FishyFemale's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.8
- Helpful Votes:1,171
- Reviews Submitted:113
- First Review:September 23, 2012
- Most Recent Review:January 1, 2023
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Pride & Prejudice: Hidden Anthologies
Explore the rich world of Jane Austen’s most beloved novel, Pride & Prejudice! Enjoy this Hidden Object Adventure and get a new perspective to the classic story.
Overall rating
1
/
5
9 of 9 found this review helpful
It's like being in a Dr. Suess story only not fun
PostedSeptember 23, 2013
FishyFemale
fromDetroit, MI
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Strategy, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
There's not much more that I can add to the already poor reviews that this game has overwhelmingly received. Although beautiful in its use of soft colors and period piece items, movement from room to room is painfully slow, with each scene fading out slowly and the new room appearing slowly too. Also, when you click on an item in the hidden object scenes, the word from the list flashes for several seconds before you're allowed to collect the next item. Not only that, when doing the hidden object scenes, the 'hints' come by way of the needed item blinking for a scant few seconds. If you're not quick at scanning the entire scene for that frequently small, blinking item, then you'll have to repeat the process all over again. In addition, finding and using needed items in the rooms followed a nonsensical pattern and made progression in the storyline very difficult.
This game is not that old yet it plays like it's from the 90s with its low quality. I really wanted to give it a chance and even trialed it from other sites, hoping to see a better version 'somewhere' out there but nope. It's the same version and it plays the same poor way. It's a real pity too because I love period pieces and thought the artwork and music were beautifully rendered but I just couldn't get far in the game. So overall, I cannot recommend this game because there are a hundred others that are better. I'd give it no stars if I could but the one star is for the looks and music only, not for the gameplay.
I don't recommend this game.
Overall rating
4
/
5
10 of 11 found this review helpful
Just wish it had lasted longer
PostedSeptember 22, 2013
FishyFemale
fromDetroit, MI
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Puzzle, Mahjong
Current Favorite:
Emerald City Confidential
(34)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Like others have already said, this is a very short game but I liked it very much. It's a straight hidden object game but with some variation from the norm which I found to be different and fun. Sometimes you're given pictures to put back into the scene, other times you're shown pictures of what to find in the scenes but they may be completely different in their appearance or orientation. That was a real challenge and I found it refreshing. The nightmarish scenes are hauntingly beautiful and appropriate for the storyline, which was interesting and concluded satisfactorily. The only thing "wrong" with the game is its short length. It can be played in one sitting. Advanced players who need the challenge of a long story with hours of gameplay best avoid this one altogether because you won't get it. Although the hint and skip buttons fill quickly, the puzzles are all doable without having to skip. This game is definitely geared towards those who crave a short easy game played during a lazy afternoon. Sometimes I like these myself as a breather between the harder games that are more taxing. Since I knew this to be a short game, I purchased it on a less than half off sale. It's a good game to use a free game coupon on if you have one that's expiring soon and don't know what else to get.
I recommend this game!
Rescue your abducted brother from eternal darkness in this thrilling Hidden Object adventure game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Would've been great as a vampire tale
PostedSeptember 22, 2013
FishyFemale
fromDetroit, MI
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I didn't like the game after playing the trial version. The story just didn't grab me and the cut scenes and voiceovers were choppy. I attribute that latter problems to my older computer, so for the cheap price I can overlook some things. I went ahead and bought it because I perused the forums to read that it gets better after the trial period, which it did. The story is still the same lame, predictable kind that we've become used to, and the puzzles are variations of what we've seen before too. However, the puzzles are fun and frequent (loved the slider one with the coffins). Also, this is more adventure and less hidden object, which is what I really like, so this attracted me into buying it too. The hidden object scenes are on the dark side, so you really have to click around the darker areas to catch some of the items residing there. Luckily, there is no multi click penalty so you are free to click to your heart's content as fast as you want. Also, HOS are clear and not junkpiles, so it's a great game for beginners. The hint button works outside of the HO scenes and both the hint and skip buttons fill extremely fast so you can easily skip the puzzles almost right away if you want. There's also a helpful journal to give you clues.
