LunaNik's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:2.8
- Helpful Votes:12,435
- Reviews Submitted:670
- First Review:November 2, 2012
- Most Recent Review:August 19, 2020
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Mark’s reality unravels as he discovers the truth about his life.
Overall rating
2
/
5
22 of 27 found this review helpful
Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was.
PostedMarch 8, 2018
LunaNik
fromLooking forward to daylight savings this Sunday.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Elephant did not deviate from the formula they've been using for several years now, which makes gameplay—and storyline—exactly the same as the last dozen games they've released.
The storyline has not one, but two people who need to be rescued; one by the player and the other by the villain. And it begins with a vehicle crash, naturally. I only gave the storyline 2 stars because the villain intrigued me.
While the overall number of shaped keys has been reduced, all of them are broken into pieces or come in groups, so 20 shaped keys was more like 50-60, since you had to search out multiple pieces. Exploration consisted of zipper pull situations to be resolved: rusty metal needs oil, sparking electricity needs a rubber glove, swarming wasps need insecticide, thorns need cutting, cobwebs need sweeping, animals need to be fed or scared, etc. No doubt there'll be a fire to extinguish, something buried, an item sewn inside furniture, and the like. This type of gameplay is so contrived that it's pathetic. I refuse to reward any dev with a high rating when they're just copying their previous games instead of innovating to offer their customers something new.
HO scenes were pro forma: the usual minimal variety of presentations, but no objects hidden. Puzzles mainly came with incomprehensible instructions and were retreads: several versions of "moving one thing affects others," variations on the jigsaw, matching pairs, sliding tokens to the correct spots, and copying the clues right in front of you. Childish and boring.
At this point, I'm extremely confused about who the target market for this genre is. The storylines are clearly for adults, but the gameplay is for grade school children. Frankly, it seems that devs have an extremely low opinion of their customers' intelligence.
Decent graphics and animation, but limited music. Someone should have edited the translations, grammar, and spelling. The CE bling is excellent; Elephant finally deigned to allow puzzles and HOs to be replayed. It's too bad the actual game is so awful. I recommend you play the following Elephant games instead:
• Chimeras: Tune of Revenge
• Mystery Trackers: The Void, Raincliff, Black Isle, Four Aces, and Silent Hollow
• Royal Detective: The Lord of Statues and Queen of Shadows
• Surface: Mystery of Another World, The Noise She Couldn't Make, The Soaring City, and The Pantheon
• Unfinished Tales: Illicit Love
• Chimeras: Tune of Revenge
• Mystery Trackers: The Void, Raincliff, Black Isle, Four Aces, and Silent Hollow
• Royal Detective: The Lord of Statues and Queen of Shadows
• Surface: Mystery of Another World, The Noise She Couldn't Make, The Soaring City, and The Pantheon
• Unfinished Tales: Illicit Love
I don't recommend this game.
Experience a steampunk hidden object adventure full of gothic horror and fascinating puzzles!
Overall rating
2
/
5
13 of 15 found this review helpful
Storyline with potential, cookie cutter gameplay.
PostedMarch 7, 2018
LunaNik
fromOh, the weather outside is frightful.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Despite the heroine's psychic abilities and her missing father, the storyline had some potential. Unfortunately, while the HO scenes were decent, the puzzles were much too simple, and exploration included the usual silly tasks…oil the rusty lock, don't dare touch broken glass without a glove, fix the broken vase, find fuel for the empty lighter, etc. Plus, there's a gadget that generates a repetitive puzzle.
This is a puzzle-heavy game, with twice the number of puzzles as HO scenes, which is a shame, because the HO scenes were much better than the puzzles. My favorites were finding objects depicted in a child's drawing and a find-and-use to fix the trolley.
The repeating puzzle attached to the gadget is a jigsaw puzzle; either rotate or swap the pieces. There was a Sudoku involving electrical box plugs, and a lock with three levels of "parking lot." (That is, move the key piece to the goal by moving the other pieces out of its way.) A two-layer puzzles began with swapping antlers to match, then Simon Says. Yet another version of the jigsaw required rotating and placing pieces of a broken vase. Nothing innovative or challenging.
