cuthillh's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.3
- Helpful Votes:91
- Reviews Submitted:16
- First Review:January 27, 2013
- Most Recent Review:July 12, 2022
- Featured reviews0
In this remastered classic, reawaken in that mysterious castle, and solve perplexing puzzles to escape!
Overall rating
5
/
5
17 of 20 found this review helpful
The Return of a Classic
PostedJuly 12, 2022
cuthillh
fromCalgary, Canada
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I was so excited to see a remastering of the first of the Awakening game series - I hope that means we'll also get the rest of the series in 64-bit! I loved this series in its original format, and played it often. The remaster is a joy to play. It seems that the developers have kept everything that was wonderful about the original - the music, the graphics, the story, the challenging puzzles - and have added a few embellishments that have only made it better. Since most new games these days tend to be dismally disappointing, I am so happy to find remastered versions of classic older games.
I recommend this game!
Can you rescue a child with magical powers in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Almost as great as the original!
PostedNovember 12, 2021
cuthillh
fromCalgary, Canada
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I still have the original Drawn series on an older Mac Mini which I keep around specifically to play some of my favourite old games. I just replayed the Drawn series a couple of months ago so I'm quite familiar with the original game. "Redrawn" is very much like the original except for a few baffling changes. Baffling to me anyway, as I don't understand why you would rework a game that was so incredibly popular in its original form. Why make changes to something that was so well loved by its fans?
However, atmospherically the game is very close to its original roots. The music, the storyline, the artwork - all brilliant. I was irked but not put off by the changes, except for the voice-overs for the painting characters which were too "cartoony" sounding. There is no voice-over in the original except for Franklin - who, I have to say, was voiced quite well. I wasn't as fond of Iris' voice, though. I much preferred the original.
My one BIG bone of contention with this reissue was the bonus game. If it wasn't for the bonus game I would have rated this title a perfect 5 Stars. The bonus game is silly and boring and childish and does not fit with the main game. Why oh why did the developers drop the original bonus game for this piece of dreck?? The original bonus game is superior in every way. As frustrating as it can be to find all of those teeny stained glass pieces, I really enjoyed it. This new "bonus" game is geared for 8-year-olds. I knew I was in trouble when the characters started talking about fairy tales. "Drawn" is not a fairy tale. It's a dark fantasy.
I hope Big Fish and FF are not planning to make similar changes to the rest of the Drawn games. Keep them faithful to the original stories and game play please! They are brilliant games - there is no need to alter something so nearly perfect.
I recommend this game!
In The Wild Case, go on a first-person point-and-click adventure and explore a remote village located deep within a mysterious forest.
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
At Last! Something Different!
PostedAugust 9, 2021
cuthillh
fromCalgary, Canada
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I am so tired of all the cookie cutter games. All the same format, same recycled storylines and characters. Same old, same old. That's why I loved this game so much - it's completely out of the mold! The Wild Case is a gem of an "old-school" styled game that forces you to think, solve problems and try different tactics all the way from start to finish. I haven't had this much fun with a new game since Green Moon 2!
There are a couple of drawbacks with this game. Game play requires lots of walking back and forth between scenes, especially because doing something in one location changes things in another location. Navigational short-cuts would be appreciated. It's also quite a chatty game. You have to speak with each characters to find out things you need to know, but sometimes they will repeat the whole cycle, so I would really like to have a "skip dialog" option.
But overall I found it unique and different and refreshing, and I would GLADLY buy more games of this type. And I would pay more for them as well. I think most gamers would pay more if it meant we could get better storylines and more engaging game play instead the same old tired HOPAs.
I recommend this game!
Can you stop Taleville’s newest criminal from destroying the city?
Overall rating
1
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Same Old, Same Old
PostedJune 27, 2021
cuthillh
fromCalgary, Canada
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Boring. There is nothing new or interesting or challenging about this game. And it has nothing "fairy tale" about it at all. Same old inept "fairy godmother" who can't hold onto her wand and who seems to have no magical abilities at all outside of that wand, which needs to be recharged every time you use it. Where is Dumbledore when you need him? The story is set in Taleville, which is supposedly a fairy tale village. But there's nothing magical about it. People use security access cards and garage remotes and electricity and all the same things we do in the "real world". Gangsters and thieves and other criminals abound. Just because they are named after fantasy characters doesn't make them magical.
The voice work is sometimes good, sometimes awful. The graphics and artwork are very good. There is little to no challenge in the puzzles or HO scenes. And I hate the big red X's when you miss on a click.
I mostly enjoyed the previous games in the series but this one is beyond redemption. PLEASE come up with some new ideas. If this is all we can get for new gameplay I'll be going back to some of my older games that don't disappoint.
I don't recommend this game.
Join Mia Faircroft on a holiday adventure to her hometown!
Overall rating
1
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
If I could give this game 0 stars I would.
PostedApril 1, 2021
cuthillh
fromCalgary, Canada
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
And here's a list of reasons why:
1. The puzzles are way too simple.
2. Many of the hidden objects are so small they can't be seen.
3. The music is so bad I had to mute it.
4. Storyline - what storyline? It's mostly just Mia whining about who knows what, while everyone else bends over backwards for her. She and her "nemesis" Elaine are two of the most unlikeable game characters I've ever encountered. If they were real people they would both deserve a slap upside the head.
