INGamePlayer's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.4
- Helpful Votes:251
- Reviews Submitted:9
- First Review:June 24, 2012
- Most Recent Review:November 4, 2021
- Featured reviews0
INGamePlayer's Review History
Can you rescue a child with magical powers in time?
Overall rating
3
/
5
42 of 47 found this review helpful
I prefer the original
PostedNovember 4, 2021
INGamePlayer
fromNebraska, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I have a 64-bit computer but, unlike others apparently, I can still play the original Drawn on it. Knowing ReDrawn was coming out, I started replaying Drawn so I would remember and be able to compare the two. I must say I am disappointed, but not surprised.
Drawn was so remarkably different from anything of its time, and even compared to today's games. Yes, it was difficult--you had to think! I liked the progressive hint system in the original, which gave you just enough to think about and work on. ReDrawn seems like a dumbed-down version, made easier for a world which has no patience for true puzzles and riddles which make you think and search. I also didn't think the graphics were that much improved. The addition of the CE collectibles and morphing items just seemed trite compared to the uniqueness of the original game.
In summary, if the original game won't play on your computer, this game would be recommended because it still gives a taste of the originality of the first Drawn. But to me it feels like watching the movie of a great beloved book--just not as immersive or challenging, not quite as unique. Sometimes "putting all the cookies on the lowest shelf" or making everything more accessible isn't the best idea. It doesn't do the original creators justice, and doesn't credit the player with having enough brains or creative thinking to work through it for that sense of wonder and accomplishment.
I recommend this game!
Can you help the train’s passengers save their holidays in time?
Overall rating
3
/
5
15 of 18 found this review helpful
Christmas Confection or Gruel?
PostedDecember 5, 2019
INGamePlayer
fromNebraska, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Review based on the CE version, trial only, finished with 20 minutes remaining.
Story: I was excited to see a story involving a Christmas Train--so many imaginative possibilities. Instead, we are immediately confused by the children's names of Hansel and Gretel--What? Why? And then holding the children hostage on the train until they pay for their sins? Are you kidding me? This is the complete antithesis of the true Christmas message! No concept of grace here. (Keep in mind I've only played the trial.)
Graphics & Artistic Style: Beautiful, bright, colorful, Christmas-y and magical, in contrast to the depressing premise.
CE Collectibles: Lots to find--morphing items, collectible figures, puzzle pieces.
Game Play: (BIG SPOILER ALERT) I enjoyed most of the game play, HOGs, puzzles, etc. But the final mini-game of the trial was so frustrating to play. It is a marble-shooter match 3 to eliminate marbles before they reach the end of the circuit which causes you to be attacked by the bear. Although my mouse cursor worked fine during the rest of the game, it was sluggish during this mini, and despite several attempts and re-starts, I was never able to shoot quickly enough to beat the game. Finally I gave up and hit the Skip button, only to discover that failure appears to have been built in so there is no way to win! The Story Teller actually jeers at you and says, "Now what are you going to do?" and the trial ends! How absolutely disgusting! I would be extremely interested to know if everybody's mouse responded this way or if it was just my computer, and if anybody was able to beat the bear and, if so, what the game then did to end their trial.
The game looks so magical, so lovely, so inviting--is that enough to convince me to get it? Not sure yet. But the juxtaposition of that Christmas-y promise with the dark story is jarring. In keeping with that discordance, I loved the inviting, enticing voice and accent of the Story Teller, especially at the beginning, but his actual message was harsh, cruel and at the end of the trial, downright evil! Such a feeling of unease, akin to being offered Christmas confections that ultimately taste like gruel.
Once again, there could be a huge plot twist in the later chapters, but it would take a lot to wash away the distasteful trial end. I will wait to read reviews from those who have played the entire game.
Outsmart a god in a thrilling showdown of wits! Featuring drop-dead gorgeous visuals and a story that will keep you in stitches!
Overall rating
3
/
5
11 of 16 found this review helpful
A mixed bag
PostedJanuary 16, 2018
INGamePlayer
fromNebraska, USA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
As background for my comments, this is one of my favorite types of games, though not my favorite series--I do own two of the previous ones.
I found this trial to be just challenging enough to be fun. I had to restart a couple levels, not because of time restraints, but because I hadn't used the correct strategy or taken the right direction the first time and ran out of resources to proceed. Hard enough to make me think, not so much as to frustrate me--just right.
I didn't object to the artistic style as some apparently have, but the graphics made the paths too flat and dimensionless. The lack of depth-perception caused me to think the characters were at dead-ends or cul-de-sacs when they were actually supposed to continue on under a bridge. There was absolutely no elevation to the bridges, and that was frustrating.
