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 reviews
    0
 
 
Status:
 
 
dancemom1's Review History
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A sudden murder overshadows the writing opportunity of a lifetime.
 
Overall rating 
Loved it!
5 / 5
18 of 32 found this review helpful
Books, authors, murders!
PostedOctober 29, 2016
Customer avatar
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor 
Excellent
5 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Excellent
5 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Good
4 / 5
Storyline 
Excellent
5 / 5
Hello frieds! Well, we have #6 in this series. As always, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story line review to others who do a much better job than I. The graphics in this game are exceptional and are very clear and sharp. Colors are bright and true. Game play is extremely nice, with no problems during the demo. Scenes flowed from one to the other smoothly and without blur or jumpy graphics. The voices are very well done, being age and character appropriate, with emotion and not just someone reading a script. Loved the realistic sound FX, e.g. storm with thunder and lightening. These FX were throughout the demo, as was the music, which is very well done...moving with whatever was happening at the time. Neither the music nor the SFX over-shadowed the other and played well off of each other. Exceptionally well done.
HOPs are interactive lists with riddles included. Scenes are clean and clear and items are not difficult to find. You don't have a lot of HOPs in this game, but they seem to show up at just the right time, to break up what's happening now and then and give you something else to do. If you don't care for the HOPs, you can switch to a bubble popper game. You also have to find 12 morphing items in the HOPs. These items morph very slowly, so they are quite easy to miss. Puzzles are a bit different and are challenging enough to cause you to take time and use some thought to complete them. Well done. Hint system is very helpful and it does transport to longer locations. Yes, you can use the jump map, but this is faster. The map is very easy to follow, areas are well marked and identified by name and picture. SG is the same as usual and the area pictures are very clear, so you know what you are looking for. You have a tablet that helps you collect and understand evidence and clues. It also helps problem solve and heads you in the right direction.
Collectibles are very few. We have to find 38 dollar bills. Some are quite easy to spot, but others are very small and well hidden. This is a bit of a challenge and at times, creates a little eye strain. One more collectible would have been a nice addition and make it a bit more challenging.
I really loved the storyline in this one...very different and it kept my interest throughout the demo. We have the authors of many "books" as the main focus in this game. The story titles of other games we have played are well integrated into this particular story, which is quite different than what we are used to. Very nicely done. You are constantly on the move in this game and is a very nice addition to this series. This one had me from the very beginning, a well done "who-done-it." I think all levels of players will find this one fun and with enough challenge to keep them going. I do not give 5 star easily, a game must be exceptional in all areas for that. This one comes very close. The only draw back for me was the lack of more collectibles. Still not a deal breaker...I give it a 4.75. Yes, I am definitely 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!
+4points
18of 32voted this as helpful.
 
Overall rating 
Liked it!
4 / 5
14 of 23 found this review helpful
Daylight at last!
PostedOctober 27, 2016
Customer avatar
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor 
Excellent
5 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Excellent
5 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Good
4 / 5
Storyline 
Excellent
5 / 5
Hello friends! Well, we have #6 in this series. As usual, I review mostly on the game play and not the story line. I leave that up to those who do a much better job than I. This addition has excellent graphics, very clear and sharp. Animation is superb in every body movement and facial expression. Voices are extremely well done, age and character appropriate, with all the emotions included. Sound FX are very well done and heard throughout the game play. You have just the right amount of sound and music when something is about to happen. Far more sound FX than music in this one. Game play was excellent, with no problems during the demo and the scenes fit my large screen quite nicely.
HOPs are different and nicely done, but are very few and far between. Scenes are clear and items are not difficult to find. There isn't another game that you can choose, if you do not wish to play the HOPs. There is so much action in this one that you don't even think about missing them. Be on the lookout for morphing items in the HOPs. I have not found it difficult to find them, but they morph slowly, so it's easy to miss them. Puzzles, lots of puzzles...different, fun, challenging in that they take time and thought to complete, not because they are all that difficult. Very well done. Hint system is helpful, but it does not transport to longer locations. You do back track quite a lot in this game, but you have a jump map that is fairly clear and easy to use.
Collectibles are very few. You need to find 29 paw prints in each scene. They are not difficult to see, but you do have to look for them. They don't just jump off the screen at you. You also collect fate cards that give you powers to help you along the way, and eventually help to defeat the beast.
This addition is very well done. I do not give 5 stars easily. A game has to be exceptional throughout to get those. As much as I like this game, it had a couple thing that took down the star count...the "new clue" notice popping up all the time was extremely annoying. I know I got a clue, it was added to my book! I did not care for the split screen...too much "stuff" on the screen at once. Other than that, an excellent game. The story is different and kept me interested and moving the entire time. When I beta tested this one a few months ago, I gave it a 4.5. Still there today. I believe all levels of players will find this one fun, with just the right amount of challenge. 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!
+5points
14of 23voted this as helpful.
 
