sportygal2009's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.5
- Helpful Votes:8,859
- Reviews Submitted:221
- First Review:November 12, 2011
- Most Recent Review:November 28, 2015
- Featured reviews0
Status:
An old woman tricks Melissa into wearing a cursed ring that makes her go into an everlasting sleep. Use magical potions and spells to save her from the curse!
Overall rating
4
/
5
29 of 33 found this review helpful
Never Open The Door To Strangers Not Even A Little Old Lady
PostedAugust 20, 2012
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This review is based on the whole game.
The story: You take on the role of Alfred to break an evil curse put on his wife Melissa by an old woman by giving her a ring that puts her into an everlasting sleep.
2 play modes: Normal/Hard. I played in hard mode which does have sparkles just for the hidden object scenes. Other areas of interest a magnify glass comes up. Hint (also the skip) takes about 2 minutes.
There is a widescreen option which may or may not work for you but it did me as I had to uncheck the box for it to work.
There are voice overs.
Map: Looks like a flow chart with many locations however just shows where you are at as it doesn't show if there is any thing to do in the areas and you also can't use it to travel back/forth.
To move forward in the game, you will run into several different characters and must perform tasks for them which in return you are given items (inventory).
The hidden object scenes: Quite a few as I counted 30 of them. All found by word list and they're not interactive.
The hint button: For the hidden object scenes brings up a box in the center of the screen showing you where the item is located but then you have to find it in the scene. The hint for outside hidden object scenes brings up a mini walk through and will list step by step what you have to do.
Puzzles: Rotate the rings, click/swap pieces to restore the picture, match the pairs, hit the banana (LOL), and a couple making potions. In order to skip puzzles you have to use the hint once it's fully charged as there is no "skip button."
My overall impression of this game:
I'll start with what I liked: I really enjoyed the story along with the characters as I found it very intriguing as it held my interest as I played straight through until I got to the end of the game.
The graphics for me were nice crisp and clear. As for the hidden object scenes most items I located with no problem. I used the hint about 4 times for this part of the game cause those were small and blended into the scene pretty good.
I also liked the banana puzzle once I got the hang of that one.
I also found this game to have lots to do and people to talk to as I enjoyed the traveling back/forth.
Now for what I didn't like and why I knocked this down a star: For playing on the harder mode while the "mini walk through strategy guide" is kinda neat when you click on the hint button however I thought it was a bit too helpful for the harder mode . I just wanted a hint not a step by step on how to solve it.
I'll also agree with the other reviews as I also found at times this game seemed to take a little bit to got to the next scene.
I also found the majority of the puzzles downright annoying since some were repeated: the rotate the rings and click/swap to form the picture as I hate these.
This game also says there are achievements which there aren't any. My guess would be that this game was originally suppose to be a collector's edition but then it was decided not and they forgot to take out the achievements part.
Overall though I found this game pretty enjoyable and give this 4 stars as got 4 hours of game play out of it which is long enough for me. Thanks Big Fish and developer.
As always, give it a whirl and decide for yourself.
I recommend this game!
Ghost Whisperer™
Join Melinda Gordon in helping ghosts with unfinished business.
Overall rating
2
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Far From Wowed Me - The Demo Time Was All I Could Cope Of This
PostedJuly 8, 2012
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
There are 2 episodes. The first being "Forgotten Toys" which must be completed first as the episode "A Brush With Death" is locked until you play the first episode.
There is no widescreen so depending on your computer if you don't want "black bars" may have to change your resolution settings which I had to do to get the game to fill the screen.
No voice over
The graphics are a cartoon cardboard cutout type style.
2 play modes - Casual and Expert. Casual takes about 30 seconds and there are sparkles. Expert takes about a minute and no sparkles. I played in Expert mode.
