Nocturne's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.9
- Helpful Votes:398
- Reviews Submitted:64
- First Review:May 9, 2012
- Most Recent Review:November 5, 2021
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Awakening Kingdoms
You are chosen by Queen Sophia to restore her kingdom back to its former glory through fun mini-games and beautiful hidden object scenes.
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
I LOVED this game
PostedFebruary 6, 2018
Nocturne
fromSan Francisco, CA
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Loved the characters, the scenery, renderings. It's one of those "free to play" games so you can decide to purchase more of what you need to play when you run out, or you can choose to wait for your resources to recharge which will be hours. The BIG HUGE ELEPHANT with this game is the creators never finished it. You can only go so far and you are left dangling, never getting the satisfaction of completion or finding out how it ends. To me, that's just a HUGE reason not to even start. I could have cried when I found out I'd gone as far as the game let's me.
Outsmart a god in a thrilling showdown of wits! Featuring drop-dead gorgeous visuals and a story that will keep you in stitches!
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 10 found this review helpful
The continuing saga of....
PostedJanuary 17, 2018
Nocturne
fromSan Francisco, CA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I just bought and played the first 3 Incredible Dracula games and liked them just fine. I just played the demo fro IDIV and it plays like the prior versions. I do always play without sound so don't ask me about that. Dracula has been magically taken to a different world/dimension where paper is primary so you are collecting a lot of things (not all) that have to do with paper and the landscape, people, etc. look like they are made out of paper. All well and good, change is nice. My one piece of advice is try to get to and then ignite/build the manufacturing buildings before you spend any resources on getting to bridges, people, other goals so you won't run out (which I did 3 times on just one of the levels). i don't know what the collector's ed may have that makes it worth the extra cost but I guess I'm going to find out since I'm buying this. I do wish that they'd dressed Drac in something a little more dignified.
I recommend this game!
Powerful magic is at your fingertips as you protect your island home!
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 8 found this review helpful
Challenging and good
PostedJanuary 15, 2018
Nocturne
fromSan Francisco, CA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
i like that both the females and males now do all the chores equally, sort of (seems my females always ran off to start a chore before the males did and worked just a wee bit harder, but isn't that like real life?). I also loved that they somehow made the game even better then the last 4 versions. It was challenging but not overwhelmingly so, I got gold (I was playing the CE so I also got all the extras) except on maybe 3 levels--but that's after playing the harder levels over and over again until I figured out a better plan. One thing that did get annoying was that purple squirrel that became so demanding, even after you'd gotten all the use you needed from them; wish they would have just calmed down.
I recommend this game!
Ready to solve a gripping mystery? Tackle ingenious riddles in this hidden object puzzle adventure!
Overall rating
3
/
5
8 of 9 found this review helpful
Disappointing
PostedJanuary 3, 2018
Nocturne
fromSan Francisco, CA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I have liked the past Mortimer Beckett (MB) games. This one however was more like one of those "Emily's Eats" or whatever they're called. Just lacked challenge and cohesion, storyline was so bogus just wanted to skip over it. On top of that. some of the mini-puzzle games had no explanation regarding what you were supposed to be doing and I still do not know what was supposed to happen or what the aim of the puzzle was, after attempting a plethora of attempts, had to skip over about 3 or 4 of them. I don't know what the significance of finding those mice in every scene was since the mice did NOTHING. After a while decided the "Diamond" extra puzzles were not worth the effort. Finding 25 mice that only popped up when the game felt like offering you one, when you were playing against the clock, and enlarging the scene so you could not see the whole room was cheating bigtime. No, this newest MB game seems to have been designed by a completely new team that did not adhere to the former MB style, and it felt as though they were designing this for young children mentality. I was serious disappointed; had been looking for games to tide me over the holidays until BFG came out with a whole new line up of games to buy.
I don't recommend this game.
Ready your weapons and answer the call of the gods to save the universe from evil!
Overall rating
3
/
5
9 of 16 found this review helpful
Not finding this as enjoyable as the last few VBs
PostedDecember 26, 2017
Nocturne
fromSan Francisco, CA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I am playing this demo off another game site since BFG was taking so long to put it out, figured if I liked the demo enough I'd buy from BFG. However, this game isn't all that much fun, plus there are things that have to be done and they don't tell you about them so you lose time wondering why nothing is happening. It just doesn't have the same fun factor as the other Viking Brothers versions. I'm not going to buy this one.
