kateblue222's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.5
- Helpful Votes:3,417
- Reviews Submitted:179
- First Review:May 6, 2014
- Most Recent Review:July 28, 2024
- Featured reviews0
Status:
You’re called in to photograph a wedding, but what you really expose is murder.
Overall rating
2
/
5
10 of 15 found this review helpful
CE or SE? Hard to say. Still find this game to be ornery and illogical, and in a coupled of spots, boring
PostedOctober 27, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I've played a little more of this game since I wrote the CE review a month ago. I did buy the CE on a two-for-one sale because I needed an additional CE. Nonetheless, the game is hard to play.
Good things:
Art is well done
Music good
CE features excellent
Art is well done
Music good
CE features excellent
Bad things (from my CE review)(Warning!!! SPOILERS)
ORNERY
=On some closeups, it didn’t even tell you to leave if there was nothing to do. It just sat there.
=You have to put paper and developer on the table before you can put the film in the machine. Why? And it was not logical how to do all the actions in the darkroom, like moving the picture and hanging it up.
=The hint is a circle of stars. When it leads you to a closeup or a new scene, it continues and lingers at the same spot on the screen in the new place. So you think you need to click there, but you don’t.
BORING
=The bride’s sister talks too much. Show me through the game play instead of telling me. I don’t need a tour of the kitchen. Or just say “Follow me."
=The first (only) mini game was not a game at all because there was nothing to puzzle out. To win, just move colored circular objects to the proper, obvious spots.
=The 2 HOPs were just OK, words or outlines, but on the one in the storeroom, the hint didn’t work right. I needed a knife (I thought), and the hint kept indicating the upper left hand corner of the screen. That’s not where the cleaver (it turns out it was not a knife) was. It was in the middle of the screen. Weird.
ILLOGICAL
=It tells you not to go out to the back door because it’s raining so hard, but it lets you go out in front of the house.
=And why did the photographer drive to the house anyway? The wedding’s over, and there does not appear to be a reception going on.
ORNERY
=On some closeups, it didn’t even tell you to leave if there was nothing to do. It just sat there.
=You have to put paper and developer on the table before you can put the film in the machine. Why? And it was not logical how to do all the actions in the darkroom, like moving the picture and hanging it up.
=The hint is a circle of stars. When it leads you to a closeup or a new scene, it continues and lingers at the same spot on the screen in the new place. So you think you need to click there, but you don’t.
BORING
=The bride’s sister talks too much. Show me through the game play instead of telling me. I don’t need a tour of the kitchen. Or just say “Follow me."
=The first (only) mini game was not a game at all because there was nothing to puzzle out. To win, just move colored circular objects to the proper, obvious spots.
=The 2 HOPs were just OK, words or outlines, but on the one in the storeroom, the hint didn’t work right. I needed a knife (I thought), and the hint kept indicating the upper left hand corner of the screen. That’s not where the cleaver (it turns out it was not a knife) was. It was in the middle of the screen. Weird.
ILLOGICAL
=It tells you not to go out to the back door because it’s raining so hard, but it lets you go out in front of the house.
=And why did the photographer drive to the house anyway? The wedding’s over, and there does not appear to be a reception going on.
What I want to know if I am buying a game and I have a choice between the CE and the SE is, which to buy? Here, I cannot really advise. There's all the CE bells and whistles, so if you like the game enough to drop the big bucks for the CE. Otherwise, try the SE. You might think this game worth it if you buy it with a coupon or as on a daily deal.
The eyes are watching... and they're everywhere.
Overall rating
5
/
5
20 of 25 found this review helpful
I don't want to give it five stars, but I find I MUST
PostedOctober 22, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Well, there's no ability to play the great HOPs and puzzles over again. Usually, I will grade a game down for that and not buy the CE.
But I think I will have to break this rule because:
The art is great
The music, I actually want to listen to outside the game
The HOPs are fun and the jigsaw puzzle option is also good
I'm having such a good time playing, I don't know if I can wait for a sale, much less for the SE to come out.
The music, I actually want to listen to outside the game
The HOPs are fun and the jigsaw puzzle option is also good
I'm having such a good time playing, I don't know if I can wait for a sale, much less for the SE to come out.