The one thing I'm left puzzled by was how it seemed to suggest vampirism but never really carried the theme that far. You see bats, blood, and vampire fangs frequently and I would have loved seeing more of a vampire story here but it never developed. It went in an entirely different direction and I was left a little disappointed. Also, the live acting and voiceovers were subpar with the voices cut off at the ends of sentences. Fortunately, the subtitles stayed on the screen and didn't go away until I clicked for the next piece of dialog to emerge.
This game isn't as pretty as other games or developed as well as storyline goes, but it's worth playing the trial. It's one of those sample versions, so you may finish before the "hour" is up, like most of us seem to have done. For those who prefer shorter games done in a single sitting, this one's for you. For those who want a long playing time lasting several hours, skip this one and look elsewhere. I think this game is best bought by a free game coupon or on a half price or less sale which happens frequently. You might be disappointed if you spend more than that.
I recommend this game!
Sinister thrills await you in this gorgeously dark and unsettling real-life ghost story from New Orleans’ shadowy history!
Overall rating
2
/
5
11 of 11 found this review helpful
Overrated in its description
PostedSeptember 22, 2013
FishyFemale
fromDetroit, MI
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
It took me a very long time to get used to how this game worked. There is no journal or map. I wasn't able to get very far at all in the demo with figuring things out, and only purchased it much later on a BOGO sale with this one being the free game. I bought it because I was interested in the voodoo storyline and because it was set in New Orleans. I was prepared to walk the streets and experience some of the flavor of what Nawlins' is all about but I was extremely disappointed. You didn't get to experience much of the city at all. Just one street in the French Quarter that had many possible buildings to explore but they were there just for show. The hidden object scenes were the worst though. Not only were they dark, you revisit the same locations and have to get the SAME items you got before! This is redundant and a poor excuse to lengthen the playing time. The clunky game cursor couldn't be changed and the loading time between scenes was sluggish. When you travel from one location to another, it shows you the opening scene again each time. This got boring really fast and seems to indicate that they didn't have many ideas for this game at all. Some puzzles had no directions but the only real good thing was when you needed to release the spirits. There was something really interesting and different in the way you used a paintbrush to do this. Unfortunately, it isn't enough to save this game.
However, the game itself is gorgeous to look at, especially the swamp areas. The graphics are distorted to depict a skewed look to each scene, and it reminds me of Oddly Enough:Pied Piper. Many people don't like this look but I do because it adds to the unnatural feel to the storyline since it centers around voodoo. The actual voodoo story is quite interesting with realistic sounding accents, but some may be disturbed by it since voodoo is recognized as a real religion and would not want to play it in a game. The sound effects were outstanding and really added to the ambience of the outdoors.
I just felt the game promised a lot more than it delivered. It's worth trying out because you'll either like it or hate it. Just be forewarned you won't get as much out of it as the description says. There are many games that are much better to be recommended than this one.
I just felt the game promised a lot more than it delivered. It's worth trying out because you'll either like it or hate it. Just be forewarned you won't get as much out of it as the description says. There are many games that are much better to be recommended than this one.
I don't recommend this game.
Investigate a mysterious, medieval monastery and reveal the terrifying truth!
Overall rating
4
/
5
7 of 7 found this review helpful
Beautiful artwork and music sets the tone for the setting
PostedSeptember 2, 2013
FishyFemale
fromDetroit, MI
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
For some reason, I didn't like this game when I first demo'ed it but I came back and tried it again. This time, I was sold! Why? Because it takes place in a monastery, which is something quite different from the usual settings we see in games nowadays, like haunted houses, abandoned hospitals, delapitated asylums, etc. At least this game has some LIFE to it and it's pure adventure with NO hidden object scenes, which is what I loved most about it. I also loved the artwork. It's not sophisticated by today's standards but is clear, crisp, and colorful. The music was beautifully subtle and fit well with the setting. It was unusual in that for a standard edition, it had achievements and angels to collect which I thought was very cool. The only downfall is that it's a short game. With so many areas to explore, they could have fleshed out the story more to make the gameplay longer. I finished in just under three hours which will earn you one of the achievements. The puzzles were on the easy side too. I think this game would be more for the beginning adventure player or those who prefer shorter games to large file ones. As a casual game player myself, I sometimes like to play games like this when I want to finish them within a single afternoon or evening. I really liked the story but the end task might be controversial for some people. You can check the end of the walkthrough to see what I mean. It didn't bother me as it is only a game but some might be sensitive to it.
