Whoever has taken over producing these 'updated' versions of RT need to hand them back to whoever did them originally. The old games were so much more fun than this cluttered mess.
Sorry but ever since they decided to cram each scene with as much stuff as they could get in, the game has become a junk pile of tasks that bear no resemblance to the originals.
The same thing happened to My Kingdom For a Princess; the fourth game was a bitter disappointment, ruined by a so called update. No more were ever made after that.
Learn from the 'New Yankee' games; updating doesn't mean over-egging the omelette. No need to cram each scene with needless clutter. I loved RT and really looked forward to each new release but not any more. RIP Rescue Team.
For the most part I enjoy these games; there is a real sense of achievement when you find that last tiny patch of colour to finish the painting.
However, these multi-coloured images do nothing for me. I much prefer real-life pictures, landscapes or seascapes being my particular favourites. There's no realism in a psychedelic cat, fish, bird or some other poor creature made to look like an explosion in a paint shop.
I don't care how many pieces of a colour are left or how many I have to paint in the whole image. I find it distracting to know there are still 13 parts I can't find. I do care that I can change the background colour to make missing parts easier to see. Not bothered if its a brush or just the cursor either.
I often start at the highest number in a picture and work backwards, just to mix things up. I tend to miss out those images that are more cartoon-like and stick to the real images. I guess I'm more Turner and less Dali.
I find it astonishing that people judge this game without giving it a fair trial. Deleting it after 5 minutes is not fair on the developers, who have undoubtedly spent months making this unique game only for it to be trashed by some who haven't given it a chance.
Did I play it all through the demo? Yes and I bought the CE version. It starts out with Nora's love of skating and her desire to honour her childhood hero; it ends up as a fun storyline with some crazy characters and tasks that vary from really simple to mind-bendingly difficult! I still can't work out how to decorate that blasted cake no matter how much I stare at chef's instructions!
My only criticism is the dialogue; there's way too much yapping between the characters so I skip it, which stops me getting all the achievements. Oh and none of the characters change their clothes throughout the entire game! Adding a launderette should have been a necessity!
Bright colourful graphics, together with some tricky puzzles made this a must-buy for me. Don't be put off by all the negativity; this game doesn't deserve to be judged by 5 minutes of play.
I've had so much fun playing this charming little game! I found myself smiling throughout the various tasks and even though the game is a bit slow paced, I didn't mind waiting for the next puzzle.
The story is basically 'childhood heroine's home needs saving' and Nora has taken on the task. For each action she has to perform i.e. sort out a bouquet, find tools, find her gold medal etc., there is a puzzle attached which isn't as simple as it first appears. You have to discover the logic behind the puzzles; some are easy, some are not. There's a handy hint button in the shape of a light bulb to help if you get stuck!
This isn't a game for members of MENSA. It's a cute and fun little adventure with various types of puzzle to solve. You won't need a Masters Degree to solve them but you will need to use your brain now and then. It's a colourful, cartoon type game that is really fun to play and I love to solve a puzzle!
Happily I have a CE code for this game, otherwise I'd probably wait for a sale or the SE. But don't be put off by the 'childish' comments; sometimes it's good to be a child again.
I'm the polar opposite of the other reviewer; I much prefer this version of the various Paint by Numbers games! The pictures are more natural; landscapes, animals and some less appealing but nonetheless interesting studies to complete and not a single psychedelic cat, elephant or jar of goodness-knows-what to be seen. These pictures are, for the most part, real images, not something that looks like an explosion in a paint shop or the result of a weird hallucination!
Yes it's annoying having to complete the opening set of pictures first but they pretty much all do this anyway, so I just get on with it. I deleted the other recent offering but I'll be keeping this one; I prefer the reality of seascapes and buildings to imaginary pictures of bizarre, multi-coloured creatures and people.
Favorite Genre(s):Card & Board, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management
Fun Factor
1/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
1/ 5
Level of Challenge
1/ 5
Storyline
1/ 5
I'm so disappointed; having bought this game without trying the demo, it won't play. I get 2 error messages, none of which I can find an answer to on BFG, and the game ends before I've even started it. It seems to be an OpenGL issue, which I can't solve.
