LadyoftheIvy's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.5
- Helpful Votes:990
- Reviews Submitted:54
- First Review:December 3, 2011
- Most Recent Review:April 19, 2017
- Featured reviews0
Status:
A mysterious man in red summons you, sending you to a flying ship where a little girl needs your help!
Overall rating
2
/
5
4 of 6 found this review helpful
This game doesn't make a whole lot of sense...
PostedJuly 2, 2013
LadyoftheIvy
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
This game looked promising from the demo, so I used a free coupon on it since I had one. However, I'm rather sorry I did so. I kept waiting for this game to clear things up, and even after finishing the game I'm just as in the dark as I was in the first place.
The visual quality for this game is okay, but sort of mixed. Some of the scenes are well done, some are meh. Unfortunately, it's frequently the hidden object scenes that are meh, occasionally making it a pain to find objects. I barely remember the sound, which means it wasn't great, but it wasn't awful. I will give this game points for not having it turned up ridiculously loud when you start it up, though. However, it's the storyline that's the worst part. It makes absolutely no sense, and none of it is ever cleared up.
Basically, you board a plane based on some vague feeling and then are apparently sucked into some other universe or location entirely while on this plane, all by a somewhat threatening looking guy in a red robe. Why this guy in the red robe wants you there to save a little girl, I haven't a clue, given that he seems to spend most of the game commenting on what a pain you are. Now, perhaps these are two different guys in red robes, since you'll discover there seem to have been multiple guys running around in red robes, but if that's the case it's never made clear. One way or the other, the fact that he was dematerializing people on the plane probably should have been a hint that he was up to no good.
Ultimately, not much is made any clearer as you go through the game, and the guys in red robes aren't really explained, nor is much explained about the little girl. The hidden object scenes are either fairly straightforward, or somewhat dark and a pain to deal with. The mini-games/puzzles aren't bad, though there are a few that after wading through stuff in the game you may not want to deal with at that point. This game has A LOT of back and forth, and will occasionally leave you wandering aimlessly about trying to figure out what to do next. Since there's no walkthrough, you're pretty much stuck wandering about or looking up help on the forum. And I found that a lot of it was either I had forgotten about something by the time it popped up again, or I was forgetting about the annoying magic lens thing that reveals unseen objects in rooms. Yes, it sort of lights up when it needs to be used, but it really needs to light up a lot more than it does, because it's not desperately noticeable. Plus, it just seems like a waste - the items it finds could have been found in a much less foolish way.
Ultimately, given the pain this game is at times and its story that makes absolutely no sense, I'd have to suggest passing this one up. I know I'm sorry I wasted a free game coupon on it, though at least I didn't pay for it.
I don't recommend this game.
After being passed from one orphanage to another, all Katherine wants is a family to call her own.
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
A simple, cute game!
PostedJune 30, 2013
LadyoftheIvy
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is a simple, sweet game that is a good edition to the Love Story series. It's more like the first game in the series, which is a good thing in my opinion. It doesn't have a ton of challenge, but if you enjoyed the first game in the Love Story series (or possibly even if you enjoyed the second one), you'll likely enjoy this game as well.
The graphics are much like the first two games, nice but there's nothing about them that will make you go, "Wow!". There's not a lot of animation to any of it, but again, that's much like the previous games. The sound is simple, and pretty much just music, the same song throughout the whole game. If you don't care for the music, you can always turn it down all the way, though it didn't bother me. There are no voiceovers, which wasn't an issue for me as it makes it more like an animated romance novel. The story is nice as well, and much more like the first game in that it actually makes sense. It takes place mostly in the past, with only animated intervals in the present, so that is a bit different than the previous games, but that wasn't an issue to me. Some may dislike that change, however.
The game is relatively easy, with not a whole lot of challenge, but having played the previous games I wasn't expecting a lot of challenge. Hidden object scenes and relatively simple mini-games, which mainly allow you to collect items to use elsewhere or open various things to give you access to areas. It's also somewhat short, but since it's not a CE that wasn't a huge deal to me.
All in all, if you think of this as an animated romance novel with some hidden object scenes and mini-games thrown in, you'll likely enjoy this game. I wouldn't say it's worth it at full price, but if there's a sale, or you have a coupon or game club code it's worth it. It's a simple, sweet game that's good for an easy, relaxing experience.
I recommend this game!
Vampire Legends: The True Story of Kisilova Collector’s Edition is an incredible adventure based on the true story of the first documented case of vampirism ever!
