Italia47's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.2
- Helpful Votes:1,608
- Reviews Submitted:336
- First Review:December 29, 2012
- Most Recent Review:January 30, 2024
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Can you uncover the secrets of Crimson Hollow in time?
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Richard is one creepy dude but helpful! Dorian is dreamy! LOL!
PostedSeptember 4, 2016
Italia47
fromCharming and handsome Dorian could charm the feathers right off a peacock!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Dorian Gray, Dorian Black! What the hey! Different names, same dude to me! But so very pleasing to the eye! Great job, devs! He's hot looking! LOL! Can you trust him? See for yourselves!
I played the CE version and thoroughly enjoyed the variety of tasks, collectibles, achievements, even after the Bonus Game, there are things to do. Loved the morphing objects, Hidden Object Scenes, the works.
I felt it was a long game and you certainly do get your money's worth on this one. The ending in the Bonus Game, as with most games, is choppy--I would have maintained the writer's but the manner in which the ending was done. I can't tell you the ending, obviously, because I'll get the boot from Big Fish, but it made me chuckle, nonetheless.
The flow was what I like in a game; the strategy was right on. Elephant Games, you rock! You did good on this one! This happens to be my favorite of the Grim Tale series!
What a great storyline, too. Beautiful artwork, music, and voiceovers were very good. Spooky ghosts now and then! Great special effects!
The storyline was very good and it beholding to its name "Grim Tales". Certainly not a fairytale story, that's for sure! I liked being able to travel back n' forth to accomplish the tasks; speaking of back n' forth, I loved the map; the hint button was great if needed.
All in all it was a great game and I commend the Elephant Games for their extremely hard work on this one. Very thought-provoking game! I'm a little tired of skulls and blood, but not once did I get bored playing this game!
I highly recommend it.
I recommend this game!
Stop the dark witches before they regain their power!
Overall rating
5
/
5
7 of 7 found this review helpful
So that's what the champagne bottle was meant for! Pretty clever!
PostedAugust 20, 2016
Italia47
fromI do believe my ferret friend has allergies--she sneezes when I click on her from time to time.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I'm more than halfway through the main game of this CE version, and I must say that I'm having the time of my life. Elefun devs have a great sense of humor and your adventure takes place in a magical land full of strange and interesting but comical characters. I actually laughed out loud a few times at some of the comments made from a few of them.
Uh, oh! The Ice Twin Sorcerers have awaken and they are determined to seek the powerful artifact and revive the Dark Witches. You and the Good Witches must join forces to prevent this from happening. You will also need to conduct a ritual as these twins will need the Mirror of True Intentions. For, you see, they want to make sure that neither one will betray the other.
You have a talking ferret friend who is your helper. Now mind you, she may not be as helpful as Mr. Jenkins, but she will prove to be useful. When she had to dive into the water to retrieve the heart splinters, well, my heart went a' flutter over that escapade. You will need to find a helmet and fins for her deep sea diving task. The heart splinters are enclosed in shells so you will need to click on the closed shells and find 5 heart splinters. And you must make sure that your ferret friend has to time to catch her breath before diving again or you will have to start over, but I got all five without any problems. In essence, she more than made up for some of her laziness. What a riot!
Considering the content, the artwork is very good, not the greatest, although some of the characters are really weird but again, comical. The voiceovers are great and the music is marvelous, not annoying at all. The colors are crisp in some scenes and not so crisp in others, but when you consider you're in sort of a dream world, magical land, what can you expect!
The devs do have a warped sense of humor but they put a lot of thought into this game. The variety of tasks were fantastic; puzzles and mini-game were great; achievements abound; you'll need to locate puzzle pieces and morphing objects. I'm actually remembering those for a change. The HOS were great and such fun. A plethora of things to do. I'm loving it!
You have a jump-to map, good hint button, and the strategy guide if you need it. Well-organized game. I wasn't sure I was going to like it but once you get through some of the quirks, like in many games, it becomes easy street and such fun.
I love the game-plan and the flow of this game. And, yes, I certainly do recommend this game! Try the demo if you like. Great job, you wild and crazy devs!!
I recommend this game!
Can you save your new friend before it's too late?
Overall rating
5
/
5
9 of 10 found this review helpful
A soulful and luminous game! I'm hooked!
PostedAugust 20, 2016
Italia47
fromMademoiselle, I would glady try to help you find your oysters, but alas, I'm allergic to shellfish!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I'm more than half-way through the main game of this CE version, and for me, I'm hooked on this game!
