sarah451's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:2.7
- Helpful Votes:328
- Reviews Submitted:40
- First Review:March 1, 2012
- Most Recent Review:March 27, 2019
- Featured reviews0
Help out James Voodoo as he investigates a mysterious attack and goes on an incredible adventure in Voodoo Chronicles: The First Sign!
Overall rating
2
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
from 2006
PostedSeptember 13, 2013
sarah451
fromPittsburgh, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Well, it's different.
At first I thought it felt as if it were done by a small team with limited resources, but when I checked the dates in the file properties, I found that it was copyrighted in 2006. So, it's really just old.
I got the CE version half off member price and am glad I didn't pay full price for it. I would recommend using a free coupon or a sale for the non-CE and finding the walkthrough. Even with all the HO-adventures I've played, there were nearly a dozen spots that I had no clue what to do next and had to open the SG. Also, the bonus game play was relatively short and not so interesting as to be worth the price of a CE.
The beginning is better than the rest of it, so you can't make a good call just from the demo.
Graphics are clear and crisp, but nothing special.
The music and sounds are a mixed bag; I liked the jazz that played in his office, but some of the rest was annoying and I turned it off.
Most of the voice-overs were well done.
Hints come from capturing "spies" (little floating balls of light that fade in and out sort of like morphing objects) and from completing mini games. If you pay attention and don't use too many, there are plenty to finish the game.
Hints don't work anywhere but in the HOS so far as I could tell.
HOS are clear, with some objects quite well hidden. This is either good or bad, depending on your view-point. Some objects in every scene are partly off the edges of the screen or partly behind the diary or hint generator. There is click penalty, but only if you go too fast. There was limited checking for translation to U.S. English: in one HOS, it wanted a small bird, a titmouse, and called for it by its British nickname which is "tit." They could have used the whole name, but maybe they don't know what that means in the U.S.
Mini games are not bad, but nothing truly challenging or unusual, and not many of them. There are places where they could easily have put a mini game, but did not. For instance, you are in an airship in a storm. A panel falls off a bulkhead, and there are loose, sparking electrical wires behind it. Do you have to fix the wires with tape or a mini-game? No, all you have to do is bolt the cover back on. You only need a wrench; the bolts are magically already in place.
The story premise is not bad, but the execution is somewhat disjointed. Sometimes it's hard to tell what to do to finish up an area. Sometimes you do something and suddenly there's a marquee and you are off to another area. Once you leave an area, there's no going back.
There is a minimum of programming and scene generation. The same HOS are used at least twice each. Also, there are very few zooms. For example, if you need a key for a door, you get a message about it, but no zoom of the lock, even when you put the key in.
In one scene I got same notice of trouble in town & general's radio 4 times by coming back to this scene before taking next action. That's poor error checking to me. However, I didn't notice any other glitches.
All in all, it's not the worst one I've ever played, but it is most certainly not the best. If you are a die-hard HOA fan, give it a shot — for 2006 it was probably pretty good — but if you are short on time, cash or free-game credits, don't bother.
At first I thought it felt as if it were done by a small team with limited resources, but when I checked the dates in the file properties, I found that it was copyrighted in 2006. So, it's really just old.
I got the CE version half off member price and am glad I didn't pay full price for it. I would recommend using a free coupon or a sale for the non-CE and finding the walkthrough. Even with all the HO-adventures I've played, there were nearly a dozen spots that I had no clue what to do next and had to open the SG. Also, the bonus game play was relatively short and not so interesting as to be worth the price of a CE.
The beginning is better than the rest of it, so you can't make a good call just from the demo.
Graphics are clear and crisp, but nothing special.
The music and sounds are a mixed bag; I liked the jazz that played in his office, but some of the rest was annoying and I turned it off.
Most of the voice-overs were well done.
Hints come from capturing "spies" (little floating balls of light that fade in and out sort of like morphing objects) and from completing mini games. If you pay attention and don't use too many, there are plenty to finish the game.
Hints don't work anywhere but in the HOS so far as I could tell.