So, give it a try. You will probably like it. A lot.
It's my new favorite game
I recommend this game!
Alison Ester, insurance investigator, is responsible for leading the investigation in a dilapidated asylum with a grave and mysterious past.
Overall rating
1
/
5
4 of 7 found this review helpful
A bad click penalty was what made me give up in disgust.
PostedOctober 21, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
OK, so less than 5 minutes.
I liked the little intro movie, but then yak yak yak from the main character and two others? Reading, not sound.
And then, after I accidentally went back outside I saw there was an HOP. And there was a BAD click penalty.
Except for the widescreen presentation and the clarity of the dingy looking art, this game is obviously from 2009.
No way. Deleted.
I don't recommend this game.
The sequel puzzle hit is back with a new dimension in fun! Discover exiting new game cubes, amazing new levels and crazy play modes.
Overall rating
5
/
5
25 of 39 found this review helpful
WHY is this game not out for a MAC!
PostedOctober 18, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
I asked the developers this YEARS ago. And it is still not out for a Mac.
COME ON!!! I'd pay 20 bucks for it. More!
Or put it out for iPad. Cubis Creatures is out for iPad, but it doesn't give you enough time in the levels, so it's no fun.
I play the 20 free Cubis Gold online levels here at least a couple of times a week. I want more!! BFG, can you get more for online levels for us Mac users??
I recommend this game!
The arts-loving town of Everton has been overrun by sentient shadows. Race to escape before you're trapped in the darkness forever!
Overall rating
2
/
5
16 of 19 found this review helpful
Poorly designed and bad directions, though beautiful. Sorry I bought it.
PostedOctober 18, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Word
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I'm later than usual reviewing this, but I just want to say that I am sorry I bought this game on a 2-for-1 sale because I keep getting stuck.
The worst example: I thought I was going to have to quit and pray for a walkthrough when I was trying to get out of the hospital. In the HOP at the front desk, I got the knife over and over. But "knife" did not get crossed off the word list, the HOP didn't end, and the strategy guide just said "Play the HOP to receive a key card." NO help. Not even a picture of the HOP.
FINALLY, I noticed that there were (SPOILER) big X stitches somewhere that maybe I could cut. And after I did, out popped a hidden object not on the list! I knew the thing that popped out was missing from the game, but I had no idea it was part of the HOP. I thought the knife was the last thing, as the word list showed.
And the moral of the story is: Always play the whole demo even if you are trying to take advantage of a 2-for-1 sale. Otherwise, you'll be awaiting a Walkthrough, just like me.
Devs! This is why HOPs should be skippable, just like minigames. HOPs ARE minigames when they are progressive like this one. Better directions in the Strategy Guide or better hints/word lists are a must. If the hint had pointed to the knife AND the stitches instead of just to the knife, etc . . . Over to you!
Still, though I am using the hint constantly, it's beautiful, and I am having fun--when I am not stuck. So 2 stars, not 1. Sorry I cannot recommend even though I bought.
<wondering> So, how do you rate the challenge in game like this? It was really challenging, all right, but not in a good way!
I don't recommend this game.
Your wedding day goes dark... and your fiancée has no idea who's behind it all.
Overall rating
4
/
5
34 of 52 found this review helpful
Silly story and missed opportunities for fun, but pretty good gameplay
PostedOctober 17, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I've played the demo. There's 4 minutes left.
The silly story? (slight spoilers in first few minutes of game)
-The prince goes for the beautiful garden girl. So far, so good, though trite and cliched.
-But then there’s this angry old guy who doesn’t say, "No, the prince can’t marry a servant," which would be logical. instead he says “I have to do everything.” What?
-And then when the princess goes to get her grandmother’s blessing because she’s doing everything proper? What? And how does a servant girl’s grandmother own such a big house? I thought she was a servant in this big house until the lock to “my grandmother’s house” didn’t work.
-There then are all these potions on a table, but you aren't supposed to make one of your own even though you acquire water other ingredients that could be used to make one. Instead, eventually you find one somewhere.
-The guard won't let you in, but then suddenly, you are in anyway. How?
-The prince goes for the beautiful garden girl. So far, so good, though trite and cliched.
