Scobeaux's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.8
- Helpful Votes:611
- Reviews Submitted:48
- First Review:November 21, 2011
- Most Recent Review:January 14, 2022
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Solve fun match-3 challenges and help restore an ancient temple of Athena to its former glory!
Overall rating
5
/
5
15 of 15 found this review helpful
Not the same as previous game Ancient Jewels: Babylon
PostedJanuary 14, 2022
Scobeaux
fromVermont
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Marble Popper, Match 3
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
I almost didn't try this game because a couple of people said it was identical to Ancient Jewels Babylon - which I loved - but I figured it was worth a 15-minute trial to see if it is really the same. It is very similar in concept but the visuals and the sound are a bit better and there are some additional obstacles, like getting a key to open up the board and releasing the gold bars (the spiders are back, though!). So, they kept the great things, like the very smooth and fast action, the fact that you can make a move while the tiles are still falling, and the different bonuses you get for different combinations of tiles, plus they added some improvements - thus, NOT identical. If you loved the first one you will love this one even more. And if you didn't play the first one but you like M3 games, give this a try.
I recommend this game!
Enjoy classic match-3 gameplay set on the banks of the mighty Euphrates River. Can you restore an ancient temple!
Overall rating
5
/
5
11 of 12 found this review helpful
An enjoyable and challenging M3
PostedFebruary 3, 2021
Scobeaux
fromVermont
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Marble Popper, Match 3
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Please don't be put off by the ho-hum graphics and the less than compelling building we are supposed to be restoring. This game has a lot to offer. The game-play is flawless: the tiles fall fast and smoothly, they are very easy to distinguish from each other, you can move tiles while tiles are falling, and there are lots of things going on. You need to really focus to create the useful bonuses and then get them to explode in the right places. I play on timed mode and there is enough challenge to make it interesting. One reviewer said this game is like all the others but I disagree; there are a number of obstacles I haven't seen before and the way the bonuses work is a little unusual as well. I also like the sound effects because while you are focusing on one area the bonuses (like extra time) are happening in another area and the sounds tell you what is going on. It has been quite a while since we got a new and different M3 and I am grateful for it.
I recommend this game!
Find hidden objects, complete fun tasks and solve exciting puzzles to save a dazzling and enigmatic island.
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Delightful
PostedMarch 18, 2019
Scobeaux
fromVermont
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I can't really add anything to what others have said, but I did want to add my stars. I loved this game, with its whimsical scenes, creative and different mini-games, excellent HOS's and really lovely graphics. I loved the game notwithstanding the truly terrible voice-acting and the hard-to-follow plot that seemed to involve a prince having to marry a beautiful girl that wasn't beautiful anymore. Or something. But it hardly mattered, since everything else was so well-done. It seemed to be of a good length and there were many many scenes with delightful surprises. I would love to see more from this developer.
I recommend this game!
A couple's fixer-upper is haunted by a fierce creature.
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
creative, interesting and fun - very highly recommended
PostedFebruary 15, 2019
Scobeaux
fromVermont
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This game was deficient only in being not as long as I would have liked. I loved how creative they were in coming up with variations on the usual find a screwdriver, find a battery, find a key. The hidden object puzzles were also very creative. For example, one had shapes made of cobwebs, another had pictures on porcelain cups, and a third had the hints in a very creepy song. I liked the way the four chapters alternated between the man and the woman - she using mostly logic and he using mostly tools. There were quite a few puzzles, some of which didn't even have instructions - part of the puzzle was in figuring out what to do. Many were original and even the ones we have seen before were presented in a novel way. I found this game to set a new standard that I hope other developers will attempt to match. I am usually happy with the standard edition but I liked this game so much I wish I had bought the CE.
I recommend this game!
Help a wizard retrieve the missing artifact and restore life to the world in this magical Match 3 Adventure!
Overall rating
5
/
5
19 of 21 found this review helpful
They nailed the important things
PostedMarch 1, 2017
Scobeaux
fromNew York City
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Marble Popper, Match 3
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The most important aspect of an M3 game, to me, is that the tiles be easily distinguishable. They nailed this, plus as an extra they made the tiles really beautiful. Another very important aspect is that you be able to move tiles while others are still falling. They nailed this too. The game play is extremely fluid. The graphics are gorgeous, the music is unobtrusive yet suitable, and they offer timed, move limited and relaxed mode.I am playing timed and about half of the levels I pass on the first try, others take several tries but all, so far, are doable. The one thing I really do NOT like is that you can't make a five- or six-combo by causing the tiles to fall into place - you have to place them in a five- or six- configuration yourself. This is unusual for an M3 game and makes the game much harder because in many of the levels you need to grab coins remotely with rockets and rockets can be made only by making a combo. (Except I am pretty sure they drop one in randomly if you have failed at a level several times because they don't want you to fail too many times. I could be wrong about this.) And while it is true that this game is very similar to the Laruaville games, even down to the card game and the "spot the difference" scenes, this is not a negative to those of us who love Laruaville.
I recommend this game!
This house is cursed and it has been a haven of evil spirits for as long as anyone can remember. Do you dare to banish them?