It's time to begin your journey to help a ghost captain and save the world.
 
Overall rating 
Liked it!
4 / 5
10 of 13 found this review helpful
Lots of collectibles, challenge and fun!
PostedOctober 25, 2016
Customer avatar
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor 
Excellent
5 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Good
4 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Good
4 / 5
Storyline 
Excellent
5 / 5
Hello friends! Well, we have #4 in this series. Yep, got the other three and enjoyed every one of them. As always, I review mostly on the game play and not the story, as others do a much better job than I on that part of the game. Excellent graphics, very clear, very realistic, including in the animation. Movements are quite smooth, no blur, just a bit of muted color now and then, but not in close ups. Game play was very nice, no problems during the demo and the picture fit my large screen quite well. Voices were pretty well done, especially the pirates and their "gravel" voices. I did have to laugh when our gal said "I'm okay," when she fell through the ladder. My grandson said that when he fell...age 3. There isn't a lot of music in this one, but what there is, is very soothing so far. The sound FX are awesome, very realistic and with every movement and action.
HOPs are only interactive silhouettes. Find the item, then use it within the scene. Items are not difficult to find and scenes are fairly clear and clutter free. You could not switch to something else, if you get bored with the same HOP all the time. The game could have used a bit more here. Puzzles were actually challenging and thought provoking. You can't just breeze through these. There are some a bit easier than others, but most take time to complete. Hint system is very helpful and transports to longer locations by way of the jump map. The map opens and shows you where your next stop will be. Map is well done, and shows you where collectibles and morph items can be found in case you miss one. The SG is in a very odd place. Took me a while to find it. In case you missed it, click on the dragon in the bottom left corner.
Collectibles are many. Most items are quite small, so you really have to look for them. Quite challenging here as well. We need to find 32 morphing items, which morph quickly...about 3 seconds in and out. I found a couple accidentally, as they were extremely small. We also need to find 8 skulls, 8 bottles of run, 8 ships, 8 fish statues, 8 map pieces, 15 masks and 20 manuscript pages. Whew! Love this part of the game!
I found this story to be quite interesting and a little different, and was drawn into it pretty quickly. You are constantly on the move. There is quite a lot of back-tracking in this game as well, and at times, you have a lot of items in your inventory. When I beta tested this one, it didn't catch my interest, but I see the devs did make some positive changes. I do not give 5 stars easily, as a game has to be exceptional throughout. This is an excellent game, but because some collectibles are extremely small and difficult to see, I gave it 4.5 stars. This game is challenging and fun. I feel that all levels of players will find this one well worth playing. Yes, I am going to add this to my ever growing 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!
+7points
10of 13voted this as helpful.
 
 Grim Facade: The Red Cat Collector's Edition
Grim Facade: The Red Cat Collector's Edition
When the Red Cat is upon your door, you're next!
 
