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:
Lisa is helping Santa Claus deliver presents to a small town when her car transforms into candies! Help her fix her car and save Christmas!
Overall rating
2
/
5
4 of 12 found this review helpful
Nope.
PostedDecember 6, 2016
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I checked this game out hoping it would be a fun little "waiting for Christmas to come" surprise for my granddaughter...unfortunately, the only good thing about this game was that it only took five seconds or so to uninstall it. I would only recommend this game to someone if I truly, truly disliked them.
I don't recommend this game.
Track the treasure and solve the riddles of the past with Golden Trails 3: The Guardian’s Creed game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Fun & Relaxing :)
PostedDecember 6, 2016
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I've had this game since before I discovered this site, but I just replayed it, & found myself wanting to "talk it up" a bit, as it's a very enjoyable game. There is so much attention paid to detail here that it's a joy to play. The graphics are excellent, & I especially enjoy all the little activities one may observe taking place on the maps of the various cities one visits. The maps are presented as bird's-eye views of the city streets & buildings, where one may observe such things as a women extending her hand from a second story window, checking the weather, who then disappears for a moment, then returns w/ a rug she shakes out. While this sort of thing obviously has no impact on the game itself, it's a whimsical addition I find delightful. There are collectibles in the form of "special items" & fleur-de-lis. The special items are often not so obvious as you might think, & the fleur can be VERY challenging to spot. There may be anywhere from two to four in an area, but the game does inform you when you've found all the fleur for that location. There are a few HO scenes you open as windows, but for the most part, the objects you are to find are scattered throughout an area, & are pictured, rather than listed. Two things I find very enjoyable regarding the hidden objects: (1) many of them are unusual objects not generally seen in HO games, & (2) the devs, who appear to have a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, made some of the objects in each scene outlandishly outsized, as opposed to the teeny-tiny objects one so often sees in these games. The humor of it does my heart good, & ironically, these outsized items can sometimes be very hard to spot. Overall, objects run the gamut from easy to spot to quite difficult to spot, so the level of challenge there is good for me. As far as mini-games are concerned, many are very simple, but there are some "middle-of-the-road" ones I enjoy, & two or three I apparently couldn't solve if my life depended on it, so there is some range there. Each larger area (ie, each city) also concludes w/ some manner of mini-game & a trip to a shooting gallery, which is quite fun, as you're shooting at bandits, while having to avoid shooting animals & civilians. These bandits also pop up if you linger long enough in any given area, & each one you manage to shoot earns you a hint (you begin the game w/ just three, but searching for fleur generally keeps me in most areas long enough that I have ample opportunity to earn hints this way). There are achievements to earn, & the HOs may be replayed in "unlimited mode"; there are also three bonus HO areas that open up as you progress through the game. The story is well told, w/ interesting characters we're given just enough information about, & is a nice departure from the more typical "save your sister/lover/the world" fare. Overall, this game gives excellent value & is a delight to play, but it's definitely somewhat "HO-centric", so I save it for the times I'm in the mood for that...that, & to try my hand again at those "unsolvable" mini-games. ;)
I recommend this game!
People have been disappearing in the town of Ridleton for the past 15 years... Can you weather the storm and solve the case?
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
sighs.
PostedDecember 5, 2016
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
This is one of those games that leaves me wishing I enjoyed it more, as there are aspects of it I enjoy a good deal. The graphics in some areas are so charming that I'll skip using the jump map so as not to bypass them; the little red panda is cute as the dickens. Unfortunately, there are also numerous respects in which this game leaves me wanting. The panda ends up being overused (can't see why you need a panda to hand you a note that's just lying there) & acting too human for my tastes, & proves vexing when you have to keep clicking on it to get it to complete an action. The story behind the game isn't particularly well told, & is a tad on the threadbare side; for example, our nemesis, a demon, is said to derive it's power from the abilities of artists, but there's no explanation or justification of that. The only character dealt with in any depth is "The Huntress", & THAT whole business seems straight out of left field. It also bears pointing out, for those who are squeamish about such things, that there are multiple instances of having to shoot something (repeatedly). The HO scenes are interactive, but the interactions are limited to the "this + this = that" & "open this to find that" variety, & there is no variation from that script. The big letdown for me, though, is in this game's mini-games, which w/ very few exceptions are either far too simple, far too complex, or of the trial & error variety. The more demanding puzzles in the main game occur late in the game (by which point I no longer view them w/ much enthusiasm); the bonus chapter includes a "trace the image while staying w/i the lines" 'mini-game' which is the worst of it's kind I've seen, as one is required to use a weird, protoplasmic-looking blob that's constantly shifting to do the tracing. There's also no reset button on ANY mini-games, & since there's no option to customize settings, the wait for the skip to charge is longer than I like. Collectibles in this game consist of little clusters of swirling, glowing embers which are generally quite easy to spot, though I did have to use the Strategy Guide to find a few; they are found in both the main & bonus chapter. If you collect them all, you open up a "switch the pieces" puzzle, the completion of which opens up the "hidden chapter", which is played out in it's entirety in the area shown in the center screen shot in the sales media. At this point, I've played through the whole lot twice, & it is a long game, so I suppose I've gotten my money's worth; I just wish this game presented a better-rounded package, as opposed to something I really only enjoy about 50% of. I won't go so far as to not recommend it, as it does have good points + extra bonus content, but don't strongly recommend it, either.
