skullfun's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.7
- Helpful Votes:11,503
- Reviews Submitted:649
- First Review:February 24, 2013
- Most Recent Review:January 2, 2024
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Travel with Ben in his journey through dreams and unravel the mystery of his late wife Elizabeth.
Overall rating
5
/
5
31 of 35 found this review helpful
Finally a SE adventure with an intriguing and touching story!!
PostedDecember 17, 2015
skullfun
fromTennessee
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Current Favorite:
Shrouded Tales: The Spellbound Land Collector's Edition
(46)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This was an insta-buy for me. It's a story of a young Eastern European married guy who’s just lost his wife and is now seeing her beckon him on in his dreams continues to be touching. The gameplay consists almost entirely of simple inventory usage interrupted occasionally by standalone logic puzzles and hidden-object screens. You travel to a half-dozen or so more graphically luxuriant and often nightmarishly altered dreamscapes, always being led on by your wife’s ghostly presence. Connecting each of these dreamscapes is a somewhat grainy cut scene of “you” {the surviving husband} moving through some real places such as an amusement park or a mechanic’s shop. These were obviously shot live in some Eastern European nation. I liked the way the story tries to physically interweave the dream and real worlds, although not much is done with the concept beyond linking one scene to the next. The music is pleasant, the puzzles are fun and often interesting, and the images are frequently stunning and entertaining. The Last Dream is a nice casual adventure. It took me about five hours to complete the game. As with most casual games, there’s a lot of “achievement” earning going on. You look for toys for your cat accomplice and Polaroids of you and your wife throughout the game. None of these is too difficult to locate.If I have any knock on The Last Dream it’s that perhaps it gets a little repetitive towards the end. The scenes continue to change, often dramatically, but the actions you have to perform remain pretty much the same. At the start of the game, you’re given a choice of no less than four difficulty settings. As usual, I just picked the hardest one, knowing that nowadays it was likely not to be too hard. One still gets hints, of course, although you can’t skip the minigames and a few other things. The Last Dream boils down to a pleasant few hours spent in beautiful, vibrant #if somewhat static) dream scenes. Despite the nightmare aspect of the storyline, the game is really rather Zen to play. Final Thoughts? The Last Dream is a well-made and intelligently written casual adventure. It seems quite reasonably priced to me. It's likely to entertain you for a few hours some weekend. You won’t be thinking about its puzzles at night, or at work, or while brushing your teeth in the morning the way a really good, absorbing and challenging adventure will do, but that’s all a matter of taste, of course. Generally, I prefer a game to really suck me in and involve me. Most players nowadays seem to just want a few idle hours agreeably filled. This adventure was the exception and I really enjoyed it. I recommend this one for players of all levels. Enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Someone's out for revenge, and she'll stop at nothing to get it.
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Spirit of Revenge 3 may not be CE worthy...
PostedDecember 15, 2015
skullfun
fromTennessee
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
You’ve tracked through Queen Elizabeth’s courts in the second installment, and now you get your turn to go through an adventure in the country backwoods of Arkansas. The third installment of the Spirit of Revenge series shows what kind of variety we can expect from this series. A game of this quality is bound to have several more episodes coming out in the future. Your niece, Liza, goes off to a summer camp and disappears with several other children. Talk about a ruined vacation! You play the role of a police team’s parapsychologist (parapsychologists are the people who study phenomena that can’t be explained by orthodox means) and you help your sister get to the bottom of this mystery. Apparently, someone is seeking revenge. But, for what? Why attack children? Why these children? Why this camp? Explore the mysteries of beautiful, yet spooky, wilderness of Nickfield Arkansas and solve Hidden Object Puzzles to get to the bottom of all of this. You soon begin to reveal the sub-story and the history of the old gem mine where you eventually have to enter to defeat the Spirit of Revenge. Spirit of Revenge: Gem Fury Collector's Edition comes with a creepy soundtrack that you’ll be able to listen to even after you solve the mysteries. The graphics hold up to the expectations set forth in the previous two episodes.
The Collector’s Edition includes a bonus game that gives you the opportunity to figure out what’s really going on with this mystery. You can get behind the children and miners to learn what’s really going on. There are collectable trinkets that you can pick up along the way and a helpful Strategy Guide to get you out of any pickles you might work yourself into. I have to agree with a fellow reviewer that collectables and achievements have become a gimmick to entice gamers into purchasing Collector Editions. If the bonus game is lengthy and adds additional conclusion to the main story it makes me want to purchase the CE. Demo this for yourself, I think most can wait for the Standard Edition of this latest installment of the trilogy.