Overall rating 
It was OK.
3 / 5
12 of 23 found this review helpful
Time to retire series?
PostedOctober 23, 2016
Customer avatar
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor 
Poor
2 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Good
4 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Poor
2 / 5
Storyline 
OK
3 / 5
Hello friends! Wow, we have #8 in this series. I only have 6 of them. This one has really nice graphics, just as the other do. The colors are true for the most part. Animation is very well done. The voices are exceptionally well done, age and character appropriate. Music wasn't bad and moved with whatever was happening at the time. Sound FX are very well done. Everything flowed well with the music, voices and SFX, so you didn't have any "dead" air during the game. Nicely done.
HOPs are nothing new. You only have interactive lists and do not have anything else to switch to if you don't care for them. Definitely need to upgrade. Scenes were fairly clear and items were not difficult to find, and HOPs are played more than once in some cases. I found one that also had a puzzle within the HOP...that was a little different. Puzzles were not difficult, but did take a bit of time to complete. Hint system is helpful, but does not transport to longer locations. There is a lot of back tracking in this game as well. You do have a jump map, which is helpful, bland and boring. You have to use a little machine to find and unlock memories. This is one feature that I do not care for. I find it boring, but others will find it fun.
Collectibles are very few. I only found a mechanical bug that also allows you to play another puzzle. Very disappointing for me. You also find money to buy items to help as you go along in the game.
Maybe I'm just tired of this series, but this one didn't have anything that made me want to keep playing. The demo was quite short, which also doesn't help give you a feel for the game. I beta tested this one a few months ago and only gave it a 3.0. This could have been a nice game with a few upgrades, but I found it to be quite simple and was glad when the demo ended. I much prefer games with more extras, e.g., pick up missed collectibles, replay puzzles/HOPs, souvenir room, etc. I don't see that this one is CE worthy, so I will put it in my puddle and wait for the SE. I frequently end up getting the SE version if I don't feel a game is CE worthy. I will recommend this one for beginners, but not for a seasoned gamer who wants some challenge and action. That said, the only thing that really interested me is...I'm not too sure the "bad guy" is really a guy. I may have to find out.
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!
+1point
12of 23voted this as helpful.
 
Overall rating 
It was OK.
3 / 5
6 of 11 found this review helpful
An okay game...
PostedOctober 20, 2016
Customer avatar
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor 
OK
3 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Good
4 / 5
Level of Challenge 
OK
3 / 5
Storyline 
OK
3 / 5
Hi all. Well, what can I say about this game? Graphics weren't bad, mostly clear. Colors started out with a bit too much pink, but quickly cleared up. Game play was very good, no problems during the demo. Animation wasn't too bad, but movements were occasionally choppy, mostly with the characters. Voices weren't bad, but lacked much emotion, except for the bad guy. His voice was quite good. Not a lot of character interaction. Music is very quiet and does not lend to the "haunted house" of this game. Other than a few ghosts here and there, nothing was really scary to me. Ghosts were very well done. Even got to use a Smart Phone to find them. Not really all that much in the way of sound FX, which would have helped this one a lot.
HOPs were interactive and well done, but nothing new. Items were very easy to see, although some scenes were a little cluttered. I believe I only ran across 4 HOPs during the demo. At least one HOP was played more than once. I do not see where you can switch to another game if you get tired of the HOPs. Puzzles were painfully simple and took no time at all to complete, except for one that ended up frustrating me. Hint system is helpful, except once when it said "...done everything here, maybe I should check my inventory." Wasn't anything to do in my inventory. Come to find out, I needed to use an item from the inventory...in another room! You do have the transport feature.
Collectibles are very disappointing. You only need to find 44 morphing objects. Not as easy as you think, and some scenes have multiple objects.
There is a lot of back tracking in this game, which gets boring very quickly. Because of this, I found this game moving quite slowly. The story was okay, but nothing new. I just don't feel this one is CE worthy. Some will like this a lot, but personally, I think it is geared more toward a beginner. For that reason, I will recommend it for beginners, but not for seasoned gamers. It just wasn't for me, no buy.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may find this one is exactly what you are looking for. Thanks for the review.
I recommend this game!
+1point
6of 11voted this as helpful.
 
