shellian731's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.6
- Helpful Votes:60
- Reviews Submitted:7
- First Review:April 11, 2012
- Most Recent Review:May 5, 2016
- Featured reviews0
shellian731's Review History
Bus Driver
Transport passengers following a planned route according to a timetable and learn the basics of professional driving!
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Very difficult but so much geeky nerdy fun
PostedMay 5, 2016
shellian731
fromNew Haven, CT
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Time Management, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Brain Teaser
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
First off: this is one of the most difficult games I've played from BFG. There is almost no help or directions. You have to figure it out for yourself, so if you aren't into experimentation and frequent failure this is not the game for you. But once you get the hang of it, it's really fun, and you can make creative challenges for yourself. The premise of the game is simple: drive a bus route, pick up passengers, drop them off. You can control the bus by keyboard (which I haven't done, so can give no opinion) or by a gaming controller. I use a Logitech Rumblepad thingy. You can define the commands to control the bus to your specifications, and even fine-tune the steering and brakes. I'm not nerdy enough to figure that out though. So although driving the bus seems simple, it is not easy to control it, and you have to deal with other vehicles on the road, as well as traffic lights. One of the coolest things about this game is that the city you drive through seems real. You can skip picking up passengers and just drive around the city. The graphics are very good. You can get a feel for the geography of the city and change things for fun. For example: one route specifies that you drive this country road with hairpin turns. I hated that road! So to heck with their directions, I found a way to drive the same route through the city without skipping any stops. That gave me a feeling of accomplishment the game programmers probably hadn't thought of! In real life buses have to run on time, but in the game you get a "bonus" for being on time but no penalty. Personally I prefer to drive accurately than fast, so I forget about speed. A couple of bus routes are comprised of taking criminals from jail to the courthouse, or from the airport to jail. You can ignore all traffic lights and drive like a crazy person. The prisoners get very happy and shout with glee when you hit other cars, or streetlights, or police cars, etc. It's very funny. This is a game I have played over and over. It's so challenging that it takes a long time to get boring. I wish there were more games like this one.
I recommend this game!
Haunted Legends: Stone Guest
Someone is stealing the hearts of children – literally! Is it a brilliant inventor, seeking to cure his ailing son? Or has dark magic taken over the village...
Overall rating
2
/
5
18 of 28 found this review helpful
Creepy, and not in a good way
PostedDecember 15, 2014
shellian731
fromNew Haven, CT
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Boring, too many cut scenes, too few puzzles. I literally could not care less about what was going on. There was a creepy dwarf/goblin creature that I never want to see again, but which is probably integral to the plot. I didn't last more than 10 minutes through the trial period. But maybe I'm just picky. fussy and hypercritical. You should try it for yourself!
I don't recommend this game.
Mystery Case Files®: Fate's Carnival Collector's Edition
Something wicked has taken over Fate’s Carnival!
Overall rating
4
/
5
12 of 12 found this review helpful
Good, not great
PostedDecember 1, 2013
shellian731
fromNew Haven, CT
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Brain Teaser, Time Management, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I haven't finished the entire game yet, but it's beginning to bore me. I loved the first Mystery Case Files: "Ravenhurst", and also loved Mystery Case Files: "Madame Fate." These games were fun for me because they had moderately challenging but not impossible puzzles, fun hidden object scenes, and a fairly straightforward plot line. "Return to Ravenhurst" was ok, but the third installment "Escape from Ravenhurst" was repugnant and disgusting as well as completely boring. This game "Fate's Carnival" seems to blend the two story lines, which is a mistake. I'm sick of the evil bad guy from Ravenhurst! Think up something original!
If you like pure hidden object scene games, you may be frustrated because there are very few of them. Most of the game is picking up tools or symbols, jumping back and forth between scenes, opening up locked boxes or fixing broken machines to acquire more tools so you can jump back and forth between even more scenes and open more boxes. For me this is the source of my boredom and ennui with the game. It's not very intellectually challenging. Not much logic or strategy involved. I wish the game were visually simpler and logically more difficult.
