FatedCircle's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.6
- Helpful Votes:34
- Reviews Submitted:7
- First Review:March 9, 2012
- Most Recent Review:March 10, 2013
- Featured reviews0
FatedCircle's Review History
Azada: Elementa Collector's Edition
Azada’s saga continues when its precious elements are stolen!
Overall rating
5
/
5
8 of 12 found this review helpful
An All New Azada
PostedMarch 10, 2013
FatedCircle
fromUS
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I was so excited for this game to come out, I had been anticipating its arrival for a few weeks, so it was a nice surprise to wake up and see this available. Azada is one of my favorite series and I was not disappointed with this installment!
I was a little apprehensive because some of the reviews I saw here were not exactly kind to this game. I kind of understand why--this game is not like the other Azadas. In fact, after playing this one, I went back and played the other three just to gain perspective on some of the reviews here. Previously, Azada has been puzzle centric--there are no hidden object scenes in either of the first three games. Azada Elementa is different--it is a hidden object adventure game. Part of me wonders if we didn't bring about this change ourselves...HOPAs are extremely popular. And in the HOPA category, this game is very, very good.
The story is awesome, the adventuring is intuitive--you use the object you find in a way that makes sense. The length of the game is excellent and I was engaged the entire way. Of particular note is the bonus content, while not necessary to wrap up the story, was particularly engaging. I was very happy with this game.
The puzzles in the game should be noted because I feel a little let down with some of them. However this is a common theme with Azada where a lot of puzzles you finish and think, "Wow that could have been a whole lot harder." And in most cases a little harder would have made it more fun. Not to say that it wasn't fun, because it was, just a little more casual than I would have liked.
My only complaint, and this has been touched upon in other reviews, was that the hidden objects scenes at times were a little unclear. I think there may be some mistranslation in some spots, and some items were difficult to see, but not so much that it was frustrating.
If you like HOPAs, try this game, because it is a lot of fun. If you liked Azada and realize that this game has evolved quite a bit from the original and are ok with that, then try this game. If you are a fan of Azada, but not HOPAs, then you'll probably be disappointed. I'd tell you to try it anyways, because it really is a well done game experience.
I recommend this game!
Enchantia: Wrath of the Phoenix Queen Collector's Edition
Explore the magical world of Enchantia as you race to save the land from the evil Phoenix Queen.
Overall rating
5
/
5
10 of 15 found this review helpful
Much Better Than I Anticipated!
PostedFebruary 18, 2013
FatedCircle
fromUS
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Let me start off by saying I don't review every game I play, but only when I find I have something to say afterward. In this case, the negative reviews and the solid 4 star rating put me off at first, but I picked this game up on the BOGO sale on a whim. I tend to favor fantasy style HOGs, and even though this game is a FROG I decided to give it a try anyways. I'm glad I did!
Some of the reviews I read mentioned a confusing story, but I found it to be exactly the opposite. I was engaged the entire time, which is unusual with many of these games. It did become slightly tedious with all the same round "keys" I had to find slots for, but there are far worse offenders in other HO Adventures.
I'm one who loves having to remember where I've been in a game, and needing to at times to go back and revisit areas. This game did that expertly. You didn't have to do too much, but there was just enough to keep me wondering and remembering the scenes for the entire game.
The puzzles were few and far between--there were far more fragmented object scenes. When there were puzzles they were fairly simple. I would have liked to have seen a little more difficulty here, but I don't think it took too much away from the game.
There is a bonus chapter in the collector's edition which adds a nice background to the story that I appreciated. The main story is completely resolved in the main part of the story, but having the extra was nice!
All in all, I was very happy with this game. I wasn't expecting a lot, just something to do with an afternoon, so I was pleasantly surprised. If you're a FROG fan, or a fantasy adventure fan, this game comes highly recommended!
I recommend this game!
Mystery Legends: Beauty and the Beast
Relive the fantasy of Beauty & the Beast in this never before told story of magic and love!
Overall rating
5
/
5
Very Solid Game, Glad I Bought This
PostedAugust 14, 2012
FatedCircle
fromUS
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I found this game on a review site that said this game was "perfect". While I don't agree that it was perfect, it was very close. The game start to finish was very enjoyable. It had just the right amount of challenge in the adventuring puzzles, although I did feel like the actual puzzles could have been a little more challenging.
The story was fantastic, although slightly predictable. The voice overs were very well done in comparison to most HOGs. The art was beautiful and the music was nice.
My only complaints (and they are small) are that some of the hidden object scenes were wide room views, which made finding small things more difficult. However, the HO lists themselves showed silhouettes of the items needed when you hovered over each name with your mouse, which was a nice innovation. The other issue was the length, it took me just under 3 hours to complete the whole story, which for this genre for me is a little light.
Otherwise this game was fantastic, and highly recommended!
Grim Tales: The Wishes
Be careful what you wish for... A deadly bargain has been made, and it's up to you to set things right before your nephew pays the terrible price!
