dekada's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:7
- Reviews Submitted:3
- First Review:July 24, 2013
- Most Recent Review:December 14, 2015
- Featured reviews0
dekada's Review History
Who is trying to destroy the Kingdom of Barsia?
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Darkness Descending...on a Tight Budget... but OK
PostedDecember 14, 2015
dekada
fromEarth
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Large File, Strategy
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I am a longtime fan of Dark Parables, and practically all things Blue Tea. I have also played and enjoyed a lot of Eipix's games that I didn't think twice purchasing this latest offering. In a nutshell, I was rather disappointed.
Perhaps the game's greatest weakness is that it belongs to such a beloved series. On its own, Goldilocks is an enjoyable game with a good storyline, above-par graphics and a familiar yet fun gameplay. However, it pales in comparison to its predecessors, particularly my favorite Dark Parables namely Rise of the Snow Queen, Ballad of Rapunzel, Red Riding Hood Sisters, and Jack & the Sky Kingdom.
The FROGS, while yet well-drawn, lack the imaginative craftsmanship that used to make me click on an inventory item just to stare at it. There are no cinematic-type videos, no emblems, no standout music.
But my biggest gripe is that the story - the major draw for me into the Dark Parables series - doesn't have that immersive and flowing narrative. There are no interesting characters to draw you in, no exciting plot twists, and on occasion, even no sense. It's almost as if the writers were working on a bunch of brilliant concepts but simply ran out of time, interest or budget and just mashed everything together.
The H&O scenes seem to be descending into the realm of the "dark and tiny." For a game series that held creative and hiding-in-plain-sight H&Os as its signature, this is akin to betrayal.
And the voice-acting... er... I didn't say anything, did I?
I rather enjoyed the mini-games. Not too hard, requires a bit of gray matter and with some replay value.
I recommend this game!
Join Fay on her Flying Bakery and travel the world, serving delicious baked goods!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
A few rainbow sprinkles short of Awesome
PostedAugust 1, 2013
dekada
fromEarth
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I bought this within five minutes of the trial. It's fun; it's cute, it's addictive! Even the storyline, boring it may be to some, was actually quite good. It's more about friendships and family... and feeding an entire bunch of demanding customers. The mini-games are quite a nice touch, if rather repetitive.
My only gripe about this is the Extreme Clickfest required. First it's challenging, then it drives you nuts. Yes, there's an in-game warning about using a mouse, but it should say it requires these ultra-precise devices. And no matter how fast you are, the response is rather slow.
There's also not much in terms of power-ups. Given the Japanese anime-ish graphics, I was hoping for a few kamehamehas or double kodachis, maybe even a Bakerbot (TM) but no such luck. Just a few cookies and time boosts. If you use these up, your chances of a Perfect Score goes zilch. For the trophy OCD, this ain't.
I recommend this game!
Anya was the King’s Smith until a sudden betrayal changed everything! Help Anya discover the traitor and save the kingdom!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Throwback and Forward!
PostedJuly 24, 2013
dekada
fromEarth
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Kicking myself a bit for not discovering this game earlier. That aside..
This game got me hooked from the first few minutes. I'm a smith, probably during medieval times, with a thief as my best bud. How cool is that!
Sure, the graphics were quite the throwback to the old DOS games (hello, is this Might & Magic? We have your characters here...Er, is that refrigerator art?) and the voicework badly needed some direction. However strangely, this combination, coupled with my favorite Canon in D in constant replay, actually works and even presents its own charm. It's unique from the usual bug-eyed characters and polished graphics (though I usually like bug-eyed characters and polished graphics).
The game's best feature, I would say, would be its challenging gameplay. You actually need to pay attention to the ongoings, keep an eye on resources and sometimes even really plan ahead to get gold.
Overall, a fun game with some good replay value.