-But then there’s this angry old guy who doesn’t say, "No, the prince can’t marry a servant," which would be logical. instead he says “I have to do everything.” What?
-And then when the princess goes to get her grandmother’s blessing because she’s doing everything proper? What? And how does a servant girl’s grandmother own such a big house? I thought she was a servant in this big house until the lock to “my grandmother’s house” didn’t work.
-There then are all these potions on a table, but you aren't supposed to make one of your own even though you acquire water other ingredients that could be used to make one. Instead, eventually you find one somewhere.
-The guard won't let you in, but then suddenly, you are in anyway. How?
I try to ignore illogical stories, but this one's really dumb. I’m having fun, but, really! Some logic would be nice! . . . And it continues even in small ways. Why is there a flower blossom in a hollow tree? Why are wild animals jumping into cages on their own?
Other comments:
-The art is ok, though sometimes it seems as if the perspective is off.
-The music is sort of schmalzy, but I guess it’s supposed to be a romance. I won't care if I ever hear it again.
-There's a bonus game, but if the illogic continues, will I want to play it?
-Inadequate directions--in the second HOP, there's a fun little mini-game within, but I didn't realize it was even there, and the hint kept taking me back to the HOP. Finally I randomly clicked around and figured it out.
-You can't go back. For example, once you leave your grandmother's house, you are done there.
-I never had to use the strategy guide.
-The art is ok, though sometimes it seems as if the perspective is off.
-The music is sort of schmalzy, but I guess it’s supposed to be a romance. I won't care if I ever hear it again.
-There's a bonus game, but if the illogic continues, will I want to play it?
-Inadequate directions--in the second HOP, there's a fun little mini-game within, but I didn't realize it was even there, and the hint kept taking me back to the HOP. Finally I randomly clicked around and figured it out.
-You can't go back. For example, once you leave your grandmother's house, you are done there.
-I never had to use the strategy guide.
Missed opportunities by dev’s to give us more fun while playing:
1. The first HOP is strange because the directions say to find all the pieces of the objects and then use the objects, but after you complete the objects, they fly on their own to where they are supposed to be used.
2. The stained glass pieces that are prizes place themselves in the resultant window instead of letting us work it like a puzzle. What a waste.
1. The first HOP is strange because the directions say to find all the pieces of the objects and then use the objects, but after you complete the objects, they fly on their own to where they are supposed to be used.
2. The stained glass pieces that are prizes place themselves in the resultant window instead of letting us work it like a puzzle. What a waste.
So, the game plays smoothly, if illogically. The “progressive” games you play to move through the adventure are fun. The "Extras" features are all there. Try it. Yes, it is silly, but you will probably have fun.
I recommend this game!
A dark prophecy threatens to destroy the city of Munich!
Overall rating
4
/
5
7 of 9 found this review helpful
Fun game that may not be CE worthy . . . you decide
PostedOctober 17, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I played the demo. Nice game:
=The art is beautiful
=The little musical themes are pretty, though sometimes they cut off abruptly. There was one during the suitcase HOP that I particularly liked.
=The puzzles are fun, HOPs average
=There are morphing objects and tarot cards and achievements, but I am not that interested in those/ You might really like them, though.
=The little musical themes are pretty, though sometimes they cut off abruptly. There was one during the suitcase HOP that I particularly liked.
=The puzzles are fun, HOPs average
=There are morphing objects and tarot cards and achievements, but I am not that interested in those/ You might really like them, though.
But
=I'm not too clear why this detective can solve a magical eclipse with monsters, and I guess that's why I didn’t truly get sucked in to the game
=People talked an awful lot and then stood around and didn’t leave
=It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles for a CE because there’s no ability to play puzzles and HOP’s over
=People talked an awful lot and then stood around and didn’t leave
=It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles for a CE because there’s no ability to play puzzles and HOP’s over
So four stars. Though it did not make me lose track of time because I was not that immersed in the world, I think it is a game that I will really enjoy. I may wait for the SE though, since there’s no ability to replay puzzles, only the a bonus chapter.
I recommend this game!
Return to your hometown to save your father and uncover Midnight Castle's secrets!
Overall rating
4
/
5
26 of 36 found this review helpful
Some CE special features missing, so CE or SE? Maybe SE.