5. The dialogue is absolutely cringeworthy. And it goes on and on and on and on.
6. Finally - and most unforgiveably - it's boring.
So sorry I wasted a game credit on it.
1. The puzzles are way too simple.
2. Many of the hidden objects are so small they can't be seen.
3. The music is so bad I had to mute it.
4. Storyline - what storyline? It's mostly just Mia whining about who knows what, while everyone else bends over backwards for her. She and her "nemesis" Elaine are two of the most unlikeable game characters I've ever encountered. If they were real people they would both deserve a slap upside the head.
5. The dialogue is absolutely cringeworthy. And it goes on and on and on and on.
6. Finally - and most unforgiveably - it's boring.
So sorry I wasted a game credit on it.
I don't recommend this game.
Experience the Baroque Era through an architect's eyes!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Addictive!
PostedJanuary 18, 2021
cuthillh
fromCalgary, Canada
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Card & Board, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
OMG this is an addictive game! I find myself playing for hours without realizing it. The graphics are beautiful, the music is relaxing and the game play is difficult enough to keep you feeling challenged. Plus you get to build your own castle! Well worth the price.
I recommend this game!
Painting has never been easier! No need to stress about what color to choose, just relax and enjoy!
Overall rating
3
/
5
24 of 35 found this review helpful
Restrictive game with some ugly images
PostedOctober 28, 2019
cuthillh
fromCalgary, Canada
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
I was hoping for an interface that allowed the player more scope and challenge. The color set for each image is locked in and you can't change them to suit your own tastes. Some of the images and color combinations are just plain ugly.
Many of the color sets contain color gradients that are practically indistinguishable from each other, so you have to do sweep after sweep that look exactly the same. Also, most of the images contain very tiny spaces to fill in - some no larger than a half dozen pixels - which require you to zoom in at maximum magnification before you can even see them.
No way to auto-fill, no way to gradiate color, no creative tools at all. And not a very large set of images. The background music cuts out to static in the 3rd or 4th theme. I had to shut it off.
All in all, I didn't think it was worth the money.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you uncover the origins of a dangerous ancient artifact in time?
Overall rating
2
/
5
13 of 14 found this review helpful
Hidden Expedition, what has happened to you?
PostedJune 30, 2019
cuthillh
fromCalgary, Canada
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Oh my. I used to look forward to a new HE release. But those days are gone. How disappointing can this get? Let me count the ways.
1. Terrible voice work. The series has been up and down with voice actors, but this game represents a new low. Are these people supposed to be Italian? The accents are cheesy at best and insulting at worst.
2. What is the point of that stupid tool gimmick? Before you can use a tool you have to focus three circles on top of each other. Pointless and off-putting.
3. Oh, I miss Sam.
4. There is no logic to many of the actions the player takes. For instance - right off the bat in Pompeii we discover a priceless artifact, an amethyst coin unlike anything discovered previously. And what do we do with it? We drop it down a shaft to see how long it takes to hit the bottom. Wow. And this character is a scientist?? Couldn't we have used a non-priceless rock to accomplish this task? No, let's just throw the irreplaceable antiquities down the shaft and watch them bounce.
5. I'm forced to admit that I had to use the Help button a few times on HO puzzles - because I couldn't see the objects clearly. They were just a jumble of slightly blurred -- things. Indistinguishable from one another. Like most of these games are now.
2. What is the point of that stupid tool gimmick? Before you can use a tool you have to focus three circles on top of each other. Pointless and off-putting.
3. Oh, I miss Sam.
4. There is no logic to many of the actions the player takes. For instance - right off the bat in Pompeii we discover a priceless artifact, an amethyst coin unlike anything discovered previously. And what do we do with it? We drop it down a shaft to see how long it takes to hit the bottom. Wow. And this character is a scientist?? Couldn't we have used a non-priceless rock to accomplish this task? No, let's just throw the irreplaceable antiquities down the shaft and watch them bounce.
5. I'm forced to admit that I had to use the Help button a few times on HO puzzles - because I couldn't see the objects clearly. They were just a jumble of slightly blurred -- things. Indistinguishable from one another. Like most of these games are now.
Another great series bites the dust.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you find Gulliver and escape Lilliputia in time?
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Too Short. And what happened to the ending?
PostedApril 24, 2019
cuthillh
fromCalgary, Canada
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
This game was fine as far as it goes - decent graphics, fairly decent voice work, not much in the way of difficulty. But the story was here, there, everywhere and then it just.... STOPPED. No resolution, no wrap up, nothing. Like they ran out of money and just walked away. I really liked the other games in this series. But this one was a huge disappointment.
I don't recommend this game.
My Brother Rabbit is a beautifully drawn adventure set in a surreal world that mixes reality with a child’s imagination
Overall rating
5
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
Beautiful and captivating game!
PostedApril 23, 2019
cuthillh
fromCalgary, Canada
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is the most beautiful and creative game I have seen in a long time. The graphics are gorgeous, the music is atmospheric and well suited to the story line, the story itself is touching, and the game play is just challenging enough to keep adults interested without being too difficult for younger players. I absolutely love this game. Please give us more like this instead of all the cookie cutter story lines we see all the time!!
I recommend this game!