The Collector’s Edition includes a bonus game that gives you the opportunity to figure out what’s really going on with this mystery. You can get behind the children and miners to learn what’s really going on. There are collectable trinkets that you can pick up along the way and a helpful Strategy Guide to get you out of any pickles you might work yourself into. I have to agree with a fellow reviewer that collectables and achievements have become a gimmick to entice gamers into purchasing Collector Editions. If the bonus game is lengthy and adds additional conclusion to the main story it makes me want to purchase the CE. Demo this for yourself, I think most can wait for the Standard Edition of this latest installment of the trilogy.
I recommend this game!
Turn back time to save your true love!
Overall rating
4
/
5
8 of 10 found this review helpful
Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved before!
PostedDecember 14, 2015
skullfun
fromTennessee
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Current Favorite:
PuppetShow: The Price of Immortality Collector's Edition
(81)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Sound familiar? The protagonist of hidden-object adventure Immortal Love: Letter from the Past sure never wrapped his head around that concept... See, turns out Jacques (you!) was deeply in love with Angelica, which was a problem since the wicked Count was of the "if I can't have her, no-one will" sort, and he shot her in front of you rather than let the two of you abscond. Two months later, with your memories cursed clean and awaiting execution in a cell, you're rescued on the eve of your execution by a strange masked man who tells you it's not too late to save her. But this isn't a simple story of your average jerk who can't take no for an answer. It's an unexpectedly twisted adventure with high action and some morbid leanings that will keep you guessing throughout. Getting out of your cell is only the first step... you've got to figure out a way to clear your name, too. Turns out Angelica was only gravely wounded, and you're being framed, not only for the attack on her, but for the murder of other men, while she's being forced to marry the count. Look, I'm not saying the odds are impossibly against you, but we're talking about a guy who does not take rejection well, and apparently has access to mind-altering curses, and poison that makes you burst into flames, so, just... good luck. Still, it's not like you don't have anyone on your side, and somebody who's willing to rescue you from prison with a cannon is a good friend to have. As you might have guessed, Immortal Love: Letter from the Past is a little crazy, but largely in a very good way. Its tale of obsession, vengeance, and dark magic makes for a rollicking good time, and that the presentation is gorgeous doesn't hurt either. Characters look... weird... at times when the game uses computer animation for them, but the ARTWORK is otherwise lovely, and everything from the SOUNDTRACK to the VOICE ACTING is top notch too. The story is pretty morbid, as you quickly find out the count has a long history of dealing horrible punishments to the women he forces to marry him {and there's been a lot}, and not everyone will appreciate that aspect of the story. The fact that the count is physically and emotionally abusive to women, having them punished and murdered in horrible ways for a myriad of ridiculous "infractions", may be upsetting for some, so caveat emptor. It's a big plus if you like your love stories twisted and filled with intrigue, but if you were hoping for something lighter and closer in tone to, say, the Dana Knightstone games, you may want to try the demo for this one before you commit to purchase. If you can get past that, however, or just consider it greater incentive to thrash the plot's villain, Immortal Love: Letter from the Past is a very well put together game. One neat aspect is an AMULET that allows you to turn back time, so making a mistake that would otherwise be fatal can be rewound while you look for the correct solution to avoid a nasty case of the deads. It's a cool idea, though essentially this just means the game forces you to fail once before showing you the proper solution each time. You'll recover your memory as you go by finding personal items that trigger flashbacks that fill in the plot as well as provide you with clues of where to go and what to do. The puzzles you'll encounter will likely be pretty familiar for fans of the genre... slide tokens around on a track until they're all in their proper matching places, for example, and its hidden-object scenes, at least the ones not directly related to the plot, tend to be pretty dull. Most of them having you picking out tiny items, matching pairs, or hunting down silhouettes, and they fail to engage the way you want them to. These quibbles may be annoying, however, but they're still just quibbles, and by and large Immortal Love: Letter from the Past is built rock solid from every aspect. Besides, it automatically gets a million bonus points for giving you items and letting you use them throughout the game instead of making you find new ones to replace them and serve the same function. The story actually winds up becoming surprisingly complex for a casual game, and veers off in unexpected directions. It's not just a simple story of love gone wrong, and a lot of the things you learn will keep you guessing and revising your opinion on the outcome throughout, though it doesn't quite stick the landing. But if you're looking for a showstopper of a game with excellent storytelling and more than a few twists, Immortal Love: Letter from the Past comes 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
20 of 21 found this review helpful
Haunted Hotel The X is my Favorite of this Series!!!
