dancemom1's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.6
- Helpful Votes:13,287
- Reviews Submitted:871
- First Review:April 15, 2012
- Most Recent Review:November 26, 2024
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Can you solve an old murder case and save your sister?
Overall rating
2
/
5
5 of 7 found this review helpful
Well, it is Halloween...
PostedOctober 29, 2017
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Hi all! As usual, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story to others. This is not my usual long winded review, as I just couldn't get into this game. I did play through the entire demo, but it was very difficult. The graphics were blurry most of the time. Colors drab, but then again, it was supposed to be an old spooky house. Sound FX weren't too bad, but not enough character interaction to even mention. The constant flash backs in the beginning were very annoying.
HOPs were highlighted words, interactive lists and straight lists. Items weren't difficult to find. The HOPs were few and far between. Puzzles were nothing new and quite simple. The map was blah and boring, but we did have a transport feature.
Collectibles were okay. We had 72 morphing puzzles pieces to find, which were not as easy as you think, then we needed to complete a jigsaw puzzle with the pieces we found. We also find coins to buy games and prizes. These aren't easy to spot, but are not terribly small either. Nothing exciting.
I just found this story very slow and much too quiet. It needed a nice combination of dialog and sound FX to keep you interested. A beginner might find this one fun, but not a seasoned gamer. When I beta tested it, I didn't even add it to my beta list. If it's less than a 4, I don't bother. I will recommend it to a real beginner, but that's all. No buy for me.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may find this one to be exactly what you are looking for. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Vacation Adventures: Cruise Director is back with the ultimate 5 star cruise of a lifetime aboard the luxurious USS Liberty of the Waves!
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
And we are off on another cruise!
PostedOctober 25, 2017
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hello friends! We have another adventure in this fun series. I love these silly, cluttered games. Yes, I have all of the Vacation Adventures games. The same annoying music, but really nice colors and sound fx.
They all have the garbage to find, which is not that easy to see in the clutter, and can be just a piece of something sticking out in the scene. We have the usual extra items to collect. They are all set up the same, just different locations and scenery. During the demo, I didn't see as many really small items, like we have had in previous games in this series, but they could be coming.
Oh yeah, we do have those creepy eyes. They all look like they sat on a tack! These games are a nice change from my favorite CE games. They don't really have a story to follow, just find the items. The real challenge is finding the garbage items. That can be tricky. I was ready for just a simple fun IHOP and here it is. My grand kids love to help me with this series, so naturally, I am going to get it.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for it at all. Thanks for the review.
I recommend this game!
Can you stop an otherworldly force before it’s too late?
Overall rating
4
/
5
41 of 62 found this review helpful
Ghosts, body snatchers...
PostedOctober 21, 2017
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hello friends! As usual, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story line to those who do a much better job than I. Other than a little blur in the close up scenes, which seem to be a norm these days, the graphics are very nice and clear. Colors seemed to have a little blue, but not over powering and not all the time. Otherwise, colors were true and bright. Game play was excellent, with no glitches or problems during the demo. Animation was excellent and realistic, with eye and mouth movement, and they are very smooth. Voices were age and character appropriate, with emotion that worked quite well together with the facial movements. Music was okay. I turn it down low so I can hear the sound FX. These are done very well. There did not seem to be any "dead air" during the demo.
HOPs are varied a bit, but mostly interactive lists. The scenes are very clean and items were not difficult to find. We do have a morphing object to find, which is not as easy as you think. Nope, no match 3 or jigsaw puzzles to switch to either. Puzzles didn't seem difficult to me and there wasn't anything new. I did find one that took me a bit to complete. There are not a lot of HOPs or puzzles in this one, at least not during the demo, hopefully it picks up a bit as we go along. Hint system is helpful, but it does not transport to longer locations. This would be nice, as you do a lot of back tracking. Yes, we have a jump map, but it is very bland and boring and detracts from the rest of the game. It needed some color and no pop outs!
Collectibles were nice, even though we had the standard symbol that this Dev uses in all their games. It is large and easy to find. When looking around at the extras, I found that we also have case file puzzles pieces to put together. No sure where those came from, but I completed 3 puzzles after the demo. These puzzles tell you a little about the picture you just put together. A little disappointing.
I found this to be an interesting story, even though we still had ghosts to deal with. Yes, we had a supernatural camera lens to hunt down "light balls" in order to talk to the ghost...not my favorite feature. The game started off well, but seemed to slow down a little, then pick up at the end of the demo, naturally. Still, it was not hard to follow and you are constantly on the move. It was not all that challenging, but what game is these days. That said, I like this game well enough to give it a 4.25 on my demo scale, and will purchase it for my collection. I think most all levels of players will find this one enjoyable for one reason or another.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Can you find out what's targeting young men in Paris?
