timothya's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.3
- Helpful Votes:1,143
- Reviews Submitted:196
- First Review:June 24, 2012
- Most Recent Review:May 18, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
What secrets are hidden in the legendary McCordan Library?
Overall rating
5
/
5
Great Entry In A Favorite Series
PostedSeptember 27, 2016
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Drawn®: Dark Flight ™ Collector's Edition
(48)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Stunning graphics in this one. I was lucky enough to Beta it and wow, what they've turned it into! I'll cut to the chase.
Pros: Glorious art. Every scene is a separate feast. Clean Cuts has provided some wonderful, immersive music. Plenty of puzzles - I love puzzles - and the HO scenes are varied and stick close to the plot. The art on these isn't skimped at all, and they're beautiful to look at and delightful to play.
Cons: For a game this nice the complaint is always not enough. It's a compliment, truth be told.
Oh, and another note: one of the Extras is a particularly charming series on the Dev team. They don't think we players look at that stuff but we do. Thanks to all there for a great ride!
Pros: Glorious art. Every scene is a separate feast. Clean Cuts has provided some wonderful, immersive music. Plenty of puzzles - I love puzzles - and the HO scenes are varied and stick close to the plot. The art on these isn't skimped at all, and they're beautiful to look at and delightful to play.
Cons: For a game this nice the complaint is always not enough. It's a compliment, truth be told.
Oh, and another note: one of the Extras is a particularly charming series on the Dev team. They don't think we players look at that stuff but we do. Thanks to all there for a great ride!
I recommend this game!
Can you uncover the secret of the Qin dynasty?
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
Different Visually
PostedSeptember 21, 2016
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Drawn®: Dark Flight ™ Collector's Edition
(48)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
It took a while to get into this one - the environment was different but the game play was the same. Lots to like here.
Pros: Gorgeous graphics, beautifully rendered scenery, and it made me want to buy a ticket to China. Decent music, quite atmospheric. A fair bit of history here, too, and for once I actually read all the cards and got that little extra out of the game in terms of education. LOTS of play! This one didn't cheat anyone in terms of playing time, which is a refreshing change for a game with graphics this elaborate.
Cons: Game play fairly conventional, and all of the objects were heavily stylized. If you like Chinese symbology it's terrific, but it is very different to Western eyes. That was a cause of some frustration in the HOS.
Voice acting, decent, and finally a credit for Sam, hurrah! Even if it's just his shirt. Overall, a very creative and beautiful game.
I recommend this game!
Mysterious creatures are terrorizing the train!
Overall rating
3
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
Half a Game?
PostedAugust 10, 2016
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Drawn®: Dark Flight ™ Collector's Edition
(48)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
This one was a disappointment, I'm sorry to say.
First, the pros: great graphics as usual, terrific atmosphere - I LOVE train environments! Minimal voice acting, no interaction with most of the visible human characters, which frankly was a relief. Puzzles excellent, certain ones quite challenging, and a set of Boss puzzles a la MCF that I loved. Music fresh and not cloying.
Now the cons: the writing, first and foremost. What there was of it was not enough plot to fill a picture postcard. We had a terribly overused children-with-special-powers-in-peril framework, the usual overused cutesy Elf, who I will admit trying to feed to the guard dog unsuccessfully, alas. That's it. Not one shred of character development in any of a number of potentially interesting possibilities, which was a terrible waste: who was the villain, where were the creatures from and who were they, who were the children, what was the back story generally? What are we doing here? Why did everybody end up on a train? And it's short. Very, very short, and with that paucity of plot, entirely soulless.
This was a terrific start with great potential but as a finished product it is seriously lacking and unworthy, in my opinion, of a CE status; in fact, if it were my decision I wouldn't have released it to market in this state. Double its length, flesh out the characters, provide a coherent plot to the thing, and you might have an acceptable Standard edition. Not recommended.
I don't recommend this game.
Explore fascinating unexplored worlds and save the Earth from catastrophe in this thrilling Hidden Object Adventure.
Overall rating
5
/
5
9 of 9 found this review helpful
Unique Charm
PostedJune 22, 2016
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Current Favorite:
Drawn®: Dark Flight ™ Collector's Edition
(48)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
It takes a certain sense of humor to enjoy this game and its predecessor, but if you have it, there's nothing quite like them for fun. I mean, it's silly - the characters are two-dimensional, the dialogue is so stilted it's camp, the translation is painful, and yet it's an absolutely brilliant game that wins by not taking itself too seriously.
