nextgengranny's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.3
- Helpful Votes:1,479
- Reviews Submitted:129
- First Review:May 1, 2016
- Most Recent Review:October 14, 2018
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Dreampath: The Two Kingdoms Collector's Edition
Your sister, the Queen, has fallen deathly ill. Now you must travel to a faraway kingdom to find the cure.
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Here there be Dragons.
PostedAugust 14, 2016
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
As someone who loves a good dragon, I'm glad to say this game has the best dragon graphics I've seen to date, & as per usual w/ this developer, the quality of the graphics overall is excellent, as well. The story is told in a way that involves gameplay, & is nicely balanced...I want a story to be well told, but I don't want it to overwhelm actually playing the game. The HO scenes involve only basic interactions, but some are quite clever, & the "blending" of some items into the setting in which they're placed makes them more challenging to find. There is a good balance of HO scenes & mini-games, & there are both reset & skip options available on the latter, as well as a good range of degree of difficulty. The main game & bonus chapter are both of good length & high quality; the latter uses all new areas. There's also a "hidden" game that becomes available once you complete the main & bonus that's been a big hit w/ my GD. The only collectibles are gold & silver coins, but there are 30 of each, & the number per location varies, so there is a bit of challenge there. As regards the cat "helper", I had passed on this game at first because I didn't relish the prospect, but once I got the game & played it, I found it not to be annoying or a nuisance; you don't actually end-up using him near as much as I expected, based on some of the reviews I'd read. I'm not keen on helpers as a general rule, but some, I can live with, & this one fell into that category. Overall, an enjoyable, high quality game, & another feather in BG's cap.
I recommend this game!
Dreampath: Curse of the Swamps Collector's Edition
A mystical rain is turning everyone into frogs! It's up to you to find the cause of this wicked weather and save your loved ones.
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 5 found this review helpful
Glad I didn't miss this!
PostedJuly 9, 2016
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I hadn't planned on even demoing this, as I'm not keen on the whole Princess thing...but pickins were slim the day I wanted a new game, & I had recently been impressed by another game by the same dev, so I went ahead & tried it. Long story short, I'm SO glad I did! This dev has a way of wrapping whimsy & weirdness into one big, happy package that just does the job for me. This is the first game I've played where I literally laughed out loud. FUN is what I play for, & this game gave me fun by the bucketful. The mini-games are mostly easy-to-moderate difficulty, but there's also puzzles that are difficult enough that I felt a sense of accomplishment on completing them. As for the HO scenes, this dev has ways of approaching them that keep me looking forward to them right up through the end of the game, which is VERY unusual for me. The collectibles in this case are morphing critters from another world (their presence is explained in the bonus chapter), & for me, they were the feather in the cap. While there's a scant # of them vs. the size of the game (only 12), I didn't really mind that so much. It's been my experience that when my interest in a game is flagging, collectibles provide welcome filler/distraction, whereas when I'm thoroughly enjoying myself, I don't miss them if they're not included or there's not that many of them. The length of the game is very good, & the bonus chapter provides about another 1-2 hrs. of play. The level of quality is maintained throughout both, which is important to me...I really dislike it when a great game is followed by slap-dash bonus content. This dev has proven themselves in terms of providing excellent gameplay & graphics, & their own signature style where the fantasy genre is concerned...after playing just two of their games, I'm sold. Not saying I'll always purchase, but I'll always be on the look-out.
I recommend this game!
Without warning, a group of mysterious figures arrives and reduces your village to flames and rubble. What do they want... and who is controlling them?
Overall rating
2
/
5
4 of 7 found this review helpful
Answer: "Yes. YES. Please. Just get me out of here."
