The Myths of the World series is moving forward very fast. This is now the third installment and it's another lovely game. Like in the other two it's a Myth with enduring power!
The storyline: You are called to a native american center, because there are strange symbols appearing and other unusual things happening. As an expert with a magic amulet, you discover an old love story between two lovers and the lovers brother, who also fell in love with the girl. Can you save the old love and reunite "The Spirit Wolf" with his love, or will Misu destroi everything.
The graphics are woderful, as you can expect it from Eipix. They're clear and detailed and have a great atmosphere, that's really good for the native american theme. The characters appear to be drawn. There are voiceovers, which are clearly understandable, and without spelling errors, as far as I could see. The voices fit together with the characters they belong to. The soundtrack is great. I really love the music, because it has a great atmosphere, that fits perfect to the game. Great job here.
The level of challenge is only good again. Mini-Games are very easy and no real challenge, but there are new mini games in this game and only a few old reloaded ones. There are two different types of HO's in the game. Normal lists and shadows of items. You can play a bubble shoot game instead of HO's if you want to. While playing you have to use binoculars and you amulet to make progress. For the amulet it's necessary to find more parts while playing, but they aren't hidden, You can just collect them like every inventory item. There are around 20 achievements and 35 collectable symbols, which you can collect through the whole main game. There are 4 playing modes, casual, harder, for the hardest and a custom mode.
The CE comes with the usual extras in a Eipix game and again there's a souvenier room and you can collect stars for replaying the Hidden Object Scenes.
Afterall I rate this game with 4,5 stars (5 stars). It's a great game, but I really hope that the next game will be harder. I would love to see another challenging Eipix game in the future. But this one is another worthy CE! Keep up the good work guys!!!
The first Amaranthine Voyage game was really good, but this second installment is really great. Again you see a beautiful world that's beyond imagination. Another great world created by Eipix.
The storyline is really good. You are professor burns again and follow one of your students, who's found an ancient stone relic into a little village. Fast you realize that three Standing Stones and the found stone relic open a portal into another world. As you arrive there you find yourself in a beautiful, but strange world. Then you see your student together with the king of the land. And the king wants to take you as his queen. To avoid the wedding you need the help of your student, but can you really trust him? A great Story, with a wonderful teasing character.
The artwork is the best in a Eipix game I've seen so far. Always their graphics are great, but this time the graphics are so beautiful and bright. It's just amazing to see all these enchanted places. The characters are life actors, with painted faces and they have voice overs. These are clearly understandable and fit to the persons character. They used different voice overs for every character. The Music is lovely and fit's into the amazing scenes and also it's an adventure theme, like the whole journey. Great mix here!
The level of challenge is good and better than in the last Eipix games, but still not as good as it could be I think. There are different typpes of HO's used in the game and one type is all new. I've never seen it before in a HOPA game. But still the HO's are easy and no real challenge. If you don't want to play HO's then you can play a bubble shoot game instead. The mini-games are new and sometimes easy and sometimes challenging. So at this point they did a really good job this time. I love the mini-games. While playing you can collect collectibles and earn around 25 achievements. To assist you, there's a little dog helper in the game. I'm not a fan of it, but at least it isn't too cute.
The main game seems to be very long and the bonus chapter also shouldn't be too short. Afterall Eipix did another really great game and stays as my favorite developer. Keep up the great work guys! I recommend this game for all players as a worthly CE.
You’re on a train in the middle of nowhere, and a band of dangerous thieves demand you tell them where to find the Hope Diamond’s shards. As the newest Hidden Expedition recruit, you’ve got to find the shards before they do…
The Hidden Expedition series is well known for it's adventure trips and this time it's definetly another dangerous and exiting adventure. The game was produced by Big Fish studios in assortment with Eipix Entertainment and the Smithsonian museum.
You are on a Train, kidnapped by some cruel criminals which are trying to find the shards of the Hope Diamond. With a little cliffhanger then the player goes three weeks in the past, where the journee began. At the Smithsonian castle you get tested from someone you don't know, but he knows you, because of the adventures in Everest, Titanic, Amazon and the Devils Triangle. When you've passed the test you are in his team and the adventure in the jungle starts. You start to collect the shards, discover ancient secrets and fantastic places. A very good and different storyline from many games and even from the other five HE games.