Pros: gorgeous, colorful, detailed sci-fi graphics, each scene a pleasure to the eye. The music is cinema quality and carries the atmosphere. Excellent (and occasionally needed) hint and map system. Smooth game play.
Cons: you can't even call them cons, and that's the charm of the game - the parodic, straight-faced dialogue will leave you laughing out loud with the devs, not at them. "We must get to the dome." "Yes, we must." I wouldn't change a line of it.
More Pros: the mini-games. Yep, this one is a mini-gamer's paradise, most of them quite original, many short, some with a challenging wrinkle or two. There's an unexpected value here - I still play the first Invasion's mini-games several times a week and will do so with Invasion II's games as well. It's a genuine bonus that's better than any bonus chapter. The plot isn't, actually, all that important.
Not everyone will love these games but I adore them.
Pros: gorgeous, colorful, detailed sci-fi graphics, each scene a pleasure to the eye. The music is cinema quality and carries the atmosphere. Excellent (and occasionally needed) hint and map system. Smooth game play.
Cons: you can't even call them cons, and that's the charm of the game - the parodic, straight-faced dialogue will leave you laughing out loud with the devs, not at them. "We must get to the dome." "Yes, we must." I wouldn't change a line of it.
More Pros: the mini-games. Yep, this one is a mini-gamer's paradise, most of them quite original, many short, some with a challenging wrinkle or two. There's an unexpected value here - I still play the first Invasion's mini-games several times a week and will do so with Invasion II's games as well. It's a genuine bonus that's better than any bonus chapter. The plot isn't, actually, all that important.
Not everyone will love these games but I adore them.
I recommend this game!
Is the notorious Axiom Butcher back from the grave?
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
Gory Fun
PostedMay 18, 2016
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Current Favorite:
Drawn™: Trail of Shadows Collector's Edition
(89)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
A real mystery game for a change, and a lot of gory fun! A couple of obvious plot twists, a couple not so obvious, and a generous Bonus chapter to round the thing out. More of this, please!
Pros: beautiful graphics, spooky, atmospheric music, excellent voice acting. Male POV - hurrah! - but not obtrusively so. Smooth game mechanics. Nicely dispersed cut scenes.
Cons: not much. In fact, can't think of a thing.
Full disclosure: I beta'd this and hoped that the developers could keep up the terrific production, which they did in full. Bought the CE the minute it appeared and don't regret it one moment.
I recommend this game!
A fire at the local asylum takes on a supernatural life of its own!
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
Stunning Graphics
PostedApril 6, 2016
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Current Favorite:
Drawn®: Dark Flight ™ Collector's Edition
(48)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
An absolutely brilliant sensory experience, both visual and musically. One of the most beautiful games I've played in a long time, and it shows that there's life in the "creepy asylum" genre yet. The plot is, in places, very dark, and it is a little unclear precisely how The Detective puts it all right, but she - the game is not quite gender-neutral but it doesn't matter a bit - the Detective somehow manages it. Bonus chapter is a player POV that I haven't seen in awhile. Very entertaining!
PROS: The art, good heavens, yes, the art. Animated scenes leap off the screen. The music is spooky and instead of muting it I found myself turning it up and darkening the room. Conventional plot with sympathetic characters (for a change) - quite well written and the resolution is a happy one if a bit opaque. Adequate-to-excellent voice acting. Great puzzles, some quite original, some with that delightful MCF "what do I do now?" flavor to them.
CONS: virtually nothing. Some of the puzzles were maybe a bit too easy?
Overall, truly an A-list game, perhaps the best of the year so far. Full marks to the devs and I'll be watching for more from this team!
I recommend this game!
You receive a distress signal from a scientist who went missing a thousand years ago. Is this someone's joke or does he really need your help?
Overall rating
5
/
5
7 of 8 found this review helpful
Some Warts, But A Wonderful Game!
PostedMarch 3, 2016
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Current Favorite:
Drawn®: Dark Flight ™ Collector's Edition
(48)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Quirky, frustrating, challenging, occasionally brilliant game, but definitely not for everyone. Puzzles only in this one, but oh, what puzzles! The player had better use the tutorial, to start out with, and is in a constant state of "what do I do now?" despite the objectives clearly being defined on the PDA. Better have a high tolerance for ambiguity and a high degree of patience.