Graphics and sound were ok, but nothing to write home about. There were a LOT of quite slow cutscenes that popped up every two minutes. Despite the blurb, it seems that this game was only produced by Artifex Mundi, but created by a different developer. I wish Artifex would go back to creating their own games; they were much better at it than the studios whose games they're producing. (Same goes for BFG.)
CE bling includes a bonus chapter, replayable HO scenes and puzzles, and morphing objects which actually aren't…they fade into view, then fade out, so they're easy to find. The portfolio includes wallpapers, soundtracks, concept art, and cutscene videos. And there are achievements and the strategy guide. Bit sparse, IMO.
If you don't mind sacrificing challenging gameplay for an interesting story, you might like this one, but experts will be bored.
Ghastly murders in Whitechapel foreshadow the return of the Red Queen!
Overall rating
1
/
5
39 of 56 found this review helpful
Game quality is getting worse and worse.
PostedMarch 3, 2018
LunaNik
fromGoing back to Ravenhearst to exhume Charles Dalimar, solely for his epic puzzles.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I'll be honest…I lasted 18 minutes before quitting in disgust. In that time, I played one HO, three mini-games, and ran around grabbing inventory items, most of which were used so illogically that even random guessing wasn't helpful.
The HO scene…nothing was hidden, and it was a simple straight list. Two straight lists, in fact. I found the first twelve items so quickly that I earned about half the achievements; they popped up faster than I could read them.
The mini-games…in a word, insulting. Nothing innovative, challenging, or fun.
1. You don't even need your eyes open. Three machine parts with patterns must be rotated to fit. When you've rotated one correctly, the pattern on the machine lights up and a chime rings. Seriously? What's the point?
2. The solution was patently obvious, which makes going through the motions tedious. Stack perforated disks on bases with rods that differ in length. If you passed the third grade, you won't have any difficulty.
3. Another tedious one. Move rows and columns until the nine horseshoes match the clue. Just boring.
1. You don't even need your eyes open. Three machine parts with patterns must be rotated to fit. When you've rotated one correctly, the pattern on the machine lights up and a chime rings. Seriously? What's the point?
2. The solution was patently obvious, which makes going through the motions tedious. Stack perforated disks on bases with rods that differ in length. If you passed the third grade, you won't have any difficulty.
3. Another tedious one. Move rows and columns until the nine horseshoes match the clue. Just boring.
The storyline…in 18 minutes, I got as far as starting to examine the first crime scene. There was nothing to engage the player in the plot, which was fractured and populated by characters who behaved irrationally. A constable who whipped out a magnifying glass to look at my permit. A bartender who apparently thought he had authority, since he asked to see my permit too. And my character, who stood dumbfounded while an assailant destroyed the machine and nearly killed my colleague, and who was utterly unprepared to examine a crime scene: no light source, no notebook, no weapon…nothing.
It doesn't really matter that the production was so spectacular, because the plot and gameplay were so awful. Eipix seems much more interested in production than in writing immersive plots and developing original, challenging gameplay. Don't get me wrong: they have their moments. This isn't one of them.
I don't recommend this game.
It’s the find of a century, but will you live to tell about it?
Overall rating
2
/
5
34 of 43 found this review helpful
2½ stars...excellent storyline, cookie cutter gameplay.
PostedMarch 2, 2018
LunaNik
fromStorm-lashed New England, but fortunately neither flooded nor without power.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This had the potential to be a stellar game. The storyline was unique and complex. I can't even describe it without spoiling it for you, because there are several surprising plot twists. Unfortunately, the storyline was wasted on overly easy, cookie cutter gameplay. I really wish developers would start giving their customers a little credit.
