andibeard's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.2
- Helpful Votes:311
- Reviews Submitted:68
- First Review:February 20, 2012
- Most Recent Review:January 3, 2020
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Your brother is kidnapped during an air show. Search for him in a beautiful world where the sky is as wide as your imagination.
Overall rating
5
/
5
Five stars with some caveats
PostedJanuary 3, 2020
andibeard
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game has a lot going for it, and I enjoyed playing it, but I will qualify my 5-star rating by saying that I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could. In balance, the outstanding qualities outweigh the problems. Here is my breakdown:
Pros:
Amazing visuals - the graphics are top-notch and innovative (having cut scenes within a close-up window, etc.)
Storyline - for once, we play a *man* trying to save his *brother,* which almost never happens! :) The storyline overall is strong in comparison to the usual cliched tropes, though there are still some cliches and holes here and there.
Bonus chapter - This one was well-developed, not a tossed-off afterthought like they sometimes are. It blended well with the main storyline and was just as fun and challenging. Nicely "meaty."
Overall playability - It's a well-designed and well-developed game, with a lot of thought involved. The mini-games were challenging without driving me crazy, and I did have to resort to hints sometimes to know what to do next. There was a good balance between "clearly this object goes here" and "what the heck do I do with this?"
New ideas - the mini-games were occasionally something I'd seen before, but many of them were new to me, even after years of playing HOPA games. Good job, Elephant!!
HO's - the hidden object scenes involve the use of your items from inventory, which made the first one quite frustrating until I realized this was the case! This is interesting and innovative and keeps us guessing about which objects we will use in the gameplay and which are "red herrings" only needed for HO scenes.
Cons:
Translation issues - there were perhaps more of these than average (one HO object is literally called the wrong thing), but those of us who play a lot of these games will probably handle it in stride. The most amusing part was when the characters are talking to you - they are literally speaking Russian, with an American English voiceover! It isn't really a problem, but it was funny.
Cut scenes - the cut scenes are lovely and well-done, but there are SO MANY OF THEM. At times I was like "yeah, yeah, just let me play!!" because they felt like they were interrupting me rather than leading me or adding to the story.
Glitches - there are a few times when the black bar tips are out of sequence with the gameplay, or giving you the wrong advice, or advising you too late. This was occasionally irritating. There also was a scene early on in which I was "given" at object that didn't show up in my inventory--but it was there. I just couldn't see it (it was meant to be a flower that the player can see, but there clearly was a problem with this). Once I dropped the "invisible" object where it belonged, things worked fine.
Philanthropy flowers - this was a cool addition to the regular game; you can use the collectibles to perform philanthropic acts for the places in the game. However, if you miss some of the flowers, there is no way to go back and get them once the game is done, and there is no way to know how many you should have or how many will be in each scene. This could have been better--I would have liked to finish the last philanthropy scene.
No morphing objects or other collectibles. 'Nuff said. :)
Overall, a fun game, different and beautifully-designed. Elephant is definitely one of my favorite developers at the moment. I hope they keep coming up with creative new ways to design their gameplay!
I recommend this game!
Accompany Alicia Quatermain on her latest time-management adventure and help save the world and get the treasure!
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Fast-paced and challenging!
PostedFebruary 9, 2019
andibeard
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I don't play a lot of TM games, but this is exactly the kind I like. It has a fun theme, plenty of levels, and with some sweat, it's possible to achieve three trophies on each level (I can't imagine playing on the "hard" level, though--yikes). Playing the bonus levels and getting the puzzle pieces was fun, but not necessary if you want to skip the CE and go for the SE version.
I like that you can queue up the next task while the workers are busy, but it was annoying to me that Alicia doesn't do anything except the "Alicia must do this" tasks. It slowed down game play on the hardest levels--but I guess that's the point! The different environments were nice, too--even snow and ice show up in some levels of play. It's hard to create much variety of tasks in a typical TM game, but they work hard to make it interesting from one level to the next, and the dialog was helpful rather than just fluff. I have some quibbles with the storyline--who was the bad guy who just vanished partway through the game? Why were there dragon eggs without any dragons?? I feel like the story was cobbled together rather than well-planned before or during development, but this is a minor issue.
I had a lot of fun with this one. Like many TM games, it got a bit addictive! Recommended if you like a challenge but not an impossible one!
I recommend this game!
Help Rose Riddle solve the mystery of her missing parents and uncover the secrets of her past during a wild road trip through a fairy tale realm!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Fun but hard
PostedFebruary 9, 2019
andibeard
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I have enjoyed playing the different levels of this game, but I doubt I will play through it again, mainly because of the difficulty. Completing the levels wasn't too hard, especially after playing through it once or twice, but getting three stars was downright impossible on some levels. (Yes, I like to get three stars on all levels, even if it kills me! :) ) In this game, I gave up on most and went for two stars as my goal.
