Cyril48's Profile
 
 
 
Stat Summary
 
  • Average Rating:
    3.9
  • Helpful Votes:
    13,522
 
  • Reviews Submitted:
    435
  • First Review:
    December 29, 2015
  • Most Recent Review:
    January 11, 2025
  • Featured reviews
    0
 
 
Status:
 
 
Cyril48's Review History
<<prev 1 ... 19 20 21 22 23 ... 44 next>>
 
A new time management adventure with your favorite Gnomes! Help the queen defeat the Sea Overlord and rescue her friends!
 
Overall rating 
It was OK.
3 / 5
44 of 50 found this review helpful
In my mind the better option
PostedJanuary 3, 2021
Customer avatar
Cyril48
fromNew Zealand
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor 
OK
3 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
OK
3 / 5
Level of Challenge 
OK
3 / 5
Storyline 
OK
3 / 5
In my mind comparing this with the CE this is the better buy. You get 49 levels as opposed to 59 and do not get the strategy guide which I would not have used anyway
I find it interesting that the first set of levels is in a sealed dome yet there are sharks swimming around. The joys of animation.
As per usual with these games you have an abundance of mills, sawmills farms etc when one would suffice that you keep upgrading all the time.
Because of this I find there is too much going on and it seems all over the place. All the building sites look the same apart from a silly little sign that you need a telescope to see, however if you hover over the sight it tells you what it is.
For me it is all over the place and very difficult to work out the routes etc.
Then we have 2 town halls. What town has 2 town halls? which for some strange reason produce wood and stone.
To top it off we have at the end of the level another mill to produce more food. Why ?
These games could be improved if they only gave it a bit more thought instead of a big mess all jumbled up together.
As always I played to the end of the demo which is the best way to go about it as some games improve dramatically but for me I am afraid this one didn't.
Of course we are all different so what I don't like others might, try the demo out and see what you think.
There is an improvement in this game but not enough for me to buy
I recommend this game!
+38points
44of 50voted this as helpful.
 
Overall rating 
Liked it!
4 / 5
22 of 23 found this review helpful
Good but check it's compatible
PostedJanuary 2, 2021
Customer avatar
Cyril48
fromNew Zealand
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Match 3, Puzzle, Time Management
Fun Factor 
Good
4 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Good
4 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Good
4 / 5
Storyline 
Good
4 / 5
Before I give my opinion on this game I think it is only fair if people know this game will not play on a 32 bit machine only on a 64 bit
It should be made very clear about this but it's not which is why I am deducting a star.
Another thing that was mentioned re the previous game was you do not get any stars if you play in relaxed.
If you play in normal which I recommend everyone whom normally plays relaxed does you will have the opportunity to get all stars but when the time runs out you can continue. it does not finish.
Now on to the game itself , once again we have the easy levels to start but do persevere to the end of the demo as it gets much better.
Different things have been added, the more hidden objects you get this allows you to purchase upgrades. Not sure if this is just a CE thing or you will get upgrades in the SE ?
They are always very unclear about this.
There is no wizard this time but a creature who will turn you to stone if you are in his zone when he wakes up. You can time this to work but of course will affect your time if going for 3 stars.
There are other things added like clockwork mice you need to remove which prevent you picking an item up.
I am on level 20 now and enjoying it.
Try the demo and do not give up after the first few levels play to the end and then decide.
I am not sure if it is CE worthy as I am not certain if you get the bonuses in the Se but bought it because I wanted to carry on
I hope this helps
I recommend this game!
+21points
22of 23voted this as helpful.
 
Join Hercules and Iolaus to complete the 12 tasks demanded by Hera in this fun Match-3 game!
 
Overall rating 
It was OK.
3 / 5
27 of 32 found this review helpful
Pro's and Con's
PostedDecember 29, 2020
Customer avatar
Cyril48
fromNew Zealand
Favorite Genre(s):Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor 
OK
3 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
OK
3 / 5
Level of Challenge 
OK
3 / 5
Storyline 
OK
3 / 5
All depends on what you are looking for in a game to how you see this one.
If you are someone who does not like a timer then this could be ideal for you however the best scenario which will sell more games is to provide several modes to cater for most tastes.
That way you will sell to a wider audience.
I myself prefer to get awarded with bonuses by matching 4 or 5 etc rather than have to build up Mana in order to use a bonus.
Unfortunately this developer likes to stick to the same formula,
Yes the tiles are different and the theme but it is the same thing time after time.
You need to play to the end of the demo and use the upgrades as soon as you can. Go for the bonus tools first without messing about with anything else, that at least makes this game more enjoyable.
Skip all the chat while in the demo.
For me this game is a no, I have played so many of this Dev's games I could almost play with my eyes shut as it is very predictable.
If you have not played any of these games then you may enjoy this. And Finally Dev's if you read this your biggest failure here is not providing different modes to cater for more people. I have already touched on this but do feel this is a major flaw in this game.
I don't recommend this game.
+22points
27of 32voted this as helpful.
 
