DragonsBayne's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.3
- Helpful Votes:100
- Reviews Submitted:19
- First Review:August 9, 2012
- Most Recent Review:October 24, 2018
- Featured reviews0
Use new vampire abilities to save your beloved in time!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Engaging, Not Too Lame
PostedOctober 24, 2018
DragonsBayne
fromHigh Desert, So. California
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
My Opinion:
Usually I don't like love stories. They're too mushy and lovey dovey for me. Now don't get me wrong it's not that I'm not romantic. You can do a lot with small actions than being a big show off. This game is kind of like that. They show a pretty simple love story, in short cinematics, without having to constantly show you kisses and hugs and flowers and having it pushed constantly in your face like you are missing out on something in life, blech. My point is you know it's a love story about two people who are madly in love with each other and this game doesn't overdo it to the point where you want to jump off a cliff.
I actually bought the game with 2 credits after the demo was up. I was actually interested in wanting to know what the ending to the game was. This usually doesn't happen to me very often as I hate romantic type games or anything that deals with romance. (Like I said, I don't hate romance. I am happily married with two children. I just don't care for the overuse and slap in the face kind of romance that make you sick to your stomach.)
This game piqued my interest because there were other aspects that kept you going such as why there was a sickness, who caused it, who else was involved to keep the illness and the person who cause it in check, what the illness did to people, did you have enemies, who took your fiance and why, and was there a cure to all this madness.
Game Summary:
The premise of the story starts with a strange "illness" claiming peoples lives. You, the protagonist named Travis, and the love of your life, Valerie, have both contracted it. Travis finds a "cure" for the illness and gets it from some shady merchant that he thinks nothing of because he is blinded by his concern for the welfare of the love of his life. Valerie makes Travis share the cure with her because she refuses to live without him. There is a catch to this cure however, as it was not meant to be shared as someone only wanted Valerie to live and Travis, unfortunately, is expendable.
This cure gave Travis and Valerie a permanent view on death's perspective as Travis "wakes" up inside a coffin where the journey begins just in time to see someone taking off with Valerie. Travis then has to go rescue her and stop a certain action from happening so that he can get his happily ever after for him and Valerie.
This cure gave Travis and Valerie a permanent view on death's perspective as Travis "wakes" up inside a coffin where the journey begins just in time to see someone taking off with Valerie. Travis then has to go rescue her and stop a certain action from happening so that he can get his happily ever after for him and Valerie.
Travis acquires a bracelet that is actually a dragon named Oberon who helps him on his journey to stop whatever is happening. Oberon is no ordinary dragon though. His spikes down his back are actually slots that fit crystallized tears, or memories, from certain defeated enemies that grants Travis powers that help him in situations that seem like can stop him from progressing further in his journey. You get to see the memories of these defeated enemies before actually being able to their power. The first power you are granted is overwhelming strength in order to move something so you can move on to the next area. Other powers you encounter are flight and sight. There are other powers too but you get the idea.
Travis ends up finding that he has an enemy of sorts that he must defeat in order to save both of them. Travis finds out what the illness exactly is, how to cause it, how to cure it permanently or temporarily, and who is behind all this madness and why. Travis is not only concerned with saving Valerie, he also helps others who share his enthusiasm in putting a stop to this common enemy.
Graphics:
The graphics are fairly clear and the colors are crisp. I liked the color palette. Even though this is a dark game and there are dark colors there are also bright colors that don't detach from the aesthetics of the atmosphere and story. There are some instances in some of the HOS where the lighting makes some places blurry and it makes it harder to see the object you need to find.
There are tiny attention to details such as Travis' feet sway ever so slightly when you have to break him out of the coffin, dust flying around in areas highlighted by the lighting or rose petals falling slowly to the ground by some unknown breeze. The lighting itself is nicely done. The light peaks through holes in the coffin and also is used to show day and night and shows just enough to give the atmosphere the tension it needs.
The attention to details on a lot of the scenery and objects is nice. The rose petals have veins just like in real life, the plant leaves are not just blurs unless they are in the distance and the objects in the HOS are not just some mass that gives you a general idea of what you are looking for. It's no Van Gogh but at least the art is not generic looking.
Voice Overs/Acting:
The voice overs are done fairly well. In the cinematics, the lips actually move to what the character is saying and doesn't look stiff or like the old kung fu movies where the lips are moving before they talk or long after they talk. The acting is ok. I mean we're not talking like they deserve Emmy's or whatever but it doesn't sound fake. It's close enough to having an everyday conversation if you will. The storytelling is done well and everything doesn't feel too forced. You feel comfortable and not cringy.
Gameplay:
There are three levels of gameplay you can choose from before you start playing. You can choose from Casual, Advanced and Expert. There is also a Custom one if you want to pick and choose certain aspects from the first three. The Casual setting allows the Hint and Skip to recharge fast, shows Active areas that sparkle, Active Items are indicated, Active HOS that sparkle, has a tutorial, helpful tips are shown, Icon changes when hovered over Active areas and Tasks are shown on the map with an exclamation point.
Advanced and Expert just get a little harder prospectively.
Advanced and Expert just get a little harder prospectively.
Yes, there is a map though I hardly every used it. The areas are pretty straight forward and it's hard to miss anything. You can use the map to teleport to another room if you are too lazy to walk back to it. The map also shows whether you got all the morphing objects and glass statues in the area you are exploring.
Mini/Games:
Among the typical HOS you will also encounter these types of mini games:
- Move the tokens into the appropriate matching slot on the board.
- Grid like defense game in a hexagon shape. You have a bat surrounded by cross bows. You are given a certain amount of turns to stay alive.
