HeavenBound7729's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:26,774
- Reviews Submitted:964
- First Review:June 6, 2017
- Most Recent Review:September 27, 2024
- Featured reviews0
Status:
What is Richard up to? Pursue Anna’s missing father through time!
Overall rating
3
/
5
9 of 14 found this review helpful
I Like Elephant Games
PostedAugust 11, 2022
HeavenBound7729
fromOcala, Florida
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
but not too fond of the Grim Tales saga. I've never seen the humor in Richard Gray's character so if it's missing I wouldn't notice. I did enjoy a couple of the very early games however. Carrying a dead relative's skull around is just stupid, imo. Now Anna being inside her father's skull is another example of stupid.
The graphics in the beginning were kind of hazy but improved as the demo progressed. I played a couple of HOPs which were quite easy. I liked dressing Anna in an outfit to help her "fit in". The mini-games were okay, but they too were easy. I don't think there's enough extra content to qualify this as a worthwhile CE.
I like that we get to travel to various time periods. Hopefully we are treated to some interesting visuals. China has always been of special interest to me. Unfortunately the demo wasn't very entertaining. There was a scuffle in the bar, it was over in a second, then nothing other than tasks and finding this and that. The Plus Items were too quick with showing the additional needed parts. The outlines flashed very briefly, had trouble making them out sometimes.
Characters looked good but movement was stiff. Voices were lukewarm in expression, Anna's mother showed the most expression. Music was okay and there were no glitches. I think fans of the Gray family will likely enjoy this game but it is a pass for me.
I am curious. What's going on here? Even considering the coast to coast time difference how does one acquire a new game that typically takes at least 4-6 hours to complete, write a very lengthy review and get it posted all within just a few hours? Seems fishy to me!
Overall rating
1
/
5
16 of 23 found this review helpful
8 Floor Strikes Out Again!
PostedAugust 9, 2022
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Same old stuff. It never gets any better. I do play the demos thinking that maybe they will interject something different and fun but that never happens. And it just isn't going to, is it?! The thing that really spoils the game is the scads of Gold Cards.
The cards are so strategically placed that you are flat out set up to fail in your attempt to clear the table. Since removing all the cards is the goal in solitaire I don't see the point of playing a game that doesn't allow me to do so.
The graphics were very juvenile, there was a decent variety of colorful card backs, the music was too bubbly. The synopsis really exaggerates in the game's description! The only dangers and pitfalls here are falling victim to boredom and Gold Card-itis! I did not see any of those stunning visuals, nor did I find any of the tons of rare items to collect. Why make false claims? I did play 8 levels, but just couldn't make myself go any further as I didn't anticipate any fun ahead!
I don't recommend this game.
Overall rating
5
/
5
33 of 43 found this review helpful
A Fun-Packed HO Game
PostedAugust 7, 2022
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Don't let the silly name fool you! This is a quality game. I own the CE version because that's always my preference, but it's a fantastic game with or without the extra levels. The graphics are superb, colors bright and beautiful. I don't think you will be disappointed!
In addition to the games and puzzles we are recovering 9 missing tiki masks. They are required to help restore the storm damaged island. And if you are a marble popper fan you're in for a treat. This game is a winner! A great value with all the levels, fun features and options, replay and today's sale.
I recommend this game!
Awaken in a mysterious castle and solve perplexing puzzles to escape in this remastered classic!
Overall rating
5
/
5
30 of 40 found this review helpful
It's A Great Remaster
PostedAugust 5, 2022
HeavenBound7729
fromOcala, Florida
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I love Boomzap and I love this game! It is even more beautiful this time around with improved graphics and color, better features, everything is stellar. I own the entire series and every game is special with its beautiful characters and on-going story! There's nothing about The Dreamless Castle to dislike, imo.
In 2010 it was my first game that wasn't a Match 3 and it got me hooked on HOPAs. If more games were of this high quality we'd see gold stars all over the place. The original game was an SE and it was a fantastic hit. I bought the remaster for the upgrades and also because I always prefer CEs for the strategy guide and the bonus chapter.
There aren't many HOPs in the game but if you love puzzles this is a dream come true. They are fun, fun. This lovely game will bring your brain cells out of their cookie-cutter coma! If you go for the SE, you absolutely will have no regrets. Everyone gets their money's worth with this one!
I recommend this game!
Complete incredible works of art and let your creativity shine!
Overall rating
5
/
5
43 of 52 found this review helpful
My Wish Has Been Granted!
