biscuitsmama's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.3
- Helpful Votes:67,036
- Reviews Submitted:1148
- First Review:July 13, 2012
- Most Recent Review:December 16, 2020
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Mr. Turner was surrounded by people who could all benefit from his death, but who actually murdered him? Play the detective in this classic whodunit mystery!
Overall rating
5
/
5
121 of 148 found this review helpful
The Perfect Murder is a Great Gem
PostedSeptember 2, 2014
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Detective Karla Robbins is back with a new mystery to solve, one that is certainly not lacking in suspects. This great little gem of a whodunit is sure to please many gamers who prefer an old school HO game that still includes many of the newer features included in the genre.
The game opened automatically in widescreen. We can choose from three modes of gameplay – normal, hard and detective. While I am noting some of the technical aspects I will comment that I had something very strange happen in this game that has never happened before. I am left-handed and I have the buttons on my mouse switched to accommodate left hand use. When I entered the game I found my mouse didn’t work because for some reason the game's programming switched my mouse buttons back to right hand use. When I exited the game, my mouse reverted to the way I use it. I find this very unusual and as I mentioned above, this has never happened before.
The graphics are very good, being nice and crisp, with very good artwork. The voice overs are excellent even though they are not lip-synced, and the sound package suits the theme of the game.
Very early in the game we acquire a case file that contains three tabs – summary, observations and tasks. Another thing I like about the case file is that there is a list of our suspects off to the right and when we click on each one it opens their page in the file.
The HOS seem to be the traditional list type without any interaction required. After a recent game where almost every item in the HOS required interaction, this old-school, straight-forward list type is very refreshing. The hint button does not work in the HOS but after a certain amount to time the scene can be skipped. Not too far into my investigation I did encounter a separate HOS where I used a special magnifier to look for a certain number of fingerprints. The puzzles early in the game seem easy but I still found them entertaining.
Entwined: The Perfect Murder is just the game I have been waiting for – an old-school, HOPA with a great storyline and the perfect little gem to use one of those many free game coupons I have collected. I thoroughly enjoyed the demo and it is a buy for me. As always, I recommend that you try the demo to see if this is a game you will like.
I recommend this game!
Can you escape from the grasp of a lovestruck ghost?
Overall rating
4
/
5
8 of 13 found this review helpful
An Easy Going Game for Dana Knightstone Fans
PostedAugust 30, 2014
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Well Ms. Knightstone is at it again chasing a ghostly mystery, this time in a castle in Romania. Given the fact that we just sort of jump into the story without a lot of introduction, it seems that our heroine is just out for a drive in this wintery mountain setting. It is not too long before Dana encounters her first ghost and now we are into the game.
One of the things I do like about the Dana Knightstone games is that the graphics are very good, being nice and crisp without that misty washed out appearance that many developers use in their games. We have lots of color, which is nice since the last game I played had a rather dark setting. The voiceovers are generally very good and are not lip-synced, but I could live without having Alexandra ever speak a word, lip-sync or no. The game’s soundtrack is the theme used in all Dana Knightstone games so if you have played other games in the series, the musical theme will be very recognizable.
Early in the game we will acquire a helper, who isn’t all that he once was; however, he does prove quite useful in some situations. I haven’t found a diary so I can’t really say if there is one or not, but it wasn’t too long before I received my interactive, transporter type map.
The first mini HOS was very straightforward with just a bit of interaction but the items were clearly defined and of decent size. The game has a good mix of different types HOS with some being silhouette type, others are find a certain number of a specific item, while others are list type so there is sure to be something that might tickle your fancy. The thing that stood out the most to me, at least during the demo, is that there do not seem to be many itty-bitty items that are next to impossible to find. One of the most appealing things about the Dana Knightstone games, in my opinion, is the variety of great puzzles. Many of them appear easy in concept, but I honestly had to fiddle with some of them a bit more than is usual for me.
There really is not a lot of CE value or content in this game and many of you might wish to skip the CE altogether and just wait for the SE. I happen to like the integrated SG in the CE games and that has always been one of the most appealing features of the CE. If you like to earn achievements there are a ton of them – all gameplay related and, IMHO, generally meaningless. There are no collectibles, nor anything else that really stands out to make it CE worthy. However, with the great two-for-one sale this weekend, this might be the right time to pick up this game along with another CE.
