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 amulet purchased in an antique shop has awakened an ancient and terrible evil. Help rescue your beloved and save mankind from the coming eternal frost!
Overall rating
4
/
5
52 of 56 found this review helpful
What A Pleasant Surprise! I Almost Missed This Little Gem - Completed Game
PostedAugust 27, 2014
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
5
/
5
GAME OPTIONS/FEATURES:
You can control the sound/music.
You can also choose if you want Custom Cursor or not.
WIDESCREEN: Well at least for me. I had no problem here.
2 PLAY MODES:
Casual: This has a tutorial. Hint takes 30 seconds for charge up.
Expert: No tutorial. Well at least one never came up for me to take. Hint takes 1 minute for charge up. I played this mode. This has black bar tips telling you what needs to be done. There are sparkles for the HOS. Hint is helpful/directional outside of HOS.
MAP: NO
Journal: YES - This just holds notes.
Shortly into the game you get an amulet that is located above the hint button that you have to use throughout the game to save your beloved along with 17 other souls.
You can control the sound/music.
You can also choose if you want Custom Cursor or not.
WIDESCREEN: Well at least for me. I had no problem here.
2 PLAY MODES:
Casual: This has a tutorial. Hint takes 30 seconds for charge up.
Expert: No tutorial. Well at least one never came up for me to take. Hint takes 1 minute for charge up. I played this mode. This has black bar tips telling you what needs to be done. There are sparkles for the HOS. Hint is helpful/directional outside of HOS.
MAP: NO
Journal: YES - This just holds notes.
Shortly into the game you get an amulet that is located above the hint button that you have to use throughout the game to save your beloved along with 17 other souls.
HOS: While I'm not one of these people since I'm a fan of the HOS but may be "too many HOS" for some people. All found by interactive word list. Scenes are visited twice. I thought these were nicely done. A few a little challenging to locate and I mean this in a good way. Most I found pretty easily. I really liked and enjoyed doing the HOS.
PUZZLES; There is nothing here that I would consider "new" from the many games offered here at the Big Fish. I did most of them but did skip some of them. I didn't skip them because they were too hard just tedious/boring. I'm not a fan of the puzzles. These do have instructions. I didn't come across any reset button. Some could of used one. The skip could of been just a bit quicker. Seemed rather slow to me.
ADVENTURE SIDE: I'd consider this lite for the most part. Inventory is either used pretty much right away or don't have to travel too far to use it though I will say I did have to go back a few scenes a few times.
VISUAL/SOUND QUALITY: I absolutely loved the graphics and cut scenes. This may also be "too many cut scenes" for some people. The game displayed just superb for me. I also had no problem with the loading between scenes I've read from others. I had no tech issues at all. Music is very good and fitting to the game. I also liked the characters with exception to no voices. Yes I prefer for characters to talk in the game. I had no problem keeping up with the text dialogue though.
LEVEL OF CHALLENGE: This developer needs to learn Custom Mode. I hope to see it in their next game offering Game player gets to choose and have it actually apply to the game. I don't understand the purpose of having 2 play modes if both are basically the same. This here meaning having black bar tips telling you what to do in the game along with sparkles for the HOS. I thought this could of been just a bit more challenging.
STORY LINE: Well I was hooked to this game right from the get go and held my interest to the very end. I didn't stop playing until I reached the end of the game though nothing really "new" here I was still intrigued by this story. I was not disappointed at all here.
MY PLAY TIME: This was about 6 hours for me. While I found this to be an easy game I'm not one who rushes through my games. May be more or less for you.
FUN FACTOR: As my title says. I almost missed this little gem of a game. It didn't look very interesting. However I decided to "give it a whirl" anyway. I'm so glad I did. What a pleasant surprise. This has a lot to do and places to go.
Overall 4 stars from me. The few flaws I mentioned kept this from being a 5 star game for me. Thanks Big Fish and developer for a very good game. This was well worth the use of my coupon code.
I recommend this game!
The Statue of Liberty is missing! Investigate the disappearance of one of the most important symbols of the United States!
Overall rating
2
/
5
51 of 58 found this review helpful
Sorry But The "Lost" Symbol Will Have To Remain "Lost"
PostedAugust 25, 2014
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
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON 60 MINUTE DEMO
I've played a couple of this developer's games pretty recently. I'm getting the impression they must do this as a hobby. They could have some really great games but seem to choose to ruin them by having the same recipe for all of their games. Well at least the ones I've played.