The graphics are brilliant done. They have so many details and I so love the jungle atmosphere, because it feels like you are in the real jungle. Very great graphics. the characters are live actors with a painted over face. They have voice overs, which fit to the persons and are clearly understandable. The Music is lovely and I really like the adventure theme. It gives the game a great atmosphere. Also I love it, that Eipix tried to use very similar cursers to the other Hidden Expedition games.
The level of challenge is good, but not as good as in the other Hidden Expedition games. The gameplay is fast and it's easy to guess what to do next. The Hidden Object Scenes are good. There are varius types of HO's used in the game and sometimes the objects are hidden really tricky. Some HO's are slightly interactive. The puzzles are good to, but not really challenging, but finally Eipix used new puzzles in the game and not the same everytime. In the game you have to collect 46 Smithsonian suns and 30 Hidden Expedition fact cards, that reveal storys around the places you visit.
The CE comes with many extras and a long bonus game. Really good done again. So afterall this game is a good sequel to the Hidden Expedition series. Only the level of challenge is not equal to the other games. But for me it's a 4,5 stars game and so I have to rate it with 5 stars here. Good job to everyone that worked hard on this game and I look forward to HE 7.
The worlds best and biggest Hidden Object Franchise is back with it's tenth installment. After Shadow Lake, which was not their best game they changed something and now they're back on track with an awesome game!
Nearly everyone has played the fourth installment in the series, where Madame Fate needs the Master Detectives help to reveal her killer. Now after six years we return to Fate's Carnival. The storyline continues the Madame Fate story and the Ravenhearst story arc. As you arrive at the carnival Madame Fate awaits you to tell you that the past is returning and that she needs our help to break the horrible curse the place is trapped in. Soon you know that Charles father Alister is the villain this time and all the carnival acts which were doomed in 2007 are still trapped and about to meet their end. You have to save twelwe of them, but for some every help will be too late. The storyline is so great and it reveals many twists and answers for the Ravenhearst storyline.
This game has benn developned by Elephant games, together with BFG Studios, so the graphics are a bit different from the last two games in the series, but they are great. They are very clear and detailed and have many special effects. The sounds have a great Quality and fit into the game, like you can expect it, but sadly there are new sounds. I would prefer the old sounds, to give the game the special MCF feeling. Now it feels a bit like Mystery Trackers. The soundtrack is nice. There are new tracks mixed with the classic MCF main theme music, which I love sooo much. So I rate this with 5 out of 5 Points too, because graphics and music together give the game a great, creepy atmosphere.
The Level of challenge is excellent. There are five (!) difficoulty modes. From "Easy Knivel to "Alister's watch". In the last installment Shadow Lake everything was very easy, but now the old MCF challenge has returned. The Hidden Object Scenes are slightly interactive and easy to beat, but that's nearly the only easy thing. Many of the mini games are very difficould. Sometimes I needed over 5 minutes to complete a puzzle. But there are also easier ones, so something for everyone. The gameplay has a good pace and it's not really easy, because some objects stay for a long time in the inventory list until you find a place to use them. Nice job here. While playing you have to be on the lookout for morphing bobble head dolls, old pounds and morphing cards. It's not easy to find them all, because the cards are often hidden in HO's and the bobble heads are morphing slowly, so you Need to look carefully to find them. With the cards you can play a solitaire game. As a pet helper Madame Fate's cat Isis can assist you to gather things out of reach. With the old pounds you can decorate her home.
The Collector's Edition includes so much Bonus content this time. You can play solitaire, decorate Isis home, play a long bonus chapter, play every mini game and HO's again in a secret room, there are wallpapers, concept arts, Soundtrack, cutscenes,...
So afterall I have to say that Mystery Case Files is and stays as the best Hidden Object game series in the world for me. For the next game only bring back the old sounds please! Nice Job BigFish Studios and Elephant Games!!! Keep up the excellent work!
Blue Tea is well known as the creator of Dark Parables. This game is like a Spin-Off of the series, because there was a hint for this story in Dark Parables 5. So you can expect another high quality game!
The storyline is another Fairy Tale. A noble fell in love with a woman. Then she died, before they could get married and now the noble wants to return his love from the death and kidnappes maidens for that. Can you save the innocent womans, before it's to late? The characters in this Story are drawn and good done again. They have voice overs, which are clearly understandable and have not much spelling errors, as far as I could see.