You've got an evil dude who captures souls via a camera but your job is to bring them all back! No matter what the cost! It's quite a journey. That's all there is to it!
I'm impressed with the flow, the concept, pretty much the whole package. Daily Magic, you did a wonderful job! My only minor gripe is the morphing objects--not because I can't find them but it's because I'm so engrossed in this game that I'm forgetting to search for them. If I find them, fine! If not, no big deal! That won't make or break my opinion about this game. My rating for this game a 4.95 stars.
The storyline is intriguing to me. There are loads of fun things to do; and, again, the flow happens to be right up my alley. Some of the puzzles are easy and some are tedious and some require patience. I'm not crazy about rotating circles to complete an image. It's boring to me. A lot of games offer those. I don't always have the patience to complete them, so I skip them! It's as simple as that.
Mr. Jenkins, the cat, is going above and beyond the call of duty, and he happens to be one of my favorite helpers. Just follow the paw!
The map and hint button are great; you have a guide. A very well-organized game.
The artwork is magnificent--clear, crisp and lovely. The scenery is captivating. The music is beautiful. The sound effects are right on! The voiceovers are good considering that some of the accents were a bit off. The dialogue was slower than normal with some of the actors but the voices went well with the characters, aside from some of the off-beat accents.
I really love this game. Again, Daily Magic, way to go! You've sold me! I'm looking forward to playing more, exciting games by you! I definitely recommend this game!
I recommend this game!
Stop the evil Princess of Hearts and discover your true destiny!
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
The Shadow knows!!! Or is it the Bandersnatch that knows all?
PostedAugust 12, 2016
Italia47
fromSorry I'm late, guys! I'll pass on the tea! Do you have any coffee?
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hmm, a different take on Alice in Wonderland, for sure! I'm almost finished with the main game of this CE version. And if you choose a more difficult level, there definitely won't be any hand-holding, which I like actually prefer. With that said, at first I found this game to be a 'scattered brain' gameplay because I had to think real hard on what next to do and what to look for in a couple of the HOPS--trying to figure out the method of these developers' madness. I was beginning to think they were all Mad Hatters at one point! I'm rating this game a low 5-star, nonetheless.
There are some quirks in this game, whereby I had to click several times to get things rolling but once you get pass that point it's really good. The music is not bothersome and I've heard it before. The sound effects are good. The voiceovers are very good. Since you're in Shadowland, Alice's voice sounds as though she is in a tunnel. But her voiceover is quite good.
I very much enjoy playing the puzzles and mini-games and there are loads of fun things to do, so much so that you may tend to forget to pick up the cards and morphing objects along the way. But there is a pull-out tab to your left that will tell you how many cards still need picking up and how many morphing objects to pick up as well. I love how this game is laid out by these developers, too. Bravo, devs!
Throughout the game you will come across a virtual panoramic view on some scenes--click arrow to go all the way to the left--to the right, etc.
I love the fact that this game had a modern take on using a cell phone to take pictures that are necessary to move forward and to also use the flashlight feature. Pretty cool! Of course, the reception in Shadowland is all but naught. So forget about making or receiving calls. In addition to the phone, you will need to use a compass.
I'm really digging this game and am finding it to be an intriguing story. I'm glad I purchased it.
The artwork is very good but cartoonish, and the movement of the characters can be rather stiff.The colors are bright and harsh at times. But the graphics, on the whole, are good.
I definitely recommend this game. Enjoy!
I recommend this game!
The head of the Maybard family has been murdered!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Please, don't tell me it was the butler that did it!
PostedJuly 23, 2016
Italia47
fromHey, Devs! For my voiceover, I'd like either an Italian accent using Sophia Loren; for a French accent, I want Sophie Marceau; for a British accent either Emma Thompson or Kate Winslet; for American, I'll use my own voice! LOL!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based upon the demo--had 49 minutes to go--I knew that this would be buy for me. I'm rating it 4.50 stars. I think there is so much potential for this game as it's rather different from other games I've played recently. I would have probably preferred the SE version but no matter--this is a very good game, I think.
My only gripe is why a physic, which I'm not interested in and she seems to be more of an investigator as far as I could tell. Anyway, you will be using her Aura magnifying glass for certain clues that pretty much an investigator cold easily find. Go figure! With that said, my other gripe is why isn't there a voiceover for this so-called detective-physic? I also assumed the gentleman who was killed was British. I could be wrong, though--but that's no big deal, but there should be some consistency here.
The graphics were lovely but cartoonish in a way; and the movement of the characters was much like puppets without strings.