Overall rating
2
/
5
8 of 8 found this review helpful
A bit cheesy, and definitely not CE quality...
PostedJune 26, 2013
LadyoftheIvy
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I went ahead and bought this one on a sale without having played the demo all the way through, which was a mistake on my part. It's not atrociously bad or anything, but it's rather cheesy and definitely not a CE quality game. It overall left me unimpressed, and the bonus gameplay was eye-rollingly bad.
First off, the graphics are okay, but not exceptional. They tend to be a bit dark, which is expected in a game with a storyline like this, as well as a bit colorless. The sound is okay, though also nothing exceptional. The voiceovers are fine, though there is *a lot* of talking in this game. Frankly, a bit more than seems needed, honestly. The story is a bit cheesy, unless you're really, really into the whole overdone vampire thing. However, the constant info pages you find on vampires (all of which is info that you've likely heard elsewhere if you've ever heard of vampires before) are likely to wear on you even if you adore vampires, since they seem pointless and annoying. The story is also a bit predictable, in both the main part of the game as well as the bonus gameplay.
The mini-games are a bit too easy in this game, without much in the way of challenge in most of them. The hidden object scenes are a bit better, but there's nothing particularly original about them. And it's pretty much the same with both when it comes to the bonus gameplay.
This has all the typical stuff for a CE - wallpapers, screensaver, bonus gameplay, music, etc. The only thing I tend to buy CEs for is the bonus gameplay and possibly the ability to play the mini-games again. This doesn't have the ability to play the mini-games again, but they aren't worth replaying anyway. I will say it's unique in that it has information about Kisiljevo (which is assumed to be the modern name for Kisilova), including interviews and photos. I can't say those are enough to make the CE worth it, though. Finally, the bonus gameplay has an even cheesier (and more obvious) story than the main game, and isn't worth buying the CE for. I will say it's not a continuation of the main story though, which is a good thing for bonus gameplay. It really is a true bonus, even if it is cheesy.
Ultimately, this would be a worthwhile game if it was a SE version, but it's just not worth it as a CE. If you really want to play the game, go for the SE, but I'd still suggest getting it on sale or with a coupon.
I don't recommend this game.
With your carriage broken, and a wolf nearby, you must find shelter. What awaits you in the village just ahead?
Overall rating
2
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
The Shiver series is just getting more shaky...
PostedMay 26, 2013
LadyoftheIvy
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
And not in a good way. The first game was pretty good, the second less so, and this one is the worst of the bunch so far. I went ahead and bought the CE based on the previous games after only playing the demo for a bit, figuring it'd be okay. Unfortunately, I have to say I regret buying the game now that I'm done with it.
The graphics are okay, though not fabulous. The animation is a bit stiff and looks worse than the graphics themselves. It also looks rather dated and as if it's made for a much older game. The sound isn't bad, but isn't anything fantastic either - it's just sort of there. It's also a rather darkly-colored game, though that was to be expected and it's not so dark as to be unplayable.
The story is a bit confusing and even after finishing the game (and the bonus chapter) I feel as though some things weren't fully clarified. It feels like it jumps around, which really only adds to the confusion. It also loses points for needing the bonus chapter to finish up some parts of the story - to me, a bonus chapter should be a true bonus, not something that without you won't have finished up a main part of the story. And even with that bonus, there still were parts that weren't finished up enough.
The hidden object scenes are relatively good, and have some interesting multi-step things to get done to find an object or two in them. That being said, that will be a feature some people won't enjoy. There aren't quite mini-games exactly, more mini actions here and there such as turn the wheel, clean off an object, fill a bucket with stones, etc. They occasionally feel somewhat pointless, and at other times an annoying thing to have to complete. It also features combining items to make new items, which you do in your inventory. I actually like being able to do it in my inventory as opposed to carrying pieces to other pieces elsewhere. The use of some of the objects is occasionally rather odd, though.
This game has a diary to help track the story, but no map, which is a bit annoying at times. It otherwise has the typical things for most CEs - a walkthrough/strategy guide, bonus chapter, wall papers, concept art, etc. As I already mentioned though, the bonus chapter isn't exactly a bonus, it's a part needed to even understand some of the story at all. The overall length of the game, even without the bonus, is relatively good though.
Ultimately, I don't feel this game is worth it as a CE. And after having played it, I'm not sure if I'd enjoy it even as an SE, though at least I wouldn't feel like I'd wasted quite as much at that point. If you're wanting to continue the Shiver series, I'd say play the SE version of this game, not the CE, but be prepared to be even more confused by the story at that point, since the SE won't have the bonus chapter to conclude some aspects of it. If they continue on with this series in the future, I really hope they make more of an effort next time.