PostedOctober 16, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I have not played much of this game yet—I’m not long past the demo period in the CE. But I’m writing this review to give my opinion--as I usually do when both CE and SE are out—which to buy? Because if I have bought neither at that point, that’s what I want to know.
I’m having lots of fun with this game just wandering around and clicking on stuff, at least as far as I have gone. It’s a solid game, and it’s pretty, and the puzzles are fun, so far. Go read Sunnyglow’s great CE review here for more detail: http://www.bigfishgames.com/games/11274/midnight-calling-anabel-ce/?mac
But I still say, buy this game, the SE, I think. (Though I did buy the CE because I needed a game for the 2-for-1 sale.) The reasons I recommend the SE instead of the CE are:
—There is no ability to play the puzzles over and HOPs over, and
—Apparently, from reviews of the CE, the game is quite short.
—There is no ability to play the puzzles over and HOPs over, and
—Apparently, from reviews of the CE, the game is quite short.
But:
—there are morphing objects and collectables,
—there is a bonus chapter, and
—according to BFG, there is "A charming extra challenge in the Secret Room.”
So maybe that makes the CE right for you. Have a look at both.
—there are morphing objects and collectables,
—there is a bonus chapter, and
—according to BFG, there is "A charming extra challenge in the Secret Room.”
So maybe that makes the CE right for you. Have a look at both.
My only real gripe about this game is, the first game, which BGG describes as "the blockbuster game Midnight Castle” is not available on a Mac! Hey BFG! What’s up with THAT!
I recommend this game!
Experience the Travels of Marco Polo - a historical Point & click Adventure for the whole family!
Overall rating
3
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
striking artwork, but tedious
PostedOctober 13, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I like the puzzles, but it is hard to work without a hint. I have an interest in the subject matter, and the sound is good, but it is so tedious having to bail the gondola and then the water comes back. Over and over.
And you have to drag things out of the inventory instead of just clicking them. My elderly elbow hurts. This is aggravated by the fact that, on the Mac version that just came out today, the cursor is draggy and not properly responsive.
I might get it with a coupon some day after my elbow recovers. But it bothers me that I have all the items needed to fix the gondola, nails, rag, board, hammer, and bailer, and I cannot figure out how to do it. I'm usually not that slow.
I don't recommend this game.
The love between you and your husband was strong enough to end a war... but is it strong enough to save the world?
Overall rating
5
/
5
114 of 123 found this review helpful
One of the best of the year, so at least buy the CE if you don't buy the SE
PostedOctober 11, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I'm in the second chapter of CE, and it is still just as good after the demo period. Really, it's one of the best of the year IMHO because:
1) It's beautiful.
2) The story makes sense!!
3) Sound and music are good and add to the ambience
4) The devs are mostly showing you what to do through the game play itself, not writing it out or having the characters talk too much. This adds to the seamless, immersive experience.
5) Puzzles are great fun
6) Collectables include a menu which tells you whether you found a collectible in a given area or not. It's much more fun than not knowing if you got them all.
7) The gameplay is so seamless you get immersed in the world, so much so that I ran the CE demo out, then immediately bought it.
2) The story makes sense!!
3) Sound and music are good and add to the ambience
4) The devs are mostly showing you what to do through the game play itself, not writing it out or having the characters talk too much. This adds to the seamless, immersive experience.
5) Puzzles are great fun
6) Collectables include a menu which tells you whether you found a collectible in a given area or not. It's much more fun than not knowing if you got them all.
7) The gameplay is so seamless you get immersed in the world, so much so that I ran the CE demo out, then immediately bought it.
I did have a couple of minor problems because the perspective in a couple of scenes made me click in the wrong place and/or be confused about how to proceed, but I never had to go to the strategy guide.
I just went to the guide for the very first time while writing this review. I wanted to see how far along I am in the game so you readers would know. I thought I was about halfway, but it turns out I'm only about the 1/3 of the way through! So the game is definitely long enough to be worth it.
I always advise whether to buy the CE or the SE when both are out because if I have bought neither, that is what I want to know. So I say, the better deal here with such a great game is to buy the CE, but if you don't want to drop the money, definitely buy the SE. Try it, I bet you will want to buy it immediately, just like I did.
I recommend this game!