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:
Travel to a mysterious city and save your love from an ancient curse. Solve perplexing puzzles and explore colorful locations in "Dracula’s Legacy".
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 6 found this review helpful
What a surprisingly great game!
PostedSeptember 13, 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
This game was a pleasant surprise. Yes, it's not the most sophisticated or original, but it works.
It has good art, a story that unfolds as the heroine works her way through the obstacles, and it plays smoothly, without struggle. The things that you are supposed to do, and the objects you are supposed to do them with, actually make sense.
Sometimes the characters you meet talk too much. So skip it if it's boring.
The soundtrack isn't so much music as it is background ambiance, and it is perfect.
Best of all it has skippable HOPs! Something I have been wanting forever. I mean, you can skip minigames, right? So why not HOPs? Just because these games seem to have grown out of the HO genre doesn't mean we shouldn't be able to skip them.
Immediate buy!
I recommend this game!
Uncover the truth behind the legendary fire that destroyed a university.
Overall rating
3
/
5
18 of 23 found this review helpful
Play this game at one sitting or you might forget what to do.
PostedSeptember 13, 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
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Usually I recommend whether to buy the CE or the SE when I am reviewing an SE because that's what I want to know if I have bought neither and the SE is out.
The CE has all the bells and whistles, so it you like the game, I say buy the CE.
But I had a real problem today when I went back to play again before writing this review. I had to use the hint and CE guide constantly and was totally confused about what to do much of the time.
FYI, I do not want to be expert player, I just look at the pretty pictures and work the puzzles to relax. But here, I could make no sense as to where many of the objects I had gathered went, and, as I worked through a few locations with the help of the strategy guide, it didn't really get better. (I almost never need the strategy guide.)
Many objects were not used in a way I found logical. Nor were the actions to take. For example--making an acid on the chemistry desk at the front of the lecture hall. The closeup of the desk showed it was totally filled up with objects--with no apparent space to put the ingredients and recipe down--so that action never occurred to me. The hint kept taking me back to the desk, and I had to go to the guide.
I just played a lot of Nevertales-Legends (what a GREAT game) yesterday, and I don't remember using the hint button much at all. And certainly not the guide.
I hope that my problems do not stem from the fact that I am now past the demo period. That would mean the game got worse after the demo period. I recall I used the hint button with the CE, too, though not as much as today, for sure.
So my advice is, if you like the game, pick a day when you don't have anything else to do and play it, Don't stop for three weeks. It is too hard to pick this game back up from where you left off.
I 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
11 of 22 found this review helpful
Buying tales this good can never be postponed!
PostedSeptember 12, 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
Based on playing the demo, I am buying this very soon.
1) It's beautiful.
2) The story makes sense.
3) I didn't really notice the music, so it couldn't have been too bad. Maybe I had it turned down too low, but I was so immersed in the game, I ran out the demo, so I can't go back and check.
4) The devs are mostly showing you what to do through the game play itself, not writing it out or having the characters talking too much. This adds to the seamless, immersive experience.
5) The only hidden object puzzle (if that's what it was) was great fun. You were not trapped in one scene looking for objects in a pile. Instead you wandered around several screens and found butterflies, which then triggered the next step in the game.
6) Collectables included a menu which told 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 puzzles with which you progress through the game are not too easy, not to hard. Perfect, really.
8) The only thing I found that I would call a formal minigame was interesting, though I couldn't finish it. You drag the pieces with four joints to their respective colored background. I worked on it for several minutes, then suddenly remembered I was playing a demo and skipped. It was rather a lot of clicking and dragging for my elbow, too. I'll try again from the extras menu after I buy the CE.
1) It's beautiful.
2) The story makes sense.
3) I didn't really notice the music, so it couldn't have been too bad. Maybe I had it turned down too low, but I was so immersed in the game, I ran out the demo, so I can't go back and check.
4) The devs are mostly showing you what to do through the game play itself, not writing it out or having the characters talking too much. This adds to the seamless, immersive experience.