Stop a strange phenomenon that could threaten the entire world!
 
Overall rating 
It was OK.
3 / 5
21 of 30 found this review helpful
Simple game, not CE worthy, but not bad...
PostedOctober 18, 2016
Customer avatar
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor 
OK
3 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Good
4 / 5
Level of Challenge 
OK
3 / 5
Storyline 
OK
3 / 5
Hello friends! Well, we have #3 in this series. As usual, I mostly review on the game play and not the story line, as others do a much better job of that than I. Graphics are fairly well done, except that occasionally the characters look as though they were superimposed onto the background. Colors have been cleaned up and are pretty clear and true. I say this because I beta tested this one way back in March, so they dug deep for this one, and it needed help. Looks like the devs paid some attention to suggestions. Even at that, the game play was very nice, no problems during the demo. Voices are well done and are age and character appropriate. I did not care for the "singing" story in the beginning, as the voice was a bit grating. Not a lot of music in this one, which is nice for a change. Very nice sound FX. Animation is well done, but not a lot of character interaction.
HOPs are quite simple and somewhat cluttered. Even at that, items are not difficult to find. We just had interactive silhouettes and lists. I don't see that you can switch to something else either. I did like that you don't constantly have a full inventory, as you use most items fairly quickly. This eliminates a lot of back-tracking. You do need to find pearls in each HOP. I noted in the Strategy Guide that most scenes show two pearls. This is misleading, as you visit each HOP twice, so you only find one pearl at a time. This one seems to have a lot more HOPs than normal as well. You have a jewel in this game that "sucks" the bad elements out and gives you occasional memories from the past. This was often confusing and sometimes included a puzzle, but didn't tell you anything. I ended up clicking around and accidentally figured it out. Very odd to me. Transport is helpful and it does transport to longer locations. Puzzles were interesting and a little different. I found that they took more time and thought than I expected, but were not difficult.
Collectibles are so simple to find. You need to find Omega symbols which are usually quite large and very easy to see. This was a little disappointing, as this game could have used a little more in this department.
I have the first two in this series and really liked them. Somehow, I don't feel this one is quite as good and definitely not challenging. Story is nothing new and moved a little slowly. This is not a bad game, but one I feel is geared more toward beginners, or someone who just wants a simple game. I sometimes do, and I have many in my collection. I just don't feel this one is CE worthy. I will put this one in my puddle and wait for the SE. I frequently get the SE when I feel a game is not CE worthy.
As always, try it for yourself. 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!
+12points
21of 30voted this as helpful.
 
Overall rating 
Liked it!
4 / 5
18 of 22 found this review helpful
Another world to explore!
PostedOctober 17, 2016
Customer avatar
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor 
Good
4 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Good
4 / 5
Level of Challenge 
OK
3 / 5
Storyline 
Good
4 / 5
Hello, friends! I believe we have #7 in this series. As usual, I review mostly on the game play and leave the story line to others who do a much better job than I. Graphics in this addition are quite well done, with no blurry scenes when going in or out of close ups. Game play is excellent, no problems during the demo and the scene fit my large screen quite well. For the most part, the color is very nice. The only color I didn't care for is all the pink and purples in the other world...it's just too much on the eyes. Yes, we travel to another world to help save us all, so beware, there are very bright lights when traveling. Voices are very well done and are age and character appropriate. Music is rather soothing for a change. There is more music than sound FX, but what we have it well done.
HOPs are a combination of interactive lists, silhouettes, and riddle type. Items are not hard to find and scenes are pretty clear. You do need to find a morphing item in each HOP, which is not as easy as you may think. If you don't care for the HOPs, there is a bubble shoot game to play. Puzzles aren't bad either. Some have a bit of challenge and take some time and thought to complete, but I haven't seen anything new. Hint system is very helpful and it does transport to longer locations. This is very helpful, since you visit the same locations multiple times. We spend the bulk of our time in the other world, but there is a reason for it. I didn't care much for the jump map, it was just to bland. I prefer areas with not only the location name, but an actual picture of it as well. Easier to identify where I'm going, but that's just me.
Collectibles were somewhat disappointing. We have 38 symbols that reminded me of gold statuettes. They are fairly large in most cases, but can be a little difficult to see when blended into the background. They really aren't hard to find. I much prefer more collectibles in a game, which makes it more CE worthy to me, and a little more challenging.
It is fun to interact directly with objects needed, e.g., eat the fruit to get the bowl, but that doesn't happen much at all. I do like this series, and even though this story is predictable and anything but new, I do want to play it out and see where it goes. As I said, not a challenging game, but interesting. I think all levels of players will enjoy this one. 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!
+14points
18of 22voted this as helpful.
 
