This is a little older fare but still very enjoyable. It has a lot of hidden object scenes that sparkle even on expert mode and puzzles that are somewhat challenging but overall pretty easy. It has beyond objects to find which are a challenge. Out of 35, I found 20 maybe. Once found, they seem easy like how could I of missed them?...
The main game was long and very fun. I loved every aspect of it. However this game was made before developers started giving us maps to use so therefore ...you are going to need a really good pair of sneakers as there is lots of back and forth and back and forth.
Besides the beyond objects and the bonus chapter there aren't any extras worth mentioning. I would recommend the standard edition over the collectors for that reason. The bonus chapter was not needed as the main game ended satisfactorily and wrapped up all loose ends. The bonus chapter was just a lot of hidden object scenes, barely any puzzles and a lot more walking back and forth.
I really enjoyed this game but get the standard edition :)
I loved this game when I first started playing it. It was the usual scary house tale we see but still was fun to explore. Obviously if a house appears out of nowhere, you should probably not go inside of it for a tour. Just saying...At least your character was smart but your sister, not so much...but I digress...
The game has live actors and although they are okay at first, as time goes on, they are horrible. Please get them acting lessons! But I overlooked this as I liked the main game. There are 3 different modes of difficulty and I chose the hardest which had no hints or skips although this can be changed in the settings menu. Even though I was on hard mode, the map told me where to go and there were black bar hints on everything so there was no real challenge. Puzzles were not that challenging and hidden object scenes were mildly interactive but still engaging. There are achievements to earn and you collect hearts throughout the game. I had trouble finding most of them.
The reason the game was just ok to me was because of the length. This game started out strong and I was immersed. I was just getting really into it when it ended. It had an ending that you didn't need the bonus chapter for but it kind of went nowhere. The scary factor went out the window when the bad guy was shown so early and there was not much conclusion to the house itself or anything that the player would want to know more about.
Then the bonus chapter was about an hour, maybe and was hidden object scene after hidden object scene with no point to it and you could just tell it was thrown together for the sake of having an extra but not the sake of having a great bonus game.
For a game that started out so riveting and inviting, I felt disappointed when it ended and like someone let the air out of my sails. What could have been a great game turned into a boring, short story with no real climax or ending that left the player with any emotion. It was a real let down and I would recommend the standard edition but only with a punch coupon because its length is not to be desired and the ending is just not worth the time you put into the game.
For a game I have been wanting to play forever, it lived up to my high expectations. I didn't feel like the CE was really worth the extras but I did finish all of it. The bonus chapter was kind of short but did explain how the children got to the orphanage yet it was not necessary to the story so without it, you won't lose any part of the story.
The graphics were great, atmosphere eerie. Kind of reminded me of the movie Village of the Dam*ed with the kids with stark white hair and crazy blue eyes although much different story line. Story line was strong in the beginning but got real corny at the end which kind of ruined it for me but I had such a blast playing it that I still rated this game high but it was kind of disappointing. There are beyond items and the map indicates where they are however I stopped looking for them as I found them kind of boring.
My only pet peeve with this game besides the corny ending is the fact that you pick up papers and see codes that are put into your journal for later. Well the problem is that although the codes and such are in there, they aren't zoomable so its extremely hard to see solutions and the same goes for the strategy guide so I had to skip a lot of puzzles that I would have had no trouble doing...kind of a bummer.
There are no achievements. However the CE contains a short bonus chapter showing how this all started, wallpapers/music which you can't access until you finish the entire main game and then the beyond items.
My recommendation is buy the Standard edition because even though the game is fun, its not worth the extra money.
Mad Head games are just a force to be reckoned with. Their games are so clever and unique to all others on the market right now, this game being no exception.
Its long enough to satisfy but not so long that I got bored of it. The bonus chapter has its own scenes that are not the ones in the main game (after the first two scenes). The hidden object scenes are all unique in the style that is the signature of this developer. You find items and items exist under them or near them that make another object and always so cleverly done! There are mini game hidden object scenes that are delightful and break up any mutiny with the game. The puzzles range from easy to hard although all of them were doable given enough time and thinking ability.