PostedAugust 3, 2022
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
What a great way to start my day! I was so happy to find a new Art Coloring release and can hardly wait to get started. I used the demo sparingly just to check out the images and colored small portions of a couple of them. I wanted to save them for after purchase. There was no frustration of having to complete the first level.
The subject matter was very appealing, still I would have preferred less food and drink. However, due to the colors and nice settings, they were pretty. About that robot...he is so out of place in this beautiful collection and, imo, we get enough of him elsewhere. There was a good variety of images and I love that there are more people and animals. But I think I liked the pics in the first release more.
The variety of textures adds another level of quality to this paint "game". The wide range of delicious colors make the images spring to life by adding depth and detail with the fantastic color combinations. I love painting with the small brush cursor, as it is more like a brush stroke and takes a little more time. I like the features, especially the cell counter.
The lack of background color doesn't concern me much with the adjustable greys because I'm enjoying myself so much. It is frustrating though, at times, within the images because some areas are so teensy. I love the Pixel Painting which, unlike the other pixel game, lets you fill in the large one-color areas with a double click without waiting for the bar to refill. Those greys, however, can be a pain with the pixel cells. A great big thank you to the dev for this added bonus game which makes it a nice BOGO deal. You get to use all the same beautiful colors and the textures are there, too.
I hope this series is here to stay. Seeing the colors come together and create a beautiful image is so rewarding and relaxing. It's a nice change from the fantasies, monsters, childish games we get all the time. I would like to see a wider variety of animals and people, more nature. Also, I like that there aren't a lot of whimsical pics in this series. I appreciate the more realistic images and I love the pieces that include cultural art objects. It would be nice to have more than 64 images. Please?!
I recommend this game!
These adorable cats will melt even the coldest hearts!
Overall rating
1
/
5
35 of 44 found this review helpful
Another Let-Down From "You Know Who"
PostedAugust 2, 2022
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
I never thought I'd see a cat picture I didn't like. But today I saw 499 of them! Color was drab, all had poor lighting and none of them showed any attempt at creativity from the photographer(s). I'm a cat mom and my own pics look professional compared to these. I was so disappointed but then again I should have expected it.
Most of the kitties were sleeping. The staged shots were not cute, imo. One poor thing was posed with his head sticking through a hole in a piece of bread. Another, being held up in someone's hands, looked like it was dead. Some wore hats or something silly was placed on their heads. How bad can you be to mess up with animal pics? They are so photogenic and cats are adorable, the best subjects ever but this dev managed to do it. The first pic in Box 2 was the only one that appealed to me. If these photos are from personal collections I am surprised that the cat owners didn't do a better job. If from 8 Floor then I understand the poor quality, because it is typical of all their puzzles.
The same settings and background colors are provided. I check every demo for changes and found none. A few features I really dislike are the sorting, shadows around the pieces, and how they are scattered all over the "table". There are features that would make the puzzle assembly so much fun and do away with the boredom. However, this dev wants no part of improvements or customer satisfaction. Otherwise they would have taken the suggestions and requests of the reviewers and at least TRY to make it better. We've been waiting forever! They are either really confident in their product, really stubborn or really don't care. I rather think it is the latter! Or maybe stars just aren't their thing?!
So if you are just looking for more puzzles to increase your collection and quality or subject matter aren't that important, any from this dev will suffice. They have lots of food, staged scenes and people, buildings. If you love animals, nature, birds, flowers, look elsewhere. I hate that today I had to pass up this feline collection. Hopefully if you love cats you will love "1001 Jigsaw Cute Cats".
I don't recommend this game.
A royally challenging match-3 adventure in time!
Overall rating
5
/
5
29 of 32 found this review helpful
Beauty Abounds
PostedJuly 31, 2022
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Jewel Match is the creme de la creme of Match 3 games. This wonderful game from Suricate will keep you entertained for a long time with its many levels, games, palace restoration and extra features. I love everything about it and bought the CE to get the additional levels but, truly, you will be thrilled with the SE.
The graphics and colors are gorgeous, the palace we restore is grand. The levels feature multiple boards that we advance through as we finish each room. There is a Bonus Room also, where the object is to clear the jewels until no more matches are possible. Strategy is definitely useful here. Matching the tiles creates a pleasant tinkling sound. The boards are big and the jewel tiles softly twinkle, giving a nice visual effect that I love. The power-ups are unique and very effective and you can position them strategically to clear a specific area. The obstacles are also different and require a bit of strategy as well, but we still have the familiar chains. The shop has plenty of add-ons that you will want to purchase to strengthen the power-ups. You can also increase the size of your treasure chest so you won't waste any jewels. Coins will periodically appear on the boards which disappear if not quickly collected. So be watchful as they and the jewels are needed to restore the palace and earn the bonus games.
