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:
Uncover the truth behind the legendary fire that destroyed a university.
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
Muddled and Brief
PostedOctober 11, 2017
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
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The phoenix may rise from the ashes, but unfortunately this entry in the Haunted Hotel series does not. It does feature the return of your partner in crime solving, Detective James, though your character has randomly changed and carries over as an unnamed detective tangentially related to the Mystery Trackers series. Aside from giving the developers crossover opportunities, that fails to really add much here.
This game is a continuation of the last entry, and unfortunately does a worse job in every area than that one. Graphics and voice acting are good, and once again there is constant activity, but the plot line of your nemesis dragging some helpless soul through fifteen areas while you give chase has gotten pretty stale at this point. It's sort of like they took the same concept from the previous game and just filled the blanks differently. HO scenes are still scattered and very easy, and the minigames have actually gotten worse. Pick up four lemons from a scene featuring four lemons. Much of it is tedious busy work not fit for a challenging game. Where the last entry at least employed an occasional supersized puzzle to keep you occupied, this one just tosses random things at you for you to solve in short order.
The ending is a bit of a twist but one that you likely saw coming, and it doesn't take long to get there. Everything else here is a good-looking rehash. Even the concept of the hotel itself that the games are named for feels tacked on. I wouldn't make a reservation here if I were you.
I don't recommend this game.
A simple job protecting a bumbling professor becomes a nightmare when a masked figure threatens to kill him!
Overall rating
3
/
5
7 of 7 found this review helpful
A Step Backward In This Excellent Series
PostedOctober 10, 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
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I give credit where it is due. For the fourth time in this series, the developers switch the entire thing up. Where previous games saw you pair up with a detective friend to head to different creepy hotels to solve the mystery, this time you are the unexplained and nondescript master detective employed by a rich guy with something to hide and fearing for his life to protect him. That does not go well, as you'd likely expect, and you are on a mission to prevent his untimely demise at the hands of a surprise kidnapper and some supernatural protection.
I will say that the game looks good, perhaps even the best anything in this series has looked, and incorporates the sharper graphics of modern games, particularly when it comes to characters. Voice acting is good, also, and this game plays really more like an adventure than anything else. Provided you don't think too hard, there's more than enough action here to keep you hooked. It's also a nice touch that stuff is constantly happening to make it seem like a whole lot more is going on than really is. This game will make you jump once or twice in suspense, and that's an achievement.
That said, the hidden object sequences have for the most part been further reduced to quick grab-all-of-these-type-of-things logjams and the find a pair behind another item scenes that in my mind aren't nearly as creative or fun as a true HOG. Minigames are plentiful, but some are solved in under a minute or two and none would qualify as truly difficult in my book besides a maze that is painful in its execution and solution. Those things drag down what could be a great game into above average land.
I also had major issues with the ending of the standard version, which without giving anything away is lengthy to the point of ridiculous before falling rather flat. It's the longest part of a game I found rather short, and there's too many panels where you have to insert three random objects to get another object that goes in the panel in the very next room. There are the makings of a fantastic game here, but more renovations needed to occur to make this hotel visit a keeper for me. Worthy of a look but not nearly best in class.
I recommend this game!
Guests keep disappearing from a gimmicky haunted hotel. Is there someone pulling the strings, or are these ghosts actually real?
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Solid Entry With Egyptian Flair
PostedOctober 9, 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
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I enjoyed this entry in the very good Haunted Hotel series. Once again you and your beleaguered but helpful partner James are called upon to crack a case at a hotel. This time it's run by a guy called Shadowy, nothing to worry about there, who invites guests and tries to scare them with effective technological thrills that have become a bit too real. It's an interesting hook to breathe some new life into this series while keeping it somewhat connected to what came before.
Like Eclipse before it, the game looks great. Scenes are well done, the character animations are solid, and the movement and special effects are some of the better ones I've seen in a casual game. My only negative there is the voice of your partner, who has the same tone whether it's in fear for his life or handing you some item. Minor flaw, though. Overall very good in this department.
This game is really more a series of minigames than a standard hidden object, though there are plenty of those scenes. As with most of the other entries, the HO scenes are great to look at but very easy with minimal interaction. Also repeated from Eclipse are the variety of minigames, ranging from quite easy to rather difficult. Nothing super challenging but a good mix.
The Egyptian theme is very good and gives the game a different look and feel. I quite enjoyed that element and thought it made the plot a bit more fun, if not quite realistic. Honestly the only thing that kept me from rating it higher is the incessant backtracking, which is particularly bad in the second half of the game. It takes twelve screens to get from one place in the hotel to the other and then you have to go right back to use the item you collected. You can teleport but to me that's a weak excuse to lengthen the game artificially.
The other characters you meet including the owner of the hotel aren't that fleshed out, but everything wraps up decently enough. Overall it's a fun little adventure that shows this series still has quite a bit of steam. No need to check out just yet.
I recommend this game!
Should anyone ever check in to a place called the Final Journey Hotel?
