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:
The city is being taken over by dark forces!
Overall rating
4
/
5
Could use some improvement
PostedJune 3, 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
3
/
5
I loved the first Dreampath game, but this one seemed disjointed and didn't meet up to the standards of attention to detail and beautiful graphics of the first. The storyline was so-so and some of the items were misidentified in HO scenes. That said, the game did have a large variety of things to do in the HO scenes and mini-games, so it was not boring to play and even the bonus chapter had some meat to it. (In fact, I preferred the story and villain of the bonus chapter to the ones in the main game!)
I was on track to give it three stars but then at the end, it allowed me to go back and find my missed collectibles and morphs, so I am giving back one star for that convenience. (All CE's should do this! Especially with small, easy-to-hide collectibles.) So it's an okay game if you like fantasy themes, but brings nothing new or interesting to the genre.
I recommend this game!
Explore the streets of Paris as you track down the Strangler!
Overall rating
5
/
5
Well done
PostedMay 16, 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
This is a fun HOPA, pretty straightforward and with good graphics and a decent storyline. There may be a tad too many "insert the shape in the ___-shaped lock" puzzles, but this game at least tries to vary the ways in which you can solve the mystery and defeat the strangler. The HO scenes are moderately challenging, particularly the morphing objects, and the collectibles ranged from "obvious" to "invisible." Overall, I'd say I would have been just as happy with the SE as the CE, but either way, it's a fun game if you aren't looking for something super-challenging or super-easy.
Travel to South America to investigate a deadly cosmic force. Can you uncover the secrets of the missing research team?
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Blend of fantasy and sci-fi
PostedApril 28, 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
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I felt like this game started out well, with a moderate level of challenge and very few HO scenes. The visuals are great and the music is even pretty good (I usually mute the music on most games). I felt like the story was strange--not only blending a medieval-looking world with alien technologies, but also just lacking in some coherence. I couldn't figure out the purpose of some of the characters, and the "villain" was weirdly abstract. It seemed like they put so much into things like the visuals that they didn't really care to put much creativity or drama into the story. My interest had waned by the time the game ended. However, if you don't play for the story, this is a fun game.
Positives:
-The HO scenes are pretty unique in their structure, having a "double-layer" of scenes that you must complete. They are also very difficult!! It's so rare to find HO scenes that are genuinely hard, but these fit the bill. (This could also be a negative, depending on your point of view!)
- Mini-games were varied, though most were pretty easy.
- Nice and long, with a bonus chapter.
-The HO scenes are pretty unique in their structure, having a "double-layer" of scenes that you must complete. They are also very difficult!! It's so rare to find HO scenes that are genuinely hard, but these fit the bill. (This could also be a negative, depending on your point of view!)
- Mini-games were varied, though most were pretty easy.
- Nice and long, with a bonus chapter.
Negatives:
- The game had lots of concurrent tasks and items and ranged over a very large area, or at least a potentially large area. It would have been nice for finished areas to close once we were done with them--it was really hard to keep track of the numerous tasks in so many locations, though the game does provide a map. I still had to use more hints than usual because of the high number of locations, tasks, and items to keep track of.
- There weren't very many mini-games; this was mostly an adventure/open the door/box kind of game.
- After a while, the game got kind of repetitive without a good story that had more plot and unexpected turns.
- The collector's edition didn't really offer much, mainly just collectible lantern-things and achievements. I would have been just as happy with the SE.
- The game had lots of concurrent tasks and items and ranged over a very large area, or at least a potentially large area. It would have been nice for finished areas to close once we were done with them--it was really hard to keep track of the numerous tasks in so many locations, though the game does provide a map. I still had to use more hints than usual because of the high number of locations, tasks, and items to keep track of.
- There weren't very many mini-games; this was mostly an adventure/open the door/box kind of game.
- After a while, the game got kind of repetitive without a good story that had more plot and unexpected turns.
- The collector's edition didn't really offer much, mainly just collectible lantern-things and achievements. I would have been just as happy with the SE.
When the clock strikes, London shall burn!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Liked it, but wanted to love it
PostedFebruary 4, 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
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Since this is a Victorian-themed, slightly steampunk setting and story, with a Holmesian lead character, I really wanted this game to blow me away. Ultimately, though it was an enjoyable game, it didn't provide the level of "wow" that I was hoping for.
Pluses:
- I did enjoy the setting and characters, and generally speaking, the items in the game did reflect the Victorian era.
- The storyline was interesting and and different enough make it likely I'll remember the game in the future (this isn't always the case!).
- The "deduction" scenes were cool, and definitely evoked a sense of Sherlock Holmes-style detective work.
- There were a few mini-games that I enjoyed--not so hard as to be frustrating, and not so easy that they were boring. There was also a fairly decent variety of game types.
- There seemed to be a "choice" at the end of the game and the bonus chapter--what to do with the perpetrators. I'm not sure how this affected the outcome of the game, but that was a neat twist that more developers should include in their games.
