AverageSizeFish's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:2.8
- Helpful Votes:2,910
- Reviews Submitted:173
- First Review:June 2, 2014
- Most Recent Review:May 1, 2017
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Are you ready to take on a challenge that will change the destiny of the whole kingdom? Help Victoria bring back the rightful heir to the throne and restore justice.
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
Fun game - but not so casual
PostedJune 17, 2016
AverageSizeFish
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management, Match 3
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I really enjoyed playing this game but it isn't what I would necessarily call a casual gaming experience and, for this reason, many people may not enjoy it as much as I did.
To begin with the levels take longer to finish the higher you go. Even by level 10 or so the levels were taking over 20 minutes to complete and they keep getting longer after that. I like to play casual games at lunch time so having levels that took almost an hour to finish wasn't exactly what I was looking for. I want a casual game to have more of a casual time investment per level.
Second, many (not all but many) of the levels have a limited number of a given resource. This means that you have to calculate beforehand how much of that resource you can spend on building upgrades before you start a level. If you don't do this, and you upgrade one building one level too many you will run out of that resource and be forced to restart the level. Again, if the levels didn't take so much time this wouldn't be such a big deal. But after investing half an hour in a level it's pretty annoying to find that you can't complete it because you lack some resource and there isn't any more of it on the board. I don't consider a game where I have to do math calculations before each level to be entirely casual and I'm not a big fan of the running out of resources gimmick.
Last, but probably worst, are the upgrades you get that give you plus one when you clear a stone or wood obstruction. You can only use one at a time and the developer makes the levels so you have to keep switching them; often you will have a row of resources that is stone, wood, stone, wood, and so on. You have to switch the upgrade, pick up the resource, carry it back to the home base, switch the upgrade, collect the next resource, and so on. Each time you switch the upgrade you have a pop-up to deal with. I found having to deal with a pop-up constantly like this really interrupted the flow of the game. I like time management games to move along, and the constant halt to switch upgrades got really old pretty quick. If you don't take advantage of every plus one though it often results in having to restart the level because you ran out of resources.
Overall, while I enjoyed the game I think the developers could significantly improve it by addressing the issues I've identified: shorten the levels a bit, ease up on the out of resources gotcha gimmick, and do away with a complete reliance on an upgrade that has to be switched every two seconds.
I recommend this game to true time management fans because it is really fun for those with the perseverance to deal with its issues.
I recommend this game!
Gnome Garden 3 - a new chapter in this exciting fantasy/strategy game. Head off into unknown lands and defeat the warlock!
Overall rating
3
/
5
11 of 15 found this review helpful
Far too easy - based on finished game
PostedJune 5, 2016
AverageSizeFish
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management, Match 3
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
This game is much like the first game in the series. You clear obstacles, build resource-generating buildings, fix altars, and plant trees. The graphics are brightly colored and cartoonlike.
The big problem with this game is that it presents absolutely no challenge at all - none. I kept playing each level waiting for the difficulty to ramp up and that just never happened.
Near the end of the game, you become dependent on altars that produce random resources. This is slightly annoying because you cannot strategize your way out of waiting for them to cough out that last crystal you need to finish but I was able to finish all the other tasks so quickly that this never stopped me from getting gold on those levels. Because the game is so easy I completed it in an extremely short period of time so it isn't a good value.
Overall, I would only recommend this game for small children. It most definitely is not a game for adults.
I don't recommend this game.
Restore the magical gardens and defeat the troll queen in Gnomes Garden 2, the sequel to an exciting fantasy strategy game!
Overall rating
1
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
This is identical to the first game in the series
PostedMay 30, 2016
AverageSizeFish
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management, Match 3
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
This game is identical to the first game in the series. Not a single thing has been changed except they made it easier.
If you have purchased the first game, don't waste your money on this one. All you will end up with is two versions of the exact same game.
One star for deception and laziness.
I don't recommend this game.
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
Pretty but unexciting
PostedMay 11, 2016
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I purchased this game because I enjoyed the demo but, after playing it for awhile, the charm wore off. Overall gameplay is typical match 3 with essentially no innovation, although the graphics are pretty.
The biggest issue for me is that the scoring system is essentially meaningless. There is no high score to beat, there are no stars to earn, and there is no easy way compare your level scores to see if you're improving. The timer moves so slowly that finishing a level in time is not a challenge at all.
Gold, which is supposed to be the big collectible reward in this game, is too easy to obtain to make it very rewarding to collect it. You use gold to upgrade buildings but, due to the ease of collecting gold, upgrading buildings isn't very exciting. This is especially true because upgrades don't really change the appearance of the buildings very much.
There is a mini-game involving a leprechaun that pops up in the middle of almost every match 3 board. This was amusing and funny the first few times, but it got old pretty quickly. There is no true HO component. Instead, every once in awhile, you're presented with a find-it that involves finding multiple instances of a particular type of object. These are so poorly hidden that the exercise is boring. The last non-match 3 component involves clicking or not clicking on falling tokens depending on their color. I found this element of the game boring as well.