What's the recipe?
I'll start with game features. What game features? Well OK there is one and that being the game here did open in widescreen for me. Other than this there are no game features. This here meaning:
The sound/music is either on/off.
No choice to have custom cursor or not.
No choice in play modes: There are arrows showing direction(s) you can go, magnify glass shows area of interest, an eye for the HOS, and puzzle piece for the puzzles. There is also black bar tip overload telling you what to do in the game.
No map: I no longer use in games so no big deal for me. Plus it's not needed for this game.
No journal; Yet another not a deal breaker for me.
No lock for the inventory. Have to click and drag to use it. Downright ANNOYING!
No auto close when a box comes up. Must click on the X to get rid of the HUGE box. Yet another downright ANNOYING!
No choice to have custom cursor or not.
No choice in play modes: There are arrows showing direction(s) you can go, magnify glass shows area of interest, an eye for the HOS, and puzzle piece for the puzzles. There is also black bar tip overload telling you what to do in the game.
No map: I no longer use in games so no big deal for me. Plus it's not needed for this game.
No journal; Yet another not a deal breaker for me.
No lock for the inventory. Have to click and drag to use it. Downright ANNOYING!
No auto close when a box comes up. Must click on the X to get rid of the HUGE box. Yet another downright ANNOYING!
HOS: This will definitely be "too many HOS" for some people. All found by standard word list. I did 8 scenes during the demo. I'm sure some will even find them "Sanford & Son "junkyard however they weren't for me. Graphics nice and clear. I had no problem locating anything. Hint takes about 30 seconds for charge up.
PUZZLES; I only came across 3 during demo. They do have an info button that being the ? mark. There is also a reset button which is the red button. To skip puzzle have to wait for the green bar up at the top to fill up and then click on it. A snail or turtle moves faster. Very slow.
VISUAL/SOUND QUALITY: Will definitely be "too old school' or "too dated" for some people however for me graphics a well done. The characters mouths move however no voice. Their mouths also keep moving until you click on the screen to "continue" as there is text dialogue to read/click through. Sorry but his annoys me as it makes me think there is something wrong with the game. Please don't have the characters mouths move if they aren't going to say anything. The music is the same throughout the demo and grated on my last nerve.
LEVEL OF CHALLENGE: WHAT challenge? Way too much hand holding here.
STORY LINE: I did find this story much more interesting than the last game I played from this developer a little over a week ago now. However once again, the game play absolutely ruined this and the game for me.
FUN FACTOR: Sorry Big Fish but I didn't find this game "fun" at all. 2 stars is the best I can do for this. With all due respect this developer has been around for a LONG time. They need to step it up quite a bit here and offer more playing options for their games. If they choose not to well that is fine but I will continue to rate their games low until I see an improvement. This could of been a great game.
I don't recommend this game.
Your investigative report on the Weeping Woman of San Cristobal turns personal after you witness a kidnapping. Is the legend true?
Overall rating
5
/
5
163 of 174 found this review helpful
Weeping Tears Of Joy - Finally - A Great Solid Game - Completed Game
PostedAugust 24, 2014
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I purchased the CE when that came out so my review here is based on that. The game has 6 chapters and I have listed the CE extras at the very end of my review.
GAME FEATURES:
Game opened in widescreen for me
Inventory locks
Choice of cursors
Transporter map that you get a little into the game.
Journal: Has your tasks and notes to help you along.
4 modes of play including Custom which I found to be a little different here though. You get .the choice of how your Hint works. You can have it tell you exactly what to do or just give you a nudge along. No sparkles. Modes of play can be changed during play as well as Custom choices.
Game opened in widescreen for me
Inventory locks
Choice of cursors
Transporter map that you get a little into the game.
Journal: Has your tasks and notes to help you along.
4 modes of play including Custom which I found to be a little different here though. You get .the choice of how your Hint works. You can have it tell you exactly what to do or just give you a nudge along. No sparkles. Modes of play can be changed during play as well as Custom choices.
HOS; Interactive word list with some puzzles thrown in. Graphics nicely done here. I enjoyed these. I had no difficulty finding/doing anything.
PUZZLES/MINI GAMES: I'm not a fan. Less the better. Has nothing to do with being too hard or too easy I'm just not a puzzle/mini game person for the most part. Having said this: These varied in challenge for me. I did skip a few of these. Some the usual run of the mill with a different twist on them to fit the theme of the game (Mexican festival) and a few I haven't seen before. There's also an info button and some have a reset button on them. The skip is very quick on charge up in custom mode.
