Jurinne's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:2.9
- Helpful Votes:149
- Reviews Submitted:19
- First Review:May 2, 2012
- Most Recent Review:December 28, 2014
- Featured reviews0
After a respected member of Parliament is found murdered, it’s up to you to go on the search for the killer, the notorious Mr. Hyde!
Overall rating
2
/
5
1 of 3 found this review helpful
Too Many Negatives
PostedFebruary 17, 2013
Jurinne
fromPacific Northwest
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
What can I say? This is awful. The premise is good and the game could have been good but it's almost like it's punishment. The misclick penalty is obnoxious, especially when the player has to click on the correct item three or four times. The colors in the HOS are so washed out that I literally could not see some objects and moving the screen did no good.
I usually don't comment on the music. I'm making an exception. It's bad and I don't mean a little bad but really, really bad, full of clangs and bangs. When you click on an object you get some bangs as a reward. Whee. If I had decided to continue playing I would have shut it off if possible.
You get five hints. If you use one you can get one in the next scene if you find a potion bottle. I ran out of hints quickly and one potion bottle does not replace five hints. Why such a limit on hints?
I play to enjoy myself, not to be worried about not being able to see objects or to watch the cursor dance around or listen to just about the worst music I have ever heard.
I can't recommend this game, not even as a DD - not when there are so many good games to play. I think this must be an older game; it has the look to it and it plays clunky.
I don't recommend this game.
The residents of Bitterford, Maine have fallen prey to a terrible curse. It’s up to you to unravel the series of mysterious events that led to the town’s downfall and uncover the evil that was responsible.
Overall rating
1
/
5
12 of 16 found this review helpful
THE WORST
PostedDecember 30, 2012
Jurinne
fromPacific Northwest
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I have never been so disappointed in a game before and I have played some awful ones. After plodding through the demo I played "Return to Ravenhearst" and my heart just broke. Why? Why ruin what was so great about MCF? "Return to Ravenhearst" and "Dire Grove" are absolutely fantastic - the cream of the crop and I so wanted this game to be the same. It's not even close. The master detective is nothing more than an errand boy. No snarky remarks about a grody toilet in a horrible bathroom. No funny remarks when I try to use something from my Inventory that is obviously wrong. No humor - "Madame Fate" had humor. There is none here. None.
No humor, no adventure, and no fun.
This is the "Game of the Year"? I can't believe it.
I don't recommend this game.
The residents of Bitterford, Maine have fallen prey to a terrible curse. It’s up to you to unravel the series of mysterious events that led to the town’s downfall and uncover the evil that was responsible.
Overall rating
2
/
5
8 of 10 found this review helpful
Very Disappointing
PostedNovember 22, 2012
Jurinne
fromPacific Northwest
Skill Level:Beginner
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
My review is based on the demo, which I completed.
Like so many others I have been waiting anxiously for the next MCF game. And, like so many others, I have been disappointed with the new game.
The good:
(1) The Hint Button refills much more quickly than in the previous games.
(2) HOS: items can be found in different areas and some are interactive; the player can find items in a completely different room and in zoomed-in areas. I like this!
(2) HOS: items can be found in different areas and some are interactive; the player can find items in a completely different room and in zoomed-in areas. I like this!
The bad:
(1) The live acting is hammy and strained. The sound is not in sync with lip movements. After awhile that bothered me a lot. To be honest, after a short time I got the feeling that the actress was as miserable as me.
(2) The Strategy Guide is almost worthless. All it shows is the current and past scene with circles around areas of interest and the percentage of the scene that has been completed. There are no page numbers. There is no table of contents. The SG can be helpful but the help it provides is extremely limited.
(3) HOS: Scenes are dark and some items quite difficult to find.
(4) Puzzles: The one most mentioned is the "jigsaw" puzzle inside the psychic's mind. The pieces are weighted and move around. The best way to visualize this is to imagine cards on the surface of a pond. This puzzle is not difficult but I felt a bit queasy while solving it. If the puzzles of this type are more complex in the rest of the game I can see a real problem.
Other puzzles are very simple and the standard stuff.
#5#The map is interactive which is good because without it you "can't get there from here." You pop to and from places using only the map and the sound of a motorcycle starting up. Not good.
#6# In order to find morphed objects the player must first complete the game and then go back to find them. Say what??
(2) The Strategy Guide is almost worthless. All it shows is the current and past scene with circles around areas of interest and the percentage of the scene that has been completed. There are no page numbers. There is no table of contents. The SG can be helpful but the help it provides is extremely limited.
(3) HOS: Scenes are dark and some items quite difficult to find.
