The latest in the EAP Dark Tales series is finally here but be aware that there is a warning at the beginning of the game contains violence and disturbing scenes. I am wondering if the clamoring for what some call “gritty” games has finally reached the ears of the BFG game developers. The main game has only four chapters BUT, in games from this team they are generally very long.
The Tell-Tale Heart begins with a gruesome scene as a young woman is murdered and strung up to a nearby tree. The renowned Detective Dupin has been called to the town of Gurtos to investigate the murder and has asked you to accompany him as he works to solve the case.
The game offer four modes of gameplay: Casual, Hard, Advanced, and Custom. If you select the Custom mode both the hint and puzzle skip times can be set in a range of 5 – 200 seconds. You can also uncheck various other settings to customize the gameplay. I love the graphics created by Bunny Team, and I doubt anyone else creates such realistic hand-drawn characters. Of course Detective Dupin is just as gorgeous as ever and he is the great eye-candy in the game. Along with the incredible graphics we have lip-synced voiceovers that are equally as excellent, all of which are accompanied by special effects that truly set the stage for this terrific new game.
There is an interactive map that is present at the beginning of the game and we do have a valise that we pack with some tools that are used early in the game. During the game’s demo I didn’t find any tools that are really considered gimmicks.
Since this is a HOPA game we do have HOPS and the first one is a matching story type where we must find pairs of the highlighted words in the story. The HOPS are subtly woven into the story and appear sometimes as mini scenes. The puzzles do not seem overly difficult although they are tricky and one gate puzzle takes a bit of time to fiddle with in order to successfully complete it.
The CE version of the game includes 32 collectible cards that depict items or characters from previous Dark Tales games. The other extras include Movies, Wallpapers, Concept Art, Screensavers, Replay of Mini-Games and HOPS, Music, the Strategy Guide, and the Bonus Game.
In spite of some rather bloody scenes in the game, I am thrilled with the Tell-Tale Heart. IMHO, the Bunny Team has heard what gamers have asked for and recently created some exciting games. For me The Tell-Tale Heart was an instant buy based on what I saw in the demo. I WANT to play this game. The game is an excellent retelling of a classic EAP story and well worth the wait. Based on what I saw in the demo. I WANT to play this game. The game is an excellent rendering of the classic EAP tale and well worth the wait. Congrats to the Bunny Team on a job well done. As always, I recommend that you try the demo to see if this is a game you will enjoy.
The game is set in Munich and, yes, you are a detective whose assistance is requested, particularly since you are well-versed in strange phenomenon. As you prepare to enter Munich you encounter a fortune teller who informs you that your fate is connected to the Wanderer. Your paths are intertwined and you will direct him to either creation or destruction. The signs are indeed ominous with the longest eclipse in history overshadowing the city. When you meet with Herr Lehmann you find him investigating the case of a young woman who was incinerated in her very own carriage. Hmmm, this is truly an interesting beginning for the new Chimeras game.
The game offers four modes of gameplay: Casual, Advanced, Hardcore, and Custom. In the custom mode you can set the hint and skip buttons to recharge in a range of 15 to 90 seconds. In the custom mode I also appreciate that I can turn off the tutorial.
Although the graphics are extremely good the artistic style seems different than in the first Chimeras game. The lip-synced voiceovers are okay but aside from the fortune teller in the beginning of the game, it is rather odd that for a game set in Munich the accents are certainly not Germanic.
Your tools include the interactive transporter type map and there is also a diary that keeps track of information you acquire during the game.
The HOPs are varied in style and the types I encountered during the demo were traditional list, find items by silhouette, and find items by the highlighted words in a story. However, only the list type had minimal interaction required. It seemed like there were more HOPs than puzzles but there was one super puzzle at the end of the demo.
The first Chimeras game was absolutely one of my favorite all time games and I am not sure this one can compete. Of course one of the things that made the first game outstanding was the song played during the introduction, and we aren't treated to anything that spectacular as this game opens. The storyline in The Signs of Prophecy becomes more interesting as the game progresses and by the end of the demo I was hooked. I was captured by the mystery of trying figure out exactly who the Wanderer might be. Is he a hero or a villain? I am sure we will find out as we play this wonderful new game from the Mammoth team. Even though it quickly became evident that this is a game I had to have, I recommend that you try the demo to see if this is a game you will enjoy.
