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:
An earthquake reveals a hidden palace full of deadly secrets!
Overall rating
1
/
5
6 of 16 found this review helpful
1½ stars...Giving shaped keys complex historical names doesn’t improve the concept.
PostedNovember 11, 2017
LunaNik
fromI feel like this genre is becoming the Clone Wars.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
SUMMARY…Based on 26 minutes of the demo, it’s the usual Eipix cookie cutter game.
WHAT WAS GOOD…The quantity and variety of extras, which is standard for this dev. Bonus chapter, strategy guide, performance achievements, collectibles (of low quality), souvenir room, replay HO scenes and mini-games, and the portfolio of videos, pictures, and downloadable music.
WHAT WAS “MEH”…Surprisingly, the graphics and animation were inconsistent. Eipix’s production value slipped big time. Close-up, many of the items were rough and not very detailed. The usual gradient depth of field was reduced to simply a clear foreground and a blurry background. Animation of the characters was stop motion. Lovely palette, though.
WHAT WAS BAD…Shaped keys! Sometimes in sets. With complicated names this time, like the Bracelets of So-and-So. Still boring.
HO scenes were both simple interactive lists. Mini-games included:
• The usual dangerous physical activity; cross the rope, avoiding two hazards by dragging the outlines to their matching objects. Woo hoo.
• Swap three images until the pictorial story matches the text; the first image is placed for you. Thanks, Eipix! I can’t imagine how I would have EVER managed to swap FOUR images.
• Enter the combination by copying the clue right in front of you…not a puzzle.
• Using trial and error, figure out how to move the two tokens to their goals; when you move one, the other moves and parts of the path change. Tedious, especially when there was no way to predict what would happen when you moved to a particular spot, because the resulting actions were not always the same.
• The usual dangerous physical activity; cross the rope, avoiding two hazards by dragging the outlines to their matching objects. Woo hoo.
• Swap three images until the pictorial story matches the text; the first image is placed for you. Thanks, Eipix! I can’t imagine how I would have EVER managed to swap FOUR images.
• Enter the combination by copying the clue right in front of you…not a puzzle.
• Using trial and error, figure out how to move the two tokens to their goals; when you move one, the other moves and parts of the path change. Tedious, especially when there was no way to predict what would happen when you moved to a particular spot, because the resulting actions were not always the same.
The collectible were amphora that were all the same size, shape, color, and orientation. Not at all challenging to spot.
CONCLUSION…I’ll be honest: This series was never one of my favorites. But this episode reaches new lows, I think. What happened to you, Eipix? You use to set the bar with every game you released. Now, you’re limbo-ing under the bar.
I don't recommend this game.
They received an invitation to spend their honeymoon at the Creek Falls mountain resort. If only they had done their research…
Overall rating
3
/
5
8 of 18 found this review helpful
Lots of hidden charms amongst the cutscenes.
PostedNovember 9, 2017
LunaNik
fromLet's encourage more new developers!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
SUMMARY…Based on 34 minutes of the demo, this game has some excellent puzzles and challenging FROGs, but the frequent, long cutscenes and horrendous voice acting make immersion difficult.
WHAT WAS GOOD…The puzzles. The few I played were relatively challenging, not solely because the instructions were lacking, but also because they were well-designed. Once I was actually able to perceive what the goal was, it took some effort to achieve it.
The FROG scenes. Most of the fragments were well-blended into the scene, making them difficult to spot. I’ve always liked FROGs; they make a bit more sense than a list of unrelated objects, IMO. Note that you can leave FROG scenes to acquire items you need within the scene (which will show up in the box between the fragments).
WHAT WAS “MEH”…The production. Not awful, not great, just “meh.” I disliked the flickering meant to represent a poor video recording. I did like the ambient sounds; they accented the creepiness.
The gimmicks. Apparently one wasn’t enough; I got two: a flashlight with which to “battle” ghosts and a radio, function unknown, but alleged to somehow interact with the spirits.
The game mechanics. A bit finicky, often requiring multiple clicks to get it right.