I enjoyed the easy-going gameplay, which might seem boring to some but this is a great game to play when you need to while away they time on a quiet afternoon. It is not an overly exciting game but it is visually appealing and has enough of an interesting story line that enticed me to keep going. As I mentioned, this game might not be for everyone but for die-hard Dana Knightstone fans, it might just fit the bill. As always, I recommend that you at least try the demo to see if this is a game you will like.
I recommend this game!
You’re about to uncover the secret that’s been haunting Blackrow!
Overall rating
5
/
5
123 of 141 found this review helpful
An Excellent New Mystery Trackers Game For Those Who Love the Series
PostedAugust 28, 2014
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Well detective it looks like you and your trusty companion Elf, are off on a new adventure, this time protecting an actress who is receiving death threats. Since she is a prominent new star, the agency has been hired to provide her with the best detective possible, and you guessed it, that is you!
There are four cleverly named levels of difficulty, with Black Tie being the most difficult having no sparkles, hints or skips. The graphics are excellent but because of the nature and setting of the game they are a bit dark. The voiceovers are excellent, although there is no lip-sync. The rest of the sound package is very good and replicates the MT theme.
There is a new tool that you will find early in the game and it is something that will help you detect energy fields in certain areas. Be careful since it has never been used before. If you click on the spinning map icon it will open your map, diary, achievements and collectibles for view. The map is the interactive transporter type. The hint system in the game will allow you to transport to a scene where there is an active task available. Of course we have our trusty companion, Elf, to help us when needed.
The HOS in Elephant games are generally not as varied as they are in HOPS from other developers and are mostly the slightly interactive list type. I must say that for me at least, it is a refreshing change to see good list type HOS because I have tired of the HOS where I have to always figure out what to do to find something, or what item to open to begin the scene. It is okay once in a while but too many developers are making the HOPS too interactive and too heavy on silhouettes for my liking. I wish more devs would go back to including more list type HOS in their games instead of relying on one type of HOS as in a recent game.
The puzzles start out fairly easy and even though I have only encountered a few in the demo, I know that the puzzles from this developer increase in difficulty as we progress through the game. Most of the puzzles from the Elephant team can be a bit tricky but they are not overly difficult. Unfortunately, and I say this again and again, most developers have moved to including fairly basic and easy puzzles in their HOPA games. This is a bit disappointing to us who love the brain challenge but I know that many gamers don’t care for puzzles, thus the move towards simplicity.
There are achievements to be earned and collectibles to find but I have no idea what they are since there is an object we need to find in the game that will allow us to see the collectibles. Aside from the hidden collectibles, we will find 26 stained glass pieces that will go into a puzzle box. There are no morphing objects that I’ve found in the demo but I might have missed them. Of course, we have a secret room that will open once you have completed the bonus game.
I love this game. The MT series has always been a favorite of mine and this one proves to be excellent. One of the great things about this developer is that their games always have a great storyline that keeps me entertained. For me this latest Mystery Trackers CE game is very appealing, and I guess I am one of the few who has not yet tired of having my little friend Elf, accompany me on my adventure. Now I am off to hit the buy button and add Blackrow’s Secret to my collection. As always, I recommend that you at least try the demo to see if this is a game you will like.
I recommend this game!
The Simmons family is at it again... and you're invited to join them on their cross-country camping adventure.
Overall rating
2
/
5
19 of 25 found this review helpful
I'm Not Going On This Vacation!
PostedAugust 26, 2014
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
As Family Vacation 2: Road Trip begins, you meet Barb (the mom) who welcomes you to the game and then shortly thereafter starts sending you off on missions to help the family prepare for their vacation. She also lets you know that you should certainly check out their first family vacation in California just in case you happened to miss it.
Although the graphics were okay (not the style I prefer in a game), the voiceovers soon became annoying. Not only were the voiceovers almost intolerable, it didn't take long until the continuous guitar strum in the background also became irritating.