The characters spoke too slow for my taste as I'd rather read the script and just move on. The voiceovers for the better part were very good. Loved the butler's British accent!
I like the puzzles and hops and the variety that you have in this game. A nice mix, to say the least. You can also opt for a Match 3 game instead of playing the HOP. There are collectibles, too. Yayyy!
Love the ambiance in this game as well. The sound quality is nice--unobtrusive. Great transporter map, lots of great clues; good hint button, guide, the works! Very nice, devs! A locked inventory box--prefer a transparent one but this will do.
If you want to know the storyline, I could easily cut and paste Big Fishes' synopsis for you or make notes along the way. Trust me, the game has great potential regardless of the flaws that I have mentioned, and I can put up with these types of flaws in any given game. Very rarely have I found a game to be 100% flawless--possibly five in my whole gaming career.
Again, I always review the negative reviewers' comments first because it's truly cut and dry with them. They bring out the points that I may have overlooked at times. But in either case, this game definitely clicks for me and I couldn't pass this up if I tried. I like the flow; the strategy and organization of the tasks. Very thought-provoking activities. Love it. I definitely recommend it.
I recommend this game!
A young woman joins the Order of monster hunters and discovers its dark secrets.
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Who Is that woman in the picture with Gabriel? That's for me to know, and for you to find out!
PostedJuly 22, 2016
Italia47
fromIf the voicover for Master Solomon had been that of Timothy Dalton, I'd play that dialogue over and over again!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I just completed the demo and I must report that this is THE game for me, finally!! When I read some of the negative comments by some of the reviewers, I honestly have to agree with them in many ways, though, but that won't change my rating.
The dialogue goes on and on at times. Lots of cuts scenes, and crossing over one dangerous hurdle, which required a lot of doing on Sylvia's part while other seemingly difficult tasks turned out to be too easy to accomplish. Seemed contradictory in a way.
Honestly, very rarely have I played a perfect game--probably five in my time. What I love about this game is the eye-candy, the voices, the music, the artwork, story, you name it. It all clicks for me and it's been a while since I have felt this way. Yes, I agree with all of those wonderful reviewers, but somehow, someway this game just does it for me.
Honestly, very rarely have I played a perfect game--probably five in my time. What I love about this game is the eye-candy, the voices, the music, the artwork, story, you name it. It all clicks for me and it's been a while since I have felt this way. Yes, I agree with all of those wonderful reviewers, but somehow, someway this game just does it for me.
The gameplay is exceptionally clever. There was a couple of puzzles that seemed ridiculously easy, you know, some hand-holding, but as the demo progressed, the puzzles greatly improved.
The artwork is stunning, stunning, stunning! This game will be a buy for me without any doubt! The map is great; the hint button likewise; 30 collectibles. Yep, this is the game for me!
I don't need to elaborate on the storyline. Other have done that so well! I just love the feel of this game and I can't wait to purchase it.
Ironically, though, the female voiceovers, so far, except for the little girl, had British accents, which I absolutely love! The males, however, had an American accent. How wonderful it would have been had they all had British accents. But don't get me wrong they are all wonderful actors. The lip-syncing, thus far, is top shelf! The little girl's voice, in my opinion, was not a 'real' child's voice but was very well done by a grown-up, I'm 99.9% sure of this.
I love the variety of puzzles and hops and tasks that was just in that demo. Can you imagine playing the real deal in its entirety? Just wonderful for a change. The flow is smooth sailing.
I highly recommend this game! Normally even with some of the minor negatives if you want to call it that, I'd give this a high 4 or even a low 5, but I'm giving this game a high 5 star rating! Devs, you are wonderful! I applaud you!
I recommend this game!
Can you save the Metzengerstein line before it's too late?
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Who's that assaulting our Frederica? We must save her!
PostedJuly 22, 2016
Italia47
fromSuch high-end dinnerware! So lovely! Wonder if it's a Zsolnay?
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I don't know about Daddy Baron dearest! And those two dolls, especially the one with the three button eyes, was unsettling, indeed!
I love these developers and appreciate their hard work in this project. Based upon the demo I just finished I'm giving the game a rating of 4-stars only. Why? Well, aside from the couple of puzzles in the beginning, one which was moving the candle around the circle without the flame touching the edges, for one, is annoying to me and a waste of time. The other was you have to complete a picture of a Raven, select a glass piece and a highlighted piece to swap it. Sorry to say I am definitely not a fan of these senseless puzzles period! Waste of time and of my patience. Let's get on with other things.