The voiceovers/graphics are superb and its always a joy to play this developers games because of them. I always feel the quality put into their games is beyond what other developers are doing. The storyline was okay, but of course not the most original of them. However there was a major plot twist that made me even perk up and made the game extra interesting near the end.
You do have a helper but its a mechanical owl named gears and I never found him to be too annoying. It was just for high items and he wasn't intrusive like many other helpers. The guide is handy and you are collecting roses throughout the game with morphs in the hidden object scenes. IF you miss a rose, you can go back to that scene and retrieve it later which is a nice touch since I missed ONE and grrrr it bugged me. The game lets you know if you have gotten the rose in the scene because in the left corner it has an icon that turns colors when its been collected.
Overall, this game exceeded my expectations and I loved it. The bonus chapter although good didn't keep my attention all that much but usually I get tired of most games by the time I get to the bonus chapter. The only game I've ever played the entire thing including listening to music, playing the hidden object scenes and puzzles again and playing the whole bonus chapter was Cadenza by these same developers. I just love them and can't wait to see what else they put out!
I happen to really like this series although I haven't liked most ERS games since they first came out. However, this one is not up to par in my opinion and they tried to do SOO much that they overdid themselves and instead made a poorly written game that had potential to be good but missed the mark.
The CE has NO collectibles unless you count little bags of seeds used to do up a garden which had absolutely no relevance to the game and was a completely useless and boring feature. There are so many extras in the main game that the bottom of the screen is completely cluttered and because of that I constantly hit on the button for the garden since its right near the inventory. I find that kind of stuff really annoying. All the other things were easy to hit by accident too.
The game gives you this magic pentagon looking diamond and it helps you get into random portals but each one requires rune rings to work. You have to find all the rings and then put the pattern into the pentagon to match the one there but after the first one, you must do this at least two if not three times which is wayyy too many for something so mindless. You basically switch back and forth by closing one window and opening another etc etc. Too much busywork!
The graphics are nice and the lips actually move unlike other newer ERS games. The story line makes no sense. The little man is here again after some book of Vox and there are ghosts to come across each of which open this book of symbols. Confused yet? I am and I was playing this game. So you have to find symbols, get rings that are really runes that open up portals and you get a little garden that makes no sense to the game.
Add to that very few hidden object scenes and I usually feel like there are too many so that really means something! When there are hidden object object scenes though they appear back to back so then in that respect there are too many! Puzzles are sooo easy and have no real challenge.
Also, the hint button is wonky. It takes you to places that you can't do anything at and there is no map.
& you also get that little weird man who is in every game but you never know why...Id really love to know his back-story. Is there a game there perhaps?
Sooo all in all, I do not recommend this game....what a disappointment to a series I normally like.
You’re on a train in the middle of nowhere, and a band of dangerous thieves demand you tell them where to find the Hope Diamond’s shards. As the newest Hidden Expedition recruit, you’ve got to find the shards before they do…
Had I rated this completely on the demo, it would have been a 5 star game. There was action that drew in the audience and it seemed like this was going to be another great game from Eipix as well as another wonderful Hidden Expedition game but alas I was wrong. A game that started off so strong and exciting turned into a big fat dud. The hope diamond didn't even seem to really be the main plot of the story as it went on and you go to a lot of different places but none of them seemed to really be as great as the first part of the game in terms of action.
The CE bling is what holds this game together and I believe story line and gameplay should be the bulk of a great game. This game has symbols to find, fact cards and morphs in the hidden objects. I liked the hidden object scenes because they varied between mini games and silhouettes and had some very unique ones I hadn't seen elsewhere. The puzzles were a lot of the same old we see and not much challenge to be held within them. I am a puzzle person so when puzzles are this easy, my interest doesn't hold well.