PostedDecember 11, 2015
skullfun
fromTennessee
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
In Elephant Games' creepy hidden-object adventure Haunted Hotel: The X, your sister Samantha has gone missing while looking into the legends surrounding the derelict old Lexington Hotel, whose amenities include shuddering ghostly terrors and an isolated forest where nobody can hear you scream. Look, I'm just saying when a hotel's history contains a "brutal butchering", maybe stay elsewhere? But if you want to find your sister, you'll have to brave the mysteries within, and hopefully survive long enough to get out of the 1970s. A tape player? VHS? Now that's scary! Haunted Hotel: The X has all your now-standard casual game mechanics... fully customiseable difficulty, a fast travel map, and collectibles like morphing objects and puzzle pieces for the achievement trackers. You'll click your way through areas, finding items to use and solving puzzles, while occasionally getting menaced by jump scares and demonic squirrels. As you might expect, there's a lot of backtracking... find your way forward blocked, go back to look for item to proceed, look for tools to attain said item, and repeat as necessary. It's formulaic, sure, but Elephant Games has that formula FINELY distilled. Nothing ever drags on too long, puzzles and hidden-object scenes are carefully spaced out so that you run into them at an even pace, and the spirits of vengeful lovers always know when to sob mournfully just out of sight. There are an awful lot of objects stuck in cracks that need to be jimmied out one way or another, but you're kept on edge throughout by some stellar sound design and creepy visual effects... some subtle, some startling. Hey, I'll put up with an unholy wail or three for any hidden-object game that lets me use an item more than once instead of tracking down something different for the same sort of task. You may find yourself reaching for the hint button occasionally, or simply referring to your map to see which area has active tasks for you, less because the game is difficult, and more because sometimes enough time elapses between discovering an obstacle or locked object and finding the item you need for it that you can forget it existed at all. Please, you expect me to remember I needed to saw through some bushes waaaaay back at the entrance? You know I'm a gamer. You know what that attention span is like. MORE ACHIEVEMENTS FOR THE ACHIEVEMENT GOD. The story, apart from the rescue of your Darwin Award-winning sister, ultimately revolves around the spirit haunting the hotel, and you'll quickly start putting the pieces together as you find eerie scrawls, notes, and letters. Most of the plot initially feels like a fairly standard setup of an affair gone wrong, and, well, it kind of is, but there are enough twists to the way it's presented to keep you engrossed. It doesn't hurt either that the game is gorgeous, with rich colours and detailed environments. It's gory and freaky, sure, with bloody handprints and child's scribbles of people with their eyes scratched out, but the artwork is just so gorgeous and full of subtle animation like branches swaying in the wind, or faint faces swirling in fog, that it's easy to get smitten. I usually play games I'm reviewing in windowed mode, so I can take screenshots and write down notes "Don't forget to mention the morphing objects." "Is garlic bread an acceptable business expense?", but Haunted Hotel: The X might be the first casual game in a long time to make me switch to fullscreen at every opportunity to admire it... and, yeah, okay, to laugh at a few unintentionally hilarious scenes where people get thrown around like paper dolls by angry ghosts. I'm a terrible person, what do you want from me? LOL. But hey, I'm also a member who's reviewed a lot of hidden-object adventures over the years, and with its stellar presentation and solid gameplay, I also think Haunted Hotel: The X is well worth your time, and it's certainly the best entry into the series to date. It's scary and strange enough to appeal to horror fans without completely alienating everyone else {Grandmas like articulated spider skeleton dolls, right?}, and with a flair for drama and the unexpected, this is one ghoulish good game to be played in the dead of night. Enjoy!
I recommend this game!
The rivalry between two movie studios escalates into deception and murder!
Overall rating
5
/
5
19 of 28 found this review helpful
Farwell Final Cut, an Awesome series in the Eipix Collection!
PostedDecember 6, 2015
skullfun
fromTennessee
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Can an investigation take you too far? Can a journalist investigation go too far? Can a journalist unravel a secret meant to be hidden? Can he unravel some secrets meant to be hidden? Why would someone from the army be interested in the work of a movie studio? When your friend, a fellow journalist calls for help, you find yourself in a whirlpool of deceits, secret technologies, rivalry and deception. Does every invention have its good and bad use, and will some people always look for the bad one? Direct this movie, just make sure to make the Final Cut that counts. I REALLY enjoyed this finale' to the Final Cut Saga, I will truly miss this series. Since Off The Record is also now retired, I hope Eipix and Big Fish will continue this genre in the same era with a new series similar to Cadenza, Off the Record, and Final Cut. I look forward to new endeavors that play off these wonderful adventures of a gone by era. This is a must have edition for fans who have played all of games in the series. I highly recommend this one!
