steve_san's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.3
- Helpful Votes:5,408
- Reviews Submitted:242
- First Review:November 28, 2011
- Most Recent Review:January 3, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
PuppetShow: Lightning Strikes
The women of Paris are being turned into puppets! Can you find out who's pulling the strings?
Overall rating
2
/
5
21 of 26 found this review helpful
Mystery of Dementedville
PostedSeptember 19, 2014
steve_san
fromPhiladelphia PA USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Card & Board
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The story begins on an airship over Paris in 1888. Your pilot is Froissart, a man who spent 40 years with the Paris police and has a mechanical arm to show for it. Froissart has flown you in (you are described only as an explorer) to investigate the disappearance of several women. Each of the women have vanished after a strange lightning strike. And lightning and airships are not a good combination, so....
The drawing is done in a very high quality, detailed, beautifully done style which I shall call semi-fantasy, similar to the other games in this series.
In the previous games the villains have all had a sinister creepiness to them, and that tradition is continued here. However in this game, at least during the trial, nearly ALL the characters you meet have a creepiness to them. In fact the entire game has an off-kilter, slightly demented feel right from the very beginning. This could be promising, if somewhat of a departure from the earlier games.
Unfortunately, the story and game play don't have their strings connected. Unlike the story, the game play is childishly simple; many times it is just a matter of clicking on one large object in a scene. During the trial, the most difficult task was to reassemble a torn poster. If by some chance you were unsure of what to do, the hint will tell you exactly what you need.
Your character speaks in the opening scene, but following that everything is spoken by the other characters. And they speak a lot. Many strange things are introduced, making all this dialog necessary. However, while the voice acting is ok, the actors speak so slowly, so deliberately, at times pronouncing each individual syllable in an unnatural way. Was this for dramatic effect? Not sure, but I found it distracting.
There is no custom difficulty setting, just the 3 standard ones. And there is an eight character limit on your profile, which is one letter short of what I needed for my preferred name.
This CE version contains an additional Fix the Wonders of the World feature. You collect money from piggy banks hidden in each scene and use it to rebuild a landmark, i.e.the Eiffel Tower. I did not find this too compelling.
I have been a fan of this series from the beginning, even when many others cut their strings walked off stage. However, the story and characters are too kooky, and the game play way too simple for my tastes. Yours may differ.
Time to bring down the curtain on this PuppetShow. 2 1/2 stars.
I don't recommend this game.
Leonardo da Vinci needs your help! A tyrant has conquered Florence and he is destroying all works of art and science!
Overall rating
2
/
5
51 of 63 found this review helpful
Now We Know You Can Even Make Da Vinci Look Bad
PostedSeptember 18, 2014
steve_san
fromPhiladelphia PA USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Card & Board
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
An evil Mage has a messiah complex. He is deceiving the people of Florence, Italy with magic and trying to destroy all works of art and science. He has even arrested Leonardo Da Vinci. There is a small number of people who are resisting him, but he is ruthless and cunning. You were summoned by Da Vinci before his arrest to help thwart the Mage.
First the good. The drawing is the usual high quality from this developer; very nice, very detailed, easy to look at. There are some decent mini-games. The hidden object scenes are very interactive. There are four levels of difficulty, and all four have an adjustable time slider for Hint and Skip recharges.
Now the not-so-good. The main impression I got after playing this was that I was being talked down to. I really like art and science. But the story and characters were so simplistic that what should have been an easy sell was actually something I disliked. I was unable to find very much fun in this game. Yes, it has Leonardo Da Vinci, his inventions, his drawings, etc. But the story is the usual "bad dude wants to rule over all" tripe that has been repeated over and over again. There is nothing that makes this game stand out - and any game featuring Da Vinci should.
There is a helper, or rather a couple of them - a mechanical pigeon and sheep. I am ambivalent about them, neither was particularly endearing or annoying.
For those interested, there is a bubble shooter option on the hidden object scenes.
Your profile name is limited to only eight letters. Also, at the beginning of the game you receive a handwritten message from Leonardo. The writing on the scroll is displayed as center-justified. Maybe I am being too critical, but that is not how people write letters - then or now.