- Another grid like game on a rectangular board. On each of the four sides is an outline of a bat. On the board are four bats surrounded by wolves that rotate one square at a time at 360 degrees. There is also a pass button. You have to guide to bats (moving one to 3 spaces at a time or passing) into the spaces in one of the four areas outside the board.
- A memory matching game. You shoot bats and try to match them.
- A wolf weight game. You have two large wolf weights, two medium wolf weights, and three small wolf weights. Across the top of are bats. The idea is to arrange to wolves, that weigh differently, so that all the wolves are taking a bit out of the bats.
- A jewel type game where you are given a certain amount of icons to match to complete it. You just slide your pointer across the corresponding icons to match as long as they have at least three to start with.
- A slider picture puzzle. You use the sliders to align the picture to complete.
- Rotate puzzle pieces until the pieces are in the corresponding spots.
- Rotate constellations to match.
- Move bats on a grid to "capture" enemy bats. Bats that touch enemy bats turn to good bats and vice versa. The objective is to turn all bad bats into good bats.
- Tokens are put on a board where they must fit together like a puzzle without their ends overlapping other tokens or the boarder of the board.
- A logic type puzzle where you place pictures that correspond to who loves each other, supports each other and are enemies to each other.
- A bell puzzle where a symbol appears in the middle. You have to click on bells to find the parts of the symbol that match it.
- Another grid game where Travis is by himself or with a friend and an enemy are put on different ends. You have to connect the characters with predetermined paths that you drag and place.
- Move two characters along a path to the enemy at the top that is being bombarded by spells by that enemy.
- Grid like defense game in a hexagon shape. You have a bat surrounded by cross bows. You are given a certain amount of turns to stay alive.
- Another grid like game on a rectangular board. On each of the four sides is an outline of a bat. On the board are four bats surrounded by wolves that rotate one square at a time at 360 degrees. There is also a pass button. You have to guide to bats (moving one to 3 spaces at a time or passing) into the spaces in one of the four areas outside the board.
- A memory matching game. You shoot bats and try to match them.
- A wolf weight game. You have two large wolf weights, two medium wolf weights, and three small wolf weights. Across the top of are bats. The idea is to arrange to wolves, that weigh differently, so that all the wolves are taking a bit out of the bats.
- A jewel type game where you are given a certain amount of icons to match to complete it. You just slide your pointer across the corresponding icons to match as long as they have at least three to start with.
- A slider picture puzzle. You use the sliders to align the picture to complete.
- Rotate puzzle pieces until the pieces are in the corresponding spots.
- Rotate constellations to match.
- Move bats on a grid to "capture" enemy bats. Bats that touch enemy bats turn to good bats and vice versa. The objective is to turn all bad bats into good bats.
- Tokens are put on a board where they must fit together like a puzzle without their ends overlapping other tokens or the boarder of the board.
- A logic type puzzle where you place pictures that correspond to who loves each other, supports each other and are enemies to each other.
- A bell puzzle where a symbol appears in the middle. You have to click on bells to find the parts of the symbol that match it.
- Another grid game where Travis is by himself or with a friend and an enemy are put on different ends. You have to connect the characters with predetermined paths that you drag and place.
- Move two characters along a path to the enemy at the top that is being bombarded by spells by that enemy.
Collectors Edition:
Is it worth getting the collectors? Not really. I only get the collectors for games because I love searching for the morphing objects and glass statues in this case. This edition also comes with a Bonus Chapter you can play after defeating the game. It does add to the story but the ending is still good for SE. You also get to play the HOS and minigames over, see the cinematics overs, get wallpapers and screen savers and see your collections where if you found all the morphing and glass statures you can play another HOS and you can track your achievements.
Conclusion:
I surprised myself with like a game like this.I hardly ever buy a game right after the demo ends unless it's from a series I know I love like the Dark Parables or Delicious: Emily's. I usually like mystery games or fairy tale games.Looks like I'm adding the Immortal series to my collection now. As always there is a demo and it is long enough for you to decide whether you'll like it or not. Happy gaming!
I recommend this game!
The exciting adventures of the young Ingolf await you in this magical Time Management game.
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Vikings have strange lore...
PostedMarch 31, 2018
DragonsBayne
fromSo. Cali.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Family, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I started going into this thinking this would be like all other time management games...and I was right. It does have a good story, that you rarely see in these types of games. You get a snippet of what is going on after you complete each level.
Story:
Well the King has two sons, the older is brave and wise just like his father and the younger is on the kinder and lovable side. The King is very rich and is the typical viking character you can have. He loves women, riches and food. Only one day, he suddenly loses interest in everything that once made him exceptionally happy for most of his life. The King sends his younger son on a voyage across the sea with an heirloom locked in a trunk entrusted to him. Of course you have the typical viking lore surrounding this said item, that involves the trickster god, Loki. The story then takes a typical turn in where the younger son's drakkar, (viking ship), is shipwrecked during a monstrous storm. The island where he crashes is where you start the story after the cutscenes. Your first task is to get that trunk.
Well the King has two sons, the older is brave and wise just like his father and the younger is on the kinder and lovable side. The King is very rich and is the typical viking character you can have. He loves women, riches and food. Only one day, he suddenly loses interest in everything that once made him exceptionally happy for most of his life. The King sends his younger son on a voyage across the sea with an heirloom locked in a trunk entrusted to him. Of course you have the typical viking lore surrounding this said item, that involves the trickster god, Loki. The story then takes a typical turn in where the younger son's drakkar, (viking ship), is shipwrecked during a monstrous storm. The island where he crashes is where you start the story after the cutscenes. Your first task is to get that trunk.