The graphics are simply amazing. Blue Tea makes the best Fairy Tale theme graphics. Every Scene has so many, beautiful details and an amazing, deep atmosphere. In this game most of the graphics are a bit darker than in the other Blue Tea Games, but they just fit into the game. The soundtrack is lovely too and I love it. It really fits together with the graphics to give this game a great "feeling", while you play.
The Level of challenge is very nice here too. There are FROG's, like you know them from Dark Parables. The fragments are hidden well, so you have to look closely to find them all. I really like the FROG's. Now to a big surprise for me. In the other BTG there were only a few mini-games, but in this game there are so many mini games and puzzles. And most of the puzzles are not very easy to solve. Some are quite a challenge. The developners did a great job here!
The CE comes with the usual extras. I think everyone knows them. Afterall I have to say that this game combines the old BTG standart with darker graphics and many different mini-games. For me another five star game and a worthly CE. Keep up the good work BTG for Dark Parables: Jack and the Sky Kingdom CE.
Myths of the World: Chinese Healer was groundbreaking, with a great immersive story and atmosphere. In the second part of the series you can expect a really different setting and story, but also another amazing HOPA game.
Let's start with the storyline. The story is mystic. The goddess of winter want's to rule the world with an eternal winter and only you, the child of spring can stop her, before it's too late. A great story with many great done cutscenes and characters. And in the end the great final battle, between the goddess and the Spring child awaits you.
The graphics are great, unique and make the game special. They're very different from the chinese graphics in the first game, because the setting is now in a slavic land. They are very atmospheric again. You can nearly feel the snow and the cold winds. As I said before the cutscenes are nicely done too. I really love them. The Music is atmospheric too and fit's into the game. They make the atmosphere and the experience while playing even better. I really love the music, while using a springbrush, to melt ice. It makes me feel happy.
The HO's are good done, but not perfect. I would really love to see more challenge in them. As in the other Eipix games they are slightly interactive. That's why I have to rate the level of challenge a bit lower than the rest. The Mini Games are a bit too easy too. Maybe it would be good to make them in two modes. Casual and Hard. But there are different puzzles than in the other Eipix games. So the mini-games are ok for me. The gameplay is good and not too easy. You have a helper animal, which can craft some things and you can collect coins for him. I really like, that it's not too cute. There are varius achievements and it's not easy to get them all.
The CE comes with many extras and a great, funny Making Of video, like you know it from the Eipix games, but this time the team sings. Afterall the game is great and equal to the first one. For me a worthly CE and a five star game. Eipix, you did a great job again. I can't wait for Myths of the World 3: Spirit Wolf.
With Rite of Passage 2 Mad Had games made a #1 hit game in the first half of 2013 and now they're back with Nevertales and topped themself. I've never played a game like this.
First the storyline. A baby lies in front of your door and you really know nothing. A half message is your only clue. You start on a journey, that you'll never forget. After a car crash you are at an old mansion. Within lies a portal to another world where you can travel through amazing places. And in the end. No I don't want to spoil the surprise. ;#
Then to the graphics. They're amazing and a bit similar to the graphics of the popular Drawn series. I just love them. There are so many details and these details are important sometimes, when two speaking faces on a door awaiting you. The characters are drawn I would say and they have voice overs. The voice overs are clearly understandable and have a got pace. The music and the sounds are great too. Everything is just right for the atmosphere and the gameplay. I really love the adventure theme music.
Then the Level of challenge. Finally a game with many, many new things in it. There are too much to tell them all here, but speaking faces puzzles, locked Hidden Objects, varius other HO's Levels, three hidden bonus chapters, difficould puzzles and really unique puzzles make this game excellent. Nothing is too easy and some puzzles are really challenging. There are many achievements to earn. Easy ones #bronze#, more challeging #silver# and really challenging achievements #gold). There are collectible roses, morphing objects and more stuff, so many things to do while playing.
Afterall I'm nearly wordless about this game and I'm sure that this CE would be worth three game credits, because there is so much Bonus Content. Just and amazing game! The developners did an outstanding job with this game! Keep it up guys!
The Haunted Hotel series a a great classic series, started by BigFish Studios, then moved to Specialbit Studio and now Elephant Games has taken over the fifth part.
Let's start with the storyline. The storyline has nothing to do with the cliffhanger at the end of Haunted Hotel 4. Sadly, because I loved the story. In this game your friend calls you for a case in a hotel called "Final Journey". Here two Groups of demens have some sort of battle. The storyline is mystic and intruging, but sadly it's not as good as in the other games, because it's not as deep and creepy.