(4) Puzzles: The one most mentioned is the "jigsaw" puzzle inside the psychic's mind. The pieces are weighted and move around. The best way to visualize this is to imagine cards on the surface of a pond. This puzzle is not difficult but I felt a bit queasy while solving it. If the puzzles of this type are more complex in the rest of the game I can see a real problem.
Other puzzles are very simple and the standard stuff.
#5#The map is interactive which is good because without it you "can't get there from here." You pop to and from places using only the map and the sound of a motorcycle starting up. Not good.
#6# In order to find morphed objects the player must first complete the game and then go back to find them. Say what??
The awful:
In past MCF games the star has been the player #the detective#. Not so in this game. The star here is Cassandra and the detective is merely an errand boy #or girl#. The detective's job is to take pictures from Cassandra, move around town #via the map#, match the pictures to parts of scenes, take the pictures back to Cassandra and then put other pictures together in her brain.
That's bad enough but what I miss most is the detective's personal quips. In the past I have enjoyed the snarky comments that pop up when I try to use something from my Inventory that is not going to work #e.g. "It must be hard to be you."#. That is gone in the current game. If you misuse an Inventory item you get a metallic *bloop* and that is all. Gone is what made the detective live - h/she might as well be a robot now. H/she has no character, no feelings, nothing that attracts me. The detective lived and shone in previous games. H/she was funny!
The detective I liked so much is gone. :#
That is the major reason I will not be purchasing this game. I don't know why the detective's personality was removed. I only know it's gone and I wonder if the next MCF will be the same. I went back to another MCF game after playing the demo of the current game. The difference is like night and day. The older MCF game is full of life - the graphics and sound effects are beautiful. If I touch the cursor to a hanging lantern it swings. If I mess up I get a snarky comment.
What have they done???
MCF games are the cream of the crop. I would have given three stars to the same game from another dev. Because of the high quality of previous games I can only give this game two stars.
Please please please bring back my detective!
I don't recommend this game.
Help Sam rescue his love Anna in Brink of Consciousness: Dorian Gray Syndrome, an incredible Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
CREEPY MYSTERY
PostedJuly 10, 2012
Jurinne
fromPacific Northwest
Skill Level:Beginner
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Disclaimer: Some might find this game too creepy and perhaps a bit gross. This game isn't like Redrum (which I loved# but there are some scenes that some people might find disturbing.
That being said, this is tied for my favorite game. I stayed up until way past midnight playing it because I had to know what happened. The storyline is superb: a madman has kidnapped your girlfriend and you search for her in a creepy mansion filled with horrible surprises and recordings that taunt you. I became very involved in the game, to the point that I was ignoring the recordings as I tried to find my girlfriend.
This is not one of those games that just drops you at the end. There is a real ending. I found that I was actually holding my breath at the end and feeling horrified.
HOSs: These are a little easier than in many games. There are always a couple of items that require manipulation of objects. Items are generally easy to find. When using the Hint Button you can choose the items you wish to find. If you use if for the items that require manipulation of other objects, it will not point out everything you need #I admit I found this a bit frustrating#. The same HOS is used more than once; to me that is a plus but I know some others don't like it.
Hint Button: Fills quickly.
Minigames: These are one of the main reasons I enjoyed this game so much. There are the standard games but also some that are unique #at least to me#. Games can be skipped quickly.
Map: Provided and to me it was essential. The game takes place in a large house with extensive grounds. I couldn't have completed the game without the map.
Journal: Provided and pretty much standard. I didn't use it much.
Bonus Game: I really think this should have been presented as a full-size HOG sequel. As a bonus game it's OK, but there was so much more that could have been done. The ending? Satisfying and not satisfying at the same time. Does the protagonist win? It's difficult to say.
What could be better? Some of the instructions for the minigames are not clear. The guide provides much better instructions #I've found this to be true of many HOGs).
This is an amazing game; fun to play and creepy at the same time. Very, very creepy....
I recommend this game!
Check in to the spooky Haunted Hotel and immerse yourself in a thrilling adventure!
Overall rating
2
/
5
4 of 9 found this review helpful
Be Afraid! Be Very Afraid!
PostedMay 18, 2012
Jurinne
fromPacific Northwest
Skill Level:Beginner
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
As far as I can tell, this game is a series of timed minigames. The instructions for the games are bewildering at best and remember, they are timed. I'm a beginner with old glasses. I do not want to be rushed through anything. But I was willing to try. If I had been able to understand the instructions I might have had a fighting chance. But they made no sense to me.
I lasted about five minutes and quit. I'm going to leave this game in my inventory until I'm an expert player with new glasses.
If you don't want to be timed, please do not buy this game!