While I enjoy finding and collecting the various hidden extras, I don't think they or the Desktop pictures justify the CE price. I didn't try the Strategy Guide, so I cannot comment on that. I would use a half-price sale or a PCC for the SE version of this game.
I recommend this game!
Investigate a virtual reality program that’s turning some players comatose.
Overall rating
1
/
5
42 of 48 found this review helpful
Furious
PostedNovember 27, 2016
INGamePlayer
fromNebraska, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I was SO excited to see a new premise for a mystery game--people disappearing into Virtual Reality games, and a detective who must enter and use that same venue to solve the mysteries. But that degree of excitement turned into an equal level of disgust and disappointment when the whole thing turned into yet another demonic, occult, curse and conjuring scenario. What could have been a scientific or technological or futuristic thriller based on good detecting in VR and the new vistas it suggests, fell back instead on the same gruesome, ghoulish horror so prevalent lately. Good game-play and graphics don't offset the trite, occult, evil enemies. Disgusted.
I don't recommend this game.
20 years ago a terrible accident destroyed most of Cyan City. Now, Monica returns to uncover the secrets of her childhood!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
An excellent oldie
PostedOctober 30, 2016
INGamePlayer
fromNebraska, USA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I discovered I had never played the third installment of this series, so I started back at the beginning replaying this one. I didn't expect much since it is at least 4 1/2 years old, but I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed and appreciated it!
The scenery was colorful and so beautiful, if not always as sharp as today's graphics. The Hidden Object scenes were interactive and included a scene-within-the-scene feature. The mini-games were innovative, with multi-step jigsaws and logic-type screens to light up with various lanterns.
The only things I didn't appreciate, which I remembered from years ago, were the irritating sound each found object caused in the HO scenes, and the abruptness and incompleteness of the ending. But then, it is just the first installment in the series. On to the next one!
I recommend this game!
It's time to begin your journey to help a ghost captain and save the world.
Overall rating
3
/
5
9 of 12 found this review helpful
I love this series, but....
PostedOctober 30, 2016
INGamePlayer
fromNebraska, USA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
I really like this series and will maybe eventually get this addition to it, but a few things bugged me this time. (SPOILER ALERT: If you don't want to hear details about the game, don't read further.)
There were story inconsistencies just in the trial: One source says my magic-fighting gloves are lying under a layer of dust in my closet, and another says they are in the safe; one source says the old dwarf was imprisoned by the earl's soldiers in the cellar as punishment, but another conversation says he has been hiding in the cellar to avoid the soldiers. When freed, he says he knows where the body is--just down the street a little bit, follow me. But once out of the cellar he is nowhere to be seen to follow. The only place to go is to the beach, and he is not there. So figure out how to fix the gangway to get onto the ship, and when I do, he's magically already there! And by the way, the body is across the bay, only visible through the spy glass.
I was also frustrated by the very first puzzle. We are told to "arrange the symbols" on an inner circle to match those on the outer circle. To me this means swap items to get them into the same order, but all you could do was turn the inner circle, which means they will never all match at once because the order is different. So it must mean match one or a few at a time, which I started doing. The ones you match light up green. Good. But when you turn the circle again to match other symbols, the ones you already matched become unlit--so you don't know what you've accomplished and what you have left to do!
Actually, in thinking about this again, it seems like what I enjoyed the most were the CE extras--the many varied collectible and morphing items to discover. I also appreciated the interactive jump map that let us know if we still had those items to find, although it insisted I had not found the collectible in one scene, when I absolutely had done so (and I even checked the Strategy Guide to be sure.)
If this kind of carelessness exists in the trial, which is supposed to be the showpiece promotion of the whole, will the game go downhill from there? I guess I'm wondering if this one came out before it was quite ready for prime time. Would love to start over with an edited and cleaned-up version.
Pirate Chronicles is a time-management game for brave adventure lovers.
Overall rating
5
/
5
45 of 51 found this review helpful
Sneak Attack
PostedJune 18, 2016
INGamePlayer
fromNebraska, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Large File, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
After the trial I knew I would get this when the SE version came out, the only drawbacks being the inability to chain actions and I thought it might be too easy. I wasn't blown away by it, but I usually get this type of strategy game whenever available.
After buying and getting further into the game, however, it quickly became one of my very favorites! The developers did a great job of introducing additional types of tasks and buildings one at a time, so you gradually get used to the increased difficulty. Eventually I was able to finish all the regular levels with three stars--a good accomplishment for this granny!
I liked the balance of items gathered by boat, which takes longer, and others by land. And sometimes just as I thought I would never be able to get everything by sea in time, a land bridge would open up to make it faster.