The game is an old style HO game where various family members request your help with tasks while they play a game or chat with their friends. Each time you enter a room you soon encounter a family member who, yes you guessed it, is too busy to do their own packing so you are off to help sort through the piles of clutter in each area for some items that are almost indistinguishable. Had some of the items on the list been larger, I don't think the game would have been quite so tedious. There were some things I liked about the HOS, such as the inclusion of puzzles in each scene, but overall they were just plain boring.
Although the game might hold a great deal of appeal to some gamers, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. In the end I found it quite annoying and couldn’t muster up enough enthusiasm to continue. As always, I recommend that you try the game yourself because it might be a perfect fit for you.
I don't recommend this game.
Sable Maze: Forbidden Garden
Your parents always told you to stay away from the mysterious maze behind their house... and you're about to find out why.
Overall rating
5
/
5
103 of 130 found this review helpful
Not As Bad As It Seems!
PostedAugust 22, 2014
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
My first though when I saw Forbidden garden was good grief, what has happened to Sable Maze? The Forbidden Garden appears to have taken a 360 degree turn from the first two games in the series and is now presented as a fairy tale, fantasy type game. Unfortunately the early part of the game seems more like “Dream Day Wedding” than an intriguing Sable Maze game. Oh well – on with the story. You will play the game as Wisteria who has returned to the family estate for your marriage to your sweetheart Ryan but, alas, poor Ryan manages to get himself captured and dragged through a mysterious portal in the family garden and, yes, you must save him. You soon learn that there is more to the mystery in the garden than the mere kidnapping of Ryan, for it seems that someone has a vendetta against your dad who has been hiding a family secret for years.
Yes again in another game from this developer, we have all those pink and purple tones that normally appeal to eight-year old girls. The graphics are excellent but just a bit over the top for my liking – at least in the early part of the game. That being said, the graphics are excellent and really beautiful, which will appeal to those of us who like “pretty” games. The voiceovers are okay but the dialog seems a bit corny. That being said the sound package is overall very good and even has lip-synced voiceovers.
We have the standard tools including a little “spinner” on the lower left that contains our notes, trophies, collections and other bits of information. We can also gain separate access to the map by clicking on the map icon below the spinner. Fortunately the map is the interactive transporter type that will show us areas where we have tasks to complete, which I always find helpful when I am at a loss for what to do next. Okay, early in the game we do acquire a pet helper who is really mom, who has been changed into an ermine. At least we can use “mom” to help us in certain situations.
There are the various types of interactive HOPs that we have come to expect in games from this developer, and most of the HOPs involve completing one or more puzzles to finish the scene. There are quite a few puzzles in the game with some being more difficult than others.
If you like fairytale, fantasy type games then you will most likely find Sable Maze Forbidden Garden to be an interesting and entertaining game. The game is a gorgeous game with excellent graphics that many of you will immediately love but for others, if you can get past the pink and purple flowery, over the top, early part of the game, the story develops and becomes far more interesting. Because I love some of the other excellent games from this developer, I purchased and played the CE, which in the end I thoroughly enjoyed. As always, I recommend that you at least try the demo to see if this is a game you will.
I recommend this game!
PuppetShow: Lightning Strikes Collector's Edition
The women of Paris are being turned into puppets! Can you find out who's pulling the strings?
Overall rating
5
/
5
34 of 66 found this review helpful
A Great Addition to the Series with Some Unexpected Twists
PostedAugust 21, 2014
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
When I saw the beta of this game I groaned because for me the Puppet Show series has never been one of my favorites. However, the last game in the series was better than I thought so I decide to give this one a try. Unfortunately, there were several things in the game that immediately put me off but I decided to slog on through and, surprisingly, found that the game gets much better as I moved through the story.
I know that I can always count on the great artistic talents of the bunny team to give me a game with great graphics that always have their special touch. My only complaint about the game was that some of the voiceovers were annoying but most were very good. My other complaint is the tool fan. I wish that would go away forever. While some of ERS’ newer games have included a custom gameplay mode this one does not and I wish it had been included. An interesting touch is that you can choose to play the game in either classic or in steampunk mode. I’ve tried both and don’t seem to be able to distinguish a difference.