The storyline. Sort of a version of Saw, with the villains requiring the hero to perform dangerous tasks to save his wife. But I would have liked a bit more explanation about why this particular couple was chosen. Maybe that comes later in the game.
WHAT WAS BAD…Endless cutscenes with a delay between the different characters speaking were seriously frustrating! There’s no “continue” icon, so you either have to skip them and miss essential storyline elements, or suffer through them.
The voiceovers were clearly done by self-conscious amateurs; the affect was unrealistic and the melodrama level was high.
CONCLUSION…I dislike being overly critical toward new devs because I think this industry badly needs new blood. Given the design of the puzzles and the well-done FROG scenes, I think this dev has a lot of potential, so I tried to be constructively critical. I am curious about the storyline, so I may pick this up with PCC. And I recommend trying the demo.
Save your cousin and his new bride from a horrible beast!
Overall rating
4
/
5
24 of 28 found this review helpful
4½ stars! A beautifully and thoughtfully created game overall!
PostedNovember 2, 2017
LunaNik
fromNo cookie cutters were used in the creation of this game!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
SUMMARY…Based on the demo, this is a unique and extremely well-done retelling of Beauty & the Beast, with gameplay in the easy to medium range. It’ll challenge beginners and enchant experts who wish a more relaxing game experience.
WHAT WAS GOOD…The storyline. It unfolded at a natural and engaging pace, striking a good balance between providing information and tantalizing curiosity.
The extras. The devs offered a full package of bonuses, making this worthy of a CE. Additional play includes the bonus chapter and replayable HO scenes and puzzles. Collectibles include two owls and a morphing object in each scene, with an indicator noting how many remained to be found. The portfolio includes wallpapers, screen savers, five downloadable soundtracks, videos, and concept art. And, of course, there are performance achievements and the strategy guide. Whew!
The HO scenes. While the straight list objects were fairly easy to find, the interactions were excellent. And some included mini-puzzles. Most were presented as highly-interactive lists, but there were find multiples in the same category as well. Even though the presentations were limited in variety, I found the HO scenes enjoyable.
The production. I loved everything about the graphics, including the attention to detail, the spectacular animation, the palette, the terrific lip-synching, and the imagination. The music suited the storyline perfectly. And voiceovers were extremely professional.
WHAT WAS “MEH”…The puzzles. I only rate them as mediocre because there was a lack of variety in the challenge levels…most were easy. Swap wedges to restore the animals to their correct habitats, match pairs of roses, riddles, swap pieces between two jigsaws, match three or more to clear the field (3 levels), Sudoku with animal tokens, and a couple that just required copying the clue.
WHAT WAS BAD…Nothing, IMO. This is NOT a cookie cutter; each element was beautifully integrated into the whole.
CONCLUSION…Obviously, I would have liked a more difficult challenge level, but I’m still purchasing this game, because it’s beautiful, original, and enjoyable. I’d like to see more from 4Friends, and plan to check out their games that I don’t already have.
BEST GAMES BY THIS DEV (✭✭✭✭ or better)
• from this series—Frozen Beauty (2013), Beasts of Bremen (2017)
• other games—Bridge to Another World: Alice in Shadowland (2016)
• from this series—Frozen Beauty (2013), Beasts of Bremen (2017)
• other games—Bridge to Another World: Alice in Shadowland (2016)
BEST GAMES IN THIS STORY GENRE
(versions of Beauty & the Beast, both obvious and subtle)
Dark Parables: The Exiled Prince (2011), Mystery Trackers: Four Aces (2012), The Beast of Lycan Isle (2012), Nevertales: The Beauty Within (2013), League of Light: Silent Mountain (2016)
(versions of Beauty & the Beast, both obvious and subtle)
Dark Parables: The Exiled Prince (2011), Mystery Trackers: Four Aces (2012), The Beast of Lycan Isle (2012), Nevertales: The Beauty Within (2013), League of Light: Silent Mountain (2016)
I recommend this game!
Can you solve an old murder case and save your sister?