While this isn't a truly bad game, it just isn't a very good one either. I would only recommend it for a hardcore match 3 fan who is having trouble finding a new match 3 game to buy.
I don't recommend this game.
Explore the haunted history of a ballet school while guided by spirits from another dimension! Can you help guide these poor souls home?
Overall rating
2
/
5
12 of 13 found this review helpful
Annoying and boring
PostedMay 9, 2016
AverageSizeFish
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management, Match 3
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
The graphics are cartoonish, washed out, and mildly grainy. The sound is ok, but it is tightly looped and grows repetitive.
The hidden object scenes are list finds, and there are mislabeled items on the lists. For example, I was told to find a horn, but I had to click a small fabric bag instead. I only found it by clicking the hint button. The hidden object scenes require a very precise spot to be clicked before the game will respond. I also ran into a briefcase puzzle that had to be skipped because it would not work correctly.
There is a symbol matching game that must be played as your character moves between the real world and the "spirit world". The symbols are partially concealed by a moving shroud of black mist, and they jiggle. It was annoying the first time I encountered one of these games. By the fourth time, I was sick of it.
The adventure component is filled with the usual ridiculous tasks. The annoyance here was compounded by the fact that it is never clear what you need to click on to get to the next area. Instead, you have to click all over the screen to find a single spot that looks like all the others but, for whatever reason, is the magic spot that opens a new area. This made the game an annoying click-fest.
The storyline is one used by many HOPA games. Unfortunately, these developers added nothing to it to bring new interest to this tired tale.
All in all, this game is just boring and annoying. I couldn't make it through the demo.
I don't recommend this game.
In this latest installment of Imperial Island, accompany Emperor Omadan on an exciting journey through uncharted lands in search of his son - Prince Caleb.
Overall rating
2
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Great game - you cannot replay levels
PostedMay 4, 2016
AverageSizeFish
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management, Match 3
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I was really enjoying this game until I finished the last level and went back to get gold stars on ones I had missed gold on. Then I discovered that this game does not allow you to return to previous sites on the map in order to replay them. I am very disappointed about this.
The ability to replay levels is a standard feature of match 3 games that have maps/star systems. The fact that this game lacks this feature is disappointing. The fact that they don't bother to warn you about this deficiency before you buy the game is deceptive.
I don't recommend this game.
Explore a fantastical world and save the King in this innovative new match-3 experience!
Overall rating
3
/
5
24 of 27 found this review helpful
Great start - disappointing finish
PostedApril 29, 2016
AverageSizeFish
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management, Match 3
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is a very long game (200 levels) with 3 basic types of match 3 levels.
The first type is your basic match 3 grid with certain numbers of red tiles that must be cleared, grass/sand/dirt tiles that give extra points for clearing, ice/chained tiles that take extra matches to clear and may be hiding red tiles, and occasional tokens that have to be dropped to the bottom to gain access to additional areas. The second type is a dig your way to the bottom scheme, and the third is a domino set up where you need to clear the board. Each type is untimed and the limiting factor is the number of moves you're given to complete all the clearing.
As you progress the levels become longer and more difficult, and the number of steps you're given grows less to the point where, in order to complete them in gold or in gold + a ribbon, you will need to use power-ups. And here is where the trouble starts. It is very difficult to obtain enough gold to purchase all the power-ups you need. There are simply not enough ways to obtain gold compared to the very high cost of any given power -up, and gold itself is very expensive to purchase. By my calculation, I would need to play approximately 32 levels to get the resources needed to buy 50 gold bars. Power-ups range in price from 8-15 bars of gold.
When I got to a level past 130 (can't remember the precise level) I hit a gate that required a certain number of ribbons to get past it and I was 4 ribbons short. The only levels I didn't have ribbons on were levels that are so long, and so difficult, that in order to win them with a ribbon I would have to use power-ups. I had spent all my gold already so I couldn't buy any. In order to get enough gold to buy all the power-ups I would need to get through the gate I would have to go back and play earlier levels over and over to amass the resources needed to buy gold.
Meanwhile, I had an inventory jam-packed with stuff I found that I couldn't use for anything.
Since I am unwilling to repeat many, many levels just to obtain gold to buy the power-ups needed to deal with levels I don't have a ribbon on, I will not be completing this game, and that is very disappointing to me.
I started out really loving this game and I ended up frustrated and annoyed with it to the point where I just had to quit. Overall, while the beginning levels are really fun, poor game design spoiled the latter portion of the game for me. What is somewhat deceptive is that you won't run into any of this until after you've completed the demo levels and bought the game. I hope this dev improves on this game when they return with its sequel.
Mix potions, pick locks, make magic orbs, and much more - to rescue the magic creatures from the evil wizard in this enchanting match-3 adventure.