Stop a glacial meltdown that could have catastrophic consequences!
 
Overall rating 
Liked it!
4 / 5
33 of 35 found this review helpful
I do love this series and here comes the but.
PostedDecember 24, 2020
Customer avatar
Cyril48
fromNew Zealand
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor 
Good
4 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Good
4 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Good
4 / 5
Storyline 
Good
4 / 5
First off I will say that if you love playing these games you may love this one how ever I am failing to see the difference between the last 2 or 3 games.
I have played this to the end and it is so predictable, Don't get me wrong it is a very good game but I do wish they would make some changes.
You have the same tasks to do like repairing lightning stations to stop the lightning before it destroys buildings but it never does destroy buildings just flashes.
If only it would destroy buildings so you would have to keep rebuilding but alas it does not.
Would be so much more fun and challenge if it did.
Even the fires have been scaled down and don't destroy buildings like they used to.
I could not find anything new that had been added to spice the game up.
In the last game I reported that they introduced locked hangers where you had to find the keys in the CE levels and I was so hoping that they would bring that in here but no, not until you get to the extra levels do they bring that in but only twice and for me it made it more interesting.
Same power ups and you are left with money but nothing to spend it on again.
I am a firm believer that this game needs a revamp.
Yes it is a very good game but we need something different to make it more exciting.
I want lightning that destroys buildings, fires that destroy buildings etc.
I have only given 4 stars because there is room for improvement.
It is worth paying the extra as you get a good strategy guide and 15 more levels.
I am glad I bought it to complete the collection. Try the demo, see what you think. It is challenging from the word go but in my mind it really does not get much more challenging.
Just my view and we are all different so see what you think
I recommend this game!
+31points
33of 35voted this as helpful.
 
Play solitaire, hidden object and other puzzles to collect clues, complete quests and win the Amulet of Ina’Hij!
 
Overall rating 
Loved it!
5 / 5
7 of 11 found this review helpful
Every now and then along comes a different take on an old favorite
PostedDecember 18, 2020
Customer avatar
Cyril48
fromNew Zealand
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Card & Board, Marble Popper, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor 
Excellent
5 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Excellent
5 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Excellent
5 / 5
Storyline 
Excellent
5 / 5
Well this is certainly a bit different from the norm and I love different. The developers deserve full credit here for thinking out of the box.
I have played the full demo and just bought it as I know I will enjoy this. At the moment it is fairly easy but the tasks you have to do in order to progress make this a very enjoyable game.
Not a great fan of tons of dialogue but you can skip it so thats a plus for me.
Try the demo to the end and see what you think, don't give up on all the clicking around this really is a wonderful game when you get in to it.
I recommend this game!
+3points
7of 11voted this as helpful.
 
Can you save Camelot from an evil spell book in time?
 
Overall rating 
Loved it!
5 / 5
18 of 21 found this review helpful
CE or SE ? That is the question
PostedDecember 6, 2020
Customer avatar
Cyril48
fromNew Zealand
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Arcade & Action, Marble Popper, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor 
Excellent
5 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Excellent
5 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Excellent
5 / 5
Storyline 
Excellent
5 / 5
And my answer ? They are both brilliant but if you can afford to stretch to the CE, do so .
When this series first started off it was brilliant and a must buy straight away and even then I was thinking how do they improve on this and every time they do.
Yes it is a similar theme but so are all these games that go adding up the series numbers.
They always add something different , this time its dragons and hosts of other small differences that make this series one of my favorites.
There are fun mini games that you decide if you want to do them or not. Every level is a different theme including rescuing workers that have been turned to pigs , saving sheep, saving dragons who once rescued, will then help you in future levels.
The design team for these devs are brilliant and how I wish I could think like that.
Try the demo if you have not already purchased the CE and I would recommend if you can go for the CE to do so but this one will keep you amused as well.
Most TM games are not CE worthy, not the case here but you get good value with either. Enjoy
I recommend this game!
+15points
18of 21voted this as helpful.
 
A new time management adventure with your favorite Gnomes! Help the queen defeat the Sea Overlord and rescue her friends!
 
