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:
A series of unexplained deaths baffle authorities, and you’re called in to investigate.
Overall rating
4
/
5
205 of 297 found this review helpful
Still Not Sure I Want to Sail on This Sea of Lies
PostedJuly 18, 2014
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
You play the game again as Senorita Adams a renowned detective who has been personally selected by the governor to handle a curious murder case. The governor definitely suspects foul play but he requests your utmost discretion in dealing with the case since he doesn’t want to cause a panic in his town. Upon further investigation it seems that the governor is correct and it’s not too long before your simple case becomes much more mysterious and dangerous. I need to make a comment here about something I noticed right off the bat. I begin the game with a bit of confusion as to my marital status since Governor Vega refers to me as both senorita and madam. This is not a big deal but it indicates the lack of editing in the dialog.
The graphics are okay but overall a huge disappointment for a game from this developer, and although there are lip-synced voice overs, I don’t care for the voices or the contrived accents. OMG, the overly dramatic young woman in one scene was almost too much. The fact that I had to listen to her sob in the background as I searched the area was a bit overwhelming to say the least. Wow, this may be one of my first disappointments in a game from EIPIX.
In Sea of Lies Nemesis, we find that standard tools that are in every HOPA game. There is a journal that keeps track of the story and also contains our objectives. We also have an interactive, transporter type map that indicates where we have tasks to accomplish. Another tool is our evidence dusting case. As we move through the game we will come across items that need to be “dusted” and this is where our trusty evidence kit comes in handy.
There seems to be far higher ratio of HOPs to puzzles in this game than I like. That being said, the HOPs are very interactive and almost mini-puzzles in themselves. However, one of the things that I did not like about the HOPs is that some items were very difficult to find since I couldn’t determine what they should be to begin with, particularly in the HOP where items to find were displayed on gold coins. If you don’t want to or can’t locate items, you have the option switch to a colorful match 3 game. Although I didn’t encounter that many puzzles to solve in the demo, the puzzles were actually quite good and some of them a little tricky, so that is a mark on the plus side for the game.
Although in the end I was left feeling that the game was a bit tedious for me, I am still giving the game a fairly high-star rating since there is quite a bit of variety in the game that many of you will find to be quite enticing given the multi-level HOPs but I found it a bit too monotonous and mechanical to be truly enjoyable. 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!
Ominous Objects: Family Portrait Collector's Edition
A father returns home to find his children missing - all but one, who refuses to say a word...
Overall rating
5
/
5
150 of 265 found this review helpful
A Graphically Beautiful Fantasy Game - Very Entertaining
PostedJuly 17, 2014
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I must admit that when I downloaded the game and listened to the dialog, I thought give me a break! The dialogue was so far-fetched for the eighteenth century that I had to laugh. If you can check your sense of reality at the door and realize that Ominous Objects is just a game, then you may end up liking it. Since the game is from an excellent developer who has brought us extremely good games in the past, I decided to give the game a fair trial and I am actually glad that I did.
The game has excellent graphics that are quite colorful and beautiful. The voiceovers, however, are really bad. It is not so much that the voices are terrible; it is that they are so out of character that they are laughable. However, if you can get past the voiceovers, the rest of the sounds, including the music, are quite good.
Early in the game you will find your interactive, transporter map but I couldn’t find a journal or diary. When you click on the icon in the lower left you can access your map, goals, achievements and the Kitty Playroom. Yes, you do have a cute and cuddly fur-ball who joins you on your adventure and who will help you when needed. Some gamers hate pet helpers in games but I rather like them once in a while.
The HOPs are interactive and fun with items that are not too difficult to find. IMHO, the puzzles are this game’s strong point. Although the puzzles are not difficult, they do take a bit of time and thought to accomplish. I particularly enjoyed the puzzle in the first HO scene that I had to complete in order to obtain my “prize.”
Ominous Objects Family Portrait CE has some great extras and I particularly enjoyed the Developer’s Diary where I could see the developer’s at work and play, which I think is a great extra. Included in the CE we find the standard extras such as collectibles and achievements, a Kitty Playroom, wallpapers, bonus match-3 game, the strategy guide and the obligatory bonus game.
Given some of the great games from this developer, I know that I am in for a treat with Ominous Objects Family Portrait. Yes the story is a bit far-fetched (I don’t think castles were purchased as if they were tract homes in the eighteen century) but I still had a great time playing due to the good puzzles and HOPs. Overall the game is very entertaining and enjoyable. I purchased the game but, 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!