Overall rating
1
/
5
11 of 16 found this review helpful
*yawn*
PostedNovember 1, 2017
LunaNik
fromTired of the cookie cutter games that consist of clicking through a derivative storyline.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
SUMMARY…Based on 18 minutes of the demo, the overwhelming majority of the “gameplay” is just clicking to advance the story. The dev seemed more interested is showing off a variety of new programming than actually developing the story and gameplay.
WHAT WAS GOOD…The hint button is a moving eye looking through a keyhole, which is really cool.
WHAT WAS “MEH”…The graphics and animation were mediocre and mismatched. Some elements had lots of detail while others were crude and looked unfinished. The palette was mainly greys and blues.
The music was boring, and there were only four tracks. The melody that played most of the time was just back and forth between two notes on the piano, monotonous and annoying.
The voiceovers were mostly melodramatic and unrealistic.
Many things had to be dragged rather than clicked. This must be a new trick for this dev, because they used it constantly. Each one was accompanied by an arrow and the word “drag” that not only held your hand, but led you to the exact action you were supposed to perform.
WHAT WAS BAD…The storyline and its pace. There was no motivation to troll slowly through the inane depiction of an abandoned house. There were so many interruptions that the plot seemed fractured and nonsensical.
The gameplay was almost an afterthought. There were only two HO scenes and one mini-game in the time I played. All were ridiculously easy. One HO scene introduced me to a gimmick: a paranormal app on my phone with which I had to mouse over the room to find glaringly glittering items that couldn’t have been more obvious if they were on fire. The other HO was a simple interactive find word in the narrative. The mini-game was a version of connecting the like token on a grid, except it was connect the six moons in order.
The extras don’t justify the CE price. Besides the bonus chapter and SG, each scene had an huge morphing puzzle piece that was easy to find. There were collectible coins to buy things, performance achievements, and a scanty portfolio of concept art, the dev’s diary, wallpapers, and the above mentioned four music tracks, which were not downloadable. No ability to replay either HO scenes or mini-games.
The game mechanics. The game didn’t fill my screen, and the menu bar remained visible, pushing the inventory partially offscreen. Hot spot placement was utterly illogical to the extent that I either thought my action was wrong when it wasn’t because I didn’t click in the exact right spot, or an entire quarter of the screen was a hotspot for one tiny area.
CONCLUSION…Maybe kids would like it, but they might be bored too, unless they were new to the genre. And the CE is not worth double the cost. I quit shortly after the inevitable missing zipper pull, since its presence revealed more about the quality of this game than wasting an hour on the demo would.
BEST GAMES BY THIS DEV (✭✭✭✭ or better)
• from this series—none
• other game series—Dark Dimensions (City of Fog-2011, Somber Song-2013), Sable Maze (Sullivan River-2012, Norwich Caves-2013, Forbidden Garden-2014, Twelve Fears-2016)
• one-off games—Ominous Objects: Family Portrait-2014
• from this series—none
• other game series—Dark Dimensions (City of Fog-2011, Somber Song-2013), Sable Maze (Sullivan River-2012, Norwich Caves-2013, Forbidden Garden-2014, Twelve Fears-2016)
• one-off games—Ominous Objects: Family Portrait-2014
BEST GAMES IN THIS STORY GENRE
There are, at this point, hundreds of cookie cutter games like this one, mostly released within the past three years.
There are, at this point, hundreds of cookie cutter games like this one, mostly released within the past three years.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you find out what's targeting young men in Paris?
Overall rating
1
/
5
19 of 26 found this review helpful
1½ stars...this game is a shaped keys nightmare.
PostedOctober 22, 2017
LunaNik
fromNO MORE SHAPED KEYS!!!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
SUMMARY…Based on 20 minutes of the demo, the gameplay is overwhelmingly finding and using shaped keys. In the first four areas, there must have been at least 20 of the dratted things. This isn’t fun; it’s torture.
WHAT WAS GOOD…The fact that I can uninstall this game.
WHAT WAS “MEH”…The production. Elephant has joined the ranks of the Neon Palette Club, and it’s horrible. Go back and look at the graphics from the first game in this series, or from the early episodes of Royal Detective; the graphics were MUCH better then.
