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:
Experience a beautiful narrative-driven jigsaw game where the story unfolds as you complete incredible puzzles!
Overall rating
2
/
5
9 of 12 found this review helpful
Tried It. Didn't Like It.
PostedJune 3, 2020
HeavenBound7729
fromOcala, Florida
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Finally, new jigsaw game. I was hoping for the best but, alas, just another flop to add to the pile. The graphics were far too dark. The images nearly impossible for me to see, I shouldn't have to zoom in and out to be able to distinguish the shapes of the pieces. In as much of the demo as I could tolerate, everything was gloomy with no brightness to the colors. There are very few puzzles. It does have relaxed and timed modes, you can choose the number of pieces, sorting was pretty easy since the pieces could be placed anywhere on the board. I gave 5 stars for challenge since it was so difficult for me to see it all well enough to play without straining my eyes, it was quite frustrating though I managed to complete entire first puzzle out of sheer determination. I really didn't bother checking out the other options because I already knew they would make no difference in my opinion of this game.
I am sure many of you will really enjoy the challenge and might even like the dismal appearance of the images. It's a good idea, IMO, to use the demo on this one before deciding to purchase. I can't recommend one way or the other...it just was not fun for me and what I look for in quality jigsaw puzzles.
Pixel Art delivers a new set of color by number pictures! This series makes painting easier than ever before.
Overall rating
5
/
5
7 of 7 found this review helpful
Good Things Come To Those Who Wait
PostedMay 25, 2020
HeavenBound7729
fromOcala, Florida
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
But with this series it is usually wait too long! Pixel Art has many more of these fun games out there and I wish BF would bring them to us more quickly. We are way behind! I was so thrilled to find Number 8 today!! And it is really nice! The pictures are done with beautiful colors, with a nice mix of shades and muted tones, giving the images more depth and interest. A great range of lovely images in today's release.
We have more of the larger images this time which creates more challenge and a greater sense of satisfaction. The larger variety of colors creates a much prettier picture and I just love watching my work of art come together and seeing the finished "masterpiece." I seldom use the wonderful feature that fills in an entire area of one color. It saves time but I enjoy working on the images without it unless the space is enormous.
I love Pixel Art and own them all. They have given me countless relaxing hours of enjoyment. The features are great and all work smoothly and are so helpful. I especially appreciate being able to enlarge the image and the ease of moving it around the screen to reach all the areas is a big plus.
I do wish there was a direct route from image to the next levels though, so I can see my next project before I start on it. As it is now, unless I am a dumb-dumb, I have to go back to main menu first and then to the levels. But it doesn't bother me enough to gripe about it or deduct a star from my rating. The music is soothing and includes a variety of nature sounds, just perfect for this type of game, IMO.
Now if we could have more of the Paint By Number games that I know are available, I would be a very happy, satisfied fishie. The coloring games are a wonderful genre for all ages and a good way to feel creative even though we may not be otherwise artistic. And no fuss, no muss. Sure works for me!! Pixel Art is terrific for me, as an escape from the more serious games and there are no demons or monsters anywhere!!
I recommend this game!
An intruder’s puzzling calling-card means certain doom for the Holmes family line!
Overall rating
5
/
5
101 of 116 found this review helpful
Welcome Back, Ms. Holmes!
PostedMay 21, 2020
HeavenBound7729
fromOcala, Florida
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
What we have here, in my opinion, is another fine little mystery case in the very capable hands of Ms. Holmes. I really enjoyed the first game and today's release is quite entertaining as well. It is nice to see Mr. Watson is going to help solve the mystery. Has he inherited his grandfather's knack of collecting and deciphering clues?
I appreciate the absence of demons and dark magic that dominate most games these days. It's fun to play something without the evil overtones. Elephant Games did a great job with the storyline, the characters, the excellent graphics and overall scenery. There is just the right amount of HOPs and puzzles, for me, and the HOP scenes show off better-than-average graphics in this new release. I like all the HOPs and puzzles so far.
I appreciate the absence of demons and dark magic that dominate most games these days. It's fun to play something without the evil overtones. Elephant Games did a great job with the storyline, the characters, the excellent graphics and overall scenery. There is just the right amount of HOPs and puzzles, for me, and the HOP scenes show off better-than-average graphics in this new release. I like all the HOPs and puzzles so far.