What could have been a masterpiece earns only two vitruvian men out of five.
I don't recommend this game.
Follow our intrepid investigators as they explore this unique Paris setting that combines fantasy and the Crazy Years.
Overall rating
2
/
5
6 of 9 found this review helpful
9 Reasons Not To Buy 9 Elefants
PostedSeptember 16, 2014
steve_san
fromPhiladelphia PA USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Card & Board
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
You play a young woman named Laura Weissman. Your father, Professor Weissman, lives in Paris and has just invented something called a Time Camera. However, he has disappeared along with his invention. You arrive from Germany just as the police begin to investigate his disappearance. Naturally, it is up to you to actually find your father.
First, let me say this game is somewhat likeable, despite my title. If you guessed I picked out the title for this review before playing the game, you win a prize. But after I played the trial, I came up with MORE. So here are just the top nine:
- you cannot enter a profile name
- music is mind numbing '70's "happy music"
- "elefant" is spelled elephant
- you have to click after each line of dialog, and
- there is a REALLY A LOT of dialog
- most puzzles are too easy
- some puzzles make no sense
- you are "congratulated" for listening to dialog
- your cat is named Eustache
- music is mind numbing '70's "happy music"
- "elefant" is spelled elephant
- you have to click after each line of dialog, and
- there is a REALLY A LOT of dialog
- most puzzles are too easy
- some puzzles make no sense
- you are "congratulated" for listening to dialog
- your cat is named Eustache
One plus is that despite all the dialog, I did not notice any spelling errors.
This is a puzzle based game with word puzzles, logic puzzles, geometric puzzles, and, yes, other puzzles. While the style of the game is childlike, do not be fooled, this is aimed toward adults. The 2D drawing style has a childlike simplicity to it, and the characters are rather cartoonish. On the other hand, the dialog is not simplistic and you will do quite a lot of reading. I got tired of the story before the trial ended, but it only serves as a framework to present you with a challenge of puzzle after puzzle. If I were to purchase this game, it would be solely to play the puzzles, of which there are purportedly 230.
You also have to collect 35mm film by clicking before it disappears. This is quite difficult because the time window to collect it is only about one second. The film is the "price" to replay the puzzles you answered incorrectly.
You have 9 elefants. Seven run off to play a memory game. How many are left?
Two eleFants, only because I liked the puzzles.
I don't recommend this game.
Enjoy this beautiful adventure set in a unique interactive 3D Thailand! Complete mysterious puzzles and find hidden objects. Prepare for an unforgettable experience!
Overall rating
4
/
5
11 of 12 found this review helpful
Melissa K's (Mostly) Excellent Adventure
PostedSeptember 15, 2014
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
You are Melissa K., a famous archaeologist who refuses to be called "Dr." You are sent to Thailand by royal request to teach a young monk about archaeology. Soon after your arrival, you discover the young boy is missing.
First I noticed some minor problems.
- Melissa lies down on a bed with no bedding, fully clothed
- The guide addresses you as "Doctor" anyway
- The guide says of the boy, "he's not THAT kind of boy," and ....well never mind.
- You collect a "sash curtain" - which is actually a sash cord.
- The dialog is painfully slow at times, enough to be distracting
- there was no English queen in 1947
- an online search states from 1945-49 Thailand was known as Siam again.
- Melissa lies down on a bed with no bedding, fully clothed
- The guide addresses you as "Doctor" anyway
- The guide says of the boy, "he's not THAT kind of boy," and ....well never mind.
- You collect a "sash curtain" - which is actually a sash cord.
- The dialog is painfully slow at times, enough to be distracting
- there was no English queen in 1947
- an online search states from 1945-49 Thailand was known as Siam again.
Game play is old school adventure-ish with hidden object FROGS and mostly simple puzzles thrown in. As with most adventure games, most of your time will be spent figuring out where to go / what to do next. Fortunately there is a hint that recharges quickly.
To help you there is a pet gecko you must name and other tool you rteain in the lower right. Navigation can be done by clicking on a door, etc. or the bottom of the screen. In the upper left there is an icon that will show all the areas you can navigate to directly. There is also a jump map you gain as you play, but the map is used for going from one location to another, not from scene to scene.