Overall rating
4
/
5
16 of 23 found this review helpful
My eyes, my eyes!
PostedOctober 20, 2017
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Hello friends! As usual, I mostly review on the game and not much on the story, as others do a much better job than I. I believe this is #6 in this series, and naturally I have them all. Graphics are well done, very clear and without blurring when moving in or out of cut scenes. Colors are nice and almost too bright without being over powering. For some reason, they added a lot of pinks to this game, along with the overly bright orange, which to me detracts from the scenery. Animation is well done, with smooth movements. Voice overs are well done, and are age, character and setting appropriate. Game play was very good, with no problems at all during the demo. Music is soothing, but since it was set in a circus, I would have thought there would be more circus type sounds and music. Somewhat lacking in this department. Even at that, the SFX we have are well done.
Hops are varied, with interactive lists and highlighted words in the demo. Maybe there will be more added as the game progresses. We don't have something different to switch to if we don't care for the HOPs. They are fairly clear, but some are a little cluttered...still items are not difficult to find. Puzzles were nothing new, but some did have a little challenge to them and those that did, took me a little time and thought to complete. Hint system is quite helpful and it does transport to longer locations. There is a lot of back tracking in this addition as well. The map is very bland and boring, so having the transport feature is very nice. Actually, I found no need to use the map at all. One thing I find annoying in any game, is the fact that when you have found all items in a close up scene, it should close automatically. Otherwise, I waste a lot of time looking around for something else that isn't there. Maddening.
Collectibles are nicely done. We need to find 36 jigsaw pieces, which are fairly large, but can be blended into the surrounding scenery quite well. We use these to complete 3 jigsaw puzzles. These can be anywhere in a scene. We also have 27 morphing flowers. These can be a single flower or a bouquet and morph fairly quickly. They are quite large, but easy to miss. We also have 12 Chimera fact cards to find. You find these laying around anywhere and some are a bit small. Since there are only 12, it is easy to forget about them.
This addition to this series has an interesting story line, not the usual "save Mom" type of game. I really got into the story in this one and got caught up in it fairly quickly. I was rather disappointed when the demo ended. There is so much going on in this one, that I didn't get bored with all the back tracking. I find that I have the need to play this one out and see what is happening and why. I think most all levels of players will find this one a little challenging and somewhat fun. Yes, I am adding this one to my collection.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
A dangerous spirit has returned from the past!
Overall rating
4
/
5
25 of 36 found this review helpful
Nice collectibles...
PostedOctober 14, 2017
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Hello friends! And this series just keeps growing. As usual, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story to those who do a much better job than I. The graphics in this game are quite good, except for the blur you have when going in and out of a close up scene. This seems to be a standard with this series and a lot of others. Colors are bright, but tend to have a bit of a blue hue...still nice. Sound FX aren't bad and pretty much throughout the demo. Although they are few and far between, the voices are quite well done, being age and character appropriate. Needed more character interaction. You can click through the dialog if you read faster than they speak, without really missing anything. Game play was excellent, no problems during the demo. Animation was excellent and had very smooth movements. The music was somewhat soothing. Again, we have those silly glasses to see into the past. This gives us more insight into the story, which isn't new, and also allows us to pick up useful items along the way.
HOPs are very well done. You have a combination of interactive lists and interactive silhouettes. The scenes are fairly clear and items are not difficult to find. These are well done. You can switch to a match 3 for something different. Puzzles are not all that difficult, but some did take me some time and thought to complete. Hint system is quite useful and actually gives you a hint, rather than telling you to move on. Of course, this is my favorite map, very clear and easy to follow. It shows you the areas where you have missed a collectible, so you can go back and pick it up. The map also automatically opens and shows you where to go, when you need to transport to a longer location. This is very helpful and a time saver, as we do a lot of back tracking in this game.
Collectibles are many in this game. We need to find 15 morphing items, which morph very quickly; 51 coins to buy items for the boudoir so watch for them; a lot of diary pages that are not all that easy to spot; and I ran across weapons as well - 15 of them. I accidentally found a couple. Collectibles are nicely done.
The story seemed to flow well and was easy to follow, but still was nothing new. I figured out how this would end after speaking with Larry, but I think I need to play it out to see if I'm right. Not sure how I missed beta testing this one. This addition was not all that challenging, except a few puzzles, but I like it well enough to keep going, and I especially like the collectibles. I think all levels of players will find this one worth the CE price. Yes, I am adding this to my every growing collection of CE games.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
A Halloween party becomes a spine-tingling fight for survival!
Overall rating
4
/
5
22 of 33 found this review helpful
Spooky, creepy, awesome!