Resolve a family squabble before the gates to the realm of the dead swing open and horrors beyond imagination pour into this world!
Overall rating
5
/
5
54 of 114 found this review helpful
A Quirky, Creepy and Very Entertaining Game
PostedJuly 16, 2014
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Well, what a surprise quirky, creepy game we have today. The Other Side Tower of Souls is such a great game. The only warning is that if you don’t like spiders, you might want to stay away from this one. If you like fun and fright, well then you are in for a treat.
Tower of Souls has so much going for it that it is hard to know where to start but I guess the graphics quality is a good place. The graphics are excellent and some of the cutscenes are so very good, particularly the one early in the game where the tower is being rebuilt. The rendition of the ghosts and monsters is quite good. We have our beautiful big-eyed spirit, Lily, who has drawn us to the tower to help her with a task, and then we have Boris, who will become our guide in the game. The voiceovers are so good and I love the narration by our character as we continue through the game. Not only is the narration great, I found the written dialog to be quite humorous. This is one of the first newer games where I didn’t seem to notice, or even care about, lip-syncing. The rest of the sound package is excellent including the upbeat music that sort of reminds me of the Adams Family theme and adds to the overall ambience of the game
The HOPs in Tower of Souls are so much fun. They are sort of creepy and require a lot of interaction with moving parts. It is so entertaining to have an interactive hidden object scene that is a bit different and a lot of fun. The early puzzles in the game are very easy but still they break the monotony of merely finding inventory items. Speaking of finding things, the inventory box is a bit different than we expect: it is more off to the left and is boxy rather than covering the bottom.
Although The Other Side Tower of Souls comes to us as an SE, my suspicion is that it was originally intended as a CE but that the developer decided to go ahead and not include some of the extras such as the SG. That being said, we do have collectibles to find and achievements to earn – some of the most popular extras in a CE game.
Overall, Tower of Souls is definitely one of the best SE games to come my way in recent weeks (this doesn’t include the SE releases of some CEs, since some of those games were definitely 5-star rated). Yes even though we do acquire a feline helper, he is so much fun, extremely humorous and at times so snarky that I thoroughly enjoy his presence. In fact, just because I find Boris so entertaining, I don’t mind one bit that I can spend my coins to add to his wardrobe or comfort. If you are looking for a game that is just a bit spooky but quite entertaining, Tower of Souls might just be the game for you. As always, I recommend that you at least try the demo to see if this is a game you will enjoy as much as I do.
I recommend this game!
Real estate agent Angie Dee must get her first home ready for sale. Explore, solve puzzles and clean cobwebs to unravel the house’s mystery in this amusing adventure.
Overall rating
1
/
5
23 of 80 found this review helpful
What a Mess!
PostedJuly 14, 2014
biscuitsmama
fromSacramento, CA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Marble Popper, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
This is an odd little game right from the beginning. There is no option to enter your player name and, as far as I can determine, the only option (at the beginning) is to select between the hard or easy mode of gameplay. Once we get into the game if we click on the menu button then we do have an option to turn off some of the sound items.
It looks like The House on Usher is perhaps one of the very rare games from a US based developer and what a disappointment their effort is to say the least. This team needs to go back to the drawing board and figure out what they need to do to present a really good HOPA game.
It is a joke to call this a hidden object game because it is virtually impossible to find most of the items. The artistic rendering of many items is nothing more than a microscopic blob of color, and if we resort to the old click around method, we are penalized after the third click. The music is annoying after about 30 seconds and I couldn’t turn it off soon enough. The graphics are very dark which makes the very itty-bitty, artistically poor items impossible to find. Items are often only a puddle a color on the screen with very little definition. I think a third-grader could most likely design better graphics.
What could have been a very quirky and fun little game became a nightmare with the first hidden object scene. The game is so tedious and impossible that I couldn’t wait to uninstall it from my game manager. Sorry folks, this House on Usher is a “no sale” for me. My advice is don’t even waste your time installing this one.
I don't recommend this game.
Was Veronica West’s death an accident… or a cold-blooded murder?
Overall rating
5
/
5
104 of 194 found this review helpful
A Great Change of Pace Whodunit
PostedJuly 12, 2014
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Finally we have a great whodunit game that changes the pace and gives us a break from all the wizards, witches, and evil demons we have encountered recently. As with any great whodunit mystery, Dead Reckoning Silvermoon Isle begins with a murder, and you (skilled detective that you are) have been called in by the Chief of Police to investigate the high-profile death of Veronica West, a renowned leading lady, which has been determined as a suicide. However, the police chief doesn’t buy it and really wants to find out what happened. Not surprisingly, the chief wants you to work with Agent Daniels – some nice eye-candy even though he’s not very helpful.