HOS (hidden object scenes): Found by word list. Brings up a box in the center of your screen. You will also see occasional ghostly images. Sometimes one of the words in the list is hidden behind fog, and when you click on the ghost, it will be revealed quicker. If you have no hidden words to reveal, you can also use the ghostly image to refill the hint if you have just used it. I also came across find so many of an item.
There are puzzles and the skip takes about a minute.
Map: You do need the map to travel back/forth as you can't get anywhere without it.
At the bottom of the screen above the inventory is a "clues" list that will tell you exactly what you should do next.
My overall impression of the game:
Well for starters no voice over for a SE version game usually doesn't bother me but do prefer it, I would think though for a game being based on a supposedly popular TV show would have well done voice over to it instead of these cartoon cardboard cutout looking characters that constantly pop in and out of the game with annoying text boxes that you have to click through. The reason I say "supposedly" is because I've never watched this TV show. I also couldn't get into the story. Made no sense to me.
The HOS I didn't like how a box would be brought up and the HOS is in the center of the computer screen. Made me feel as I was playing in "window" mode. I wouldn't consider these what I played of this game Sanford & Son junkyard however this box set up made some of them really small and very dark areas. To my surprise only used a couple of hints.
I also didn't care for the constant "hand holding" being told exactly what to do . I do like to try and figure out for myself. If I can't then yes I'll use the hint.
The puzzles I only came across two: Create a picture by turning the knobs which I found annoying. I skipped this. A match up the pills which was easy and did that one.
As for game length: Since there is no walk through for this game as of now and not sure there will be one so I have no way to gauge it to give you an idea even of how long the game is.
I'm also not sure why the Big Fish here has this game listed under "adventure" as what I played of this seemed to be more HOP (hidden object puzzle) cause you do need the map as I mentioned. There is no "wandering around" and again at least what I've played of this.
Sorry Big Fish and developer but the best I can do is 2 stars for this game. Definitely not one of the worst I've downloaded but I've downloaded much better than this. Sorry but I wouldn't purchase this as Catch of the Week or Daily Deal either. This far from wowed me!
As always, definitely give it a whirl and decide for yourself.
I don't recommend this game.
After Shaban's sheep are stolen by thieves, he sets off on an epic adventure to get back what belongs to him. Help Shaban on his journey in this intriguing hidden object adventure game!
Overall rating
1
/
5
15 of 37 found this review helpful
Well This Just Hit The Top Of My Cut This Off And Pull The Plug List
PostedJune 19, 2012
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
This review is for 30 minutes.
This is a puzzle/adventure type of game.
You don't get to add your name.
No widescreen.
No voices.
Cartoon-style comic book images.
There is a tutorial which is just a page showing what different icons meant (how to navigate in the game)
Inventory list, Menu, no map (at least I didn't come across one).
No widescreen.
No voices.
Cartoon-style comic book images.
There is a tutorial which is just a page showing what different icons meant (how to navigate in the game)
Inventory list, Menu, no map (at least I didn't come across one).
There are HOS (hidden object scenes) - I only came across one which was a fragmented hidden object scene.
Puzzles: I only came across a wire puzzle and a jigsaw puzzle.
The hint takes 2 minutes and 4 minutes for the SKIP button to fill.
Some items you do have to combine to be able to use them.
My overall impression of this game:
Well I do try my best to play the whole game before submitting a review as the majority of my reviews are on the whole game but if it's one I don't much care for such as this I do try to make it through the demo time but 1/2 hour of this was all I could cope and just barely.
I've downloaded some bad games in my time but this one definitely takes the cake and the pie too.
For starters, this game didn't fill my screen. The year is 2012. Lets get with it here developer.
There's a couple of cut scenes I came across during this game and it brings up several comic book type style images however when the screen is filled up with these I found you do have to use the skip located at the bottom for it to move forward in the game.
While I didn't have problems moving the character along, this game was just too slow and clumsy moving along is the best I know how to describe this for me.
The one HOS I did have to use a couple of hints to find the pieces.