The ratio of HO scenes to mini-games was really off, with only 4 HO scenes but 18 mini-games during the demo. Frankly, I'd rather see 5-6 challenging mini-games than 18 stupidly easy ones. I'm sure I'm not the only fishie who's sick to death of Simon Says, matching pairs, moving tokens, and jigsaw puzzles. (I'm still yearning for Ravenhearst's epic door locks. Hey, BFG, how about some updates on the pre-Escape from Ravenhearst games?) The best HO scene involved finding locations in the scene that corresponded to primitive drawings of them. The rest were just interactive lists.
The toolkit was much like other games' potions kits, alchemy kits, and magic kits…a gadget. Worse, it held your hand, flashing and shaking when you were supposed to use it. Like we can't remember a whole three tools and what they do. *rolls eyes*
Exploration was ridiculously repetitive: I made 3 grappling hooks during the demo. Three! Not to mention the multitude of items I brushed off and chopped. And there was no puzzle involved with the glyph translation book. For the most part, using the items in the toolkit amounted to clicking to advance the plot.
While the production was fairly good, there was much too much incredibly slow animation that delayed gameplay, since your mouse is dead until the animation finishes. This included long waits after every inventory item acquired, which were maddening.
Lastly, I didn't find this game CE-worthy based on the sparse CE bling. You can't replay the mini-games, which are most of the game. The collectibles are, once again, the Madhead spirals. And the portfolio was uninspiring, containing only soundtracks, wallpapers, concept art, and a character gallery.
My recommendation: Try the demo for yourself. If you're willing to tolerate easy, repetitive gameplay for a fantastic story, then you might like this one. Personally, I prefer a balance…an original, interesting storyline that integrates challenging, fun gameplay. No one seems to do that anymore.
I don't recommend this game.
A young demon hunter finds herself time traveling back to ancient Egypt to wield the Gauntlet of Horus to stop an ancient deity.
Overall rating
1
/
5
30 of 42 found this review helpful
Cookie cutter, childish gameplay.
PostedFebruary 27, 2018
LunaNik
fromNew England, where the weather can't decide if it's still winter or already spring.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
"Riddles of Light" springboards from the ancient Egyptian myth known as "The Contendings of Horus and Seth" to demonize Seth as an apocalyptic nihilist whom Horus magically imprisoned. Dawn the Demon Hunter, armed with the gimmicky Gauntlet of Horus gadget, must save the day (and rescue her aunt) before Seth spreads darkness across the land.
While a bit of backstory is offered, the actual plot is pretty shallow and slow-moving, and the characters lack personality, so it's difficult to become immersed. Gameplay is extremely easy and I'm disappointed that the dev didn't take advantage of the setting to create complex traps, devices, and puzzles. They really missed the boat on creativity.
Exploration consists of wearing out your field shoes to tick off the usual laundry list of silly tasks. The 10 HO scenes in the demo are presented in various flavors, but no effort was made to hide the objects, other than dumping them on a junk pile. The 11 mini-games are mostly throwaways: 4 require merely copying the clue, not a puzzle. The remaining 7:
• 5-piece jigsaw with rotating pieces
• choose the dialogue
• 4-piece sliding tokens puzzle
• follow the recipe
• simple math puzzle
• randomly guess the order
• (repeating) click to destroy 3 demons when the moving target turns blue
None of these are the least bit challenging, creative, or fun.
• 5-piece jigsaw with rotating pieces
• choose the dialogue
• 4-piece sliding tokens puzzle
• follow the recipe
• simple math puzzle
• randomly guess the order
• (repeating) click to destroy 3 demons when the moving target turns blue
None of these are the least bit challenging, creative, or fun.
The production is subpar, with blurry and pixellated cutscenes, characters who are drawn well but neither move nor lip-synch, extremely slow gameplay animation, and still graphics that are inconsistent in quality. I found the music monotonous and the voiceovers mostly amateurish. Lastly, the hot spots are quite finicky; I often had to click several times before getting a reaction.