5) The only hidden object puzzle (if that's what it was) was great fun. You were not trapped in one scene looking for objects in a pile. Instead you wandered around several screens and found butterflies, which then triggered the next step in the game.
6) Collectables included a menu which told 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 puzzles with which you progress through the game are not too easy, not to hard. Perfect, really.
8) The only thing I found that I would call a formal minigame was interesting, though I couldn't finish it. You drag the pieces with four joints to their respective colored background. I worked on it for several minutes, then suddenly remembered I was playing a demo and skipped. It was rather a lot of clicking and dragging for my elbow, too. I'll try again from the extras menu after I buy the CE.
Only three things I didn't like
1) When you unlocked the inventory, the items disappeared, but not the aqua colored bar across the bottom of the screen. I wished it would go away.
2) If there's a close up, you can't pick up an item and place it without zooming in first. When I see where something goes, I invariably forget there's a close up (if there is), so I pick the item up out of inventory, click where it is supposed to go, and nothing happens. So then I have to drop the item back in inventory, then zoom in, pick it up again, and finally place it. Grr. And it is not just this game.
3) I wish I could have stood on the ship's deck instead of above it on the shore before I went to locations on the ship. I kept trying to just stand on the deck and look around instead of clicking on the places to go within and on the ship. The perspective was confusing to me.
1) When you unlocked the inventory, the items disappeared, but not the aqua colored bar across the bottom of the screen. I wished it would go away.
2) If there's a close up, you can't pick up an item and place it without zooming in first. When I see where something goes, I invariably forget there's a close up (if there is), so I pick the item up out of inventory, click where it is supposed to go, and nothing happens. So then I have to drop the item back in inventory, then zoom in, pick it up again, and finally place it. Grr. And it is not just this game.
3) I wish I could have stood on the ship's deck instead of above it on the shore before I went to locations on the ship. I kept trying to just stand on the deck and look around instead of clicking on the places to go within and on the ship. The perspective was confusing to me.
These are minor problems though, because I am loving this game. I ran the demo out. The CE has all the bells and whistles, and I will be buying it very soon. It's my new favorite game.
I recommend this game!
Isa's back to his old tricks, and now he's doing the bidding of an even greater foe.
Overall rating
4
/
5
14 of 21 found this review helpful
CE or SE? Game is "eh" to me, but has good extras, so you decide.
PostedSeptember 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
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I didn't remember playing this game, or buying it, or even the name of it, even though I reviewed and bought the CE less than a month ago. I played some more just now, but I still have many games I would rather play. I support my previous judgment of "eh."
Usually, in these SE reviews, I recommend whether you should get the CE or the SE, because if I am reading reviews after both are out, that's what I want to know. As I said in my CE review (that I didn't remember writing!) "It's got good extra features, including replayable HOS and mini games. And the music is good. There are worse games out there."
I also said this in my CE review:
. . . the game operates well, but it is a tired story about a princess being forced to marry a mean, evil man. The one HOS I found was an interesting kind of "matching" thing, but the mini games are "eh," and the art is "eh." Some of the the people are ugly in a creepy way instead of in an interesting way, plus the close ups of animated lip synching are kinda gross. The characters don't really add to the ambiance, for me. Instead, they are just distracting. And they talk, talk, talk . . .
After getting a little bit further in the CE today, I sure am agreeing with myself. I was tempted to give the SE only three stars instead of grading it four as I did the CE. But I recommend it because, although everything is "eh," it plays well.
You should try it. If you really like it, buy the CE because the special features look to be very good. If not, just buy this, with a coupon, maybe. There are better games out there, certainly.
I recommend this game!
Solve the mysteries of Stoneville and escape with your life!
Overall rating
4
/
5
10 of 12 found this review helpful
Fun game, but it's missing some features.
PostedSeptember 10, 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
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I won't give you all the details of this game because others have already done so better than I can. Instead, I will tell you the things I think this game is lacking. Then you should play for yourself and see if you agree.