HOS are clear, with some objects quite well hidden. This is either good or bad, depending on your view-point. Some objects in every scene are partly off the edges of the screen or partly behind the diary or hint generator. There is click penalty, but only if you go too fast. There was limited checking for translation to U.S. English: in one HOS, it wanted a small bird, a titmouse, and called for it by its British nickname which is "tit." They could have used the whole name, but maybe they don't know what that means in the U.S.
Mini games are not bad, but nothing truly challenging or unusual, and not many of them. There are places where they could easily have put a mini game, but did not. For instance, you are in an airship in a storm. A panel falls off a bulkhead, and there are loose, sparking electrical wires behind it. Do you have to fix the wires with tape or a mini-game? No, all you have to do is bolt the cover back on. You only need a wrench; the bolts are magically already in place.
The story premise is not bad, but the execution is somewhat disjointed. Sometimes it's hard to tell what to do to finish up an area. Sometimes you do something and suddenly there's a marquee and you are off to another area. Once you leave an area, there's no going back.
There is a minimum of programming and scene generation. The same HOS are used at least twice each. Also, there are very few zooms. For example, if you need a key for a door, you get a message about it, but no zoom of the lock, even when you put the key in.
In one scene I got same notice of trouble in town & general's radio 4 times by coming back to this scene before taking next action. That's poor error checking to me. However, I didn't notice any other glitches.
All in all, it's not the worst one I've ever played, but it is most certainly not the best. If you are a die-hard HOA fan, give it a shot — for 2006 it was probably pretty good — but if you are short on time, cash or free-game credits, don't bother.
I recommend this game!
The magic world of Lumina needs a new hero! It's up to you to face Tenebria, the queen of the dark world in the original Match 3 game, Mystika!
Overall rating
2
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
way too slow for me
PostedSeptember 10, 2013
sarah451
fromPittsburgh, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
The match 3 part is fine. I like the critters to shoot, too. The HOG levels are acceptable, but the graphics are not that great, so the items are a bit hard to find.
The part I hate, though, is the waiting between levels. The "level complete" graphic takes forever to fade and can't be clicked away, as if they are afraid you wouldn't know you had finished the level without it. Really? Same with the statistics board that comes up next. I don't CARE about the numbers. I just want to play the game, not sit around waiting for your graphics to finish up.
I have a dozen free game coupons and wouldn't even waste one of those on this game.
I don't recommend this game.
Unravel the mystery of Griffin’s strange experiment in this suspenseful hidden object game and find your beloved scientist before he disappears for good!
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 6 found this review helpful
Not bad, but needs better translation and hints
PostedFebruary 12, 2013
sarah451
fromPittsburgh, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Played full game in casual.
I liked the story overall, though it was a bit on the short side.
Good graphics, very nice art.
The HOS had an extra "phantom" to catch which gave you window in which to see an outline image of the objects, making it easier to find them. Very nice. Of course, if you click around too much, the screen goes fuzzy as a penalty. That I don't like.
The puzzles were a mixed bag. Several were just variations on standards, but a couple were unusual, which I like.
Some of the translations are, shall we say, nonstandard. To me, a shoulder blade is a bone. To the developers, it's a knife.
The hint system outside of the HOS was a bit annoying. If you ask for a hint and there's nothing to do in that location, it might tell you to go "down" and the hint doesn't get used up. However, if it tells you to go forward, it uses up a hint. Not my idea of consistent.
In several places the hints drove me nuts, because it told me to go down, then, when I did so and asked for a second hint, it told me to go right back where I had been. Not helpful.
All in all, not bad. I used a free coupon. I'd recommend it either on sale or if you have a coupon about to expire.
I liked the story overall, though it was a bit on the short side.
Good graphics, very nice art.
The HOS had an extra "phantom" to catch which gave you window in which to see an outline image of the objects, making it easier to find them. Very nice. Of course, if you click around too much, the screen goes fuzzy as a penalty. That I don't like.
The puzzles were a mixed bag. Several were just variations on standards, but a couple were unusual, which I like.
Some of the translations are, shall we say, nonstandard. To me, a shoulder blade is a bone. To the developers, it's a knife.