The puzzles: Well the wire puzzle there's only 4 wires and I thought I tried every possible combination but obviously I missed one as I went to the game forum for help on that one. The jigsaw puzzle I was able to put together just fine however just a bunch of numbers on it and there's a metal square plate is the best I know how to describe that and the hint was about worthless as no matter where I lined up this metal plate I couldn't solve the puzzle. I read in the game forum there is a map maybe this is it, this puzzle??
The skip taking 4 minutes?? Well that's a mighty long 4 minutes I was able to smoke my Marlboro and drink my cup of coffee in my Big Fish mug and no skip button in sight.
I'm sorry Big Fish and developer but as of today this is definitely the worst game I've ever downloaded. The only good thing I found about this game were the graphics as I liked the cartoon comic book style type however this definitely gets the 1 star stop madness, cut this off and pull the plug. I think this game needs sent back as it's not quite done and ready.
As always definitely give it a whirl and decide for yourself.
I don't recommend this game.
Upon arriving in a strange city, you find the citizens ready to burn Menes at the stake in Ghost Towns: The Cats of Ulthar!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
A Very Good Game - Intriguing Cats Story
PostedJune 19, 2012
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This review is for the whole game playing in advance mode.
Story: You must save the child, Menes from being burned at the stake and the town from an unknown evil which in this case has to do with the town's beloved cats.
6 Chapters
3 game play modes: Easy, Advanced and Hard; Advanced mode does have sparkles and glints.
Journal but no map.
No voice overs.
3 game play modes: Easy, Advanced and Hard; Advanced mode does have sparkles and glints.
Journal but no map.
No voice overs.
HOS (hidden object scenes): All found my word list and they're not interactive. Hint takes about a minute and is also helpful outside of HOS.
Puzzles: Just to name some: jigsaws, swapping tiles, or finding items to put in a lock & moving the items in a specific way to open the lock. Can also be skipped and takes about a minute.
You also find 24 cats throughout the game.
My overall impression of the game:
I did play the demo of the CE version when that came out however no voice overs means no buy for me and with that said...
I found this SE version pretty enjoyable as I found this "cats" story intriguing as it held my interest to the end as these "cats" play a significant role in the plot.
The graphics are a "cartoon style" drawing and I found them well done. Some areas a little dark but I think that was just to set the mood of the game so to speak.
While this game has A LOT of HOS which I did find to be on the Sanford & Son junkyard pile side, I didn't have much difficulty at all locating most of the objects, I also found this game to have quite a bit "adventure" to it as well with the traveling back/forth.
Puzzles: I'm not a fan of these however completed most of them as I only skipped a couple.
I also located all the cats.
As for game length: About 4 1/2 hours for me and definitely long enough for me. Depending on your game play you may or may not get this much time out of the game.
Overall I give this 4 stars. Not a very challenging game in my opinion however found it fun/relaxing. Some well done voice overs really would of added to this game however for the SE version that's not a deal breaker for me. Thanks Big Fish and developer for a very good game here.
As always, definitely give it a whirl and decide for yourself.
I recommend this game!
Once upon a time in the small, undistinguished town of Silentville people started disappearing. Help uncover the mystery behind these disappearances and save the town from a curse!
Overall rating
4
/
5
39 of 45 found this review helpful
A Good Game However Some Frustration 3.5 Stars
PostedJune 18, 2012
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This review is for the whole game playing in challenge mode.
Story: You have to break the curse that has been put on Silentville and uncover the mystery behind the disappearances of the people.
5 chapters
Voice overs
2 play modes: Casual and Challenge: Challenge only shows sparkles of the HOS (hidden object scenes). Some areas of the game when you click on something 'helpful' tips will appear up at the top of the screen and some areas when you click on something will show 'gears' with no 'helpful' tips.
Diary: Holds notes and some puzzle clues.