VISUAL/SOUND QUALITY: I really LOVED the graphics. Vibrant, colorful. The Mexican festival theme. These displayed just stunning, crisp and clear on my computer screen. They fit the game here right along with the characters/voices that are very well done - Latino accents.
LEVEL OF CHALLENGE: I played the custom mode and loved it. Game play for me was pretty easy for the most part right along with the "adventure" side though not always linear. The skulls while I located them all I didn't think they were always easy to locate. The morphing flowers I didn't have any trouble locating these
STORY LINE: I was so engrossed in this game. I was hooked to this from the get go and held my interest to the end. Some twist and turns to the story. This was also well integrated into the game play. The main game also came to a conclusion for me. I didn't feel the bonus chapter was needed. Bonus chapter is a new story that stands on its own and has different characters to the main game. All new locations. None are from the main game. I enjoyed this as well though and was surprised by the ending though it does come to conclusion.
MY PLAY TIME: Main game 3 hours. Bonus Chapter 1 hour and 15 minutes. May be more or less for you of course. I didn't use any hints, map or strategy guide but I did skip some of the puzzles as I said. Game length was just fine and right for me. I don't need for a game to go on for many hours.
FUN FACTOR: While this game was pretty easy for the most part this was a breath of fresh air for me and fun compared to what Big Fish has been releasing lately. A HUGE KUDOS to you here Gunnar Games: While I encountered a few animals very briefly but NONE of them became my helpers for the game along with NO fairies, NO purple and pink hazy/foggy graphics. I also had no tech issues.Overall 5 stars from me. Thanks Gunnar Games and Big Fish for a great game..
CE EXTRAS:
Bonus Chapter
Strategy Guide
16 Achievements
25 Skulls
25 Morphing Flowers
6 Wall Papers
9 Concept Art
Bonus Chapter
Strategy Guide
16 Achievements
25 Skulls
25 Morphing Flowers
6 Wall Papers
9 Concept Art
I recommend this game!
There's a new sheriff in Meadows Town – and it's you! Can you stop a vengeful Viking spirit before she strikes again?
Overall rating
2
/
5
42 of 59 found this review helpful
Sorry But Only 2 Carrots For The Rabbit
PostedAugust 14, 2014
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
BASED ON 65 OF 90 MINUTE DEMO.
It's been a long time since I've demoed one of the Rabbit's games.For me this developer use to be one of the best if not the best. Due to lack of good games to play as of late as there have been only a few good ones I thought I would see if the Rabbit has improved any. They have a little but not much in my opinion.
Game opened in widescreen for me.
JOURNAL; NO
GPS: (map). I didn't use it but checked it out. This is transporter and it is divided into 4 screens (pages). Shows where you are, things to do, and areas not yet discovered.
Sheriff's Badge: Located down at the bottom of the screen. If you click on it, it will take you to an "evidence board."
ORB: This is next to the Sheriff's Badge: You use this to scan the areas for paranormal activity about 5 to 6 times to get energy for the orb which is nothing more than ghost woman making threats.
JOURNAL; NO
GPS: (map). I didn't use it but checked it out. This is transporter and it is divided into 4 screens (pages). Shows where you are, things to do, and areas not yet discovered.
Sheriff's Badge: Located down at the bottom of the screen. If you click on it, it will take you to an "evidence board."
ORB: This is next to the Sheriff's Badge: You use this to scan the areas for paranormal activity about 5 to 6 times to get energy for the orb which is nothing more than ghost woman making threats.
VISUAL/SOUND QUALITY: Sorry but I think the graphics are quite poor. Very grainy and way too much blue/grey color. The Rabbit use to have very nice graphics in their games. The voices were OK and lip-sync is right on however I didn't find anything interesting about the characters. I also didn't get any "spooky" vibes as I see from the description of this game it's suppose to be "spooky."
LEVEL OF CHALLENGE: 4 play modes that includes a custom mode. I played the Custom Mode. I must say the Rabbit here definitely knows how to do a Custom Mode. Now THIS is what I would call a Custom Mode. There are no black bar tips, no sparkles, hint/skip can have it charge up within 5 seconds though I didn't use them. So a kudos to the Rabbit here. I only came across one HOS - find the matching pairs.This was nicely done. The few puzzles I came across were easy and straightforward.