I always like the challenge of finding the collectibles and morphs, but must admit it is hard to keep track of the items without an indicator to keep me informed. I wish one was available here. So I opt to pay less attention to them when that feature is missing, in order to concentrate more on the story. Maybe not a big deal to some gamers but, for me, achievements add more fun.
With only 3 chapters, I don't know how long it will take me to finish the game, as I play quite slowly so I can enjoy every little detail, and I do always count on a Bonus Chapter for at least an additional hour. I'm having a good time playing "Five Orange Pips" and at this point feel confident in recommending it. A good game for all skill levels with the 4 game modes available. I like to try each, sometimes I don't find much difference between them at all. But for demos I usually prefer the Custom Mode for the sake of saving time.
I think a 5 star rating is appropriate and feel that my buying the CE version was a good decision. Others of you may not agree with my opinion of this new Ms. Holmes mystery game, that's why the demo is so handy-dandy. I never shop without it.
I saw a rainbow today, just when I needed it the most.....
I recommend this game!
In this latest match-3 adventure, gather up your courage and press on to the haunted mansion on the hill and rid it of evil spirits.
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 7 found this review helpful
Nothing New Or Clever
PostedMay 20, 2020
HeavenBound7729
fromOcala, Florida
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
I am so bored with the Cursed House games. Everything is always the same, with just a very slight tweak if any. I just don't care for them anymore, don't see the point of spending $$ on something I already own 7 times over. Admittedly, the challenge is very strong, the colors and sounds are great. However, I find the same old mini games too easy.
It all comes down to being just another example of laziness on the part of the devs, which is most often the case with the games being released these days. The new trend, it seems!
Upon completing most of the demo I can say, if you have never experienced Curse House before or never tire of it, you will love this new installment.
Embrace the hope of a bright tomorrow....
Help Tenebria and Alrik stop an invasion of evils creatures in this magical match 3 game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
38 of 40 found this review helpful
It's About Time!
PostedMay 19, 2020
HeavenBound7729
fromOcala, Florida
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I think the Mystika series is one of the few quality match 3 games Big Fish offers. It has been a long wait for this 4th release for PC users. It is colorful, challenging, contains a small variety of games and I love restoring bridges and being able to restore buildings with my well earned coins.
Mystika 4 has features that make the game more fun. The power-ups are great without being over-the-top explosive. In some games there is too much razzle-dazzle. I love the added challenge of obstruction tiles and the changing board. Being able to restart a level at any time during the game can really come in handy sometimes. Amulets and other items can be exchanged for Mystika coins. Some tile matches require digging through earth tiles for resources and extra coins. There are achievements to earn to motivate us to do our best.
I tried Nprmal and Expert game modes, preferring the Expert and you can choose either Relaxed or Timed. The game started out easy enough, but the further I got the more challenging it became. I'm at level 26 and the board layouts are definitely more difficult. Also, the tiles are quite colorful with their images and easy to see.
I love the Mystika games and purchased this one immediately. The previous ones have served me well, I hope more of this quality match 3 series is in our future. We already have enough inferior games to last several lifetimes!
Thankful for another safe day....
I recommend this game!
Can you stop a mysterious monster terrorizing a new amusement park?
Overall rating
4
/
5
20 of 24 found this review helpful
Thrills And Chills? Well, Maybe....
PostedMay 16, 2020
HeavenBound7729
fromOcala, Florida
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The game got off to a promising start to an action-packed day in the park. However, in the demo, there were just so many tasks. I soon tired of all the collecting and wanted to get on with the monster hunting. I finished the demo and saw enough to put me on the fence about purchasing this new "Fright Chasers."
The train ride into the park gave us a glimpse of the evil awaiting our arrival. The gorilla was majorly getting on my nerves because I couldn't find what I needed right away, to exit the scene quickly. That brute was making a huge amount of racket !! I was so relieved when it ended with his exit and the monster hunt continued. Saw a few of them in the demo but didn't get to experience much of the havoc they could conjure up.
I really like games involving amusement parks, so that kept me going. The graphics were sharp and very colorful. The scenes were full of all the park-related stuff you would expect. The game did move along at a quick pace and as each new area of the park was entered, a new danger arose. The inventory filled and emptied quickly and I actually got to use a couple of items on more than one task. I have noticed some new creativeness in this new installment and hope it provides more fun and interest to keep boredom from settling in.