As you might expect in an Asian-themed game, the palette consists of a lot of red and gold. Everything is well drawn and fairly detailed, a little dated looking in style and not real easy on the eyes.
There are three difficulty levels. If you are not a huge adventure fan, I recommend playing on the easiest setting. Music is the light, string plucking type that does not intrude. There are also collectible Buddhas and letters.
This has a good story line and decent play, but the artwork, minor problems and old feel of the game causes me to give it only three 1/2 Buddha's.
I recommend this game!
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
3
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Like Murder, No Game is Perfect
PostedSeptember 14, 2014
steve_san
fromPhiladelphia PA USA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Card & Board
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I had played the beta/survey version of this, and I remember saying I would likely purchase the game. So naturally, I wanted to like this game. I really did. And that was after having some major technical issues with the beta version. But I am happy to report that none of those issues appeared during the trial.
I do like murder mysteries and that is what we get here. You are Kate the police detective, and you and your partner have suspects and evidence stored in a case file - which, in case you didn't recognize, is a folder with the words CASE FILE written in BIG letters. It's not stated why, but Kate's eyes are slightly bloodshot as if she was up late the night before. I found her voice to be a little grating as well, but these are minor tics.
This story takes place in the present day. The opening scene presents the murder of a wealthy businessman at his opulent home with Jaguar parked in front (lights on, but keys not in ignition...huh?). Suspects include his maid, his sister, his "trophy wife," his friend / lawyer, the paper boy, and a shady mafia thug nicknamed "Kill Bill."
As you would expect, you converse with the various suspects and gather evidence. Who is telling the truth? No one. There are a lot of hidden object scenes, and you'll look for crime-related objects like fingerprints. Some of the objects are very hard to find despite the bright and high-contrast style of drawing.
In addition to the drawing style, I felt that both the navigation from scene to scene and the cut scenes had the feel of an older game. Also, without giving spoilers, you will perform some tasks in unusual ways that would not be done in real life - expected in many games, but a problem here since this is supposed to be a realistic story.
Diehard detective and murder mystery fans will probably appreciate this story and want to find out whodunit, even though this falls far short of perfection.
I recommend this game!
Shrouded Tales: The Spellbound Land Collector's Edition
Your magical powers have finally awakened. Now you have the strength to free your mother from the Shadow Realm!
Overall rating
2
/
5
27 of 39 found this review helpful
Count Me Not Spellbound
PostedSeptember 13, 2014
steve_san
fromPhiladelphia PA USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Card & Board
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
The location is Havenwick, a town contained within an impenetrable dome. The time seems to be in the middle ages as there is an alchemist's shop. You are Veronica, your mother is the Baroness. You all have some supernatural powers, however many years ago, the Vulture, lord of the Shadow Realm, captured your mother and others in your realm and trapped them in his. Now that you are grown, it is up to you to learn how to use your fledgling powers to defeat the Vulture before....well I'm not really sure, but you have to free them - after all, she's your mother.
In order to develop your powers, you collect runes. When you have enough, a new power is available. You use these powers a lot to move forward in the game - and they're used too often for my tastes. There are also many colored stone portals which enable you to transport to another time at the same location. You'll have to do this many times - and again, too often for my tastes.
The most - or come to think of it, the only - fun I had during the trial was playing the hidden object scenes. One scene encouraged you to find the objects in a specific order, highlighting and magnifying the silhouette of one in the center while the others remained small and faded, though you could cycle through all the objects if you wished. The other scenes were more standard and required much interaction to complete.
The puzzles were fewer and a mixed bag, most were very simple and yet one in particular was fairly difficult. Voice acting and cut scenes were up to the usual good standards, though the Vulture character was the usual hooded smoky red-eyed villain.
The CE contains no collectibles that I could see, three standard difficulty levels, 22 achievements, bonus play, strategy guide, and the usual pseudo extras, along with something called Final Quiz.
If you enjoy magic - powers - portals - rescue the relatives type games then I would recommend you give this a try. If you are like me and you don't care for these type of games, Spellbound means you would rather watch the movie.
Two and a half runes for technical competency.
I don't recommend this game.
