FamilyDad1's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.8
- Helpful Votes:389
- Reviews Submitted:68
- First Review:April 14, 2012
- Most Recent Review:June 12, 2024
- Featured reviews1
Status:
Save your brother and try to solve the mystery behind the silver screen in Final Cut: Death on the Silver Screen, a thrilling game set in the 1950's!
Overall rating
5
/
5
9 of 10 found this review helpful
***PERFECT!!***
PostedJune 10, 2012
FamilyDad1
fromNew England
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
WOW is all I can say. This game was Absolutely PERFECT in every single way. Check it out.
Storyline was original, human with some supernatural and you could actually follow it, plus it was interesting.
Graphics were terrific, stunning backgrounds mixed along with some live action, but unlike some of the older FMV, this actually works perfectly in the game.
Sound is great plus the full voice acting always adds tons of cred just to get to hear someones voice
Live characters add depth to the game plus it adds life so you're not so lonely as with many of these adventure games
The locations were all eye candy & interesting, never boring, washed out or repetative. Lots of great rooms with cool stuff & great details.
Some games have you get lost in the location, wondering where to turn next. For example, for those who remember that far back MYST was horrible for this alone. You would walk into a scene, turn.. then get lost & have no idea whether to turn again, turn back or back completely out of the scene!! Not this game though, you knew exactly where you were at all times & how to get "from here to there" with no problem.
The Puzzles were top notch, 10 stars if not 11. Why? Because they didn't feel just thrown in, they actually made sense to the task at hand. They were logical, not totally obscure. They were challenging, but not impossible. There were lots of them, and they were well spaced out & sometimes even unique. As soon as you finished a puzzle or Hidden Object scene, then received an item, you knew almost Immediately what the object was used for & how to use it. AWESOME!!
Hidden Object Games were perfectly spaced too, like the puzzles, there were just enough of them. all of the objects were easy enough to find, none were hidden and blended or impossible to find. You didnt really get punished for random clicking as much as with other games & the HINT button recharged nice & quickly.
YOU (the lead character) kept cracking on "her father's" puzzles throughout the game. This inside joking upon itself, lend a breath of fresh air, humor and a friendly feeling to the game.
There were also some nice bonus side-find quests as well. I'm not sure exactly what this got you at the end of the game, as some items were deviously placed & nearly impossible to find (for me at least), but there were also nice Goals to reach, many which popped-up randomly & gave you a sense of accomplishment & believe it or not, a sense that the game was actually playing along with you, giving you a friendly pat on the back as you went along. Very cool.
Without giving anything away, there was a theme that you kept running into later in the game. Upon playing the bonus section (which was quite short), you finally come to understand the history of the father character better. Think toy soldiers. That was a kind of cool, if not unintended, discovery.
Again without giving away too much, one of the coolest things in the entire game is how you get to visit a few different scenes from the movies (ie: westerns, WWII, etc) All these different "sets" really add to the adventure aspect of the game & always give it fresh feeling of fun & discovery as you move forward. You can't wait to see what's next.
Another great thing is you almost ALways knew what to do and where to go next. There was almost no useless backtracking. It never felt tedious. This is hugely cool since so many of these types of games try to "buy time" by forcing players to endlessly back track for no reason.
Oh & while there is an elevator as with many games of this genre, it never tortures you with endless cut scenes of it going up & down. It's nice & quick, just another awesome aspect of this incredible game.
The characters are pretty cool too & it doesn't hurt that the chic is kinda hot. I just wish they were a little more generous with showing off more skin ;p don't we all...
If I were forced to knit-pick, overall I'd say the game is kind of too short, including the bonus chapter as well. I think this is partly because I fell so in love with the game. I really hope this team makes more great quality games like this one because I would buy them all!
10 out of 10 stars for sure!!! Absolutely LOVED It!!!!!
I recommend this game!
Travel back in time to help stop a terrible fire that started Felicia down her evil path in PuppetShow: Return to Joyville!