There are several Play Modes, my go-to is always Limited Moves but I switch around sometimes. The challenge is perfect for me but the options make it even more fun. The palace restoration is extensive, the opulent interior is a visual treat and I was surprised to see a couple of cats. The music is lovely, the map shows all the levels and where the bonus games are, the features and options are plentiful. Endless replay, fun extra games, beautiful visuals, 200 levels. Origins 2 is a grand addition to my JM collection. I especially love Naturescapes.
Some may find something not to their liking, can't please everyone even with a special game like this! For me it is flawless and one I'll play many times over. I enjoy Jewel Match tremendously and really appreciate all that Suricate puts into creating their games. The effort, creativity and talent doesn't go unnoticed.
I recommend this game!
A mystery-filled ride to unknown cosmic shores!
Overall rating
5
/
5
41 of 51 found this review helpful
What A Novel Hidden Object Game!
PostedJuly 30, 2022
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The demo flew by, I was thoroughly engrossed and wanted more. It is the cutest game I've seen in a very long time. The cartoon style artwork is tops, rich colors. I loved watching the train bounce along toward the moon in the Credits. Take a look, it was simple but cute. Fun visuals are vital in a game.
I was so ready to take on this cold case and solve the mystery of Sam's disappearance. Maybe being the 33rd detective will be the lucky number! I know I've got my work cut out for me and I'm up for the challenge. Already I can tell it requires patience and checking out every bit of each scene. It's impossible to speed through this game and I wouldn't want to anyway. Believe me, a lot of clicking and back and forth is required. The items are usually used with other items and you'll find that a found object cannot be collected if it's not pictured at the top of the screen. It's a different kind of inventory set-up and I liked the extra challenge it created.
Most of the demo scenes were dark partly because of the deep colors. They each had objects that move when clicked, lots of players like that feature. I thought there was lots to enjoy visually so it slowed me down somewhat. There's a little fish jumping up in a glass of water that was cute. And in one scene I had to play a CD and was so surprised and delighted at the tune it played. I think this game will be filled with many little extras that are unexpected and worth the price of admission.
I didn't see many HOPs but liked them. The story scenes each had 3 objects to find and replace in the scene. They were dark, making them difficult to spot and they were small. The few puzzles were simple, familiar. But I enjoyed all the games. I'm counting on a good variety along the way. The character who gave me the case was a mouse and I'm curious about the characters I haven't met yet. I hope they are all animals with interesting features and personalities. The voices in the demo were very good.
The game seems complicated at first and I just suggest taking your time, ward off your frustration because it does take some time to catch on. Clicking yourself cuckoo might be a deterrent but if you hang in there you will be rewarded. The Hint works great and there's a good Strategy Guide. It's a cute story and it isn't a whopper of a CE but I think worth the $$. Extras include Strategy Guide, 44 collectible gems, picture notebook of the characters, 20 soundtracks and a few quizzes about the game that will earn you 5 screenshots.
I'm thinking the game won't be extremely popular because it isn't the usual easy style HOPA and many gamers dislike all the clicking, and are more comfortable with the handholding format. But I decided to be adventurous and take a ride on the Moontrain. Who knows? I might find Sam AND lots of fun to dispel any disappointment I was expecting.
I recommend this game!
Defend the realm from the evil ambitions of a powerful villain!
Overall rating
2
/
5
28 of 36 found this review helpful
I Love Healing Animals
PostedJuly 29, 2022
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Again a mysterious "something" creates chaos and destruction in a quiet little town. This is just another rehashed game passed off as a new creation in a new series. If you've been with BFG long enough, you'll recognize them immediately. Do games is still Domini with the same old line-up of boring gameplay.
Domini's star ratings keep falling which is a strong indication that something needs attention, yet they do nothing to improve their situation. Format never changes, everything is so dumbed down that the only challenge, is how to stay awake long enough to exit the game. Domini will always appeal to someone but singing high praises and buying their games doesn't change who they are, a fallen star. It's clear that laziness and lack of creativity have taken over.
This game has animals, nice looking characters, excellent lip syncing but that's about it. It's slow moving, boring, predictable and all too familiar. Not enough story, too many games. Graphics are not so good this time but the scenes are still very pretty for fantasy lovers if you don't mind the overdone blues, greens and purples used in all their games. The HOPs and puzzles are less creative here, simple, minimal challenge and I would have enjoyed the HOPs more if not for some of the scenes being so dark. I don't go in for the items activated with a click. They are a clever little extra that many players love.