Solve the mystery that spooked a young girl into silence!
Overall rating
4
/
5
17 of 19 found this review helpful
This Cursed Castle is a Blessing
PostedSeptember 12, 2014
steve_san
fromPhiladelphia PA USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
It's refreshing to find something interesting here today. The concept is not totally new: an old family, the Flatsbury's, and a castle, a curse, and of course, a flaming knight - literally flaming, I should add . This story you are investigating, as Ms. Gale, takes place in modern England but the castle and curse date back to the 13th century.
This is not the usual rehash of the familiar elements we've been putting up with of late. The designers clearly put some thought into the game as well as the game play. There are quite a few hidden object scenes, but they present as progressive, put back, silhouette, reassemble and other variations, as well as the standard lists. They will take a little more time to solve than average.
One thing I especially liked was there was not too much dialog or constant attempts to scare. There are a few here and there but they're very brief. Recognizing there is enough creepiness in a 13th century castle, the scare factor is not overdone. The voices we do hear are well acted: very serious policemen, - or should I say constables - a child, and a ghostly being. The play is not too hard, but you do have to think a little bit.
There is a map and also a journal which keeps a record of the cut scenes and clues you find. In the CE there are morphing objects too, and they are more difficult to spot than most. These objects vary by scene to add even more difficulty. To collect them you must click when they are morphing.
There is also a gallery - you'll collect pieces of paintings as you progress and when you have all the pieces, you'll reassemble the painting. These are jigsaw type puzzles, really not too hard. Once assembled, the paintings add to the back story.
There is a lot of fun here, and I have not yet mentioned the music. It complements the eerie atmosphere perfectly, keeping the tension high and not distracting from the play. And the semi-realistic drawing style is easy on the eyes and utilizes a full palette.
I own the CE, have finished the game and enjoyed it very much.
Curse or no, this is a castle worth exploring.
Four Flaming Knights
Four Flaming Knights
I recommend this game!
Diva's dark talent claims another victim – can you stop her before the curtain falls?
Overall rating
3
/
5
16 of 19 found this review helpful
Dark Talent Comes In Shades of Gray
PostedSeptember 11, 2014
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The setting is an unnamed European city. Your friend Kate Helbreit has invited you to a concert. Unbeknownst to her, a mysterious Master of evil has resurrected a Diva, Marianne Selfridge (the Dark Talent). Those who listen to the Diva's singing fall under a spell and are subject to manipulation by the Master. This evil also has power over many ghosts, and these ghosts can possess inanimate objects. The Master wants revenge upon the people of the city for some perceived wrong that occurred long ago, etc. Another character we meet is called a Knowing One. There is an amulet to repel the ghosts that requires recharging after use.
Despite dark the story line, most adults would probably not consider the "tone" of the game to be seriously scary.
The game opens on the "enter your name" screen limited to 8 characters . After the opening cut scene which shows the Diva being revived, we find ourselves outside the opera house. If you had not known the developer, this scene bears its unmistakeable signature. While it is a nice look, it is also not easy to distinguish from other games by the same developer.
There are 19 puzzles and 10 hidden object scenes. The puzzles should not be too hard for most players, but some may want more of a challenge (ahem). Those presented during the trial were standard ones seen in other games. Hidden Objects vary from simple list types. There is interaction, progression and find 12 of something - though I found the one in the trial to be not too challenging.
The CE has collectible items which populate a separate room, but I could not determine exactly what they were though I did collect one. Thirteen achievements as well, some real and others just for showing up. Map? sorry, I did not have the need to look.
I completed the demo with 47 minutes remaining while playing at a leisurely pace on the second of three difficulty levels. Based on that I have some concern about the length of the game. I have generally liked the Maestro series, owning two earlier games, Notes of Life and Music of Death.
I would rate this as just a solid "score" in the Maestro series. Not bad, but not one of particular "note" either.
Three Diva's out of five
Save your cats and investigate a series of leopard attacks.
Overall rating
2
/
5
10 of 14 found this review helpful
Fierce Feline Fails
PostedSeptember 9, 2014
steve_san
fromPhiladelphia PA USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Card & Board
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Note: this review represents my opinion, and is not meant to reflect upon any other person in these forums.