My biggest issue with this game is where it's located however. Hidden Expedition games are usually in jungles or places with amazing scenery. I remember when amazon came out or Everest with its dynamic larger than life locations. This one however was run of the mill, within a museum mostly or other buildings. Its not until near the end that we end up in nature and I truly missed that aspect of the game. Also in Devil's Triangle there is lots of snarkiness and the characters are interesting and this game was one of kind and hard which I love. Now I feel like this game is just another series that has gone on too long. The last segment in this series was terrible but had some really awesome hidden object scenes that raised the bar and almost saved that game. This game had nothing innovative about it and these games used to lead the industry with MCF with innovation. Just because this game has lots of CE bling doesn't mean it is a great game. I was disappointed and for fans of this series, who have liked it since the beginning, might be in for that disappointment too. I like Eipix so I will give them another chance but if the lead developer on a game for example Azada, Phasmatant etc decides to not make a game anymore, please just retire the series. It keeps it intact for fans who actually love the originals and have high hopes for these sequels that never measure up to the first games...
And I was so bored that I didn't even bother with the bonus chapter...sigh. I do own Solomon's crown though so I can only hope that game thrills me more than this one...
I LOVED the first game and the mansion makeover one. I felt like I played those games for ages before I bought everything and passed all the levels and achievements. This one however was not up to par and even though I enjoyed playing it, I felt there weren't enough garden designs and it was so repetitive. There are lots of achievements to get and supposedly over 75 levels although they repeat like usual. Instead of getting to choose the bathroom or the attic etc to look, it automatically chooses for you. Sometimes you collect X amount of things, sometimes its the usual sale and sometimes its a mini game for the parents like cleaning up various things or finding objects to tidy it for the sale.
Once you finish the garden which happened really fast for me, you get the choice to buy outfits for the family. They are super expensive wow! I actually have the CE of this game as I didn't get it through BFG and its totally not worth the extra money. Good thing I got a good deal on it like super good ;) There are only 3 bonus levels to play and thats it so BFG not offering the CE is no big loss.
Although I enjoyed this game, I had major deja vu. I could have just replayed the first game & mansion makeover and been satisfied instead of having a whole new game that didn't really change much. Of course Austin and his dog are great and he does make funny comments and there is an option for the screen saver but its just the same game as before without the option of choosing what room you want to search.
I say, save your money and play the originals but I know this series is popular so anyone who loves the first 2 will probably be delighted with this one as well. I just found it way too similar and like I had played it before. I sure hope Manor Memoirs isn't like the same thing because I own that too.
I recommend this game to those who like the first 2 and are okay with owning a game very similar to the first but for me the first two were more than fine and I could have lived without this one. Had there been more garden updates then maybe I would have felt differently. I really didn't feel like I changed it as much as I could.
WOW this is an amazing game! Long, great storyline, great visuals/sound, great CE bling! A real winner! Let's see why...
There are 11 chapters plus the bonus. The bonus chapter took me over an hour and the whole game took me approximately 6 hours (sans bonus) and I skipped a couple puzzles so well worth the money. There are 34 owls to collect, 11 scrolls that advance the storyline, achievements. I found that even though the game ended with an satisfactory ending that the bonus chapter is NEEDED to finish the storyline. It picks off exactly where the game ends and even though the first couple scenes are in places you have already been, the rest of it are completely new areas and lots of them. I usually skip bonus chapters because they are mostly time fillers with too many hidden object scenes just to take up time BUT this one is a true gem because it plays just like the main game. It had a different feeling than the main game but still tied into the storyline and closed up all the loose ends I had when the main game ended but it also wasn't boring or predictable. I actually finished it and enjoyed it so kudos for that.
The hidden object scenes varied between the regular interactive, move the object to get the real object and the kind where you see the item and using it opens up a chest and you get another item which does the same until you get the special item and you can advance. Puzzles were the usual we see but also some innovative concepts upon those. I found that some of the puzzles were rather easy but some were harder but none were so annoying I could not do them. The puzzles I skipped were in the bonus chapter because like I said I get burned out by then and even though I enjoyed this one more than the usual fare, I still didn't feel like doing all the puzzles they had. But good variety developers!