WHAT WAS BAD…The gameplay. Boring, repetitive, redundant, and the same thing over and over again, not to put too fine a point on it. I’m boycotting shaped keys permanently.
The storyline. Silly and not at all engaging.
CONCLUSION…Play an Elephant game from 4-5 years ago instead.
BEST GAMES BY THIS DEV (✭✭✭✭ or better)
• from this series—Tune of Revenge
• other game series—Grim Tales (Bloody Mary, The Vengeance), Mystery Trackers (The Void, Raincliff, Black Isle, Four Aces, Silent Hollow, Raincliff’s Phantoms), Royal Detective (The Lord of Statues, Queen of Shadows), Surface (Mystery of Another World, The Noise She Couldn’t Make, The Soaring City, The Pantheon)
• one-off games—Unfinished Tales: Illicit Love
• from this series—Tune of Revenge
• other game series—Grim Tales (Bloody Mary, The Vengeance), Mystery Trackers (The Void, Raincliff, Black Isle, Four Aces, Silent Hollow, Raincliff’s Phantoms), Royal Detective (The Lord of Statues, Queen of Shadows), Surface (Mystery of Another World, The Noise She Couldn’t Make, The Soaring City, The Pantheon)
• one-off games—Unfinished Tales: Illicit Love
BEST GAMES IN THIS STORY GENRE (person/event/thing that makes people mysteriously ill, possessed, or changes them in some way)
• game series—Twisted Lands, Sable Maze, Shrouded Tales, Nightmare Adventures, Dream Chronicles, Nightmare Realm, Secrets of the Dark
• one-off games—Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden, Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove, The Beast of Lycan Isle, Reflections of Life: Equilibrium, Whispered Secrets: Everburning Candle, Fright
• game series—Twisted Lands, Sable Maze, Shrouded Tales, Nightmare Adventures, Dream Chronicles, Nightmare Realm, Secrets of the Dark
• one-off games—Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden, Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove, The Beast of Lycan Isle, Reflections of Life: Equilibrium, Whispered Secrets: Everburning Candle, Fright
I don't recommend this game.
Can you stop an otherworldly force before it’s too late?
Overall rating
2
/
5
48 of 60 found this review helpful
Formulaic, boring, too easy, nonsensical.
PostedOctober 22, 2017
LunaNik
fromMy kingdom for an interesting, challenging game with an original storyline. *sigh*
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
SUMMARY…Based on 20 minutes of the demo, there’s nothing new to see here. Another supernatural storyline with a magical artifact. The same dull list of silly tasks. Simplistic puzzles and unhidden object scenes.
WHAT WAS GOOD…The production. Madhead’s graphics, animation, and music are always top notch. But they seem to be rushing to release games with the same boring gameplay…just like Eipix has been doing.
WHAT WAS “MEH”…The pace. It alternated between being as slow as molasses in January and throwing out confusing bits of plot with no background.
WHAT WAS BAD…The storyline. I’m sick unto death of supernatural garbage and gimmicky artifacts. This isn’t sci-fi, because there’s no science; just fiction.
The gameplay. Shaped keys, frequently broken into parts. Throwaway puzzles, like copying the lock combination and clicking to pull the rope. Time-wasting nonsense that’s neither interesting nor challenging. The one HO scene I played had an original presentation, but nothing was hidden.
CONCLUSION…Madhead used to be the dev that set the bar. Apparently, they’re joining Eipix in seeing how low the bar will go…and still get people to provide rave reviews and money. Frankly, the bar is currently on the ground…and sinking.
BEST GAMES BY THIS DEV (✭✭✭✭ or better)
• from this series—None; this is a new series that should die with one episode.
• other game series—Dark Realm, Maze, Nevertales, Rite of Passage (The Perfect Show, Child of the Forest, Hide and Seek, Deck of Fates, The Sword & the Fury…the rest are awful)
• one-off games—Beyond: Light Advent, Cadenza: Music Betrayal & Death, Dawn of Hope: Skyline Adventure
• from this series—None; this is a new series that should die with one episode.