The hint system outside of the HOS was a bit annoying. If you ask for a hint and there's nothing to do in that location, it might tell you to go "down" and the hint doesn't get used up. However, if it tells you to go forward, it uses up a hint. Not my idea of consistent.
In several places the hints drove me nuts, because it told me to go down, then, when I did so and asked for a second hint, it told me to go right back where I had been. Not helpful.
All in all, not bad. I used a free coupon. I'd recommend it either on sale or if you have a coupon about to expire.
I recommend this game!
An evil villain is luring people to his beautiful mansion and preparing them for a terrible ritual. Can you keep your head on the shoulders?
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
I'll wait for the SE
PostedOctober 31, 2012
sarah451
fromPittsburgh, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I generally like Ers games; the story line on this looks interesting, and the graphics are good. However, a number of the puzzles (find the tiles, swap them around) are repetitive, even in the demo, which is as far as I've gotten. It smacks of laziness on the part of the programmers to me. I also think that whoever it is on the development team who thinks that sewing machine needles and hand sewing needles are interchangeable is either uninformed or too lazy to check details. I can never figure out with things like that. Do the programmers not know the differences? Do they not care? Is there no time to check for errors? Do they think all gamers are too dumb to notice? Whatever the reason, that sort of thing irks me.
Overall, the game looks fair, and I'll probably pick up the SE eventually, but I just can't get excited about it.
Overall, the game looks fair, and I'll probably pick up the SE eventually, but I just can't get excited about it.
I recommend this game!
Face your fears and unravel the mystery of the abandoned asylum!
Overall rating
3
/
5
good, but has issues
PostedSeptember 1, 2012
sarah451
fromPittsburgh, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Overall, this was not a bad game, and I'm not actually sorry to have spent time on it or to have used a free game coupon on it, but, for me, it has some issues which make it "good for sale or free, but not to buy." It just left me vaguely dissatisfied.
Grungy style of art; appropriate to story, but makes a number of the HOS rather gray, foggy, and difficult to see.
Story is a bit disjointed or vague; doesn't lend itself to making it easy to figure out what to do next.
Minimal interruptions with cutscenes
A few cutscenes were there for shock value and were possibly too intense for younger viewers.
Moderate amount of skeletons and decomposition.
Spider warning: one whole room is covered in webs and there's a big one.
Clown warning also
Lots of back and forth; a map to jump around would have been very useful
Story is a bit disjointed or vague; doesn't lend itself to making it easy to figure out what to do next.
Minimal interruptions with cutscenes
A few cutscenes were there for shock value and were possibly too intense for younger viewers.
Moderate amount of skeletons and decomposition.
Spider warning: one whole room is covered in webs and there's a big one.
Clown warning also
Lots of back and forth; a map to jump around would have been very useful
Pros:
Big game. Lots to do, lots of places to visit, lots of puzzles to solve. Took me over 4 hours even with a lot of SG use.
No click penalty on the HOS, which was good as I found some of them hard to see.
Has SG built in on non-CE game, but you will need it as it's often tough to tell what to do next.
Big game. Lots to do, lots of places to visit, lots of puzzles to solve. Took me over 4 hours even with a lot of SG use.
No click penalty on the HOS, which was good as I found some of them hard to see.
Has SG built in on non-CE game, but you will need it as it's often tough to tell what to do next.
Cons:
- Developer needs serious help with translation and spelling: "hummer" in one HOS had me looking for a bird, but hint revealed they wanted a hammer. The singular of plant leaves was translated as "leave" instead of "leaf" resulting in "mint leave." You pick up an item later in the game which they call a "level," but which is actually a scissor jack. However, there's no penalty for bad clicks and the hints recharge relatively fast, so you can work past it.
- game doesn't always react to things as expected: e.g., setting the spider's legs in position. One leg happened to be correctly positioned when the mini started; I fixed the rest of them, but nothing happened until I moved that first one out and then back into the correct position. That's poor programming. The elevator activation code had issues, too.
- Developer needs serious help with translation and spelling: "hummer" in one HOS had me looking for a bird, but hint revealed they wanted a hammer. The singular of plant leaves was translated as "leave" instead of "leaf" resulting in "mint leave." You pick up an item later in the game which they call a "level," but which is actually a scissor jack. However, there's no penalty for bad clicks and the hints recharge relatively fast, so you can work past it.