Chronicles of Albian 2: The Wizbury School of Magic
Search the Wizbury School of Magic for the stolen gold, and rebuild the school!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Surprisingly Satisfying
PostedNovember 18, 2017
Nocturne
fromSan Francisco, CA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I admit I basically use these hidden object games to stimulate my memory, you have to remember where you saw the clothespin just s few seconds ago to be able to find it when it pops up in the "Find This" list. In general, the items were all hidden so you could find them if you looked hard enough with a few exceptions. I was playing in normal mode and had plenty of time to find everything on all levels.. However, I do despise Sudoku. The other puzzles were just fine, made me think a bit. I just, sheeze, Sudoku?? Really??? I also do think they ought to made the school improvement choices a little more--consistent with the other sections of the school so it looked less like a hodge podge of different styles. What I actually am enjoying most is the Seek & Search (something like that) games. Those make this whole game worth the money. The visuals are excellent. (I always turn off the music since I tend to listen to my own music when I'm concentrating, but what little I heard of the ambient sounds were nice). The storyline, as always, was very contrived--why would you send a brand new student who has never been there before to hunt down everyone and everything? I also seemed to have skipped somehow learning one of the early spells. But you do get a chance, after you finish all the levels, to go back and complete what you didn't finish during game play (like those horrible sudokus!). Um, and I think you also earn money playing the Search & Finds, I ended up with more money then needed to renovate the whole school several times over. I'm still playing the Search & Find games, it'll take me the rest of the weekend and beyond to completely all of them. I like that.
I recommend this game!
Come back to the ancient Roman empire and help defend it against new threats in this latest edition to this revered time management series.
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 5 found this review helpful
Nice to see a woman in charge
PostedNovember 7, 2017
Nocturne
fromSan Francisco, CA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Although why she can't help out once in a while.... If you've played any of the previous Roads, you'll know what to do with this one. There isn't anything really new or different about this one and, at least for me, it was easier than some of the previous ones which even to this day I cannot achieve gold (or top grades) on some levels. This one I got gold first time through playing in normal mode. This having been said, I have not found all the caches and secret hidden goodies on all but maybe 5 levels. I've now gone back and replayed only to find those caches but still cannot find them.
I recommend this game!
Powerful magic is at your fingertips as you protect your island home!
Overall rating
5
/
5
16 of 19 found this review helpful
Much more difficult then previous Moaii games but so good!
PostedSeptember 4, 2017
Nocturne
fromSan Francisco, CA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Word
Current Favorite:
Island Tribe 5
(55)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
I've been a Moai fan since the beginning. Moai V is far more challenging then the previous ones. I'm going through again (3d time) trying to get gold (and be able to play the bonus rounds) on every level but they are hard. Takes a lot more strategy and thinking, planning. I've even been writing down stuff like "okay, the idol eats 300 food, 300 iron, 300 manna" or whatever I need to plan ahead and prep for. I'm pretty sure I won't get all gold. I like the challenge. You do only have two modes: non-timed or timed. I do wish that you could turn off the "dialogues" before each level--when you're replaying the same level 10 tiems in a row, I really don't need the dialogue anymore and it just slows stuff down. Once you on in a level, you can click the Menu button and select "Guide" which gives you a kind of vague idea of what you might want to consider doing to win the level, but you can still vary that too. On some levels, the guru guys only give you more resources so you can sometimes skip them and stlil win--but sometimes the guru guys give you needed special acquisitions like stuff to make your potions. Haven't figured out how to effectively use the portions. When you play as the girl, you don't get to accessorize as much as you can when you play as the boy. If you love a challenge and are ready to use your brain, this is a fun game.
Your home has been raided. Your father is missing. Set off on a dangerous journey to save him, and become the Hero of the Kingdom!
