Without warning, a group of mysterious figures arrives and reduces your village to flames and rubble. What do they want... and who is controlling them?
Review of demo only. Well, the game is charming and fun although older now. There are lovely details and the music is enchanting. Having said that, there is enough challenge and danger to keep it from going completely over the top with sweetness.
The puzzles are worked smoothly into the game so you don't feel like they are an imposition. Only one HOP so far with a bit of interaction in it. I am a HOP fan so I hope there are many more to come. This is the type of game that has you actually moving the saw to cut the tree, or hitting the hammer onto a nail to drive it in. Those are my favorite because they drag me into the action.
This game is good enough (especially for the music) for me to add it to my collection. Give it a try and you just might like it.
Welcome to Top Secret Finders. Your first mission is to save a small town, uncover the truth about a government conspiracy and stop the villain in his tracks!
I usually don't enjoy the sinister type of game but this one had a few good things going for it.
There was a decent amount of both HOGS and Puzzles sprinkled throughout the game. I like it if there are not too many of either one. And they were relevant to the gameplay rather than being what I call "cheap filler." This adds to the feeling of the game's progression.
The music was ignored by me so it must have been decent. However, some of the repetitious and high pitched sounds were on a loop and were grating on my nerves.
I gave the game 5 stars because in spite of any flaws, the gameplay was good and it kept my interest throughout.
You will have fun saving the world but do play the demo first to see if this style is for you.
I did complete the game although with some effort to stick with it. I bought it primarily because I remember enjoying The Iron Mask. The setting of Medieval Europe is a favorite of mine. There was something in the gameplay that I found disjointed therefore it was easy to lose the thread of logic and sequence. Without logic and sequence we turn to our maps for direction. Locations are displayed with a moving hourglass so off we go to search these areas although by now we are no longer sure why or for what. Then we refer to our hint buttons which take us right out of there and through various other scenes which by now are becoming more and more dreary. I love solving a good mystery but I also like to be entertained along with the challenge not beaten over the head with menacing tentacles. (Or having my sense of logic ignored.) On the brighter side: The HOS were varied, colorful and challenging. Some of the games were the sort where you have to use your cursor to hammer nails or shovel dirt. They involve the gamer in the physicality of the game. Also, our ghoulish little friend, Saint Germaine. makes his appearances which provide an odd and disconcerting sense of comic relief. The ending, when it finally came, seemed too abrupt and promised of more to come. I doubt I will be joining in. It could have been a good game with a bit more editing and is certainly not a bad game. So play the demo and give it a try. We all have different tastes.
If you like them dark and dingy, this might be for you. In fact, I have played a couple of demos lately that, although gritty to start with, descend to ever darker depths as I play. Its not that I never play a dark game, but that these few games seem a bit misleading in their introductions. Saving the world from mad scientists with poisonous gases is one thing, but yet another dank, destroyed (mental?) hospital environment is quite another in my estimation.
Not that this game is necessarily a bad one, but it just wasn't fun or inspiring enough for me to move on. Give it a try if you like this genre and judge for yourself.
I think I will look elsewhere, and wait for Halloween for a game such as this one. Happy gaming!
I enjoyed this game fully and remember fondly the earlier one with its equally beautiful graphics. In this game, one can feel the texture of suede and cloth. The horse seemed made of brown clay which is appealing artwork to me. In fact, the colors are quite subdued, as one would expect from the Dark to Middle Ages.
The subject matter of Knights Templar, monks and an Inquisitor was handled well considering their places in history. It is a game after all, but held a modicum of reality which helps transport one to a different time and place.
The voiceovers were good although delivered a bit slowly for me. And you know, that music was truly haunting and hinged on the beautiful.
So, fellow game players, if this sort of thing sounds like your cup of tea, try it and see for yourself. Enjoy!
I didn't have any problems with this game at all. The good far outweighed the bad for me. I enjoyed running around the manse following up on clues.
And it was refreshing not having absurdly impossible scenarios at every turn. A dumbwaiter is just a dumbwaiter. And there were little surprises in the twists and turns of the characters' agendas.
There are many rooms to explore but you cannot gain access until the time is right. I actually enjoyed the logic of this game. I was even able to close the window that the storm blew open letting a gusher of rain in! These little things can make a big difference.
The gameplay was smooth and there was a good balance of HOGs and Puzzles. For me, an altogether smooth game.
I enjoyed this game from the beginning to the very end. Sure, there are things we have all seen before, but there was enough good gameplay, color and drama to keep me wanting more. There were other planets, other times, and even the 1950's in the US to travel to. The HOS and the puzzles always seamlessly related to the game. The map was a transporter. There was a bracelet that "blinked" me to other places but that was built into the game. The walkie-talkie kept me in touch with a homeboy. And there are surprises all throughout. And no flying smokey, evil things coming at you. WELL, I WILL LEAVE YOU TO IT. ENJOY!
Beautiful and Fun. Review Of Finished Game. No HOGS
PostedMay 30, 2015
sea_anomoly
fromNorthwest Connecticut Hills
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Adventure
Fun Factor
5/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
5/ 5
Level of Challenge
5/ 5
Storyline
5/ 5
This has the old school feel--graphics are smooth, rounded and detailed. Reminds me of Siberia II. Color is nice to behold, sort of realistic. There are endless scenes to travel to and 5 portals. And a good map that transports. You will collect many objects to use--most of them right away. In some scenes there will be a pop-up that shows you 2 or 3 shapes of objects needed. There are puzzles in just about every scene. I played on Adventurer and had very little trouble. There are sculls to collect-partially hidden. And achievements. This game is a good value and fairly long too. Snatch it up!
I AM IN THE MINORITY HERE. PRETTY IS NOT EVERYTHING
PostedApril 22, 2015
sea_anomoly
fromNorthwest Connecticut Hills
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
2/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
4/ 5
Level of Challenge
3/ 5
Storyline
2/ 5
Another pretty game; there can be no doubt about that. In fact, I began to feel the boredom of too much pretty. Endless HOS with jeweled objects filling up the inventory.
The game mechanics were fine but the weak, rambling story line took away from the overall gameplay for me.
And its too bad that the map only showed where there were objectives--not where there were things to do (except if there were available HOS). No transport either which means you can either travel endlessly searching OR use the HINT.
Beautiful graphics, Blue Tea, but a little more substance and coherency, please.
It should have been a tremendous achievement, but the tunnel through the Ridge of Leviathan became the site of a great disaster. What really happened that day?
Now we know where the people lost in the Bermuda Triangle end up! This game has it all for me: great art, strong storyline, game play that never lags, and imagination. There is a sort of Science Fiction theme in that there is a form of higher technology---but nothing that you and I have ever seen. Good map that transports with code for objectives. Challenging puzzles that relate to the game. HOS--besides being beautiful were complex. Sometimes you needed Inventory items to open something and continue with the puzzle.