Uncover a secret from the past to save your dying father!
Overall rating
4
/
5
35 of 42 found this review helpful
Pretty solid SE choice.
PostedDecember 4, 2016
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is pretty much your standard HO game, in that it mainly involves gathering a lot of "stuff", & the basic storyline (good vs. evil) is typical, though given a bit of a facelift w/ the injection of elves & a post-apocalyptic setting. That said, it's a pretty solid game. The graphics range from good to excellent. There's a nice variety of mini-games, & they all seem "doable" to me, so long as one doesn't just flat detest mini-games. ;) The HO scenes, for the most part, aren't interactive, but despite that, I thought the devs did a good job of being creative & offering variety w/ the way they're presented. I actually purchased the CE version of this game, but given that there's few collectibles & the bonus chapter is somewhat on the short side, this is probably one of those games that offers better value in the SE version. My one strong criticism of this game is that there seem to be a lot of instances where the game is structured to move slowly (something that drives me a little crazy), but unfortunately, that's the case w/ a lot of games these days. Finally, re the sky-lining, there's not as much of it in the game overall as is suggested by the demo (I mention this because I know some folks found that one really long sequence in the demo off-putting). There's a variation of a match three mini-game you play each time you upgrade your device, which is done the first time in the demo, & something like five times in the game overall; as w/ the other mini-games, you can skip it if you don't care for it. As someone who's always on the look-out for "coupon worthy" SEs, I try to call attention to those I think are, when I'm aware of them...& in my opinion, this game is definitely worth doing the demo, & seeing what you think.
I recommend this game!
Can you clear her name before it’s too late?
Overall rating
2
/
5
35 of 44 found this review helpful
Never again.
PostedDecember 3, 2016
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Playing this game was not something I ultimately enjoyed, & I won't be playing it again. I got it after doing the demo because it looked to have a goodish variety of HO scenes & a lot of mini-games, & in fairness, it does have those things. Unfortunately, it also has far too many skeletal remains & the like to be my personal cup of tea. The graphics, which start out quite nicely, deteriorate after the demo to being among the worst I've seen, & Capt. Louis, our "helper" in this game, was an addition I could have done without. The game also ends oddly, but by the time I reached the end, I didn't really care about that. Lesson learned? When the demo for a game includes (SMALL SPOILER ALERT) a mini-game involving throwing axes at sacks w/ pictures of animals on them, that's probably a good indicator that the game is not for me.
I don't recommend this game.
Help your little sister get a second chance this Christmas after she gets on the naughty list.
Overall rating
2
/
5
56 of 78 found this review helpful
Child's Play.
PostedDecember 1, 2016
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Based on the demo only: Is this game intended purely for children? If so, why not more "Christmas-y" collectibles? I understand wanting a Christmas-themed game, I would love one myself. What I DON'T understand is how, as an adult, I'm expected to be entertained by switching berries around on gingerbread men, or painting a sculpture w/ exactly three colors of paint & a diagram to follow. Good grief.
I don't recommend this game.
