coffeyfan77's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.5
- Helpful Votes:672
- Reviews Submitted:141
- First Review:November 19, 2011
- Most Recent Review:March 27, 2018
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Capture the evil Dr. Chaos, a dangerous criminal, by finding hidden objects and analyizing his every move.
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
Satisfactory Hidden Object Seeking
PostedFebruary 8, 2018
coffeyfan77
fromPhiladelphia, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Keep in mind that this HO game is pretty dated, so it's not going to bowl you over with anything. You play a special agent tasked with rooting out Dr. Chaos, and to do so you will head around the world visiting locations to collect random objects until you are able to capture him. In short, if you like junkpiles, this is the game for you.
You unlock some new locations along the way, but you'll be visiting them over and over. The only real change between levels aside from that is the number of items you collect. That can be challenging in the later stages since you only get 4 hints per level, but considering you're collecting a lot of the same things you'll knock out half the list from memory alone.
There is a bonus stage after each chapter in which you'll collect random objects from the same screen or find ten differences between the same scene. Neither will be especially difficult. All in all, this will definitely kill some time, but it's not going to hold a candle to the adventure style games that are popular now.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you stop a stone-cold monster before it's too late?
Overall rating
4
/
5
8 of 8 found this review helpful
Lengthy and Enjoyable
PostedJanuary 19, 2018
coffeyfan77
fromPhiladelphia, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
In Black Sun, your newly appointed commander returns home to a welcome from her father which is quickly spoiled by a ferocious enemy released for reasons unknown from a statue in the town square. Guess who will be responsible for defeating that enemy and saving the town? Yup, you.
The game takes a couple of turns before you reach the conclusion, and the story of both the lizard and the town are not quite what you would expect. The gameplay is pretty standard, though a couple of the minigames are interesting variations and the way in which you reveal new items or areas are sometimes unique. Voice acting is good. Game looks okay but nothing spectacular.
HO scenes are plentiful, especially near the end, but many are shorter lists with not a lot of ground to cover. The game takes longer than you'd think to complete, though, and I found the main story of the game to be more interesting than usual. You also wield a unique weapon throughout the game which was different and made the minigames related to it make much more sense. Good work from a long game.
I recommend this game!
Some family heirlooms are more trouble than they're worth...
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
The Heir's Been Taken Out
PostedJanuary 16, 2018
coffeyfan77
fromPhiladelphia, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The Grim Tales series is a puzzler for me because there's plenty of good things going on in each game, but a couple frustrating elements that really prevent most of them from achieving the level of great game for me. As with the rest of the entries, you play Aunt Anna Gray, one of the members of the strange yet supernaturally gifted Gray Family. Your mission this time is to help the next heir in the line, a young child, to resolve his issues with both family and past. Your other mission is to consistently receive mercurial advice and helpful pieces of objects from the spirit of your dead father. So there's that too.
The game plays more like an adventure than a standard HO, although you will have a few of those scenes also. Puzzles range from very simple ones, like uncrossing ropes and putting a jigsaw together, to complex ones with multiple elements. Overall I found it mainly on the easier side. The game is gorgeous, with the animations well done and the voice acting particularly solid. You will not be disappointed in either of those.
Where you might have more of an issue is the ending of the game. I have noticed most of the GT games seem to just drop off into a weird conclusion, particularly in the standard version. There's also quite a bit of time hopping around the castle, which is all well and good in its own way but becomes rather confusing when it's all said and done. And during the late stages you'll be met with gathering a bunch of stuff in revisited scenes for the simple purpose of just extending the game. Unfortunate.
All in all, it's a solid entry and you'll spend some time figuring out the mystery such as it is. The cryptic ending and forced errands fail to bring this to the level of some of the previous entries in the series for me.
I don't recommend this game.
Mysterious portraits are causing their subjects to transform into monsters!