Now, I have to comment and please forgive me if I step on any toes, but I personally hate seeing someone smoking a cigar or a cigarette in a game. In this case it seems very odd that we have a man hanging from a rope by one hand and having a lit cigar in the other and seeming quite casual about the whole situation - just MHO, so please don't rake me over the coals for this comment.
We have the standard tools that we find in this genre but, once again, I have to say please get rid of that danged fan. Although the fan doesn’t look like the pink fan that we initially find, it soon becomes our inventory box in the center of the screen. I think it takes up too much space and is annoying. At least in the early part of the game I don’t have a furry friend to help on my journey and that is okay with me. I have no idea if one will show up later but I’m guessing not. There is a map that we find early in the game along with our journal. I don’t like the map in this game and although it is easy to access I find it difficult to use. Yes it is a transporter type, which is always helpful but I don’t care for the mechanics.
Since this is a HOPA game we find various HOS but they are different and I didn't encounter too many during the demo. Another thing that I don't care for is the HO list presentation being at the top of the screen. That being said the developer is making an effort to change its HOS and strives to at least keep things interesting. I happen to like the puzzles ERS puts in its games and know that even though early in the game they are generally easy, they do become more difficult (usually after the demo expires) as the game progresses.
The CE stuff is becoming the same old thing that we find in all CE games, with some devs including more perks than others to get our attention. I generally go for the CE when there is a sale since I happen to like the inclusion of the in-game SG.
Admittedly, ERS is one of my favorite game developers and after getting into the meat of the game, I have to say that this addition to the Puppet Show series is excellent. You should try the demo and at least give this game a fair trial before making up your own mind.
I recommend this game!
In this latest installment of Imperial Island, accompany Emperor Omadan on an exciting journey through uncharted lands in search of his son - Prince Caleb.
Overall rating
5
/
5
34 of 43 found this review helpful
A Great Game but Doesn't Measure Up!
PostedAugust 20, 2014
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Imperial Island the Search for New Land is a sequel to what I think is an excellent game – Birth of an Empire. However as so often happens with sequels, IMHO, this one pales in comparison to the first game.
The graphics in The Search for New Land are very good but they are a departure from those in Birth of an Empire in that they have added cut scenes that do nothing to enhance the game. I far prefer the animated graphics in the original game to these, which seem at times flat. Another thing that I definitely don’t like is when I am at the home screen I see the whale in the lagoon that seems like it is in distress as it undulates up and down. Unfortunately, the whale put me off so much that I hated it when I would complete a match 3 level of the game and had to return to the main screen. We also have voiceovers in this game and I did not care for the narration. Again, and this is just my opinion, the developer would have done themselves a favor by skipping the narration at the beginning of the game.
Once I get away from my feeling about the graphics, I find the gameplay is fun and seems to be a bit more challenging than in the first game. Of course, any time I am presented with the challenge of achieving gold stars in a game, it is game on for me since I always want the three gold stars. We do have the option of playing the game in casual or timed mode, a wonderful option as I hate time-management or playing “beat the clock.”
Overall, I think Imperial Island the Search for New Land Is an excellent match 3 game but somehow it just isn’t as appealing to me as the first game in the series. If another sequel comes along, I hope the developer returns to the format of the first game. There are things about this game that are very appealing but for me with the change in graphics style I will most likely give it a pass. I am sure that there are many gamers who will absolutely love this game, and I recommend that you try the demo and decide whether this is a game you will like.
I recommend this game!
The shadow of the Jabberwocky, a terrifying fantasy creature glides above Wonderland! Help Alice restore peace and harmony back to the land!
Overall rating
1
/
5
15 of 37 found this review helpful
This Wonderland Lacks Fun!
PostedAugust 19, 2014
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Alice Behind the Mirror is one of those games that you will either love or hate. I’m not really sure which side of the mirror I will eventually end up on but suffice it to say that the game is very slow and will definitely require more than the one-hour demo time to make any substantial progress. At this point, I am leaning towards what another reviewer said in the forum this morning and may decide to join her in “watching paint dry,” which I think would eventually have more gratifying results.