Haunted Hotel The X is the eighth game in the series and a truly creepy mystery. Your sister, Samantha, has apparently gone missing after letting you know that she is on assignment writing a story about a local haunted hotel. Terrific brother that you are, you set off to investigate what has happened to sis. Once you arrive at the old hotel, you begin to realize that things are not what they seem and that Samantha has apparently become mired in a whole lot of ectoplasm.
The game offers four modes of gameplay: Casual, Advanced, Hardcore and Custom. If you select the custom mode you can click various settings on or off depending on how you like to play. Most important for me is the setting for hint and skip times. In this case the time range for both settings is between 15 and 90 seconds. Another option this developer includes in its games is the option to either continue or reset the game when starting to play after exiting a previous gameplay session. The graphics are excellent with some awesome special effects that enhance the ghostly creepiness of the storyline. The sound package is wonderful including the lip-synced voiceovers.
Your tools include a journal and an interactive transporter type map that are present at the beginning of the game. You have a video camera where you can view footage after you find a cassette. I don’t want to explain the significance of the camera because if you play the demo you will discover how to use it. As they say, discovery is half the fun.
The first HOP is a silhouette type, followed by the standard list type. I didn’t find any HOPS that were the strictly interactive type although some did require minor interaction to find items. The puzzles seem typical with the first one being a very simple dial puzzle and the next a slider type. I am sure the puzzles will increase in difficulty as the game moves forward.
The extras in the CE release of the game include collectibles, morphing objects, and achievements. The other extras include wallpapers, concept art, music, replay of mini-games and HOPS, the secret room, bonus gameplay, and the strategy guide.
Overall, I loved this game. Foremost, the game had a storyline that sucked me in and held my interest. The pace was excellent and the game didn’t seem to drag along without capturing my interest. I love a good ghost story and with Haunted Hotel the X we certainly have one. When I finished the demo, I couldn’t wait to hit the buy button because I know this is a game I will love. It looks like the devs have gone back to the roots of the first Haunted Hotel games and come up with a wonderful ghostly mystery. If the game has any shortcoming it is that the puzzles are just not as challenging as I would like. That being said, we all have different tastes in games and the puzzles might not be your thing. Even though I loved the game you might not agree. Please try the demo and see if Haunted Hotel The X is a game that you will enjoy.
The Trials of Olympus is a match 3 type game that has lovely graphics, lip-synced voiceovers and a good storyline. Angelo the architect, who built palaces and beautified Mount Olympus for the Gods, has done the most unforgivable of sins; he has fallen in love with a mere mortal, the Princess Amara, and angered Zeus. In punishment, Zeus has clipped his wings and banished him to the mortal realm where he must now prove his worth to Princess Amara’s father who thinks he is just a common man who has dared to seek the hand of his daughter. With the aid of his Guardian Angel, Angelo must travel the most dangerous lands in the kingdom to build palaces and beautify them for the king. Not so much different than what he did on Mount Olympus, but certainly not as easy without all of his angelic powers.
The game has no relaxed mode although the timer does seem generous. The biggest issue I had is that for some reason the tiles don’t seem as crisp as I like, and that might be because some of them were gray stones or bricks and lacked color. One thing that I did find annoying was the voice of the narrator saying awesome when I would make a larger match of tiles. During the gameplay we will acquire tools and use the resources we earn in the match 3 rounds to purchase items to beautify the desolate lands for the king. Depending upon how quickly we finish the level we will earn up to three gold stars.
The gameplay was fun and because of the storyline, I enjoyed the game. It is not one of the best match 3 games I have played but it is better than a host of others that come our way. Usually I don’t enjoy games that have a time limit but for some reason this one didn’t bother me. Maybe as the game progresses I will find it more difficult to earn the gold stars in the time allotted. The Trials of Olympus is a keeper for me but, as always, I recommend that you try the demo to see if it is a game you will enjoy.
Alice’s Patchwork is a wonderful mosaics type game where we complete various puzzles – this time in Wonderland. I love this game.
The background graphics are beautiful and everything I would expect Wonderland to be. The game has a relaxed setting so if you don’t want to play beat the clock you can enjoy completing the puzzles at your leisure. Normally I find the music in these types of games to be obnoxious and irritating but not so in Alice’s Patchwork. I found the music to be enjoyable and didn’t have to turn it off as I often do.
The premise of the game is to complete the mosaics without making mistakes. Sometimes that is challenging and not quite as easy as it seems. Even the early levels in the game took some time to figure out where those pieces should fit when there were not that many clues. The game has 120 puzzles to complete where we meet those famous residents of Wonderland.
