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 help the City of Artists find their lost inspiration?
Overall rating
3
/
5
11 of 13 found this review helpful
Not CE worthy...
PostedJune 13, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Hello friends. Well, we have number 2 in this series. Yep, got the first one, but honestly can't remember that much about it. This one has wonderful colors, very clear and true. Graphics are very well done and animation movements are fairly smooth and life-like. Game play was very good, except for a freeze in one spot. I exited out and back in and it worked fine after that. Music was rather soothing and nice. Voice overs are great, but then again, I love a good accent. They are well done and didn't sound like someone was just reading a script. You can click through dialog without eliminating the entire story, if you read faster than they speak. I did think it a bit odd that out of the blue, you get a phone call giving you an assignment and if you do well, you will become a member of an agency. Is that how it works? Hmmm...
HOPs are interactive silhouettes and nothing new. They are clean and clear and items are not difficult to find. Puzzles are very easy and again, nothing new or exciting. Hint system works quite well and does transport to longer locations. Didn't even look at the SG, but I seldom do anyway. You have a creepy "Harlequin" doll that follows you around and waves frequently, but only when she can do something to help you out. You find outfits to dress her in and without them, you will not be able to complete a particular task. This was silly and not necessary to this game.
Collectibles: You find vases to break to collect coins to purchase interface decorations. Why, they don't do anything to enhance the game. You also find olive branches, which will allow you to purchase items in Calliope's boudoir...yay. Disappointing and boring. There seems to also be 3 items you will find as you progress, that will help you do things in the game, e.g. pallet that brings pictures to life, which in turn help you accomplish a task.
This was an extremely short demo, seemed shorter than the beta. There is absolutely no challenge in this game, which is not always necessary for me, but it didn't really have anything else either. I think the best part of this game is Calliope. She is quite evil and very well done, but I don't get the "collecting of Calliope's essence." Did I miss an explanation in there somewhere? I obviously did not collect any during the demo. Beginners might find this one challenging, and this is the only reason why I recommend the CE. Personally, I do not feel this is CE worthy and will put it in my puddle and wait for the SE version. I'll give it a second look then and decide if I want it or not. Right now, it's on hold.
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!
Your daughter's lost in the Maze of Fears, but you'll face more than her disappearance if you dare to enter.
Overall rating
4
/
5
35 of 39 found this review helpful
Makes a much better SE...
PostedJune 12, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hello friends. Gave the SG version a shot and liked it much better than the CE. The following is a "shortened" version of my CE review: "This one is not a as well done as the other games in this series, and as usual, there is a lot of blue and pink. Colors were bright and clear. Game play was good, no problems during the demo, but characters had a very stiff movement. Music was okay, but got a little boring after a while. Voice overs were just okay, but without much emotion or realism.
HOPs were interactive lists and the same with every one. This game definitely needed a change up in this area. You can switch to the match 3, which is not one of my favorite games. At first I liked the way they were done, but then it got boring very quickly. You have to get 3 matches in a row in one area in order to eliminate the items. Too much time spent on this and not the game. One thing I didn't care for was that there were too many items that needed to be put together, so you were always looking for another part before you could complete a task elsewhere. Maybe they did this to make the game seem longer...it just got old real quick. HOPs are very few in the demo, so hopefully they pick up a bit as the game progresses. Puzzles were extremely simple and took no real brain power to complete. Hint system was helpful and did transport to longer locations. Jump map worked well and was clear and easy to follow.
Collectibles...fears. Now this was a nice idea, but just finding a picture of a fear was boring. I really saw no "fear" anywhere. The collectibles were extremely disappointing and needed a lot more to make this one CE worthy.
Even though I did like the story line on this one, it was somewhat choppy and did not flow well. You would find an item, use it and lose it, then need to find another "like" item to do the same thing that one did, e.g. flashlight and lantern. As I said, I do not feel this game is CE worthy and not sure SE works for me either. Maybe...maybe a beginner would find this one fun, but not for me. I'll give the SE a shot when it comes out and see what happens, but not holding my breath. Recommended for those who like extremely simple games."
