AmethystScorpion's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.1
- Helpful Votes:502
- Reviews Submitted:44
- First Review:December 2, 2012
- Most Recent Review:December 23, 2017
- Featured reviews0
Status:
An unexpected invitation sends you to research mythical standing stones in Brittany.
Overall rating
5
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
"Orchid Games" indeed!....Can't fool me this is Artifex Mundi!!
PostedMarch 16, 2016
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Played the Demo then bought it immediately!
Needless to say this falls into the "Awesome" box of this company rather than the "Stinker" box. Why on earth they have chosen to change the name to "Orchid Games" is a mystery in itself but it really doesn't matter as this is Artifex Mundi at their best following the line of "If it isn't broke then don't fix it" and rightly so because it works so well for them.
This game follows the usual Artifex Mundi Template of Puzzle, Cut-scene, Puzzle Cut-scene, to keep things moving along swiftly but not too easily. The template used here is from Maple Creek (so is some of the music) so that's why so many people are saying this "Feels Familiar" and for once Good Old Artifex Mundi are using some really good graphics.
Best of all though I got this with a Free Game Voucher!! Top Stars all around Methinks!!
I recommend this game!
Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles Collector's Edition
Charles Baskerville is the latest victim of a centuries-old curse! Help Holmes break the curse before the next murder occurs!
Overall rating
1
/
5
5 of 8 found this review helpful
Should have warned us about the Graphic Animal Cruelty
PostedMarch 5, 2016
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
As a fan of the more "Intended for Mature Audiences" type of game I was in total agreement with the Five star reviews of this title, until that is I reached the half way point and I could not continue any further.
For a low budget game in this series it is an Excellent, well paced Story that has been expertly adapted for a casual game and I cannot deny this and as such I quickly decided to but after playing the demo.
Sadly though there is a point that the customer cannot know about from just playing the demo that contains scenes with Graphic descriptions and Imagery of Animal Torture and Experimentation and I just had to stop playing it. I don't usually ask for refunds but in this case I think I will. Please be advised.
For a low budget game in this series it is an Excellent, well paced Story that has been expertly adapted for a casual game and I cannot deny this and as such I quickly decided to but after playing the demo.
Sadly though there is a point that the customer cannot know about from just playing the demo that contains scenes with Graphic descriptions and Imagery of Animal Torture and Experimentation and I just had to stop playing it. I don't usually ask for refunds but in this case I think I will. Please be advised.
I don't recommend this game.
Nightmares from the Deep: Davy Jones Collector's Edition
Escape the cold incarceration of Davy Jones' brig and discover the otherworldly origins of his galleon in this thrilling Hidden Object adventure.
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
A Great High Quality Stand Alone Game
PostedFebruary 27, 2016
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Ahh good old Artifex Mundi!! One thing that is almost universal about this company is that you know you are either getting something of exceptionally High Quality or else You are getting a Real Stinker. Although they have released a fair number of Turkeys I'm glad to say this isn't one of them, although it isn't without t's problems.
The Good
As with the previous title Nightmares of the Deep Title "Sirens Call" this doesn't quite reach the heights of their first installment "The Cursed Heart" but it is a good second place. Technically this is the most professionally programmed and graphically consistent of the Three. The progression is the same high quality and evenly paced as we have come to expect with Cut-scenes that add to the experience without taking it over completely (a very difficult balance to get). The voice acting is the same mixture of good quality with a tasteful and campy humor that people will either delight in or get annoyed with. All in All a very good production technically with a Semi-Decent length Bonus game.
The Bad
After six years of building up to the character of "Davy Jones" this is quite a disappointment as far from being the Super-Villain spoken of in the first Two titles he is positively Nice compared to the Captain Remington character of " The Cursed Heart". Rather than being the Feared Evil Entity of Legend he comes across for the most part as being Mildly Depressed and treats you with an Apathetic Disinterest and occasional annoyance as you walk freely around his Kingdom trying to thwart his reign. The story, while being a good length often becomes a chore to get through because, well, it just isn't that interesting.
A worthy try but a somewhat flat ending to a great series.
I recommend this game!
Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove, Sacred Grove Collector's Edition
A deadly secret lurks in the woods of Dire Grove!