STORY LINE: There is nothing really new here. I just didn't find this story very engaging. Just very farfetched and not making much sense to me.I just found it silly though another to the Rabbit's credit here at least for the demo time I didn't come across any animal helpers that needed to be fed, named, dressed up, or having to find bars of soap to wash their clothes. However this may or may not come past the demo time.
FUN FACTOR: Sorry Big Fish and Rabbit but I just didn't find this game very "fun" at all. The story is lame and overall game play boring. While I'm a fan of the HOS, the game doesn't have to be overloaded with HOS however I would of liked to have seen at least a few during the demo since once again according to the description this is suppose to be a Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure. There is nothing in this game that made me feel that this is a "must have" and "buy it now." I also didn't care much for the evidence board having to drag the pieces to their locations. I wasn't too fond of the orb either. I give the Rabbit here 2 carrots (stars) A no buy CE or SE when that is released. Maybe next time. I'll just have to wait and see what the Rabbit here releases.
CE EXTRAS:
Bonus Chapter
Strategy Guide (Shows 3 chapters during demo. However according to a post in the Big Fish forum there are 7 chapters. This also shows the collectibles: Runes)
Achievements: NO
Morphing Objects: NO
Collectibles: YES 40 Runes which are used to decode prophesies on 8 scrolls
9 Wallpapers
10 Concept Art
7 Screen Savers
18 Movies
4 Music Tracks
Workshop
18 Mini Games
11 Hidden Objects
Bonus Chapter
Strategy Guide (Shows 3 chapters during demo. However according to a post in the Big Fish forum there are 7 chapters. This also shows the collectibles: Runes)
Achievements: NO
Morphing Objects: NO
Collectibles: YES 40 Runes which are used to decode prophesies on 8 scrolls
9 Wallpapers
10 Concept Art
7 Screen Savers
18 Movies
4 Music Tracks
Workshop
18 Mini Games
11 Hidden Objects
I don't recommend this game.
Discover the story of Jean Valjean, the hero of the novel "Les Misérables"!
Overall rating
1
/
5
41 of 51 found this review helpful
A Smile And Wink To The Big Fish - Not Even On Sale - A Definite No Go Here
PostedAugust 13, 2014
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
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON 60 MINUTE DEMO
VISUAL/SOUND QUALITY: The game opened in widescreen for me. The graphics for me were good. There is no voices to the characters that pop up on the screen. Have to read and click through dialogue. Voices would of added so much more to this game. The music grated on my last nerve as it's the same music throughout the demo time.
LEVEL OF CHALLENGE: There is no choice of play modes. There is no map. I don't usually use maps anyway so no big deal for me. In this game at least for the demo it's not needed. Lots of hand holding here. This game doesn't allow you to think for yourself as there are "circles" displayed in the game and they are: An "eye" for areas of interest and HOS. "Footprints" shows the direction(s) you can go. "Puzzle Piece" shows where there is a puzzle that needs to be done. Overload of black bar tips tell you what to do along with sparkles on the screen.
HOS: This will definitely be "too many HOS" for some people. I visited quite a few scenes during the demo. These are found by standard word list. No interaction. While I don't mind a lot of HOS since I'm a fan of these but a couple of things I do mind is I don't like to visit the same scenes several times during the demo. I also like the HOS to be spread out just a bit and not pretty much one right after the other. I had no problem locating anything.
PUZZLES: I believe I only came across three. One required a little thought. The other two I came across were easy.
STORY LINE: I've definitely heard of Les Miserables but haven't read it or seen a film on it but I still thought the story line itself was intriguing however that is where it ended for me. The game play absolutely ruined this for me.
FUN FACTOR: Sorry Big Fish and developer but I didn't find this game "fun" at all. This does look like it was suppose to be an "adventure" game with HOS and puzzles which would of been great however way too much hand holding and revisiting the same scenes. If I can't figure something out well that is what hint/skip are for. Again sorry but 1 star is the best I can do for this. This game is dreadful. I must say for Les Miserables being one of the most renowned literary masterworks and being adapted for film several times, well the developer here definitely dropped the ball on this game and could of put a lot more effort into this game. This could of been a great game. Oh and I don't mean high tech graphics with a bunch of bells and whistles as I don't mind and actually prefer games that may be too "old school" or "too dated" for some people but again I'd like for a game to allow me to think for myself. The hand holding is way too much for me. As my title says: Not even on sale as I see the Big Fish is running a sale today. I also wouldn't purchase this if I had a coupon code that was about to expire. A definite no go here.