Map: You get a few minutes into the game that has 10 locations. The first (train station) is shown on the map while the rest of them have a 'fog' over them until you move along in the game then new areas will open up. You can also use the map to travel back/forth., Also if you hover your mouse it will show the names of the locations however won't show you if there is anything to do in the locations.
HOS: All found by word list. The majority are in black text color which are interactive and the ones in blue you find like you normally would.
Hint: Takes about a couple of minutes for charge up. Is also helpful outside of the HOS as it will direct you where to go however if you are in a scene where there is nothing to do at the present time will take you to a scene where there is something to do.
Puzzles: Just to name a few: Train track, throw the ball into the baskets, shuffle the key pieces, rotate the rings. Skip takes about a couple of minutes.
My overall impression of the game:
Well I'm gonna start off with what I liked about this game.
The graphics/artwork/voice overs I found to be just excellent as I enjoyed the cut scenes when you click on a character to get their story of how the town came to be with the curse. I also found the ending to be satisfactory.
I also enjoyed the "screen movement" the screen going up/down and the sound of someone "walking", as I thought that was pretty cool.
This seemed to be more adventure to me with some HOS and puzzles as there is a lot of traveling back/forth to this game and so glad there was a map.
HOS: I liked that the majority are interactive requiring an extra step. Some scenes in my opinion a bit on the Sanford & Son junkyard side but not too bad.
Puzzles: I'm not a fan of these but to my surprise I enjoyed a few of them. Did most of them but skipped a couple of them.
Now for the frustration and I'm not the only one according to the game forum for this game as these cannot be skipped:
The cuckoo clock on one of the HOS trying to get the clock hands to move, setting the radio to the right station trying to get the knobs to move, the flower potion as I had to consult the walk through for this one part, and the fridge magnet as I got an error message but thank goodness Big Fish had a fix for that when I got to that part of the game so just had to uninstall/reinstall and was able to continue again where I left off without starting over.
Oh and I also had to change my screen setting as this game didn't fill my screen. The year is 2012 lets get with it here developer. LOL!
As for game length: I got 6 plus hours out of this game cause I quit keeping track at that point so definitely long enough for me. Depending on your game play you may or may not get this much time.
Overall I'm actually right in between 3 and 4 stars for this game and since I can't give 3.5 stars, I decided to give it 4 because for a SE version has lots to do, really enjoyed the story and definitely long enough game as I mentioned but couldn't overlook the few frustrations so knocked it down a star and also knocked down the fun factor.
Thanks Big Fish and developer for a good game here.
As always definitely give it a whirl and decide for yourself.
I recommend this game!
Solve a murder in the world famous Eastville Opera House! The Queen of Drama, Dolores Molinero has been killed and the suspect is still at large.
Overall rating
4
/
5
31 of 34 found this review helpful
Much Better Than I Thought It Would Be - Pretty Good
PostedJune 9, 2012
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This review is for the whole game playing in expert mode.
Story: You take on the role of a detective who has been summoned to Eastville Opera House to investigate the murder of the Queen of Drama, Dolores Molinero interrogating 5 suspects.
4 chapters and I was already into chapter 2 when the demo time was up.
2 play modes: Casual/Expert: The only difference is Expert takes longer to charge up for hint and skip which is still pretty quick as it's under a minute.
No voice overs as there are text boxes that come up on the screen that you read/click through to move forward in the game to follow the story but can be skipped.
This game is: A LOT of HO scenes, with story and some puzzles. You do get some inventory however there is no "wandering around" to this game or having to figure out where the inventory items go as this game does have sparkles to it, tells you what to do and what inventory to use.
HO scenes: Find by word list and the ones in yellow or green color that you find are your inventory items. Some of the scenes I did find to be on the Sanford & Son junkyard pile side and some items really small and tiny.
Puzzles: Most are repeated throughout the game but just to name some of them: Lock picking, jig saw, slider picture as you move the pieces to form a picture, slider puzzles to get the key, rotate the rings, number pad, maze puzzle where you have to drag the ball.
