rosekaufmann's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.2
- Helpful Votes:18,036
- Reviews Submitted:831
- First Review:April 2, 2012
- Most Recent Review:July 27, 2014
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Return to the House of 1,000 Doors to save mankind from annihilation!
Overall rating
5
/
5
43 of 49 found this review helpful
APPREHENSIVE UNTIL I FOUND IT TERRIFIC
PostedJuly 5, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I was apprehensive that this was a House of 1000 Doors game, which I absolutely love, because the description of the game made it sound like only the title was being used without regard to having the House in site. I was gladly wrong.
This time you are inside the House, which is the only place on earth which is able to protect itself from the flames and demon snakes taking over the earth. The House decides which doors you can enter and exit and it was a surprise when a couple unexplicable poofed into whispy poofs.
A skillful story - a bit more complicated than the other Houses in that you have been brought into the house by a stranger who became unconscious. And you can't go outside without becoming a victim of the disaster devouring the people out there. Who is he? How did he know to bring you to the House? There are a lot of places to go - including outside. Although the House can protect it's own outside premises, we find out that it has more than a garden.
The HOS are brilliantly detailed and colorful. But adventure is the majority of gameplay. So there are also a lot of things to do, which can be done in whatever order you want in the carefully crafted environments. Puzzles are varied in type and in difficulty, but don't seem to be impossible to old hands to HOGs.
I recommend this game!
Solve the mystery of a seaside town as you uncover your lost memories.
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 8 found this review helpful
VERY NICE INDEED
PostedJuly 4, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
You get a lot of stuff with this CE. Besides the usual stuff: 22 achievements; collecting 44 shells to buy items for your dolphin pool and your aquarium; 19 sea creatures which are in a separate album; and 35 turtles. You can turn your interactive map on or off. Rather nice story any mystery of where Marcus has been and who are these mysterious sea creatures who infiltrated the sea village.
HOS are list or silhouette based and are very nicely detailed and colorful. The silhouettes especially are progressively interactive, which I really like - i.e., you combine items to get a new object only to have to combine it again to get something else. With only silhouettes, it takes a little thinking of whether you are combining items or looking for one that is already completed within the HOS. Didn't like the dark screens while changing locations or looking at close-ups - seems that graphics have come far enough to make the transitions quite smooth.
I recommend this game!
Play as a clairvoyant detective and investigate the baffling disappearance of a carnival magician in this colorful Hidden Object game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
NICE SOLID GAME
PostedJuly 4, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Nice ratio of HOS to puzzles and adventure. HOS are not too crowded or dark. The detective story looking for missing people is a bit old, but still it was solid. Puzzles were not difficult. Graphics are average. Liked the glowing purple orb showing your clairvoyant capability had surfaced again. Straightforward, always knowing what else needed to be done next. Not too much back and forth to find and use objects for puzzles. Solid game; it just didn't grab me like I wanted. But it would be a pleasant afternoon of relaxed play.
I recommend this game!
Travel to the mysterious village of Corpatros and investigate your father's disappearance!
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
SOMETIMES IMPOSSIBLE
PostedJuly 4, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I felt a little wobbly - tried the 3D only, so don't know if that accounts for it or not. Unlike others, the graphics were fine on my computer. The hint system was questionable. It seemed to work in the HOS, but still there were times when the timer increased or decreased with no discernible reason for it. If stuck outside the HOS, I got a hint saying to combine something, but other times I got nothing when I really could have used an actual hint of where to get something, for example, the oars for the boat, or how to conquer something, for example, the 2 headed snake. I like a challenge but not an impossibility. I'll say recommended but you have to try yourself.
I recommend this game!
Help Claire explain the spooky visions she’s been having in Hidden Mysteries: Vampire’s Secrets, a fun Hidden Object game.
Overall rating
4
/
5
8 of 10 found this review helpful
NICE GAME BUT STORY LEFT SOMETHING TO BE DESIRED
PostedJuly 4, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
About 4 ½ hours. Storyline: Claire has “visions” and decides to take a vacation at Aunt Rosie’s, where she spent much of her childhood. A note from Aunt Rosie says she’ll be gone a few days warns Claire to be careful if she goes out at night. Nice graphics. Very limited number of scenes in each location and, once done with it, you are automatically taken in a cutscene to the next location. The cutscenes will tell you a little more about the story.
GAMEPLAY: A nice ratio of HOS scenes, which are nicely done (i.e., not dark, uncrowded, and easily deciphered items). Although I had no difficulty completing the locations, at times it was a mystery (but quickly solved since there were few places to go or things to do) of what to do next. Puzzles are varied in composition and difficulty, but most are not too difficult. Collect books (many are in HOS) and refer to them for useful information and clues for the puzzles. Books are retained in their own inventory tray. You have to actually close any pop-ups, not just click outside of them. Hints work within the HOS, but are not very helpful when outside the HOS – it will show you only any clickable areas, exit arrows and magnifying glass. Hints will not tell you want to do or where to go. It is sometimes hard to pick items up from the inventory tray – I usually had to try twice to actually pick an item up.
Near the finale, game becomes a bit more complicated (it was rather uncomplicated until this point). Claire goes back to Aunt Rosie’s, where she finds a map. Claire comments that it explained why Rosie wanted to get out of town – but it was still a mystery to me. Perhaps someone can explain it. After the finds the map and tries following it, she ends up at a castle, which has a lot of rooms and things to do. Until you get to the castle, there is not much back and forth. Ending was largely satisfying but where is Aunt Rosie?