I don't recommend this game.
Travel through ghost worlds to investigate the mysteries of your family. Can you uncover the mystery of the tribal curse?
Overall rating
4
/
5
22 of 26 found this review helpful
A Pretty Good Stand Alone Adventure Lite SE - Completed Game
PostedAugust 11, 2014
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
I'll start by saying if you don't like or are offended by occult themes with voodoo dolls and pentagrams I'd stay clear of this game.
GAME FEATURES:
WIDESCREEN: In order for me to get the game to fill my screen I had to uncheck the widescreen box otherwise there is a colored border instead of black bars. Game definitely stretched.
NO VOICES
3 PLAY MODES This can't be changed during game play. I played the hardest mode. The only difference i see is the hint/skip take longer. In the hardest mode a snail moves faster. Even though the game says no sparkles, there are definitely sparkles and not just the HOS. Also some black bar tips stating what needs to be done in the game.
There is a journal however no map.
WIDESCREEN: In order for me to get the game to fill my screen I had to uncheck the widescreen box otherwise there is a colored border instead of black bars. Game definitely stretched.
NO VOICES
3 PLAY MODES This can't be changed during game play. I played the hardest mode. The only difference i see is the hint/skip take longer. In the hardest mode a snail moves faster. Even though the game says no sparkles, there are definitely sparkles and not just the HOS. Also some black bar tips stating what needs to be done in the game.
There is a journal however no map.
GAME PLAY: I'd consider this an adventure lite game with some HOS and puzzles thrown in. I found this to be quite a bit of back/forth however pretty linear for the most part.
HOS; There are two different types: Word list with interaction and circle placement. The circle placement ones some objects are located elsewhere in the game and I do mean look everywhere. The ones with interaction no "gears" come up indicating the "hot spots." I enjoyed the HOS especially the circle placement ones. I'm a fan of the HOS.
PUZZLES: A bit too many of these for me especially since I'm not a fan of these but if you like puzzles you may enjoy these. A few are a bit different from what I've seen but most I've seen it in one way or another in other games.
VISUAL/SOUND QUALITY: The graphics quite good for me right along with the music/sound effects. Seem to fit the game. I do wish the characters talked in the game.
LEVEL OF CHALLENGE: I hope to see a Custom Mode from this developer their next game offering. Having said this: While there are some sparkles, glints, black bar tips I still found the areas need to be gone over pretty carefully as some things you need can be missed. Some things aren't always so obvious.
STORY LINE: The story line itself I thought was good and interesting however while it does come to conclusion I thought it was a bit abrupt.
MY PLAY TIME: This was about 5 hours for me and game length was just fine for me. May be more/less for you though. No hints or skips used.
FUN FACTOR: Overall I enjoyed the game especially the adventure side of it and the circle placement HOS. I give this 4 stars. Thanks Big Fish and developer.
I recommend this game!
Solve the mystery that spooked a young girl into silence!
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
A Lot Better Than What I Thought It Would Be - Completed Game And Bonus
PostedAugust 10, 2014
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
GAME FEATURES:
Widescreen (well at least for me)
3 play modes: Can't be changed during game play.The only difference I found here is there are less glints on the harder modes and still black bar tips.
Inventory locks
Transporter Map (didn't use just checked out during demo)
Transporter Hint (again didn't use just checked out during demo)
You also find morphing objects that adds to your hints. In my opinion game is very generous here. By end of game I had 32 hints. I'm not sure how many there are to find. Game doesn't state. At least I didn't come across anything.
Journal: Shows Tasks, Memos, Records - You can also replay cut scenes.
Widescreen (well at least for me)
3 play modes: Can't be changed during game play.The only difference I found here is there are less glints on the harder modes and still black bar tips.
Inventory locks
Transporter Map (didn't use just checked out during demo)
Transporter Hint (again didn't use just checked out during demo)
You also find morphing objects that adds to your hints. In my opinion game is very generous here. By end of game I had 32 hints. I'm not sure how many there are to find. Game doesn't state. At least I didn't come across anything.
Journal: Shows Tasks, Memos, Records - You can also replay cut scenes.
GAME PLAY: HOPA (Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure). There are quite a few HOS and Puzzle/Mini Games. Adventure is somewhat linear however more into the game I had to go back several scenes so there is SOME back/forth to this game that is if you don't use the map which I didn't.