Sticking with my original review, but I find the need to see how they eliminate the "fears." Yes, I used a PCC for this one.
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. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
You stop a crazy fan, but when he dies, who’s responsible?
Overall rating
4
/
5
17 of 24 found this review helpful
Nice addition to this series...
PostedJune 11, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Hello friends. Wow, another addition to the Dance Macabre series. Yes, I do have all of the others in this series. I was surprised, and pleased, to see that they lightened up a bit on the blues and pinks. These colors get very tiring on the eyes after a while. Graphics are very well done. Not much in the way of animation. Game play was very good, with no problems during the demo and the game fit my large screen quite well. Voice overs aren't bad. We have a mixture of voice and written dialog...I prefer voice. Music was nice and the sound FX are very good. There is a click penalty, but you really have to click a lot to get it and it clears quickly.
HOPs are the usual silhouettes with riddles included, interactive lists and the like. If you get tired of these, you can switch to the match 3 game. There are also morphing objects in the HOPs, so be on the lookout. HOPs are pretty clean and clear and items are not difficult to find. Puzzles were very simple and took no brain power to complete. This was a little disappointing. Hint system works very well and does transport you to longer locations. This feature and the jump map save a lot of running around time, as you do return to the same locations frequently. The game flowed very well, so I found no need to use the SG at all. There are a lot of achievements, but nothing new and nothing difficult to achieve.
I see that we have 42 snow globes as collectibles. These are not all that easy to spot, as some are fairly well blended and in odd places, but are large enough to see if you look over the scene. Almost needed something a bit extra here, but nicely done.
I beta tested this one a few months ago and gave it a 4.5...sticking with that score. I really like this series and this game is no exception. It is not really challenging, but I do like the story line and find the need to continue and see what happens. The extras in this game make it worth the price of the CE, so I am adding this one to my ever growing collection. I think this game will appeal to all levels of players.
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!
Haunted Legends: The Dark Wishes
Restore the threads of Fate, before they cause a disaster!
Overall rating
4
/
5
35 of 40 found this review helpful
Makes a nice SE...
PostedJune 5, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hello friends! Just finished with the SE demo on this game and find it to be a much better SE than a CE. As I said in my review of the CE version: "Graphics are the same as all the others and are quite clear, with nice colors. Game play was very good, no problems during the demo. Voice overs are nice and appropriate for the character. I especially like the voice of the "fate," very well done. Music was nice and moved with whatever was happening in the scene at the time. I like traveling through portals to other locations, so you don't get bored backtracking to the same areas all the time.
SG is the usual and is easy to follow if you need it. I use it only to make sure I found all of the collectibles. Jump map was very generic and needed actual pictures of the locations with the names to properly identify where you were going. HOPs are the usual interactive lists with nothing extra. Time to upgrade a bit on this one. They are clear and clean and items are not difficult to find. Puzzles are very simple. I do like the block puzzles, e.g., move the pieces to form a picture, but I'm also a big jigsaw puzzle person. Some of the others took a little time to complete, but are not difficult."
I have all of the others in this series and like them all, but not all are CE versions either. The game flowed well, and I liked the story line. Demo was extremely short, but did draw me into the story. I still don't feel this game is CE worthy, but as I said, it does make a very nice SE. I believe this will appeal to all levels of players. I sometimes change my mind about a game when I demo the SE version, but rarely go back and purchase the CE instead. Yes, I am adding the SE version to my collection.
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. It is a nice game and one I think most all players would like in one form or another. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
How much is the famous Liberty Stone worth? A life?
Overall rating
4
/
5
23 of 27 found this review helpful
Best in the series for far...