If you like pure hidden object scene games, you may be frustrated because there are very few of them. Most of the game is picking up tools or symbols, jumping back and forth between scenes, opening up locked boxes or fixing broken machines to acquire more tools so you can jump back and forth between even more scenes and open more boxes. For me this is the source of my boredom and ennui with the game. It's not very intellectually challenging. Not much logic or strategy involved. I wish the game were visually simpler and logically more difficult.
I recommend this game!
Midnight Mysteries: Witches of Abraham Collector's Edition
One night the ghost of President Lincoln appears, asking for your help. Can you find the hidden Confederate treasure?
Overall rating
2
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Not up to usual Midnight Mysteries standard
PostedOctober 26, 2013
shellian731
fromNew Haven, CT
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Hidden Object, Brain Teaser, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I bought the collector's edition of this game after only a few minutes of the trial period, because previous Midnight Mysteries games had been so fun... I trusted the brand. Big mistake. I wish I hadn't wasted my money. The game scenes and puzzles seemed very easy and familiar, as though they had been cobbled together from a bunch of other games. The storyline was incomprehensible and illogical. But what really really makes me regret wasting my time and money on this game was the creepy and repulsive animation and voice over of Abraham Lincoln and his wife. Before you leap in and buy this game just because you may have liked previous Midnight Mysteries games, make sure you play to the end of your trial period, which is what I wish I had done.
I don't recommend this game.
Mystery in London ™
Explore the city of London through 360-degree photographs and investigate it`s notorious past in this great Hidden Object mystery.
Overall rating
5
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
If you like it, you'll love it.
PostedApril 25, 2013
shellian731
fromNew Haven, CT
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Hidden Object, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I got this game quite a while ago and didn't really get into it at first. When I actually spent a little time getting used to the technical aspects of navigating the hidden object rooms, it was fun, challenging and lengthy.
Best: excellent clear graphics, challenging hidden object scenes, plenty of hints.
Not So Great: navigation tools difficult to master at first, plot not very interesting.
Best: excellent clear graphics, challenging hidden object scenes, plenty of hints.
Not So Great: navigation tools difficult to master at first, plot not very interesting.
This game has TWENTY chapters. You go back to various scenes many times, with different hidden object challenges each time. But as you go, finding things gets easier. If you enjoy this game, you will be very happy because it seems endless.
The mini-games between the hidden object scenes test a variety of mental skills. But if you find them boring you can easily skip them. This is most of all a hidden object game.
This game does visit the "London Dungeon" which has a few very mildly gory images, but otherwise it's not gross or scary.
Try this game. You'll probably know pretty quickly if you will like it, and if you like it, you'll love it.
I recommend this game!
Mystery Case Files: Shadow Lake Collector's Edition
The residents of Bitterford, Maine have fallen prey to a terrible curse. It’s up to you to unravel the series of mysterious events that led to the town’s downfall and uncover the evil that was responsible.
Overall rating
2
/
5
8 of 13 found this review helpful
SNOOZE
PostedNovember 21, 2012
shellian731
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
It was not challenging and the setting and story seemed like a feeble re-hash of a thousand other games. What pushed it into the realm of really annoying is that it is not possible to skip the tedious dialogue. I didn't bother playing the whole free trial - it was too boring.
I don't recommend this game.
Mirror Mixup
Mirror Mixup is the picture puzzle game with a twist. Solve
levels by selecting areas of the picture and twisting them!
Overall rating
5
/
5
10 of 11 found this review helpful
deceptively simple
PostedApril 11, 2012
shellian731
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
This is a low-frills game that challenges your mind in different ways than the usual Big Fish games. Starts VERY easy, but the highest levels are very difficult to solve with the minimum moves. Challenges pattern recognition, logic and spacial relationships.
It's an unusual game, but I'm an unusual person. I could not give up until I solved all the levels! If you enjoy games like Crazy Machines, Gravity, or Magnetic Adventure, you might like this one too.
It's an unusual game, but I'm an unusual person. I could not give up until I solved all the levels! If you enjoy games like Crazy Machines, Gravity, or Magnetic Adventure, you might like this one too.