I can't say whether this game is CE-worthy, since most of the extras are unavailable until the main game is completed. There's a bonus chapter and an unknown number of replayable HO scenes and mini-games. Collectibles are easy to spot, not in keeping with the game's theme, and serve no purpose (like extra gameplay). There's the SG, some achievements, and the usual dev's portfolio.
I'm so over the trend of gimmicky gadgets accompanied by stupidly easy mini-games. Because of the shallow plot and childish gameplay, I can't recommend this one, and I'm baffled by the five-star reviews. Nothing about this game was five-star perfect.
Better games involving Ancient Egypt:
• Nancy Drew: Tomb of the Lost Queen
• The Serpent of Isis series
• Escape the Lost Kingdom
• the Invasion series
• Mystery of Cleopatra
• Nancy Drew: Tomb of the Lost Queen
• The Serpent of Isis series
• Escape the Lost Kingdom
• the Invasion series
• Mystery of Cleopatra
I don't recommend this game.
Princess has disappeared, and her statues are under attack!
Overall rating
1
/
5
23 of 28 found this review helpful
What happened to you, Elephant?
PostedFebruary 25, 2018
LunaNik
fromI'm heartbroken that all my favorite devs have lost their way in the past few years.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I've been wishing for Princess to return. After playing this demo, I realized what I really wanted was for 2012 to return. Elephant used to write complex, engaging storylines. This one can be described in one sentence. Princess and Prince are in love, but the heir to the throne (oddly NOT named Prince) has no magic, yet he manages to create a magical staff to steal Princess' powers. Shallow and inane.
Gameplay can be summarized:
• There are 40 shaped keys in the demo, which is about 5 per game scene.
• Every silly task on the usual laundry list is present.
• Objects are not hidden in the HO scenes.
• Mini-games are overwhelmingly "move tokens to the correct spots."
I don't believe I've ever played a more monotonous game than this one.
• There are 40 shaped keys in the demo, which is about 5 per game scene.
• Every silly task on the usual laundry list is present.
• Objects are not hidden in the HO scenes.
• Mini-games are overwhelmingly "move tokens to the correct spots."
I don't believe I've ever played a more monotonous game than this one.
If you open 2 browser tabs, one for The Lord of Statues and one for this episode, you can clearly see how Elephant's graphics have deteriorated. Check out the screenshots for The Lord of Statues. Stunningly gorgeous, right? Now look at the screenshots for this episode. Warning: You may want to don sunglasses first, lest the clashing neon colors sear your retinas. Once your vision clears, note how the first episode's graphics are beautifully integrated. Then, look a the cut-and-paste chaos of this episode's graphics. 'Nuff said.
Based on the lack of plot, the monotonous and easy gameplay, and the horrendous graphics, I can't recommend this game. Instead, I recommend you go back and play The Lord of Statues and Queen of Shadows. Both are excellent games. This episode is a hot mess.
I don't recommend this game.
Use your knowledge of alchemical arcana to save the young prince from the clutches of dark magic!
Overall rating
1
/
5
21 of 27 found this review helpful
1½ stars...Gameplay too easy. Plot too trite and uninteresting.
PostedFebruary 20, 2018
LunaNik
fromI miss 2012's games; that was a banner year. Do stuff like that again, please. Expert fishies are getting really bored.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
OVERVIEW
I rated the first episode in this series, Stolen Kingdom, ★★★½. While the storyline was engaging, the gameplay was much too easy. This second episode, Shard of Mystery, doesn't even have an interesting storyline to save it, and the gameplay is, again, too easy for adults.
I rated the first episode in this series, Stolen Kingdom, ★★★½. While the storyline was engaging, the gameplay was much too easy. This second episode, Shard of Mystery, doesn't even have an interesting storyline to save it, and the gameplay is, again, too easy for adults.
STORYLINE
Fairy tale kingdom. Dying king. Vengeful evil witch. Vulnerable prince. Played out in a cutscene every two minutes.
Fairy tale kingdom. Dying king. Vengeful evil witch. Vulnerable prince. Played out in a cutscene every two minutes.