PostedMay 30, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all. Well, we have #4 in this series. I only have Art of Deception and Italian Affair...didn't care for Linden Shades at all. Just didn't have anything that grabbed me in that one. This game is much better than any of the last 3. Graphics are very nice and clear, with bright true colors. Animation did seem a bit stiff, but was still nicely done. Game play was also very good, with no problems during the demo. Voice overs are very well done, with emotion, fear, etc., and don't just sound like someone is reading from a script. The one thing I do not care for in any game, is the need to "choose" dialog...I want to play, not waste my time reading and deciding what I want to say. This part is a "guess which" type of puzzle than anything else. Music isn't bad either. I usually turn it down for background noise, but I enjoyed this one. It moved with what was happening in a scene at the time and wasn't just a constant 5 or 6 chords like most. Sound FX were very well done and added a lot to the game.
Really wish devs would show us the entire SG index so we can see about how long the game might be. I didn't even look at this one. I usually only use them to make sure I have all of the collectibles anyway. HOPs are well done interactive lists with a puzzle thrown in now and then. They are clean and clear and items are not difficult to find. You do have morphing objects to find in them, so be on the lookout. There should be 12 in all. Puzzles were not difficult and nothing new. This game is not heavy on HOPs or puzzles, but is well done in how they are incorporated into the play. Hint system is very helpful and it does transport you to longer locations. This is very helpful, since you do back-track a bit.
Collectibles are 43 seahorses that are not as easy to spot as you may think. They are quite well hidden and in some cases, quite small and well blended. You also need to find 12 alphabet letters. Not sure what these collectibles do for you, but it is somewhat challenging. Along the way, accidentally, I found beach balls that said I opened an extra HOP. Different. I do like the look of the extras, which includes an extra play in the souvenir room.
I had beta tested this awhile back and really liked it. At that time, I had given it a 4.5, and I still do. The only reason I did not give it a 5 is because of the need to choose dialog. I seldom give 5 stars, unless a game is exceptional for me. However, I really like the game and the story line, and feel the need to play it out. I think this game will appeal to all levels of players. 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 review.
I recommend this game!
A reclusive star's darkest secrets are coming to light.
Overall rating
4
/
5
35 of 41 found this review helpful
Nice story line...
PostedMay 28, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all. Well, we have #5 in this series. Yes, I have the other 4, but one is only an SE version. This game is set up the same as the others, with very nice graphics, clear and bright colors and nice animation. Game play was very good, no problems during the demo at all. As with the others in this series, there isn't a lot of dialog, but when their is, the voice overs are well done. There are some sound FX, with background sounds and music, which is pretty well done. You do a lot of back-tracking in this game and there is a jump map. The map is quite "blah" compared to others, but it works. Music is okay, but I needed to turn it down after awhile...just got annoying. SG is the standard, but again, it does not show much for the demo, so hard to tell how long it will be. There is a click penalty, but you really have to do a lot to get it.
HOPs are a combination of lists, interactive silhouettes and riddles, which are nicely done and not difficult to complete. HOPs are quite clean. You do have to be on the lookout for morphing objects in the HOPs. They move in and out fairly quickly, but can be seen without eye strain. If you don't like HOPs, or get bored, you can switch to a match 3 game. Hint system is quite helpful and it does transport to longer locations. Puzzles were surprisingly simple in this one and took no brain power to complete.
The only collectibles I found are "wolf studio" symbols that are quite large and very easy to see. Yes, they do try to hide some and blend into other things, but still not difficult to find. There are 41 to be found.
I beta tested this one and gave it a 4. Glad I did the beta, since the demo is quite short and doesn't really give you much of a feel for the game. Looks like a couple things were fixed, so I upgraded a bit. Wish we could do half points. Has to be exceptional to get a 5 from me, and that is very seldom indeed. I think this game will appeal to all levels of players. Not sure what draws me to this game, since it isn't all that challenging, but I do have the need to play it out and see what happens. Maybe it's the story line. Yes, I am adding this one 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!
Investigate the mysterious death of Count Anthony in 18th century France.
Overall rating
2
/
5
8 of 11 found this review helpful
Seriously not recommended!