Can you escape your fate as a human experiment, or will you comply?
 
Overall rating 
Liked it!
4 / 5
20 of 30 found this review helpful
Shades of "Hal"
PostedOctober 8, 2016
Customer avatar
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor 
Good
4 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Good
4 / 5
Level of Challenge 
OK
3 / 5
Storyline 
Excellent
5 / 5
Hi friends! Well, we have #2 in this series. I review mostly on the game play and not the story, as others do a much better job of that than I. The graphics are really well done in this one, very clear. Colors are pretty much gray and dreary, but then again, you are in a very old abandoned building without a whole lot of light. Game play was very good, but I did notice a little lag when picking up an item, or moving to another location. Not a whole lot of "skip" areas either. Voices are very well done, especially the computer. This story is very different from what we have been getting. Yes, it is the "spooky" sort, but the story is different. Music isn't much and neither are the sound FX. This one could have been very edge of your seat with the right sound FX.
HOPs are a variety of highlighted words, interactive lists and place items in the scene. They are fairly clean and clear and items are not difficult to find. You do need to find morphing items in the HOPs. The morph is not one of those that jumps off the page at you, it is much more subtle and very smooth. Puzzles are also a variety of very simple and very thought provoking. They aren't really difficult, but I found one that was quite frustrating. The jump map is helpful, since you don't have the transport feature in this one. I did not care for the map...too bland. I prefer actually seeing the location, with the location name. SG is the same as all the others and collectibles are clearly shown if you need help.
The only collectibles are 28 symbols. They aren't all easy to find, but most are. I was very disappointed in this, as this game needed more.
I beta tested this one quite some time ago. The one thing I did like about this game is the ability to choose which direction you want to go, e.g. stay, jump, etc. That choice determines what happens to you and it isn't always pleasant. This story is definitely more sci-fi than ghosts and mayhem. It is different, not really challenging, moves a bit slowly, but it was interesting. I'm on the fence about this one. Although I do have the need to find out who's running the computer and why, I just don't feel it is CE worthy. I may change my mind when the SE comes out, but for now, I will put it in my puddle and wait. This is a good game for those of us who just want a different story and not a lot of challenge.
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!
+10points
20of 30voted this as helpful.
 
 Phantasmat: Reign of Shadows Collector's Edition
Phantasmat: Reign of Shadows Collector's Edition
There's more to this resort than meets the eye.
 