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 8 found this review helpful
A Litte Redundant, Still Fun
PostedAugust 13, 2012
FatedCircle
fromUS
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I bought this game on the quality of the previous 2 games in this series, despite some of the reviews saying it wasn't as good. While those reviews are correct--it doesn't quite live up to its predecessors, it was still fun to play!
The story and game play were very similar to the other 2 Grim Tales games, however I was worried when first starting out in the game as the first memory you visit doesn't happen for quite a while in the storyline. I felt like they could have done more with that aspect of the game, as that is what drew me to the first two games. So while they included this bit of game play, and the bits they had were quite good, it didn't feel as seamless or quite as well done as it was before.
The hidden object scenes were particularly notable in this game. They were clear and well drawn, and the item lists had the perfect amount of difficulty to find. With many hidden object adventure games it's easy for the HO scenes to become tedious and feel like an arbitrary obstacle. In The Wishes they were fun, engaging and fit within the outline of the story.
The puzzles were mostly fun and relatively challenging, although there were too few of them. There were a few frustrating AI puzzles towards the end of the game that gave me some headaches, mainly though because of the knee jerk nausea reaction that I felt due to their Stauf-esque quality. I knew something was up trying to beat the AI in picking glowing beetles against a gecko, but it wasn't until I encountered the honeycomb shaped flower pot that I really made the connection. While all these HOG adventure games can thank Trilobyte and "Old Man Stauf" for their roots, this puzzle hit a little too close to home. Luckily the AI here wasn't nearly as unforgiving as Henry Stauf. :)
The adventuring for the most part was intuitive and enjoyable, although after an hour or so it became clear that the main obstacle behind most locked doors and boxes would be an oddly shaped "key". While acceptable and even fun in most situations, after locating several of these keys and trying to remember exactly which shape went with what door, the process became rather redundant and tedious. You almost feel as though there must have been something slightly more creative the developers could have come up with as a reason I couldn't progress through this particular door at this time, rather than just throwing a swan shaped key at it and tasking me with finding it.
All in all, I would recommend this game. There are better games available, but this one ranks nicely in the middle of the pack. If you played this and enjoyed it, I would definitely recommend its 2 predecessors, The Bride and The Legacy. I enjoyed this game, despite its flaws, and do not regret the time or money spent!
I recommend this game!
Otherworld: Spring of Shadows
Use a mystical locket to explore a magical world and save a young girl in Other world: Spring of Shadows!
Overall rating
5
/
5
8 of 8 found this review helpful
Reminds me of Dream Chronicles, Awesome!
PostedMarch 20, 2012
FatedCircle
fromUS
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I loved this game! I don't often give 5 stars but this game is more than deserving. The best thing about this game is its take on the Hidden Object genre. A lot of HO games are similar, find this, that and use it to open the next door. This game took that to another level by mixing up the hidden object scenes. There were a few "normal" style scenes, but the variety in what you were to find, and the manner in which you were asked to find the objects was clever. In some cases you matched a picture, in some you found pairs of related objects-- I was thoroughly impressed.
The length of the game was good, which is usually my number one complaint, and playing on the "medium" setting offered enough challenge to keep me engaged but not so much that it would leave me frustrated.
The story was very well done, fabulous voice overs, and beautiful scenes. I really can't think of anything bad to say about this game, other than I can't wait for the next one!
For fantasy HO lovers, especially if you loved the original Dream Chronicles series, I would highly, highly recommend this one.
I recommend this game!
Nightmare Realm
Journey into the Nightmare Realm and save Emily from an imaginary world that has been taken over by darkness!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Worth the money!
PostedMarch 18, 2012
FatedCircle
fromUS
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
One of the better HO/Adventure games I've played. The story is engaging and fun, the hidden object scenes are clever and interactive and the adventure itself is well done. My only complaint is that is relatively short, and would have liked to continue the adventure through more screens. The puzzles were relatively simple, perhaps overly so, but if you're looking for something more casual then you won't be disappointed. If you enjoy the more fantasy oriented HO adventures I highly recommend this one.
I recommend this game!
Curse at Twilight: Thief of Souls
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Different but Very Fun!
PostedMarch 9, 2012
FatedCircle
fromUS
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove
(355)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I just finished this game and found myself pleasantly surprised by it. I was expecting another adventure/HO game, and it was that, but had elements in it to set it apart from some of the others I've played.
I loved the map system, and finding the coins to complete the map made it more interesting. Putting together your inventory items was fun, although it did get a tiny bit old near the end of the game when you know you're close to finishing.
The story was very well done, and definitely left me wanting more soon! The length of the game was very good as well, taking me an entire afternoon of casual play to finish.
All in all a very good buy, well worth the money for the entertainment gained!
I loved the map system, and finding the coins to complete the map made it more interesting. Putting together your inventory items was fun, although it did get a tiny bit old near the end of the game when you know you're close to finishing.
The story was very well done, and definitely left me wanting more soon! The length of the game was very good as well, taking me an entire afternoon of casual play to finish.
All in all a very good buy, well worth the money for the entertainment gained!
I recommend this game!