Gameplay:
It's nothing different than any other time management games, similar to the Envoy, Musketeer, Northern Tale, etc.. games. They, including this game, all have the same basics of gathering food, wood, and coins to use for building or exchanging with characters. You can play in either timed or untimed modes. For timed modes you do have to plan a bit as the levels get higher or you will be stuck not having enough of something to get past something to end the level. Veteran players will know what I am talking about. You've been there where you went down one path only to discover that you should have went down the other then the path you first took because you got stuck not having enough food or wood for example to get past that last barrier to end the level. You are given a score at the end of the level based on your time for the level and you get a chance for a total of 1-3 stars. You can restart the level in the middle of playing if you realize you went down the wrong path or now thought of a faster way to do the the level. You can also pick the levels at the map to redo them if you so wish. If you love stories you should love this one. Of course you can skip the stories if you so wish, as there is a skip button during the cutscenes,which have VO's, and the conversations, no VO's, as well.
It's nothing different than any other time management games, similar to the Envoy, Musketeer, Northern Tale, etc.. games. They, including this game, all have the same basics of gathering food, wood, and coins to use for building or exchanging with characters. You can play in either timed or untimed modes. For timed modes you do have to plan a bit as the levels get higher or you will be stuck not having enough of something to get past something to end the level. Veteran players will know what I am talking about. You've been there where you went down one path only to discover that you should have went down the other then the path you first took because you got stuck not having enough food or wood for example to get past that last barrier to end the level. You are given a score at the end of the level based on your time for the level and you get a chance for a total of 1-3 stars. You can restart the level in the middle of playing if you realize you went down the wrong path or now thought of a faster way to do the the level. You can also pick the levels at the map to redo them if you so wish. If you love stories you should love this one. Of course you can skip the stories if you so wish, as there is a skip button during the cutscenes,which have VO's, and the conversations, no VO's, as well.
Sound:
The music goes along with the theme of the game. It's not overbearing nor gets on your nerves. You can adjust the sound in the settings to your liking.
The music goes along with the theme of the game. It's not overbearing nor gets on your nerves. You can adjust the sound in the settings to your liking.
Overall I like the game based on the demo I played. I will be purchasing it along with the second and third ones in this series. I usually play hidden object games but every once in a while a time management game will appeal to me, but it's very rare. It has to be a bit different than all the others to capture my attention. In this case, it was the story. I'd say give it a try, it might be the "something different" you are looking for too.
I recommend this game!
Manage a car workshop with full service: washing, cleaning, waxing, repairing...
Overall rating
2
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Repetitive, Over!
PostedJanuary 3, 2017
DragonsBayne
fromSo. Cali.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This is one reason I love Big Fish, being able to have a one hour trial and deciding if this game is worthwhile to you. In this case, sadly, this game was not worthwhile to me.
GRAPHICS
Well it's nothing to write home about, but they are semi cute, yet generic. It won't knock your socks off, but it won't make you run away either.
Well it's nothing to write home about, but they are semi cute, yet generic. It won't knock your socks off, but it won't make you run away either.
SOUND
I kind of ignored the sound, and as I usually play late at night, I turn it off so I don't disturb my hubby.
I kind of ignored the sound, and as I usually play late at night, I turn it off so I don't disturb my hubby.
CHALLENGE
Since there is no timer, you can play without getting sweaty or having a heart attack. You can play as fast or as slow as you like.
Since there is no timer, you can play without getting sweaty or having a heart attack. You can play as fast or as slow as you like.
GAMEPLAY
There are goals, but you can complete them on your own time. But for me I was disappointed as I played the hour demo, and still didn't save up enough money to buy the auto paint shop, which was a task/goal. Also there is a lot of clicking. It does take too long, in my opinion, to earn money and "expand" your garage. Following the current trends is supposed to help you earn more by allowing you to apply them to cars you can buy, fix up, meaning fix tires and wash in order to sell for more money, at least in the beginning. Buying that paint shop would have helped me to paint the car according to the current trend and make more than what washing the car and fixing the tires alone could do. Basically just buying a fixer upper, only gains you a couple hundred more. Also you basically only click on the cars to get tasks done. When you start you buy a building to fix tires and a car wash. That's it. That's all I was stuck with for an hour. You have a clip board you click on once you click on your office, pick the clients cars you want to fix, then wait for a tow truck to deliver them to your lot, you click and hold then drag the car to the tire building. Then you click on the car to click on the tire icon to fix the car. tires. When the tires are fixed, you click and hold the car and drag it to the car wash, then click on the car and click on the wash icon to wash the car. So repetitive. Aaaaand repeat.
There are goals, but you can complete them on your own time. But for me I was disappointed as I played the hour demo, and still didn't save up enough money to buy the auto paint shop, which was a task/goal. Also there is a lot of clicking. It does take too long, in my opinion, to earn money and "expand" your garage. Following the current trends is supposed to help you earn more by allowing you to apply them to cars you can buy, fix up, meaning fix tires and wash in order to sell for more money, at least in the beginning. Buying that paint shop would have helped me to paint the car according to the current trend and make more than what washing the car and fixing the tires alone could do. Basically just buying a fixer upper, only gains you a couple hundred more. Also you basically only click on the cars to get tasks done. When you start you buy a building to fix tires and a car wash. That's it. That's all I was stuck with for an hour. You have a clip board you click on once you click on your office, pick the clients cars you want to fix, then wait for a tow truck to deliver them to your lot, you click and hold then drag the car to the tire building. Then you click on the car to click on the tire icon to fix the car. tires. When the tires are fixed, you click and hold the car and drag it to the car wash, then click on the car and click on the wash icon to wash the car. So repetitive. Aaaaand repeat.
