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:
Can you uncover the secret of the Qin dynasty?
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
So-So Bonus Chapter
PostedDecember 10, 2017
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based on the completed game & bonus chapter: While I rated the SE of this game 4.5 stars, my actual rating for the CE is 3.5 stars, as the bonus chapter is on the short side, & I didn't enjoy it near as much as the main game. I'm still okay w/ having purchased the CE, as I thought the main game was excellent, & the other extras were compensation enough (for me) for the not-so-hot bonus chapter for me to feel satisfied. However, given how largely the bonus chapter generally figures in the decision of whether to purchase a game as a CE or an SE, I think it's appropriate to knock off a star if it isn't up to snuff. As always, I recommend doing the demo, & seeing what you think. Happy gaming, all. :)
I recommend this game!
Can you uncover the secret of the Qin dynasty?
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
A very well-rounded 4.5-star game.
PostedDecember 10, 2017
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based on the completed game: I actually purchased the CE of this game, & am satisfied w/ having done so, as I like the extra features, particularly the achievements, a feature I rarely even think about, but there's at least half a dozen or so that are so off the wall they caught my eye, & added another nice touch to an already highly enjoyable experience. That said, the bonus chapter is on the short side, & for me, at least, was just so-so, so if you can live w/o the extras, the SE may be the better choice for you, as it does give excellent value. The HO scenes are varied & creative, & there's an excellent selection of mini-games, including quite a few I haven't seen before, & providing a good range in terms of degree of difficulty. There's touches of humor throughout, something I always appreciate, & wish more devs would incorporate in their games; there's even a three-part mini-game towards the end that literally made me laugh out loud. :D The graphics, as per usual w/ this dev, range from range from good to gorgeous. As regards the storyline, some pretty wild things happen, but fortunately, I've played enough HOPA games at this point that I'm able to suspend disbelief to whatever degree I need to over the course of a game. ;) The main game took me about five hours to complete, & I was in no hurry for it to be over, as it kept me entertained right up to the end. Needless to say, I highly recommend doing the demo, & seeing what you think. Happy gaming, all. :)
I recommend this game!
Can you stop a dangerous specter from destroying the opera?
Overall rating
4
/
5
50 of 55 found this review helpful
Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars
PostedDecember 2, 2017
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Based on the completed game (Main portion only): The storyline in this game is pretty wacky. The basic premise is fine, but for me, there were a lot of ??? moments, particularly the further I played. The best HOPs, in my opinion, are seen in the demo; the first, in particular, is highly interactive. In the body of the game, we revert to standard lists/silhouettes, w/ varying degrees of interaction; for example, at the end of one, we're given a 6-piece FROG to work. It bears noting that some of the HO scenes are visited twice. The mini-games in this game ended up being better than the demo had led me to anticipate, as I hadn't expected there to be many of more than medium difficulty . There were a couple retreads from previous games by this dev, but none I've seen used by them more than once. Better, there were a number of that were completely new to me, & posed an agreeable degree of challenge. Overall, I found there to be a good range of degree of difficulty, & a good assortment, as well. The graphics ranged from average to excellent; there's one screen in particular where, if you choose, you can have fun interacting w/ the lightning bugs (w/o, thankfully, having to catch them). The collectibles vary in appearance; most are fairly easy to spot, some are harder, & one is so obscured you should probably get an achievement if you find it w/o the aid of the Strategy Guide. Most HOPs offer a Match 3 alternative; extras, aside from the bonus chapter, include replay of mini-games & HOPs, & a Souvenir Room, as per usual w/ this dev. As I haven't yet played the bonus chapter, I can't give any feedback on that, but my play time for the main game was about 4-4.5 hours. Since I haven't played the bonus yet, I won't try to say if I think the CE or SE is better in this case; rather, I'll just recommend doing the demo, & seeing what you think. Happy gaming, all. :)
I recommend this game!
Can you restore balance to the world tree in time?