This game looks good. The art and music are decent, it plays seamlessly, the HOPs are interesting and some are somewhat different, the minigames are fun. So why not 5 stars? (Besides the fact that I can't rate EVERYTHING 5 stars.)
Three reasons:
1) No ability to play minigames and HOPs over so far as I can tell, so I might wait for the SE unless I need this game on a 2-for-1 sale.
2) No "instead of" puzzles for HOPs, something I have learned to like.
3) Although there's a way to suppress your own character's voice (good!), there is no way to suppress the other character's voices without skipping the whole mini-movie. I read faster than they talk. Bored now! Too much talking!
Also, I am quitting and going to sleep before midnight instead of maybe buying now and staying up--it didn't get me so sucked in I lost track of time. So not really superlative . . .
Anyway, after playing the demo, I believe the game is worth playing. I will be buying either the CE or the SE. Looking at the number of stars I gave, I guess I'm really rating it as four and a half. Try it and see.
Oh, and by the way, there's no way you could lift that heavy bar on the barn door that way. No way!
I recommend this game!
Solitaire Beach Season is a new card game set in exotic seaside locations. 120 summertime levels await you!
Overall rating
4
/
5
31 of 44 found this review helpful
Another matching game, not really a card game.
PostedSeptember 8, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
This game is one where you just match cards by rank. As with Pirate Solitaire and Pirate Solitaire 2, you match two cards, like two threes or two sixes, in order to remove them. I said it was "mildly amusing" when I reviewed Pirate Solitaire recently. This is the third such offering in about a month.
There are bonus points for some cards. There is also a "do over," button, but don't use it too soon!
This one has kind of cool music. It reminded me of some 50's songs, sort of, but arranged for elevators. Four stars for the music.
I gave the first Pirate Solitaire four stars, but I found that I got bored more quickly this time. If you haven't bought one of these games, pick this one for the music. If you already bought Pirate Solitaire, I'm not sure this will add anything to your game collection.
I recommend this game!
The twinkling lights in the marsh look pretty, but they hold a mysterious power. Whatever you do... do not follow them!
Overall rating
4
/
5
13 of 17 found this review helpful
1 star off because I was just not immersed in the world
PostedSeptember 3, 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
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Sorry for the four stars instead of five, but I have decided that a game has to pull me in and make me lose track of time before I can give it 5 stars. Otherwise, I'm rating everything 5 stars, which doesn't help you, gentle gamers. Don't get me wrong, the game is beautiful and I had fun. I will be buying the CE soon. I just don't care if I buy it right now, which is what a five star game should make me want to do.
I'm not going to write all the details about the game because several of the previous reviewers have already done so better than I can, particularly since I only played the demo.
The game has great art, The music I will probably turn off eventually, but it is not too annoying. The HOPs are good, not just word lists, with some interesting extra features. I couldn't figure out the map puzzle and skipped it, then it showed me and I went "oh, my bad."
It has ALL the bells and whistles a CE should have, plus it has something called "Lorebook." I'm intrigued by "Lorebook."
Do note, however, that on my Mac, running Yosemite, there is something weird about the strategy guide. Once you have gotten into the guide, you can't get back to the table of contents of the guide unless you quit the game and come back in. This means you can't use the jumps in the table of contents to get around in the guide, you have to page through. But since it takes you back to where you were as long as you don't leave the game, paging through shouldn't be too bad.
I figured this out because I was trying to see how long the game was. It looks to be a good length.
Anyway, I'm gonna buy it. Though I didn't get so sucked in that I was surprised the demo was over, I will definitely be wanting to play it soon. So maybe four and a half stars.
I recommend this game!
Explore the ruined castle once owned by the infamous Countess Dracula in this spine-chilling hidden object adventure!
Overall rating
1
/
5
17 of 25 found this review helpful
Old game revamped?
PostedSeptember 2, 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
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I only played this for about 10 minutes before I gave up. Sorry.
It looks and plays like and plays like a game from 2009. It's cartoonish and very brown. The 3 pictures on the BFG website don't look anything like what I saw, but the mini-movie is a good representation.