PostedMay 26, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Hi all. Wow, what crypt did they pull this one out of? Graphics weren't too bad, but colors really had me put off in the beginning...a lot of pink and purple! Game play was extremely old school, in that I found that I could not leave a scene until all tasks had been completed. Now, that would be okay, if I had all the pieces I needed to complete it...I didn't. Example (not a spoiler): in the office/library, I needed one more book but couldn't find it in that room and needed to complete the puzzle on the wall, but needed one more piece - also could not find it in that room. Maybe I'm blind, but they just weren't there and I could not exit the room. Extremely maddening. Voice overs seemed appropriate for the time, place and character. Music seemed to turn off while in game mode, but would sneak in now and then. Very quiet and very few sound FX.
HOPS are extremely simple and items are very easy to spot. I did not care for the need to grab, hold and drag items when I needed to use or place them. The inventory bar does not lock in place and pops up and down every time you find something. Very annoying. You get a verse after each HOP. Now, I have no idea what part this plays in this game, since they don't seem to be a hint to something else and some didn't make sense to me, as far as the game was concerned. Puzzles were simple when you could find one. When a pop up scene is completed, it should either automatically disappear or you should be able to click outside the box to exit...this one, you had to click a back button. Been so long since I had seen one, that it took me a few seconds to find it. For those of you who may be jumpy at times, there is a click penalty of two ghostly hands that jump at you as if they are going to grab your neck...just sayin'. Some items in a scene are extremely small, e.g. accidentally opened a book and "found" scissors. Only reason I knew what they were is because the screen told me what I found. Just looked like a blob on the book, so I clicked on it.
Needless to say, after 17 minutes, most of which was in the library, I got out and deleted this game. I'm not even sure a beginner would find this one fun. Just too many things didn't work correctly, or flow at all. There are very few games that I do not recommend for one reason or another, but this is one that I just can't recommend for any level of player. 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 don't recommend this game.
Could your little boy be the child of prophecy?
Overall rating
3
/
5
9 of 9 found this review helpful
Not a bad game, but not CE worthy...
PostedMay 24, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all. Well, we have #2 in this series. Game started out with purple and pinks, but cleared up fairly quickly and had very nice, clear colors. Graphics weren't bad, but seemed a bit old school. Game play was good, no problems during the demo. Voice overs weren't bad and seemed to be age and character appropriate, and had some emotion, but not much. There is a lot of dialog, but you can click through it if you read faster than the speak. Music was pretty nice and soothing, but didn't seem to have as much "oriental" sound as I would have imagined. There really wasn't a lot in the way of sound FX either, so game was pretty quiet.
You have a jump map that is quite helpful, as you do return to areas multiple times. I didn't like how more than one location showed available actions at the same time. You didn't know where to go first, so you did jump around a bit. There is a story board that gives you more insight into what is happening and why. You do have to find objects in this "puzzle," and some items are not easy to spot. Otherwise, puzzles are pretty simple. HOPs are the usual, but are clear and items are not hard to find. You can switch to Mahjong if you don't care for the HOPs.
Collectibles I found are origami cranes that morph in and out. They are not difficult to see, but you do have to look for them. They also come in different colors...not just white.
To be honest with you, I did not find this one to be nearly as much fun as the first, The Philosopher's Stone. It wasn't a bad game at all, but no real challenge, too quiet, and not much in the way of collectibles. The extras give you a little more game play, but nothing else. I do not feel this is CE worthy. I'll give it another shot when the SE comes out and maybe get it then, but not as a CE. I recommend this one more for beginners, or someone who just wants a lazy day game, which I occasionally do.
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!
Team up with the Red Riding Hood Sisters to defeat the nightmares!
Overall rating
3
/
5
18 of 28 found this review helpful
Time to retire this series....
