This game features 27 different choices for piece shape and number of pieces. There are 8 categories with 17 to 20 images in each one, Canines, Felines, Avian, Aquatic, Equine, Lepidoptera (butterflies), Captive World. and the ability to upload images in Custom Mode. There is no evidence in "Captive World" that these images are shot in a zoo. The animals appear to be in a natural habitat. There are !25 different pictures and lovely music to boot. There is even some trivia at puzzle completion about the category. The custom feature alone means this game has unlimited potential. Bravo!
I was enjoying this game until I had the same problem another reviewer had. After assembling the castle amulet it promptly vanished. I could not advance in the game beyond that point. The amulet needed to be put in the chest but "no amulet" = "no continuation." Frustrating! I'm still debating whether the game was good enough for me to replay it and hope for a different outcome on my next playthrough. I have always loved the way Do (Domini) puts tons of extra stuff in the game to discover just by clicking around on everything onscreen. I've had fireworks appear, statues come alive, sharks jump at me and many other delightful things to thrill me. No other developer takes the time to do this and I love it because it satisfies my "What's this do? Can I touch that?" inner child!
I happen to really enjoy this series because of the variety of colorful pictures, the different styles of play, the accompanying music and the casual nature of gameplay. Sometimes, you just want to chill out a bit, not have to think too much, yet still enjoy a gaming experience. It may not be for everyone, but the purpose of making a sequel is the fact that enough people loved the first game that they can't wait for the next one (like me) and are thrilled when they are released. If someone continues to purchase sequels of the same type of game expecting something completely new and different then that isn't really a sequel at all. Buyers beware or buyers rejoice...sequels mean "we love it and give us more." If the game doesn't suit you don't keep buying it. Thanks to Little Lion for delivering what was expected of the delightful "So Much Stuff" series.
I played the demo after reading some of the other reviews. I think the main concern or disappointment comes from the fact that this is NOT a Hidden Object game. These are not scenes or landscapes with a list of objects hidden within them. This is a pair/matching game similar to the "Clutter" games. You match pairs of pictures on tiles or chips and you EARN raindrops based on how quickly you clear the playing field and reveal the beautiful pictures beneath. You can then "spend" those raindrops in a store full of beautiful landscapes and scenes to put into a personal album. The music and pictures are beautiful and the game is very relaxing. I did not experience any issues with cursor speed or movement. This game has a large amount of material and many variations of game play. You can play just your favorite version of the games listed or you can choose to have the game serve you random selections from all of the types available (like a Clutter "quest") If you enjoy this type of matching game then this is a top notch representative of the genre. I did purchase the game after playing the demo. I hope this review helps folks.
I was thrilled to see the rendering of the opening "Moon Elf" and later, the Eiolin Guard at the meeting. Many of the locations are beautifully detailed, like capturing Callisto emerging from a mirror in a haunting chamber. While gaming, I don't like being forced to make a choice which can be WRONG and I miss out on gameplay. As for my review title... as so many others have mentioned, the game crashed while battling the Werewolf and I cannot return to the spot where I was, I have to start all over, which I am not inclined to do with this game. The game takes me back to the Werewolf when I return to it, but I can only move around locations and not interact with anything., hence being forced to start over. In all of the betas/surveys I've ever done, I corrected/edited their spelling or grammatical errors and offered to edit the whole thing for free. So to see such a glaring error in the first seconds of the screen smacks of laziness and feels inexcusable. If I were to turn in a novel or screenplay with an error on the first page, no one would ever bother to read beyond that point. They would move on to the next one in the pile to someone who cared enough to get the language basics RIGHT. Especially when today's computers do spell check for you and underline your errors in RED. This was the best game I've seen in a while (not counting Awakenings Moonfell Wood which was PERFECT) so I am hopeful for the future of this genre and almost always happy when DO Games is the developer. It would have been nice to be able to finish the game. I realize that games can malfunction based on the player's equipment and/or settings but I don't believe that to be the case with this one since we all crashed in the very same spot. I am recommnding this game since not everyone had the crash issue and the game is good enough to be worth your time to play it.
Because of the last release by Do Games, I actually tried the demo first instead of simply buying the Collector's Edition, confident in what I was getting from this Dev. I'm glad I did, because I would have been VERY upset if I had paid full price for this game. We are greeted by 4 or 5 characters right off the bat, and an engaging story about broken mirrors which are actually portals to other worlds! What's not to love about that? But then the reality is that there is nothing actually happening in the game. We go from one small Hidden Object scene to another and at the completion of each one we are told we have "solved the case!" One character encourages us to continue getting information from the witness, but there is no witness and nothing to gather. It is literally small HO scene to small HO scene. There is no movement in the game either. Lips don't move, objects don't move, there is nothing going on in this game. This is a waste of characters and a compelling story line., Even the title is misleading. It implies an epic adventure in parallel worlds and this game delivers none of that. If this is the new direction of Hidden Object games, I'll be stepping away from them for good. Kind of sad, really.
A hardy and heartfelt "Thank You!" to TellTale games. This game has it all. Beautiful locations, wonderful acting, exquisite soundtrack, compelling story, great puzzles and HO scenes with different layouts and fresh perspectives. The look of the characters from the different worlds was great. They all looked capable, strong and fierce and each had a detailed staff that seemed to fit each one perfectly. I greatly appreciate a game that is this long. It feels more like I get my money's worth when I can get several hours of gameplay out of it, especially when the game is this good and of such high quality. I felt I was playing an Adventure game with the Hidden Object scenes feeling like just another puzzle to solve, which worked out perfectly somehow. I was disappointed when it was over, but still felt wonderfully satisfied. Thanks again to all involved in making this game. I had a fabulous time! Some of the wonderful music is still playing in my head but I'm definitely not complaining!
To say that I loved this game would be an understatement. This game has it all...beautiful locations, ground breaking hidden object scenes, great puzzles, delightful characters and a decent story line. Innovations to the HOPA genre were everywhere! It was delightfully refreshing, yet not so different that progressing was difficult. There were no weak areas in this wonderful game. Clearly, people worked long, hard and lovingly on this project! Bravo! A Tearstone triumph!
Rarely do I find a game I can't walk away from. This was not one of them.Breathtaking locations, beautifully rendered scenes, incredible worlds, challenging puzzles, great storyline/acting and a fabulous soundtrack! I could go on and on.This game is a cut above and sets a new standard for gaming.This ain't your mama's "Hidden Object" game. This is an epic romp through space and time!