively (The bonus content is a completely separate story). There are LOTS of HOS and quite a few puzzles. Several of the puzzles repeat, but they were good puzzles so it was ok (kind of like doing more than one sudoku - same puzzle, different solutions). A lot (most?) of the HOS are repeated as well.
On the middle difficulty there are NO SPARKLIES on anything. Especially not the HOS. so you've got to look around on your own to find things. Places that were simply pick up an item might be a HOS later, or vice versa.
No click penalty in the HOS, the hint recharges quickly. Outside of the HOS the hint gives you specific prose instructions: "Go to X and get Y, use it in A to get B" type of thing. Generally telling you several things at once so you may already have done some of them. The hint system is good enough I don't think you really need the SG (I think i used it once or twice).
THE BAD: The HOS are junkpiles. Random, not to scale, junkpiles. Many of the objects were completely ambiguous - even after clicking on them after a hint I had to look at the list to tell what the thing I clicked on was. They also had VERY precise click zones for a lot of small or thin items.
No voicing at all. Everything is read onscreen in talk bubble type things or across the top of the screen. There is no map - but you really don't need one, at any point in the game you're no more than three or four clicks from anywhere else you can go.
THE UGLY: The story just took too long to get going. There were a few badly worded phrases, and some ambiguous names to find in the HOS. Those were the minority though.
No other serious bugs or playthough problems.
BOTTOM LINE: As a CE, I can only give it three stars (I'd give it two, but the bonus game is interesting and a fun play). I really think the SE is the way to go here, and if it ever comes up as a DD or CotW I wouldn't hesitate to pick it up.
I'm going to give it a not recommended here, as I don't think the bonus game justifies the price of getting a complete game elsewhere.
I don't recommend this game.
When his sister is murdered, you must prove your nephew's innocence!
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
Series returns to its roots
PostedJuly 9, 2014
mouser9169
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I'm copying this review over from the CE game, so you'll know what you're missing if you go with the SE:
This review is based on a complete playthrough of the game and bonus content.
After swerving a hard right for Bloody Mary (a most enjoyable excursion, I must add), Grim Tales is back to the basic premise of the first installments of the game.
First, as always, the bonus content (or Why should I pay double for this game?): The bonus game took me a good hour. It wasn't what I was expecting, in a good way. It did leave a bit of a feeling of 'series finale' at the end, which I hope isn't the case. The window is certainly still open.
Plenty of morphs and achievements as well as the usual swag.
The main game does end conclusively, so you won't feel cheated out of an ending if you go the SE route.
Now for the game:
THE GOOD: Back to the original formula with the family being the center of attention. Remember the castle? It's back. Naturally it's up to you to solve all the problems your family gets itself into, but what are aunts for?
Very nice variety of puzzles. Some old favorites, some with new twists. None hair-pulling hard, but they weren't all simplistic either.
I'm going to call it a 'grown-up' game. Not that there's anything disturbing for kids (there isn't), but they aren't going to 'get' most of the plot. Then again, if they grew up on procedural crime dramas like my daughter did, maybe they will :)
Graphics and voicing were all top-notch. Ambient sounds were ok, but got repetitive quickly. Map and Hint are both teleporting - hint recharged quickly at middle difficulty and didn't get 'used' up by a teleport (or even just showing a specific area - that could be good/bad, fielder's choice).
THE BAD: Maybe I went in with too high expectations after their last title, but the story didn't grip me the way others have. It wasn't lackluster, just not edge of my seat stuff for the most part. I had no trouble walking away from it for a while without wondering what was going to happen.
THE UGLY: A few mini-games I had to use the map to back out of. That's the only real bug I found. There's also an issue with things you find - papers you can read aren't copied into your diary, so you've got one shot to read them when they're on screen that I could see. Read quickly before they're gone (the substance of them is put in your diary).
BOTTOM LINE: Hearty recommendation, as long as you know what to expect. If you enjoyed the first couple titles in this series you'll love this. If you just started with Bloody Mary or even The Stone Queen, this one may seem a bit more laid back to you (none of the 'creep factor' of Bloody Mary).
Either way, it's still a good game, well worth your time.
When his sister is murdered, you must prove your nephew’s innocence!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Series gets back to basics
PostedJuly 9, 2014
mouser9169
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This review is based on a complete playthrough of the game and bonus content.
After swerving a hard right for Bloody Mary (a most enjoyable excursion, I must add), Grim Tales is back to the basic premise of the first installments of the game.
First, as always, the bonus content (or Why should I pay double for this game?): The bonus game took me a good hour. It wasn't what I was expecting, in a good way. It did leave a bit of a feeling of 'series finale' at the end, which I hope isn't the case. The window is certainly still open.
Plenty of morphs and achievements as well as the usual swag.