PostedMay 21, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Hi all. Wow, this will make #9 in this series! Well, I only have 7 of them, but liked what I have. Graphics are not as clear and clean as the other games and seemed a little fuzzy to me. Especially on close-ups. Colors are very bright with not a lot of blues or purples for a change. Game play was good, with no problems during the demo. There is very little dialog and not really much in the way of sound FX either. Very disappointing. You do have to find a lot of fancy totems, that looked more like mini shields to me, in order to unlock door, locks and some puzzles, so there is a lot of back-tracking in this game. Grab the tennis shoes and be ready for it.
Jump map let a lot to be desired. You had to click on the area and then click again in the upper right corner to actually go anywhere. Fortunately, the hint did transport, but my eyes didn't like the wavy frame around the jump area. SG is the same as usual. HOPs are nothing new for this series and really are junk piles. I don't mind finding parts and pieces, but when I start to get a headache because of too much junk, it's time to move on. Puzzles are extremely simple and not many so far in the demo.
Collectibles are morphing Parables. When you find them, you get more of the story...same as all the others in the series. I only found 4 of the 6 in the demo. They are not easy to spot. Other collectibles are "Herald of Montafleur," which are actually Fleur DE Lis. Some are pretty well hidden, but you can still see them without much eyestrain.
I beta tested this one a couple of months ago and as a note to myself, gave it a 3. I can see that they did not pay attention to any suggestions, as I questioned the time period and the use of a hand-held tape recorder. A bit out of place on that one. I think I'm just getting tired of this series being the same old same old. Maybe it's time to retire this one and move on. I will recommend this one to those who haven't played the others, or just like this type of game, but I'm not sure it's for me anymore. I'll put it in my puddle and maybe wait for the SE version instead.
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 today. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Ominous Objects: Phantom Reflection
A mysterious mirror is causing havoc in your client's house!
Overall rating
4
/
5
20 of 24 found this review helpful
Nice SE...
PostedMay 15, 2015
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Strategy, Word, Card & Board, Family
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Hi all. Well, I gave the SE version a try and found that I liked it much better than the CE. I did not feel this game was CE worthy, and still don't, but makes a nice SE, based on the following CE review:
"As always, I review on the game play and not the story, as others have already done a very good job on that end. I thought we were finished with these blues and pinks all over the place. Very tiring on the eyes. Animation was pretty good, although not that much of it. The graphics were somewhat blurry, especially when you were in the "glass breaking" mode and the screen was jumping all over the place. Did not care for that at all. Too much broken glass for me, but fortunately you could skip it. Careful doing this, as you sometimes have conversations with the people behind the glass. Otherwise, graphics weren't too bad. Game play was good, but lagged a bit between scenes. Had no problem with the demo at all. Music wasn't too bad, a bit soothing actually. Voice overs were quite boring to me...no excitement, fear or emotion of any kind. Just reading from a script. You have a helper, a cat named Mr. Jenkins, who isn't used much so far and pretty much just sits in his corner bathing himself and doesn't seem to like being picked up.
HOPs were okay, with the standard interactive lists, silhouettes and a few puzzles thrown in. They were pretty simple and not too cluttered, but a couple of items made me think a minute before I found them. The puzzles, mostly story board type, were painfully easy, and a little boring. Hint system worked quite well and did transport you to further locations. The map was helpful as well, but is not pleasing to the eye.
The only collectibles I found are the coins used to upgrade Mr. Jenkin's room. Extremely disappointed in the lack of something more. By the end of the demo, I hadn't even spent a dime.
Needless to say, I felt that this game was pulled out of the closet and tossed in today. We have had a couple of really nice CE games lately, but this is not one of them. It isn't a bad game, just very simple, with no challenge or anything that made me want to run out and buy it to see what happens next. Due to the lack of excitement, challenge or collectibles, I really don't feel this one is CE worthy. Personally, I feel that a beginner may like this one, or someone who just wants a lazy day, no brainer kind of game. I do buy those occasionally, so I will put this one in my puddle for a "maybe" later with a "really" good buy, but probably only for the SE."
Yes, I used a PCC to get this game for my collection, as an SE.
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!