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:
Brink of Consciousness: The Lonely Hearts Murders Collector's Edition
Olivia has been kidnapped by the mysterious Lonely Hearts Killer who murders those suffering from a shattered love. Save her!
Overall rating
1
/
5
8 of 16 found this review helpful
OOH - This was a Stinker!!
PostedDecember 10, 2012
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I suspect the main reason people have bought this is because it is being touted as a game very much like the previous, and exellent, Dorian Grey Syndrome. In reality it couldn't be more differnt.
For a start it isn't a Thriller / Horror it's a comedy, and not a very good comedy. The graphics are ok but no where near the quality of Dorian Grey making things difficult on the HO scenes. The voice acting is good but 99% is just waffle and nothing to do with the game so you can skip through it and it makes little difference. The characters are the usual spread of Cludo steriotypes and sadly the programmers have made it so obvious who the killer/killers are within the first Fifteen minutes that there is no challenge here.
Worst of all though any atmosphere is destroyed by the ridiculous objects and puzzles that the player has to find and use.
This game is set in the early to mid Eighteen hundreds and contains every day items from that period as a soft drink vending machine (pluged in of course), a number of modern electrical fuse boxes, keys to ancient jewelry boxes that are made out of modern ring pulls from soder cans. Want more? How about the China Town Area where you find such common Chinees objects as an American Indian head dress, a clowns wig, a modern game of Tin Can Ally only with Ships to name a few.
This game is set in the early to mid Eighteen hundreds and contains every day items from that period as a soft drink vending machine (pluged in of course), a number of modern electrical fuse boxes, keys to ancient jewelry boxes that are made out of modern ring pulls from soder cans. Want more? How about the China Town Area where you find such common Chinees objects as an American Indian head dress, a clowns wig, a modern game of Tin Can Ally only with Ships to name a few.
Want still more?
Ok how about detective solving clues such as throwing a brick through a window at a passing pigeon, using a squeaky rubber mouse to catch a black cat, repairing a steam valve machine to blow a fire escape ladder down from the balcony. A modern fire hose in an age when there were no fire hydrents.
How about your character breaking the forth wall ie speaking to you the player throughout the game? A section of comedy sounds such as a spring going "boyoyoyyinggg", a breying donkey, a squeeking rat, a moose (yep lots of those in Early Eighteen hundreds London).
Honestly people how on earth this monster escaped from the programmers is beyond me completely!! It's completely farcical and an embarresment to play.
Avoid at all costs!
Nancy Drew - Curse of Blackmoor Manor
Delve into legends lurking in an English mansion! As Nancy Drew, find out what hides in Blackmoor Manor.
Overall rating
2
/
5
6 of 10 found this review helpful
Very good game let down by lazy programming
PostedDecember 5, 2012
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is an older game so allowances need to be made for the lack in quality. The dialog is enjoyable as are the clues and the progression. The acting is the usual stereotypes of how English people are viewed in the States (nothing like the real thing) but are still tastefully done so as not to cause offence.
So why have I given it such a low rating? The reason is that the navigation is an ABSOLUTE FRUSTRATING NIGHTMARE!! Even for such an old game it is still primitive requiring precise combinations of moves to get anywhere, in fact I would compare it to the first early eighties Graphic Adventure games on Eight Bit micro computers. Honestly it really is that bad and disorienting being blocky and confusing. As such I would play this in small sections just to alleviate the frustration.
In conclusion I am sad that such a well crafted and researched adventure has been let down by such lazy programming because this could easily have been a classic.
I don't recommend this game.
Shades of Death: Royal Blood
After your father dies, your sister Violet requests your help at the Family Castle. Get to the bottom of a dark mystery!
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 5 found this review helpful
Ok For Beginers
PostedDecember 3, 2012
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I was fortunate enough to have this game as part of a multi-pack because I certainly wouldn't have bought it alone.
Overall it is fun but WAAAAY to short so it is a good introduction for people new to HO Adventure games.
Overall it is fun but WAAAAY to short so it is a good introduction for people new to HO Adventure games.
The mood is inappropriately mild considering it is about a series of brutal murders and after a promising start the game quickly becomes "cartoonish" and camp so it is impossible to take it seriously.
The graphics are generally high quality but inconsistent at times and there are also inconsistencies between stages as to the actual time period the game is set in.
The graphics are generally high quality but inconsistent at times and there are also inconsistencies between stages as to the actual time period the game is set in.
As stated elsewhere advance players would easily complete this in the time allotted for a free trial so its worth a whirl if you want a game for nothing.
I don't recommend this game.
Brink of Consciousness: Dorian Gray Syndrome Collector's Edition
Help Sam rescue his love Anna in Brink of Consciousness: Dorian Gray Syndrome, an incredible Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
Creepy and Nightmarish
PostedDecember 2, 2012
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This was one of my first PC adventure games and what a delightful shocker it is!
There is a disturbing "reality" to this adventure that I haven't seen in a PC adventure before that gets inside your head and plays games with your mind.
Much research has been done in creating the character of Oscar and time has been taken in cultivating the sadism, the dark humor and the twisted logic of a maniac serial killer who thinks he is doing the world a service.
In fact, Oscar himself with his motivations, his mode of speech and his dark humor could be a close relative of Doctor Phibes!
Much research has been done in creating the character of Oscar and time has been taken in cultivating the sadism, the dark humor and the twisted logic of a maniac serial killer who thinks he is doing the world a service.
In fact, Oscar himself with his motivations, his mode of speech and his dark humor could be a close relative of Doctor Phibes!
The environment is excellently drawn with attention to detail, very much like the Mansion in the Gamecube remake version of Resident Evil and it really deserves to be seen on a large screen TV in a dark room if at all possible.
Same with the sound which is much better if using headphones to experience all the creaks and jumps of the environment, yes this game is actually very jumpy at times.
The hero of the game, Sam Wilde - lol Oscar vs Wilde - is bland and non descript but that allows the player to make the game their own so I don't know if this was just lazy programming or deliberate genius from the game designers.
Same with the sound which is much better if using headphones to experience all the creaks and jumps of the environment, yes this game is actually very jumpy at times.
The hero of the game, Sam Wilde - lol Oscar vs Wilde - is bland and non descript but that allows the player to make the game their own so I don't know if this was just lazy programming or deliberate genius from the game designers.
The Hidden Object scenes are for the most part tasteful and consistent with the game environment so as not to take away from the atmosphere of the experience - no fried eggs in fountains or silly stuff like that. I suppose there is an "emptiness" to much of the environment with regards to things to actually do but again I'm unsure if this is the result of lazy programming or deliberate.
WARNING. This game is NOT for children - or some adults actually - as the ending is truly shocking and horrific so discretion is advised.
Down sides: The bonus game is VERY poor and really not worth the price of an "Collectors" or "Platinum" edition.
The graphics of the bonus game are cartoonish, the interaction between characters is inappropriately camp and it was obviously made by a different programming team who didn't know what the game was all about. Oh, and it's very short so save your pennies for something else.
The graphics of the bonus game are cartoonish, the interaction between characters is inappropriately camp and it was obviously made by a different programming team who didn't know what the game was all about. Oh, and it's very short so save your pennies for something else.
Conclusion: Played in the right way this is not so much a game as an immersive experience in fear. May it haunt you dreams for a long time...........
I recommend this game!