I recommend this game!
You're the last hope to stop the ancient curse!
Overall rating
5
/
5
19 of 34 found this review helpful
Lost Lands 3 Leads you into Another Epic Journey!!!
PostedDecember 6, 2015
skullfun
fromTennessee
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I am totally impressed with how fantastic and realistic this adventure played out. I believe this is the best HOPA Bigfish has offered this year thus far. You are summoned once again to the Lost Lands by the powerful mage named Maaron, member of the ancient Order of The Keepers, who protects the Forgotten Lands. You play the role of Susan and for her only a few weeks had passed since her previous visit but in The Lost Lands everything changed dramatically. According to Maaron and Elder of the Druids, many decades passed since her last visit, when four horsemen were defeated. And now an ancient curse is activated and stone demon statues begin coming to life in the abandoned old fort, known as the Castle of Madness! Fans of this series will enjoy hours if not days of gameplay in order to save the day in this latest installment. Developers have gone to great lengths to create this incredible life-like adventure story. I think this game sets a new bar of excellence in the genre. More adventure than HOP but so engaging that I didn't want to break away for even a moment. I eventually had to after 10 hours. Take your time and enjoy every moment. You don't want to miss any detail in this Colossal Collector's/Standard Edition. Thank you Big Fish and development team! XoX
I recommend this game!
Why would anyone want to stop Christmas from coming?
Overall rating
5
/
5
10 of 12 found this review helpful
Big Fish and Elephant games deliver the Magic of Christmas...
PostedDecember 6, 2015
skullfun
fromTennessee
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
On Christmas Eve you come home to find a stray kitten curled up on your front porch in the snow, and of course you can't resist taking him in. But later that night, you're awoken by a strange voice, and discover it's none other than the kitten himself, who you've named Simon, standing on his hind legs and talking to you. Seems by taking him in, you've proven yourself kindness personified, and as one of Santa's Helpers, Simon now knows you're who they need to help save Christmas. See, Christmas can't happen without the magical star on the North Pole's tree, and someone's stolen it. Someone... wearing boots. Hmmmmm. But why would anyone want to stop Christmas? Gosh, you don't suppose there's secretly a heart-wrenching motive behind it, do you? It's an adorable, sweet, and fun holiday adventure that makes up for low challenge with stunning production values and a relentless sense of spirit. Christmas Stories: Puss in Boots like most current hidden-object adventure games, has fully customiseable difficulty, down to the seconds the hint and skip functions take to recharge, so it can be enjoyed by just about anyone. As you explore, you'll gather objects needed to solve puzzles, rifle through hidden-object scenes of all types to find items, and even get help from Simon when you need a cat's special touch. If something needs his assistance, it'll pop up with his silhouette when you pass over it, so just click Simon, then what you want him to look at, and he'll get to work. The difficulty on the whole is rather light... most of the puzzles are incorporated in clever ways, such as matching a photograph to the scene of a burglary to spot clues, but don't really require much beyond a decently keen eye to solve. There is a lot of backtracking, but the game is good at spacing all its content out, so you run into puzzles and hidden-object scenes at a decent pace in equal measure. While adults may wish the puzzles had more heft to them, it's likely the perfect choice for kids, or simply anyone looking for something casual to kick back with a mug of their favourite holiday beverage. Christmas Stories: Puss in Boots as much as I might poke at its cuddly cuteness, one of the best compliments I can actually give is it did actually put my heart in the spirit of the holiday season. The more I played, the more I found myself going from lightly rolling my eyes at its treacly-sweetness to actually smiling at each new character and elaborate fantasy scene. It's the sort of game it's hard to be in a bad mood while playing. Still, it's not without its more serious moments. As you'd expect, Puss has his reasons for not wanting Christmas to come, and, well, it's a TEAR-JERKER, so parents who have very young kids might want to play this themselves first to judge if this is a discussion they want to crack open yet. Despite its heavier moments, or maybe even because of them, Christmas Stories: Puss in Boots is still an easily recommended holiday adventure. Puss in Boots is more focused on the journey, and it really does have a rollicking Christmas special adventure feel to it as you chase the thief throughout the game from place to place, and cutscenes are beautifully animated. It's meant to be a very light adventure, with a very Disney-esque approach to the capering cat antics and sentient furniture, and it might just have the BEST voice acting in a hidden-object adventure I've heard yet. It is, in other words, the perfect sweet and magical Christmas game for the young and the young at heart... provided you're not some sort of filthy cat hater, LOL. Try the demo if you're on the fence... you might just be glad you did. Merry Christmas Big Fish, may the joy of Christmas fill your hearts and Thank you for continuing the Holiday tradition of Christmas Stories. xox's
I recommend this game!
