LeadingEdge's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.8
- Helpful Votes:99
- Reviews Submitted:5
- First Review:November 18, 2012
- Most Recent Review:October 11, 2015
- Featured reviews0
LeadingEdge's Review History
The love between you and your husband was strong enough to end a war... but is it strong enough to save the world?
Overall rating
5
/
5
43 of 47 found this review helpful
Clear your calendar!
PostedOctober 11, 2015
LeadingEdge
fromGame On!
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Yep, Nevertales: Legends is that engaging.
I knew within the first few minutes this was a buy for me. Even so, I *made* myself play through the SE demo. Here's my experience.
The art work is excellent. I really liked the use of panels to move the dialogue and action along in the cut scenes. The story line believable and surprising. The music accompanying the game is film quality. The game play mechanisms are smooth. The mini-games challenge level is stimulating requiring effort, but doable. The HO's are a variety of lists and fragment types. The list HO's are dense, not chaotic. The game moves along at a good clip. I really wanted to just keep playing and playing and playing . . . . Well, you get the idea.
I so impressed by the SE that I bought the Collector's Edition.
All in all, Nevertales: Legends has my vote for 2015 Game of the Year.
I recommend this game!
Enjoy this beautiful adventure set in a unique interactive 3D Thailand! Complete mysterious puzzles and find hidden objects. Prepare for an unforgettable experience!
Overall rating
5
/
5
27 of 28 found this review helpful
Adventurer's Delight
PostedSeptember 16, 2014
LeadingEdge
fromDidn't see this one coming!
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is an SE game doing a credible imitation of a CE with collectibles, achievements, and (IMHO accurately termed) cinematic replays. What sets it apart from other CEs (which it is not) is that it offers a unique HO scene and puzzle replay option. Although the game is not timed, it times and computes accuracy for HO and puzzles in the background. Thus, at some other time without interrupting their progress in the game, the player can elect to replay them to increase their accuracy or time by selecting them from the extras box.
Visually, I found the game impressive. It looks good in wide-screen and is what I would call minimalist in presentation. Scenes are uncluttered, clear, and the components well drawn. The Eastern setting enhances the game through contrast. Whereas, structures within scenes present clean lines of enormous proportions, clothing and other items are intricately detailed using bright colors. The game also uses panning to increase scope of the set thereby immersing me more fully into the scene – that is, once I became accustomed to using it and it does take some getting used to.
Speaking of setting, the action, as far as I've gotten in the game, is at night. Usually that means the lighting is dim and objects are vague, an effect caused by using a palette of muddying shades of grays and browns. In this game, scenes are brightly illuminated with torchlight sharply contrasting the deep blackness of a moon and star-speckled sky undiminished by artificial lighting from the Earth below.
The 3D rendering is done well enough to create smooth life-like movement. You'll not likely to mistake it for real. Yet, for me, it very soon became a non-issue.
Speaking of setting, the action, as far as I've gotten in the game, is at night. Usually that means the lighting is dim and objects are vague, an effect caused by using a palette of muddying shades of grays and browns. In this game, scenes are brightly illuminated with torchlight sharply contrasting the deep blackness of a moon and star-speckled sky undiminished by artificial lighting from the Earth below.
The 3D rendering is done well enough to create smooth life-like movement. You'll not likely to mistake it for real. Yet, for me, it very soon became a non-issue.
The ambient sounds and music in the game are unobtrusive, varied, and appropriately dramatic. If lip synch is important to you though, get ready to be annoyed. In its defense, this game offers a subtitle option which might be the justification for the out-of-synch lip synching.
Bottom line: For all those who complain about “hand holding” or who, like me, have become a little ho-hum about the whole “need this, find that, use that somewhere-or-when” pattern of HOPAs, this is a refreshing change! It is intriguing not only challenging your gaming skills, but also, assumptions on mastering HOPAs.
In many significant ways this game is very different from most HOPAs. I advise trying it to see if it suits you and/or your purposes for gaming before buying it.
In many significant ways this game is very different from most HOPAs. I advise trying it to see if it suits you and/or your purposes for gaming before buying it.
I recommend this game!
When entering another's dreams, you'll have to play by a different set of rules.
Overall rating
4
/
5
23 of 27 found this review helpful
What an unexpected gem!