Overall rating
2
/
5
4 of 8 found this review helpful
Well it's Pretty...and....erm.....yes it's Pretty!
PostedFebruary 5, 2016
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
OR...."Shadow Lake Syndrome Strikes Again"
MCF is gone and it's not coming back. In August of 2014 the "Suits" at BF Games rather than listen to the customers feedback decided to close the Studios down where these classic titles were made. As such it did not surprise me one iota that I found Sacred Grove in a Bargain Bin for 2.50 USD roughly Three weeks after it's release date.
In and of itself this Game is not bad.....for an Eight year old that is. A a MCF Title it was destined to be Awful.
After the Disastrous Fates Carnival BF have taken what was clearly a completely separate game that was nothing to do with MCF and then change the title hoping it would sell. The Only time this Tactic has been done Successfully is with Resident Evil 4, and that was almost Twelve Years ago!
Sacred Grove in and of itself is a relaxing "Switch your Brain Off" walk in the park type of game. It is neither challenging or engrossing. It is the sort of game you would put on when you have nothing better to do and just want to stroll through some pretty pictures. As with the previous title by the name "Dire Grove" it bares no resemblance at all to the actual area it is meant to be set in (believe me I lived there for a few years!). It many ways is the "Dear Esther" of the MCF Stable.
You have cute little fury animals who have their own cut scenes for no apparent reason. You have strange but uninteresting Woods People who are there for....whatever reason they are there for. You have the odd puzzle here and there for....whatever reason IT'S there for. A few nature sounds. An unremarkable sound track. So what was it all about anyway? I really don't know or even care to be quite frank, I'm just taking a relaxing stroll in a Forrest.
Seriously though BF Games have done whomever made this game a HUGE disservice as it would probably done quite well if it had not been given the MCF tag (like Shadow Lake).
People who are new or not familiar with MCF will probably not find this game too disappointing. Take it for what it is.
I don't recommend this game.
Weird Park: The Final Show
Bring an end to Mr. Dudley's reign of terror!
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Not really a "Sequel" but Excellent nevertheless.
PostedFebruary 4, 2016
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This could arguably be the best in the series although strictly speaking it is a Stand Alone game. It's always a big risk for developers to change a story like this but I have to say that for once they actually pulled it off.
Although the Characters are similar in appearance the story is very different from the previous two installments. Mr Dudley is now a Human 1920's Mustachio Twiddling Type Villain in a Top Hat (Mr Dudley also has his own Bonus Chapter). The Clown also has changed fundamentally to being the innocent victim of Mr Dudley rather than the Escaped Lunatic he was in the first Two Weird Park installments. Also the Clowns voice has changed from the Genial Sinister villain to a "Hanna Barbera type" Cartoon Voice (a bit annoying must Admit) but these changes are probably due to a different programming team.
The Graphics on this installment are the best of the three and again while being very different from the first Two Installments retain that Surreal Dreamlike quality. Overall the story is more "Lightweight" also but that does not mean "Inferior" however as I previously stated, take this as a Stand Alone game and it won't disappoint you.
The only real negative I find with this is that it is really, REALLY short. Even when not skipping puzzles and including the Bonus Game there is only about Two and a Half hours of actual Game-play, possibly Three if you take it slowly. But it's a very fun Two and a Half Hours that being said!
Highly Recommended.
I recommend this game!
Decades ago, a brutal crime occurred at the Lexington Hotel. Are you brave enough to uncover the truth about what happened there?
Overall rating
5
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
Oh yes Detective...There Will be Blood.....
PostedJanuary 22, 2016
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
So explain to me B.F How come Ravenhearst Unlocked got a Content Warning
but THIS did not Hmmmm?
but THIS did not Hmmmm?
This game is by far superior in every way to R.U. and many other recent so called "Horror" Games I can think of. Best Explained this game is what Bloody Mary should have been had it not been watered down so much with all those Cute Kittens and Helpful Gerbils all over the place. The X has none of this fluff and is positively uncompromising in its mission to chill you to the bone and make you bleed from things you didn't know you could bleed from!!
Also add into the mix the Graphics from the First Two SHIVER Titles and that creepy incidental music from Escape from Ravenhearst and you are in for a thrill ride rarely seen these days.