Alice’s Patchwork is the type of puzzle game I enjoy and this one is better than many that come our way. What a great way for me to use those bonus coupons I gather for purchasing so many HOPA games. Although the game is an instant keeper for me, as always, please try the demo to see if this is a game you will enjoy.
+47points
105of163voted this as helpful.
Off the Record: The Final Interview
A man is dying, and you’re the prime suspect!
Overall rating
5/ 5
40 of 57 found this review helpful
A BLUE RIBBON WIN FOR OFF THE RECORD THE FINAL INTERVIEW
PostedNovember 8, 2015
biscuitsmama
fromPlacing my bets with sadness as this series comes to an end
My Review is based on the CE Version of the game and with a weekend sale, if you are looking for an additional CE, I recommend Off The Record The Final Interview.
Today is your lucky day and you receive a phone call from the reclusive Calvin Reedley who wants to tell you a story about his past. Well maybe it’s not so lucky since you seem to suffer a major car malfunction on your way to the interview. Wow, it is fortunate you survived and escaped your car just before it toppled over the edge. It looks like someone certainly doesn’t want you making it to the interview and telling this story. You had better watch your back or this could be your “Final Interview.”
The game options include four modes of gameplay: Easy, Medium, Hard and Custom. In the custom more the hints can be set to recharge anywhere from 10 to 120 seconds and the puzzle skips can be set to recharge in a range of 10 to 400 seconds. You can also turn of the HOP error click penalty. As usual the graphics are awesome and the color seems to pop on my monitor. The voiceovers are excellent as is the entire sound package for the game.
You have the usual interactive map and fortunately there are no gimmicks in sight. Hooray, that makes two games this week where the devs have not included some type of magic device that needs to be charged before use. Oh, and no pet helpers either! We are on our own and using our own brain power to solve the mystery.
We have the usual excellent and varied, multi-level HOPs that this dev is known for creating. I always eagerly await their games and love their HOP segments. At least for me, the puzzles seem fairly easy but, alas, that seems to be the trend in HOPA games. Sometimes we have one that seems a bit more difficult but at least there is a bit of variety here as well. I don’t need to fill in all the details because if you want that information there is an excellent reviewer who includes that for you in her reviews.
IMHO, this developer always gives us the bang for our buck when we purchase their CE versions of a game. In the Final Interview, they have given us three different sets of collectibles to find and included morphing objects as well. If you are familiar with their games then you know where to look for the morphing objects. Of course the game includes the usual extras such as the Strategy Guide, Bonus Chapter, wallpapers, artwork, videos, and music. We can also replay the HOP scenes and puzzles. All in all an excellent CE package and with this weekend’s sale it is a true value and a game worth owning.
When I received my newsletter from the dev this week they said that it is time to say goodbye to the Off The Record series of games. As much as I hate to see the series end, at least this developer knows when it is time to put a series out to pasture and try something new. Personally, I have always enjoyed the Off The Record games so I will miss them. The Final Interview is an excellent game to put this “edition to bed.” I hope you will enjoy the game as much as I do but, as always, I recommend you try the demo to see if this is a game you will like.
I have never met a Lost Lands game that I didn’t love. This developer knows how to put a great and generally long game (at least for me) together. I have enjoyed every previous Lost Lands game and know that this one will be no exception. Of course we have that constant theme of most fantasy type HOPA games and we must save the world from an ancient evil that has been released and threatens to take over not only the Lost Lands but other worlds, including Susan’s world as well. I don’t mind the storyline but something different would be refreshing.
Our heroine from the previous games returns and one would think that by now she would be very wary about touching rippling mirrors or anything that might resemble a portal. However, since Susan is curious by nature, and we wouldn’t have a story if she didn’t, she can’t resist touching the mirror that whisks her through a portal to another realm. I am sure that many of you have probably realized that Susan in the Lost Lands games is the same character as Suzanne in another series from this same developer. I guess recycling pays off in games and cuts down on the work – lol. In the Golden Curse petrified demons are being restored to life and they must be stopped at all cost. As Susan are you up to the challenge?
The game has three gameplay options to choose: Easy, Normal, and Hard Even though the game doesn’t have a Custom mode, we can still choose various settings under each mode. The hint and skip buttons can be set to select the amount of time you would like for each to recharge after use. The graphics are good but not overall as crisp as I like. The close-up windows generally have very sharp graphics. The voiceovers, on the other hand, are excellent.