Overall rating
5
/
5
59 of 66 found this review helpful
A Worthy Sequel
PostedMay 23, 2016
Scobeaux
fromNew York City
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I played and loved the previous two games in this series and this one is equally addictive. One thing I particularly appreciate is that this game is not simply a rehash of the previous games with different icons and maybe a couple of new power-ups, as is the case in so many M3 series. While this game has the same sensibility and some of the same challenges as the previous games, the gameplay is very different. I find it much more challenging but in a fun rather than a frustrating way. The music is fine and the sound effects are appropriate and add to the game. Some of the icons are too similar, in my opinion, but I found that after a while this did not bother me. There is not much in the way of graphics, but it is very satisfying to see the house become un-cursed as you go along. If you enjoy a challenge and like something different, I highly recommend that you give this game, and actually the entire series, a try.
I recommend this game!
Help Goldilocks's son protect his village from invading bears!
Overall rating
5
/
5
8 of 9 found this review helpful
Based on Completed Game - Wonderful!
PostedMay 19, 2015
Scobeaux
fromNew York City
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Large File, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Like the other games by this developer, this game excels in the quality of the HOS and the mini-games. The graphics were excellent and the story-line a bit confusing but nonetheless original and immersive. I loved the whole bear/human aspect. I usually need to keep notes in this kind of game but I didn't need to in this one since the things you needed to do were straight-forward and logical and the number of accessible locations were fairly limited. Plus, the map was good. It was nice to have a male protagonist for a change. The only thing that could have used improvement was the audio - the music was OK but not great and the sound effects not memorable, if they existed at all. I really wish I had gotten the CE!
I recommend this game!
Paranormal activity has turned Smalltown upside-down! As the newest initiate of the Order of the Light, you must investigate why.
Overall rating
5
/
5
14 of 15 found this review helpful
Based on Completed Game - Very entertaining
PostedMarch 10, 2015
Scobeaux
fromNew York City
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I thoroughly enjoyed this game, which I just completed on normal mode (which had too many sparkles. If I had to do it again I would choose the 3rd level. You can change the difficulty level during the game, which I now realize I should have done). The good:
Lovely sound effects, especially all the bird noises! The music was kept to a bare minimum; it was suitable to the game but kind of repetitious when it appeared.
The mini-games were fun, a bit unusual, not very hard.
The HOS were slightly interactive junk-piles, but the items were sometimes very cleverly hidden, while not being too small. I don't usually love HOS, but these were well done.
The story was entertaining. I loved the spooky paintings. It was a good length.
Very helpful map.
The less good:
The story, while entertaining, was of a type that we have seen many times before - vengeful person using magic.
It was pretty easy.
The graphics could have been a bit sharper. I play on a very large monitor, though, so it might be better on a smaller monitor.
All in all, though, I really enjoyed it. It was just that little bit unusual so that it stood out from the mass of similar games and made it fun to play.
I recommend this game!
Your grandfather disappeared while searching for Inuits' legendary treasure. Travel to the Arctic to find your missing grandfather and solve the Inuit mystery.
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Based on Completing Game - Excellent Refreshing Polar Adventure
PostedMarch 1, 2015
Scobeaux
fromNew York City
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Having just completed this game, I wanted to add my positive review. The polar atmosphere was very refreshing (even though there are no penguins in the Arctic, the rock-hopper in this game was so cute I am going to give him a pass) and the graphics and sound effects suited the game perfectly. The story was supernatural, as seems always to be the case these days, but most of the puzzles were tool-based and logical. (As an aside, the game I played before this one was basically nothing except collect crystals and magical talismans and it got so tiresome that this game was a really excellent change of pace.) OK, back to the review - the music was good, much better than average. I liked the real actors and disagree with some others about the acting quality - I thought it was MUCH better than average. I also disagree about the length of the game. I found it about average, especially if you did all the puzzles and didn't use the hint very much. The puzzles were mostly fairly easy and it was easy to figure out what you were supposed to do.
There were a few negatives. THE HOS were not very fun - major junk-pile and not interactive after the first few. At the beginning you could substitute a jigsaw puzzle game but toward the end this was no longer an option. I had two access violations but just re-started and proceeded where I left off so not that big of an issue. The last negative was that there were morphing objects to find, which I only discovered at the very end so I missed most of them. I also missed five of the coins so I couldn't buy my penguin a swimming pool, a major downer!! I think they should have told you about the beyond objects at the start so you could be on the lookout for them and also not let you proceed to the next level without finding all the coins, but these are minor quibbles. I thought this game was super-fun and I really looked forward to coming back to play it over the past couple of days.
I recommend this game!
An unexpected invitation sends you to research mythical standing stones in Brittany.
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Great Bang for the Buck
PostedFebruary 3, 2015
Scobeaux
fromNew York City
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I found and played this game too late to be able to write a review that adds anything meaningful to what has already been well said by others, but nonetheless I want to add my highest recommendation so others may be encouraged to try this wonderful game. Everything was top-notch, especially the voice acting, which usually falls flat in games like this, and also the graphics. I don't get why some people didn't like the graphics. I found them crisp and beautiful. I usually play windowed because I have a fairly high-resolution monitor and I had no trouble with even the tiniest hidden objects. Speaking of which, I was happy to see such a great variety in the HOS. Even the FROGs, which normally I am not too happy about, were somewhat interactive and very well done. There were even a few mini-games I haven't seen before. Plus, this was a very long game. In the game-world you have seven hours to save the universe and I think it basically plays out in real time. I am really looking forward to the developers' next game and hope that they can keep to this very high standard.
I recommend this game!