gobaba's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.2
- Helpful Votes:1,887
- Reviews Submitted:74
- First Review:September 12, 2012
- Most Recent Review:November 25, 2022
- Featured reviews0
Status:
The arts-loving town of Everton has been overrun by sentient shadows. Race to escape before you're trapped in the darkness forever!
Overall rating
4
/
5
36 of 47 found this review helpful
Nice Start To The Halloween Games
PostedOctober 4, 2015
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based on the Main & Bonus games, Actual Rating 3.7
It never fails. Reviews are always either "OMG, this is the best game EVER!!!" or "I'm so bored with this awful dreck." Well, hopefully, my review is somewhere in between. You already figured out the story from others, I'm sure.
Daily Magic puts out some decent games and has good cred, though they can be uneven at times. I've played a few and been content enough.
This series has been interesting to me, and I'll play it blind without the demo. The story is easy enough to follow, and I like the ballerina angle. The HOs are nicely varied, not just lists; some are sequences of finding objects to use on other objects. The puzzles are on the easy side--phoo! I like more challenge, but that's how Daily Magic rolls.
Repeating the untangling string puzzle was a pain because I don't like doing the same puzzle over and over. Even if it is to dispel shadows.
Collectibles are shadow figurines. Collect them all and see a storybook on how the shadows arrived in the first place. No morphs. Several achievements--most you've seen before.
The main game is about 3+ hours, the bonus game a little over an hour. Bonus game is slightly related to main story. CE bling included a bonus puzzle not seen in main game--it has 8 levels. Besides the usual bling there are replayable HOs and puzzles. I didn't miss any collectibles, so not sure if you can go back and find any you missed.
Is it worth a CE? Wellll, not...not really. I liked the game fine but could you have just as much fun with the SE? Yes. Yes, you could.
A visitor arrives through Prof. Bennett's portal, seeking help.
Overall rating
3
/
5
7 of 9 found this review helpful
Um, Where Is The Eipix I Know & Love?
PostedOctober 3, 2015
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Based on the main & bonus games Actual rating 3.4
Straight up, this series is not my fave. Crystals, artifacts, glowing gauntlets, unicorns, fairies, what have you, leave me reaching for Maalox. But I love Eipix so I gave it a try. Oooo.
It's basically a save-the-world-before-dinner story. The puzzles are, well, too easy. The exception was one multi-step puzzle that I really liked. The HOs are rather dull laundry lists and have no morphs like usual. Challenge level is low. Collect 43 pink owls that are easy to spot.
Graphics are, well, odd. Some characters are painstakingly drawn and others are muddy watercolor. Background graphics are mostly well done.
Bubble-popper games are an alternative to HOs. I'm a disaster at those--the little balls roll all the way around and laugh at my feeble attempts to control them.
Okay, 43 scenes in all, including main & bonus games. The bonus game is about 30 minutes, and does extend the story somewhat. CE bling is very good, replayable HOs & puzzles, you can go back and find any owls you missed, and the souvenir room is a mini-collectable game. Plus the usual.
Is it worth a CE? Um, no. I don't think I'd do that. You might want to skip the SE too, and hold out for a better Eipix game. I know they're capable of it. Just disappointed in this.
I don't recommend this game.
Submerge into the unknown! Step into the shoes of paranormal detective, Iris Birdwood and solve an otherworldly kidnapping.
Overall rating
3
/
5
13 of 16 found this review helpful
Definitely Free Credit Material
PostedSeptember 29, 2015
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Based on Entire Game
Monday. It's that time of the week when I spend my free BF credits till the CEs come out, so I'm lookin' for a decent HOPA. I haven't played Two Desperadoes games before, and hey, when the credits rolled, I saw they outsourced work to Artifex Mundi. The latter makes awesome games, but this isn't about them.
You got the basic supernatural whatzis story from someone else, but it's pretty simple. The HOs are mildly varied, and the puzzles easy.
The voice-overs! Yow. The heroine acts like she is reading the script for the first time, while nursing a bad hangover, or getting her nails done, or both.
There are some achievements, concept art and wallpapers.
This is a game to be purchased with a BF credit or $2.99 sale, and played while watching TV. I guess that means it's relaxing, right?
This is a game to be purchased with a BF credit or $2.99 sale, and played while watching TV. I guess that means it's relaxing, right?
You’re called in to photograph a wedding, but what you really expose is murder.
Overall rating
4
/
5
43 of 49 found this review helpful
Mixed Feelings on This One, Actual Rating 3.6
PostedSeptember 27, 2015
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based on Main and Bonus Games
Looka Me! I'm a Key Contributor! Don't be fooled. That just means I spend too much time and money on games.
Okay, I've played Vast Games before, and they tend to be very formulaic. But there's much to like about the story, which drew me in, unlike 90% of most games. Others went into details, but it's a haunted house murder mystery, so what's not to like?