The map shows where there is something to do and also where you still need to find owls if you happen to miss but they are so in your face, I found it was hard not to find them. The map helps with the back and forth aspect but even without it, I did not feel like I went back and forth too much unlike some other games I have played lately.
The music, voiceovers and graphics were spot on. The music blended nicely with the game and wasn't too obtrusive nor too boring. The graphics were superb as you could see everything and there were no items in the hidden object scenes that I couldn't make out. Also, the voiceovers and the story telling scenes were done very well. I found that this story line was really compelling.
The only weird thing was that the little creature you are following around trying to bring down looks a lot like that little creepy guy from the Haunted Legends games by ERS except this guy talks and is pretty funny. The game also has some clever things it says on the top although I hope in the next offering there is an option to turn off black bar tips but keep the quips.
I happen to really enjoy this series so I was excited to see a new installment but woe is me! I am sooo very disappointed after playing the entire game which was very hard to get through let me tell you. I started the bonus chapter but then stopped and more on that later....
The storyline is pretty standard. Stephan Black makes a deal with death and stays alive by trapping young women in paintings. Basically if a cute guy comes up to you in the park and asks to draw you, RUN AWAY. But these girls bat their eyelashes and say ok only to be trapped forever in some creeps pictures. You get drawn but somehow escape but to go home you have to save all the past victims and stop Mr Black once and for all!
There are morphing objects which are impossible to find. Good luck spotting them. I found 9 in the whole game and actually gave up looking for them after awhile. The 9 I got were stumbled upon on accident. There are the standard interactive hidden objects where you uncover a spot to locate another item. There were also some silhouette objects to find that found other objects. At first these are fun but later there are wayyyy too many for my taste. The saving grace of this game for me were the puzzles. I liked a lot of them and never skipped any except for a slider puzzle near the end. I found the puzzles were different difficulty levels and some were head scratching but all doable for me anyway.
What killed this game for me were the paintings, the map, the difficulty levels, the back and forth and back and forth and back and forth..and back and forth etc etc etc etc etc. You CANNOT change the difficulty once its set. However there aren't many changes made to each setting. Casual has sparkles, skips, the usual. Advanced has sparkles on everything too including hidden object scenes. Expert was supposed to have no sparkles but still have hints and skips. However, there are sparkles on each Hidden Object scene and to alert you to some puzzles but the map does not tell you where there are available actions.
I rarely use maps, I never need them and I usually like to wander around instead of using the jump feature. However this game changed my thinking about maps. I so wished I had the option of either changing my difficulty or had the option to customize my game playing. This game has more back and forth then I have encountered in a long long time. Its maddening and tedious because a lot of the locations look alike. Not to mention, there are multiple paintings you have to go into and those combined with the regular locations are too much for me. I could jump but had no idea where to go. I usually have no problem figuring out what to do next but this game was a hint fest. I had to use hint every time I came back into the game as well as during the game. I have no idea how you'd remember each task unless the map told you or you wrote it down. Either way all the back and forth ruined the game for me. Up one staircase and down the other just to find a stick and then go through one painting just to poke something to get a pearl which you need 33 of to finish the game to get a rosary. I lost interest about halfway in but I made a point to finish it but boy was it a chore.
IF you are going to make a game where you go through paintings, make that the bulk of the game but don't add 15 other locations too. Oh and you need to find gems to access these paintings or else you can't go through and sometimes the paintings are hidden within walls or you don't need gems and you will encounter one to go through after finishing a puzzle but there won't be a place for it on the map because its part of a room that is already on the map! Its tedious just trying to describe what it was like playing it!
The main game was a proper ending although brief. I tried to play the bonus chapter but it was just hidden object scene after hidden object scene in the same locations no less! I couldn't take it anymore. I quit and decided it was time to move on. There are sooo many better games out there and this is not one of them.
The demo made this game seem amazing but after the demo portion it definitely went downhill. Make sure you pick whatever option lets you use the map. You can change difficulty settings for the bonus chapter and I put it on casual but the hint button still took forever to load and its an angel child and she giggles each time the button loads which has nothing to do with the game and is totally annoying.