• other game series—Dark Realm, Maze, Nevertales, Rite of Passage (The Perfect Show, Child of the Forest, Hide and Seek, Deck of Fates, The Sword & the Fury…the rest are awful)
• one-off games—Beyond: Light Advent, Cadenza: Music Betrayal & Death, Dawn of Hope: Skyline Adventure
BEST GAMES IN THIS STORY GENRE
At this point, there are so many games with this general theme—ghost, relative left behind who’s determined to reunite, general supernatural nonsense, gimmicky magical artifact—that it would take me an hour to list them all.
At this point, there are so many games with this general theme—ghost, relative left behind who’s determined to reunite, general supernatural nonsense, gimmicky magical artifact—that it would take me an hour to list them all.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you defeat dangerous creatures and find your grandfather in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
50 of 53 found this review helpful
Challenge level increased…storyline overused.
PostedOctober 15, 2017
LunaNik
fromSick and tired of gimmicky magical artifacts and endless glyphs.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
SUMMARY…Based on the full game, the storyline is a variation of “save two worlds” with a “rescue the relative” and a “magical artifact” thrown in for good measure. But the gameplay did step up the challenge level.
WHAT WAS GOOD…The mini-games. There were only a few throwaway ones. Most were of medium difficulty, with a few mind-boggling ones that took a long time to solve. Overall, the challenge level was excellent.
The production. Stunning graphics and animation with varied palettes depending on the scene. The music was more ambient, which I like. Overall, top notch production.
WHAT WAS “MEH”…The storyline. It started out intriguing, but ended up being a “save two worlds” theme. Again. With a relative in danger. And a magical artifact. Honestly, there must be a thousand games with this storyline by now. Let’s move on, shall we?
The HO scenes. Some were actually challenging, while others had the objects in clear view, not hidden. There were a myriad of presentations, including interactive list, matching symbols, find multiples of one object, find pieces of one object, find and use, etc. Most HO scenes included mini-puzzles.
The regular gameplay. Quite a lot of running around, performing the usual laundry list of chores to fix broken mechanisms, find and replace missing parts, find and use regular and shaped keys, and the trite and overused devices. For example, even though I have a sharp knife, I can’t cut the bag open; I have to find the missing buckle…while I’m in danger from Nightcallers and desperately trying to get to the taxi. This kind of stuff is illogical.
WHAT WAS BAD…The incessant banners. Every time you find info, a “new clue” banner pops up, and you can’t close it by clicking; you have to wait for the animation to finish. I’m not blind. I’m perfectly aware that I just found new info. I’m also over the “new inventory item” pop-up boxes. They’re not necessary when I can clearly watch the new item swooping into my inventory panel.
The runes/glyphs/symbols. I lost count of how many types there were in total. Several HO scenes revolved around finding them, and several mini-games used them too. Really, I’m sure Madhead can innovate a different way of communicating mystique than constantly using runes/glyphs/symbols.
The repeating sword puzzle. It was too easy, and never increased in difficulty.
CONCLUSION…Great mini-games, some great and some mediocre HO scenes, boring and repetitive regular gameplay. All wrapped in an overused storyline that I’m sure we’re all sick of at this point. Am I glad I purchased it? Well, I did get it on sale, and enjoyed most of the gameplay, so I am.
BEST GAMES BY THIS DEV (✭✭✭✭ or better)
• from this series: The Perfect Show, Child of the Forest, Hide and Seek, Deck of Fates
• other game series—Dark Realm, Maze, Nevertales
• one-off games—Beyond: Light Advent, Cadenza: Music, Betrayal, and Death
• from this series: The Perfect Show, Child of the Forest, Hide and Seek, Deck of Fates
• other game series—Dark Realm, Maze, Nevertales
• one-off games—Beyond: Light Advent, Cadenza: Music, Betrayal, and Death
BEST GAMES IN THIS STORY GENRE (save two or more worlds)
• game series—Botanica, Nightmare Adventures, Surface: Mystery of Another World and The Soaring City
• one-off games—Eternal Journey: New Atlantis, Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden, Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove, Reflections of Life: Equilibrium, Nearwood, Mythic Wonders: The Philosopher’s Stone
• game series—Botanica, Nightmare Adventures, Surface: Mystery of Another World and The Soaring City
• one-off games—Eternal Journey: New Atlantis, Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden, Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove, Reflections of Life: Equilibrium, Nearwood, Mythic Wonders: The Philosopher’s Stone
I recommend this game!