A great evil unlocks deep within Ravenhearst!
Overall rating
5
/
5
11 of 24 found this review helpful
A TERRIFICALLY TWISTED THRILLER FOR MACABRE MINDS!!!
PostedNovember 24, 2015
skullfun
fromTennessee
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Dive into the depraved mind of Alister Dunmar once again and discover the history of his maniacal madness, but you will have to escape from the Manchester Lunatic Asylum first! The story of Ravenhearst is definitely one of the most famous tales of all the Mystery Case Files games. It does sort of make sense, that this 13th installment would continue the Ravenhearst story, even though it has been done four times before. In this sequel, Alister's infatuation for becoming immortal is the main theme of the adventure. Ravenhearst Unlocked could come off quite confusing for those who are not familiar with the rather-complex Ravenhearst story. Still, the story was told in quite a creative and exciting way that there was never a moment of boredom in the game. Fans of Ravenhearst will enjoy discovering Gwendolyn and Charlotte Dunmar's story as well as the connection to Madame Fate. The visuals in Ravenhearst unlocked are up to Eipix's usual standard, as well as the standard set by the previous MCF games. Most of the locations are dark, mysterious and borderline creepy - I appreciate all the little spooky details that the developer took the effort to put in each scene, they make the atmosphere much more haunting. Moreover, I actually found the characters in this game to be extremely well-animated and voiced, something Eipix has failed to do at times. Eipix's games sometimes lack the level of challenge, something that the Mystery Case Files series has always been quite consistent at. But Ravenhearst Unlocked is not just a normal Eipix game, it is much more innovative, much more cohesive and yes, more challenging. There is nothing particularly special about the adventure part of the game, but the hidden object scenes and the puzzles are what made this game. The hidden object scenes come in a variety of interesting formats, some contain very smart interactions and mini-puzzles - they are all indeed very entertaining. The puzzles are pretty much excellent. There is a nice balance between some of the easier ones and some of the more complicated ones; the much-loved super-puzzles are also fantastic. Congratulations to Bigfish for continuing the saga that has grown to become a cult classic!
I recommend this game!
The people of Lightfalls are disappearing, and it’s up to you to save them!
Overall rating
4
/
5
10 of 10 found this review helpful
Are the game developers losing their steam???
PostedNovember 22, 2015
skullfun
fromTennessee
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Play the role of Jill once again and save your hometown from destruction in Surface 8: Return to Another World Collector’s Edition Game. It’s called Lightfalls and you left it behind long ago. But your mom, dad and sister are still living in Lightfalls, so from time to time you’re coming to visit them. This time you're looking at home video made there, when mom phones you begging to come and help! You rush to Lightfalls and when you arrived there you realize that a series of earthquakes, caused by the eerie device in the middle of Lightfalls’ lake, is slowly destroying the town of your childhood! This edition is 6 chapters plus a bonus game, which combined would make a decent game because it isn't a long playing adventure. While most of the gameplay in Surface is rather good (aside from the backtracking), and the story is at least fairly unique, the length and graphic issues bring the game down a notch. With so many hidden object games being released on a weekly basis, these minor details become more important than ever when it comes to spending that hard-earned money. Ultimately, Surface: Return to Another World is worth playing, but it would have been undoubtedly better had more attention been paid to how the story was actually presented to the player. Surface Mystery of Another World was executed far better than this installment. I have played all the Surface games and remain an Elephant fan so I give 3.5 / 4 stars...
I recommend this game!
A scream in the night... a brutal crime... a mysterious figure with eyes red as blood. Can you get to the heart of this shocking murder?
Overall rating
3
/
5
8 of 8 found this review helpful
Warning: Dark Tales 7 is short and may disappoint fans!!!
PostedNovember 16, 2015
skullfun
fromTennessee
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Current Favorite:
Dark Tales™: Edgar Allan Poe's The Mystery of Marie Roget Collector's Edition
(52)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Everyone knows that a disclaimer that warns of violence and disturbing scene's is a ploy to entice one to purchase. I played the main game and bonus game in a little under 3 hours. I took my time and did not rush through either. I think earlier games of Dark Tales are better than the Tell Tell Heart. I have played all of them and will remain a fan of the series and ERS. Dark Tales™: Edgar Allan Poe's The Mystery of Marie Roget Collector's Edition, 6th in the series is a lot to live up to...
I don't recommend this game.