I loved the storytelling mini-game very much. That's a plus. I liked the HOP, simple and so far not interactive. Would have been nice to have some interaction.
The storyline is great, I think, at least what I could tell from the demo. The voiceovers, though not bad, should have had accents. Mary should have sounded like Ava or Zsa Zsa Gabor--without the 'dahling' phrase though.
Love the European flair, the mansion, the crystal vase on the table with some hot tea in a beautiful cup and saucer--porcelain, of course. I mean we're in Budapest are we not? I even got to drink Mary's hot tea. Thank you, Mary! Hope you don't mind? Those are the lovely touches that appeal to me in games. I love mansions and Victorian homes and lovely grounds. The more the merrier! While in the mansion I only got to cover three or four rooms--is this not a mansion? Where were all the rooms? Perhaps I'll see more when I buy the game!
While the Baron is in his office, Mary, his wife, asks me to see him and the room is completely dark. I take my lighter and hover it over the room. The Baron is on the floor calling out to me to 'turn on the light' as he's pointing a candelabra with three candles at me!? As far as I could tell that mansion had no electricity, so 'turn on the light?' Wrong term, devs! Well, I lit the candles with my lighter, which I had to assemble beforehand. I think having a nice supply of matches would have been feasible.
Little things like these that lower the ratings for me but please understand, I think this game has such potential that I'm thinking about buying it--on discount, that is. I want to play the rest of the game. I love the ambiance.
The graphics are appropriate for the storyline. Lots of dark colors--some fuzzy and it's not my computer. It's raining outside with lightning flashing now and then in the sky. Love that. I guess this is to be expected of anything Edgar Allen Poe! Going in and out of the mansion was a pain in that rain, but what are you going to do? It is what it is! A game!
The music is typical -- nothing new but okay. I like the sound effects, though.
Wouldn't dare type the names of the feuding families--could cut and paste them from the review but heck no! I should make a note of the spelling though, just in case. LOL!
Four levels of play and I love to customize mine. I was impressed with the organization of the map to the left, strategy guide, task list, and a camera to take pictures whenever there is a purple fog; and to the right is your hint button, etc. Not your typical inventory box but items that you achieve are kept in a circular huddle. Cool!
Slow start to the game but I was starting to enjoy myself regardless of the negatives. I'm looking forward to getting this game and I definitely recommend it. Try the demo and see for yourselves! It has such potential!
I recommend this game!
It’s up to you to save the Swan Princess’s kingdom!
Overall rating
3
/
5
7 of 9 found this review helpful
Black Swan, White Swan, cracks in the crevices...what a crackup!
PostedJuly 17, 2016
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I won't beat about the bush here. I wanted to love this game but here we've got two excellent developers---Eipix and Blue Tea, for the life of me I felt like this game was not up to either of their standards. Given the fact that Eipix devs are without a doubt extremely talented and intelligent but the strategy is off kilter a bit!
There are many artifacts to locate in each scene but I felt like I was a human boomerang, great map or not! Don't get me wrong, this game does have its moments and a whole lot of work has gone into this project, and for that, well-done devs! But you guys could do so much better than this!
I don't need to elaborate on the storyline, there are those who do that so much better than I do, but the game flow is important and locating objects that need not one, not two, but three pieces to complete them is exasperating. The gameplay is too jumbled for me.
The map, no doubt, is wonderful. The artwork, though very intricate, and intelligently pieced together, isn't what I consider up to EIPIX and/or Blue Tea's standards!
I'm trying to find Parable pieces and collectible signs in addition to finding numerous objects on top of numerous objects.
Beautiful, beautiful music but I've heard it before. What happened to the special effect sounds that Blue Tea used to have when piecing the fragments together.
If I see another figurine, token, charm, you name it, I'll scream. A few of the artifacts that I did find, I had no knowledge what it was--but I've played hundreds of games and have become quite knowledgeable thanks to these developers and many like them. However, rather than use the hint button or check the guide, which I refuse to do, I'd rather suffer through it to the end. There are some mini-games that have no skip button. So I'm thinking to myself, 'what the heck is expected here? I figured it out and right now I'm at the end of Chapter 5. You do get a lot of bang for the buck here. Eipix and Blue Tea never ever skimp on their games. I just expected so much more from them, especially Eipix.
Other than finding 2 million objects, the cut scenes are very good. The voiceovers are good considering. Again, the artwork isn't bad but many of the scenes look muted and junky! So sorry about that, devs!