The sins of the long-forgotten past have returned to haunt the royal family. Help the princess protect her kingdom and the ones she love the most!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
NOW you're talking! :)
PostedNovember 29, 2016
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This is an older game, so I'll keep my coming-in-past-the-due-date review short & sweet: This is an excellent choice if you have a coupon which is also approaching it's due date. You get features generally offered only in CEs, & the game itself is well enough done. There are certainly some cutesy aspects, but I myself found the reference to "husband piggybank" quite charming...not to mention, the pirate who was sad because he'd lost his best friend. The collectibles are mostly easy to spot, but for a beginner (such as I was when I first played this), there's some challenge there. The graphics are well done, & there's a good range of difficulty offered in the mini-games. Finally, there's morphs in some of the HO scenes. I actually got this game over a year ago from a different site, & because I had never even heard of a CE at that point, this was my first time encountering collectibles, morphs, OR a bonus chapter...so needless to say, I was impressed, & I still think it gives excellent value for the dollar. I would recommend this as a charming little game to anyone, but I'd especially recommend it to those newer to the genre, or of the younger set (ie, preteen to teen), as it ups the ante w/o mind = blown.
I recommend this game!
Professor Ashmore, the same man who so kindly took you in and raised you as his own has been murdered. It’s up to you to find out why, but are you prepared for what truths may be uncovered?
Overall rating
2
/
5
1 of 4 found this review helpful
A not-so-hidden object lesson.
PostedNovember 29, 2016
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Like a lot of folks, I suppose, when I see the features of a CE offered in an SE, my immediate response is, "Yesss". However, if a game apparently intended as a CE is offered as an SE, it stands to reason that there's a reason why...& in this case, I think that someone in some sales dept. realized that this game wouldn't sell as a CE. Having done the demo, I found gameplay overall to be unintuitive; too many times I was checking the map for an indication of what to do/where to go next, or if that didn't work, resorting to using the hint. I did enjoy the morphing objects in the HO scenes, but that was the only thing about them that I found to be distinctive; lacking the morphs (& not all HO scenes have them), they're just standard junk heaps. The mini-games were just flat too easy. (On a completely different note, did anyone else who's played the original Queen's Quest recognize the woman who wanted her kitten back?) Overall, as much as I hate to say it, the "bonus content" offered here just isn't enough to make up for what appears to be a truly lackluster game...even at the tune of just a coupon. If you're looking for the same features (bonus chapter, collectibles, morphs in HOs) in an SE, I'd recommend the original Queen's Quest (Tower of Darkness) over this.
I don't recommend this game.
Your long-lost relatives are excited to welcome you to the family... or are they?
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Better the second time around.
PostedNovember 29, 2016
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The first time I played this game, I didn't much care for it; the dark themes kind of killed it for me. When I played it through a second time, I was more focused on the tasks at hand & trying to comprehend the somewhat confusing storyline, & that made it a better experience for me. I would probably rate it higher if there were fewer HO scenes & more mini-games; some of the mini-games are quite good, but there aren't enough of them, imo. I'm also not a fan of "mini" HO scenes, & this game incorporates a number of them. As for the "normal" HO scenes, there are a couple that use morphing objects, which makes for a nice change (one mini-game uses them, as well). This is a fairly long game, & the impact of trotting back & forth, hither, thither, & yon, is reduced by having a good map. All up, if the themes aren't a deal breaker for you, I'd say it's at least worth the investment of a coupon, which was how I got it...always good to have something to blow a coupon on before it expires, amirite? ;) Good times.
I recommend this game!
Investigate a virtual reality program that’s turning some players comatose.
Overall rating
2
/
5
46 of 55 found this review helpful
How to make virtual reality as stimulating as leftover oatmeal:
PostedNovember 26, 2016
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Start by using every hackneyed HOPA cliché you can think of (an item rusted shut, a bottle requiring a corkscrew, a well w/ neither crank nor bucket) in the very first virtual "world" the player visits. Add in an overabundance of "There's a tiny owl missing", "It's a wax seal with a floral design", "It's missing five little amulets" (it was actually missing four, but at that point, who's counting). Add HO scenes that are unremarkable & puzzles that pose very little challenge (I do concede that a couple weren't standard fare, which is nice, but they still required very little thought to complete). Collectibles in this game include little futuristic-looking flowers & what appeared to be morphing figures. While I thought the characters were well done, I personally didn't care for the graphics overall, but that's probably just a reflection of taste. Finally, I would watch the forums on this one for a minute, as it was acting a little glitchy, & I had to use "escape" to exit the game after completing the demo. Sorry to be the "grumpy cat" today, but I saw nothing in this demo to entice me. I might revisit it when the SE comes out, but I doubt it. To do so, I would have to take it on faith that this game gets much, much better after the demo...& the demo is supposed to set the hook, not leave you wondering if (even a virtual) one exists.
I don't recommend this game.