The main game does end conclusively, so you won't feel cheated out of an ending if you go the SE route.
Now for the game:
THE GOOD: Back to the original formula with the family being the center of attention. Remember the castle? It's back. Naturally it's up to you to solve all the problems your family gets itself into, but what are aunts for?
Very nice variety of puzzles. Some old favorites, some with new twists. None hair-pulling hard, but they weren't all simplistic either.
I'm going to call it a 'grown-up' game. Not that there's anything disturbing for kids (there isn't), but they aren't going to 'get' most of the plot. Then again, if they grew up on procedural crime dramas like my daughter did, maybe they will :)
Graphics and voicing were all top-notch. Ambient sounds were ok, but got repetitive quickly. Map and Hint are both teleporting - hint recharged quickly at middle difficulty and didn't get 'used' up by a teleport (or even just showing a specific area - that could be good/bad, fielder's choice).
THE BAD: Maybe I went in with too high expectations after their last title, but the story didn't grip me the way others have. It wasn't lackluster, just not edge of my seat stuff for the most part. I had no trouble walking away from it for a while without wondering what was going to happen.
THE UGLY: A few mini-games I had to use the map to back out of. That's the only real bug I found. There's also an issue with things you find - papers you can read aren't copied into your diary, so you've got one shot to read them when they're on screen that I could see. Read quickly before they're gone (the substance of them is put in your diary).
BOTTOM LINE: Hearty recommendation, as long as you know what to expect. If you enjoyed the first couple titles in this series you'll love this. If you just started with Bloody Mary or even The Stone Queen, this one may seem a bit more laid back to you (none of the 'creep factor' of Bloody Mary).
Either way, it's still a good game, well worth your time.
I recommend this game!
Rescue your daughter, Hannah, from the clutches of an evil witch before it's too late in this chilling Hidden Object adventure game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Pure puzzle adventure, ok story,
PostedJuly 9, 2014
mouser9169
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Just finished my second playthrough - it took me a little over three hours this time with me skipping a few puzzles (more on that later).
The story starts off simply and dumps you right into the action: You've gone to England to find a school for your daughter, and naturally you pick the one that hasn't been open in forty years (should've checked their web page...). Much mayhem and mischief ensues.
The game is a mixed bag for me, so I'll try to break it down:
THE GOOD: Graphics and sound are top notch, even in 2014. It's an ERS title and it shows. Voice overs and voice acting are spot on, but I could do without the cheesy title announcement at the start.
The story is a tried and true formula - evil witch whisks off daughter and mom's left to save her. The details got a bit repetitive as the story went on - might be great for kids around eight or so. Probably just the right amount of 'scare' for them, too.
The puzzles (and the closest thing to an HOS in the game is picking up pieces of glass in a room) vary in difficulty from incredibly simple to maddeningly complex. I have the feeling that some of them were harder than intended. Example similar to one in game: swapping pieces of three pies to make three 'complete' pies isn't too bad. Making me guess which pie plate each of them goes on just turns it way up.
Most inventory items are used almost as soon as they are found. There are those obstacles though that you find early but won't 'solve' until much later. I think they hit the right mix on that one.
You have a 'journal' that records info in the order you find it (something I like), as well as a book you collect pages for that tells the 'backstory' of how these things came to be.
Finally, the map: Informative, showing objectives and where things could be done (generally, anyway), but not a 'jump' map. You do get help with transportation from time to time, but be prepared for some walking near the end of the game.
THE BAD: The repetitiveness of the plot. Without giving details away, you'll find yourself responding to things the same way multiple times as you go on. The walking around, while not bad in the beginning where everything is within four to five 'hops' of each other, become tedious as the game progresses and the map grows larger (though stills miles better than other titles I can think of).
I'll say it again here - some of the puzzles were just needlessly overcomplicated and tedious to solve. Brute forcing your way through a host of combinations isn't challenging - it's just tedious. Some of the puzzles were challenging, and exceedingly so - one where you needed to arrange tiles not only in order but with the proper physical orientation, with only a limited way to 'adjust' them, comes to mind.
Note: most of the puzzles were in the right range of difficulty, and you do have that skip button, which can be turned on after the game starts if you find you need it.
THE UGLY: Near the end, the map just stopped being informative. Every room had the 'nothing to do here' hint, with no objectives or guidance marked anywhere. I had to turn to a forum thread to get back on track at one point.
BOTTOM LINE: It's a fun game to kill a few hours with. It might be a nice scary game for the kiddies - for the grown-ups I think there's enough to keep it interesting, while not taking itself too seriously. The ending was rather abrupt, but it does end conclusively - no being cheated out an ending for buying the SE.
For all its flaws, I still recommend it - it's still better than a lot of what's coming out today. I'd give it three and a half stars, but it's not quite enough to round up to four. Maybe a year or two ago...
I recommend this game!