The puzzles were silly and nonsensical. Well, most of them were. There were a few that were pretty cool. The script is okay. So far I haven't found a typo, not that I'm looking for it. Good heavens, there is just too much to do--which is great--but again I feel like 'a ball of yarn' that's all tangled up!
I love fantasy games and prefer them over the usual demons and ghosts, but hopefully, the game will get better as I go along. We shall see. But I usually know within 15 minutes of the game if I'll like it or not. At least try the game out. I still recommend it. I'm not the least bit sorry that I bought this game either. Try the game out and decide for yourselves!
I recommend this game!
A magical egg is about to turn one girl's world upside-down.
Overall rating
3
/
5
5 of 7 found this review helpful
The SE version would have probably been sufficient or maybe not!
PostedJuly 15, 2016
Italia47
fromIt's pure boredom that put the dragon to sleep, not the potion!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I have ambivalent feelings about this game. It has its moments. The story is good. The artwork is good but not great. I bought the CE version and am almost finished with the main game. Lots of morphing objects and collectibles to obtain. Good map and hint button. You'll meet interesting characters along the way as usual.
The tasks just don't make any sense half of the time. Why would I go into the deep blue sea to find objects one minute and return to land again the next and back again to the sea. Either I stay in the water and complete the assignment or stay on land and get on with the story. Let's move on, folks! Just doesn't make sense. The strategy is haywire!
I bought the CE version and am almost finished with the main game. Lots of morphing objects and collectibles to obtain. Good map and hint button. You'll meet interesting characters along the way as usual.
Some of the dialogue was much too lengthy, in my opinion, and there is a lot of material to read, which is okay because the info is important. Of course, you can skip these things if you want--nice to have that option. I think having a journal is always useful, though.
Nice story but this game just ain't cutting it for me, sorry to say. I'm only giving it a 3-star rating.
The voiceovers for the most part are good, but there are some that do not fit the characters at all.
The puzzles and mini-games are okay. Lots to do but I'm getting bored at this point. No offense. However, I still recommend this game because we each have different tastes. Try it out and see for yourselves!
I recommend this game!
A famous actor has literally stepped off the screen to kidnap your niece. Now you must find a way into the dangerous and exciting world of the film to save her!
Overall rating
4
/
5
7 of 7 found this review helpful
Welcome to Cinecity--the movie world that is better than the Real world!
PostedJuly 12, 2016
Italia47
fromLights! Camera! Action! Now a little more feeling, Andrew! Cut! Perfect! Hey, where are you going?
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Though not an unusual or unheard of concept, as the movie, The Purple Rose of Cairo,1985, and the Last Action Hero, 1993, Surface: Reel Life was rather very good, I must say. The storyline was great. Not the best Surface game of the series but pretty much up there. I liked the fact that we weren't dealing with witches, and demons, and mental institutions with dead bodies in cells!
There were several typos such as the word 'wok' should have read 'work'; the word 'that' should have been 'than'. When Andrew Light wrote in his journal about stunts it read as follows: 'I can all the stunts myself!' The word 'do' or 'perform' should have followed the word 'can'. It's one thing for us to miss a word now and then, or have grammatical errors in our own reviews, but we're not editors or the creators of these games, so it would behoove the developers to see that the text and dialogue is edited more than once before the game is finalized. Also, the storyline may have been written in another language and translated into English. Devs, don't be too hard on the text editor. But in the future, just hire a few more copywriters and proofreaders.
Aside from that, though, I really liked this game. One of the best parts for me was while in the Hiddien Object Scene you had to use one or two items from your inventory list to complete the task. A few times, I didn't have the item and had to get out of the HOS and find the object elsewhere. If you don't, you can't move forward. Pretty cool!
The puzzles were very good as were the mini-games. Not that difficult but tedious and fun. This game was one of a ricochet effect--you were here, there, and everywhere. That alone could be part of the challenge and many gamers love this sort of thing. I think it upsets the flow of the game but ironically, I didn't mind it so much this time. Elephant Games' devs are very well known for their cleverness and beautiful artwork, lovely music and sound effects. No cartoon artwork for these devs!
I played the SE version and was impressed with many of its aspects. The map was wonderful. I do prefer a transparent inventory box as opposed to one that isn't. I always have the feeling that when it's solid, it's blocking a crucial part I need for a task. But the option to lock it is a plus!
The voiceovers were great -- lip syncing a little bit off, but all in all it was a wonderful game. I'm giving this a 4-star rating and definitely recommend it.
I recommend this game!