First impressions are often important. What is the first impression this game evoked in you? Do you care what my first impression was? Well if you have read this far, I guess the answer is Yes. i thought (I'm talking pre-download), "is there a possibility that I will buy a game that has the word 'feline' in the title?" Please don't be hatin' on me, I like cats. I am just being honest here. Now, if you care to read further, it's on to the post-download thoughts.
Let's begin with the opening cut scene: A is man running through the snow (leopard, get it?) covered woods chased by two leopards. The leopards are wearing huge gold necklaces. The man trips and falls (you knew that would happen) but, incredibly, at that moment the leopards slow to a walk. That allows the man to get up, run into a nearby cabin and close the door. Then the leopards, still just walking, ram down the cabin door. Suddenly, the scene cuts to a TV reporter announcing a strange series of leopard attacks. We see a picture of the man who was chased with the word DISAPPEARED on the screen. However, the man is shown standing behind a lectern as if giving a speech, and yet he is wearing the same furry overcoat worn while running through the woods. Interesting style choice, or logic bomb? I know these are games, but c'mon.
OK, still 88 minutes to play. I'll summarize:
-There's a lady who is wearing green gloves with a red scarf.
-There is a horse-sized pill for a cat.
-There is a ranger with a seven-pointed star and a shoulder patch with eight points.
-In this world you need a map to follow leopard tracks.
-There is an "expert" whose "research" reveals that - wait for it - the leopards came out of the deep forest.
...and finally, the trouble was all caused by "outsiders."
-There's a lady who is wearing green gloves with a red scarf.
-There is a horse-sized pill for a cat.
-There is a ranger with a seven-pointed star and a shoulder patch with eight points.
-In this world you need a map to follow leopard tracks.
-There is an "expert" whose "research" reveals that - wait for it - the leopards came out of the deep forest.
...and finally, the trouble was all caused by "outsiders."
(Oh, and on the semi-serious side, didn't anyone tell these devs that you cannot pick up broken glass with your hand? Everyone KNOWS you must first find a cloth. )
The word incoherent doesn't do this game justice. That said, if you like leopards, pretty snowy landscapes and easy game play, this one may be for you. It's not for me.
Keep this Feline out of my Sight.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you escape from the grasp of a lovestruck ghost?
Overall rating
4
/
5
9 of 13 found this review helpful
I Like This Puppy
PostedAugust 30, 2014
steve_san
fromPhiladelphia PA USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Card & Board
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I'm referring to the game, not the dog helper in the game, Bandit. He is OK too. He is a dog, and he acts like one, except he can jump incredibly high. Must be because ghosts are so light.
Setting: As noted, Bandit is a ghost as are Count Lucian and Alexandra, two lovers whose romance was interrupted by Alexandra's murder on the eve of her wedding. Note to self: if you want to live long in a game, do not set a date. Alexandra's apparent murderer was a rival to Lucian, but Dana must find out the truth because Lucian's ghost won't leave her alone as she bears a strong resemblance to Alexandra.
There are many cut scenes, and they serve to reveal the story bit by bit. The voice acting and cut scenes are a little over-dramatic in style, but the voice acting is good. The overall look of the game is smooth, crisp and sharp, not at all grainy or washed out. The transitions between scenes are very well done, particularly the ones that move between past and present. The color palette is fairly wide - do not judge the game by the mostly blue screen shots on the main page.
Game play is mostly puzzle based. The hidden object scenes played were varied from one another but were not the standard plain list types. There was much interaction needed and they had a puzzle-like quality to them, Puzzles and mini games were pretty standard types, rotating rings, assembling images, even a simple slider. One of the solutions did not match the clue, however.
There is a map - one of the worst maps I have ever seen, by the way - and achievements. There is an option to turn off achievement notification. Standard three levels of difficulty. Strategy guide, bonus level and pseudo-extras round out the package. No collectibles.
I have played four prior DK games and while they were not all as good as the first, neither did they disappoint. I'll grant there is nothing new or exciting here, but for some reason this captured my interest. However, the SE would seem to give the most bang for the buck. 3 1/2 woofs.
I recommend this game!