Every game is just masked with a new title, series name, different looking characters. Stories will be entertaining if you don't mind repetition of the same fantasies, monsters, evil-doers, missing loved ones, disasters and the onslaught of tasks. And if you aren't bugged by the onslaught of tasks that defy logic. Even a game should apply some sense to the makeshift methods of solution!
Domini can change their name but it doesn't fix the problem. What is needed is reading the reviews and delivering quality. I, for one, can't stand by a dev who regards us as merely a dollar sign rather than a valued customer.
I don't recommend this game.
Explore the uncharted lands where light and shadow meet!
Overall rating
2
/
5
67 of 100 found this review helpful
Do Games Should DO Us A Favor
PostedJuly 28, 2022
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
and make a game that has something more than the same old baloney each and every time. I am so doggone tired of the same routine of finding, repairing, replacing, digging, etc. There must be a plethora of other tasks or problem solvers that will suffice, yet we are always bored to tears with the same old tedious grind.
The principles of logic disappear and we're left with a story with no substance, slow progression and little adventure. Soon after arriving at the dig site, Emma and I fall into a crater caused by a meteor where another universe exists. Before exploring the 3 other worlds of Lightrun, Shedar and Reflex we first have to go through the usual tasks. That's when the adventure should have begun instead. We were greeted by Yarat who saved Emma from being carried away in a river and claims no others have entered their world. So where did he pick up the phrase "you guys" if he's never met anyone from our world? Just curious!
The tedious tasks follow us on our journey and make it a slow process. There is a transport map and it sometimes pops up when you want a hint. I don't consider it useful when all I want is a hint, makes it a little too easy. My demo ended with 2 minutes to spare and I accomplished little. The most useful was healing a wounded talking animal. I'm curious about what other magical creatures we'll meet along the way. Yarat and another male character offered their help but then the female with a serious anger issue showed up at the end of the demo and I imagine she'll be the royal antagonist throughout the story. I didn't care for the previous Maze of Realities, it had a poor rating, and I just feel this one is fated to be the same.
The graphics weren't above average this time, IMO, but they weren't drowning in those awful blues and greens. So that made the locations much prettier and brighter. The scenes weren't overly filled with all sorts of things so the lack of clutter was a plus. The locations had a magical appearance but not overdone. Sometimes there's too much to take in and it becomes distracting. The characters looked good, a few moved stiffly, some had more fluidity. Except for Emma's teeny unbefitting voice, the voice tones were okay but didn't flow smoothly. I always enjoy the attire in other-world games, usually very colorful and decorated with jewels and unusual design. The music was fine without any sudden outbursts of thunderous or high-pitched notes. I don't enjoy playing without music, so that was a positive.
Not as many puzzles and HO scenes in this demo. 20 of each are in the entire game, probably more in the Bonus Chapter. The HOPs were either dark or faded with hard to distinguish artwork, so it added challenge but not the kind I like. I did switch to the M3 to finish a couple and found the same big, clunky board and tiles, same artwork as before. A great big pocketwatch gets in your face if you mis-click too rapidly. So unnecessary! If not for the dark/vague scenes I would have enjoyed the variety of styles.
The puzzles were fun and with Easy and Hard Modes again available, I didn't have to skip. They were not new to me so I wasn't perplexed like I am many times with the unfamiliar ones. Also an overwhelming amount of puzzles is always a deterrent to me so 20 are much better if I were going to purchase. Too many puzzles tend to drag a game out far too long and I get tired of playing. I'd rather have less to get more story and room for a proper ending. No surprise to find the same CE content as always. This time we have to decorate the Portal Keeper's Room by collecting 75 metal plates. Again we have 15 of each of the 2 other collectibles. Tiny size and dark areas prevented them from being quickly spotted but the challenge was still minimal.
Domini CEs do not contain all the wonderful extras and quality gameplay that "someone" always declares. There's nothing different from one game to the next, other than name character and title changes. I've yet to meet a Domini game that knocks my socks off or even tugs at them a little in the past 4 yrs. I use to be a huge fan but those days are long gone because they just stopped caring and the quality went out the window. Boring stories, tedious tasks, cookie-cutter format are not going to win my vote.
Others absolutely love Domini for various reasons and will never abandon them and that's wonderful. It feels good to have a favorite dev that never disappointments you. However, Domini just falls flat in too many areas, for me. Hopefully, you are nicely entertained with today's game. My opinion is just that, only an opinion!