Overall rating
4
/
5
I actually liked this game and am about ready to replay it
PostedMarch 29, 2016
Nocturne
fromSan Francisco, CA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Cons: they assume you can intuit what needs to be done and how to get it done which isn't true; I had to go read a lot of the Game Forum tips to figure out how to actually play this game successfully. Some of the "missing" thing you have to find are just to miniscule you can't really see them, you have to just clip around at anything that might possibly be something until you hit on it--which can really stump you (and in some cases, you can't finish that sequence of quest). And it does get a bit tedious going back and forth (even with the "zip" method using the map). I also found it hard to figure out exactly how much "money" I had to spend since in some places where you are buying stuff, it give you this other amount. And I do wish they'd placed on the main action screen (not hidden in the inventory) your heart amount and your money amount so you can keep a more constant eye on both which are essential to this game, just a little icon at the edge of the screen somewhere indicating when you are getting low or something. And I really didn't need all that dialog, if someone had something to say one call-out saying it all would be sufficient instead of wasting time on going back and forth between the hero and the other speaker. I also found having to kill all those animals a bit disagreeable, but their fur and their "hams" increased my inventory significantly--but they shouldn't have made their dying cries so poignant. I also never came across a bear or a crocodile to kill but there were skins indicated at the fur trader. It'd also have been nice if, when you needed something (like to replenish baskets or tackle or something), if you hovered over the item needed you would get a list of which place to go to get these things. That whole big long discussion between father and son about what the father had done before he gave it up was unnecessary and a waste of time. I also wished you could continue finish up helping people AFTER you kill off the bad guy just to complete everything you could; killing the bad guy was only part of what I felt my mission was and was not happy to find the game ended itself after the bad guy was killed off making it so I didn't complete a lot of the other quests made by the people. And a little too much fighting and maiming/killing, I'm just not into that unless it can be done by instantly vaporizing or disappearing someone.
Pros: I loved the sound effects, the sound of water, the birds, etc. I'm glad they put a zip method of getting around using the map or I'd never have finished this game. Unlike HOTK2, at last flowers and things regrew in a reasonable amount, or at least sufficient new scenes would open up giving you new places to harvest things you could later sell to make money. I also LOVED the meadows and water scenes, even the swamp was nice (no mosquitoes, no reeking smells, no deadly snake and other critters to hurt you). I also liked that you could stockpile "heart" so you didn't always have to stop right when you are about to kill a snake or an enemy just to go sleep ("sorry, I have to go take a nap, I'll be back to kill you after that" just seemed kind of weird).
It isn't an action packed, high adrenaline game. You spend most of your time going back and forth doing things just to earn money so you can buy the things you need to proceed on, but it does make you think, and resign yourself to doing some pretty tedious things (just like in real life!) just to get on with it. I also liked the fact that there was no damsel in distress or love story--that gets real tedious when so many games use that as a means to get the hero to do things (for his love), like he wouldn't have done it if he weren't trying to save the damsel or rescue her kingdom which always makes me wonder where are the knights and soldiers who's job it is to do that for her? In this game, the guy does it because he's a good guy and is just trying to find his dad (who turns out to be much more). I'm glad I bought this game and can now set it aside for a while so I can replay it when I no longer remember how to do everything. I also really liked that there was no time management, I could leave the game open and go eat dinner or take a break without losing points or having to replay something or having a clock ticking away the time; made it so I didn't get crampy fingers from the mouse or a shoulder ache from sitting there for too long without getting up and moving a bit.
I recommend this game!
A great evil unlocks deep within Ravenhearst!
Overall rating
2
/
5
13 of 16 found this review helpful
No more of this Ravenhearst for me
PostedDecember 6, 2015
Nocturne
fromSan Francisco, CA
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I've been a MCF fan since I first played Huntsville and Prime Suspect came out, played those over and over and over again. I liked that they were so precisely rendered. I even liked the first Madame Fate game although the graphics suddenly changed. The mini puzzles were creative and fun. After Madame Fate, these games became really really boggy, nothing better then the average HOG games on BFG--good vs. evil with a lot of shadowy paint jobs, hidden objects placed in the darkest, blackest areas so you could not see them, just felt slap-dash and lazy--felt like MCF was trying to turn out games purely for the money rather then the game play. I did buy and played Ravenhearst but this last one was just not worth it. It was so much like the others, so boring now because who really cares about Charlotte and Charles and whoever else there was there??? I certainly couldn't give a rat's tail about whether Ravenhearst disintegrated into the ground forever or not, I never came to care or even wonder what happened in that strange and dysfunctional family so why should I want to solve their mystery??? I started playing this "unlocked" version and after about 10 mins. decided it wasn't worth my time and effort so, even though I'd bought the game, I removed it. As a long-time BFG fan, I think this is the last of this MCF saga unless they change things. There's enough evil and terror and bad stuff going on in the real world, I don't need my games to shove more of it at me.
I don't recommend this game.