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Lots of Fun Packed Into This CE
PostedOctober 7, 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
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The Haunted Hotel series really ramped it up for me in the fifth installment of their series, Eclipse. The game goes in a completely different direction from the last one, Charles Dexter Ward, and returns to digging a little deeper into the core mythology of their first few games in which forces of good and evil do battle in a hotel that doesn't seem to operate in the traditional universe you and I occupy. The fact that the game looks and sounds better than anything that came before takes it up another notch.
The game itself has a smart setup, as you and your partner are called to a hotel to figure out if and why it's being haunted. Your partner pops up every so often to hand you a useful item, but the game is excellent at integrating both you and him into the gameplay so that it feels more natural than both. It also manages to be big without losing you in its size, so you can reasonably backtrack to use those inventory items you find. There will be plenty of that, by the way, as almost everything you see needs to be interacted with in some way. Hidden object scenes are scattered and very simple with minor interaction, but they do look great. Minigames are varied and range from super simple to decently challenging, which I think makes this game perfect for a bunch of different players depending on their experience.
The CE is fantastic, though, with a bushel of extras. You can collect portraits for the types of characters you find in the game, but the coolest feature is a whole separate section of replaying minigames with a different story. It's nice when this stuff doesn't feel tacked on. The bonus game is solid and sees you return to the hotel after the events of the first.
The series still suffers from overpromising what it delivers, as the mythology bogs it down a bit without enough explanation, and there are the standard irritations like having six sharp objects to cut that rope but not being able to use any of them. Overall, though, this is great value for the money and really invigorates this longtime series into a cool direction. Really enjoyed it.
I recommend this game!
Enter the abandoned hotel and find your missing twin!
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
Lovecraftian Fun
PostedOctober 4, 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
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
After the first three games in the Haunted Hotel series, which occupied the same universe and was longer on exposition than delivery, the developers took a sharp right turn into much better and deeper waters with Charles Dexter Ward. If you're not familiar with CDW, it's a short story by one of the masters of horror in H.P. Lovecraft. The story is excellent in its own right, and I commend this group for really bringing a lot of the source material into the game while twisting it in a slightly different fashion.
You play a woman whose brother goes to investigate a sinister mansion in a swamp that even the locals avoid. The plot is set up quickly and makes sense, even though you'll be crafting spirit dolls and trying to break curses with mushrooms and berries in no time. There's a lot going on, and a lot to do for each of the days that you're at the house, but it's broken up nicely and fairly clear what you need to accomplish.
A couple big departures from previous games in the series: Like the third game, HO scenes are much reduced and actually the easiest part of this. You get enlarged screens and the items are pretty big. Most of the rooms in the place are locked and require collecting an inventory item and using it in the accompanying minigame in order to access. That means sliding puzzles galore. These puzzles take time and are fairly challenging, so completing the game will take some time unless you get skip happy.
The game really nails the spooky mood and uses the in-game effects to great results. You see the changes in weather, etc. and it creates a very interactive environment. You do get voice acting for the first time in the series, and while it's just a couple of characters it's solid enough. As for the ending, well..if you've read the source material you know happily ever after is generally not the way it goes.
All in all, this is a very strong and long game with plenty of areas to explore and a central storyline that's among the best of its kind. Good to see the creators inject new life into a series with fantastic results. Really well done and actually chilling, not like many pseudo-scary casual games.
I recommend this game!
Explore the Haunted Hotel and experience supernatural phenomenon for yourself in Haunted Hotel: The Lonely Dream!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Wraps Up The First Two Quite Nicely
PostedOctober 3, 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
As previously stated in earlier reviews, the Hotel series is at its best when it's doing what you want out of these type of games, letting you collect objects and use them to get out of various types of rooms as you escape the magical, mystical building version of Lost's island. This game improves upon the first two in those areas, and more importantly, presents a shift in that you will do a lot more utilizing of things collected than simply picking random stuff up from a list over and over. Bravo.
While the plot is dense and philosophical, the two main characters from the first games in the series essentially team up to explain what's going on. Do they do that? Not really, but it's a heck of a fun ride in the meantime. Everything looks better, while the sound and music are similar to the second game. What's extra special, though, are the nods given to places and things from the first couple of games. You will definitely get way more out of this title if you're familiar with those.
Minigames are varied but overall not super challenging, and as with a lot of adventure hybrids, there's some weird usage of objects and things lost in translation. Overall, though, it's enjoyable and does a far better job in wrapping up the initial bend of this long-running series. Check in and check it out.
I recommend this game!
A lone FBI agent has come to the Haunted Hotel, from which no one can escape, until its mysteries are unraveled.
Overall rating
3
/
5
Believe the Truth..It's Average
PostedOctober 3, 2017
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
The second entry in the Haunted Hotel series does get credit from me for fixing one of the biggest irritations from the first game, that being the music. There's more variety here, and aside from a really irritating noise that happens when you collect an inventory item to use, it's more than listenable.