GAMEPLAY
I quit when the Simon Says puzzle came up, because I'm not a child. Gameplay was exceedingly easy, too easy even for a rainy day game. The mini-games…
• Find the ingredients and make cocoa for the prince.
• Move padlocks to untangle the chains.
• (repeating) Gather ingredients, then play a Match-3+ with limited moves to transmute them.
• Press the gems, following the order in which they light up (Simon Says).
I quit when the Simon Says puzzle came up, because I'm not a child. Gameplay was exceedingly easy, too easy even for a rainy day game. The mini-games…
• Find the ingredients and make cocoa for the prince.
• Move padlocks to untangle the chains.
• (repeating) Gather ingredients, then play a Match-3+ with limited moves to transmute them.
• Press the gems, following the order in which they light up (Simon Says).
The HO scenes…
• Find shaped keys to open the panels to a short, minimally interactive list. Repeat for a second small list.
• Look through the telescope to find the words in the narrative.
• Interact with the pop-up book based on the narrative. (Extremely easy, since there are never more than three items showing at a time.)
• Find shaped keys to open the panels to a short, minimally interactive list. Repeat for a second small list.
• Look through the telescope to find the words in the narrative.
• Interact with the pop-up book based on the narrative. (Extremely easy, since there are never more than three items showing at a time.)
Exploration seems to consist mainly of gathering ingredients for various potions, not really my cup of tea, and the usual laundry list of tasks.
PRODUCTION
The narration is truly professional, and the music is lovely. Graphics are an extremely mixed bag, with cartoonish characters, painterly backgrounds, and realistically rendered objects. The palette is mainly jewel tones and easy on the eye.
The narration is truly professional, and the music is lovely. Graphics are an extremely mixed bag, with cartoonish characters, painterly backgrounds, and realistically rendered objects. The palette is mainly jewel tones and easy on the eye.
EXTRAS
Gameplay: bonus chapter, 6 HO scenes, 6 mini-games
Collectibles: roses, collected for no apparent purpose
Portfolio: 3 wallpapers, 9 videos of the cutscenes, 6 concept art, and 8 soundtracks
Other: strategy guide, performance achievements
Not CE-worthy with such limited gameplay.
Gameplay: bonus chapter, 6 HO scenes, 6 mini-games
Collectibles: roses, collected for no apparent purpose
Portfolio: 3 wallpapers, 9 videos of the cutscenes, 6 concept art, and 8 soundtracks
Other: strategy guide, performance achievements
Not CE-worthy with such limited gameplay.
CONCLUSION
I was unable to be immersed in either the plot or the gameplay. The storyline was too shallow and the characters didn't have much personality. Gameplay was too easy and kept being interrupted with slow, lengthy cutscenes. If you're a beginner who adores fairy tales, this game might be for you, though I would recommend waiting for the SE.
I was unable to be immersed in either the plot or the gameplay. The storyline was too shallow and the characters didn't have much personality. Gameplay was too easy and kept being interrupted with slow, lengthy cutscenes. If you're a beginner who adores fairy tales, this game might be for you, though I would recommend waiting for the SE.
I don't recommend this game.
Travel through alternate realities to restore the fabric of the universe!
Overall rating
1
/
5
59 of 77 found this review helpful
You couldn't pay me to waste hard drive space on this abomination
PostedFebruary 17, 2018
LunaNik
fromAre any devs still making games for adults? This is ridiculous.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I wasn't a fan of the first episode, The Spectra World. While I thought it would have been a fantastic children's game (with a few minor changes), it had nothing to appeal to adults in either storyline or gameplay…even adults like me who adore the fantasy genre. This sequel, Canvases of Time, is exactly the same.
The mini-games are stupidly simple. 7-piece jigsaw puzzles that wouldn't challenge a kindergartner. Matching pairs. Matching pairs AGAIN. Are you even trying, devs? Because it's frankly insulting that you think adults would enjoy this. Toy manufacturers do not make 7-piece jigsaw puzzles for adults; they make them for toddlers.