A dangerous spirit has returned from the past!
Overall rating
2
/
5
6 of 8 found this review helpful
Another artifact, another gimmick, another evil magician bent on revenge, and more plague masks. Ugh.
PostedOctober 15, 2017
LunaNik
fromPlease find us some games with original storylines and challenging, innovative gameplay.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
SUMMARY…Based on half the demo, this game includes every HOPA stereotype known to fishies. I quit because I was bored.
WHAT WAS GOOD…Lots of extras. Bonus chapter, the SG, performance achievements, and four types of collectibles: morphing gemstones, gold coins, diary pages, and cursed items. Replay HOs and mini-games. The dev’s portfolio of wallpapers, concept art, and five soundtracks.
WHAT WAS “MEH”…The production. Five rather similar music compositions. Unnatural palette with lots of neon. Blurry and pixellated cutscene animation. The rendering of objects and characters was decent, but backgrounds had no depth of field, and light and shadow were not lifelike.
WHAT WAS BAD…The gameplay. All the trite devices were present, including the broken zipper tab, the “knife” made of broken glass and cloth, the rusty gears, the animal you need to scare, the item stuck in between boards, the sharp thorns…no imagination at all.
The HO scenes. Basic presentations—interactive list and highlighted words in the narrative, with all objects in plain sight, except for interactive ones…which were patently obvious. Match-3 as an alternative…meh.
The mini-games. Rotate tiles to restore the image. Match up the tumblers of a lock. Connect tokens based on their numbers. Switch banners along the lines. Nothing we haven’t seen a million times before.
The gimmick. Magic eyeglasses that let you see past events.
The storyline. Another evil magician. More plague masks. Another artifact. I’m over it.
CONCLUSION…All this dev’s games seem the same to me as regards gameplay. And I really dislike the eye-searing palette they insist on using.
BEST GAMES BY THIS DEV (✭✭✭✭ or better)
I have none to recommend.
I have none to recommend.
BEST GAMES IN THIS STORY GENRE (evil magician/demon/sorceress out for revenge and/or world domination)
Game Series—Lost Lands, Enigmatis, Sable Maze, Shrouded Tales, Nightmare Adventures, Empress of the Deep, Dream Chronicles, Dark Realm, League of Light
Game Series—Lost Lands, Enigmatis, Sable Maze, Shrouded Tales, Nightmare Adventures, Empress of the Deep, Dream Chronicles, Dark Realm, League of Light
One-Off Games—Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden, Timeless: The Lost Castle, Gothic Fiction: Dark Saga, The Beast of Lycan Isle, Kuros, Dreamscapes: The Sandman, Namariel Legends: Iron Lord, and its sequel, Kingdom of Aurelia: Mystery of the Poisoned Dagger
I don't recommend this game.
Become the champion of a royal tournament! Outplay your rivals and win the kingdom's grand prize!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Knight Fever
PostedOctober 11, 2017
LunaNik
fromCold-hearted orb that rules the night, removes the colors from our sight. Red is grey, and yellow white. But we decide which is right...and which is an illusion.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
WHAT'S GOOD
• Graphics and animation are beautiful.
• Music is excellent and varied.
• Tons of different layouts.
• Spot on game mechanics.
• Graphics and animation are beautiful.
• Music is excellent and varied.
• Tons of different layouts.
• Spot on game mechanics.
WHAT'S BAD
• What's with the sideways cards? They're hard to read like that.
• There's only one solitaire type: Golf. From the tableau, play any card that's numerically one up or down from the foundation, regardless of suit. Play all the gold-bordered special cards to win, whereupon you don't get to finish the round.
• What's with the sideways cards? They're hard to read like that.
• There's only one solitaire type: Golf. From the tableau, play any card that's numerically one up or down from the foundation, regardless of suit. Play all the gold-bordered special cards to win, whereupon you don't get to finish the round.