Overall rating 
Liked it!
4 / 5
24 of 32 found this review helpful
Challenging puzzles...
PostedOctober 6, 2016
Customer avatar
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor 
Excellent
5 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Good
4 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Excellent
5 / 5
Storyline 
Good
4 / 5
Hi friends! As usual, I review mostly on the game play and not the story line, as others do a much better job of that than I. Well, unless my count is off, this is #7 in this series. Of course, I have them all. Graphics are well done, but some of the colors seem a little "fuzzy," which makes the graphics seem the same. On the whole, they are well done. Yes, there are blues in this one as well, but they are not over-powering. At least the cut scenes are not blurry as they have been in some games lately, and the flow between scenes is very well done. Game play was excellent, with no problems during the demo. Voices are well done, with some fear, curiosity, urgency, and our "bad guy" doctor has quite the sinister voice as well. Really like the sound FX, which include the sounds of a winter storm, e.g. cold winds.
HOPs are extremely well done. You have a variation of interactive lists, highlighted words, morphing items and interactive silhouettes. Scenes are clean and clear and items are not difficult to find. I did not see that you could switch to something else, but with the variation, you really don't need to. Puzzles are challenging without being overly difficult. They do take some time and thought to complete. This is a very nice change from our last few games. The hint system is quite helpful and it does transport to longer locations. The jump map also saves you time, but I found it to be rather bland and boring. I prefer maps that not only list the area name, but show the area picture as well. Makes thing much clearer for a "visual" person. I was disappointed in how the story was unfolding, not the story itself, but what and why things were happening. We got only very small bits and pieces of the story as we went along, but maybe it picks up as the game progresses.
Collectibles were a little disappointing as well, but nicely done. We only need to find 21 morphing items. They morph in for about 6 seconds and out for about the same amount of time. They are not as easy to spot as you may think, so be on the look out.
The opening scene is very well done and draws you in almost immediately. I like how you have an interesting variety of items to use in the games and not just the standard paperclip and screwdriver. I don't give 5 stars easily, a game must be exceptional in every way to get that many. Even though this game is very well done, it didn't get 5 from me, simply because of the few things I listed above, but it does come close. That said, I like this addition to this series and I think most all levels of players will agree. Yes, I am going to add this one 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!
+16points
24of 32voted this as helpful.
 
Overall rating 
It was OK.
3 / 5
13 of 16 found this review helpful
I'm lost and alone!
PostedOctober 2, 2016
Customer avatar
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor 
OK
3 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
OK
3 / 5
Level of Challenge 
OK
3 / 5
Storyline 
Good
4 / 5
Hi friends! As usual, I mostly review on the game play and not the story line, as others do a much better job of that than I. Well, looks like we have #9 in this series, unless my count is off. I have the first 8, so was excited to see this one come along. I was disappointed in the faded blues and purple colors, as well as the faded graphics. Animation wasn't bad. Voice overs were okay, but nothing special and not much in the way of emotion, fear, etc. Sound FX were pretty nice. Music was okay and changed depending on what was happening at the time. Game play was good, except when the hint stopped working for a bit. It did fix itself.
HOPs were a nice combination of interactive lists, silhouettes, replace items in scene and highlighted words. If you didn't care for the HOPs, you can switch to a jigsaw puzzle, my favorite. Scenes weren't too cluttered and items were fairly easy to spot. Puzzles were quite simple and took no time at all to complete. Hint system is helpful, but there was no transport, so you had to use the jump map. I do like the way the map is set up. Very easy to follow and areas well marked.
Collectibles are the same as all the others in this series, but I like them. They are varied and items are not all the same. It is easy to forget to look for them. You need to find 6 of each: against the rules; damsel in distress; Adams legacy; timepieces and hope for redemption. You also need to find 35 morphing objects. Watch for these, as they morph quickly and some are quite small.
I was somewhat disappointed in this game. The story wasn't bad, but the devs definitely need to pay attention to those of us who constantly complain about the colors and graphics. They just have a way of making your eyes tired very quickly. Again, you have to use a bright light to get rid of the bad spirits, but that seemed to fade away for the time being. I'm sure it will return as the game progresses. That said, the game flowed quite well and was easy to follow. There is no real challenge to any of it, except finding the collectibles, which I especially like. I think this will appeal to all levels of players for one reason or another. Yes, I will add this to my collection, but I'm not sure it will be the CE version. I will put this in my puddle and think about it a bit.
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!
+10points
13of 16voted this as helpful.
 
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