PostedJuly 5, 2016
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Question: "Are you sure you want to quit the game?" I was ready to be done about halfway through. This is the most hideously garish game I have played (which surprised me, as it doesn't present that way in the demo). I don't ever want to see pink in a game again, except in small doses...the levels of blue & purple were excessive, as well. (It may bear pointing out that fantasy is my preferred genre, & that I favor games I enjoy looking at while playing...so my reaction isn't due to being used to playing "dark" games.) The hidden object scenes, though on the junky side, have some fun interactions going on; the mini-games range from pretty good to really just bad (I don't consider tracing curvy lines w/ my mouse an acceptable offering as a "mini-game"). The graphics re the characters are uneven in quality, as well. The "end round" consists of MULTIPLE rounds, w/ breaks in-between spent dealing w/ the kind of minutia I expect to be done w/ at that point. Finally, the length of time it takes to load the game, the bonus game, the "extras menu", & everything IN the "extras menu" is absurdly long. Spending so much time looking at a black screen is inexcusable in a game that came out in 2014 (on the plus side, at least it isn't pink). Considering the number of rave reviews I've read for this dev's products, I don't know what to make of it...I doubt I'll be spending my time (or money) w/ them again too soon.
I don't recommend this game.
Explore fascinating unexplored worlds and save the Earth from catastrophe in this thrilling Hidden Object Adventure.
Overall rating
5
/
5
8 of 8 found this review helpful
Probably the most creative game I have played.
PostedJune 27, 2016
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
There is nothing run-of-the-mill about this game (other than beginning w/ the obligatory crash). As everyone else has said, it's a puzzle-lover's dream; not simply because of the largesse, but because so many are original. The same can be said of interactions in the HO scenes. And this definitely isn't your run-of-the-mill, find-two-dozen-keys/artifacts game. Most everything about this game is fresh. Add to that the amount of extras normally not seen in SEs, & this game packs major value. I rarely email devs, but this time, I plan to.
I recommend this game!
It's up to you to rescue your friend and discover what the dark forces are after!
Overall rating
2
/
5
19 of 25 found this review helpful
Now I know why the dragon is always yawning.
PostedJune 26, 2016
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
He wasn't alone. This game gets off to a slow start, & maintains that pace throughout. The storyline is meandering & threadbare. There's very little interaction w/ our nemesis; most of what you see of him is shown in the montage. Random characters that relate very little (or not at all) to what story there is are haphazardly thrown in the mix to provide busywork. Some of the art on the adult dragons isn't bad, but for the most part, the graphics are simply substandard. The HO scenes are a mix of types & some are interactive, but the mostly shoddy graphics detracted from the pleasure of playing them. The mini-games, w/ 1-2 exceptions, are no-brainers...which is probably just as well, as there's no reset button on any of them. The game concludes w/ a whimper, as opposed to a bang; there's nothing remotely akin to an "end round" to play. And the drunken harbormaster, staggering around & then passing out in a hammock (in the rain) is just plain tacky...couldn't help wondering what the devs thought that added to the game. Glad I only blew a coupon on this one.
I don't recommend this game.
Use your botany skills to survive the strange new planet of Botanica. Can you find your way back to Earth in this thrilling Hidden Object adventure?
Overall rating
3
/
5
Actual rating, more like 2.5.
PostedJune 21, 2016
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
This is a hard game to rate (I did have a big, "Uh, oh" moment when feeding a giant lizard some flower petals turned it into Lassie). The graphics are okay until, as others have said, you have to look at a character, at which point they deteriorate to the level of poorly-drawn Saturday morning cartoons. I really enjoyed some of the HO scenes & mini-games, & a lot of the collectibles were hard for me to find, which added to the overall challenge; then again, endlessly scanning for minute little ladybug thingies isn't exactly fun. A lot of areas had very little to do in them; in one, you have a very short "cut scene", & one collectible to find, & that's it; in another, just a collectible. Also, the hint frequently gives too much information, telling you precisely what to do. The storyline had the potential to be truly fascinating, I think, but that potential was mostly unrealized (on a more personal note, I didn't appreciate some aspects that seemed blatant rip-offs of "Avatar"). Add to the other negatives that the conclusion wasn't conclusive, & it's a very mixed bag...it isn't terrible, but I'm glad I got it for cheap.
Subliminal Realms: The Masterpiece Collector's Edition
Albert's worst nightmare becomes reality when a creature from his grim paintings kidnaps his family. What does she want?