REPLAY
If I had bought this game, I don't see myself replaying it. Once would have been enough to satisfy my curiosity. Plus I have carpal tunnel and I can only take so much clicking, Thankfully it was not a clickfest but it still bothered me a bit,
If I had bought this game, I don't see myself replaying it. Once would have been enough to satisfy my curiosity. Plus I have carpal tunnel and I can only take so much clicking, Thankfully it was not a clickfest but it still bothered me a bit,
OVERALL
Is this game for me? No. Is this game for you? Possibly. As I stated before, you can play at your own pace. Though I didn't care for the clicking. I would have liked it you didn't have to confirm each and every step. Maybe something that helped you to speed that process along a bit would have been nice. I also got bored because it was hard to earn money to expand. I don't mean, I wanted it to be easy by no means, just maybe where even after an hour you still weren't halfway where you needed to be seems a bit off. But then again, I also don't like where a game is the same thing over and over constantly. I wished for some variety and some challenge. But that's me. If you want an easy game with no time constraints and you don't have to think too much, then this will work for you. I really recommend it for beginners though. This would be something to help introduce someone to this genre, without overwhelming them immediately.
Is this game for me? No. Is this game for you? Possibly. As I stated before, you can play at your own pace. Though I didn't care for the clicking. I would have liked it you didn't have to confirm each and every step. Maybe something that helped you to speed that process along a bit would have been nice. I also got bored because it was hard to earn money to expand. I don't mean, I wanted it to be easy by no means, just maybe where even after an hour you still weren't halfway where you needed to be seems a bit off. But then again, I also don't like where a game is the same thing over and over constantly. I wished for some variety and some challenge. But that's me. If you want an easy game with no time constraints and you don't have to think too much, then this will work for you. I really recommend it for beginners though. This would be something to help introduce someone to this genre, without overwhelming them immediately.
I don't recommend this game.
Guide Bob to safety as he sleepwalks through the city. Control his subconscious guardian, Subob, as the pair travel through a surreal dream world.
Overall rating
2
/
5
9 of 11 found this review helpful
Got Bored Quick
PostedJune 22, 2016
DragonsBayne
fromSo. Cali.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Strategy
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Like pennmom36 stated, it is a struggle with the mouse as the game gets a bit faster in the later stages.A controller would probably help.
I was bored after the first three as there wasn't much variety in the puzzles. You pick up a green apple or two or three, with Subob who is the subconscious of Bob, and put it in front of Bob, who goes clockwise, so he doesn't fall off the edges and direct him to the door that opens to his bed to end the stage. I wanted to like it. I tried to like this game but puzzles without variety don't hold my attention span for very long. And it wasn't as challenging as it was frustrating. I have carpal tunnel and trying to pick up the apples, by right clicking them, in time and then putting them where they belong before Bob decided to fall to his demise just didn't help my condition much. I also had trouble trying to drop the apples in the right squares as I would always be one off sometimes or thought I had Subob in the right square only to see Bob careen off into nothingness.
I like the Escheresque-style backgrounds as he is one of my favorite artists. And the music and sounds are not bad either. It's appealing and doesn't take away from the feel of the game.
I only played the demo, and glad I did. Now I'm not a genius but I found this game to be a bit too easy, frustrating and lacking any challenge. The devs are on to something, just not this direction that they chose.
So play the demo at least. Though I guarantee it might bore you. I prefer the other puzzle games on this site. You probably will too.
I don't recommend this game.
Complete dangerous missions amid dazzling landscapes of prehistoric Earth and alien worlds. Can you complete these thrilling puzzles in order to return home?
Overall rating
4
/
5
0 of 3 found this review helpful
Not Really My Type of Game
PostedSeptember 21, 2015
DragonsBayne
fromSo. Cali.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Strategy, Family
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
(Based on Demo only, will NOT purchase.)
Story: Imagine being a scientist and unearthing someone who looks exactly like yourself, that died 10,000 years earlier. It also comes complete with a cellphone from your time buried with this person. Would you want to find out as much as you could about this mysterious phenomenon? Of course you would and you get your best friend to help gather clues to find out how you ended up in the past. You also find out that this isn't the first time someone has somehow traveled to the past either.
Interface: You do get an interactive map that shows you where you have things to do and also I think you can fast travel to a certain spot. You also have a journal that you keep your clues in and also to keep track of your tasks you need to accomplish.
Sound: I play with it off, since I tend to play at night as to not disturb my husband. So I can't comment on this aspect, at least music wise. There are no voice overs in the cut scenes, and the speeches do not match the movement of the lips of the "cut out" like characters. Imagine your first time trying to make a ventriloquist dummy talk. That's kind of how it looked. Some messages went by too fast to read as well. I mean I can really fairly fast, but I'm no robot. Sometimes I missed key tasks and ended up looking at my journal to see what happened.