The graphics are excellent and for the most part crisp and clear. There are no muted pink, purple or blue tones to found – thankfully. This is an “old-fashioned” HO game in that we have no voice overs, and given the horrid, bouncy music that goes on and on and on, I am almost thankful because I can’t imagine what the developer would have come up with for voices. If you like to read be prepared because we not only have a ton of dialog to read through but each scene has an abundance of not so interesting facts that we are presented with if we happen to click on the Cheshire Cat’s face that is found everywhere in this game.
The HOS are plentiful with no interaction required. What you see is what you get or in some cases, what you can’t see is what you get. I found that most of the items from the list were miniscule and almost impossible to find. For instance, in one scene I needed to find a broken heart and it turned out to be an almost invisible indentation on the edge of a wooden counter. Fortunately there is no “click” penalty because most of the items I found were because I clicked on an unidentifiable spot in the scene and you guessed it, yes, there was a hidden item there.
If you like old-school hidden object games without a lot of storyline, adventure or excitement, then you will most likely fall into the camp with those who loved the gamed. As for me, after submitting my review I am going to go watch paint dry with a friend, which might be more rewarding that going into Wonderland with the Cheshire Cat. As always, I recommend in that you at least try the demo to see if this is a game you will like.
I don't recommend this game.
Unleash the awesome power of nature in Weather Lord: In Pursuit of the Shaman!
Overall rating
1
/
5
24 of 43 found this review helpful
Couldn't Even Get Going With This One!
PostedAugust 18, 2014
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I am not usually interested in builder type games and now I know why. Although Weatherlord In Pursuit of the Shaman has very good graphics and sound it is woefully short on instructions. After about five minutes of trying to figure out what to do and how to make my helpers actually perform the assigned tasks I gave up. If a developer wants to hold my interest in a game of this type, they should include a tutorial on how to navigate and how to perform the assigned tasks.
When I went through the opening scenes of the game, I thought Weatherlord In Pursuit of the Shaman was one builder game I might actually like so it was a huge disappointment to me that I couldn’t get going. There is no way I would purchase this game and I don’t recommend it, certainly not to anyone who might be a novice with the genre. All I can say is that Weatherlord is a big thumbs down from me.
I don't recommend this game.
Save your daughter from a mysterious mirror-hopping monster!
Overall rating
2
/
5
55 of 79 found this review helpful
Is There an Award for Most Boring Game of the Year?
PostedAugust 17, 2014
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
After a year of waiting since the first Nevertales the Beauty Within hit the market we now have this disappointing sequel with Shattered Image. In the sequel Belle and Pierre have returned along with their daughter, Alice, who is now a young girl of twelve. With her parents having a special gift that allows them to travel through portals to different worlds, it would make sense that their daughter has been blessed with this gift as well. However, as often happens to the young, they sometimes experiment with things they shouldn’t, and Alice is now in serious trouble. Without a moment to spare, Belle and Pierre are off to save their child from a dire fate.
The graphics are very good, although they are at times shrouded in a bit of mistiness. Fortunately the graphics have improved since the beta release but we are still overwhelmed with shades of blue, pink and purple that this developer seems very fond of using in its graphics. The voiceovers in the game are very good, and they are lip-synced – something I always enjoy in a game. The rest of the sound package is extremely good with excellent and sometimes haunting music and wonderful ambient sounds that set the stage in each scene of the game.
We have the standard tools with a diary or journal that is found on the lower right of the screen. We also have an interactive map that is a transporter type so that we can move quickly from one location to another.
The HOS in this game have a lot of variety and are very similar to those found in the first Nevertales game; however, in Shattered Image we need to build more of the items from very well-hidden, vague pieces. I tended to find the HOS and, quite frankly, most of the puzzles in the game very tedious which made the gameplay overall less than appealing.
I loved the first Nevertales game but Shattered Image turned out to be a huge disappointment. What I thought of as fun in the first game turned out to be a boring chore in this game. The games from this developer are always challenging and a bit different from those that we can drift through without having to use our brains but for some reason Shattered Image was a nothing more than a huge bore without a lot of challenge or creativity. Even though I purchased the CE and in the end didn’t care for the game, I recommend that you at least try the demo to see if you may have a different opinion from mine.
I don't recommend this game.