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 5 found this review helpful
Great looking, but not great
PostedApril 24, 2012
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
PuppetShow games have the potential to be Great! This one was great visually with stunning, detailed graphics & just enough of an erie atmosphere. It had good sound, nice voice acting & some really cool locations. The creepy factor is part of the appeal. That said, it also leaves you kind of lonely & wishing there were more humans to interact with. It started out in this cozy little town, and, had the game continued in this manner, it probably would have been really great. But it quickly switched to the theater, and with all the similar doorways to all the rooms, it became more difficult to navigate just WHERE to go next. Do we backtrack & revisit the same scene? If so, why? This had me reluctantly turning to the strategy guide. And like our fellow BigFish gamer "pinkmarigolds" said in an earlier review, the HOG scenes became more & more frequent as the game went on. At one point, there were even TWO IN A ROW! Why would a developer do this to their faithful PuppetShow followers? It's as if they ran out of steam later in the development process & just figured more clutter would slow us down & make the game seem longer. Well it only served to slow us down & aggravate us. As for the storyline, that was pretty engaging. And while many of the puzzles were quite challenging (as in diabolical, which is ok), some of them were just outrageous. How would we ever guess that the "lever" they were looking for was actually a COMB?!! Creative or rediculous? Your call.
I recommend this game!
After Sara inherits a home, she discovers that a restless spirit can speak to her! Help her sooth Emily’s soul in Haunted Past: Realm of Ghosts!
Overall rating
2
/
5
5 of 7 found this review helpful
Ok, but Could have been better
PostedApril 23, 2012
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
OK let me start by saying I enjoy most Big Fish (Adventure/HOG) Games. This one kind of sucked the fun out of me. While the visuals were nicely detailed & well done, they had this terrible dark haze over them which muted the colors & drowned out the scenery making a cluttered, dull experience. Normally when other reviewers mention a "Pixel Hunt", I kind of get excited, because I'm thinking: Adventure Game, Great! But in this case, it was kind of a pain looking for that tiny little detail I might have missed the first time through the scene, causing me to reach for the HINT button all too often. I understand it's a "ghost" game, so the excuse for the grayed out tones might be justified, but not when it causes you NOT to have fun & feel good in a game. And while we're on the subject, visiting with ghosts was ok, but the game has such a lonely empty feeling because you don't get to interact with living characters. There were some bright spots, the HOG scenes were fair, most of the puzzles were logical to a point, although the illogical ones kind of took some points away, the voice overs were great to have & were the only "signs of life" within the otherwise bleak world, and the Real World - Ghost World aspect of the game was completely awesome and innovative. It kind of reminded me very lightly of the Zelda Light World - Dark World feature. Pretty fun! I would recommend this game for a rainy day, but only with plenty of coffee and or some caffeinated drinks as the bleak washed out tones will surely bring you down.
I don't recommend this game.
Criminal Minds
Join an elite team of FBI profilers who analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds!
Overall rating
3
/
5
9 of 11 found this review helpful
Really Fun, Different!
PostedApril 22, 2012
FamilyDad1
fromNew England
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
How cool is getting to play along with the characters we know & love from the hit TV show Criminal Minds? It's awesome right. Well, kind of. First the good. The game got the characters personalities right on. It's like being there with them. There are also great little animations between scene & also video cut scenes. The stories are absolutely top notch!! While the adventure, exploration & HOG aspect will seem familiar, the game breaks from the norm by offering a police/detective aspect to the game which makes it more interesting & engaging. The puzzles are pretty good, the clues are all there & the included hint system recharges quickly. Plus you get to interview & interact with many people, so the game never gets that lonely isolated feeling, just the opposite in fact. Ok now for the not-so-good. While the puzzles are ok, unfortunately they repeat over & over. At first I liked that they got progressively more difficult. But after the 10th time doing the same couple of puzzles, it got tedious. While it was nice to have 2 separate cases, they were both quite short; a 3rd installation would have been Perfect! Now for the worst part of the entire game. The HOGs! My God, every single time you did almost ANYTHING, the game would throw an arbitrary HOG scene at you! They were fairly easy, the hints recharged quickly & you're not punished for wrong clicks, but there are Sooooo many of them, it seriously hinders game play. After the zillionth one, I just went numb & started clicking furiously throughout the scene, hardly ever looking at what I was supposed to find. Later in the game, all they served to do was slow your game & make it painful. I work for a living, so when I play a game I want to relax & have fun, not have to work & get aggravated. So while I really enjoyed the game, I would really prefer the next installment be longer and cut way down on the HOG scenes.