PostedOctober 12, 2017
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Hello friends! As usual, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story line to others, but I will comment on the story later in my review. Graphics are very well done, even with an occasional blur when going in and out of close up areas. Game play was excellent, with no problems during the demo and it fit my large screen quite nicely. Animation is nice, even though we again have people whose legs don't actually move, but other animation is quite well done. Colors are bright and true for a change. I figured they would be dark and gloomy, but they are not. Voices are well done, and the voices of the "bad guys" are quite creepy. Sound fx are appropriate for the setting and again, we have creepy and edge of your seat when the music is added to it. Be aware, things do jump out at you often and we have clowns, so if you don't care for any of this, don't get this game. Remember, it is a Halloween game and things are supposed to be creepy.
HOPs are well done and varied, with fragments, highlighted words, and lists. Scenes are pretty clear and items are not difficult to find. I didn't see where you could switch to anything else. I found the puzzles to be somewhat challenging, to the point where I actually had to "skip" one. These are very well done. Hint system is very helpful and we do have the transport feature. This is a good thing, since we do a lot of back tracking in this game. Yes, we have a jump map as well, but it is very bland and boring. If you have the transport, you don't need the map.
Collectibles are exceptionally well done. We have to find 12 various skeletons, not difficult to find; 15 morphing objects, challenging as they morph quickly and are easy to miss...plus, you can't pick them up until they do morph; we also have 24 puzzle pieces to complete 3 jigsaw puzzles, which are large enough to see, but easy to overlook. Really like the collectibles in this one.
I was drawn into this game from the very beginning. The story is a little different, interesting and fun. It seemed like the demo was quite short, but I actually spent 40 minutes on it. This only happens when a game is so good that the time flies by quickly. The game flows very well and is easy to follow. I think most all levels of players will like this one. I do not give 5 stars easily, a game must be exceptional throughout for that score, but I did give it a 4.75. The downgrade was because of the occasional blur, but even at that, I am most definitely adding it to my collection.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Can you stop history from repeating itself?
Overall rating
4
/
5
35 of 42 found this review helpful
Time travel or dreams?
PostedOctober 7, 2017
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Hello friends! As usual, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story line to others who do a much better job than I. Is my count off, or is this really #12 in this series! I like this series, but for some reason, I only have 10 of them. Amazing how quickly they pop these games out in this series. The graphics in this addition are very well done, very clear, and I didn't notice any blur when going in or out of close up scenes. Game play was excellent, with no problems during the demo. Colors are quite nice, even though at times we have a little fading, but I think it goes along with the story line. Animation is very well done, with eye movements and all. The only draw back is that the characters don't actually "walk," they just sort of jump or float in and out of their movements. I really didn't notice much int he way of music, but we did have sound FX. Mostly, the sfx is wind when you are outside, and not much of anything when indoors. Seems we have the same voice for our heroine, which is still somewhat boring, no emotion, just reading a script. All other voices just seem to fit the character. There really isn't a lot of character interaction, but enough to keep you going.
HOPs were highlighted words and interactive lists, but you could switch to a jigsaw puzzle if you got bored. Items were easy to find and the scenes were fairly clear. I much prefer the puzzles over a match 3 game any day. Puzzles weren't difficult at all, but some did have a bit of challenge. We didn't seem to have a lot of HOPs or puzzles in this one, but enough for a change from just the story. Hint system is very helpful, but it does not transport to longer locations. You can click back and forth, which is not a long distance anyway, or just use the jump map. Again, the map identifies the area with name and picture, as well as letting you know if you missed a collectible. It does not tell you if you missed a morphing item though. Strategy guide is the same as all other games. I use it mostly to see where I missed a collectible, if I can't find it on my own.
The collectibles in this series are nice. For me, the more the merrier and the better I like the game. They are somewhat challenging in that the 20 eyes you need to find can be anywhere and easy to forget. You do have to find 33 morphing objects, which are a subtle morph and take about 7 seconds in and out. Unless I missed something, that is all we have in this addition.
This game is not really challenging, but the story was easy to follow and was interesting enough to make me want to find out what is happening and why. I think all levels of players will find something fun and/or interesting about this game. When I beta tested this one a few months ago, I gave it a 4.5. I think I'll stick to that number. Yes, I am going to add this one to my collection.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the review.
I recommend this game!
Can you save the mayor’s wife in time?
Overall rating
2
/
5
35 of 47 found this review helpful
Yawn....
PostedOctober 5, 2017
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Hello friends! Not my usual type of review, but this is the best I can do for this one...short, sweet and to the point. Same old boring game. The story never changes and the series is never updated. I think all they do is change the name of the game. This one is way past due to be retired.