The screen kept getting really shadowed. I had to use hints on the first screen of the town and when I zoomed in on the street sign because I could not see well enough to figure out what to do.
It didn't give bubble help to identify what the objects in the inventory were, which, considering the lack of detail in the art, it should have. I accidentally clicked on something that went to my inventory and was unidentifiable there. It turned out it was a piece of turtle shell and I needed 5 of them.
I suddenly was looking at a hole in a tree. Abrupt transitions. Disconcerting.
I just wasn't having any fun.
I don't recommend this game.
From the makers of the Rite of Passage series comes a ground-breaking new series that's as creepy as it gets.
Overall rating
4
/
5
32 of 45 found this review helpful
CE or SE? Depends upon how much you like a horror story,
PostedAugust 30, 2015
kateblue222
fromSecond star to the right and straight on 'til morning
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
After writing my CE review, I have continued playing this game and am more than halfway through. And it is fascinating and different. However, I have not changed my mind about my rating. It’s still a love/hate relationship between me and this game.
Although 155 people have rated the CE 5 stars and only 14 have rated it 4 stars like me, I still rate it four stars, mostly for being ugly and creepy. But you should know, so you know where I am coming from, that I usually do not go to horror movies. I list many reasons for my 4 star rating in my CE review which you can see on approximately page 16 of the CE reviews, at http://www.bigfishgames.com/games/11227/maze-subject-360-collectors-edition/?mac
I will say one thing about this game, it sure generated a lot of comment!
If you have kids with access to your computer, you should definitely pay attention to the BF web page, which says, "Warning - Maze: Subject 360 is an intense psychological thriller intended for mature audiences.” That is certainly true. And one of the creepiest things is not that looks and sounds creepy, but what the game says about people being afraid to sleep because of nightmares. Chilling.
So, whether to buy the CE or the SE, which is what I always want to know if I have bought neither and the CE is out . . . I’m sorry I bought the CE because I am probably not ever going to play the music, look at the art, or play the HOS again. And also, the CE has most of the usual bells and whistles, except it does not allow you to play the minigames over. Which is odd because it does allow you to play the HOPs over. There are a couple of minigames I can think of right now that I would like to play over, and minigames are my favorite thing. Too bad!
Still, I think it is worth it to buy the CE if you love the game and so will get some value out of the extras. If not, play the demo and see if you can get through the creepiness. I’m playing the relatively un-creepy Chapter 3 right now, but I fear that the creepiness will return. And if there is not a happy (or at least triumphant) ending, I am going to be really annoyed.
I recommend this game!
Mystery Tales: Alaskan Wild Collector's Edition
Call on the animal spirits to help find your sister.
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 15 found this review helpful
Fun and beautiful, but I didn't get sucked into the world.
PostedAugust 29, 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
3
/
5
This review is based upon playing the CE version for the demo period.
The game is not so great that I can't wait for a 2-for-1 sale. Nevertheless, I will be buying the CE because it is worth it.
The game is beautiful, absolutely gorgeous, and I really like some of the music.
The story does not make much sense, but I'm ignoring that. Briefly, immediately upon your arrival in Alaska to take photographs and visit your sister, her boyfriend's mother goes all magical-evil and kidnaps her. When you pursue, everyone seems to know who you are and think you are the magical answer to problems. It's unclear why.
All the CE bells and whistles are there, including the ability to play HOS and minigames over. The problem is, I'm not sure I care to play them over. The minigames are way too easy so far. Also, HOPs are just word lists, though they are pretty HOPs and not junk piles. HOPs include an option for match 3.
There were a couple of petty annoyances, like the picture of the mouse in the maze minigame did not line up well with the gaps he had to pass through, which required a lot of jockeying with the computer mouse.
If it were jigsaw puzzles as an alternative to the HOPs, I'd be giving the game a 5 start rating and I'd be buying it ASAP. The pictures would make GREAT jigsaw puzzles. As it is, it's a good solid game, but not a 5 star effort, IMHO. Try it, I bet you will like it.
I recommend this game!