CONCLUSION
It's not better or worse than any other of the numerous games of this type, but it's enjoyably relaxing gameplay, and has better music than most. My hour demo went by really fast, and I was disappointed when it was over. Since it's a DD today, I recommend it.
It's not better or worse than any other of the numerous games of this type, but it's enjoyably relaxing gameplay, and has better music than most. My hour demo went by really fast, and I was disappointed when it was over. Since it's a DD today, I recommend it.
Can you break free from your nightmares in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
15 of 17 found this review helpful
Nana nana nana nana…Hat Man! :-)
PostedOctober 9, 2017
LunaNik
fromSlowly looking up from under my hat with an evil grin...
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Large File, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
SUMMARY
Based on the demo, this is a story driven game that’s chock full of things to do. It’s heavy on mini-games of all varieties and difficulties, and the production is excellent.
Based on the demo, this is a story driven game that’s chock full of things to do. It’s heavy on mini-games of all varieties and difficulties, and the production is excellent.
THE AWESOME
Storyline—Allen’s past is catching up with him. He’s having hypnagogic hallucinations of shadow people, including the terrifying Hat Man. Or are they hallucinations? When his medication causes him to sleep, he’s suddenly plunged into a surreal nightmare maze from which he must revisit his forgotten childhood memories, figure out why the shadows are after him, and find his memory fragments before the Hat Man takes his soul.
Storyline—Allen’s past is catching up with him. He’s having hypnagogic hallucinations of shadow people, including the terrifying Hat Man. Or are they hallucinations? When his medication causes him to sleep, he’s suddenly plunged into a surreal nightmare maze from which he must revisit his forgotten childhood memories, figure out why the shadows are after him, and find his memory fragments before the Hat Man takes his soul.
Graphics—Background scenes, close-ups, and characters are all incredibly detailed with realistic textures. The palette changes as is appropriate to the scene. Excellent use of light/shadow and depth of field create lifelike dimension. Animation is smooth with a high frame rate. Hat Man is one of the creepiest bad guys I’ve seen in a long time, both because of his appearance and his behavior…that smile! *shudder*
Mini-Games—The number and variety of mini-games, even though about half of them were easy. There were 18 in the demo, including:
• Based on environmental clues, use the colored lenses to find the path. EASY
• Move the two figures to their exits, avoiding the shadow. When you move one, the other mirrors your move. MEDIUM
• Four rotating images are centered around a center. Rotate the images and swap their pieces until you’ve restored all four. DIFFICULT
• Guess the order in which to activate the maze-patterned cubes. THROWAWAY
• Restore the six-piece image. THROWAWAY Then, based on the story, choose the “good memories” to find the memory shards. EASY
• Move the tokens along the lines until each is in its correct place. EASY
• Based on its images, fold the map along multiple lines to create a path, then use the map to navigate the maze. MEDIUM
• Move the columns of tiles to create a path for the green ball. EASY
• Copy the clue to enter the lock’s combination. THROWAWAY
• Use the magnet to acquire the fragments in the fish tank. THROWAWAY
• Recreate the teachers’ schedule by solving the logic puzzle. DIFFICULT
• Stop the shadow man by matching the given images to those in the scene, but be quick because it’s timed, and if you miss one, you must start over. MEDIUM
• Place the gears correctly to restore the mechanism. EASY
• Using deduction, place all the informational flyers into their correct categories. MEDIUM
• Match the maze patterns to their other halves. EASY
• Rotate the circles to restore the image. Rotating one affects others. MEDIUM
• Cut the vines in the correct order by following the tangled pathways. MEDIUM
• Rotate and swap to place two tokens each in the right knowledge categories. MEDIUM
• Based on environmental clues, use the colored lenses to find the path. EASY
• Move the two figures to their exits, avoiding the shadow. When you move one, the other mirrors your move. MEDIUM