The characters never seem to change expression, no matter what. "I got married!" Smile. "My sister's dead in the dumbwaiter!" Smile. "The earth fell off its axis and we're plummeting into the sun!" Smile. You get the idea.
There's a balance between HOs and puzzles. The HOs are mildly varied, but there is that laundry list thing going on too. The puzzles are better, and more challenging as the game progresses. (I know I'm not supposed to whine about tech issues, but Vast needs to have a sit-down with their QA testers 'cause there was major noise and cursor lag on puzzles. Then again, I have Win 10. Pooh).
There are 30 morphs and 16 hidden photo-ops for your camera. That means 30 scenes total, main & bonus. The non-hidden photo-ops are to capture clues to be used later. You use your hidden photos in the Attic Room, part of the CE bling, to reconstruct old haunted house stories.
The main game is short, about 2.5+ hours, and the bonus game <30minutes. Bonus game isn't part of the main story. There's a lot of achievements, the morphs, the photos, replayable HOs and puzzles, the Attic Room, plus the usual bling.
Is it worth a CE? Welllll, dunno. I kinda say wait till the bugs are out of it, but CEs are on sale right now and they can send you a patch. If you really like the Dark Canvas series, keep in mind it's a good story but a short game with limited extras, and isn't a whiz-bang send up. Does that help?
Redemption Cemetery: Clock of Fate Collector's Edition
Can you undo the past and set the trapped souls free?
Overall rating
5
/
5
88 of 119 found this review helpful
A Step Up For This Series
PostedSeptember 24, 2015
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Based on the Main and Bonus Games
A creepy game. That's what I'm talkin' about! I know ERS has been getting flak for the sequels in this series declining in quality, but in Clock of Fate they have definitely stepped up their game in creativity, design, challenge, and variety. No complaints about graphics; they are stunning as ever.
The puzzles are good! They increase in difficulty as the game progresses, and in hard mode, they can be head-scratchers. There's good variety in HOs, though scenes are re-used.
Ask someone else about the story, though it basically follows the Redemption Cemetery schtick. Collect skulls everywhere, and you get the privilege of building tombstones for the people you redeem, plus get a follow-up story on their lives. If you miss a skull, there's no going back to get it, so I've got a half-finished monument.
There's also a couple of decision points in which you can change the outcome of the story. You know, do you want door #1 or door#2? Nice touch.
The achievements are a little different: one for skipping all dialogue, one for not using the jump map and then the usual ones. I think that's ERS' sense of humor.
The bonus game is long, maybe 1.5 hours and doesn't extend the main story. Besides the usual CE bling, you can replay HOs and puzzles, and do a tangram type puzzle series. No morphs or secret rooms.
Is it worth a CE? I believe it is. The main game isn't that long, maybe 3.5 hours, but you get a nice long bonus game, and both are high quality. The achievements and collectibles plus CE bling add up to extended play time that is very enjoyable. I think you'll find that Clock of Fate is a big improvement in this series.
I recommend this game!
Return to your hometown to save your father and uncover Midnight Castle’s secrets!
Overall rating
3
/
5
15 of 17 found this review helpful
Not Up To Elephant's Usual Standards
PostedSeptember 19, 2015
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Based on Main & Bonus Games
Man, this game was short, and the bonus game prolly 30 minutes. Get the story from someone else, but it's a "rescue me" plot.
Now I love Elephant Games, they've got their own unique style. I have to go more slowly through scenes and pay attention because it's easy to miss details. Plus they've got those wonderfully awesome superpuzzles, you know? Like Rube Goldberg devices. And that's the best thing about this game. I'll also give them props for variety in HOs.
Now the bad news. Challenge level, even in hard, is low. I mean ridiculously low. Puzzles are just okay, but lordy, I hate tracing figures like I'm in pre-K. They just lacked pizzazz and novelty.
The main game was less than 3 hours. The bonus game was slightly tied in to the main game. The CE bling looks tasty but sorry, the secret room is just replaying HOs and puzzles. If you miss morphs or collectibles, there's no going back to find them. Boo.
Is it worth a CE? No. Wait for the SE. Or a BF credit.
I don't recommend this game.
The love between you and your husband was strong enough to end a war... but is it strong enough to save the world?
Overall rating
5
/
5
57 of 76 found this review helpful
Good Main Game & CE Bling
PostedSeptember 14, 2015
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based on the Main & Bonus Games
I'll be honest with you. This castle & dragon genre ranks at the bottom of my list of games to play. I don't care if King Fledermaus is at war with Plimsoleus the Itchy in the Realm of Fallen Soufflets. I'm a haunted mansion kinda gamer. (C'mon, October!)
But MadHead has been doing a bang-up job lately, what with Maze 360 knocking it out of the park, and this is another example of their excellent work. The graphics, creativity, variety, and novelty are sterling.
The game is puzzle-heavy which suits me, having only 12 HOs in the entire 2 games. The puzzles are either new or presented in an attractive, novel way. The HOs are varied to keep interest, not just find this, find that.