There really is not too much to say about the technical aspects of the game. EIPIX is one of the best developers of casual games and everything from graphics to the sound package is excellent. The graphics are very art deco and continue the theme from the Final Cut series, even with a nod to Wolf Studios. In Silvermoon Isle, the artists have done a great job with the characters and, of course, the lip-synced voiceovers add the extra touch of realism to the game and bring the characters to life as we investigate the crime and suspects.
We have the common tools that we find in all HOPA games but in Silvermoon Isle they are very unique and we have the addition of a new tool. Rather than a diary we have an evidence board that show all of the suspects and the information we gather about them as we move through the game. We also will keep track of various pieces of evidence. At least one thing hasn’t changed and that is the interactive, transporter type map that helps us quickly navigate the terrain.
Since the game is a HOPA we do interactive HOPs, which being from EIPIX are always varied and fun. If you don’t like the HOPS, you can switch to a great little bubble-shooter game that is not as easy as it looks. Silvermoon Isle begins with a mini puzzle that was fairly easy but that is just the beginning. We can look forward to finding puzzles throughout the game with some being more difficult than others. No matter if they are simple or more challenging, I always love the puzzles in a game and find them to be entertaining and add to the gameplay.
As always, with this developer we have a variety of extras thrown in to satisfy the tastes of most gamers and to keep us interested in purchasing CE games. I happen to love the extras in Silvermoon Isle, particularly the ability to replay HOPS and puzzles. For me, the most valuable part of any CE game is having the in-game strategy guide for when it is needed: and even though it is rarely used, it is helpful to have it handy for when I am stuck. Of course I do like finding the collectibles and we have them in this game, along with morphing objects to find.
Overall Silvermoon Isle is a great game: even if for no other reason than that it offers a change from the fantasy type games that we see all too frequently! I found the game entertaining and fun and the use of the deduction tool created a new dimension that I found interesting. Since I was fortunate to do the beta for the game, and have been eagerly waiting for it to be released, I hit the buy button as soon as I saw the game was this morning. 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!
Twenty years ago, the children of Greystone were taken by a mysterious fog - only you escaped. It’s time to find out why...
Overall rating
5
/
5
31 of 57 found this review helpful
A Wonderful New Game in the Rite of Passage Series
PostedJuly 11, 2014
biscuitsmama
fromSacramento, CA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Strategy, Marble Popper, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Rite of Passage: Hide and Seek begins when after your mother’s death you are cleaning out her home and make a discovery that suddenly changes the truth about your life. For years you have come to accept the reality that your missing father was dead, and as you go through your mother’s mail you realize that what you had accepted as the truth is not so. In Rite of Passage Hide and Seek you begin a journey to Greystone in search of the father you thought you had lost and an adventure to uncover the hidden secrets of your past.
The graphics in Hide and Seek are of excellent quality and have a very crisp appearance rather than that misty quality that we often find in many games. Not only are the graphics terrific, the game has lip-synced voiceovers that are done extremely well. Along with the voiceovers we have a soundtrack that adds to the reality of the game without being overwhelming or intrusive. At one point early in the game the environmental effect so realistic that I felt like reaching for a headscarf. For me the piano musical score in the HOPs was very relaxing and enjoyable to hear as I played through the HOPs.
Your journal is very interactive and contains links to your objectives, the map and your achievements. Not only can you access the map through the journal but it can also be accessed by clicking on the map located on the left side of your inventory. The map icon, in turn, will also allow you to access the journal. During the progress of the game you also acquire special abilities that help you out in certain situations. There are no cute fuzzy animal helpers to be found in this game; instead you will need to rely upon your own abilities to make it through.
If you are familiar with the two previous Rites of Passage games you know that the HOPs are interactive and quite interesting in the way we find certain items. There are puzzles along the way that are fun with some may seem difficult but just keep trying since they can be solved. In the end, the game has a great mix of HOPs and puzzles that are sure to please a varied group of gamers.
Rite of Passage: Hide and Seek is a game with just the right amount of scare factor moments thrown in to keep the gameplay interesting, and more than once I found myself jumping as something unexpected would occur. Overall the game is very entertaining with a story that held my attention from the first scene to the end of the demo and I knew without hesitation that the CE was a definite buy for me. 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!