I don't recommend this game.
Guide Solar and his band of helpers as they set out to rescue the fair Lumina and stop the dark sorcerer Grogan from achieving eternal life!
Overall rating
3
/
5
10 of 12 found this review helpful
An okay game...
PostedApril 14, 2013
LadyoftheIvy
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Time Management
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This is an okay, though nowhere near great, game. If you enjoyed Outta this Kingdom (which I will admit I didn't), then you're likely to enjoy this game. They have similar gameplay, though they're not entirely identical. This one isn't really quite like the other clear the roads games (Roads of Rome, My Kingdom for the Princess, etc).
The graphics for this game are pretty nice for a time management game, though the animation is a bit stiff feeling at times. I didn't have any major issues with the sound or music, there was nothing particularly remarkable about either of them. There is an awful lot of pausing of the game for story with this game, something that could end up being annoying for some. I don't generally expect this much pausing in a time management game to listen to/watch story, so I found it a bit annoying. You can't skip storyline bits entirely either, you can only click your way through each part of the conversation to try and move it along a bit faster.
There isn't a whole lot of strategy involved with this game, which is my biggest complaint with it. There's basically one strategy for each level if you're wanting to do it in timed mode and earn a gold star, and it's all about how fast you can do that strategy. Obviously, if you play in non-timed mode you can do other strategies, but then you lose a bit of challenge and I prefer to play these sorts of games in a timed mode. My other biggest annoyance is that this game has chapters broken up into sub-levels, so for example chapter 2 is broken up into 2.1, 2.2, etc. And if you restart a level, it actually starts you back at the beginning of the level. Don't initially get a gold star on 2.2 and want to try again? Well, you'll have to start all over at 2.1 to even try and do so.
Ultimately, if those issues don't bug you and you tend to play time management games in a relaxed mode anyway, this game will probably be quite enjoyable for you. If you prefer a timed mode, really want to get gold on each level, and are more into the way games like My Kingdom for the Princess work as opposed to Outta this Kingdom, then this likely isn't the game for you. Ultimately, try the trial before you buy - this is one I won't be buying for myself, but I can see how others might want to go for it.
I don't recommend this game.
A simple murder investigation in Spain becomes a puzzling whodunit filled with intrigue.
Overall rating
3
/
5
5 of 7 found this review helpful
Eh, I guess it's okay...
PostedMarch 2, 2013
LadyoftheIvy
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
First off, my review is based solely on the demo. I can't say I found the demo compelling enough to want to buy the game, not without some sort of major discount for it. After the previous Grim Facade game (Sinister Obsession), I will admit I wasn't expecting a ton from this one, so I can't say it necessarily disappoints.
The graphics are pretty, but not great due to their hazy/misty quality. They do seem a bit less grainy than they did in Sinister Obsession, however. The animation was well done in the cut-scenes and at other times. The music gets a bit repetitive and old after awhile, much like Sinister Obsession, so if I were to play beyond the demo I'd be very likely to just turn it off. The voiceovers are really just not good for the most part. The actors do not sound like they come from Spain at all, which seems out of place given that you're in Spain. (You could excuse it for a few, but not the characters that are supposed to be locals.) They also don't have a lot of emotion to their voices, which means that even if the out of place accent doesn't bother you, their lack of emotion is likely to. The storyline was so far okay in the demo, other than the assistant they felt the need to stick in.
The assistant they added in is extremely annoying. He's the only one I encountered in the demo who could really get away without an accent, but he just has an annoying voice to me anyway. His clothing is hideous, and he constantly pops up in an annoying fashion in mini-cut scenes to make pointless comments. Frankly, I was just left wishing that he'd been murdered, or that one of the random "accidents" that kept happening to try and make the story more exciting would take him out.
For the most part, there isn't a ton of challenge to the game, at least not in the demo. It's more a matter of just waiting until you come across the correct item, or until you have enough gold coins to buy it. And despite choosing a level of play that was supposed to not show active zones, it still occasionally did so. The hidden object scenes have some variety in that there are the traditional ones, the find and place a needed object variety, and the find X number of the same item. However, they don't always work correctly - for instance, one of the traditional ones I encountered had at least three items that were hidden behind other items (making the scene more interactive), and two of them didn't unhighlight to tell you that had become visible like they generally do. I just saw them when I opened a door and clicked on them anyway. The one "find x number" scene I encountered had at least one of the item I had to make myself, but I never would have known that had I not finally gotten bored and started randomly moving my mouse all over the scene, which isn't something I tend to do in hidden object scenes for no reason. Slight issues like that could end up leading to some major frustration for some players and make a CE version a lot less worth the price. The mini-games/puzzles encountered are either just okay or too easy.