Gameplay: I do like mini games to an extent but am not a huge fan of them though. You do have some HOS that once completed, give you items to use such as keys to open locked drawers or doors.These HOS were different in that your usual list was divided into three sections, that had symbols you needed to find in the scene in order to open that part up to find the rest of the items. There are other games such as one that requires you to shoot scorpions with a gun that are crawling along a path. You have no control over aiming the gun, you have to wait then shoot, my clicking the left mouse button, at the right time. And it takes a few seconds to shoot again, I absolutely hated this game! It reminded me of one of those games at the fair that is already unfairly balanced against your favor so you can lose. You got an item from this that needed to be combined with other items that you got from other mini games in the same area. Another game was like leap frog, where you had pieces on a board and you had to make sure all the spots had at least been landed on. I think you have 5 pieces that were placed on a board of like 7 spots. You could move only up, down, left or right. AND you could actually jump over pieces in order to make sure all the spots had been landed on. You also have to look carefully for objects you will need such as a brush that can be used to brush sand off of another item that can be combined with an object in the same area as the scorpion shooting gallery. Another mini game had you connect lines together from a light source, that if all were connected correctly they would all be lit. You get the picture, a lot of mini games to occupy you all night. And I actually tire of mini games, because they tend to bore me faster and I lose interest in these games pretty fast too.
Graphics: The graphics are a little blurry around the edges and some are kind of cheesy looking. The objects weren't too hard to see though, and were discernible enough that you didn't have to worry about hunting forever for them like some other games have you do. I felt like some areas had a fake look to them, like things didn't belong in that place at that particular time. I guess I mean it had a surreal look to them, kind of like having deja vu.
Overall Impression: I pretty much hate mini games. These games were fairly easy to figure out. If you're going to have me play mini games, at least make them challenging for me. If you love mini games and don't like to do a lot of HOG or HOS games, then you will love this game, The story isn't bad. It does hook you into wanting to find out more, even if it does seem a bit cheesy. A lot of the graphics are pretty even if it feels out of place. This is not my type of game at all, so I couldn't get into it. I played maybe 30 minutes of the demo, before I was done with it. I tried but it wasn't my type of game at all. But those who like the mini games will find this fun and probably refreshing, a break from all the same old hidden objects repeated games. I am uninstalling this game and will NOT be purchasing it.
I recommend this game!
Help Scarlet Frost outwit evil itself in a dark and mysterious theatre to save an innocent girl’s soul from the most sinister of perils.
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Not Really for Those Who are Faint of Heart and Soul...
PostedJuly 21, 2015
DragonsBayne
fromSo. Cali.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Strategy, Mahjong, Family
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I have mixed feelings about this game. I don't scare easily for one so when I get horror games I don't scale it on the fear factor. I find this game more disturbing than anything, though... not scary or freaky. Shows you how desensitized I am. Also if you are spiritual in any way, you might find this game to be something that IS disturbing because it deals with a sort of demonic possession of a child who you are trying to prevent from being taken by a demon.
Storywise it was okay. You arrive at this castle to discern whether an artifact the owner has in his possession is authentic. You say no but that only enrages the owner to which he decides to shatter it to pieces only to release the demon bound within. This demon then tries to possess a the child of the owner or take her away for it's nefarious deeds in which you now have to find a way to prevent her from being taken over and taken away. The girl can't be no more than maybe 7 years old. Your job now is to find 4 parts of a bell that will seal the demon away while protecting the girl from the demon in between you finding the parts. Because somehow the belltower is supposed to be the safest place for the girl. Also, you get powers to use which are spells "engraved" on your arm so that you can solve puzzles or use as guidance as to what to do next. These powers allowed you to also dispel areas with demonic fog or read glyphs from a tablet too.
The puzzles were your standard HOS's. You get a list of words and have to find them in the scene. After completing them you received items to use for other puzzles in the different rooms you encountered. For example, you might receive golden orbs which were to use for a lock that needed them so you could open the door to the next area. There were also a couple ring puzzles, where you rotated the rings to complete the picture.
There was no map that I was aware of. So no teleporting to where you had to go. You had a diary that recorded important things you needed such as codes and clues. I believe there was two difficulty settings, basically easy and hard.
The sound wasn't bad for this game. The music was appropriate for the game but I could not stand the voice of the owner of the castle. For some reason he sounded soooo slow to me. I mean I know he was old but no one speaks THAT slow.
The graphics were okay. Mind you I'm running this game on Windows 8 with all the bells and whistles for a fast computer. I did have trouble with seeing some things as they were a bit blurry for me. For example, one puzzle wanted me to find a flower. Well there was yellow lit lantern that overtook the left side of my screen, eerily I might add, and the flower was yellow. So I had trouble discerning it in that instance. Also some items were shadow figures that were sometimes small and blended in a tad too well. Another puzzle wanted me to find a winged lady, but her wings were behind another object so all I saw was a sitting lady until I accidently clicked on her and it got marked off. I wouldn't have known if I didn't accidently click. But still you could tell what most of the objects were.
I finished this game around 6 hours but you can easily finish is sooner. The puzzles weren't hard, I think it was just the fact I had trouble finding objects because of the shading and lighting in the HOS's.
The game kept you interested enough to keep going to find out what happened, but honestly I got bored towards the end. I bought this game thinking I love horror and such but wish I had bought a different one. As I said, this game was more disturbing for me than scary. If you are spiritual or religious, I would think this game would be a turn off for you as it deals with a kind of precarious situation of sorts. We are talking about demons, a little girl being possessed by one so to speak and finding out what this owner did to want to "experiment" around with type of matter. There are references to demonic rituals and such.
Overall, not one of the best games I played but not the worst either, but it IS different.
I don't recommend this game.
Travel to the glory days of ancient Egypt when impressive and mysterious
buildings characterized the western shores of the Nile.
Overall rating
3
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
Very, Very, Very Slow
PostedJuly 18, 2015
DragonsBayne
fromSo. Cali.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Strategy, Family
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I gave this a try because of the so called bad reviews. For one, I do like TM builder games and two, strategy as well. The tutorial was well-explained to me. But you really should read it to understand this game enough.