Even though it turned out to be a moot point since I got all the stars, I especially appreciated the fact that you don't have to finish the game perfectly in order to buy all the upgrades for your haven port. That has been so frustrating in other games when I just wasn't able to get one or more stars, especially if the failure was in one of the mini-game levels which I'd rather not even play.
I also very much appreciated being able to replay the levels. At first I was disappointed that the treasures that I found the first time I played a level were not available in subsequent tries, but it did allow me to concentrate on just completing the tasks without keeping an eye out for the extras. And if there were some that I missed the first time, they were still available to discover in the next try. I loved that if you hit Replay after finishing a level, the game doesn't make you experience or have to skip through the intro conversations to that level again--thanks developers! Spoiler Hint: If you see you are not going to finish the level in 3-star time with all the treasures, you can restart the level with all of them intact by clicking on the menu button, as long as your time has not completely run out.
I loved the bright, cartoon-type graphics, and the picture automatically completely filled my wide-screen monitor. I can't comment on the music: I usually have it turned down so I can watch/listen to a baseball game at the same time!
The only thing I didn't care for were the two mini-games that required navigating a moving sea while avoiding obstacles and shooting at other pirate ships, or just shooting at various opposing port holes as they opened. Too much reaction and dexterity with the mouse required as opposed to planning ahead, at least for this granny. I ended up skipping those two. But because of the leniency of the points system, that didn't ruin the game for me.
All in all, I was quite "captured" by this game and look forward to playing again.
I recommend this game!
Put together the beautiful jigsaws included, or make your own new puzzles from photos or screen captures in Jigsaws Galore!
Overall rating
5
/
5
The Gold Standard
PostedOctober 7, 2013
INGamePlayer
fromUSA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Arcade & Action, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
I have owned this game for years, and counted myself fortunate to have bought it on sale. Now it's even more of a bargain as a Daily Deal, not to be missed by lovers of jigsaw puzzles.
Whenever a new jigsaw game appears on Bigfish Games, this is the one to which I compare it. It is so flexible, so customizable, so user-friendly. The number, shape and type of pieces can all be chosen to fit your need or whim, as well as the background color and texture. The most useful aspect for me is the (seemingly) limitless number of minimizable trays you can set up in which to sort different kinds of pieces, and the ability to import into those trays such options as "all edge pieces."
It has a large variety of beautiful pictures built in, and you are not required to solve them in the order, size or type of the manufacturer's choosing! But I love to import screen-captured images or favorite photos I've uploaded, turn those into puzzles and enjoy recreating their beauty piece by piece.
When I'm too stressed out to even play a Strategy, HOPA or Adventure game, this is what I reach for, with its combination of beauty, creativity and just the right amount of challenge. And the pieces won't fall on the floor and get lost!
If you like jigsaws as I do, do not let this one pass you by, especially at the Daily Deal price! It is a gift to yourself at any price.
I recommend this game!
A new breed of virus has spread throughout the City of Oxford. You must search the city for a missing girl who holds the key to stopping the global epidemic!
Overall rating
3
/
5
86 of 113 found this review helpful
Disappointed
PostedJune 24, 2012
INGamePlayer
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
After reading the previous reviews and seeing the 5-star rating (at the time) I couldn't wait to play, but I quit before the time was up, bored and disappointed.
Pros:
1. The game setup is unique, very customizable, allowing the player to choose his level of just about everything. Very nice!
2. The HOG scenes are very interactive, which I like. And every item to be found is a useful item- what a switch from junk pile lists that just extend the game time.
3. The story is completely different--a medical mystery. What a relief from the dark occult themes dominating games recently.
The Cons:
1. The game-play moves were too obvious and too linear--no suspense. Need a key? There's a key right away.
1. The game-play moves were too obvious and too linear--no suspense. Need a key? There's a key right away.
2. Some of the tasks, though obvious what you were expected to do, made little sense. For example, [SPOILER] why would you have to use a can opener on a coffee can that had already been opened and something hidden in it? Or why would you have to put a license plate on a freight truck that had been in use until recently quarantined, and why would having a license plate in place open a secret compartment on the outside of the truck?
3. The HOG scenes that I forced myself to finish seemed to be almost mono-chromatic, lots of gray and sepia tones, which are hard on older eyes and not very visually stimulating. I like colorful games that make me want to sit and take in the scenery.
4. In spite of the fact that I found the plot premise intriguing, it was impossible for me to get or stay immersed in the story / game because every single scene change involved a black screen pause in-between for several seconds. That's a deal-killer for me.
Sorry I couldn't agree with all the wonderful reviews that got me so excited. The thought and innovation that went into the options of the game, and the interesting story concept are appreciated. And perhaps the game-play improves further on; I quit after about a half-hour, I think, because I was just plain bored and irritated at the black screens.