As for the storyline, I have absolutely no idea what happens after I supposedly crash my car and go into a hotel with a strange room that I enter after hearing a scream. It's snowing inside that room. And that is all I know.
Not fun. Not spooky. Just very, very scary timed games.
I would have given it one star but I hope I become better at these games and maybe I will like it more then.
I don't recommend this game.
Help Angel figure out what is real and what is in her head as she attempts to escape from a Mental Hospital!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Is It Real or Is It a Delusion - Who Knows?
PostedMay 18, 2012
Jurinne
fromPacific Northwest
Skill Level:Beginner
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is the story of a young woman who finds herself in a psychiatric ward, her attempts to escape and to find out what happened to 15 school children who have disappeared. It's hard to know if she is in reality or in a delusional state; over and over she solves part of the mystery only to find herself back in the psych unit. Or is she really back? What is reality and what is delusion and does it even matter?
I haven't played the first game but I still highly recommend this one. The storyline is gripping, the graphics are great, the HOS are fairly simple and the minigames aren't impossible to finish (and can be skipped#. There is a hint button which will guide the player #I used it a lot as sometimes there are several directions one can go#. There is also a journal in which important information #such as secret codes and combinations) is easily accessed. After awhile I found myself wanting so much just to know what was going to happen next. I could identify with Angel; her story is that gripping. Does the ending make sense? I'll leave that decision up to you. In my case I'm not sure if the game is even over.
Others have recommended that the first game be played before this one. I wish I had read the reviews and had done that. I'll be sure to play the first game very soon. I hope there is a sequel to the second game. I'm sorry the game ended. But maybe it hasn't. Who knows?
I recommend this game!
Dr. Sigmund Fraud has been released from the asylum, and is up to his old tricks. Help Detective Ravenwood track him down!
Overall rating
4
/
5
7 of 11 found this review helpful
Great Game but Creepy and Difficult!
PostedMay 17, 2012
Jurinne
fromPacific Northwest
Skill Level:Beginner
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
WARNING: This game has very graphic drawings which might bother some players; if you don't like very dark games please don't even look at this one. I had a nightmare after playing this game.
Hints: There is a hint button but it is not automatically refilled as time goes by. The player must find magnifying glasses in order to refill the hint button. I ended up with 10 hints at the end of the game so this shouldn't be a problem.
Minigames: Some HOS are difficult as you must find bits of what is on the screen; some are traditional & easy. They cannot be skipped. Hints can be used. This is the only place I used hints.
Jigsaw Puzzles: time-consuming but easy. Can be skipped.
Switching Tiles: time-consuming with some difficulty (for me#. Can be skipped.
Moving Rows: time-consuming & difficult. Can be skipped.
Switching Tiles: time-consuming with some difficulty (for me#. Can be skipped.
Moving Rows: time-consuming & difficult. Can be skipped.
Storyline: I didn't play the first game but this is obviously part of a series with a sequel strongly hinted at at the end of the game. The storyline is intricate, interesting, & is probably the main reason I continued playing the game until I finished.
There is a Walkthrough which I used a few times.
I enjoyed playing this game once I understood what I needed to do. I do not recommend this game for beginners or for those who do not like dark games #although there are bits of humor).
***Playing the game after midnight is not recommended unless you enjoy nightmares or insomnia.***
I recommend this game!
Gardenscapes: Mansion Makeover™
Welcome back to Gardenscapes! Turn the hall into a masterpiece!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
More Fun than it may First Appear
PostedMay 11, 2012
Jurinne
fromPacific Northwest
Skill Level:Beginner
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I loved the demo, hated the game after I had purchased it and had gotten to the point where I was being forced to buy things I did not want. But the game is so much more than that; there is an interaction between game characters and player that is not often seen. I didn't play the original Gardenscapes (I'm downloading it now). I would recommend playing the original first. And keep going; even if you have to buy a suit of armor it is worth it. Very minor glitches, great storyline, can't wait for a sequel; I want to get into that room with the green curtains. This game is cheerful and fun. I love dark games but this is a welcome change. Five Stars!!!
I recommend this game!
After crashing your car in the middle of nowhere, you stumble upon a mysterious town with a shady background. Solve a dark mystery!
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 9 found this review helpful
PHUN, PHUN, PHANTASTIC!!
PostedMay 2, 2012
Jurinne
fromPacific Northwest
Skill Level:Beginner
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This was my first HOG. I think I started out with the best and have been searching for something as good ever since. I "got into" this game. Towards the end I felt like I was really there. It is so much more than HOS's. The storyline is excellent. The graphics are excellent. And there is actually a real ending with explanations and everything. I have not yet found another game as good as this one.
I recommend this game!