- game doesn't always react to things as expected: e.g., setting the spider's legs in position. One leg happened to be correctly positioned when the mini started; I fixed the rest of them, but nothing happened until I moved that first one out and then back into the correct position. That's poor programming. The elevator activation code had issues, too.
I recommend this game!
Once again black powers have seized the kingdom of Orion. The entire city is gripped by fear and it's up to you to save them, and yourself!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
Six stars, A+
PostedAugust 24, 2012
sarah451
fromPittsburgh, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Arcade & Action, Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I grant that I like this entire series, but this one is truly an outstanding game. I played in Casual mode.
- It is a long game; even with my having skipped a number of mini-games and using a bunch of "what do I do next" hints, it took me over 5 hours, plus over an hour for the bonus play. And I was moving right along, folks, not stopping to smell the flowers as it were.
- The hint system outside the HOS is great. It gives you a picture of where to go next when you know you have a key for something but can't remember the location, or when you are just out of ideas for what to do/where to go next.
- The game engine itself is very good. If you are looking at a zoom-in scene (like in a cupboard) and you have just gotten something, you can back out instantly and still have your new item in your inventory. In many games, when you try to do that, either you have to go back in for your item, or you simply can't do it because they make you wait around for some special effect, which is usually silly and time-wasting.
- Mini games are challenging, and not the same as so many other developers use. The same type will be used for a particular situation throughout the game (to open a particular type of box, for instance), and they get a bit more challenging with each one. However, skipping them doesn't cause a penalty, so, if you don't like them, skip!
- Hidden objects are clear enough that I could see nearly all on my TV screen from across the room. Also, not all the scenes are plain HOS. Some of them are "put things back," and I appreciate the variety.
- Hint recharge was wonderfully fast.
- Graphics are lovely
- Music is good
- Mini games can be played again once you complete the bonus play
- For one variety of mini game, you can even set up your own fields and play them.
For me, this is about as close to an ideal hidden object adventure as I can imagine, and I will definitely be looking for more by this team.
- It is a long game; even with my having skipped a number of mini-games and using a bunch of "what do I do next" hints, it took me over 5 hours, plus over an hour for the bonus play. And I was moving right along, folks, not stopping to smell the flowers as it were.
- The hint system outside the HOS is great. It gives you a picture of where to go next when you know you have a key for something but can't remember the location, or when you are just out of ideas for what to do/where to go next.
- The game engine itself is very good. If you are looking at a zoom-in scene (like in a cupboard) and you have just gotten something, you can back out instantly and still have your new item in your inventory. In many games, when you try to do that, either you have to go back in for your item, or you simply can't do it because they make you wait around for some special effect, which is usually silly and time-wasting.
- Mini games are challenging, and not the same as so many other developers use. The same type will be used for a particular situation throughout the game (to open a particular type of box, for instance), and they get a bit more challenging with each one. However, skipping them doesn't cause a penalty, so, if you don't like them, skip!
- Hidden objects are clear enough that I could see nearly all on my TV screen from across the room. Also, not all the scenes are plain HOS. Some of them are "put things back," and I appreciate the variety.
- Hint recharge was wonderfully fast.
- Graphics are lovely
- Music is good
- Mini games can be played again once you complete the bonus play
- For one variety of mini game, you can even set up your own fields and play them.
For me, this is about as close to an ideal hidden object adventure as I can imagine, and I will definitely be looking for more by this team.
I recommend this game!
Become a Hunter of darkness to cope with possessed owner of theater and revived shadows. Help other people by correcting their wrong fulfilled wishes!
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 6 found this review helpful
absolutely a buy, 4½ stars
PostedAugust 8, 2012
sarah451
fromPittsburgh, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
- Nice graphics, like old illustrations
- Different sorts of puzzles and mini-games, not the same-old, same-old
- Story line is unique, but didn't grab me by the throat
- Challenging because it's not the same as all the others, so sometimes you have to think outside the box. This is a good thing. Makes "ze little gray cells" work.