HOS: As I said there are quite a few scenes. May still be "too many" for people who aren't a fan of the HOS. There is a lot of variety here as they are found by: Interactive word list/silhouette, put objects back into scene, find matching pairs, and find so many of an object. I found this to be easy for the most part however a few were a little challenging. There's also "puzzles" in some.
PUZZLES/MINI GAMES; While I'm not a fan of these. There are quite a few and lots of variety. So if you like these you may enjoy them. I did enjoy some of them but there were too many for me. I also skipped some especially the lock picking one. I have severe rheumatoid arthritis and don't have a strong computer mouse hand so I don't do so well with hold down the mouse to pick a lock. There is also a reset and info button for them. The skip could of been a bit quicker for me on charge up.
VISUAL/SOUND QUALITY: I really liked the graphics. A well done here. The voices also a well done. Music was fitting to the game. Definitely gave the sense of an eerie/creepy game but not way overdone. There were a couple of scenes however that startled me.
LEVEL OF CHALLENGE: Overall very good however still had black bar tips on the hardest mode and glints. Please do a custom mode for your next game offering.
STORY LINE: While the story itself isn't really new however I didn't feel it was a "rehash." It seems the developer here put some time and thought into this story. This had my attention from the get go and held it until I finished the bonus chapter. Main game came to a satisfactory conclusion for me. I don't feel the bonus chapter is needed. However bonus chapter does continue the story.
MY PLAY TIME: Main game was 7 hours for me. Bonus Chapter was 1 hour. May be more/less for you of course.
FUN FACTOR: Overall 4 stars from me. This had a lot to do and places to go along with an interesting story. However a bit too many puzzles/mini games for me. Thanks Vendel Games and Big Fish for an overall very good game.
CE EXTRAS:
Bonus Chapter
Strategy Guide: Shows all 6 chapters plus bonus/collectibles. While I didn't use this but checked it out. It does stay where you last left it HOWEVER you can't "chapter" select. Have to scroll through all the pages until you get to where you need to be
8 Wallpapers
13 Concept Art
7 Music Tracks
Pictures of the Vendel Team
MINI GAMES: There are a total of 55 puzzle pieces that you have to find through out the game and restore the gallery paintings before you can play the mini games. I did find all the pieces but didn't restore the paintings as they are jig saw puzzles since I don't replay mini games or even HOS so exactly how many "mini games" you get to replay I'm not sure.
Achievements: NO. I didn't come across any of these.
Bonus Chapter
Strategy Guide: Shows all 6 chapters plus bonus/collectibles. While I didn't use this but checked it out. It does stay where you last left it HOWEVER you can't "chapter" select. Have to scroll through all the pages until you get to where you need to be
8 Wallpapers
13 Concept Art
7 Music Tracks
Pictures of the Vendel Team
MINI GAMES: There are a total of 55 puzzle pieces that you have to find through out the game and restore the gallery paintings before you can play the mini games. I did find all the pieces but didn't restore the paintings as they are jig saw puzzles since I don't replay mini games or even HOS so exactly how many "mini games" you get to replay I'm not sure.
Achievements: NO. I didn't come across any of these.
I recommend this game!
Kathleen’s beloved Danny has been arrested under strange circumstances and accused of murder. It’s up to Kathleen to hold her own investigation and find out what really happened.
Overall rating
3
/
5
33 of 35 found this review helpful
As Much As I Enjoyed This Game I Can't Recommend It - Completed Game
PostedAugust 8, 2014
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
5
/
5
As my title says as much as I enjoyed this game I can't with a good and honest conscious recommend this game. I have several reasons but this game is a great example of why I don't write 4 and especially 5 star demo reviews. A smile and wink here: Oh but I know exactly why people write these kind of reviews. Before I get into why I can't recommend this I will tell you about the game.
The game itself is a very good game. My like/dislike of graphics seems to be quite different from some as when I read on here about being too dated or too old school well that usually means I will like them which happens to be the case here. There are no voices which I think would of added so much more to this game however I had no problem keeping up with the text dialogue. I'm a speed reader. There is also a journal that keeps track of notes, story and some puzzle clues.
The game play is just a standard HOPA (hidden object puzzle adventure) and pretty linear. The HOS are found by standard word list with slight interaction. The scenes are visited twice. The puzzles while not being a fan I found all to be easy in this game with exception to one. The instructions leave much to be desired as one puzzle needed more instruction on what to do. I only skipped one puzzle. I also enjoyed the story. Hooked from the get go and held my interest to the end. The game length once I was finally able to finish this game was about 4 hours I'd say.