I recommend this game!
After the wizard began his mission of wrath and destruction, you, a mere alchemist, have been sent to stop him.
Overall rating
4
/
5
8 of 9 found this review helpful
For a game I was loving, what a downer for an ending
PostedSeptember 2, 2013
FishyFemale
fromDetroit, MI
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game held so much promise during the one hour trial. I really enjoyed it, but had read the reviews before purchasing so I knew what I was getting when I bought it. Like other reviewers have already said, this game is very short so I used a free game coupon for it. I can understand how so many people feel ripped off by its length. I finished it in 45 minutes after the trial period ended. Gameplay would have been longer had I played in the advanced mode, but I like to have the hint button available should I need it, so I played in casual mode and took my time looking at every lovely scene. There is no map and there's a lot of backtracking, so the hint button was helpful outside of the hidden object scenes to direct you if you feel lost. You get a journal but, surprisingly, very little gets written in it, only a few pages, so you need to remember where everything is and where to use it. I liked that part of it because I enjoy the adventure aspect but the game was still too short and very easy.
However, the voiceover was very good, as well as the beautiful color and detail. In fact, I loved everything about the game that I played up to the aborted ending. It was inconclusive at best and set itself up for a sequel, which I think is a rotten thing to do since a longer story right here could have been wrapped up nicely. The ending here just sort of dangles, like a broken gutter from an abandoned house, and the game comes off as unfinished and rushed out for sale. It's too bad that the conclusion ruined everything that was good before it. For that reason, I'm removing one star not so much for the game's brevity, but for its ending. The devs could have easily written a longer story with a satisfying conclusion to make it a worthwhile purchase.
I loved the gorgeous artwork and music, and the limited story was really interesting, so it might be worth recommending for beginners or those who like playing short games within a single sitting. For those people, you may want to wait for a DD or COW sale for $2.99 or use a free game coupon like I did. It's really not worth more than that since you might not feel like you got a complete game. As for the advanced player, just forget about it altogether.
I don't recommend this game.
A piece of jewelry, the Moonstone, has been stolen, and it`s up to you to track it down! Investigate the suspects to catch the crook.
Overall rating
4
/
5
23 of 24 found this review helpful
Not for the hardcore gamer
PostedAugust 15, 2013
FishyFemale
fromDetroit, MI
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I enjoyed the demo very much but read the reviews before deciding to buy, so I used a free game coupon for this and am glad I did. It's not a bad game at all, just redundant in the many times you revisit the same rooms during the game. This got boring quite fast since there are nine suspects to interrogate and you have to scour four rooms for each suspect. Obviously, the mansion has only so many rooms, so you inevitably have to repeat the hidden object searches multiple times for each room. This logic fits the story, however, since the rooms assigned to be searched for each character fits that character's motives so that should count for something on the developer's part. The detective work is done quite well and I think it is the best part of the game. You get a description of each suspect with their possible motivation to steal the diamond from their testimony, and you as the detective come up with your deductions based on the evidence you acquire after doing hidden object searches in the rooms they visited. The adventure aspect of the game comes in the form of minigames where you collect and put together the evidence. You do this by going back and forth between the various rooms where you did the object searches. This is purely a point and click HO game so the adventuring does not come from wandering around the mansion like you would normally do. It works more like a map where you choose which of the four rooms you want to explore first when investigating a particular character. Then you get the investigation report which lists all the information you acquired on each individual suspect, which you can then review when you have to make your accusation as to who you think the thief is.
Many of the hidden objects were quite small or hidden a little too well for my liking, but there are many gamers who find this kind of search to be a fun challenge so for those folks, this is the game for you. I love period pieces so the challenge for me was in seeing how different a certain object might look like compared to the modern look I'm used to seeing. The graphics were beautifully colored and I took my time during the searches to look at every little nook and cranny there was because everything was so pretty. However, the graphics in the cutscenes were cartoonish and didn't contrast well with the beauty of the mansion rooms.
The other thing I loved was the classical music which played throughout the game. You could mute it if you wanted but I enjoyed it so much since it fit with the time period and overall look of the mansion. Several pieces played and I didn't notice when it looped so it was music that didn't grind on my nerves or annoy me at all.