Your tools include an interactive map that you must find and piece together early in the game. We also have a journal or diary – one of my favorite tools. We will find pages of a manuscript throughout the game that are then stored in the diary as we progress. The manuscript provides interesting facts about the Lost Lands and presumably we might need that information for a quiz found in the extras section of the game.
Since the Golden Curse is a HOPA game we do have HOPS but they don’t seem as frequent. One of the things that I love about the Lost Lands series is that every time we need an item we certainly don’t have to search a HO scene to find it. Don’t get me wrong, I love searching for items but, unfortunately, these silhouette scenes are not my favs. Maybe as the game gets going we will have some variety in the HOPS rather than silhouette type all the way through. The puzzles are fairly familiar and not so difficult that they can’t be easily completed.
The CE version of the game includes collectibles and morphing objects. There are achievements to be earned if you care about them, and then we have the usual items such as the strategy guide, bonus game, wallpapers, art, videos, music, mini-games, puzzles, and a quiz.
Since I love the Lost Lands games, I purchased the game right away without bothering to download the demo. Even though I am very fond of this series, as always I recommend that you try the demo to see if The Golden Curse is a game you will enjoy.
+37points
77of117voted this as helpful.
Grim Tales: Threads of Destiny
Can you free Jackie's parents from their deadly fates?
Overall rating
3/ 5
20 of 27 found this review helpful
CAN YOU CHANGE DESTINY?
PostedNovember 6, 2015
biscuitsmama
fromMaybe this destiny should not have been undone.
Okay, I admit that I have a huge fear of flying and when the game begins with a plane exploding in mid-air I cringed and knew that I would have to leave my fear at the door as I stepped into this game. However, it seems that Jackie’s parents missed that flight only to meet their Destiny in another way. We once again play the game as Aunt Gray who has a special gift of being to go back into the past and see the actual events as they unfold. Will you be able to change the destiny of Alexander and Natalia Gray and thwart fate? What actually happens if we go back in time and change events? I know that I am going to be totally immersed in this new Grim Tales as I explore that concept and see how it all plays out.
Everything about the game is top notch with graphics and a sound package that bring the game to life. The game offers four modes of gameplay – Casual, Advanced, Hardcore, and Custom. If you choose the custom mode that is always my option when offered, you can fiddle with the settings so that you can play the way you like. In custom mode you can set the hints and puzzle skips to recharge in a range of 15 to 90 seconds.
Our tools include an interactive map that we find early in the game. I didn’t any any gimmicky tools and that was certainly a relief.
Of course being a HOPA game we have HOP scenes that include a variety of styles. The puzzles are typical and not overly difficult so there is not a lot to say. I happen to love puzzles in a game and fortunately, at least early in the game it appears that there are more puzzles than HOPS. The puzzles do range in difficulty with some being a bit more challenging than others but I haven’t found any that were real stinkers to solve.
I purchased the CE version of the game and as I began playing I saw a theme developing. It seemed as if the game was the same one that came out just the week before with a different title and from a different dev. Although I liked the game, I soon became bored by having to go from time to a different time to undo the past and put things right with the family. In the end the game became redundant and boring. I am sure that many of you who like the Grim Tales series will thoroughly enjoy the game and its quality. As for me, I couldn’t play the bonus game because I was so over it by the time I reached the end. I think a different storyline or should go into the next Grim Tales or perhaps it is time to retire the series. Although, the game didn’t live up to my expectations, as always, I recommend that you at least try the demo to see if this is a game you will enjoy.
I recommend this game!
+13points
20of27voted this as helpful.
Haunted Legends: The Secret of Life Collector's Edition
You've traveled the world in search of a cure for your deadly illness, and you've finally found it! But it won't be easy to get – are you up to the task?
Overall rating
5/ 5
71 of 124 found this review helpful
LEARN MORE ABOUT COUNT SAINT GERMAINE AS HE SEEKS THE SECRET OF LIFE
In this new Haunted Legends we play the game as Count Saint Germaine who is suffering from a terminal illness. We have traveled the world in search of a cure but as we are at the point of losing hope, we learn of an ancient house that is said to possess the Secret of Life. Your search is almost at and end and you are one of four healers summoned to the house to perform a purification ritual and, if you are successful, you will then receive the Secret of Life. As you prepare for the ritual you certainly find there is more to the story than simply gaining the Secret of Life. It seems that the elder has not been very open with you and he requires a healer that will complete the purification ritual to save his daughter’s soul and banish the curse that will soon engulf the entire town. It becomes apparent that this will not be an easy task as other healers have perished during the process.