The levels are also somewhat repetitive--a lot of the same stuff but configured differently, though this isn't unusual in TM games. Personally, I found the layout visually confusing, and often blew the level due to misunderstanding how the flow of actions was supposed to happen (didn't see a particular gate I was supposed to open or a rock I was supposed to remove, etc.). I also prefer games where I can queue up tasks, but here you have to wait for a workman to be free before clicking the next task. And sadly, there is no bonus for resources collected, which also could help achieve that three-star level. It's definitely necessary to use the power-ups in some levels, even just to finish the level in some cases! All of this adds up to a pretty hard game if you are competitive as I am. :-D
Overall, the game is fairly enjoyable in spite of the difficulty. The theme is cute and humorous, though the story has some derivative elements (liberal borrowing from lots of stories/movies, not just fairy tales). I like that the protagonist helps gather supplies too instead of just doing "special" tasks. The visuals are well-done in a cartoon-caricature style. I'd recommend it, though I'm not sure I should have bought the CE, as the extra levels just add more play and not much else. Recommended for casual play in the SE version.
I recommend this game!
Can you save your uncle before it's too late?
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Solid and fun
PostedJanuary 6, 2019
andibeard
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game didn't wow me with its outstanding quality or features, but it was a strongly-designed game with a lot of care for detail. I would probably give it 4.5 stars if I could.
Pros:
- Good length. The game was long without being too long, as was the bonus chapter.
- Good graphics. The graphics were overall fairly realistic-looking, though the color palette was (as in many games) a bit dark and monotone.
- Lots of bonus features. I enjoy lots of collectibles and morphs, and this game has them!
- Minimal use of the "fill the shape with an object to unlock the thing" trope. I wish more developers would reach beyond that trick in HOPA games!
- Good mini-games. Most were challenging without being frustrating, though I did skip one that didn't have clear instructions in the bonus chapter. A few were truly creative and innovative!
- Range of movement was easy. I only had to use the map once, in the bonus chapter.
- The map shows you when you've gotten all the morphs and collectibles, though I didn't know this until the end!
- Good length. The game was long without being too long, as was the bonus chapter.
- Good graphics. The graphics were overall fairly realistic-looking, though the color palette was (as in many games) a bit dark and monotone.
- Lots of bonus features. I enjoy lots of collectibles and morphs, and this game has them!
- Minimal use of the "fill the shape with an object to unlock the thing" trope. I wish more developers would reach beyond that trick in HOPA games!
- Good mini-games. Most were challenging without being frustrating, though I did skip one that didn't have clear instructions in the bonus chapter. A few were truly creative and innovative!
- Range of movement was easy. I only had to use the map once, in the bonus chapter.
- The map shows you when you've gotten all the morphs and collectibles, though I didn't know this until the end!
Cons:
- The collectibles and morphs were very easy to find.
- You can't go back and find any collectibles you missed at the end of the game.
- The storyline in the bonus chapter doesn't make much sense. Overall, I felt the story lacked a bit here and there--motivations were addressed in the main game but not really fully explained, and not explained at all in the bonus chapter. I can't decide if the writer of the story hates books or really appreciates their power! :) The setting was also a mishmash of realistic, fantistical, old and contemporary, without really showing how these elements were supposed to flow together.
- The collectibles and morphs were very easy to find.
- You can't go back and find any collectibles you missed at the end of the game.
- The storyline in the bonus chapter doesn't make much sense. Overall, I felt the story lacked a bit here and there--motivations were addressed in the main game but not really fully explained, and not explained at all in the bonus chapter. I can't decide if the writer of the story hates books or really appreciates their power! :) The setting was also a mishmash of realistic, fantistical, old and contemporary, without really showing how these elements were supposed to flow together.
Overall, a fun and recommended game! But I hope the next game about a magic book casts the tome in a happier light...
I recommend this game!
It's up to you to rescue your friend and discover what the dark forces are after!
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Not up to Secret Order standards
PostedNovember 20, 2018
andibeard
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I have enjoyed games in this series in the past, but this one was disappointing in a couple of key ways. First, the positives: The Dragon Eye and the baby-dragon helper are good game additions that add to the story and playability. The HO scenes are varied and a few of them provide a little challenge. And of course, I always love games that include dragons! However, I felt that the game is too short, too simple, and too dark (in graphics, no mood). There is little challenge in most of the steps you have to take to progress in the game--almost everything is really obvious. There is a good variety of minigames, but again, most of them don't require much thought to solve. The hidden objects are obvious, as are the morphing objects and most of the dragon egg collectibles. The bonus scene is a little hard to find after the main game is over, which was annoying. Overall, I'd recommend playing the SE rather than springing for the CE. And finally, the graphics are just dark, muddy, and monotone. I feel like the developers can do better with this series, and I hope they do.
It's time to begin your journey to help a ghost captain and save the world.
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Consistent series so far
PostedSeptember 26, 2018
andibeard
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is the second Lost Lands game I've played, and so far, I'd say they have a pretty solid approach to real world/fantasy crossover games. There isn't anything really revolutionary or particularly fascinating about this game, but it's definitely worth checking out if you like this kind of genre.