Give it a shot, if you haven't played any of the others in this series, you might like this one. I'm being kind when I say I disliked it. I rarely do not recommend a game for one reason or another, but I just couldn't find one for this game. A definite no buy for me.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you uncover the secrets hidden in the Alexander Valentine Hotel?
Overall rating
3
/
5
16 of 26 found this review helpful
Good for beginners!
PostedOctober 1, 2017
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Hello friends! As usual, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story line to others who do a much better job than I. Well, we have #15 in this series, yes, you read correctly. Graphics were exceptional, very clear with no blurring when going in or out of cut scenes. Colors were very clear and bright, but not over powering at all. Voices are age and character appropriate and very well done, with all emotions so far, when we have them. This one is very quiet and character interaction is few and far between. The "bad guy" does have a very sinister voice and is well done. Music was very soothing and very quiet as well. Sound FX were almost non-existent. We did have a few thunder sounds now and then. Animation was nicely done, when we had it.
HOPs were fairly clean and items were easy to find. We had a combo of interactive lists, finding pairs and silhouettes. Nothing new or exciting. I did not see that you could switch to anything else if you got bored with the HOPs. Puzzles were not difficult and I found no real challenge to any of them during the demo. Maybe this picks up as the game progresses. We do have a lot of back-tracking for items, and at times, we have a lot of useful items in our inventory, waiting to be used. Hint system is very helpful and fortunately, we do have the transport feature. We do a lot of back tracking in this one as well. We also have a jump map, but I found it to be quite boring to look at...very bland. Strategy guide is the usual and helpful if you need help finding the collectibles.
Collectibles are well done with a little challenge to them. We have 20 picture parts to find, which are not as easy as you think. We also have 25 morphing objects. Some are quite small and they do morph very quickly. We also have to find what looks like business cards. These are also small and I think I accidentally found a couple. Be on the lookout for the collectibles.
Same old story, except this one involves a crew of what I think are "ghost" hunters. The story seemed to move slowly for me and I found myself getting bored toward the end. Maybe 15 is just too many for this series. I found nothing that made me want to buy this one and I don't even think I'd buy the SE version. I often find that the SE makes a much better game. I did like the collectibles, but a game needs a little more than that to grab my attention. I'm sure this game will appeal to a lot of players, but I don't feel it is geared toward the seasoned gamer, more to the beginner or someone who just wants to walk leisurely through a game. I will recommend it for beginners. Of course, I may change my mind when the SE comes out, but we will see.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Can you keep history from destroying the present?
Overall rating
3
/
5
14 of 22 found this review helpful
Dangerous crystals!
PostedSeptember 29, 2017
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Hello friends! Well, looks like we have #3 in this series. As always, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story line to others who do a much better job than I. Colors in this addition were actually quite nice, very bright and true. Game play was very good, no problems during the demo. Graphics are mostly clear, except when going in and out of close ups and cut scenes, then a bit blurry. A couple of cutscenes were quite blurry. Not a lot of animation but some. Music was annoying. The tempo was much too fast and was constant, making you think something was about to happen all the time. Voices are fairly nice and are age and character appropriate, and we have enough character interaction so that you don't get bored. Again, we heal people of the evil and dreaded crystal disease, using a healer kit and a diagnosis tool. The tool is used to ID the problem, find the items needed, mix them together in the correct order, and then use them to cure the disease. Using the tool was boring and unnecessary to the game for me, but okay. Sound FX are nice, but mostly we have the annoying music.
HOPs are somewhat varied, with silhouettes, interactive lists. The scenes are a bit cluttered, but you can still find the items without difficulty. You can switch to a match 3 if you prefer. Puzzles were fairly simple, and you can choose between easy and hard. Did not run across many HOPs or puzzles during the demo, so hopefully that picks up a bit. Again, this game has my favorite map. Areas are clearly identified and you can choose to get a hint on whether you missed a collectible or not. The hint system is very helpful and it does transport to longer locations. Mostly by the map opening up and showing you where to go next. There is a lot of back-tracking, so this is a big time saver. Strategy guide is the usual and easy to follow.
We have some nice, varied and somewhat challenging collectibles to find in this addition. We need to find 15 flowers, which are not all that easy to find and they morph; 39 crystals that are small but still not too difficult to see, which we use to purchase items for the lab; and 15 statuettes of our characters which are not in every scenes, so they easy to forget about. This is why it's helpful to have that great map.
Be aware that when traveling, you do have bright lights, but travel is few and far between. This game is not exceptionally challenging, but I found it interesting enough to want to play it out. If you can get past the blurry graphics now and then, you might like this one. I did have to laugh at the "head guy's" dialog, when he said, "I stole this from Amber while she was roughing me up." Might have fit better if he had said, "while she was attacking me," or something like that. Anyway, I think all levels of players will find this one a nice game. Yes, I am adding it to my collection.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!