As with a few other Rare Gems this offering is something you would expect to find on Frictional Games and fortunately the thrills and scares last throughout to the end, not just the first few screens that we have come to expect these days.
As with a few other Rare Gems this offering is something you would expect to find on Frictional Games and fortunately the thrills and scares last throughout to the end, not just the first few screens that we have come to expect these days.
Some may find this a little simplistic, which it is I suppose, but you can't let up for a second as the Jump Scares never let up either, people who played The Emptiness will know what im talking about.
This is all your casual Horror Games blended into One, the only thing I would have added would have been the Voice Actor from Dorian Grey Syndrome and so many other games when they were still good. Nevertheless this is what you have been waiting for...
Buy it, you owe it to yourself.....
I recommend this game!
A great evil unlocks deep within Ravenhearst!
Overall rating
2
/
5
17 of 18 found this review helpful
PhantasmatHearst.....an Epix Fail. I'm Done!
PostedDecember 7, 2015
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Ok I'm done being nice about this. Ravenhearst Unlocked is just awful. Really, really awful and I really cannot understand the positive reviews. This game is trying (and failing) to be a hybrid of Escape from Ravenhearst and Outlast resulting in a confusing, boring and badly crafted experience.
Despite what one reviewer has claimed their are NO "Live Actors" in this game, in fact, the "Character" animations are much more flat, they move much more jerkily than they did in the mediocre "Key To Ravenhearst" and are quite frankly embarrassing to watch.
The pallet used here is far too Bright, Colorful and Cheerful for this game as it was for another recent fail "The Lillie's Requiem". The Graphics themselves are for the most part poor quality and have obviously been rushed through by an inferior team who did not consult with each other.
As for the "Story Line" just forget it. If anyone can work out what this has to do with the Ravenhearst Legend then let me know (if you even care anymore that is).
Honestly people save your money and don't bother with this complete mess of a game.
If you are one of the many who are missing the "REAL MCF" then I can highly recommend an overlooked title on BF Games called "Fright Collectors Edition". Its very short but has all the looks, sound, progression and most of all the "Feeling" of what made the MCF so popular.
If you are one of the many who are missing the "REAL MCF" then I can highly recommend an overlooked title on BF Games called "Fright Collectors Edition". Its very short but has all the looks, sound, progression and most of all the "Feeling" of what made the MCF so popular.
Goodbye MCF I'm Outta Here...
I don't recommend this game.
Can you find the key to Ravenhearst's resurrection?
Overall rating
4
/
5
9 of 11 found this review helpful
Like paying for a Headline Ticket but getting a Tribute Band
PostedNovember 6, 2015
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
This has been very difficult to grade so I'm going to offer an opinion and then get to the game.
I'v said it before and the way things are going I will be saying it many times more...
Once again we have another example of what I have come to call "Shadow Lake Syndrome" meaning that a Game that in and of itself is quite good, and I genuinely like this game, is not being given a fair chance and should have been given a different name and released under a different programming house.
Releasing this as a MCF Title brings with it certain expectations in the mind of the people who buy it and I understand the frustration
For example just look at the complete insanity that broke out over "Amnesia - A Machine For Pigs" a couple of years ago
but when the word "Amnesia" was removed then everybody loved it!! It's crazy and, possibly petty, but that's human nature.
In Retrospect the demise of the MCF franchise was largely due to the fans being divided between people who missed the Huntsville, Madam Fate era and those who liked the more edgy style of Escape from Ravenherst and Shadow Lake. What BF Games SHOULD have done is split the MCF series into Two camps, MCF and then say "MCF Master Detective" or something like that. Result, Everybody happy.
Once again we have another example of what I have come to call "Shadow Lake Syndrome" meaning that a Game that in and of itself is quite good, and I genuinely like this game, is not being given a fair chance and should have been given a different name and released under a different programming house.
Releasing this as a MCF Title brings with it certain expectations in the mind of the people who buy it and I understand the frustration
For example just look at the complete insanity that broke out over "Amnesia - A Machine For Pigs" a couple of years ago
but when the word "Amnesia" was removed then everybody loved it!! It's crazy and, possibly petty, but that's human nature.
