This is a big game. I played all the way through the bonus content as well. Graphics were perfect, lots of detail, music exceptional. The visuals were stunning. You're led on board ship, through tunnels, into the sea, and to mountain top ceremonies with cloaked figures. Totally amazing. Of course we have the usual bunch of keys that open doors, but that's not a detraction. I loved this game.
The best part of this game was the music (The bassoon solos were great!) and the art work. The story line was almost nothing, going from scene to scene unlocking doors. It seems these games follow a pattern: try to defeat some evil person. There is always an elevator or two, and stairways leading to meaningless rooms. The creative director includes exotic machinery and gear driven contraptions. I'll give it four stars.
Find the festivalgoer abducted by the gargoyles of Notre Dame and uncover the cathedral’s dark past in this reimagining of the Victor Hugo’s classic tale.
At last, a 5-star game. You don't need the strategy guide, as hints are well done. The story line is believable. The woman who's supposed to be French speaks with a Russian accent, but that's the only glitch. The art work was excellent and the music just perfect.
This is a long game. Good thing we get a map, because we have to keep hopping from scene to scene. You don't need a strategy guide, as hints are sufficient. The HOS are OK, and puzzles easily solved. The worst thing about his game is the plot: get rid of the evil fairy, blow up everything in sight, and in the end, everyone lives happily ever after. Same as most other games. I'd like to see an adult plot some day, not just fairy tales.
Luckily we get a map, because there's a lot of hopping back and forth between scenes. I didn't use the strategy guide, as hints were usually sufficient. It's a big game, uses over a GB of memory. The plot makes little sense. Most scenes are pictures of desolation, everyone is cursed, lots of junk. The continuity is awful. It makes little sense. The HOS are easy, some of the puzzles are stupid. Who makes these things up?
Positive: 5 stars for graphics, art work and music. Negative: plot was weak, clues were obvious, and it was too long. I did purchase the strategy guide, but used it only once. The HOS were amazing, beautifully done. But I wondered, to what purpose? The girl at the beginning was incredibly beautiful, but at the end, the girls looked cheap. The game has 10 chapters, mostly about nothing.
This game, with its reference to Shakespeare, is plain dumb. Everything about it is boring. If you need a hint, it tells you exactly what to do. The plot is extremely weak, and the game just goes on and on, ad nauseum. The HOS are typical, nothing new here. After being 2/3 finished, I quit.
Other than the very nice graphics, this game is like all the others. Go somewhere, find a key to unlock a door that leads you somewhere else, until you need another key, etc. The HOS were fairly easy, in fact, most HOS in games have you looking for the same stuff. Could someone come up with more esoteric items? The plot is almost nothing: trying to free someone who has been captured by an evil person. These types of games are too long, and tedious. I can play only so long before I have to turn it off.
Travel from the deepest trenches of the Atlantic Ocean to the awe-inspiring wonders of Mars as you solve the greatest archeological puzzle known to man: the origin of Atlantis.
I should say incredible production. Lots of scenes with unusual detail -- caves, laboratories, space ships, Egyptian statues. The map made it easy to jump from scene to scene; the HOS were interesting and a bit challenging. Hints were perfect, I didn't need the strategy guide. But I have to say, I marveled at each scene and the amount of work that went into it.
I am amazed at how designers produce these games. The puzzles were unusual, but not impossible; the HOS were fun and didn't give me a headache. The producers and programmers of this game deserve a standing ovation.Even the sound effects were perfect. Moreover, I did not have to resort to the strategy guide. which is included.