- Hints: An earlier reviewer is incorrect about the hints. If there is nothing to do in a location, yes, it tells you that and doesn't dock you a hint for it. However, if there is something in a scene to pick up, it tells you and highlights the item. If your inventory contains something you can use, it tells you and shows you where. That's good enough that I can do fine without the SG.
- The beginning is a bit slow because you have to talk to a person who is toward the back of the scene, and the dialog icon is rather small and could be missed as you wave your cursor over the scene looking for something to grab. You can't do anything else until you have talked to her.
- Different sorts of puzzles and mini-games, not the same-old, same-old
- Story line is unique, but didn't grab me by the throat
- Challenging because it's not the same as all the others, so sometimes you have to think outside the box. This is a good thing. Makes "ze little gray cells" work.
- Hints: An earlier reviewer is incorrect about the hints. If there is nothing to do in a location, yes, it tells you that and doesn't dock you a hint for it. However, if there is something in a scene to pick up, it tells you and highlights the item. If your inventory contains something you can use, it tells you and shows you where. That's good enough that I can do fine without the SG.
- The beginning is a bit slow because you have to talk to a person who is toward the back of the scene, and the dialog icon is rather small and could be missed as you wave your cursor over the scene looking for something to grab. You can't do anything else until you have talked to her.
I recommend this game!
How did the attacker escape a room locked from the inside?
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
Just OK. Wait for a sale
PostedApril 16, 2012
sarah451
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
The demo took me 27 minutes. That is really short.
Graphics are nice, but nothing special.
Most objects were period appropriate, which I like, but some were quiet small and difficult to see.
Scene changes are a rather slow (on Win7 w. quad core & 6G RAM)
No hints when not in HOS, so if you can't figure out what to do, you are out of luck.
Graphics are nice, but nothing special.
Most objects were period appropriate, which I like, but some were quiet small and difficult to see.
Scene changes are a rather slow (on Win7 w. quad core & 6G RAM)
No hints when not in HOS, so if you can't figure out what to do, you are out of luck.
I don't recommend this game.
Travel to 19th century Europe in this mysterious Hidden Object game! Discover who is behind the mask and unravel the case!
Overall rating
2
/
5
5 of 8 found this review helpful
straight HOG, boring
PostedMarch 8, 2012
sarah451
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
If HOGs are your thing, this might be fine. I couldn't stand it.
I don't recommend this game.
Black Isle was supposedly abandoned after an earthquake but the truth is much more sinister! Join the Mystery Trackers and learn the truth!
Overall rating
4
/
5
0 of 1 found this review helpful
I loathe demos
PostedMarch 1, 2012
sarah451
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
However, this looks promising.
Like:
- finding extra objects, morphing or not, in this case the owls
- having objects that you find around being needed in an HOS. This is only the second game I've seen do that, and it adds an extra element that I like.
- good graphics, and clear even when played on my TV screen
- intriguing story line — at least so far as the demo lets me go
- good puzzles, not all the common ones rehashed
- great hints outside of the HOS; very helpful
Dislike:
- demo. I finished it in under 45 minutes, so I think the game may be short
- There is no SG in the CE demo. How am I supposed to know if the SG actually works if I can't access it in the demo. (And, for whomever at BF is checking this review, don't kick this out as a tech issue. Try the demo and see.)
- human actors. I just don't think they add much
- lots of short cut scenes interspersed. Advances the story, but slows gameplay
Like:
- finding extra objects, morphing or not, in this case the owls
- having objects that you find around being needed in an HOS. This is only the second game I've seen do that, and it adds an extra element that I like.
- good graphics, and clear even when played on my TV screen
- intriguing story line — at least so far as the demo lets me go
- good puzzles, not all the common ones rehashed
- great hints outside of the HOS; very helpful
Dislike:
- demo. I finished it in under 45 minutes, so I think the game may be short
- There is no SG in the CE demo. How am I supposed to know if the SG actually works if I can't access it in the demo. (And, for whomever at BF is checking this review, don't kick this out as a tech issue. Try the demo and see.)
- human actors. I just don't think they add much
- lots of short cut scenes interspersed. Advances the story, but slows gameplay
I recommend this game!