In Retrospect the demise of the MCF franchise was largely due to the fans being divided between people who missed the Huntsville, Madam Fate era and those who liked the more edgy style of Escape from Ravenherst and Shadow Lake. What BF Games SHOULD have done is split the MCF series into Two camps, MCF and then say "MCF Master Detective" or something like that. Result, Everybody happy.
OK The Game...The Good
This IS a step in the right direction after the Lamentable "Fates Carnival" and the Equally Lamentable "Sacred Grove" so the fans will be happy about that. The atmosphere is "Appropriate" to Ravenherst. The progress is much more Logical than the previous disjointed and confusing Elephant Produced Games.
The Graphics are not the quality of MCF but more like something Artifex Mundi would come up with or the early "Phantasmat" Games so not too bad there.
The music and sounds are also appropriate to a Ravenherst Title. All in all I feel that Epix did "Get It" and made a worthy try.
The Graphics are not the quality of MCF but more like something Artifex Mundi would come up with or the early "Phantasmat" Games so not too bad there.
The music and sounds are also appropriate to a Ravenherst Title. All in all I feel that Epix did "Get It" and made a worthy try.
The Disappointing...
Surprisingly it's the little details that are very much missed here. The leaves blowing across the screen. The sound of rain. The little noises.
The story is a little confusing, who are the new characters and why are they there? This seems to be placed somewhere between the first and second installments but
maybe I missed something, or is it an attempt at a Reboot? It is never quite explained.
Speaking of which.....Epix, im sorry but MCF is Character Driven and "Cardboard Cut Out" people on a MCF Title just won't do! Without Denis Kleinsmith, Lee Rahfeldt
and the supporting cast it's just not the same (although I did read that Lee passed away a couple of years ago).
The story is a little confusing, who are the new characters and why are they there? This seems to be placed somewhere between the first and second installments but
maybe I missed something, or is it an attempt at a Reboot? It is never quite explained.
Speaking of which.....Epix, im sorry but MCF is Character Driven and "Cardboard Cut Out" people on a MCF Title just won't do! Without Denis Kleinsmith, Lee Rahfeldt
and the supporting cast it's just not the same (although I did read that Lee passed away a couple of years ago).
In conclusion this is a very good game and deserves to be given a fair chance. BF should have released this as a "Phantasmat" Title or possibly a "Shiver" Title
but as a Ravenherst game it's going to disappoint people.
but as a Ravenherst game it's going to disappoint people.
I recommend this game!
Shiver: The Lily's Requiem
Can you uncover what's causing the strange symptoms in Blackwill?
Overall rating
2
/
5
21 of 24 found this review helpful
Should never have been called a "SHIVER" game
PostedOctober 11, 2015
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
This is one of those games that is suffering from what I call "Shadow Lake Syndrome", that being, if Big Fish had released it under a different name and a different programming house then it may well have done much better. In giving it the label of being a "SHIVER" game this brings with it certain expectations and I can well understand the negative reaction.
Lets face it, it will take a long time before the first, and best, Vanishing Hitchhiker is beaten and I wasn't expecting that to happen with Lillie's Requiem. Poltergeist while not reaching the level of Hitchhiker was nevertheless a good try at a Second installment, Moonlit Grove was a bit of a Stinker but still recognizable as being in the "SHIVER" stable. However Lillie's Requiem fails on every level and should not even be in the franchise.
Firstly its not Scary at all and discounting the rather good Chase Section at the very beginning, it's more like a Cutesy, Lightweight Dark Parables type game that you would buy for your 8 Year old Daughter....I mean...MERMAIDS for crying out loud!!!
Secondly while it could be argued that it IS "Technically Superior" therein lies the problem. The "SHIVER" Franchise made great use of the principle that "Less is More". The Color scheme used here is completely wrong and very much reminds me of the sets on Ernest Goes To Jail with their brightly lit Rainbow Colored Jail Cells and prison guards with their shiny Pink Uniforms! Terrible for this game. Just Terrible!
Thirdly the Story line. The SHIVER games were popular because there was a Real Mystery to be solved, and in fact some questions were never answered at all leaving it to the imagination of the player, again the principle of "Less is More" served them very well in this respect. Lillie's Requiem however spells everything out for the player from the outset leaving us with a distinct feeling of "What's the Point"?