My overall impression of the game:
Well to my surprise I really enjoyed this game as it has the things in it that usually turn me off: No voice overs, Sanford & Son junk piles, small/tiny items and the sparkle hand holding however in spite of all this I was still drawn into this game immediate.
I found the story while it's been done many times before intriguing as it held my interest to the very end as I purchased it immediately when the demo time was up.
The graphics/artwork I found to be very well done as well. Also to my surprise although some of the HO scenes are the Sanford & Son junk pile and some really small/tiny items well I didn't even need the hint until I got to Chapter 3. Most of the scenes I clicked and got through pretty easily. I only used the hint 3 times for the whole game.
Puzzles: I'm not a fan of these however did most of them but skipped the rotate the rings, maze, slider picture, and number pads.
As for game length: Took me exactly 3 hours and found it to be long enough for me and well worth a punch code coupon. Just a nice/relaxing time filler game. A break from all the "wandering around."
Overall I give this 4 stars as I think this game would of been much better with some well done voice over. I also wish the game would of let me figure out things for myself. Oh and I also didn't care for the hint as it will turn the whole screen a grayish color and "highlight" the item. Also if you click wrong about 3 to 4 times the cursor does a "swirly dance."
Thanks Big Fish and developer for a pretty good game here.
As always definitely give it a whirl and decide for yourself .
I recommend this game!
Coronation Street: Mystery of the Missing Hotpot Recipe
Help Betty track down the missing pieces of her famous hotpot recipe before they fall into the wrong hands! Visit iconic Coronation Street locations and met up well-known characters from the TV Show.
Overall rating
1
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
Hey Big Fish - Cut This Off And Definitely Pull The Plug
PostedJune 4, 2012
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Mahjong
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
OMG! This has got to be one of the worst games I've ever downloaded. I do try to give a game a fair chance and at least make it through the trial time. To my surprise I played 49 minutes of this as I still had 11 minutes when I finally exited out of this game as I just couldn't cope with this another second.
First off this game doesn't fill my screen and I tried several different settings however instead of black bars a brick border. Lots of annoying dialogue that is so slow moving forward and thank goodness it can be skipped.
HO scenes most what I played of this is Sanford & Son junkyard and most of the items are so tiny and they are found by word list. Some HO scenes are find so many of an item. My goodness I've never used the hint so much in a game and it does charge up quick.
There is no wandering around and inventory items what I played of this game as this game just seems to be a hidden object game with some puzzles.
Puzzles I only came across two: Fix the pipes which was easy and another was a number pad and I had no clue how to solve that.
Now this game here just might get more exciting after the trial time, items easier to find but I'm not paying $6.99, using a game credit, or punch code coupon to find out.
OMG! This would cure insomnia! I'm sorry Big Fish and developer but this game is beyond dreadful and well Betty's recipe will just have to stay missing as far as I'm concerned. I would give this game no stars if I could and this definitely gets the stop madness,cut off and pull the plug rating. This is by far one of the worse games I've ever downloaded. The most fun I had with this game was taking it off my computer. Enough said.
As always give it a whirl and decide for yourself.
I don't recommend this game.
Amazing Adventures Riddle of the Two Knights
Follow a curious trail through crowded bazaars and snow-swept summits to find what is missing!
Overall rating
5
/
5
70 of 87 found this review helpful
A Fun Seek And Find Game - Love It
PostedJune 2, 2012
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
This review is for the whole game in timed mode.
25 Missions "levels."
Timed/Relaxed mode - Go into options to change to relaxed mode if you are one who doesn't like to be timed. Also has an option of unlimited hints. Hint/skip charge up really quick however. Less than 20 seconds.
This is a straight HO game along with some puzzles. There is no inventory or wandering around at all to this game.