The characters were well rendered, the voices were pretty good with expression and the lip sync not bad at all. The one thing I didn't care for was the green and yellow smoke or mist, it just seemed unnecessary and I felt it got in the way. The games were pretty easy but the HOPs were a good challenge, I liked them a lot and there was a fun variety of styles. They did a super job with the HOP scenes. Sometimes the morphing objects were difficult to find, the hats were easy. The achievements were doable, I hit a few in the demo.
I was so happy that custom mode reduced the skip and hint settings down to 1 second! That is so handy in the demo because it quickens our game progress. I always love this feature. Also, I enjoy trying all the game modes in games I purchase, to see if they really make a significant difference.
The theme of this "Fright Chasers" seems like it might be more suited to adults and teens. The amusement park may be attractive to young children, not expecting the evil and monsters lurking there. Parents should be attentive, even if this is "just a game". And 1 reviewer mentioned that there is quite a disturbing scene in the Bonus Chapter.
Well, I am a fan of monster themed movies and games. I like the idea of several different monsters to do battle with, so with today's sale, this game will most likely go into my vast collection of goodies. I want to jump off the fence and defeat the evil force at hand. The demo usually gives me a strong feeling about purchasing or not, glad we have the free trials to help with our decisions.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel...stay safe!
I recommend this game!
Painting has never been easier! With Paint by Numbers 2, just relax and enjoy the experience of a digital painting!
Overall rating
5
/
5
16 of 16 found this review helpful
Only Number Two!
PostedMay 15, 2020
HeavenBound7729
fromOcala, Florida
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of the others that are not available to us for some reason I don't understand. But finding a new Paint by Number game today was awesome!! I picked it up right away with an expiring coupon, but I would gladly have paid for it. I love coloring games. Wish we had many more. They are so relaxing and rewarding, at least for me.
So far, I have enjoyed the variety of images. The colors are all nice, even the muted ones. There has to be pales and bolds and brights to create a pretty picture. I personally don't feel that everything has to be vivid to be appealing and the subject matter also dictates the color choices many times.
I really liked our first Paint by Number and the Pixel Art series is another great choice in this genre. I find these color games very entertaining and I appreciate the opportunity to enjoy them as a break from my usual more "serious" games.
The only negatives I see in this game, as in the previous release, is the cursor. It is way too big and just gets in the way of filling the tiny spaces with ease. And there is not enough variation with the shapes within the pictures to create more depth and interest, a little more challenge.
This is a good game for kicking back and giving your mind a rest and I'm hoping it gets more good reviews, to encourage the devs to hurry up with their newer releases that I have seen, for us PC users.
Each safe day is a blessing....
I recommend this game!
An author has vanished, and someone’s enacting the terrible events of his latest novel!
Overall rating
3
/
5
16 of 19 found this review helpful
Not Like The Early Days of Edgar Allan Poe
PostedMay 15, 2020
HeavenBound7729
fromOcala, Florida
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I much prefer the old games in my Poe collection. "The Bells" provided minimal fun during the demo but it was still entertaining. The games were very simple. I thought the HOPs were much better. I was not impressed with the graphics and they appeared faded, the usually rich color palette was missing. It all just looked flat and lacking in interesting scenery as well.
The characters moved stiffly and looked almost cartoonish to me. Dupin lost some of his appeal, looked a little shabby and I did not care for his voice. Costumes were not exactly keeping to the time period. which I first noticed with the female wearing the hooded cape-style coat and modern day eyeglasses. Looked just a little too up-to-date, at least to my eye. The game presented no tech problems, sound was good.
I did like the storyline, being familiar with this particular piece of Poe's writings. The demo didn't take me far enough along to see much of the story unfold, however. A couple of reviews mentioned it being a very short game, but everyone has a different perception of "short". If I get a few hours of play, I am satisfied. Very often I am unhappy that there are so many mini games that take time away from the actual story. Hopefully that isn't the case with "The Bells."
It has been ages since my last purchase from this series, so I decided to purchase this new addition and hope I won't regret it. Even though the stories are loosely based on the actual books or poems, I find them interesting and usually enjoyable if they don't become absurd in the storytelling.