The journal is a bit better in this game than in Sinister Obsession, and has a suspect section which has the potential to be interesting. Since I only played the demo, I can't comment much on the bonus features. This does have a strategy guide if needed, and you collect hints in the form of fans much like the previous games. You also collect gold coins to buy things to help you along in the game, at least one which struck me as odd (why are you buying the piece to a box owned by someone elsewhere in the game as opposed to finding it?), but it's nothing new to this series. The strategy guide lists the game as having only three chapters, so I'd sort of wonder at the length of this game as well. They could be three long chapters, but I'm not sure that would help given the fact that this just isn't a very compelling game in the demo.
While there are some slight improvements compared to Sinister Obsession, which is a step in the right direction, I'm still not incredibly impressed with this one based on the demo. It just seems okay, and wasn't a whole lot of fun for the most part. So again, without a major discount I just don't see myself purchasing it. Maybe the SE version when it comes out using a free coupon, but even there I'm still not totally sold.
I don't recommend this game.
The Princess of Sweet Kingdom was turned to stone by a dark spell. Restore the kingdom and save the Princess!
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 8 found this review helpful
Cute, not the greatest, but cute...
PostedFebruary 23, 2013
LadyoftheIvy
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I keep hoping for a great time management game. Loved the Royal Envoy games, the My Kingdom for the Princess games, the Roads of Rome games, etc. However, Northern Tale seems to be the only one that's come out recently that I've enjoyed much. Most of the games coming out these days seem to be hidden object/adventure ones. Sure, those are good too, but we need more good time management ones! This one is cute, and has some potential, though it's not quite up there with the ones I mentioned above.
The graphics are okay, though not great. They're not quite as good as some other games, but they're not bad either. There's no voiceovers to comment on, and the music is okay, though again, nothing to write home about. It didn't annoy me, but it didn't stand out either. The storyline isn't fabulous, but it's not awful either. Basically, it's overall an okay game, but again, not on par with some of the really good ones.
The gameplay is really similar to the Royal Envoy games, and the graphics sort of remind me of a poorer version of the graphics from that game. Your builders, however, are donkeys that look remarkably like Shrek's friend. It otherwise plays in basically more or less the same fashion, though it's not quite as challenging, and doesn't have some of the variety that the Royal Envoy games do. There are some slight differences compared to the Royal Envoy games, such as how the market works, but it's otherwise very similar. If you've played Royal Envoy or Royal Envoy 2, this is sort of like a cheap version of those - okay, but not nearly as good.
Rather than earning a gold like in other games along the lines of this one, you want to try and complete levels before the sun goes down so you can earn sunlight to improve the throne room. You can't choose the improvements, however, they're automatic. There is no option to play it untimed, though it's generally not too horribly hard to finish it before time is up. Since I've always finished it before time is up, I can't comment much on what happens afterwards. And your upgrades/bonus help/whatever you want to call them (such as speeding up how fast the workers/builders walk, that sort of thing) are earned not by just filling up on their own over time, but by clicking on stars that pop out of the buildings every now and then.
Ultimately, since I had a coupon I'd earned for a free game, I went ahead and bought it. I'm not sure I would have gotten it without that, though. It's enjoyable, but since it feels like a cheap version of Royal Envoy (with bits from a few other games thrown in), I can't say I would have paid for it. So if you've got a coupon to use up, or just really want a time management game to get a bit of fun out of (and then have around for your kids to enjoy), go for it. I'd recommend it with the caveat that I'm not sure it's actually worth paying for, but it's cute.
I recommend this game!
Experience the wonder of discovery as you rebuild a crumbling kingdom in Meridian: Age of Invention, an innovative time and resource management game!
Overall rating
2
/
5
12 of 12 found this review helpful
A poorly done time management game!
PostedFebruary 22, 2013
LadyoftheIvy
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I keep hoping for a well-done time management game, since them seem few and far between these days. And I decided to try this one out, despite the negative reviews. Unfortunately, this one is not a well-done time management game.