This is a very, very, very slow game. It doesn't require much strategy. You build a city to appease your Pharaoh because he had a vision that locusts were going to attack. At least the should be the gist of it. So you are to build settlements with the usual farms, fishing huts, houses, etc..
For starters, there is a lot of clicking on buildings and mouse swiping to pick up your supplies and such. So you have to establish a main building that HAS to be near an oasis. But in order to find said oasis, you have to get your explorer to walk around and search for it. This took up most of the time as the map is covered in clouds and only he can make them disappear. You cannot even build until you have a fair amount of clouds gone. So you click him, click a target icon above his head, then click somewhere on the map. You keep repeating this until you find your oasis, then you click on him yet again to click the building icon next to the target to establish your main building. And sometimes when you try to build near the oasis for your main building it will say it's not an optimal spot.
The main building is where you hire your workers or carriers (those that gather supplies). But you still have to assign these workers to a specific job in the buildings in order for production of said items like wood or food. And if you don't have enough food they will go back to the main building and you will have to reassign them again.
I couldn't get into it. I finished three levels, which usually in these games you can finish at least ten. But it was soooooooooooooooooo slow because of the exploration part. But I will disagree with other reviews on it being too hard. It's not. If you follow the tutorial, you'll be fine. I just didn't like the pace.
The visuals are okay. Though other games are a bit better. Not the worst. I don't listen to the music because I play games at night, so it's off so I don't wake my husband up. I really wanted to enjoy this game but it's too slow paced for me. Not that I want a hurry up and go game either. I do enjoy other TM games that are face paced, but never ran across one that was this slow.
I'd say try it first before you really decide. Everyone has their likes and dislikes. This isn't a game I'd sweep under the rug completely but it's not for me.
I don't recommend this game.
Violett is reluctant to move to the dreary countryside. But when a strange light lures her to into a world of magic, she may never find herself bored again!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Doesn't Hold Your Hand
PostedApril 29, 2015
DragonsBayne
fromSo. Cali.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Strategy, Family
Current Favorite:
Dreampath: The Two Kingdoms Collector's Edition
(90)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
If you like games that state the obvious such as you cannot use this item here or you need another part to complete this task, then this game is NOT for you. This game does not hold your hand.
VO’s:
There are no VO's so to speak. If you can akin their speech to "SIM" talk, that's what you get here. They kind of chitter or chirp you could say. The basic story is about a teenage girl who is defiant to her parents, doesn't listen, you know the usual. Her and her parents have moved to this old house and while her parent are fighting she goes up to her room. She finds something that shrinks her to insect size and is now on a quest to get back to her parents while along the way helping the friendly little bugs and insects that reside within the walls of the house and outside. If you help them then they will in turn help you.
There are no VO's so to speak. If you can akin their speech to "SIM" talk, that's what you get here. They kind of chitter or chirp you could say. The basic story is about a teenage girl who is defiant to her parents, doesn't listen, you know the usual. Her and her parents have moved to this old house and while her parent are fighting she goes up to her room. She finds something that shrinks her to insect size and is now on a quest to get back to her parents while along the way helping the friendly little bugs and insects that reside within the walls of the house and outside. If you help them then they will in turn help you.
HINTS:
There is a hint system, but not in the typical sense. This game does not use words to give hints but rather pictures. There is a circle in the bottom right hand corner of the screen that is quartered and numbered I, II, III, and IV. If you are unsure of what to do you can click on each section which gives you pictures of what to do next. Hovering over certain items will give you pictures as to what to do with that area. It's not easy as sometimes the clues don't always point out that you have to do something else in order to accomplish that task even when you use the hints in the bottom right.
There is a hint system, but not in the typical sense. This game does not use words to give hints but rather pictures. There is a circle in the bottom right hand corner of the screen that is quartered and numbered I, II, III, and IV. If you are unsure of what to do you can click on each section which gives you pictures of what to do next. Hovering over certain items will give you pictures as to what to do with that area. It's not easy as sometimes the clues don't always point out that you have to do something else in order to accomplish that task even when you use the hints in the bottom right.
GRAPHICS:
The graphics are cute. They are bright, charming and very imaginative. Makes you think of what it would actually be like if bugs did live like this.
The graphics are cute. They are bright, charming and very imaginative. Makes you think of what it would actually be like if bugs did live like this.
SOUNDS:
The music and sounds are cute. It's not over bearing and doesn't drive you insane. Of course you can adjust it in options.
The music and sounds are cute. It's not over bearing and doesn't drive you insane. Of course you can adjust it in options.
GAMEPLAY:
This is a point and click adventure. Shoes will show up if you can travel to a certain spot. A door shows up when you can travel to another area. A hand shows up if you want to move something, which you click and hold then drag to the desired spot, or if you can slide a door open for instance. A speech bubble, with pictures of what one wants, will show up over characters you can interact with. These are your quests. You have a backpack that is in the upper right hand corner of the screen where your collectibles and usable objects are stored. You hover the mouse over it and click and drag the object to where it needs to go. You collect little green, blue and celadon orbs, which I think help with upgrading your powers. You also collect diary entries on the different species that are in the game. In the beginning you get the telekinesis power from a fairy. This is something you will use quite often. Some areas require you to dress a certain way in order to continue on to the next area. It seems hard but once you get used to the gameplay, you start figuring out what makes sense for each area. I never used the hints. You just have to put some thought into it, even if it doesn’t make sense. These are bugs we’re talking about here.