This game is certainly different and not for everyone. I suspect that there has not been much of a demand for it since it's received so few reviews, and most people not recommending it. I'll go out on a limb and recommend you trying it during the demo. Expert gamers who take their gaming seriously will most likely find no challenge in it, but beginners or those like me who like easier games to balance the harder ones may enjoy it. I don't think it's worth paying full price or even half price for it due to the redundancy of the HO scenes, but those who like the demo may find it's worth spending a coupon or credit if either is close to expiring soon. The replayability factor may be gone once you've played the whole thing through since you'll know who the thief is, but I guess that's the case with all games once you know the ending. But do give it a try. It's worth that much.
I recommend this game!
The year is 1916. To escape from war and protect your daughter you must go to your Grandfather's haunted old manor!
Overall rating
3
/
5
24 of 25 found this review helpful
Worth playing the demo but maybe not more than that
PostedAugust 15, 2013
FishyFemale
fromDetroit, MI
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Puzzle, Mahjong
Current Favorite:
Mystery of Mortlake Mansion
(87)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I knew what I was getting myself into when I decided to get this game so I didn't pay full price for it, but there are still things I liked about it. Overall, the game has some glaring flaws that should have been fixed before it was sent out so quality control was lacking there. The story is disjointed at times so it doesn't flow well in parts but is very reminiscent of Ravenhearst in its disturbing content. The story is sad and tragic with an ending that is vague at best, and it is the only place in the entire game that had a voiceover. You need to listen closely to hear what's being said because the story is wrapped up in a way which may be unsatisfactory for some players with questions still begging to be answered. A sequel seems to be suggested at the end but I doubt that one will be in the works anytime soon.
I liked the old style look to the graphics. Not as in 'old school' looking, but where the drawings of the locations are not clearly defined with borders. It looked sort of like impressionist art with pastel colors being used for some of the rooms. I liked how different it looked from most other games I've played and I enjoyed the gameplay more because of it.
The gameplay itself is similar to The Sultan's Labyrinth-A Royal Sacrifice in that you're looking for fragmented objects scattered across multiple locations and then using the complete items on something else in the various scenes. It's a refreshing diversion from the usual word lists or silhouettes that we've gotten used to and I had a lot of fun with it. The puzzles were of the usual kind like sliders, jigsaws, and matching pairs and were easy enough to do although the skip was always available and filled quickly. The one major flaw of the game is in one of the puzzles, where the instructions given is for a previous puzzle you've already completed. How this got by the game testers is beyond me but maybe no one actually tested the game before it got sent out. Not good for the developers! The music was appropriately moody and accompanied the downbeat nature of the story.
Alas, with the few good things I liked about the game, I cannot recommend it to anyone as it is. The quality just isn't up to par in many ways. Also, the length is very short even with its twenty chapters. Expert players will find no challenge at all and intermediates will most likely think the same way. It might be okay for the beginner if the bugs were worked out beforehand, but I never advise anyone to just take my word for it. I think all games deserve to be tried out and this one has some promise for those interested enough to try it. I like period pieces and that's what got me curious enough to demo it. The items are time appropriate and look nice. Other than that, there's not much there to play more than once. It may be worth a free coupon if you have one that's expiring soon.
I don't recommend this game.
Guide a mother who pursues a terrifying apparition into a twisted reality to save her daughter.
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 6 found this review helpful
A little too much hand holding
PostedAugust 14, 2013
FishyFemale
fromDetroit, MI
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Wow, this game really fell short of my seemingly high expectations. With so many rave five star reviews from players whose other game reviews I'm familiar with, I feel a little shortchanged. I realize it's all from my side, of course, because I guess my expectations were so high for this game that I let myself down by expecting so much more than what was delivered. This game was just too easy because of all the unasked for help that was given whenever you came close to finding something. Not only were you told what you needed to look for before you even thought of it, but what you needed to do with it once you found it, taking all the fun out of figuring it out for yourself. Even though this was in casual mode, other games I've played in the easiest mode haven't told me every single thing I need to do in them. This being a brand new game, I'd have thought that telling me everything should have been ONLY if I'd asked for a hint pointing me in the right direction, not revealing so much right on the screen just because I happened to step into an active location. The puzzles were easy too, except for one I had to skip (the bride and groom one# because it wasn't clear how the darn thing worked. It seemed to move on its own with no logical way of how it got there. Another one I skipped was the predator/prey one because I wasn't able to rotate the blocks around to line them up right and it took too long. Other than that, I found the remainder of the puzzles very easy, which I liked since they were ones I'm able to do in minimal time. What I enjoyed most about the puzzles was that they were all logic based and not just randomly clicking on lights to make them all light up, like we see so much in other games. And there were several where you had to click around different locations within a single scene to make something else work. It was like a puzzle within a puzzle and those were quite fun to do. All of them are skippable and both the skip and hint buttons fill quickly in casual mode, which is always nice.