Fourthly the Atmosphere of a SHIVER game is completely absent here"Shiver without the Shiver". One of the Key points that made them successful was the feeling of isolation and danger that the player was put in that was done to great effect. In THIS installment there are any number of people dotted about for comedy relief who seem completely oblivious to any "Danger" whom you can have nice cheery chats with, play board games and perhaps have a cup of tea. In actual fact this very much reminds me of the interactions in Thirteenth Skull. Again Wrong, Wrong, Wrong!
Fourthly the Atmosphere of a SHIVER game is completely absent here"Shiver without the Shiver". One of the Key points that made them successful was the feeling of isolation and danger that the player was put in that was done to great effect. In THIS installment there are any number of people dotted about for comedy relief who seem completely oblivious to any "Danger" whom you can have nice cheery chats with, play board games and perhaps have a cup of tea. In actual fact this very much reminds me of the interactions in Thirteenth Skull. Again Wrong, Wrong, Wrong!
Fifthly the "Special Features"....oh dear, oh dear, of dear is all I can say to that!!! Yep, this involves collecting coins that look more like buckshot to buy decorations for your Fish Tank and to buy other Lovely Items to decorate your virtual room with!!! Enough said on that I think...
This is a VERY difficult game to grade as previously mentioned it could have done much better if BF had released it using a different programming house. In and of itself it's not bad but as a SHIVER game it is just complete Nonsense.
I don't recommend this game.
Shiver: The Lily's Requiem Collector's Edition
Can you uncover what’s causing the strange symptoms in Blackwill?
Overall rating
3
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
This should never have been released as a "SHIVER" game
PostedOctober 11, 2015
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
This is one of those games that is suffering from what I call "Shadow Lake Syndrome", that being, if Big Fish had released it under a different name and a different programming house then it may well have done much better. In giving it the label of being a "SHIVER" game this brings with it certain expectations and I can well understand the negative reaction.
Lets face it, it will take a long time before the first, and best, Vanishing Hitchhiker is beaten and I wasn't expecting that to happen with Lillie's Requiem. Poltergeist while not reaching the level of Hitchhiker was nevertheless a good try at a Second installment, Moonlit Grove was a bit of a Stinker but still recognizable as being in the "SHIVER" stable. However Lillie's Requiem fails on every level and should not even be in the franchise.
Firstly its not Scary at all and discounting the rather good Chase Section at the very beginning, it's more like a Cutesy, Lightweight Dark Parables type game that you would buy for your 8 Year old Daughter....I mean...MERMAIDS for crying out loud!!!
Secondly while it could be argued that it IS "Technically Superior" therein lies the problem. The "SHIVER" Franchise made great use of the principle that "Less is More". The Color scheme used here is completely wrong and very much reminds me of the sets on Ernest Goes To Jail with their brightly lit Rainbow Colored Jail Cells and prison guards with their shiny Pink Uniforms! Terrible for this game. Just Terrible!
Thirdly the Story line. The SHIVER games were popular because there was a Real Mystery to be solved, and in fact some questions were never answered at all leaving it to the imagination of the player, again the principle of "Less is More" served them very well in this respect. Lillie's Requiem however spells everything out for the player from the outset leaving us with a distinct feeling of "What's the Point"?
Fourthly the Atmosphere of a SHIVER game is completely absent here"Shiver without the Shiver". One of the Key points that made them successful was the feeling of isolation and danger that the player was put in that was done to great effect. In THIS installment there are any number of people dotted about for comedy relief who seem completely oblivious to any "Danger" whom you can have nice cheery chats with, play board games and perhaps have a cup of tea. In actual fact this very much reminds me of the interactions in Thirteenth Skull. Again Wrong, Wrong, Wrong!
Fifthly the "Special Features"....oh dear, oh dear, of dear is all I can say to that!!! Yep, this involves collecting coins that look more like buckshot to buy decorations for yor Fish Tank and to buy other Lovely Items to decorate your virtual room with!!! Enough said on that I think...
This is a VERY difficult game to grade as previously mentioned it could have done much better if BF had released it using a different programming house. In and of itself it's not bad but as a SHIVER game it is just complete Nonsense.
I recommend this game!