- There was a tab on the side that let you know when you'd found all the collectibles/morphing objects in a scene. More games should do this, too!
- I did enjoy the setting and characters, and generally speaking, the items in the game did reflect the Victorian era.
- The storyline was interesting and and different enough make it likely I'll remember the game in the future (this isn't always the case!).
- The "deduction" scenes were cool, and definitely evoked a sense of Sherlock Holmes-style detective work.
- There were a few mini-games that I enjoyed--not so hard as to be frustrating, and not so easy that they were boring. There was also a fairly decent variety of game types.
- There seemed to be a "choice" at the end of the game and the bonus chapter--what to do with the perpetrators. I'm not sure how this affected the outcome of the game, but that was a neat twist that more developers should include in their games.
- There was a tab on the side that let you know when you'd found all the collectibles/morphing objects in a scene. More games should do this, too!
Minuses:
- In general the puzzles and HO scenes were incredibly easy. Some of them didn't even require thought--just clicking.
- The bonus chapter had absolutely nothing to do with the main story, which seemed forced and arbitrary. There should have been backstory, side-story, or sequel to deepen the main storyline.
- The bonus chapter was also very short and easy.
- The collectibles were easy to spot. Though the dominos did provide a bonus game at the end, the morphing objects didn't seem to have a clear purpose, and there was no way to review the ones I found/didn't find in the bonus content.
- In general the puzzles and HO scenes were incredibly easy. Some of them didn't even require thought--just clicking.
- The bonus chapter had absolutely nothing to do with the main story, which seemed forced and arbitrary. There should have been backstory, side-story, or sequel to deepen the main storyline.
- The bonus chapter was also very short and easy.
- The collectibles were easy to spot. Though the dominos did provide a bonus game at the end, the morphing objects didn't seem to have a clear purpose, and there was no way to review the ones I found/didn't find in the bonus content.
Overall, it's a fun game, but I hope the next "Dark City" game is a bit more challenging.
I recommend this game!
Uncover the mystery of Huxley’s Boarding House before time runs out!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Hit and Miss
PostedJanuary 31, 2018
andibeard
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
MCF games are usually on the highest-end of quality, and I've enjoyed all the others I've played. This one wasn't precisely my cup of tea, but I'll start with the positives:
- Brilliant, amazing graphics, absolutely top-notch all the way through
- A definitely different storyline than the usual repeats, though I have some complaints with this, as well
- More mini-games and puzzles than HO scenes, which I like, and the HO's were sufficiently varied in style to stay interesting
- The attention to detail in this game is amazing, even for the MCF series. Kudos to the team on this one.
- Brilliant, amazing graphics, absolutely top-notch all the way through
- A definitely different storyline than the usual repeats, though I have some complaints with this, as well
- More mini-games and puzzles than HO scenes, which I like, and the HO's were sufficiently varied in style to stay interesting
- The attention to detail in this game is amazing, even for the MCF series. Kudos to the team on this one.
However, there were also drawbacks, the main one for me being the incredible difficulty of some of the puzzles, and absolutely inadequate instructions. Maybe I was just having an off-week, mentally speaking, but some of the instructions just made no sense to me, and the games got frustrating as I was figuring them out via trial-and-error. Definitely the hardest mini-games I've played in any HOPA so far.
There were also a LOT of the multi-step or "super" mini-games, and I really don't like those. If they are your cup of tea, you should definitely play this game. Unless...
The MCF games have always been on the grim side, but I felt this one took an unexpected turn into more gruesome territory than the others. I wasn't happy with the amount of body-horror themes that showed up here, which felt out of step with the initial whimsical interactions with the ghost-hunter character. And finally...
The story never really explains why all this happens!! It takes unexpected turns and does keep you guessing, but there isn't any rationale given for why the characters responsible have done what they did. Overall, it just feels like it's made up as they were going rather than a story with a bigger vision. MCF can do better! I hope they will next time. Play this one if you like high difficulty and don't mind the gruesomeness.
I don't recommend this game.
Yuletide Legends: The Brothers Claus Collector's Edition
Can you save the holidays before it's too late?
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Fun Winter Fantasy Game
PostedDecember 29, 2017
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
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I try to play most holiday-themed games in December, but I missed this one until after Christmas. This turned out fine, as the game itself isn't especially "Christmas-y" in spite of having Santa and Mrs. Claus and an elf as main characters. There were the usual beautifully-designed scenes with plenty of Christmas decor, but the overall mood of the game was more like a winter-themed fantasy HOPA than one specifically meant to elicit warm "Christmas" feelings (like the Christmas Stories series does). I'm glad I didn't wait until next year to play this one!
I have only a couple of complaints: First, this isn't a game for those looking to stretch their game skills--it's for the more laid-back player. Some of the minigames and object puzzles seemed to only be there to give you something to do--I didn't have to think hard at all about most of them. However, the puzzles were varied and there weren't too many HO scenes (which also took several forms and were surprisingly challenging).