The graphics are top-notch with good voiceovers, although the voices were out of sync with the lip movements. I appreciated the printed dialog along with the voiceovers with the option to continue once you completed reading. This accommodates readers of all levels and I wish more devs used this simple technique so that those who didn't hear everything could read it and catch up with what was said. I really liked that this game didn't rely so much on hidden object scenes and kept them to a minimum. It helped to move the story and the gameplay along.
I guess the biggest disappointment was in the supposed horror element of the game. I don't scare easily but I really expected a LOT more in the way of the clown's presense in the game #he isn't shown that much at all) and in the general ambient sound effects. I always turn up the volume of the sound effects to the max because that makes or breaks it for me but I just didn't get any creepy feelings from them at all, or from the music either. And the fantasy story was okay but didn't blow my socks off. Much was made of the climax here but the actual confrontation was quite short. And although the ending provided closure, it still seemed somewhat abruptly done.
Believe me, I really wanted to like this game because I like dark, creepy games but this isn't one of them. It plays very much like the first one in the Stray Souls installment, Dollhouse Story, and I put it at the same level as that one. I like Stolen Memories enough to give it four stars like I did its predecessor but in my opinion, it just isn't good enough for the five star treatment. Unless the advanced mode is VERY advanced, I don't think expert players will get much challenge out of this one. It's an excellent game for beginners since your hand is held much of the time. Maybe it's time for me to change my player level to expert since I expected more of a challenge. I'm just glad I didn't buy the collector's edition and bought the standard one on the half off sale today. But try it for yourself and see how she rides.
I recommend this game!
The story continues on a train headed east, as Kate Walker and Hans Voralberg search for a mysterious island known as Syberia.
Overall rating
5
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
A superb sequel to the original Syberia
PostedJuly 31, 2013
FishyFemale
fromDetroit, MI
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I bought this game immediately after finishing the first one in this series. I couldn't wait to find out what happens next and I wasn't disappointed. Although this game can stand alone, anyone thinking of playing it should really play the first one through because you'll be missing out on a lot of what happened so far. Don't play the chopped up pieces of the original Syberia, however. Look around the forums to find the link to the original game and buy it there. There's an emotional aspect to the game that you won't fully experience unless you play both of these games in their entirety. Both games are story driven with well-defined characters that are integral to the plot as a whole, so do yourself a favor and play these games! Although they are old games, you'll soon acclimate yourself to the unusual mechanics of the interface and be swept away into the fantasy. The automatons that bowled us over so much in Syberia are almost nonexistant in the sequel, but their absense is made up for by the variety of colors that were lacking in the original game. Whereas Syberia was based mostly in earth tones, Syberia II is abundant with color and has several locations that are absolutely gorgeous with exquisite detail ... the monastery, the woods of the frozen north, the Youkol village, and Penguin Island. The only part of the game that disappointed me a little is the island of Syberia itself. It seemed that only a little bit of it was explored before the game came to an end. For something that took up two large file games and was named in their titles, it seemed that more would have been made of it. But I guess once the main characters reached their destination, it wasn't supposed to be drawn out any more. Both Syberia and Syberia II are long adventure games and are not for the beginner who's looking for hidden objects in a list. There are none of those here. This is an old style adventure game for the thinking person, and it'll take you a long time to get through it. So savor it and enjoy the challenge! You'll get completely immersed as you become one with Kate as she tries to figure out where to go and what to do. There are no hint buttons here or skips around the puzzles that you'll encounter, so be prepared to look for the walkthroughs that are readily available online. This one's a keeper for sure. The ending is somewhat abrupt and is screaming for closure. Fortunately, the word is that another sequel is in the works to bring the entire story around full circle. Can't wait for that one!
I recommend this game!