Ask someone else about the story. There are a total of 40 scenes to travel through, with collectibles, and morphs in HOs.
The bonus game lasts about an hour or a little over, and is a resolution to the main story. There are multiple achievements: if you miss a collectible you get to go back and find it in the extras menu. If you miss a morph, you can replay the HOs and grab it in the Gallery section.
If you get all 40 collectibles, you can complete a jigsaw puzzle. This opens up a souvenir room, like another mini-collectible hunt. Finish that, and there's yet another room to play in.
Is it worth a CE? I think it is. You get a nice long game, which has a decent tied-in bonus game. The CE bling has the usual stuff, but the achievements, collectibles, morphs, bonus game rooms, and replayable HOs/puzzles really extended my play time. I think the SE would be cheating yourself out of a good time.
I recommend this game!
Solve the mysteries of Stoneville and escape with your life!
Overall rating
5
/
5
15 of 22 found this review helpful
Attractive, Original and Lots of Puzzles
PostedSeptember 12, 2015
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based on the Main and Bonus Games Rating 4.7
I've played a few, not bunches, of Mariaglorium games, but this one is tasty. Graphics are crisp and colorful, there are 26 scenes in the main game, environment sounds set the tone extremely well, music I always turn down, and I love that I can mute narration (not other characters, sorry).
Puzzles are plentiful with new twists. Personally, I hate mixing potions but they did it in such a way that it was delightful, making it a puzzle. HOs are varied with no grocery list type scenes. Nice. There are collectibles and no morphs, but it's all good.
The story? Well, humm, humm. Something about the League of Light splitting with the Dark Lords because they don't like wearing heavy velvet capes with hoods, and black leather gloves, even though they're on sale at Roscoe's Villain Apparel, two-for-one with a studded belt thrown in free. Not only that but they lost their homeowner's insurance due to too many random explosions.
Just kidding. Somebody else covered the story in detail.
The bonus game is less than an hour long, and is loosely tied to the main game. If you get all achievements, you get to do a jigsaw puzzle. Collect 26 owls and 7 characters. The rest of the CE bling is unremarkable.
Is it worth a CE? Well, the really good thing about this game is it keeps you busy, busy, busy with gameplay, collectibles and characters. I hate entering a scene and there's only one or two tasks in it. This is so not that kind of game. If you look at my profile, you'll see I'm stingy with 5s. If you like what I've described, go for it.
I recommend this game!
The twinkling lights in the marsh look pretty, but they hold a mysterious power. Whatever you do... do not follow them!
Overall rating
4
/
5
8 of 8 found this review helpful
Nice Creepy Factor, The Usual Eipix Bling
PostedSeptember 5, 2015
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based on main and bonus games. Rating 4.4
I'm not a huge fan of this Eipix series, but starved for a good game, and I can't say I was disappointed. Others have given you the play by play so I'll just give my two cents.
Up front, I love Eipix games. Lately they been dissed for "same old, same old", but in this game I see excellent graphics, good attempts to vary puzzles and HOs, creativity, and a nice creepy atmosphere, eerie legend, and ill-fated romance. Well, okay now!
The progressively difficult puzzle for driving away ghosts did get on my nerves a bit, only because I don't like playing the same one over and over.
Now, the bonus game lasts about an hour, and is an extension of the main story. If you miss a collectible shield, Eipix lets you go back and find it in the extras. If you miss a HO morph, replay it in the extras and you get a second chance to grab it. The souvenir room is like a mini-collectible hunt, and one of my faves.
Is it worth a CE? It is to me because I like the Eipix CE bling, and second chance hunt for collectibles/morphs. Plus the scenes were awesomely illustrated. If that appeals to you, have a go. Otherwise, you may want to wait for the SE.
I recommend this game!
Mystery Tales: Alaskan Wild Collector's Edition
Call on the animal spirits to help find your sister.
Overall rating
4
/
5
10 of 21 found this review helpful
Different Enough To Be Fun, Not Fantastic
PostedAugust 30, 2015
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based On The Main And Bonus Games
Someone else has given you the scoop on the story. I can't remember playing Domini Games before. It's just original and creative enough to be a romp, but not a home run. The graphics are colorful and crisp. The voice-overs are much better than average. Animation is, well, yuck.
The HOs are nicely varied so it doesn't become a grocery list of things to find. Puzzles can take time, but aren't that hard. Overall challenge level is pretty good in hard mode.
The bonus game lasts about 1.5 hours and is an extension of the main game. I totally forgot to photograph the animals but you do get an extra bubble game if you do. Collect figurines of characters in the game; they aren't hard to spot.
Is it worth a CE? Well, it does have a long bonus game, and if you have a passion for collectibles, bonus games and achievements, it may very well be. CE bling also includes replayable HOs and puzzles too. If this appeals to you, and you like the setting,go for it.
I recommend this game!