I recommend this game!
Join the fearless Samantha Swift on her journey to unravel the mysteries of King Midas’ Golden Touch before it's too late!
Overall rating
4
/
5
13 of 16 found this review helpful
LOTS OF HOS
PostedJuly 4, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Almost 6 hours. Join Samantha on archeological digs to find items for her Museum of Lost Secrets and find the treasures of Midas. The story is nice, although I lost in interest in parts of it (since this is the 3rd or 4th time I’ve played it). Of course, our protagonist has an enemy after her goodies. In the first scene, you will find a scanner which you can use for hints and a PDA which will provide information about the museum, Sam’s contacts, and a travel log. You can also customize your settings here, including the color of the PDA.
Plenty of HOS. You must finish the HOS and puzzles in each room before you gain passage to another. There is no back and forth. Many HOS – each scene has two HOS lists. Items in blue are hidden and require you to use a tool in your inventory to find. You can click on an item and see its silhouette in the scanner. If you then click on hint, you will be shown its exact location. You must have hints available, though. Scour each scene when you first arrive for a lightning bolt to get additional hints. There is no limit to the number of hints you hold.
Relaxing piano music – track changes periodically. Replayable – a new list of objects is generated each time you play and the location of the lightning bolts and items may move. Items in the HOS are fairly displayed and the items in the scenes have a fair approximation to the time period portrayed. Colorful artwork – very few dark spots. Puzzles are varied and not too difficult. Nicely put together.
I recommend this game!
Sprill and Ritchie are back in an all-new Hidden Object game that will tickle your funny bone as much as it teases your brain!
Overall rating
4
/
5
17 of 18 found this review helpful
FUN FAMILY GAME FOR YOUNG AND OLDISH
PostedJuly 2, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Lots of fun for young and not so young. A little over 3 hours for an experienced gamer. Quite a few trophies to collect. Funny characters. Cute story. Great animation. Humor is evident throughout the game. No traveling back and forth. Two little foxes (a scientist and a traveler) are out to save the world from an invasion of aliens. Although some will think the game is for children due to the graphics, kids would likely need help with quite a few puzzles. I think big children (like me) will also like this – plenty of HOS and nice variety of puzzles.
Travel with Sprill to the future and collect all the antiques that have been misplaced there; also travel to the past and collect all the future things to restore each era as it should be. My ideas of antiques when traveling to the future or futuristic items when traveling to the past don’t necessarily jibe with the artists. Besides collecting misplaced items, there are one or two catastrophes that need correcting. Sprill is good at breaking things and must find the pieces and put the objects back together. Several times he has to build something using a diagram. Hint recharges very fast. A nice afternoon playing alone or helping a youngster play.
I recommend this game!
Season of Mystery: The Cherry Blossom Murders
Richard Pemberton has been found dead in his office, under mysterious conditions. Help his wife Irene find his murderer!
Overall rating
4
/
5
8 of 8 found this review helpful
WAS IT INDEED A SUICIDE - VERY NICELY DONE
PostedJuly 2, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
About 4 hours, casual play. Location is Tokyo in 1897. Can you help the widow of the U.S. legal attaché to Japan prove that her husband was murdered and did not commit suicide as the police ruled? The artwork was gorgeous – it caught the beauty of the cherry blossoms in full bloom. My one complaint about the graphics is that the Japanese didn’t look authentic. Since most of the credits were of Japanese, I’m confused as to why they couldn’t portray the characters realistically.
Even though the police have closed the investigation as a suicide, eventually the widow finds enough evidence to convince one of the detectives to take another look. While investigating, an additional murder at the Embassy and a kidnapping of a child occurs. The game is mostly reading conversations and searching HOS. Only a few puzzles. The HOS usually were not too difficult to find – you could click on the object listing and get its silhouette to aid your search. Music was very relaxing. Ending gave closure all-around.
I recommend this game!
Dark Dimensions: City of Ash
A dark dimension has fallen over Phoenix Hill, turning its residents into volcanic ash. Help them rise from the ashes.
Overall rating
4
/
5
62 of 70 found this review helpful
PREFER TO THE SE TO CE
PostedJune 30, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Graphics are very good - I'm thrilled to finally play a game that brightens my day after playing so many drab games lately. Like that game has a control especially for voice volume - although I didn't use it because I think the voice overs are nice and natural sounding. Has an interactive map showing the current location and where tasks need to be done. Story holds my interest, as do the other Dark Dimension games. Very nice production values. Since the game is short, you might consider buying the SE instead of the CE.
I recommend this game!
The Emperor’s son has a mysterious illness. As legendary healer Daiyu, you’re called to the palace to save him, but you end up having to save yourself!
Overall rating
4
/
5
9 of 13 found this review helpful
VERY NICE ADVENTURE/HOG
PostedJune 30, 2013
rosekaufmann
fromLos Angeles
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Extras in the CE include "the making of" which I always like, replay HOS and movies, a look at the concept art and the bonus game. There are 26 achievements and 3 modes of play: casual, challenging for the seasoned player and insane for the hard-core player.
Interesting story with good production values. Gameplay is not linear and, although you know what you need to do, the path is not always straightforward. You have a journal which includes your list of objectives and a map. If you don't care for HOS (which are really nicely put together and everything is easily seen), you can play mah-jong. Graphics are exceptionally good. Although the voice overs are good, for the most part, the male voices are usually too deep. Fair amount of back and forth. Puzzles are not too difficult.
I recommend this game!