Pluses: Good length, decent bonus chapter, interactive HO scenes with some challenge involved, some creative/difficult mini-games. The collectibles are not difficult but some of the morphing objects are pretty tough!
Minuses: I think the visuals are sometimes clunky-looking, good but not top-notch; some of the dialog was also strangely modern for characters who looked very otherwordly. The weirdest thing to me was that the game ranges all over, never really "finishing" one area before moving on to the next. That means there is lots of back and forth between areas of the game that are really far apart--you definitely have to use the map on this one!
Travel beyond our galaxy to bring your lost son back home.
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Lacking the kitsch of first Beyond but still a great game
PostedSeptember 9, 2018
andibeard
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Let me start by saying I was absolutely delighted with the first Beyond game--not only a sci-fi themed game, but with the fun 50's theme, as well. I loved every minute. When this game came out, I didn't even bother with reviews but snapped it up right away. Now that I'm finally playing it, I have to say I am disappointed that the same sense of fun and kitsch doesn't pervade this one--it's a more "serious sci-fi" kind of game, even with the roller-coaster at the beginning. That said, it's still an excellent game and well worth playing.
The visuals are excellent, and the storyline is at least a little bit original, though the "stolen child" theme is a common one. Here the child is taken for a reason rather than randomly or by accident or to hold as hostage, which is a nice twist. The mini-games are also more creative than average, and sometimes even when I think I know what the game wants, there is a difference from the usual expectations. Clearly a lot of effort has gone into the game to make it original and fun. And of course, the sci-fi theme is always a nice break from fantasy or "gritty crime" type games.
The CE elements are fun, too, with morphing objects in the HO scenes and collectible rockets just as in the first game. I haven't finished, so I'm not sure what else it might contain, but so far, I'm impressed and engaged. While the first Beyond was in my view a 6 out of 5, this one is a solid 5/5 and highly recommended.
I recommend this game!
Ghastly murders in Whitechapel foreshadow the return of the Red Queen!
Overall rating
5
/
5
Fun and Challenging
PostedSeptember 2, 2018
andibeard
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
I can understand the enthusiasm around this game when it was released--it's an enjoyable and challenging, well-rounded HOPA game. I personally love the pseudo-Victorian setting and gothic characters. The "choices" you have when doing certain tasks is a new twist on the usual same-old games. The mini-games are interesting and different, and though some are easier than others, I've found most have a good level of difficulty without being impossible. The storyline seems a little fragmented to me, but I still enjoyed the process of the game and the way it's structured. There aren't a lot of HO scenes, which I also like, and in general not much of the typical "fit a thing into a slot" puzzles, thank goodness. The developers seem to be trying to brand this series with some unique features and game structure. I look forward to more in this series.
I recommend this game!
Only you can save the kingdom from a mysterious disease!
Overall rating
4
/
5
0 of 1 found this review helpful
Gets better as it goes along
PostedAugust 14, 2018
andibeard
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
At first, this one seemed very much the same old game that I've played dozens of times, with nothing particularly interesting to offer. But it did grow on me as it went. I felt like the mini-games became more varied and interesting the longer I played, and the HO scenes weren't too numerous or repetitive. The storyline was okay--nothing ground-breaking, with some of the same tropes as in many other fantasy games. But the "healing kit" was a creative addition that gave this game a unique angle. I would definitely try the other Enchanted Kingdom games after this.
The CE extras weren't too impressive, IMO, with collectibles and objects that were easy to find. I did enjoy eating the cupcakes :) though I'm not sure whether that is unique to the CE. Overall, I would have been fine with an SE of this game.
I recommend this game!
Recover the artifact that contains the secrets of H.E.L.P.'s past.
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
Solid addition to the Hidden Expedition family
PostedJuly 21, 2018
andibeard
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Confession: I love the Hidden Expedition games. I'm a science geek and museum nerd, so these appeal to me on a number of levels, not just for game-play! Though some of them are definitely stronger than others, I would say this is an overall strong addition to the series.
First off, the graphics are amazing, possibly even moreso than usual for the HE series. I feel like their animations, voices, and music are all getting better and better. This game was also an excellent balance of puzzle/adventure and HO scenes, which are not too frequent and are varied in style. There also wasn't an overabundance of "fit the shaped object into the shaped hole" type puzzles to solve, yay! I think this might have been the first game I've played in years where no crowbar showed up, I didn't have to gather a recipe to stew something, I didn't have to work a blacksmith shop to create a metal object...wow! The game play itself was fairly creative.
Some quibbles: Difficulty was not really challenging, in mini-games, HO scenes, or in finding the collectibles and morphing objects. The bonus Souvenir Room collectibles were way too easy--tip to the developers that we do like a little challenge (though not too much for relaxation!). The storyline also dragged in places--there wasn't a lot of action, unfortunately. But I felt like the positive qualities still made the game enjoyable, so I'm going with the full five stars. I would probably give 4.5 if that was an option, due to the minor weaknesses.
If you want a stronger storyline and more challenge, play the demo first! Otherwise, if you like the rest of the HE games, you'll probably like this one.
I recommend this game!