Pros: Wonderful atmosphere, amusing characters, straightforward plot. Smooth game play, useful map. Great humor. Gorgeous cut scenes. Puzzles galore, several quite challenging. I actually skipped one and I HATE doing that. Music selection superb.
Cons: A couple of points were a little too obscure: the mechanical bird, for one. The frequently-used help function was occasionally not terribly helpful, within the greenhouse, for example. There were language challenges - a professional translator might be an improvement.
Overall, pure fun for an audience with a sense of humor as odd as the developers'. Thanks, guys, for a lot of enjoyment!
I recommend this game!
Your own mind can be your worst enemy.
Overall rating
5
/
5
8 of 8 found this review helpful
A Real Mystery Story!
PostedFebruary 18, 2016
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Current Favorite:
Drawn®: Dark Flight ™ Collector's Edition
(48)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
An unreserved five stars for this entry. Great writing, beautiful graphics, smooth game play, simply a very solid entry on all accounts.
Pros: Art is detailed and gorgeous, music is atmospheric and not overly intrusive (could have used a little real ballet music, though), voice acting adequate to very good, and an actual plot that had twists and turns and held together beautifully. Full marks to the writers and the rest of the narrative crew! HOPs were interactive, progressive, and not boring for a change. This was one of those where the player can just wander around looking at the art. Well done!
Cons: Hard to find any. Some of the puzzles were perhaps a bit too easy. Some of the HO scenes, a bit too cluttered. That sure isn't much of a gripe.
I will confess that I am probably the world's worst finder of hand bells. Notable by their absence are the pestilent cutesy assistants that appear to have permeated the genre, thank God. POV is female but so well done it doesn't put off the guys. I was very pleased with this one and will be watching these devs.
I recommend this game!
PuppetShow: The Face of Humanity Collector's Edition
The mayor's daughter is missing and you must find her!
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 7 found this review helpful
Beautiful But Truncated
PostedJanuary 31, 2016
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Current Favorite:
Drawn®: Dark Flight ™ Collector's Edition
(48)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This one had five stars written all over it until it...just...stopped. I thought perhaps the bonus game would clear things up, but no.
Pros: beautiful art, colorful, detailed without being cluttered. HO scenes varied and of excellent quality. Mini-puzzles on the easy side but some fairly original. Music atmospheric, voice acting better than average to excellent. Game mechanics sound. Cut scenes smooth and not so many as to be distracting. Overall, very enjoyable.
Cons: it just stopped. The writers had developed interesting characters with what was apparently a story arc quite up to the franchise, which is saying something. Suddenly the overall game objective became the procurement of a soul and not one single character in the whole thing was resolved! We left the Mayor bleeding, his daughter, well, I'm not sure what she was doing exactly, two other main characters simply exited stage left, never to return. The writing was not bad, it was actually rather engaging, but for some reason known only to the developer, it just stopped. Given that the game was rather short, one has to wonder just what ended up on the cutting room floor.
I'm still recommending the game: it's a game, after all, not a work of literature. But it will leave you just a little unsatisfied if you like things to be tied up neatly at the end.
I recommend this game!
Hidden Expedition: The Fountain of Youth Collector's Edition
There’s more to this restoration project than meets the eye.
Overall rating
5
/
5
44 of 61 found this review helpful
Lovely Game - Succeeds on Many Levels
PostedJanuary 14, 2016
timothya
fromSandpoint, Idaho
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Current Favorite:
Drawn®: Dark Flight ™ Collector's Edition
(48)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
A really fine entry in this series, and lots of things that almost worked in its predecessors succeed well here. Thoroughly enjoyed this one. I don't mind that the historical Magellan wasn't really interested in the Fountain of Youth. And Sam is the Deus ex Machina that ties the thing together.
Pros: Beautiful art, exotic locations, excellent music, EXCELLENT voice acting. Smooth game play, plenty of HO scenes with good variation, the usual mix of puzzles with a couple of MCF-esque puzzles that were a wonderful break. Writing solid and coherent. Player character is female but well done enough not to keep the guys from enjoying a little immersion. More of this, please!
Cons: Very few. I wish the history, which is beautifully detailed in the fact cards, could have been worked into the plot a little more and the heck with Ponce de Leon. If that's the only quibble, you know the game is solid.
Well done, Devs. This one's a keeper.
I recommend this game!