Overall rating
5
/
5
88 of 97 found this review helpful
Very happy granny right now. ;)
PostedNovember 26, 2017
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Based on the completed game & bonus chapter: This is only the second time I've rated a game 5 stars across the board in all categories, but per my personal level of satisfaction in those categories, I can't see my way clear to rate it any less. It's perhaps worth noting that I rated the first game in this series 2 stars, as there were aspects of it I found very disappointing, & based on that, I thought it unlikely I'd be seriously interested in this installment. Fortunately, another game club member, who had already begun playing it, assured me this was a really good game, so I went ahead & took the plunge. What pleases me as much as anything is that this dev has shown they have listened to our criticisms & taken them to heart, & are making changes accordingly. For example, in each realm we play, as a different character, we also have a distinctly different collectible to find that's specifically related to that realm, as opposed to just looking for the same "sign" throughout. There are HOPs leading into mini-games & mini-games leading into HOPs, & a range of variety & degree of difficulty in both. Some of the morphs in the HOPs are obvious, but there are a number of HOPs in this game that are spread out over several areas or have more than one layer, which adds significantly to the challenge in that regard. The trademark Eipix "find 5 of two items to open two lists etc. etc. etc." HOP is long gone & hard to find, these are creative & well presented, & were an absolute pleasure to play. The mini-games range from easy to challenging, some familiar, some new to me, some familiar but w/ some improvement made. The storyline, & the way we proceed through it, essentially amounts to four separate stories, each tending toward the same goal, & each incorporates interesting characters, which is something I'm always been keen on, though I find it less & less. The graphics, in my opinion, grow progressively more impressive, with the final realm truly reflecting the scope of the mythology this series is based on. There is so much I enjoyed about this game I could go on & on, & add to that, it's a decent length game, as my play time for the main game & bonus was about 5.5-6 hours, w/ the bonus taking up about an hour of that. With all that said, this is obviously just what this game was like for me, but I do highly recommend doing the demo, & seeing what you think. Happy gaming, all. :)
I recommend this game!
Can you stop the Revenant before it's too late?
Overall rating
5
/
5
125 of 159 found this review helpful
"My inner detective thinks I should just do what the screen tells me."
PostedNovember 22, 2017
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based on the completed game: That was the response I got when I clicked on something early on in this game, & I have to admit, it tickled me. For those of us who enjoy this dev's sense of humor, this game is chock-full of it, & for me, as always, it added another layer of fun to a game I enjoyed immensely. I play all kinds of HOPA games, but the reason I play any at all is that I'm hoping to have a few hours fun, & in playing this game, I felt I got my full money's worth. In terms of the story, the characters are cliché, but w/ obvious intention. About half or so of the HOPs consist of only slightly interactive lists, but for each one of those, there's one that's equally imaginative. The mini-games, in my opinion, do an excellent job of covering the spectrum in terms of both variety & degree of difficulty. The graphics are so good in some places, I revisited some areas I didn't need to, just to look at them again in case they became closed off, & there's one HOP in particular that I actually just sat looking at for a minute before finishing it up (I'm not going to spoil it by saying why, but if you play the game, I think you'll be able to guess which one). Along w/ more standard collectibles & morphs, we have piles of leaves to look for & kick. O.O One way & another, this game was just so much fun to play for me, that I haven't even gotten to the bonus chapter yet, because I chose to play the main game over again, instead. With all that said, it should come as no surprise that I highly recommend doing the demo, & seeing what you think. ;) Happy gaming, all. :)
I recommend this game!
Can you stop a stone-cold monster before it's too late?