The game offers 4 choices of gameplay mode: Casual, Advanced, Hard, and Custom. In the Custom mode the hints and puzzle skips can be set in a range of 5 to 200 seconds. You can fiddle with the settings and uncheck tutorial and wrong click penalty buttons if you wish. As usual the graphics are excellent and have that signature Bunny Team look. Their hand drawn artwork is tip notch and I think their characters are exceptionally well depicted. The lip synced voiceovers are also excellent as are the ambient sound effects and music.
Your tools include an interactive map that is acquired in the game’s first HOP scene. An additional map will also be received when you are about to enter the gates to the cemetery and the house. The bunny team seems to have received the message that we don’t particularly care for pet helpers and other gimmicky objects and have stayed away from those in this game. You are on your own to play this game and find the Secret of Life.
The HOP scenes do have some variety as usual. The first scene was one where not only do we find the items but we will collect additional pieces to open a case. The next HOP was the standard list type but it too had some interaction required. The puzzles seemed a bit more challenging and I have to admit that I struggled with the skull lock puzzle and just couldn’t seem to get it. With a puzzle being so tricky early in the game, I am hopeful there will be more challenge ahead. Although the puzzles might be challenging the only thing I don’t like is that some of them are the type that I dislike where we move one thing and others will move as well. I couldn’t see the logical pattern and happened to solve one just as I was ready to hit the skip button. I prefer puzzles that have some obvious logic involved and don’t seem quite so random, so I am hopeful that puzzles later in the game are not all this same type.
The CE version of the game has collectibles and morphing objects. I actually found some collection pieces by not even realizing that I had clicked on them. The remaining extras are playing mini-games and HOPs, Facts about the Haunted Legend series, Test (a quiz to see how much you know about the series), Cat-Match, Recipes, Art, Music, and the bonus gameplay as well as the Strategy Guide. IMHO, because of the difficult puzzles the Strategy Guide will certainly come in handy. It looks like the Bunny Team has included more extras in this game than they have in others so it is a great value to get the CE.
The game certainly has the creepy factor that many gamers just love. The storyline is intriguing and maybe we will see how SG became the nasty little man that he has been in all of the other Haunted Legends. Of course this is just conjecture on my part since my review is based only on the demo of the game. Since I have enjoyed most of the Haunted Legends games, The Secret of Life was an instant buy for me but as always, please try the demo to see if this is a game you will enjoy.
Big City Adventures is back and this time our family is visiting Shanghai. As is the case with the other games in the series (I think I have all of them) you will visit different touristy locales to find hidden objects. There really is no adventure or story aside from discovering different items hidden in the various locations but that can be great fun if you love HOGs. My favorite thing about these games is that there are lots of puzzles thrown into the mix - one after you complete finding the hidden objects in each location.
There is a relaxed mode if you don’t like to play beat the clock. I always become very nervous when I run out of time so, trust me, the relaxed mode is just what the doctor ordered to cure that nervous tic. The graphics in the game are always excellent and give us a mini vacation without leaving home. Another special touch is the description of each location that we read on a postcard before playing the level. The music for the game is what would be expected and if I keep the volume set low it is tolerable. Although there is a slider in the options for voices, I never heard any voiceovers in the game.
During gameplay you will find coins that can be collected that serve a special purpose such as adding time, or will allow you to skip puzzles. I usually need to find those hint coins because some objects can be very difficult to find. Even though you might choose to play the game in the relaxed mode you can still earn bonus points for each level. There are collectible Qilin Dragons to be found: one hidden in each scene. Once you know what they are, they are fairly easy to spot. Even though you might choose the relaxed mode of gameplay, you can still earn the achievements in the game.
The Big City Adventures are great games that can be played at leisure – one or two levels per day without having to keep a storyline in mind. They are great time filler games that can be enjoyed when you only have a few minutes to spare in your busy day and if you enjoy being an armchair traveler, then the Big City games are a must have. We can be immersed in the various places we travel to without having to pack our bags and make sure that our passports are current. I happen to like Big City Shanghai more than some of the others mainly because of my fascination with Asian culture and this is a great way to explore at my leisure. Hopefully, you will enjoy Big City Adventure Shanghai, but as always I recommend that you try the demo. Happy travels!