PostedSeptember 10, 2014
LeadingEdge
fromPleasantly Surprised
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The story opens with a little back-story prompting a decision to visit your sister whose letters have abruptly stopped coming. As you are speeding on your way, suddenly, a specter appears on the road (surprised?) causing you to swerve and crash into a ravine (didn't see that coming riiiight?).
I was kept wanting to leave the game, but . . .
The artwork is exceptional, the voice-overs are well done, the music is soothing, and the game play is smooth.
OTOH, there were annoyances like no wide-screen (srsly?) and in the first HO (spoiler alert?) a garden hoe is the correct choice for "hammer" (groan).
Just when I was about to exit (like yeah I really want out of this now) the plot twisted, more like turned in on itself and I just had to see how it worked itself worked out.
It is a very minimalistic SE: no distracting morphing objects, no hunting for extraneous collectibles, no SG, no teleporting map, no a lot of things that have become de rigueur for HOs and HOPAs. Not only that, but there's more of the aforementioned annoyances - not a lot, but really there shouldn't even be one.
Even so, having finished the game, I am looking forward to the next installment.
I would give this gem an enthusiastic "5" overall, but for the poor translation and (sometimes) cryptic directions. Nonetheless, an enjoyable game.
As your experience may differ, try before you buy.
I recommend this game!
Discover a story of mysterious kidnappings of both children and mafiosi.
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
Most Excellent!
PostedApril 23, 2014
LeadingEdge
from. . . in a New York state of mind
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is a most engaging and immersive game!
Using a variety of mini-games ranging from the if-only-I-could-click-faster easy to where's-the-strategy-guide challenging and progressive HOS, the storyline smoothly transitions back and forth between the mundane connect-the-dots investigation to the esoteric and eerie.
End result?
Never a dull moment!
"Replete" is the word that comes to mind to describe the feeling having finished the main game.
IMHO: This game has significantly raised the casual game bar!
Using a variety of mini-games ranging from the if-only-I-could-click-faster easy to where's-the-strategy-guide challenging and progressive HOS, the storyline smoothly transitions back and forth between the mundane connect-the-dots investigation to the esoteric and eerie.
End result?
Never a dull moment!
"Replete" is the word that comes to mind to describe the feeling having finished the main game.
IMHO: This game has significantly raised the casual game bar!
I recommend this game!
Journey: The Heart of Gaia
After being kidnapped, Liz must free the Underworld from the tyranny of Scartaris Umbra.
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Best game since Tulula!!!
PostedNovember 18, 2012
LeadingEdge
fromPhiladelphia, PA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The game rocks!
It's visually appealing, challenging, and entertaining.
The story line is engaging without being over or under whelming. It has the kind of plot that just when you're anticipating the end and thinking, "aw shucks, there should have been more", there is AND it's not only as challenging, but just as engaging.
The music is unobtrusive and calm without being sleep-inducing. Also, the loops are long enough and there's a variety that allows the main theme to stay fresh.
The artwork is extensive and detailed. The hidden objects are blended into the area without the artifice of being made intentionally invisible like in some games. The objects also have an intrinsic logical relationship to the plot, task at hand, or upcoming puzzle. (Trying to explain that quality is not easy, but play the game and you'll get it.)
The dialogue and cut scenes do more than just move the plot along. They also guide you through the challenges.
The helps: the map informs where tasks need to be completed which in a complex game like this one is a necessity; the Hints fill up in little time (enough to get impatient, but not enough to go "arrrrrgggghhhh!!!")
It's visually appealing, challenging, and entertaining.
The story line is engaging without being over or under whelming. It has the kind of plot that just when you're anticipating the end and thinking, "aw shucks, there should have been more", there is AND it's not only as challenging, but just as engaging.
The music is unobtrusive and calm without being sleep-inducing. Also, the loops are long enough and there's a variety that allows the main theme to stay fresh.
The artwork is extensive and detailed. The hidden objects are blended into the area without the artifice of being made intentionally invisible like in some games. The objects also have an intrinsic logical relationship to the plot, task at hand, or upcoming puzzle. (Trying to explain that quality is not easy, but play the game and you'll get it.)
The dialogue and cut scenes do more than just move the plot along. They also guide you through the challenges.
The helps: the map informs where tasks need to be completed which in a complex game like this one is a necessity; the Hints fill up in little time (enough to get impatient, but not enough to go "arrrrrgggghhhh!!!")
This is the kind of game you want to play again.
. . . and again.
. . . and again.
I cannot recommend this game highly enough.
I recommend this game!