Now for why I can't recommend this: This was released on June 22nd. I was finally able to complete it July 22nd. I have been thinking/pondering my rating. This game is hard for me to rate. In order to complete it I had to replay it several times.
This game has several glitches in it. The most popular ones are the theater, the cave and getting the 5th candle. In order for me to bypass the glitches I had to not only unstall/reinstall the game but create a new profile and start again. Things would go well until the next "glitch." All of this doesn't occur until you are almost done with the game. It seems once you hit the theater location there are some things that need to be done in a certain way. If you don't you get stuck. I also didn't even try or need the hint or map that is until I got stuck in the game but those quit working as well. How I was able to finish the game is because I knew once I hit the glitch and started again what NOT to do to avoid getting stuck.
I'd highly recommend you check out the Big Fish tech thread/forum for this game before purchasing. Things may work fine and great for you but you have been warned. This game is a glitch fest when you get towards the end. I still see as of today August 8th there are still these issues with this game being posted in the forum. Truth be told my main reason for not recommending this game is I wrote to the developer on July 12th and I haven't heard anything from them. Big Fish tech support also needs to step it up a bit. It seems their latest fix for everything is give customer coupon codes and they should be happy with that. Well that would be acceptable if so many people weren't having the same problems with this game. Oh and not just on this site I also checked out others just to see if they had problems with this game as well. Oh but you bet I did use the coupon codes. I put a lot of time and effort into this game providing a Dr. Felix report and sending in several screen shots of the game where the glitches are. The only reason this is seeing 3 stars from me is because I think the game itself is very good. Before my issues here this was batting a 4 star review. No voices kept it from 5. Yes I prefer characters that talk in the game. This would of added so much more to the game.
So sorry Big Fish and Developer. 3 stars is the best I can do especially from a developer that doesn't respond to their emails. I will also never again knowingly purchase from this developer.
I don't recommend this game.
A Mayan god is turning people into jaguars! Can you stop him before the world falls into chaos?
Overall rating
5
/
5
36 of 42 found this review helpful
The Best Of The Three Even With A Helper - Completed Game And Bonus
PostedAugust 8, 2014
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is the third in the Mayan Prophecies series. The first is Ship of Spirits. The second is Cursed Island. I did enjoy the first. The second I didn't care for that one. I didn't even purchase it. This latest release in this series is the best and even with an animal helper. If you haven't played the first two I don't think it's necessary. This game does give a nice recap and brings you up to date.
VISUAL/SOUND QUALITY: I thought the graphics just excellent and beautifully done. I also really enjoyed the cut scenes. I also loved the characters. Voices were great for me.. I had no problem with them.
LEVEL OF CHALLENGE: I played Custom Mode. I appreciated the quick hint/skip charge up though I didn't use them for this game. The game play I found to be pretty linear for the most part however more into the game a little back tracking. The only thing that keeps this from being excellent is while I didn't have any sparkles indicated where the HOS where however once in a HOS there were sparkles on some things when finding pieces to complete objects. There's also still some black bar tips. Overall though challenge was still good for me. I didn't use the map or strategy guide.
HOS: I came across two types: Interactive word list and silhouette. I didn't find these to be any more Sanford & Son junkyard than any other game. I quite enjoyed these with the exception of the sparkles on some pieces needed to complete an object. If you don't feel like doing HOS you can play Mahjong. I did switch between the two. I like Mahjong
PUZZLES: While I'm not a fan of these I did like the way these were put into the game as they fit the theme of the game. These varied in challenge for me. Most I found easy. I didn't skip any.
STORY LINE: I was so engrossed in this game right from the get go. I must say I'm SHOCKED I enjoyed this game. I went into it not expecting a whole lot especially not being into animal helpers. However this one does fit the game and the story here. That's where I have a problem with animal helpers is when they don't fit the game. This one is nice looking as I do love jaguars/leopards it's not "cutesy" and it's far from intrusive. So see I don't HATE animals. There is no feeding it, naming it, dressing it up or buying things for it. I completed the demo in 56/90 minutes. Still had 34 minutes left. I bought this immediately especially since (a smile and wink to the Big Fish here) the sale coupon still worked. This story flowed quite well for me. Main game comes to conclusion. Bonus chapter not needed. Bonus chapter is new story. Some locations from main game however a few new ones.
MY PLAY TIME: And please note I said MY PLAY TIME... NOT necessary yours. 4 hours for main game. 1 hour and 30 minutes for bonus chapter.