I recommend this game!
Find a kidnapped teenage girl and save yourself in Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek, a fun Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
INCREDIBLE GAME!!!
PostedApril 22, 2012
FamilyDad1
fromNew England
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is one of the Best games I have played in recent memory! Why? Because all the elements for a great adventure game are here.. Interesting, engaging storyline, great graphics & sound (Plus voice overs are a big plus!), HOG scenes are easy, quick, fun & non-intrusive, plus extra points for not Punishing us for clicking wrong, there is a log book with a journal, map, photo panel & even an Objective/Goals screen with what to do next! The hints charge super fast, you get to talk to a few characters so you don't get that empty Myst feeling (no offence, I know they kinda started it all, next to Zork & a couple of others ; ) And the puzzles actually make sense with easy to find or recall hints never too far out of reach. The scenes are great too, they are all interesting & hold there own character. For example, there is a farm, boathouse, garage, church & more. There isn't alot of unnecessary back tracking which is good. And most all of the inventory objects make sense in their uses. Oh, & I can't forget the super cool Detective Pin-Board.. what a great, useful, fun twist surprise. Love it!
I recommend this game!
Stop the evil Vansig family before they point their vengeful wrath at your friend Christine in Nightfall Mysteries: Black Heart!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Terrific Game!
PostedApril 22, 2012
FamilyDad1
fromNew England
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
After reading many of the other positive reviews, I will try to keep it simple & not repeat what they already said. That said, this game is excellent on all aspects of an Adventure/HOG game. The storyline is engaging, graphics & sound very good, puzzles are clear & concise, HOG scenes are great & non-punishing like some games, all the extras are there like the notes, hint system, etc. There are many areas which allow exploration, giving it a more open & less linear feel, which is good. And there's just enough to do to stay engaged. I thoroughly enjoyed this A-1, top notch game!
I recommend this game!
Emma`s soul is free. But a dark secret still lurks in Ravenhearst Manor. Return to Ravenhearst to continue this tale of twisted love.
Overall rating
2
/
5
8 of 13 found this review helpful
Horrible Game, Torturous Pace
PostedApril 14, 2012
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I know the Ravenhearst franchise is liked by many and did well, I can't argue with that. But the problem I have with this game was the pacing. Let me explain. While ADVENTURES is my favorite genre and should be at a slower relaxed pace, this game just occurred in starts and stops. You would visit one location, then BAM get hit with a hidden object screen. Go to the next location, then BOOM another hidden object screen. And so on for most of the game. Worse, the hidden object games were very difficult and the graphics were dark and blended in, pure torture!! Most of the time the inventory held almost no objects, giving the game a linear, boxed-in feel to it. And even worse, the puzzles were almost completely illogical. I just gave BLACK ISLE a 10 out of 10, play that game instead. This one feels like it was just "thrown together" out of having to fulfill a franchise obligation.
I don't recommend this game.
Black Isle was supposedly abandoned after an earthquake but the truth is much more sinister! Join the Mystery Trackers and learn the truth!
Overall rating
5
/
5
7 of 8 found this review helpful
EXCELLENT Adventure with all the Extras!
PostedApril 14, 2012
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game is 10 out of 10! Like Madame Fate, it had ALL the Best elements! It emphasized Adventure and had a well-balanced mix of things to do. Also great, it didn't "torture" you with Hidden Object games just "thrown in" like some games do. And every single puzzle made sense, were logical or the solution was near by. The inventory held many items at once, which was great, so it didn't feel cramped and linear. I'd love to see more games like this, perhaps from this team. Incredible!
I recommend this game!