Overall rating
3
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
From Adventure To Zoo
PostedJanuary 6, 2018
coffeyfan77
fromPhiladelphia, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
In this installment of the Dark Romance series, the love of your life receives a mysterious painting that begins turning her into a creature. It's a promising start, and one that's further developed by the presence of a thoroughly reprehensible villain with a very personal axe to grind. It's also a plus that you play both protagonists in this story, each member of the couple providing valuable information to the other as you switch back and forth. Consider it an early pony express messenger system?
Unfortunately, while all of those elements are good in their own way, the final result did not add up to the sum of the parts in my view. The puzzles are numerous but generally quite easy, even on the harder setting. HO scenes have a few very easily pieced together complex items, and really seem to be tossed in just to fill space rather than with any care. Music and speech are likewise generic.
The game is lengthy enough, but has a couple twists that are tough to swallow even for a fantasy. In addition, could we end the painful process of getting rid of something like a lighter only to have to collect another version of it in the very next scene? Your character might be able to spend less time fighting evil if they held onto everyday inventory.
Bonus point for dragons. Otherwise, pedestrian.
I don't recommend this game.
Explore the four corners of Oz in this thrilling fantasy game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
New Take On An Old Story
PostedDecember 30, 2017
coffeyfan77
fromPhiladelphia, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
When a tornado lands in Kansas and separates you from your children, it reads like a story you may have heard before. There can be no doubt that the developers of this game want to recall the excellent story of Oz in every respect. It says so in the title, for Pete's sake! But there is a difference between repetition and reimagination, and I'm happy to say this game does the latter and is far better for it.
Like other games in the series, this game mixes standard hidden object scenes with adventure elements and you'll have a lot of fun exploring this new version of Oz. I have to give credit where it's due: I wouldn't have expected pagodas in the Emerald Kingdom! It's weird and it works, and I highly enjoyed the journey to get back home and the unique twists on the characters we all know and love. Except Toto, who is exactly the same and pretty adorable throughout.
The other area where I felt this game excelled was the story, which has a couple of well-done twists and finishes in a way you likely weren't expecting. Graphics and sounds are good to very good, particularly in the animated sequences, and there is a good deal of interacting with objects. Overall a very solid effort.
I recommend this game!
Bring an end to Mr. Dudley's reign of terror!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Super Strange and Super Fun Finish
PostedDecember 11, 2017
coffeyfan77
fromPhiladelphia, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The Weird Park trilogy comes to a close with this hidden object game, which explains to us how the inimitable and frightening Mr. Dudley came into being and what he's all about, really. It also wraps up the stories of a couple of the other characters from the first two games while giving you a new adventure all its own. Throughout, it brings so many elements of circuses and magic that by the time you're done playing you will thoroughly enjoy the weird but very fun vibe that only these games have.
Your character is allowed by the police to take pictures of a house from which a boy disappeared, but you're not supposed to enter. You can imagine how long you obey that rule. What you may not imagine is where this surreal journey will take you. The main game is quite lengthy and full of puzzles and HO scenes alike, and once you've completed it you are rewarded with a bonus chapter that delves into the backstory of the villain even further. It's a heck of a lot of value for a standard edition game and in my mind they could teach most CO editions a thing or two about rewarding content.
The animations of the characters are quite well done, better than expected really. Voices and sound are good, and the game looks great through plenty of fantastic scenes. You couldn't ask for much more from an entertainment standpoint than the final show. I for one am disappointed that we won't receive another encore. Top notch.
I recommend this game!
Can you find your Maestro’s murderer in time?
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Danse Macabre Does It Again
PostedDecember 6, 2017
coffeyfan77
fromPhiladelphia, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
When a game starts out with the murder of your mentor and an escape from the Italian police, it's hard to imagine it will get even better from there. This chapter of the Danse Macabre series actually does. You truly feel like a protagonist in this mystery, not just gathering evidence but actively participating in the discovery of who's behind the solid frame job and their motivations for doing so while trying to bring them to justice.
One reason why this isn't like any other mystery is the setting, which is rendered beautifully. You get plenty of the history of Florence, which I found interesting, and also a good dose of excellent music due to the plot of musicians being involved in the storyline. The game plays your standard hidden object adventure, but you get plenty of searches during the course of events, which I also quite liked.
