elizacron's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:5
- Helpful Votes:20
- Reviews Submitted:1
- First Review:October 23, 2012
- Most Recent Review:October 23, 2012
- Featured reviews0
elizacron's Review History
Margrave: The Blacksmith's Daughter
Embark on a thrilling rescue mission in the Town of the Cyclops!
Overall rating
5
/
5
20 of 23 found this review helpful
Review of Full Game - So Much Fun!
PostedOctober 23, 2012
elizacron
fromArizona
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Every once in a great while a casual game comes along and knocks my socks off. This is one of those games! If you are looking for a unique game that isn't dark and dreary - this one is for you. Fantasy lovers take note!!!
The game follows the heroine from the last Margrave game as she searches for her beloved inside a mystical city. You'll meet many characters along the way, all who will require your help and even a few who will join you in your quest!
This is a very good blend of HOG and Adventure - I was pleased with the balance. HOG scenes are revisited a few times, but I believe the items stay "gone" once you find them. I really love when developers take the time to add that feature.
This game has a true fantasy genre feel to it as it centers around a civilization of Cyclops people. You will find lots of wit and whimsy in the puzzles and games that fit along with the theme nicely. I was in wonder at all the FRESH and NEW puzzles here. There isn't a gear or Tower of Hanoi puzzle to be found! Everything is either a new concept or a fun new twist.
You are offered different levels of gameplay - I believe there are two. I chose the harder which had no sparkles and the hints and skip buttons took longer to recharge.
There is voice acting through the entire game - very well integrated into the story, I thought. I see some people complained about the main character's chattiness, but I did not find her to be overly chatty. I appreciated the care and time that was put into this aspect of the game. I loved everyone's accents as well (British/Scottish/European).
The music was divine! Very soft and fitting throughout. In the main title screen there is a nice folk-type song with full voice singing, but the rest of the music is soft instrumental. All in all, I found the audio to be well done and complimentary to game play.
The art direction is amazing. Everything "fits" here. You won't find oddly placed items, or human actors thrown haphazardly over badly hand-drawn backgrounds. There is a true style to this game and all content sticks with the design. This makes the game flow nicely.
HOG scenes are well-drawn with a few interactive items, but most are straight seek and find. A handful of items were small and/or well-hidden (say 5%). None were badly drawn, though as I found the graphics to be crisp. I think the smaller items were part of the strategy of the game rather then poor game design. I had fun looking for everything and did not have to use hints except in the case where I didn't know what an item was (once). There are NO click penalties.
Inventory is unique in that you have a Keepsake Inventory where you can find notes the game takes for you and an Items Inventory where you'll have things you picked up. Along with that, you'll also have a few "helper" items I don't want to spoil as they are part of the charm of the game. Let's just say you get to carry along some fun new friends with you!
There are strawberries to collect to open a "bonus" book.
There is a map that will eventually allow you SOME fast travel. You can view it in two ways - standard and task based.
All in all, this is one of my favorite games for 2012. Pretty much pitch perfect for me. Fun fantasy game with lovely graphics, soothing music and professional voice acting. Just a superb little gem of a game! And all at a Standard game price! Can't beat it.
I recommend this game!