• Four rotating images are centered around a center. Rotate the images and swap their pieces until you’ve restored all four. DIFFICULT
• Guess the order in which to activate the maze-patterned cubes. THROWAWAY
• Restore the six-piece image. THROWAWAY Then, based on the story, choose the “good memories” to find the memory shards. EASY
• Move the tokens along the lines until each is in its correct place. EASY
• Based on its images, fold the map along multiple lines to create a path, then use the map to navigate the maze. MEDIUM
• Move the columns of tiles to create a path for the green ball. EASY
• Copy the clue to enter the lock’s combination. THROWAWAY
• Use the magnet to acquire the fragments in the fish tank. THROWAWAY
• Recreate the teachers’ schedule by solving the logic puzzle. DIFFICULT
• Stop the shadow man by matching the given images to those in the scene, but be quick because it’s timed, and if you miss one, you must start over. MEDIUM
• Place the gears correctly to restore the mechanism. EASY
• Using deduction, place all the informational flyers into their correct categories. MEDIUM
• Match the maze patterns to their other halves. EASY
• Rotate the circles to restore the image. Rotating one affects others. MEDIUM
• Cut the vines in the correct order by following the tangled pathways. MEDIUM
• Rotate and swap to place two tokens each in the right knowledge categories. MEDIUM
THE GOOD
HO Scenes—The six HO scenes in the demo, and most were truly interactive, requiring you to find and use objects in the scene to uncover the final object. Four were presented as narratives, one as a FROG, and one silhouette. Sometimes the narrative actually named the object; other times, you had to find the object that fit the description, which was more challenging. (Alternately, play Match-3.)
HO Scenes—The six HO scenes in the demo, and most were truly interactive, requiring you to find and use objects in the scene to uncover the final object. Four were presented as narratives, one as a FROG, and one silhouette. Sometimes the narrative actually named the object; other times, you had to find the object that fit the description, which was more challenging. (Alternately, play Match-3.)
THE MEDIOCRE
Scare Factor—Fairly tame, given that these were Allen’s worst nightmare memories. I would have liked to see more of the shadow people, perhaps grabbing Allen from behind, reaching into the scene from the sides, morphing from photos, or even breaking the fourth wall.
Scare Factor—Fairly tame, given that these were Allen’s worst nightmare memories. I would have liked to see more of the shadow people, perhaps grabbing Allen from behind, reaching into the scene from the sides, morphing from photos, or even breaking the fourth wall.
THE BAD
Confusion—I’m not sure why we went to Grandma’s house, as we didn’t learn anything there. Other than the “trauma” caused by Allen’s parents leaving him at Grandma’s for five weeks, I’m not sure why this was one of his nightmares.
Confusion—I’m not sure why we went to Grandma’s house, as we didn’t learn anything there. Other than the “trauma” caused by Allen’s parents leaving him at Grandma’s for five weeks, I’m not sure why this was one of his nightmares.
THE HORRIBLE
Music—Only four soundtracks, two minutes each. That’s only eight minutes of music for the entire game, which isn’t enough variety.
Music—Only four soundtracks, two minutes each. That’s only eight minutes of music for the entire game, which isn’t enough variety.
BEST GAMES BY THIS DEV (✭✭✭✭ or better)
• from this series: Sullivan River, Norwich Caves, Forbidden Garden, Twelve Fears
• Dark Dimensions: City of Fog, Somber Song
• Ominous Objects: Family Portrait
• from this series: Sullivan River, Norwich Caves, Forbidden Garden, Twelve Fears
• Dark Dimensions: City of Fog, Somber Song
• Ominous Objects: Family Portrait
BEST GAMES WITH THIS GENERAL THEME (tortured past affecting present)
• Stray Souls: Dollhouse Story, Stolen Memories
• The Twisted Lands (all three episodes)
• Surface: The Noise She Couldn’t Make
• Nightmare Adventures (both episodes)
• Nightmare Realm (both episodes)
• Dreamscapes: the Sandman
• Maze: Nightmare Realm
• Stray Souls: Dollhouse Story, Stolen Memories
• The Twisted Lands (all three episodes)
• Surface: The Noise She Couldn’t Make
• Nightmare Adventures (both episodes)
• Nightmare Realm (both episodes)
• Dreamscapes: the Sandman
• Maze: Nightmare Realm
I recommend this game!