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 4 found this review helpful
Solid 4-Star Game
PostedNovember 21, 2017
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based on the completed game: This is the third of only three times in a little over 1-1/2 years here at BFG that I've gotten an SE w/ a coupon, then decided to purchase the CE (which is why I haven't played the bonus chapter yet...the CE is actually downloading as I'm typing this). The first time I demoed this game, for reasons I honestly don't recall, it didn't make a good impression on me, & I decided to pass. But w/ a PCC about to expire, & having read more reviews at this point, I decided to just go ahead & get it. To make a long story a little shorter, I'm obviously very glad I did. Both the HOPs & mini-games in this game are clever & varied, & offer a good range in terms of degree of difficulty. We have a device, in the way of a "magically modified" halberd, we use that requires playing a recurring 2 part mini-game, but I didn't find it to be onerous, & it didn't come up that often (you can gauge that mini-game yourself by playing the demo, as that's where we first use it; keep in mind that the level of difficulty increases somewhat each time the device is employed). The storyline unfolds as you go, & ends up being quite good, but you get very little of it in the demo, so that may be what one of my concerns had been. All I recall (vaguely) about the collectibles (from demoing the CE) is that they weren't a cinch to spot. Unfortunately, since I had perforce to play the main game in several sittings, I can't give an accurate play time, but I would hazard a guess at 4-5 hours (keep in mind that that's straight play time, as I completed the main game sans collectibles & morphs). Once I've played the bonus chapter, I'll post something about it in the forums, but it will probably be a minute, as I plan to play the main game through again before doing so. ; I realize there's an inherent risk in rating a CE so high w/o having played the bonus, but the plain fact is, I'm impressed by the fact that playing the SE persuaded me to purchase the CE. Finally, it perhaps bears pointing out that the primary focus of the storyline in this game is the mythology of basilisks, not eclipses, though the latter is incorporated as a facet. From the beginning of the closing credits: "This one is for each & every definition of the basilisk through history. There were a lot of great choices, but we had to draw the line at the chicken-headed beast." (If you've never taken the time to read this dev's "credit crawl", I recommend doing so, as they're distinctly different from any other you'll see...I found Sales & Marketing being referred to as "Basilisk Egg Dealers" particularly droll). :D I highly recommend doing the demo, & seeing what you think. Happy gaming, all. :)
I recommend this game!
Can you save your sister on the Day of the Dead?
Overall rating
4
/
5
9 of 15 found this review helpful
Not what I expected.
PostedNovember 16, 2017
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Based on the completed game & bonus chapter: Two things I should say off the bat: (1) Even though the number values I assigned to things such as "Fun Factor" run higher, my actual rating for this game as a CE is 3.5 stars, due to the brevity of the bonus chapter, which took me only 35 minutes to complete. There were two very enjoyable mini-games in it, but that's way too short for a bonus chapter in my book. (2) My rating for the main game is 4 stars easy, but I make no bones about the fact that that's a subjective judgment, based on my personal preferences. This game just happened to hit the "sweet spot" beautifully for me in terms of challenge, particularly where the mini-games are concerned. There's a range of difficulty, but enough that were challenging w/o being maddening for me to feel truly satisfied upon completing them. HOPs are varied, most are nicely themed to the game, & again, the level of challenge was good for me, as I don't have as much patience for HOPs as I have for mini-games. The talking skull I've seen some references to isn't present very long, & all it actually does it tell you a few things; it certainly didn't detract from the game for me. Where collectibles are concerned, while there's still only one type offered, I was glad to see the dev stepped up their game a notch & made them somewhat varied in appearance, & did a good job of "hiding" many of them, while others are quite obvious. Another thing I appreciated was the need to investigate one's surroundings, as opposed to being spoon-fed or having everything that needs to be done, & what to do it with, glaringly obvious. I want gameplay to be intuitive, but if all I have to do is walk along a neatly laid-out path, I soon become very, VERY bored. Vermillion Watch, another series by this dev, has whetted my appetite for something which, to me, is better & more fun. Which brings me to the title of this review: Myths of the World is a series I've always mainly associated w/ laid-back gameplay, as the lion's share of them haven't seemed to pose much challenge to me. This game significantly upped the ante in that regard, & I'm not sure what to make of that, but for me, it worked out beautifully. I highly recommend doing the demo, & seeing what you think, but keep the brevity of the bonus chapter in mind if you decide to purchase; given that, for many, the SE will do as well or better. Happy gaming, all. :)
I recommend this game!
A Halloween party becomes a spine-tingling fight for survival!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 5 found this review helpful
Happy Halloween! :D
PostedOctober 15, 2017
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Based on the completed game & bonus chapter: This game is everything I want in a Halloween game. The graphics are over-the-top themed, & I LOVE that. There's an excellent variety of both HO scenes & mini-games, & a good range of difficulty regarding the latter. But more than anything, there were just so many moments in this game that were a kick in the head (that doesn't sound good, but it is, it is). When I find myself laughing & exclaiming out loud while I'm playing a game, I don't have to think too deep to know how much I'm enjoying myself. The CE extras are scant, as there's no replay of HOPs & mini-games (which is why 4 stars instead of 5), but I buy CEs for the collectibles & bonus chapter, & this game did very well for me on those accounts. All I can say is, this game was too much fun, & I'm so glad this dev decided it was time to do a Halloween series. I highly, highly recommend doing the demo, & seeing what you think. Happy gaming, all, & HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
I recommend this game!