Other than that, unfortunately, it's more of the same. You'll get a tiny bit more information about the odd goings-on in the hotel before the obligatory twist ending setting up the next game, and the graphics are improved with some cartoon type cutscenes, but for the most part it's the standard get to a location and collect about thirty items from the list. Much of the other repetition has been removed, as you won't keep going to the same locations and you'll have a couple minigames to keep you occupied. Nothing really challenging.
HO items look great but suffer from the normal junkpile issues. You'll find some clue that gets you to the next scene and do it all over again. This is an improvement over the first, but barely, and seems a bit unfinished to me. This series gets very good but the early returns look like library microfiche. Dull and simplistic. Skip.
I don't recommend this game.
Check in to the spooky Haunted Hotel and immerse yourself in a thrilling adventure!
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Checking In To The Hotel That Started It All
PostedOctober 2, 2017
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
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
In honor of the most recent entry in the series, I figured I'd dust off the original Haunted Hotel game and give it another go. Even with the passage of time, this holds up pretty decently overall. Your character ends up in a very mysterious hotel with rooms echoing the different seasons of the year. The story is by far the best part of the game, as it's revealed with lengthy written passages that read like a suspense novel as you make your way higher and higher in the eerie building. Access to that elevator is granted only by recovering a set number of objects from the same eight to ten rooms and also performing standard minigames, primarily untangling strings and using a magnet to pull together the letters needed to form words. Basic but effective.
The trouble, naturally, is that not everything else holds up to the very solid story. Sounds are grating and repetitive, music is forgettable, and playing the same games over and over again will be enjoyable only if you're a fan of Match-3 or memory puzzles. Even then it might be stretching it. HO scenes are junkpiles and you'll be locating the same things again and again, to the point that by the end of the game you'll remember half the list from when you were there last.
It took me about two and a half hours to finish, beginning to end, and while it was nice to revisit a classic, it's not one I'll be checking into again anytime soon. For completists or giant fans of the series only. Anyone else will prefer the later games in this most excellent line.
I don't recommend this game.
Escape an underground vault of clockwork wonders with the help of its mysterious and eccentric inventor in Fantastic Creations: House of Brass!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Great Storyline, Decent Game
PostedSeptember 20, 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
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Sometimes a game has such a good story to it that the actual technicalities of the title itself aren't as important. I found House of Brass to be one of those games. The basic premise is that you come across an interesting mechanical firefly and a picture of the mansion of one of your ancestors. You have no sooner entered said house than you begin your quest to discover the timeless creator of it while being besieged pretty consistently by a female robot. And then nothing, naturally, is as it seems.
There's a lot to like about gameplay. Things you see in the background eventually come to use later, hidden object scenes are different from the norm in that you collect a category of items rather than just random named objects, and the game proceeds in a manner more logical than most as you ascend the various levels of the mansion.
The bigger thing, though, is that the concept of the house and the very cool ideas within it are most interesting for a casual game of this nature. I found myself really looking forward to what was behind the next corner, and the mechanical theme of the game comes into play in very natural and organic ways. The theme being incorporated is done really well here without feeling tacked on at all.
The minigames are a good mix of challenge, but there's a bit too much repetition of simply doing the same challenge again in a more complex fashion. That's a bit lazy in terms of giving you a good experience, and serves to shorten an already fairly short title. It's a small price to pay, though, and the back story of how things came to be is presented well and with a remarkable depth of emotion.
Simply put, this game is worth your time and money for the story alone. Different, compelling and complex. As Cogglesworth says, "Well done!"
I recommend this game!
Can you uncover what’s causing the strange symptoms in Blackwill?
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Loaded Collector's Edition
PostedSeptember 18, 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
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The Shiver series is known for its scares, but this entry is just scary good. You play as a doctor who is investigating some strange goings-on and disappearances in a town you've just arrived at. The game starts with a bang, thrusting you right into the action in sequences that feel very time sensitive and very interactive. I quite liked that touch and felt it distinguished this game from a lot of others out there.
There's plenty more to like here. The collector's edition has a ton of achievements to get, more than most games of this nature that I've seen. They range from quite difficult to quite silly, but give you a reason to play again. That's a smart move for a linear game with little replayability. You will also collect pearls to spend on improving your house, a nice touch considering the main storyline I mentioned. The bonus chapter is satisfactory, allowing you to fully eliminate the threat posed to the town..probably. The wallpapers and concept art are the standard fare, and of course you can replay some of the better minigames and all of the HO scenes.
Speaking of which, this game is way heavier on the former than the latter. HO scenes are well done and some have the extra distinction of jumbled names for the objects, but the minigames are where this one shined for me. There are simple ones connected to getting some of the objects you will need that can easily be completed in a minute or two, then larger ones like a pinball machine that may take longer depending on your level of patience and dexterity. It's a really good mix with little to no repeats and that's excellent in my view.
Graphics and sound are fine but nothing too amazing. Cutscenes are very well done and the voice acting is good. In-game background scenes and regular animations are closer to the average side, and the music doesn't really always match the tone of the current scene. Overall, though, this gets a lot of things right and makes the CE version worthwhile. Really enjoyed it.
I recommend this game!