Minigames are for the most part the standard fair, and there are morphing objects and collectibles to be found as usual with a CE. The bonus chapter was a bit weak for my taste, but it didn't take away from an awesome main game. If you like a dose of history and some excitement while you solve a decent mystery, this is the game for you. Highly recommend.
I recommend this game!
Can you catch a murderer that’s terrorizing a local university?
Overall rating
4
/
5
The Swan Song Is A Good One
PostedDecember 5, 2017
coffeyfan77
fromPhiladelphia, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
It appears the Dead Reckoning series has come to a close, but if so it went out with a bang. Your character is brought to a college campus for an award presentation, but things quickly escalate for you when a murder takes place and you spring into action. As usual in this series, you are presented with a series of likely suspects and set about gathering information on each of them. If you predict that things aren't what they seem and the most likely suspect isn't the culprit, well then like me you've probably played quite a few mystery games.
The game, like the others in this series, looks and sounds good. Character voices are well done and the music is quite nice overall. There's an appropriate level of drama, and the mix of hidden object and minigames is just about perfect.
The bonus chapter wraps things up for the series, and you'll be able to collect a graduation cap in each scene if you wish. I also liked that the regular collectibles you gather after the main game needed you to perform an action before picking them up. It only added a little bit of game time but it was a nice touch.
All in all, I will miss this very well-done series but appreciate the developers not dragging it on and on. It's a solid and fun mystery and well worth a try.
I recommend this game!
Can you uncover who’s after your dance troupe?
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Perfectly Acceptable Hidden Object Game
PostedNovember 30, 2017
coffeyfan77
fromPhiladelphia, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The title says it all for me. I enjoy the Danse Macabre series, and I liked the Irish culture injected into this game. You and your cousin are part of a semi-successful dance troupe, but things go awry when your father insists he is seeing a banshee. Things turn rather dramatically from there, and you learn quite a bit about your hidden family history as you look to uncover the secrets of the woman in white.
It's a great hook for a story, but unfortunately it doesn't deliver what it promises completely. Everything is good enough without being great. CE lets you collect morphing items and the standard collectibles through scenes you've played before. Hidden object scenes are decent and the game sounds good. Voice acting was also hit or miss but mostly decent.
All in all, the uniqueness of the story didn't make up for the lack of execution. You are driven forward in the story, and the extra bonus chapter wraps things up nicely enough, but I felt like there was more to tell and they shortcutted. The adversary in the game is also filled in with a weak backstory and left with questions unanswered. Good but by no means great.
I don't recommend this game.
Uncover the mystery of Huxley’s Boarding House before time runs out!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
Fantastic Addition To An Excellent Series
PostedNovember 29, 2017
coffeyfan77
fromPhiladelphia, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
MCF has long been my favorite series to play, and this installment is a great example of why. Interesting setting and backstory, complicated but fun puzzles, and it looks and sounds great. This should be a must purchase if you're looking for a reason to get into hidden object/adventure titles.
Your investigator is called into a case to discover what happened to a colleague, but of course there's much more to his disappearance than that. The story is an homage to Frankenstein with some interesting developments and plays with the concept of time, often literally. The science factor of the story plays a major role, and you'll explore that and medicine to a very fun degree in the game. I really liked how it blended into the story without becoming dull.
MCF games are known for mixing the standard hidden object scenes and minigames with more complicated large puzzles, and they are once again employed to maximum effect here. Where previous versions have gotten a bit over the top, these are solid but completely doable puzzles. You can skip sections if you like, but I found the time it takes to complete them just about perfect. A little thought and some experimentation, but nothing felt dragged out to me.
It looks and sounds great. CE includes the ability to collect morphing objects, and playing a marble-style shooter game allows you to unlock all of the extra content, and there's plenty. I also really liked the bonus chapter, providing some background to the story and fleshing out what really happened in the house. Very well done and worth the extra coin.
All in all, I highly recommend this game. The story and the characters are well done, there's plenty of exploring to do, and I enjoyed it beginning to end. More of this please.
I recommend this game!