ecblisa's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.3
- Helpful Votes:3,199
- Reviews Submitted:76
- First Review:February 3, 2012
- Most Recent Review:August 10, 2021
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Explore the kingdom of Silverdale in this innovative new match-3 adventure.
Overall rating
5
/
5
40 of 45 found this review helpful
Something REALLY new!
PostedFebruary 11, 2015
ecblisa
fromSacramento, CA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Match 3, Card & Board, Brain Teaser, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I have to agree with an earlier reviewer that Vesuvia was the closest game to this one, but this is better, bigger, and more frustrating, which can be a plus. Actually learning how to move around on the board is demanding, and requires thinking. I have played about 25 levels (in the time it would take to finish a simple Match-3), and searching around for the apparently impossible corner that is not done yet is a big part of the challenge. I guess someone who can't tolerate frustration would not like this, but I much prefer it to some of the dead ends I have gotten into in IHOGS, that I never could solve. These difficulties are solvable.
My best recommendation is not to get frustrated too early. Enjoy the learning experience.
One warning: Partially solved levels cannot be saved. This can be a problem when a level can easily take 20 minutes or more to solve. I had to leave for an appointment and had to return to restart an almost-solved level. Yes, it is easier the second time, but still a flaw in this otherwise very good game.
I recommend this game!
The Lands has descended into chaos. Help restore the peace in a land of wizards!
Overall rating
5
/
5
38 of 41 found this review helpful
Very good game if you stick with it
PostedFebruary 4, 2015
ecblisa
fromSacramento, CA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Match 3, Card & Board, Brain Teaser, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I finished the 80 level of this game, and have to say it is definitely addictive once you get past the admittedly dull early levels. The power-ups are varied and interesting, and at advanced levels, choosing the one to use is a lot of fun. The game is not great at explaining that you need to build the various altars, but once you click on the bare building sites, you will get a box showing the cost and benefits (more power-ups) of each. As a match-3 addict, I found this game fun and different.
I do admit the music leaves a lot to be desired, but I have no problem turning it off and playing my own.
I recommend this game!
Submerge into the unique deep-sea world with your amusing aquatic buddies that will never let you feel bored in Fishdom: Depths of Time.
Overall rating
5
/
5
123 of 145 found this review helpful
The best Fishdom yet
PostedNovember 27, 2014
ecblisa
fromSacramento, CA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Match 3, Card & Board, Brain Teaser, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I've bought every Fishdom, I think, and enjoyed all of them. I've played this game halfway into the second aquarium. This is in a way the same old Fishdom --it works basically the same way as the others -- but almost everything is new: new fishes, new backgrounds, new things to buy; even the fishes have new lines. I especially enjoyed "Lisa, if you don't feed us regularly, we'll have to eat the aquarium plants."
As an older, arthritic person who no longer enjoys really difficult levels, I was delighted to find that, as you get to levels that are just too hard, you can turn off the spreading oil, the mines, and/or the timer. You do not have to choose this at the beginning, but can go there when you have replayed a level several times, but still couldn't win it.
The real benefit of this power to play at your own pace is that you young hot-shots out there can tune the game to the really hard level, and us more laid-back players can do the same. Bravo! This is a great BFG exclusive and seems to me to be well worth the price, even if you cannot stand to wait for the next sale.
The basic theme is a passage though time, with backgrounds and decorations from pre-human history through the space age. You can play each theme separately, or go crazy with mixing up all of the goodies.
I recommend this game!
Use the power of your mind to place scales on the board and form clever combinations. Experience this unique twist on the match-3 genre!
Overall rating
5
/
5
49 of 51 found this review helpful
This is an awesome new type of game
PostedNovember 12, 2014
ecblisa
fromSacramento, CA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Match 3, Card & Board, Brain Teaser, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game is basically a reverse match-3, in that you place game pieces rather than removing them. There have been games of this general type before, but they are not this precise, nor do they have the great power-ups. This game is special in that thinking over your moves really helps, and you can learn to avoid locking up the board. You get a bonus for making two matches with one move.
I've played the game about half way through, and still love it, although it's getting harder. There seem to be some timed levels, since there is a power-up for gaining more time, but I've seen only one so far, and the time was generous.
I found the power-ups helpful and not too hard to earn. You get some free ones each time you free - pun intended - a dragon.
This is an all-around great game for people who like a good puzzle challenge that exercises the brain cells.
I recommend this game!
An explosion destroyed your magical alchemy laboratory! Rebuild it by unlocking the mysterious ingredients you need in exciting match-3 levels!
Overall rating
4
/
5
65 of 67 found this review helpful
Counter-intuitive Match-3 is really fun!
PostedNovember 9, 2014
ecblisa
fromSacramento, CA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Match 3, Card & Board, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I'm writing this after playing the game end-to-end three times (once timed#. My comment would be to ignore all the assumptions you make about Match-3 games, and see this game differently.
On the issue of "spoiler alerts," let me just say that I am only telling you things a good help page should have told you. No secrets.
First assumption: Finish each level as quickly as possible. Forget that here. The goal seems to be to pick up as many resources as you can. If you don't, you will wait forever for your first power-up #bummer!#. I saw no advantage to playing timed, such as extra credit for playing fast.