I normally rate Dark Tales with 4 or 5 stars. Even though today's game didn't thrill me as much as previous ones, I don't consider it a loss. You may very well enjoy it immensely. For me, it is okay for simple non-challenging fun. CE worthy? Don't think so this time.
I recommend this game!
Mediterranean Journey 2
Explore the cities, islands and culture of the Mediterranean region while solving a variety of fun puzzles!
Overall rating
2
/
5
17 of 26 found this review helpful
Same Old Stuff
PostedMay 12, 2020
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
This game is just like Summer Adventures and the original Mediterranian Journey, and other versions. Nothing ever changes and probably never will. It is an okay game if you don't mind the easy game play where little effort is required to get through the puzzles and HOs. Very slight challenge. Beginners may appreciate the simplicity while learning, if completely new to this type of game.
The same complaints are voiced on a daily basis about this very subject. New games being released, that are not really new at all. We have the "good old days" games that are far more entertaining and much more challenging in our libraries that we can replay and save our $$. For me, personally, the on-going disappointments have lead to my reliance on my great big collection, to keep me happy until the devs and BF change their bad habit and start delivering fun, variety and quality NEW games to their loyal gamers....we keep hanging in there!!
I really do hate giving a low rating to any game, knowing that other gamers may love what I dislike. But, for me, two stars is all I can give based upon my own personal entertainment needs.
So try the demo, as we all have different opinions and tastes.
Investigating your sister's inexplicable vanishing you discover a plot that threatens more than one world!
Overall rating
5
/
5
7 of 9 found this review helpful
It's Been Quite A While Since Our Last Persian Adventure
PostedMay 9, 2020
HeavenBound7729
fromOcala, Florida
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The first release, "Persian Nights: Sands of Wonder" was an SE game and one of the best I had played in a long time. It was different from the ho-hum usuals at the time and the quality of Artifex Mundi was evident throughout. I recall it being magical with logic keeping the story from losing its way. The strong, handsome male character was always on the move, to save the day and defeat evil. Great game!
Now we have Persian Nights 2 which is off to a good start. It begins with you and your sister in your dorm room at the Academy. Suddenly things come crashing down around you. Your sis and 2 other students disappear. Outside, the presence of dark magic is creating chaos and thus the adventure begins. In order to find your missing sis, you have to resort to magic which is a big no-no at the Academy.
I completed the demo but saw no sign of the handsome fellow from the previous Persian Nights. I hope he's still around. The presence of characters has been sparse, but the girl is providing the dialogue as she begins her search. She has the help of the Moonlings, cute unusual little creatures with special talents to deal with particular tasks.
My progress was slow in the demo, many tasks making my travel a little frustrating. Just making it out of the dormitory was taxing, lol. I'm sure the game will pick up pace after the demo and I am confident this will be a fine game to purchase with today's BOGO.
Don't have much to report regarding characters, but the few voice-overs in the demo were good and expressive. The graphics were super clear and bright, the colors were vivid and beautiful lighting up the scenes. Everything so far was easy to see, no dark areas. I played only a couple of games and HOP but they were quite good.
The inventory was very user-friendly, it filled up and emptied pretty quickly, the plus items were fun to put together. And like the previous Persian Nights it did not immediately dispose of handy tools right after using them. I remember in "Sands of Wonders", the knife. The knife remained in inventory and was used on a number of tasks. I had not seen that in any other game back then and it was a very cool feature. I wish today's games would leave items in inventory that will be needed later...makes sense, yes?
This CE offers not many collectibles, but I'm okay with that as trying to spot them all is more of a distraction rather than fun when I'm involved in the story. There is a custom mode, can reduce hint and skip down to 10 seconds. A big fan of that feature, I am. Also, a variety of really nice music available to save. My favorites were Midnight and Deluge. You can preview all of them.
There is a journal which I did not go into. The map is unique and works very nicely. There is a good degree of challenge and I look forward to playing in each one of the modes to keep the fun flowing. The tutorial is short and clear with its instructions. Haven't a clue about what the Bonus Chapter has to offer but I always am eager to start or continue the adventure it holds.
Well, I could have offered more insight but this was my lazy day and the demo had to do. I will let the more thorough reviews fill me in on the rest of the extras. Except I never, ever read about the plot, I don't believe in spoiling the fun of discovery. I will buy this game momentarily and see where this story leads and find out who the bad guy is.
Stay safe and healthy, everyone....
I recommend this game!