The HO scenes contain no hidden objects at all. Every single one is in plain view. It's neither challenging nor fun to click on a bunch of objects the dev didn't even bother trying to hide.
To make things worse, there's not merely one gimmicky gadget, but TWO. And your hand is firmly guided to exactly where they need to be used. I'm amazed there wasn't an animal helper playing the game for me.
I'm willing to bet that most of the nearly 3 GB file is animation, since gameplay is interrupted every 2 seconds by huge banners announcing everything, cutscenes, conversations, and loading screens. I don't need a banner to tell me I've completed a goal I was just given a minute ago, then a second one announcing my new goal. That information is in the diary if I need it.
Other than the bonus chapter, the CE bling contains no gameplay of any kind, so I'm forced to say it's not worthy of double the price. A CE should always include the opportunity to replay HO scenes and mini-games.
With every new game release, I mourn the murder of the HOPA genre. The past 5 years has informed me of what to expect. There will be no more immersive stories like Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden or Timeless: The Lost Castle. There will be no more fiendishly challenging gameplay like MCF: Return to Ravenhearst or the Secrets of the Dark series. Every game is the same now. The story is nearly always some supernatural revenge scheme, and the gameplay is jigsaw puzzles and matching pairs. Every single game.
How about some innovation, devs? Haven't you noticed that your sales are down?
I don't recommend this game.
Can you save Netville from a dangerous artifact before it’s too late?
Overall rating
3
/
5
8 of 8 found this review helpful
Revision of my CE review after purchasing the SE…
PostedFebruary 12, 2018
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
After playing the entire SE version, I have to change the rating I posted in the CE version. While the storyline remained interesting, gameplay devolved into running around looking for shaped keys, often in pairs or groups.
My rating for the storyline remains at four stars, because the plot was a unique riff on both the haunted house and the cursed artifact. It developed and maintained a good pace from beginning to end. And the characters had personalities with depth, which always helps.
I'm reducing my rating for level of challenge from three stars to two, and fun factor from four stars to two. I mean, I know I'm not the only fishie who's sick and tired of running back and forth finding shaped keys, only to discover I've revealed a normal, everyday item locked up like the king's treasure. It's just not realistic, and it strikes me as laziness on the part of the dev. I refuse to believe devs are so unimaginative that they can't create better methods of gameplay than this tired device.
The HO scenes were the best part of gameplay. In most, some attempt was made to actually hide the objects, whether physically in the scene or via clever descriptions. The mini-games, however, were far too easy and lacked variety.
Lastly, I'm cutting my visual/sound rating from five stars to four. Despite 15 musical compositions, the background music tended to become annoying and monotonous. Voiceovers were either excellent with perfect affect, tone, and pace…or horribly melodramatic. The graphics, though, were beautifully detailed and textured, and the palette was lovely.
The demo was the best part of this game, and I wish the devs had continued that variety of gameplay through to the end. I'm disappointed.
Recover the artifact that contains the secrets of H.E.L.P.'s past.
Overall rating
2
/
5
24 of 32 found this review helpful
Slow, shallow storyline…gameplay either easy or illogical.
PostedFebruary 11, 2018
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
The storyline, which implies urgency, moves at a snail's pace and is fairly shallow. The use of inventory items is horribly non-intuitive. Mini-games are mostly easy, but several have poorly written instructions. HO scenes are presented in varying formats, but none of the objects is hidden.
Graphics are inconsistent, varying between state-of-the-art and rather sloppy. Music is excellent, both complex and varied, and includes melodic and ambient pieces. Voiceovers are professional.
The user interface is unnecessarily crowded because it's bookended by gratuitous decorative elements, leaving an inadequate 6-place inventory. I found the H.E.L.P. device useless, except for the map.
With five episodes developed by BFG, and eleven by Eipix, I feel this series has run its course. As always, storyline and gameplay are most important to me, and they're the weakest elements of this game. For this reason, I can't recommend it, but I do recommend you try the demo for yourself. Happy gaming!
I don't recommend this game.