Haunted Legends: The Secret of Life Collector's Edition
You've traveled the world in search of a cure for your deadly illness, and you've finally found it! But it won't be easy to get – are you up to the task?
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Excellent creativity on the part of the devs.
PostedSeptember 25, 2017
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based on the completed game & bonus chapter: I love it when I come across a game where the devs do something completely outside the box, & in this game, we have just that, specifically, "catching" cats in the HO scenes. Since I don't want to let the cat out of the bag, I'll leave it to those who are curious to look that up in the forums. Suffice it to say, it was a fun, creative addition to this game, one the devs are to be commended for. As for the rest: The graphics are very well done, & set the tone for the game w/ a suitably creepy vibe w/o veering off into becoming dreary. The characters are very well drawn, as well. The storyline is sufficient, & well told; the dialogue between the characters is realistic, not overdone, & can be clicked through at your own pace. The HO scenes are creative throughout; many are visited twice, but this was done in such a way that doing so didn't detract from the game for me. There's a good range of variety & degree of difficulty in the mini-games, though on balance they lean more toward the easy to moderate end of the spectrum; the exception to this is in the bonus chapter, where several of the mini-games are challenging enough that I skipped over them while playing, then played them in the extras, after. It's worth noting that some of them come w/ an "easy/hard" option, & that when you select the latter, it really does make a significant difference in the degree of difficulty; however, be forewarned that most do NOT have a reset button. Collectibles are varied, & include the afore-mentioned cats in the HO scenes, & morphs outside of them (not in all areas). You can go back & collect any cats you may have missed by replaying the HOPs; if you collect all of them, you will open up a "flip over the cards" matching game in the extras . Another interesting aspect of this game is being given choices from time to time; for example, to tell the truth or lie, or to feed or not feed the horse. However, in those instances where I've tried making different choices, it hasn't seemed to make much difference in how the game proceeds; again, by way of example, if you choose to feed the horse, you do so by finding ten apples scattered about in that area, & the only thing that comes of this is the horse doing a little happy dance (which is pleasant, but not game-altering). The bonus chapter is of a good length, & maintains the quality of the main game; the collectibles are found in both. I didn't think to watch the time when I played, but my guess would be around five to six hours for the combined main game & bonus chapter. Lastly, there is a bubble shooter game you can play in the extras, along w/ replaying the mini-games & HOPs. All in all, I really enjoyed this game, & it's one of those where I would definitely recommend the CE over the SE, as I think the added features are well worth it. Happy gaming, all. :)
I recommend this game!
Can you save your friends from the sins of their past?
Overall rating
3
/
5
19 of 28 found this review helpful
My anticipation exceeded the actual event.
PostedSeptember 4, 2017
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Based on the completed game, bonus chapter, & bonus area: This game just didn't end up being as good, to me, as I had hoped it would be. One of the main reasons I'm not rating it higher is because it just sort of slugged along in second gear from start to finish. There's also a point at which a certain amount of repetition creeps in, which made it begin to feel dull to me. I've played the main game through twice now, & both times, I began feeling bored w/ it by about 2/3 of the way through. As for the bones: The HO scenes are varied in type, & not overdone. The mini-games range from easy to medium difficulty; some of them are retreads from previous offerings by this dev. There is a device one uses throughout the game (it goes away for a time, but comes back) which I personally feel has been used in too many games at this point. The graphics range from acceptable to very good; the storyline actually consists of multiple, smaller stories, in much the same way as Whispered Secrets: Everburning Candle. There are collectibles in each area, some of which are quite challenging to spot; there's a pull tab that you can reference to keep track of them. As for length, the main game took me five hours to complete the first time through, & four hours the second; the bonus chapter took one hour, & the bonus area about five minutes. All in all, I wouldn't say this is a bad game, just not as good as I was hoping for. As always, the best bet is to do the demo yourself, & see what YOU think, so I'll stick to recommending that. ;) Happy gaming, all. :)