Got in touch with CS, hoping for some technical help. I got a coupon. Not what I wanted; I wanted to play this game. Just so disappointed; maybe I'll have better luck with the SE.
If, like me, you loved Northern Tales and ROR, you're in for a treat! This new game is a cross between the two; the basic gameplay from ROR together with the sounds and some elements from NT. The result is an excellent hybrid that's loads of fun to play; I was smiling all the way through the first levels!
Bought without even bothering to trial it, as I've bought every past ROR game and loved them all. You can choose from 4 modes of play; I started off on 'relaxed' with no timer (but no points either). The hidden objects are back but with an upgrade; there's a small panel on the right of the screen that shows you what to look for e.g. a mushroom, a Viking helmet or a flower. Starts off with 3 to look for and increases the further on you get. You are also now given the choice to have your gameplay options highlighted with a green circle (or not, if you prefer). I turned it off but you can switch it on/off during the level.
Otherwise it's basically ROR as we know and love it! The characters are larger but move slower and often 2 will work on road clearing together. The barracks are back but this time the soldier is fighting rats, with the help of a beer or 4!! I assume the beer gives him strength or perhaps just makes him feel invincible (as a lot of beer is often prone to do!!). The usual buildings need constructing, along with strange green obelisks which, for the moment, I'm puzzled as to what they do. No doubt I'll find out as the game progresses!
Lots of achievements to earn but some may feel only 8 extra levels is not enough to warrant the CE price, even with the built in SG and the 'hidden object' map. Personally I have no problem with paying the extra for this excellent little game, especially when I got an SE I wanted for free with the offer.
Absolutely no regrets buying it without the trial and I foresee many happy hours playing ROR: Portals CE :-)
The big difference in the latest Paint By Numbers is that you can't drag the cursor over the highlighted areas any more; you have to click on each one separately. I don't like this change at all; I much preferred the way it was in all the preceding games. Now it's just a click-fest :-(.
Spoiled the trial for me; I lasted less than 5 minutes before deciding I didn't like the latest 'upgrade', if that's what the devs call it. And until they put it back the way it was, I won't buy any more.
When I read this was a FROG, my level of interest immediately rose to its highest level for a long time. I was a huge fan of Blue Tea Games and desperately disappointed when they gave their games to another developer. Their FROG's were of the highest quality; this game doesn't reach those dizzy heights but it's still quite a challenge to find all the fragments, which is as it should be.
The story was ok; the usual evil witch causing havoc and a fairy with a really annoying voice to guide you through to the ultimate battle. Unfortunately the journey was far too short; I was actually quite shocked at the abrupt ending as I was expecting a 'got to get out of this crumbling tower' challenge at the very least. But the fairy says we have to leave and the game is over. Very disappointing.
I loved the game and I hope the developer makes more like this. But please, make the game longer and don't let anyone tell you FROG's aren't the way to go. We need more of them, not less!
Don't be put off by the negativity surrounding this and others of its type. If you want something to help you relax, maybe just before bed, these paint by numbers games are the perfect way to help your mind slow down after a hectic day.
There are different styles of this genre; I don't like the ones with multi coloured cats or other unrealistic images. The Modern Art series doesn't do explosions in a paint shop; it does beautiful scenery and animals that slowly come to life as you progress through the images.
There always seems to be a tiny piece I can't see but you can use the hint if you can't find it! My advice is to choose a background colour that doesn't often appear in any of the pictures; I have mine set at a bright purple, which helps me see some of the smaller pieces (but not all of them!).
The only downside is you have to complete the first set of relatively easy images before you can move on. Once you've done that, all the other images become available. Only one particular developer forces you to complete every page before moving on to the next. These also happen to use the 'explosion in a paint shop' style, which I don't like so I avoid them (they also do mosaics, the ones with the gormless helper robot).
I love these games; they're relaxing and fun to do. They make me feel like I'm actually creating something beautiful. They can be challenging too; definitely not for 2 year olds ;-)