Anyways, to sum it up this was not the game for me. Too tedious, too much back and forth and having to rely on the hint button. Too much not knowing where to go because its illogical or I've already been there 4 times and didn't think I had any reason to be there again. Also, the graphics for the hidden object scenes aren't exactly that great and its hard to see the objects as some are really small or drawings.
I don't recommend this game but I do recommend Haunted Manor: Queen of Death. That game kept my interest the whole time and it was creepy and the storyline was awesome. It did have sparkles in every difficulty level though but the plot and game play was so great that it didn't really bother me.
At least there are no helpers in this game but even that didn't save it. Developers: CUSTOM MODE PLEASE
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Awakening Kingdoms
(214)
Fun Factor
2/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
5/ 5
Level of Challenge
2/ 5
Storyline
2/ 5
I own all the games in this series. My favorites are Silent Hollow & Raincliff (original). Both of those games were original, thought provoking, action packed and well thought out story lines. I loved the different tools used in Silent Hollow and Raincliff was one of the first games to really sweep me off my feet when it came to solid, outstanding hidden object games.
This one however is a total disappointment :( Its about an actress who goes home one day to discover writings on the wall threatening her so she goes to the police and you are the detective driving her home when a ghost jumps in front of your car, making you swerve and you guessed it crash the car so of course the girl gets kidnapped and so you go on a crusade to find her but also unravel the mysteries of the town you are in. Sound Familiar? Yes I think I have played this game like 100 times this year already...but hey some stories can be done again and again and still be amazing. This however is not one of them.
You get a glowing camera like thing that can detect anomalies but its a prototype and the mystery trackers aren't sure how and when it will be used. All I can tell you is that after each use which also forwards the story line, you run out of battery and have to track another down. Id prefer it to just work. I didn't like having to go back to the rooms I had already been in to activate the anomaly once I found the battery...Just too boring IMO and repetitive.
There are a lot of runes to either make or find or sort out to advance to other rooms. Need to find keys to open doors or bas reliefs or a piece of paper to cram under the door to get that pesky key that is always in the lock and you can just push it through. Does that even work in real life? Doubtful but its in every single game....Sometimes you find vases or stained glass pieces (collectibles). Looks like you have a stained glass puzzle to do in the extras and I have no idea the significance of the vases.
The strategy guide doesn't have hidden object scene solutions and usually I don't need this but if you want to play the game and get the achievement for not using the hint the entire game, good luck because in the first scene I could not find the flashlight to save my life even when I switched it over to casual and since there is no guide to show you where, I had to click hint. I never use hints.
I guess for the beginner or intermediate player who haven't played much of this genre or those who are expert and just LOVE this series will enjoy this game. However, I am an expert and own A LOT of games and there is just nothing new or exciting to this. A good story line would have made me like it more but the twin sister taking over the body spirit game has been done and I just wait for the day that something is released that hasn't been overdone. Something fresh and original.
My biggest issue with this game is actually the recycled music. To anyone who plays their Ftp game Found, the music is the exact same as that game. I heard it and thought about that game immediately so there went the suspense, newness and actual overall fuzzy feeling the game started me out with. If a developer can't even change the music on their different themed games, thats just lazy. Then I really am playing the same game over and over and over again.
So my advice is...play Silent Hollow or relive Raincliff but save yourself the time and money on this one. If you want a creepy haunted house game, play return to ravenhurst because you'll be getting a quality, original game and not the same overplayed one that these developers just keep dishing out...yawn...
Cheers to those who enjoy it...I can only hope a game will come out soon that knocks my socks off...until then I am saving a lot of money and credits!
on another note, I never thought I'd ever tire of Elephant Games but they are starting to churn out junk too! We want QUALITY games. Id rather have only ONE game a year that is the best thing ever then have like 20 games that are all mediocre and churned out fast...so elephant please bring back the great games I know you do! I miss them :(