HO Scenes:
All items are found by word list. There is as many as 12 different locations within the "mission" and 10 items to find in each scene. You will also visit these locations more than once. Some are also interactive and some you have to do a couple of steps to complete them. There's also some "missing items" scenes where you have to fit the items back into the scene.
Puzzles: Repeat the sequence, spot the difference, jig saw, slider, match 2 or more, and rotate/swap pieces to form a picture.On some of them you can get a hint or just skip them. All of them have the skip option.
Points and Penalties:
If you find all the crowns which there are 2 in each scene (a total of 50) will unlock unlimited seek and find along with a bonus puzzle. You also receive 150,000 points for finding all the crowns.
For each item found 2000 points. A 1000+ points for items found in succession.
Perfect investigation bonus: 15,000 for not using the hint and there is also a time bonus depending how well you do.
You lose 5,000 points for each time you use the hint. Also lose 10,000 points for skipping any puzzles.
My overall impression of the game:
If you have played any of the Amazing Adventures or Mystery PI games and liked or loved them then you should this one as well. I find myself coming to these type of games when I need a break from all the "wandering around" and trying to figure stuff out.
For me, while the graphics are really good for the most part, there were a couple of scenes kinda dark as a few items were in total darkness, some were really small, blended into the scene really good, and some I was looking too hard as they were right there in front of me so I did have to some hints.
While I'm not a fan of the puzzles I didn't skip any of these. Not even the repeat the sequence cause I hate these but thank goodness that didn't go on for too long.
The timed option I found this to be very generous in giving time to complete the missions as I was never even close to running out of time.
As for game length: Well this is definitely worth $6.99. Many hours of game play here as I looked at the high scores as it will state your time. Some as long as 15 hours however for me 9 hours, 24 minutes and 31 seconds to be exact.
Thanks Big Fish and developer for a great game here. I sure hope to see more of these Amazing Adventures along with Mystery PI games.
As always definitely give it a whirl and decide for yourself.
P.S. A note to the Big Fish since I know for a fact you read these reviews: I'm not sure why you have this game listed under "adventure" because there is no "adventure" to this game. Just a HO game with some puzzles. A smile and wink here: Is is because the name of the game has "adventure" in it? LOL!
I recommend this game!
Challenge yourself in the role of the scientist-historian-scholar of ancient civilizations and mystical legends and save your friend from the Demon of Darkness!
Overall rating
5
/
5
98 of 130 found this review helpful
A Very Enthralling Game With Lots To Do - SE Review
PostedJune 1, 2012
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This review is for the whole game playing in the hardest mode.
The story: For those of you who've played "Temple of Night" this time your adventure is in Thailand, and you collect a lot of the native objects traveling between words (old and new). if you haven't played Temple of Night it isn't necessary to do so as this game stands alone on its own.
7 chapters
3 play modes: Regular, Advanced, Hardcore: Hardcore there is no skip or hint.
There is a journal which keeps track of notes/some puzzle clues however no map.
There is voice over
HO scenes: All are interactive along with an extra item you have to find(inventory) at the end of each scene. There's also some scenes "misplaced items" which are down at the bottom and you have to put them back into the scene to acquire an inventory item to use elsewhere.
The rooms to acquire some items you have to change the lighting in the room. As I mentioned earlier you are going between worlds (old & new), There's also "special items" that you will acquire and you take it to a statue and put it on the "plate" to be turned into an inventory item to be used in a part of the game.
Puzzles: Quite a few puzzles ranging in difficulty from very easy to kinda frustrating at least for me but to those of you who love puzzles and the harder the better well then don't pay attention to what I say about the puzzles here as far as difficulty.. Some of the puzzles are also repeated as you'll do them more than once.
My overall impression of the game:
I purchased the CE when this game was first released and have done a review for that.
Well a little patience must of really sneaked in on me as I took the plunge and played in the hardest mode. I just LOVED this game for the most part as I can sure tell just like the first game Temple of Night the developer put some time and thought into these games.