There is not choice for hard or easy that I saw. You can change the controls to touch or swipe. As an example, in the beginning you have to swing a cage back and forth and I found it easier to use the touch rather than swipe. I couldn’t get my mouse to swipe well. I recommend using a plug in mouse rather than the built in laptop mouse for this game. But to each their own.
This is a point and click adventure. Shoes will show up if you can travel to a certain spot. A door shows up when you can travel to another area. A hand shows up if you want to move something, which you click and hold then drag to the desired spot, or if you can slide a door open for instance. A speech bubble, with pictures of what one wants, will show up over characters you can interact with. These are your quests. You have a backpack that is in the upper right hand corner of the screen where your collectibles and usable objects are stored. You hover the mouse over it and click and drag the object to where it needs to go. You collect little green, blue and celadon orbs, which I think help with upgrading your powers. You also collect diary entries on the different species that are in the game. In the beginning you get the telekinesis power from a fairy. This is something you will use quite often. Some areas require you to dress a certain way in order to continue on to the next area. It seems hard but once you get used to the gameplay, you start figuring out what makes sense for each area. I never used the hints. You just have to put some thought into it, even if it doesn’t make sense. These are bugs we’re talking about here.
There is not choice for hard or easy that I saw. You can change the controls to touch or swipe. As an example, in the beginning you have to swing a cage back and forth and I found it easier to use the touch rather than swipe. I couldn’t get my mouse to swipe well. I recommend using a plug in mouse rather than the built in laptop mouse for this game. But to each their own.
PUZZLES:
The puzzles are pretty easy. In the beginning for example you have to swing a cage back and forth to hit another cage next to you to get your telekinesis power, then you use that power to move things around so that you can get free from the cage. In the next area you have to distract something in order to get past it. In other areas you have to find objects that will complete something that can help you move from one side to the other or you may have to move ladders in a certain way in order to climb something. In another puzzle you have to divert water a certain way in order to acquire an object to use for another part of the area. Once you understand the mechanics, the games starts going faster.
The puzzles are pretty easy. In the beginning for example you have to swing a cage back and forth to hit another cage next to you to get your telekinesis power, then you use that power to move things around so that you can get free from the cage. In the next area you have to distract something in order to get past it. In other areas you have to find objects that will complete something that can help you move from one side to the other or you may have to move ladders in a certain way in order to climb something. In another puzzle you have to divert water a certain way in order to acquire an object to use for another part of the area. Once you understand the mechanics, the games starts going faster.
OVERALL:
This game is not for everyone. I loved it because it was different and I don’t like my hand being held. I liked the idea that they used pictures for what to do instead of words. I’m usually the type of person that doesn’t go with everyone else. So try it out first and this game may surprise you.
This game is not for everyone. I loved it because it was different and I don’t like my hand being held. I liked the idea that they used pictures for what to do instead of words. I’m usually the type of person that doesn’t go with everyone else. So try it out first and this game may surprise you.
I recommend this game!
Princess Selene's vivid dreams warn that her marriage foretells disaster – but only you can break the magical spell threatening both your lives!
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
Depends On Your Style
PostedSeptember 25, 2014
DragonsBayne
fromSo. Cali.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
My overall impression is that the gameplay is a bit different. I agree with another reviewer that I don't need to be reading what I need to do or can or cannot do when I happen to find a place that needs to be solved. It is a bit off putting at first but you get used to it if you've played games like this before.
Story:
Not bad. It kind of is like the Sleeping Beauty story where you have to save the sleeping princess. Your are an ambassador from another kingdom who delivers a marriage proposal to the Princess of Tida, in which she refuses and something happens to cause her to fall into a deep sleep. In this case though the Queen "entrusts" your life literally in finding the cure to wake her up. If you don't, you die too because she binds your life to hers. Unfortunate for you as it gives new meaning to the phrase, "Don't shoot the messenger."
Graphics:
They are nicely done. I especially love the flying tiger, even if you don't actually see yourself flying on it. Overall it is crisp and clean and not hard to see or find the tools you need.
Sound:
I found it pretty and relaxing, not boring. It shouldn't be a turn off.
Gameplay:
Not overly hard. If you've played games that need tools at certain spots and can overlook the "I think it needs something here" or "I can't use that here yet" phrases, then you'll have no problem solving the puzzles. It is a bit challenging but you can get used to it fairly fast, especially if you don't want to read constantly. The story has it's cutscenes which explain everything happening anyways. Some parts are very particular at where you should click in order to do something even if the gears show a big area that can be utilized. But they want this certain area to be clicked on specifically with the item which may be some small area at the bottom. There are some things that don't make sense and I had to use the guide. And sometimes the guide wasn't too clear. For example, I was trying to find something to get rid of some vines. I had an empty vial and knew it needed to be used at this source of water, (I got the general idea of what to do just couldn't figure out WHY I couldn't do it), well the guide basically said go forward, use fire magic, add the dragon scale and rose quartz. Well it didn't say where to put the fire etc..., which in this case was supposed to be directly at the base of the water source even though the gears showed up over the entire section. After it was done you got an Acidic Potion. (Someone tell me how putting fire on water turns it acidic?) But that doesn't happen too often.
Overall I'd recommend this game for people who like a little challenge and don't care for reading every little detail. This game grew on me. Of course try the demo first as everyone has different tastes. I'm glad I didn't let all the negative reviews turn me away.
I recommend this game!