Overall rating
4
/
5
Just plain fun!!
PostedJune 11, 2016
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I chose this game as a change from my usual fare, & I wasn't disappointed, as it's a very fun game to play. It has an element of "weirdism" that I found truly enjoyable. The HO scenes are quite clever, & fairly interactive. The mini-games, for the most part, aren't at all challenging, which I'm usually death on; but I enjoyed the overall gameplay enough that I didn't begrudge it. I especially like that this game is so non-linear; I love it when I have 3-6 options on which direction to move in next. The collectible slides, in some cases, are very easy to miss; the "bonus painting" associated w/ them is something I save for my granddaughter (who also enjoys the "hidden" game). The map is excellent, & the bonus chapter stands alone while remaining consistent (both in quality & content) w/ the main game, both pluses. All-in-all, a very enjoyable experience...hoping to see more Subliminal Realms in the future.
I recommend this game!
Set out across the globe to stop the end of the world!
Overall rating
2
/
5
12 of 12 found this review helpful
Someone wake me up when I'm done playing.
PostedJune 10, 2016
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I had to force myself to finish this, & I can't imagine replaying it (by contrast, I got Leviathan's Reef on the same deal, & I've played the main game through at least three times already). Given the sort of story this is, I think I expected a little more logic, & definitely much more interesting things going on (as opposed to, for example, being dispatched by my boss to do something requiring a password, & spending the next "x" amount of time crawling all over the complex looking for it, since he failed to provide me w/ it). The graphics are okay through Copenhagen, after which point they drop below average; the static Aurora Borealis, in particular, was a missed opportunity to create something truly memorable. The HO scenes are more interactive than I'm used to seeing from Eipix, & many of the mini-games are more challenging, as well, which counts for a lot w/ me...unfortunately, the overall game just seemed really boring to me; very linear, & just sort of plodding along (not to mention, if you're going to give me a robotic arm, please have me use it to do something more interesting than unscrewing a light bulb). As other reviewers have mentioned, it's also not a very long game. The "Arctic adventure" touted in the bonus chapter is actually just a return to previously played areas, w/ maybe two new areas added on (out of ten). I do applaud the developer's efforts to up their game in some respects, but given how much store I set by replay value, this game doesn't cut it for me.
The town of Green Hill has really gone to the birds!
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 3 found this review helpful
.....
PostedJune 4, 2016
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Everything else that needs to be said about this game has already been said, so this is my one offering: WAY too many dot-to-dots. When I mentioned them to my granddaughter, she was like, "I LOVE dot-to-dots!!", which I figured would make it a good game for us to play together. Which it was...until the dot-to-dots became too much for even her stalwart, 7-yr.-old heart, & granny had to do it. Overall, if you have a young/ish child in your life you enjoy playing HO games w/, this is an excellent choice, as there will be something for both of you...for "adult only" play, though, I can't honestly give it more than 3 stars. Given that caveat, I will neither recommend it or not.
It's up to you to stop the evil lurking in Mud Creek!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
Have to say, I enjoyed it.
PostedJune 4, 2016
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Okay...I freely admit, I'm a sucker for charm, & this game, oddly enough (for one w/ dark themes), for me, at least, has it. As always, you'll need a blowtorch (seriously, what is it w/ MG & blowtorches?), but there are moments that are so lovely, such as the zoom-in on the wild roses. (That said: There definitely are dark themes, so maybe check-out a walk-through, particularly regarding chapter four, before you purchase.) I wouldn't call it challenging at all, except perhaps for a beginner...more like relaxed & enjoyable. And I personally enjoyed the recurring skipping-stones game, as I have no other games that employ that, except as an alt to HO scenes. The bonus play is equally enjoyable. This, & The Curse of Black Water were my first purchases in the Mystery of the Ancients series (got them together on the deal), & I've since purchased two others, I liked them that well...my only objection to MG games, in gen'l, is that (imo) they've taken to "dumbing-down" their mini-games. Actual rating, 3.5-4; get it on a deal, & relax & enjoy.
I recommend this game!