The graphics are okay, though nothing fabulous. They're better than some of the time management games that have come out in the past several months, but not as good as other. (Northern Tale strikes me as a somewhat recent example of fairly good graphics for a time management game, to give you context.) The graphics also occasionally are falling off the screen, and changing it to windowed mode doesn't fix this. (There's a chest on one level you can pick up that's half off the screen, for example.) The animation is a bit stiff, but not atrocious. The music is kind of annoying and repetitive, but that can be turned off. The storyline is almost non-existant.
The biggest issue for this game is the clunky gameplay. While it's similar to other building-style time management games, it's done in a clunky fashion with excessive amounts of clicking. You have to do multiple clicks to accomplish basically anything. And it's not very responsive sometimes with the clicking, so you may end up having to click more than you otherwise should have to complete an action. For instance, you click on an obstruction in the road, click on the circle that pops up to send a worker out to clear it, then click on the bag that appears to send out a courier to pick up the ore that's a result of clearing the obstruction. It may or may not respond to all of those clicks, so there may be some duplicate clicking. And yes, there are two kinds of characters in this game - workers and couriers. It's nothing new to have two kinds, but in this one they seem sort of foolish. The example I gave just leaves me wondering why the worker is so lazy he can't just pick up the ore and take it back with him, since he has to head back when he's done anyway. Having to send a courier out to pick it up just seems like extra clicking and "busy work" added for no good reason. And there is a lot of clicking even without that example. In addition to clearing the roads, fixing the roads, building houses, repairing houses, mining ore, and those "typical" sorts of things for games like these, you'll also get to pick up letters, deliver those letters; pick up groceries, deliver those groceries; etc.
The tutorial is kind of annoying, and constantly feels like it's interrupting you. Honestly, I suspect it would annoy even someone with no experience playing a time management game. The game also gets boring and repetitive pretty quickly, though I didn't play beyond the demo.
Something that may or may not annoy people is that you can't queue up actions. This isn't unique to this game, so it's not a huge deal to me, but given the clunkiness of this game it stands out as more of an annoyance than it otherwise would be. Especially with how much clicking there is just to do things.
Ultimately, I had no interest in buying this or using a free game coupon after trying the demo. There are better time management games out there, this one just isn't worth it.
I don't recommend this game.
After your son, Bobby, mysteriously disappears, it’s up to you to find him in Surface: The Mystery of Another World!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Good game, with a few flaws
PostedFebruary 22, 2013
LadyoftheIvy
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This is a relatively good game for the most part, and certainly better than some newer games out there in the same category. That being said, it has some flaws, many of which I think will be more frustrating for a more novice player than an experienced one, but they're still not necessarily a thrill even as an experienced player. I enjoyed playing it for the most part, but I'm not entirely sure it's worth it as a CE or not.
The storyline is okay, if a bit cheesy at times. It's those over-the-top moments that detract from it the most and take away from some of the better aspects. The graphics are pretty good, but the animated/cut scenes are not the best. Mainly because they use live actors, and the live actors stick out a bit. They are better than in some newer games (Web of Deceit comes to mind as a newer one where the live actors don't fit in at all and really ruin it), and seem to blend into the scenes better, but they're still not great. Their speech doesn't match their mouths at all, I think in part because the actors aren't originally speaking English. (I'm guessing Russian from some of the mouth movements compared to the English words. Not important, but there you have it.) Anyway, it makes the live action scenes a bit hard to watch. The costumes are a bit over the top as well, even given the storyline. (Why do there seem to be so many cheesy robe costumes, and why does Kira have her son wearing his while they're on Earth? She's wearing "normal" clothes, after all.) The voice acting is okay, though nothing to write home about either. The sound is fine as well, it didn't really stand out, but didn't bother me either.
The game plays relatively well, other than more back and forth than I think is necessary. It can also sometimes take so long to get an item you need for somewhere that you'll find yourself trying to remember where you needed it. And occasionally, some of the objects are used in a way that isn't at all intuitive, leading you to occasionally try almost everything in your inventory just to make sure you aren't missing some off the wall usage for something. There is an interactive map, which is nice for jumping between locations, but it's still a fair amount of back and forth even with that time-saver. I also wish that you could have combined items that needed to be combined in your inventory, rather than having to go back to a location to combine them before ultimately picking them up. That may just be my personal preference, but it certainly would have cut down on some of the back and forth. You'll encounter something that you know you need another piece to complete, but you can't take it with you - you have to take the piece back to the object before everything goes with you. That being said, this is the first game I think I've tried where the hidden object scenes use items from your inventory, which is a neat feature. (What you need tends to be rather obvious once you're in the hidden object scenes, so those aren't the oddly used items usually.)