FUN FACTOR: I just had a really great time with this game even with the animal helper. While I'm no longer a fan of the extras such as achievements, etc., as it still isn't a part of my buying decision even with this game but I thought the Elefun did a great job executing these into the game. I didn't find them intrusive. Overall 5 MOONS (stars) from me. Thanks EleFun and Big Fish for a great game.
CE EXTRAS:
Bonus Chapter
Strategy Guide (shows 2 chapters during demo)
9 Wallpapers
9 Concept Art
3 Screen Savers
11 Music
15 Achievements
25 Hummingbirds
36 Morphing Objects
19 Horoscope Pieces (Mayan Horoscope)
Bonus Chapter
Strategy Guide (shows 2 chapters during demo)
9 Wallpapers
9 Concept Art
3 Screen Savers
11 Music
15 Achievements
25 Hummingbirds
36 Morphing Objects
19 Horoscope Pieces (Mayan Horoscope)
P.S. A smile and wink to the EleFun developer here: While I didn't mind your animal helper in this game since it fit what was going on in the game I still hope they won't be added to almost every game.
I recommend this game!
Witch Hunters: Full Moon Ceremony Collector's Edition
Defeat the evil witches and save the world from eternal darkness!
Overall rating
1
/
5
12 of 16 found this review helpful
What A Dreadful And Obnoxious Game - CUT THIS OFF
PostedAugust 4, 2014
sportygal2009
fromSouth Bend, IN
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
BASED ON DEMO 46/90 MINUTES. I still had 44 minutes left which is rare for me. I usually run out of time.
Sorry but I was annoyed with this game right from the get go:
There is no true widescreen. I had to uncheck the widescreen box to get the game to fill my screen so it was stretched.
This developer here needs to invest in a new paint set for their palette. This here meaning all of their games look the same and this one here is definitely reminiscent to the Haunted Manor series. Very dull, boring and flat looking.
The characters didn't impress me much either especially that troll/dwarf. I found everything about them just downright annoying. I also had to pick up a cat in one of the scenes and thought "Oh boy here we go again." "Yet another animal helper game." To my surprise this just sits by the hint button. I didn't come across any "helpers" during the demo. May or may not come later.
Oh my goodness! The music in this game. I usually don't comment on music too much but this is so obnoxious (loud) and doesn't fit the theme of the game at all as it seems the developer here took it from an action movie. This game needed eerie, creepy music. I had to cut that off and pull the plug. Gave me a headache.
This developer also needs to learn custom mode. I didn't see the point of having 3 play modes. They are all overloaded with black bar tips and sparkles. The only difference is the hint/skip take longer to charge up.
The game play is just a standard HOPA and very linear. Get inventory and use it pretty much right away or don't have to travel too far. I never got lost in the game and didn't even look at the map. Speaking of the inventory, the strategy guide is down by the inventory bar and I sometimes clicked on it not meaning to. Developer needs to put the strategy guide somewhere else.
The HOS what I came across during the demo are just standard word list with slight interaction. I had no problem here. I don't mind just standard word list. I enjoy HOS for the most part. I also didn't find them Sanford & Son junkyard.
The few mini games I came across were all quite simple. I had no problem with them.
As for the story... WHAT STORY?? This is so convoluted and just didn't make any sense whatsoever to me. I couldn't get into this and follow it at all.
Now for my biggest gripe about this game. The HUGE snake. I have a snake phobia. I don't like them AT ALL. . If you try to pass it to go down the stairs it lunges at you and this snake is HUGE. I found this downright obnoxious. To the developer here: Was THIS really necessary??? REALLY???
As for the CE extras if this game was to be a buy for me the only thing of interest would be the bonus chapter and though I have rarely used the strategy guide those are nice to have just in case needed.. The rest of it I could care less about. The "extras" are no longer a part of my buying decision. They haven't been for quite awhile now.
Sorry Big Fish and developer. I could of honestly overlooked the simple standard HOPA game play if everything else surrounding it wasn't so dreadful and obnoxious. 1 star is the best I can do for this game. This is a definite no go for me. The CE and even the SE when that is released.
CE EXTRAS:
Bonus Chapter
Strategy Guide (shows 2 chapters)
Achievements
35 morphs
9 Wallpapers
Bonus Chapter
Strategy Guide (shows 2 chapters)
Achievements
35 morphs
9 Wallpapers
I don't recommend this game.