Help rebuild an empire, from building farms to the Great Wall!
Overall rating
2
/
5
29 of 36 found this review helpful
A Rather Ho-Hum Match 3
PostedJuly 9, 2014
biscuitsmama
fromSacramento, CA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Marble Popper, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Rise of Dynasty is a Match 3 game with a slight builder component. We play round after round of Match 3 boards to earn coins which allow us to rebuild the new dynasty, the previous one being destroyed after years of war and rebellion.
The game starts out okay but after about ten minutes of play I thought it became quite ho-hum and boring. The graphics seem to be sub-par and low budget - perhaps due to the coloring of the tokens, which is drab rather than deep, and after playing a few rounds of the game they all seemed to look quite the same. If the coloring was more intense and items were clearly distinguishable, it would have improved the artwork of the game. I definitely did not like the waves light that periodically moved across the board, which I personally found distracting and annoying. Perhaps later in the game, the tokens will change but I didn’t hang around long enough to find out. Not only were the graphics not to my liking, the repetitious flute music drove me nuts and I had to turn it off. The tempo was a bit too fast and had it been slower and more relaxing it would have been far more appealing. It would also have been nice if the developer had provided an option to select alternate soundtracks. Speaking of alternatives or choices, there are very few options in the game, although there is a relaxed mode if you don’t want to play “beat the clock.”
The gameplay is straightforward. We play board after board of matches to earn coins, which are then spent to rebuild China’s new dynasty. As we play each board power-ups are earned by making longer or more complex matches. The power-ups can be very helpful in some sticky situations, particularly as we move to higher levels in the game. Once we remove the colored tiles on the board there is a special item that must be dropped to the bottom in order to complete the level. As far as the builder component of the game, it is rather automatic and, IMHO, a huge opportunity was missed by not giving the player a selection of items to purchase. If the player could actually choose what to purchase it would have added another level of challenge to the game and qualified as a true builder game. Basically, just earning coins to purchase the item available is rather boring in the end.
What could have been a promising and good Match 3/Builder game is nowhere near the quality and fun of other games in this genre such as Mystika. Some of you might like the game but I couldn’t wait to uninstall it. As always, I recommend that you try the demo to see if this is a game you might like.
I don't recommend this game.
Solve the mystery of an abandoned enchanted castle! Search for clues within its ancient underground and seek portals to different worlds.
Overall rating
4
/
5
25 of 62 found this review helpful
Surprise, Surprise - A Great Little Game!
PostedJuly 7, 2014
biscuitsmama
fromSacramento, CA
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Well, I love this little gem of a game and think it was quite a find when I saw it this morning. After my first “rescue” I was hooked. I now have a quite literate, talking mouse that wears glasses and is quite cute. The game is a story we have seen before so it is nothing new but I do like the package. The game begins as we wake up in an abandoned castle and begin searching for clues to who we are and how we came to be here. As I said, the story is nothing new but it is done very well in Mysteries and Nightmares Morgiana.
The game is fairly straightforward with not many options to customize the game. Most notably missing is the option for widescreen so we are left playing the game with black bars on each side. It is very seldom today that games do not automatically come in widescreen, so it is a bit of a disappointment to find a game that cannot easily be adjusted to a larger size. That being said, the graphics are quite good. I like the scenery and the “old” feel to the game even though it is obviously a newer development since it has video cutscenes that are excellent and often give a different perspective of an area. There are excellent voiceovers in the game and I particularly love the voice of my “friend” Jack whose voice sort of melts my heart. Overall, the entire sound package in the game is excellent and that includes the music and ambient effects. In the end, I would have given the game a higher rating if it had widescreen presentation.
There is a picture of your character on the top left of the screen and when you click on it you have access to your notebook. The notebook keeps track of the story and your objectives and also has a tab for the map, although the map is independently located on the lower left of your screen. The map is interactive and that lets you move quickly from place to place. One of the things I like about the map is that even if you can’t see all of the locations, you can click on the map and move it around so that you can see other locations that are available.
It seems like there are more puzzles scattered around than there are HOS. I’ve only found one HOS in the demo and that was tricky to find. When I finally located the HOS, I had a difficult time locating the items because with the small screen, items were very tiny and hard to find, so I hope that the game is more adventure than HO. I found myself relying on the hint button more than usual, and the hard part is that the hint button is very slow to refill.
Overall, if you can get past the small screen, the game is very good and worth a try. I will use a PCC, which is one of the nice benefits of being a BFG member. 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 rat catcher's after more than rats this time. He's kidnapping fairy folk!