The game has three levels of difficulty, as well as hints and a strategy guide. Of course, since most games have walkthroughs online these days, the strategy guide is more of a nice thing to have in the game rather than the only way to get extra info. I didn't use the hints, so I can't comment on how they work. You can also collect sort-of hidden flowers throughout the game to earn some extra bonus mini-games, which is kind of neat. The bonus gameplay is an actual bonus - while it sort of continues the storyline, it's not a necessary part of the main storyline, it's just extra. Which is how bonus gameplay should be, so that's a good thing. That being said, I didn't find the bonus gameplay so compelling that I'd recommend getting the CE just to have it. It's not awful, it's just not fabulous either. There are also the typical extras included with a lot of CEs as well.
Ultimately, it's an enjoyable game which I'd recommend, I'm just not sure if the CE is necessarily worth the extra price. If you can get it on sale or for free, then go for it. Otherwise, consider if the extra gameplay (and other extras) are worth the extra price to you or not. But despite the flaws, I'd recommend this game, whether you go for the CE or the SE.
I recommend this game!
Explore the magical world of Enchantia as you race to save the land from the evil Phoenix Queen.
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Not the best by Blue Tea, but a good game for the most part!
PostedFebruary 17, 2013
LadyoftheIvy
fromFlorida
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
While this isn't the best Blue Tea game out there, it's not quite as bad as I was afraid of from some of the reviews. I would honestly rate it at 3.5 stars, but obviously I can't actually do a half star in the rating above. It's not quite as well done as some of the Dark Parables games (not counting the most recent one - it's about as good as that one), but it's a relatively good game. Much like the Dark Parables games, it's a fractured hidden object adventure game, so if you don't like fractured hidden object games, I would say this isn't the game for you.
First off, the graphics are quite nice, and are pretty much as nice as you would expect from a Blue Tea game. Occasionally, they aren't quite as clear as some of the other games, but I can't say I found the graphics to be terribly out of focus as some did. They are fairly colorful, but no worse than some of the other fantasy-genre HO games I've played. Frankly, I prefer occasional slightly out of focus colorful graphics to occasional slightly out of focus dark and gloomy graphics. Only a few times did some of the fractured pieces I was looking for in the hidden object scenes not match what was shown well - I would say maybe three or four pieces in the entire game didn't look a lot like the picture, but it was close enough that I was able to guess at the piece in the scene. I never had to use a hint to find any of the pieces. The animation isn't quite as good as some of their other games. For the most part it's as if just bits and pieces of a still picture were animated, mainly faces, which can look a bit odd at times. That being said, some of the animated scenes are better than others.
There is an awful lot of dialogue in this game, which is one of the flaws. The story is good, but I don't feel that quite so much of it needs to be done in dialogue. And since the voices don't always match up to the mouth well, it's not as enjoyable to watch as it could be. The voice acting is also only so-so - the phoenix queen is a bit overdramatic (which isn't exactly a new thing to this genre), and some of the others are just there. However, I've seen worse in other games, and it's not too hard to ignore the issues with the speech. I could just wish there was a bit less dialogue and more of the story given in other ways. The rest of the sound (effects, music, etc.) is nice - pleasant, not obtrusive, but nothing you'll be wishing you had on CD later on.
The mini-games (beyond the hidden object scenes) are enjoyable, and relatively typical for this developer. They're not exceptionally hard for the most part, though there are a few with some more challenge than others. There's no journal in this game, just an interactive map, which is a bit of a disappointment and might make the game a bit more of a pain for some. Some of the choices you can make and things you do in this game may also upset some people - it's not constantly a happy, happy, joy, joy game. But it's not necessarily any worse than many movies and books out there, and is certainly more pleasant than the story in many of the horror-like hidden object games. It is less pleasant than many in the fantasy-genre, though.
You have to put things in exactly the right spot in this game, which may be frustrating for some, especially when you think you are putting it in the right spot. This doesn't necessarily apply in the hidden object scenes, just in the placing of objects from your inventory. The gameplay also doesn't seem as long as some of the other Blue Tea games, but it's not exceptionally short, either. It just ends up feeling a bit underdeveloped, ultimately. And the bonus gameplay really is a bonus - it's not just a continuation of the storyline, so that's a good thing.
Ultimately, this game may not be enjoyed by some, but I got some entertainment out of it. Would I pay full price (even game club full price) for it? Possibly not, but if you can get it on sale or get it for free (which is how I did it), I'd recommend it. Again, Blue Tea has better games out there, but this one isn't necessarily bad, either. Give it a try!
I recommend this game!