Second assumption: Buy power-ups in order. This has been true of almost every Match-3 game I've ever played. Wrong again for this game. Note that all power-ups are available from the beginning #none are locked#. Go to the very end. Surprise! This is where you get to multiply your resource harvest. Try starting with that first. The other power-ups help you finish levels, but that does not really seem to be the goal of this game.
If you can see this game as having little to do with finishing levels, and much to do with multiplying your resource harvests, it turns into a very fun game.
I did not give this game five stars because it was very frustrating to figure out that this is how it actually works. Still, I consider it lots of fun now that I've figured out how to maximize my success.
I recommend this game!
The citizens of Gizmo Land find themselves in great danger after an attempt to celebrate Halloween goes very wrong.
Overall rating
3
/
5
14 of 20 found this review helpful
A very unforgiving game
PostedOctober 27, 2014
ecblisa
fromSacramento, CA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Match 3, Card & Board, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I like grid type puzzles, and bought this one because It has a fun Halloween theme and puzzles that (so far) can be solved by logic. The problem is that there are no "free" hints or mistakes. While I can ignore the resulting scores ("puzzle solved" is so blah!), the game would be a lot of fun if you could use a hint or two, and make a mistake or two, without a penalty. I sometimes misclick just because my hand is shaky.
Also, having no untimed option bothers me. Having a timer that always tell me I missed the required time is no fun, even if going over time does not require a replay of the game.
Discover the secrets of Olympus in this match-3 adventure!
Overall rating
2
/
5
35 of 36 found this review helpful
Gets too hard too fast, beware!
PostedSeptember 9, 2014
ecblisa
fromSacramento, CA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Match 3, Card & Board, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
This game is unfortunately typical of the kind I most hate: It is quite doable until just after you buy it, then the difficulty goes up massively.
Every level has to be "passed" to unlock the next level, so if there is one you simply cannot pass, you lose the rest of the game. One in every group (of five, I think) levels is timed, and one is a catapult level. The others are" limited number of moves" levels.
By level 26, I started to have to replay levels to pass them. I've been stuck on level 31 forever. It seems that passing some levels involves more luck than strategy. Sometimes there are simply no matches in a critical area, and the better power-ups take forever to fill.
By the way, when I say the level of challenge is excellent, I mean it is very high, not that I liked it.
I don't recommend this game.
Solve a variety of puzzles while travelling across distant worlds!
Overall rating
5
/
5
17 of 17 found this review helpful
The best mosai game so far
PostedJuly 2, 2014
ecblisa
fromSacramento, CA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Match 3, Card & Board, Brain Teaser, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I love this type of game, but am often disappointed that the more advanced levels require guessing -- that is, they are not solvable by logic. So far (five sets of levels into the game), this game is an honest logic game, not a guessing game. Mistakes I've made because the game gets quite difficult have been my own, either due to miscounting or due to accidentally using the wrong tool. I highly recommend this one to all addicts of the genre.
I recommend this game!
The ship of the Henry Morgan is stranded on the reefs, and buried treasures are hidden on the island!
Overall rating
3
/
5
24 of 26 found this review helpful
A big disappointment after much play
PostedDecember 18, 2013
ecblisa
fromSacramento, CA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Match 3, Card & Board, Brain Teaser, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I considered this game pretty good, once I got past the rather boring beginning levels. I much liked the fact that you could collect many powerups and save them for harder levels. But the longer I played, the less I liked the game. Multiple locked spaces that have to be matched as many as 10 times to clear get very boring very fast. Also, the background tiles that have to be broken are often impossible to see (even when using the control key to see the background).
At the most recent level (about 53 or so), I found that one background tile would not clear no matter what I did. I'll have to replay the level.
In addition, while I respect the opinion of people who want no story at all, just game play, just a little bit of story would have kept my attention. After the introduction, there is no story at all. Giving the sameness of the levels, not good for me.
I appreciate the many game modes this game offers, but if the basic game isn't much fun to play, repeat play in other modes is not a desirable feature.
I don't recommend this game.
Free the gods' powers and fulfill your destiny in the Treasures of Montezuma 4! This new match-three game is overflowing with mystery and excitement!
Overall rating
5
/
5
72 of 78 found this review helpful
Very good sequel
PostedNovember 1, 2013
ecblisa
fromSacramento, CA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Match 3, Card & Board, Brain Teaser, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I have played all of this series, and #4 was not a disappointment. Those who have played the other games will find many familiar features, plus some very interesting new ones, like multiple game tasks. All in all, this is a very well made high-end match-3 game.
One warning for people like me, who are physically unable to play fast: Although there is a relaxed mode, where you never lose a level because of slow play, your experience points and the money for buying power-ups is dependent on making a prescribed time per level. Times are gold, silver, or bronze, and there are corresponding point and coin ranges. If you miss out on bronze time, you get no points and no coins.
It is possible to play the game with few power-ups, but it isn't really any fun, so the game definitely pushes you to play fast, which can be frustrating if you're not able to improve in that area. The times are somewhat generous, and in some modes skill will definitely help you to a good time, Still, if you cannot (or choose not to) play relatively fast, you should approach this game with some caution.
I recommend this game!