This game is fun. That's the bottom line of if I like a game or not. Is it fun? This one was for me.
Graphics: Very good
Sound: Good
H.O.s: Varies between different kinds, including some interactive. There was even a unique kind I had never seen before!! The scenes are repeated twice but usually with a different kind of search the next time.
Mini-games: I found most of them challenging, even had to look at the included strategy guide for some of them to see what I was doing wrong.
Strategy guide: Yes there is one and I used it a lot. It is well written. (It is in the left hand top corner of the screen) I don't like a game that is super easy and this one wasn't, at least to me.
Map: A very nicely drawn map that shows where something needs to be done and the ability to transport there. I thought it was a very nice touch that when you are locked in one area and there is no exit that the map became clouded over and unusable!!
Length of game: I played it almost straight thru and it took me about 10 to 12 hours (including the bonus chapter) I used the strategy guide and the map a lot or it would have taken me even longer! I'm probably a slower player than most though.
I enjoyed the game and will replay it someday. I hope these developers keep up the good work and make more games like this one.
I loved the cut scene at the beginning of the game! I let it play every time I had to take a break and return to the game. (Which was often) Well done!
The story-line was believable and creepy.
Graphics were great! Everything was clear with nice detailed drawings.
H.O.s were varied to keep it interesting.
Mini-games were the perfect challenge level for me. They made me think but were doable.
There was a teleporting map that told what needed done and where. I didn't use it for the first half of the game but towards the end it was more time consuming to backtrack through scenes.
I would give this 4 1/2 stars but there are no half stars. It's a very nice game.
The graphics are very good. Easy to see everything. Some of the detailed drawings were exceptional! I liked watching the moving parts of the scenes, such as the bird in one scene. Very cute and realistic.
The setting kept changing from different times and places throughout the story. Not enough to be confusing but enough to add variety and keep it interesting.
H.O.s were varied which kept the game from becoming just another search through piles of junk game. (Place in the scene; find and use; silhouettes; etc.) I especially liked the ones that popped up when you clicked on something in one of the scenes where you had to find items for the characters which in turn told part of the story. That was fun. All of the H.O.s had settings that went with the game. Great job developers!!
Mini-games were fun. Some were extremely creative and went with the theme of the game. Those were loads of fun. Some were more traditional and much more challenging. I even had to skip 2 of them! They were all fairly easy to figure out what to do but some were more challenging than others.
I'm not a fan of Greek mythology but I tried the demo on this one anyway and was glad I did. I liked it, bought it, played the whole game and liked it all the way through!
I finished the whole game plus the bonus chapter. I usually wait to write my review until I have played the whole game. It gives a better perspective, IMHO.
I played on the Casual level, as usual. I play these games to relax and I never get to finish a game all in one sitting. It takes me days with oodles of interruptions. When I return to play the game again, sometimes after several hours, I can't remember what I was trying to do. The casual level lets me catch up quickly.
The game was fun to play. That is the most important criteria to me about a game. I enjoyed it and was glad I played it.
It had very good graphics. It was easy to see things I was supposed to look for.
I liked the H.O.s
I loved the mini-games. These were plentiful and unique. (My favorite part of these games.)
There was a lot of returning to earlier scenes to continue tasks so I was very thankful for the interactive map that told me which scene had something to do and then let me teleport there.
I was happy I bought the C.E. versus the S.E. based solely on the strategy guide. I needed it a few times on the mini-games to figure out how to play the game. The directions in the game itself were a little sketchy, in my opinion and I do not like to skip puzzles as they are my favorite part of the game. There were also a few times when I couldn't figure out what to do in the game itself based on the hints or map and I would have been stuck for quite awhile (maybe forever?) if I hadn't consulted the study guide.
I am not a fan of most of the story-lines in these games so I skim through the story to play the game. There are very few games that I actually enjoy the story-line as I am not into supernatural, horror, fantasy, or science fiction which almost all of these games are. I do love a good mystery though and adventure stories! I am not going to subtract a star(s) based on the story-line because I don't feel that is fair to the developers, as apparently most people love these kinds of stories. To me, the game was fun, despite the story so that's all that matters.
For Parents / Grandparents: I agree with other reviewers that this game should be rated MA. This is definitely not a game that you would want to play with your kids.
However, for adults, it is a fantastic game! This is the first Phantasmat game I have played since the original, which I loved!
In my opinion:
Graphics were great! Mini-games were awesome! HOs were fun! Storyline was a little too creepy for me but still entertaining. My adult niece loved it but she loves horror movies which I don't.
This was one of the best games I have played since Return to Ravenhearst.
Reading through some of the other reviews, I think that some people have gotten burned out on playing Hidden Object games and are being too harsh about how all the mini-games are the same, the graphics need to be updated, the storylines are repetitive, etc. Personally, I would call myself a casual gamer. I play to relax when I get the chance. As such, games such as this one are right up my alley. It kept me entertained the whole game and I looked forward to playing more every time I had to stop to go do something. (Which is often). I have been playing Hidden Object Games since 2007 here at BFG and I own hundreds of them and still love playing them when I get the chance. My fear is that these bad reviews that people are giving these games unfairly will stop people from buying excellent games such as this one. Which in turn will cause the companies that make them to lose money they could have made and go out of business. Then maybe we won't have any good games out there to play! Now that would be a Horror Story!!!