Same with the atmosphere. The graphics are great and very detailed, like we know it from EG, but in the other games we had such great graphics, with an itense atmosphere. Sadly this game hasn't got this atmosphere. The characters are drawn and they have voice overs. The voice overs are clearly understandable. The sounds are good, but the music is not as good as in the other Haunted Hotel games. It's quite mystic and has adventure parts in it. So it's good, but not as good as I would like it.
Then the HO's are very easy. I finished them without a hint in the blink of an eye. There's only one HO's type used in the game. The mini-games are great. They are easy and some are challenging, just right for me. The gameplay itself is good too. It's not too easy, but not quite a challenge. If I compare it with the other Haunted Hotel games I must say, that the game is too easy to beat.
There are achievements and collectible paintings, to get informations about characters of the game. The CE comes with the normal Elephant CE extras. I think everyone knows them.
So afterall if this game would be a new series it would be quite a five star game. But as a Sequel it has ruined the original feeling of the series, so I can only rate it with 4 stars. The developners did a great job, but maybe they should use more of the original series.
P.S. to the devs: Please EG be carefull with the next MCF game. Don't ruin the feeling! You make great games, but if you continue a series use sounds and things from the original.
The Midnight Mysteries is a well known series. The first four games were developned by MumboJumbo Games and now their Partner HotLava produced this fifth game. They did a good job, but the original jeeling is gone.
The storyline starts as in the other games with a ghost, that appeares in the players office. Then a classic MM opening HO scene to learn how to play. But the dialogue system was changed and is not as complex as in the previus games. That's sad, because I loved that. But afterall the storyline is good, but there should be more details like in the last games.
Now to the graphics. The other Midnight Mysteries graphics were so clear and beautiful, but this graphics are only ok. They are not as clear as the ones in the previus games and the animations are not all well done. Sometimes fire Looks very strange for example. The characters are drawn and speak to you. As I said sadly the dialogue system changed, but there are finally voice overs! The voice overs are good.
The game is very easy. There's no great challenge. The puzzles are tricky, but if you are a advanced player, than you can beat them in no-time. The puzzles in the previus gaes were better and more challenging. The Hidden Object Scenes are very good. They are like in the other games, difficould and have a few interactive or interesting items, where you can take a closer look. But because the puzzles and the gameplay are that easy I can only say ok here.
While playing you have to collect 40 clovers in tradition of the MM series and ravens to earn more hints. The clovers are hidden well like in the other games.Nice job here. The CE comes with the normal extras and the unlimited HO mode. Afterall this is a good game, but if you compare it with the Quality of the other games, like I did, then the new developner has to do a lot of work to reach the MM standart. I would recommend this game as standart edition and because there's a sale this weekend as CE. So developners, good job, but bring back the old quality in MM 6.
The first Enigmatis was fantastic and I loved every minute of it. Now after two years finally the story continues!
Let's start with the storyline. You are on the hunt for the evil preacher. Then you hear about dissapearances at Ravenwood Parc. As you arrive there you get attacked by a foggy raven. A little girl tells you that her family is missing, but before you are able to save her and act, you get attacked and the girl is missing now too. A prisoner down in catacombs claims to know more and soon you find out that the missing family is only the top of the iceberg. Will you be able to solve the mystery and hunt down a murderer, before he kills the family? I love the story and the surprise at the end.
The graphics are fantastic. The look great. The developners played with natural colors and gave the Ravenwood Parc and every scene in the game a great atmosphere. Everything ist detailed and wonderful done. I can't explain it, you have to play. There are many characters and mostly they have different voice overs. There are many dialogues and cutscenes, but I love the way how they are done. The prisoner in his cell is mystic and strange somehow. The characters are drawn.
The Level of challenge in this game is very good. The puzzles are not easy, but not to difficould. They are just right for me. You can choose between three playing modes as in any other game produced by Artifex Mundi. The HO's are difficould and there are different types of HO's in the game. Normal HO's and interactive scenes. The gameplay is not really a challenge, but it's not to easy. While playing you can collect 36 achievements and 2 different collectibles. 30 changing objects, which are not easy to find and 30 butterflies. The butterflies are hidden well and it took me some time until I had found them all.
The CE comes with the normal extras and a Ravenwood lexikon. And a Long Bonus game! Afterall this is better than the first Enigmatis for me and until yet the best game in Q3 / 2013. The developners did a great job and I can't wait to see more games!