Overall rating
2
/
5
15 of 17 found this review helpful
Very clunky movement of pieces
PostedApril 27, 2016
AverageSizeFish
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management, Match 3
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The big problem I have with this game is that the pieces do not always slide into the adjacent box when you drag them. They will reliably move if you click the one you want to move and then the box where you want it to go but they do not reliably drag there. Basically, sometimes you can drag them and other times you need to click them.
This is a huge problem when playing a timed game and it is a deal breaker for me. Not only will I not purchase this game...I couldn't even finish the demo.
As an added detriment to enjoyment the music consists of a single repetitive tune on an extremely, and I mean extremely, short loop. It got very annoying in a pretty short time period so if you're someone who wants a nice soundtrack with a game this isn't going to be the game for you.
The story, as someone else mentioned, is sort of garbled...it really isn't clear what little European gnomes have to do with Imhotep of ancient Egypt. If the game itself worked correctly I wouldn't let that bother me but for people who want a story that makes sense this game isn't going to fit the bill.
All in all, the bad game dynamics killed it for me but even if you can tolerate that there are other unpleasant issues.
I don't recommend this game.
Discover Fairy Kingdom and enjoy an exciting simulation adventure!
Overall rating
3
/
5
15 of 15 found this review helpful
Based on playing past the demo
PostedApril 12, 2016
AverageSizeFish
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
It's pretty clear that the people who gave this game 4-5 stars and called it easy didn't buy it and play past the demo. If you review a game you should mention how much of it you played before you wrote your review because games aren't always the same past the demo period...this one is a good example of that. Reviews that come out right when the game does are pretty un-helpful in terms of describing what you can expect from playing the whole game because there is no way they played the whole game before reviewing it.
The game starts out with levels that are very easy but once you're out of the demo time period the levels change. I like a game that ramps up in difficulty but to me this one does so in a fashion that isn't really what I'm looking for in a casual game.
To begin with partway through the levels that are past the demo there are levels where your plus ups will last literally 1 second. You will click the +1 resource plus up and you will have time to collect 1 single resource before the plus up expires...why?...who knows. I'm not a fan of the amazing plus up doesn't work feature. The way to make things more challenging isn't by sneakily sacking the plus ups in my opinion.
Your characters are also running very slowly at this point in the game (the reason given is that they're in the desert) and there is no way to speed them up. Resources become a problem too...you can upgrade your resource buildings all the way early on but you still have to sit there waiting on resources as you move forward. Everything costs so much in these levels that your buildings can't keep up and you can't upgrade them further. It's all just very annoying and it feels very slow, ponderous, and unfun.
I play casual games for...you know...a casual game. I don't play them to play the same level over and over and over because the rules have changed and now I need to figure out what has essentially become a completely different game than the one I thought I was buying based on the demo. I also don't buy casual games to watch my characters running in slow motion. I hate a slow game.
If I want to play a game that requires this much thinking to get through a level there are better games out there for that. I buy casual games for something light when I'm in the mood for something that's consistent and doesn't require a lot of repetition to figure out. I also expect that the action on my screen is going to be moving along...I don't want to see my character plodding so slowly. It's really boring watching them when they aren't fast.
Anyone can code a game that is almost impossible to get gold in. It takes an expert to make a game that is challenging but not annoying. Unfortunately this game was not crafted by an expert.
I don't recommend this game.
Travel around the world alongside Jill and Mike and help them become international TV superstars!
Overall rating
5
/
5
17 of 20 found this review helpful
Gardens raises the bar again
PostedFebruary 9, 2016
AverageSizeFish
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The Gardens series is among the very best in this game genre and the latest surpassed my expectations. If you've played one of the earlier game this one is similar enough to the others to feel completely comfortable diving in without the tutorial but different enough to feel like a whole new game.
The graphics and sound are appealing and well done. The story is very clever and cute with return appearances of many favorite characters from previous episodes and fun new characters too.
Game play can be relaxed with no timer or fast-paced at expert level. I played the entire game on the middle setting and then immediately went back to play it all again in expert mode. The great beat the developer feature is back and if you win in gold with enough time and resource bonuses you are rewarded by the announcement that the developer's top score was beaten. The game also keeps track of your scores so you can replay a level to beat your old score.
Several new features have been introduced including moles that pop up randomly that you get extra points for catching, expert animal catchers, resource delivery sheds, and new modes of getting your characters to the tasks. Garden defense levels are also new and allow you to play as a police officer or animal catcher to defend the garden against hordes of wolves, scorpions, and criminals set on getting into your flower beds. Winning in gold depends on catching them all before they carry out their nefarious intentions.
Some of my less favorite features from previous games including criminals that kicked your plants to pieces and ghosts that kept your workers cooped up in their truck have been left out of this game and I was really happy about that. Also gone is the concept of cash as a resource that you need to pay workers to do tasks which was also pleasing.
Overall this is a great addition to the Gardens series. The developers always change the game enough that it's worth buying the new one and this one is no different. Excellent fun and excellent replayability make this game a great value. When I came to the end of the main game I was very glad I had purchased the Collector's Edition because I wasn't ready for it to end. The bonus level in Australia was really fun.
I recommend this game!