Overall rating
5
/
5
48 of 101 found this review helpful
Magnificent Game One of the Best This Year
PostedJuly 6, 2014
biscuitsmama
fromSacramento, CA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Marble Popper, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Okay, I am not going to apologize but be prepared for lots of gushing. When I did the beta on this newest addition to the Myths of the World series, I was absolutely stunned and amazed at the beauty and quality of the game. The game is gorgeous and was a true delight to play. Since the game has so much going for it, I am not even going to get into the story because I think it is one that you need to try for yourself. It is not often that a game comes along that I find grabs me from the first scene and then goes on to get better.
Of course, with EIPIX we know the will be the best to be found and that they are always colorful, so it should come as no surprise that a game with the title “Of Fiends and Fairies would be full of gorgeous graphics and artwork. The voiceovers are lip-synced in the close-up bubbles and they are some of the best I’ve heard in games in a long time. When we couple the voiceovers with the music and ambient sound effects we then have a sound package that is of cinematic quality and absolutely wonderful. I happen to love the Celtic theme and setting of the game so right off the bat Of Fiends and Fairies had everything that would “ring my bell.” IMHO, the entire package of graphics and sound add up to create an awesome gaming experience.
In the game we have the standard equipment of a journal and an interactive transporter type map. We also have Orna, a pixie we meet early in the game, who serves as our hint button. Along with the standards we also acquire our grandfather’s monocle that will help us out in certain spell-binding situations.
With this game being so terrific, I don’t want to provide all of the details about the HOPS except to say some of them are a bit different. The puzzles are typical and easy but they do flow with the game so no complaints here.
Needless to say, I love this game and it was a no brainer for me to purchase the CE when it was released. The game is one that I enjoyed from beginning to end and I think it is truly one of those special 5-star games. Thank you to EIPIX and BFG for this awesome game. As you can see, I highly recommend Myths of the World of Fiends and Fairies but your tastes may not be the same as mine so I suggest that you try the demo to see if you like the game. If you try it, I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Can you bring Maria back from a shadowy realm?
Overall rating
5
/
5
46 of 95 found this review helpful
A Total Surprise!!
PostedJuly 5, 2014
biscuitsmama
fromSacramento, CA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Marble Popper, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
When Secrets of the Dark: Temple of Night was released, I was blown away by the innovation and creativity of the game. It was so different to find a game where the reality would change from real life (or perhaps perceived real life) to an alternate reality. The second game, Eclipse Mountain, was also very good. But by the time the third game came along, something changed and I found it boring and tedious to say the least. When I played the beta for The Flower of Shadow it was such a mess that I left some less than glowing remarks for the developer. I am sure that I was not the only one to scream “what on earth has happened to a great series” because now it seems like the developer listened and made some impressive changes.
Instead of the mess that was originally presented, The Flower of Shadow now seems like it will be an excellent game. The graphics are much better and the game at least starts out with more presentation. The Overall sound package including music, ambient effects and voice overs is really quite good, although there is no lip-syncing – always a disappointment to me now.
For tools you have a special device (looks like a robotic bull’s head) that allows you to dispel magic spells. You have to fiddle with your device frequently in order to use it but that only adds to the gameplay. The journal is set up so that it contains tabs where you can access your objectives, your map and the strategy guide. The map is interactive, which is great since in the last game in this series the map was virtually useless and it was a mess navigating. Fortunately the developer improved that feature for this game.
There are various types of interactive HOPs, which are quite different than the ones we normally see. I won’t go into what they are because I hate to give too much away. The puzzles in the game may seem familiar but they are really a bit difficult at times. Some of the puzzles I enjoyed but others not quite as much. I always have difficulty when it comes to those puzzles that require “mousing” expertise – lol.
We have collectibles and morphing objects to find. The collectibles look like lilies on steroids and they are scattered throughout the game. We also have 16 morphing objects to find and some of them are not obvious. Aside from that we have the standard CE content, but we can replay the puzzles – a feature I always enjoy. Of course we have the strategy guide which will most likely come in handy for this game, particularly if you are new to the HOPA genre.
I was so impressed with the changes made by the developer since the beta was released that I now think The Flower of Shadow will be on par with the first two games in the series. I was so surprised by the changes and also that I found myself actually enjoying the game. I didn't finish the demo since I couldn’t wait to hit the buy button. As always, I recommend that you try the demo to see if this is a game you will like.
I recommend this game!