My suggestion to all is to download and play the demo games of all games, not just this one. If you like it, buy it and play the whole game and then review it. If you didn't like the demo, then don't buy it but you don't need to leave a bad review just because it wasn't your cup of tea. Everyone has their own taste in games and other people probably love it or would if they didn't read your bad review of it and decide not to try it at all. I'm not saying people should never leave bad reviews but they should be for the games that truly deserve them. Not just because you have gotten tired of playing the games. I have learned that following what the reviewers have to say about a game is not the best way to decide if you like a game or not. If a game sounds like something you might like, download it and try it. That is the end of my soapbox speech but had to get it off my chest.
I recommend this game!
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PuppetShow: The Face of Humanity Collector's Edition
The mayor's daughter is missing and you must find her!
PuppetShow games are my favorites. I own all of them and most of them are the collector's editions.
This one is just as good as the rest of the series. I am always excited when I see a new one come out!!
I just love the graphics in these games! It's so awesome to open a new scene and set there admiring the graphics before I start exploring! Even the H.O.s are gorgeous!
My grandchildren are old enough to play with me now (5 and 3) and they love this game. It can be creepy in parts but my grandkids seem to love the creepy games best!
My daughter and niece also love the PuppetShow games too.
This game has everything I like. I must admit, though, that I was in a hurry when I bought this game and didn't try it out before I bought it. That turned out to be a good thing--because after the first 15 minutes I almost quit playing--even though I own the game! It didn't seem like it was going to be much fun. I was wrong! I just finished the game and I loved it! It is a very long game. It took me 3 or 4 days to finish it Naturally, I took breaks to do other things such as laundry and sleep. The graphics are nice and clear. The H.O. scenes were light enough to see all of the objects.The H.O. scenes are spaced out enough to make them fun. The mini-games were challenging, fun, and unique! They were spaced out throughout the game also, to keep it interesting. The objects that are in your inventory are sometimes used right away--and sometimes you hang on to them for quite awhile. There are so many areas to explore--it just keeps opening up new areas!! Interaction with characters that you meet. You have conversations with them and barter with one of them. It was loads of fun to play. The storyline is a unique twist on the classic fairy-tale keeping it interesting. Backtracking is something you do a lot of--so the map that is included that lets you "jump" to any scene you want to is great! The hint button is awesome. It refills super fast and it helps you: know which direction to go, mini-games, H.O. scenes, and where to use inventory objects in a scene. I didn't have to go looking for the walk-through blog, because the hint button helped me out.
This game is hilarious to play. It is easy to learn and play. If you bowl over the top of one of the power-ups--it goes into your "stash" and you can use it on a future roll.
After you release the ball you move your mouse to guide it down the alley--trying to bump off as many power-ups on your way to the "pins" which are zombies with attitude!
If you do not score a spare or strike, the leftover zombie pins move up to stand in the way of the new pins-blocking the view of the pins behind them. You remove them by bowling over the top of them in your next turn. If it is your opponent's turn--then he/she has to deal with them.
You have the choice of playing against the computer, playing against a "human" computer opponent, or you can play a two-player game against a real opponent (such as your son, daughter, or spouse)
I think the whole family will enjoy this game! I usually play nice laid back hidden object games but once in awhile I branch out into arcade and this is one time I am glad I did!
I liked the first game of this series and was hoping this one would be as good. In my opinion, it was better!
Graphics: 5 stars
Music and Sound: 5 stars
Hidden Object Games: 5 stars The right amount of them and ideal difficulty level Easy to see graphics to be able to spot items
Storyline: 5 stars Continues from the first game
Mini-games: 5 stars This is where I used the walk-through blog. The games were challenging--and I don't like to skip them. I'd rather have them somewhat challenging than too easy!
Length-of-game: 5 stars
Journal: 5 stars The journal is helpful to use for some of the mini-games. It also added to the storyline of the game.
Map: There isn't any map. I didn't miss it as there is a logical path through the areas. As I said before, you do not have to backtrack through most of the areas. The ones that do require backtracking do not make you travel through all of the areas--just a few.
There were so many new areas that kept opening to explore that I didn't get bored. Most of the time you use the objects you find fairly quickly. There were only a few areas that you had to backtrack to quite often--the rest of them were finished quickly and you could backtrack if you wanted but it was not necessary.
I loved the game and I am looking forward to playing the next game in the series: "Maestro: Music from the Void." I bought the C.E. edition of that one so I could have the in game strategy guide.
I have played the whole game--including the bonus chapter.
I loved the opening cut scene--it really drew me into the storyline immediately! Speaking of the storyline, this was one of the best I have seen recently. It was original and interesting. I loved it. The actors maybe were not topnotch but I would rather have a fantastic storyline than great actors. This is a game--not a box-office movie.
The hidden object games were outstanding. They were clear and bright. The mini-games included in the hidden object scenes were fun and kept the game interesting.
The difficulty level overall was good. Some of the games were easier than I like but they were still fun because they were mostly original!
The bonus chapter was rather lengthy and worth the extra money. It seemed to be a higher difficulty level than the rest of the game--I had to use the strategy guide several times!
I give the game 5 stars in every category! Please continue to make more games like this!