Also, I somehow missed one collectible light and several morphing objects (I'm not sure if there are more than one per scene--I tried to find one in each scene but still ended up short of puzzle pieces at the end). I was not given a chance to go back and find the things I'd missed, which is one of my favorite features of a really great HOPA CE. So really, I'd give this one 4.5 stars if I could.
But the visuals, sound quality, and characters are all well-done and the game itself is well-designed. Recommended if you like holiday- or winter-themed games.
I recommend this game!
Explore the four corners of Oz in this thrilling fantasy game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
Clever, beautiful, and engaging
PostedDecember 16, 2017
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
I expected this game to be a more direct retelling of the Oz story--or a sequel with a character related to the original Dorothy, etc. But this story is a clever, fantastical re-imagining of the tale of Dorothy's trip into another world. It incorporates elements from the original book more than the movie--i.e., silver slippers, the wizards from the four quadrants--and weaves them into a beautifully-designed world. The three companions from the story are even there, though in much different form! I loved the gorgeous visuals, uses of tools like the goggles and Toto, and the balance of HO scenes to puzzles was just right (more puzzles, fewer HO's). My only complaint was a slight cliche in the storyline as we get closer to the end, and that some of the puzzles/HO scenes were not particularly challenging. Overall, a visual delight and fun game to play.
I recommend this game!
Can you overcome your fear to save your family?
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Play It for the Experience
PostedOctober 9, 2017
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
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
So many times, games with creepy titles end up only being vaguely dark-themed and dark-colored but not truly creepy. This game finds its "creep factor" very nicely, but without crossing over into "truly disturbing." And the developers have worked very hard to create an immersive experience for the player. Every scene has some spooky treat for the eyes, including some true haunted-house style visions. The level of detail in the visuals is mind-boggling--from evil-looking chairs to apparitions flitting past the windows or strolling through the background. Pair that with the top-notch graphics and atmospheric music, and you have a perfect Haunted Hotel game. Here, the visuals transcend the story, and are the best reason to play the game (and the reason I give it five stars).
The game play itself is fun, and a lot of thought went into the story and the puzzles. However, a few puzzles are poorly-designed (there was one I literally couldn't solve, even when I knew I was doing it correctly, because the controls didn't match the game action) and the developers relied way too much on the "fit the shape into the lock" solution, as so many do. I'm also not clear when the story takes place, as it seems a little old-fashioned in places but the characters don't look like they're from the past. However, I was so busy looking around at all the amazing details that the story seemed secondary.
And even though it's not perfect, the story did have enough interest and challenge to keep me going. I like that it deviates from the standard "your ___ is taken by a crazed maniac/evil magic-doer and you must get them back" plotline, as here, the characters more or less willingly put themselves into the power of the maniac. And though the main character does have to rescue them, it's at least clear why everyone is there.
I recommend this one for the atmosphere, if you like creepiness without gore!
I recommend this game!
An arsonist is burning down the Mountain Kingdom's forests!
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
Not up to Dark Parables par
PostedJuly 4, 2017
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
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I loved the first several DP games, but this one falls short of the mark. While it features the same high-level fantasy graphics and plenty of extras, I found the puzzles and mini-games were often either too easy or literally just "click a few times to solve." It was obvious what to do and where, in most cases. I also thought the storyline really didn't make a whole lot of sense. Is this even a real fairy tale? The thing I love most about this series is that the fairy tales are recognizably intertwined with a more expanded and action-packed storyline/universe. Here, I wasn't even sure what was happening.
I almost gave this four stars, even so, because of the good graphics, the HO scenes being a bit difficult, and the nice bonus features. You can even go back and find any of the morphing puzzle pieces that you missed through the game. But it wasn't quite enough. I hope that the series gets back on track after this!
I recommend this game!
Stop the evil Princess of Hearts and discover your true destiny!
Overall rating
5
/
5
Creative retelling
PostedFebruary 21, 2017
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
I really enjoyed this re-envisioning of "Alice" into a more modern fantasy game. I thought at first it would only be a cheesy and cheap take on the story, but they had some clever ways of intertwining the Wonderland characters with a story of intrigue and betrayal.
Positives: A lot of variation in the minigames and HO scenes; a good range of moderately simply to clever in the games and puzzles; good (though relatively fantastical) graphics; a satisfyingly long story; and some refreshing twists on the old tropes.
Negatives: Some of the old tropes were fairly predictable, and the storyline really does try to do too many things at once, making it hard to follow sometimes.
I hope that there will be a sequel to this one. I enjoyed it and would like to see the story fleshed out a bit more in prequels and sequels, especially since this one seemed to leave a few plot holes. Even so, I enjoyed it tremendously and think that anyone who enjoys the fantasy HOPA genre will get a kick out of this "novel" approach.
I recommend this game!