The graphics, voice over, cut scenes are just superb. Very well done here. I also LOVED going between worlds and having to change the room. Just a lot to do and places to go in this game.
I didn't have any difficulty at all (even puzzles) until I got to chapter 5 as this is where I lost some patience. I'm not sure what was up with me and chapter 5 but I did have to use the strategy guide since I purchased the CE as I stated to find the last item on a couple of HO scenes as I couldn't find them to save myself.
I also could of done without a couple of them puzzles. Way too much going left, right, up, down so many times to solve it as these are repeated a couple of times. Good Lord I looked those up in the guide or I'd probably still be sitting here trying to solve those.
Oh and I also could of did without the move the ball and trying to get the "cap piece" to the center. As you move the ball the cap piece goes in the other direction and trying to navigate that well if you don't have arthritis like I do well you just might after that puzzle. I didn't look this one up but that was tough navigating for me.
This is also why i knocked down the "fun factor" to good as them puzzles a couple of them I didn't care for.
As for game length: Main game 6 hours for me . Definitely long enough for me and that's without bonus play.
Overall, even though I didn't care for a couple of them puzzles there was just way too much I LOVED about this game so I'm giving it 5 stars.
Thanks Big Fish and developer.
As always definitely give it a whirl and decide for yourself
I recommend this game!
Put on your detective hat and help uncover the secret of a lowly bank clerk in Cheatbusters!
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 6 found this review helpful
An OK Time Killer Game - It's Not THAT Bad
PostedMay 31, 2012
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Mahjong
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This review is for the whole game.
The story: You take on the role of a detective to find out if a woman's boyfriend has been cheating on her.
1 play mode and there are sparkles for areas of interest for use of inventory items.
No voice overs
No journal however there is a map that you can use to travel in this game. As you complete a HO scene for an area a new location will become available on the map.
Game play: You find the items by drawings however if you hover your mouse over the drawing it will be labeled with the name of the item.
To get the drawings to find, click on the magnify glass down at the bottom next to the lighter which is the hint to get the drawings of the items to find. Hint also charges up pretty quick less than a minute.
Once you complete the area you don't visit it again as far as HO scenes go cause if you click on the magnify glass again it will tell you all items found.
You also get an inventory just like with other HO games. Pretty much used right away but not always used in the same scene however this isn't a "wandering around" all over the place type of game. In some scenes you also have to take pictures
There's also a few puzzles to this game. The skip is also pretty quick on charge up.
My overall impression of the game;
Well this is definitely far from one of the best I've ever played however I didn't find this to be as bad as the reviews I've read for this game. I didn't have any trouble navigating this game at all. I found the game play to be pretty easy. I had to stop and think on a couple of the inventory items but far from frustrating.
The graphics yes I'll agree these are definitely dated but they weren't fuzzy to me. I only had to use a couple of hints for the HO scenes to my surprise cause I'm not usually into finding items by silhouette /drawings but didn't mind it for this game. I also didn't find these to be Sanford & Son junk piles.
Puzzles: If you've read any of my other reviews then you'll know I'm not a fan of these however I found these pretty easy as I only skipped one of them to my surprise.
Where this game went down the hill is I think the developer could of worked more on the story and had more story as it was off to a good start then just went away for awhile and then a little more story. Just very vague in my opinion and just ends abruptly. I also didn't understand the purpose of the picture taking as there is no journal and not used for anything??
Game length: Well this game is a record for me as I completed it in about 2 1/2 hours and I'm a slow game player and take my time.
Overall I give this 3 stars as I knocked this down two stars for story but still found this to be an OK time killer game as I liked the game play as I found it relaxing. While I like the games where there is more "adventure" the back/forth using inventory well every once in a while I like a break from that and I found this game to be an OK time killer for that.
Thanks Big Fish and developer for an OK game here.
As always definitely give it a whirl and decide for yourself.
I recommend this game!