Overall rating 
Disliked it.
2 / 5
35 of 39 found this review helpful
Slight improvements but still not my cup of tea
PostedDecember 5, 2020
Customer avatar
Cyril48
fromNew Zealand
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor 
OK
3 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
OK
3 / 5
Level of Challenge 
OK
3 / 5
I was torn between 2 and 3 stars. I wanted to give 2.5 as you can see they have made a few changes but it is still the same old Gnomes Garden.
To answer the question why you need to water trees etc it is set in an underwater sealed dome which explains how the gnomes can breath but then it does not explain how there are sharks swimming around ?
As per usual with these games you have an abundance of mills, sawmills farms etc when one would suffice that you keep upgrading all the time.
Because of this I find there is too much going on and it seems all over the place. All the building sites look the same apart from a silly little sign that you need a telescope to see, however if you hover over the sight it tells you what it is.
For me it is all over the place and very difficult to work out the routes etc. Then we have 2 town halls. What town has 2 town halls? which for some strange reason produce wood and stone.
To top it off we have at the end of the level another mill to produce more food. Why ?
Not sure what extra levels you get for the CE . There are 59 levels or that is all I could see on the strategy guide which seems an odd amount unless I am missing something?.
They show 5 different lands so maybe you lose one of those lands in the SE ? Very confusing.
These games could be improved if they only gave it a bit more thought instead of a big mess all jumbled up together.
As always I played to the end of the demo which is the best way to go about it as some games improve dramatically but for me I am afraid this one didn't.
Of course we are all different so what I don't like others might, try the demo out and see what you think.
This is not worth a CE price at all
I don't recommend this game.
+31points
35of 39voted this as helpful.
 
Spellarium is back with the next great puzzle adventure! Join Eric and help him take on a monumental task while completing a resort for the Gods!
 
Overall rating 
Loved it!
5 / 5
14 of 17 found this review helpful
Hats off to FRH Games
PostedDecember 4, 2020
Customer avatar
Cyril48
fromNew Zealand
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor 
Excellent
5 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Excellent
5 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Excellent
5 / 5
Storyline 
Excellent
5 / 5
As you can probably tell I am a fan of this developer.
A very important factor here is that they listen to their fanbase and do what they can to please everyone. Not that you will please everyone as we are all different.
I for one prefer to play on relaxed as I am slow but even on relaxed these games are very challenging and the iron plates for me are a wonderful addition. Incredible minds to think of all these things.
As for the gameplay I love this one probably more than the others in this series. For me it is just right and there is a lot of thinking required.
I agree with others that they need to vamp up the mini games as they are the same old thing but you can skip them and then after 3 skips it gives you the option to not have that type permanently.
The hints used to be annoying but you can now disable that feature which I do all the time.
These games never disappoint and are challenging from the start without being too hard or too easy. Reminds me of Goldilocks, just right.
The developers do read all your reviews and take in everything that is said so once again I give them full credit for that. Take care all
I recommend this game!
+11points
14of 17voted this as helpful.
 
This autumn, celebrate Halloween and Christmas at the same time!
 
Overall rating 
Liked it!
4 / 5
9 of 9 found this review helpful
A wonderful game but consider the CE too
PostedDecember 1, 2020
Customer avatar
Cyril48
fromNew Zealand
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor 
Excellent
5 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Excellent
5 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Excellent
5 / 5
Storyline 
Excellent
5 / 5
The reason I have only given this 4 stars is because I feel that the CE is worth buying as it is packed full of features. Don't get me wrong this is a brilliant game and only too rarely do we get a CE that is good value over the Se . I am sure you will enjoy which ever you go for
I was fortunate enough to do a survey for this game a little while ago and was able to state my opinion.
This shows a developer cares when you get the opportunity to have your say and I thank them for that.
What a joy this game is.
When this series first came out I had my reservations but now I am an avid fan.
You have the usual collecting etc but there is a different thing to accomplish in each level and the joys of festivity are abound here which is something we all need in these trying times.
There is a 90 minutes demo here which is a great thing and rare in a TM game. There is so much going on that 60 minutes would be a bit short.
A great thing is that you can turn the dialogue off so those whom do not like dialogue you are catered for.
I always skip dialogue in demo's so I can get further in the game having said that now I have bought it I have turned it back on as I find it very humourous.
As well as the strategy guide you also have quite a comprehensive help guide which can be accessed in the guide.
If I did have one thing to point out and I am only nit picking here is that in the first levels I sometimes found that the bark etc blended in a bit too well to the brown tracks so anyone with eye sight problems may have to look a bit closer..
Once past the early levels then everything is nice and bright.
I recommend this game!
+9points
9of 9voted this as helpful.
 
Enjoy fun Match-3 challenges as you upgrade the airport and help Lee become the youngest airport manager in the company’s history!
 
Overall rating 
It was OK.
3 / 5
19 of 19 found this review helpful
Don't be fooled by the demo
PostedDecember 1, 2020
Customer avatar
Cyril48
fromNew Zealand
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor 
OK
3 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Good
4 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Good
4 / 5
Once again this is one of those games where those who like to judge a game by the first few levels will be put off.
At first it comes over as an easy game for children and not adults but like a lot of games it is deceptive.
Some games start off too hard and put people off then some like this start too easy and put people off.
It is not easy to get the balance right. I liked the fact that the tiles were large, ideal for those with eye problems. There is a relaxed level, in fact there are 3 levels.
As you get further in to this game it becomes more interesting and it does become quite challenging. Not worth 5 stars but I would recommend that you stick with this until the end of the demo then make your mind up.
I agree that the first levels are a let down but persevere with it till the end of the demo. You may see things differently
I recommend this game!
+19points
19of 19voted this as helpful.
 
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