The mystical Silver Arrow has been stolen from you on the eve of your wedding. Without it, you can’t marry your beloved Prince Philip! Can you track down the arrow in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
Chasing Love
PostedJanuary 21, 2014
DragonsBayne
fromSo. Cali.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I started to play the SE trial version first but had a friend who had bought the CE so played that version. Honestly, I would stick with the SE version. The CE has your typical wallpapers, strategy guide, etc.. The bonus extra story doesn't really add on much for it to be worth the extra money. And once I play a game I really don't want to go back and replay the mini-games and HOG's again (which each are unlocked after you encounter them and can access them from the extras menu after you beat them in the chapter), which is included in the CE as well.
Story:
Well it's your typical you meet the prince and it's instantaneous love at first sight! As if that story hasn't been used before right? Well even though you've met him and you both have fallen in love, there is a hitch. Of course, there is. Supposedly through tradition the prince has to shoot a silver arrow into the sky and whose ever's window in lands on or flies through is supposed to be the next queen. Well of course it lands in your window but some shapeshifting sorcerer decides to steal it from you for his client who is bent on being the next queen to fulfill her dastardly deeds of evil. Now that presents a problem because according to tradition, the person whom the arrow chooses is supposed to present the arrow to the prince at his castle so that they know that you aren't lying...? Which is what this lady was planning to do but everyone knows she's not the one the arrow chose anyways.... (wait did I miss something here?) So no one thought that just offing off the chosen lady or stealing it from them would be another way to lie? But in this story the prince and everyone seems to know that the arrow didn't chose the evil lady. They all miraculously know it chose you. So if that's the case what was going to happen when your nemesis presented the arrow? Sorry I don't mean to degrade the story and make it sound that bad.It does keep you interested enough to want to see what was going to happen next. I did play it all the way through.
Well it's your typical you meet the prince and it's instantaneous love at first sight! As if that story hasn't been used before right? Well even though you've met him and you both have fallen in love, there is a hitch. Of course, there is. Supposedly through tradition the prince has to shoot a silver arrow into the sky and whose ever's window in lands on or flies through is supposed to be the next queen. Well of course it lands in your window but some shapeshifting sorcerer decides to steal it from you for his client who is bent on being the next queen to fulfill her dastardly deeds of evil. Now that presents a problem because according to tradition, the person whom the arrow chooses is supposed to present the arrow to the prince at his castle so that they know that you aren't lying...? Which is what this lady was planning to do but everyone knows she's not the one the arrow chose anyways.... (wait did I miss something here?) So no one thought that just offing off the chosen lady or stealing it from them would be another way to lie? But in this story the prince and everyone seems to know that the arrow didn't chose the evil lady. They all miraculously know it chose you. So if that's the case what was going to happen when your nemesis presented the arrow? Sorry I don't mean to degrade the story and make it sound that bad.It does keep you interested enough to want to see what was going to happen next. I did play it all the way through.
Sound:
I don't play with sound because I play late at night and I don't want to disturb my husband who is sleeping.
I don't play with sound because I play late at night and I don't want to disturb my husband who is sleeping.
Graphics:
They were crisp and clear. Some things looked realistic up close or far away. It is what I would expect from a fantasy romance.
They were crisp and clear. Some things looked realistic up close or far away. It is what I would expect from a fantasy romance.
Gameplay:
The HOS were fairly easy. I didn't have to use any hints. You had shadows of items that you had to find within the scene or you had to use to complete items in the scene.Nothing was too small to see though sometimes I think I clicked a couple times to get an item or put an item in the right spot. So that was a bit buggy at times. The mini games were easy as well. A few consisted of moving obstacles on a board so that you could put items in appropriate places. For example, one puzzle had 4 sea life and their homes (such as a clown fish, pearl, clam shell, sea anemone, hermit crab, starfish, hermit shell, and coral) around the board. The homes were in static places with obstacles around them. You had to move the sea life around the board either left, right, up or down with arrows. The trick was to use these sea animals to help you get other sea animals into their homes, but it wasn't easy because you could get two into their homes within two moves but then you would be stuck with the other two just going around and around the board with nothing to run into. The most common puzzle was the portals you had to get through to get to another area. You had to find between one and three pieces that were missing from the door and then click on them until they were in the right areas. Basically you had pictures of like a deer, ship, sand etc.. and you had to make sure they matched the forest, sea, desert and such.
The HOS were fairly easy. I didn't have to use any hints. You had shadows of items that you had to find within the scene or you had to use to complete items in the scene.Nothing was too small to see though sometimes I think I clicked a couple times to get an item or put an item in the right spot. So that was a bit buggy at times. The mini games were easy as well. A few consisted of moving obstacles on a board so that you could put items in appropriate places. For example, one puzzle had 4 sea life and their homes (such as a clown fish, pearl, clam shell, sea anemone, hermit crab, starfish, hermit shell, and coral) around the board. The homes were in static places with obstacles around them. You had to move the sea life around the board either left, right, up or down with arrows. The trick was to use these sea animals to help you get other sea animals into their homes, but it wasn't easy because you could get two into their homes within two moves but then you would be stuck with the other two just going around and around the board with nothing to run into. The most common puzzle was the portals you had to get through to get to another area. You had to find between one and three pieces that were missing from the door and then click on them until they were in the right areas. Basically you had pictures of like a deer, ship, sand etc.. and you had to make sure they matched the forest, sea, desert and such.
Overall, I'd get the SE version. There are better HOG's out there, but there was still something to this game that held your attention and wanted you to keep going to find out the ending. After reading some of the other reviews I was like nah I'm not one who'd want to keep playing after reading some of the lower starred reviews but I did exactly that. I felt like no my hour can't be up! So glad I had a friend and "borrowed" from them.
I recommend this game!