laurakay76's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.6
- Helpful Votes:723
- Reviews Submitted:158
- First Review:November 16, 2011
- Most Recent Review:August 21, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Order of the Rose
Can you stop a puzzle-loving killer before he strikes again?
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Overall enjoyable, if not perfect
PostedJuly 9, 2013
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Dark Parables: The Exiled Prince Collector's Edition
(75)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
My feelings on this one are a little mixed. For the most part, I liked it; it was a reasonably intelligent game, one which had some unique puzzles and an engaging (if grotesque) story. I admit that I was surprised by the identity of the murderer, having expected that particular individual to show up in a different capacity. The constant falling snow, cluttered detective's office, and blue overtones in the background gave the whole thing a nice sort of film noir feeling, like an old mystery movie. Also, all of the dialogue, diary entries, and other writings within the game had flawless spelling, grammar, and punctuation; given that I often find myself complaining about writing errors in my reviews, this was a huge mark in the game's favor as far as I was concerned.
My chief complaint is with the hidden object scenes. Although I did appreciate the liberal use of hints and the lack of penalty for any misclicks, I found many of the scenes to be unfairly dark and difficult to solve. I also have to gripe about one scene during the last few chapters; I could not locate the final item, a rag, so I tried to utilize a hint... which directed me to a paint can. The rag was in a completely different part of the scene.
I also had to skip the majority of the non-H0 puzzles, because they didn't make a whole lot of sense to me and/or they were just too tedious. This was especially true of puzzles where I had to assemble fragments, some of which were flipped the wrong way round; without having any idea what the finished puzzle looked like and having no starting point with a correctly placed piece, I felt lost. The worst offender was the telescope puzzle in the observatory, where I was directed to make constellations. The instructions gave no indication of *how* to make the constellations, and nothing I clicked on seemed to do anything at all, so I just sat back and waited for the skip meter to fill.
My other objection is to the fact that in many of the scenes, there were items I could click on which had no connection to the plot. That bugs me. I don't mind it if the player character's observations on such things are at least funny or clever; for one good example, some of the Master Detective's commentary in the Mystery Case Files games (especially with the Snarky option enabled) can be so amusing that it's worth looking for everything that invites a click. But to be told "I have no interest in that" just seems like a waste of the programmer's time and mine. If my character has no interest in it, then don't make it available for comment!
The ending was... weird, to me. It seemed rushed, and didn't really explain much of anything. What is the significance of the Spear? Where did it come from? Why does the Order have to guard it so carefully? The final words of the final speaker suggested that a sequel is likely, so maybe a future installment will clear up what this game didn't. Having finished, I uninstalled it; the replay value on this one is low.
Overall, though, it was pretty good and I would almost certainly play a sequel game. If I were to hand out a letter grade, I would give this either an A- or a B+.
I recommend this game!
Sherlock Holmes VS Arsene Lupin
Embark on an investigation as Sherlock Holmes! Stop the legendary thief, Arsene Lupin, before he steals objects from England!
Overall rating
1
/
5
6 of 8 found this review helpful
No, Holmes, the game is not afoot. The game is awful.
PostedJuly 9, 2013
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Dark Parables: The Exiled Prince Collector's Edition
(75)Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
To be perfectly honest, the main reason I forced myself to keep playing this game through to the end was to see how exactly it DID end. I liked it well enough at the outset, but as time went on, I came to regard it less as a game - that is, fun - and more as a chore. These are my very spoiler-laden thoughts on the whole matter.
There were, of course, things I liked about the game. The graphics were usually good; during the final chapter, my cannon kept disappearing, but otherwise they were fine. The background music was nice and the voice acting was pleasing. I enjoyed the small references to another Frogware game, "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret of the Silver Earring," which I played many years ago. And I got a kick out of the fact that after Holmes fed him, the dog kept following him around Buckingham Palace. I also appreciated the interactive quality of the map, especially at the Tower of London. The final conversation between hunter and hunted (and I'm not sure which was which) was well written.
Easily my favorite aspect of the game was getting to visit the two museums, the palace, and the Tower of London. I especially loved wandering around the painting gallery and having Holmes identify all the artwork for me. I was less impressed by the British Museum, though, mostly because I found the puzzles there to be considerably more tedious.
Unfortunately, the list of things I didn't like far outstrips the list of things I did. For starters, I hate the way Frogware insists on having Watson behave like an idiot. I hated it about "Silver Earring" and this game is even worse in that respect. Try reading the stories sometime; he's not in Holmes's league, but Watson is far from stupid. Many of the puzzles really tested my patience, and some of them were so mind-numbing that I would have liked the option to skip them. I also despised all the running around I had to do to pick up items - I would rather have been able to collect them the first time I saw them, instead of coming back once I understood their connection to the puzzle. And my most frequent complaint about a game crops up here too... the devs didn't proofread as well as they should, and the game's written dialogue was rife with spelling and punctuation errors.
The game also included some ~factual~ errors, one of which interfered with my ability to solve a puzzle. In Lady Leomunda's room at Buckingham Palace, she talks about how Henry the Eighth was the one who designed her chest to make it difficult to open. To solve this puzzle, as the strategy guide explains, you have to click on his portrait and take the crown from his head. Problem is, the portrait in question is that of Henry the THIRD. Some gamers might not realize the discrepancy, but since I've studied British royal family history extensively, I did; and so that puzzle was driving me crazy because I could not find a picture of Henry the Eighth anywhere.
I didn't understand a few things about the increasingly nonsensical plot. I love Arthurian legend, but I felt like that whole subplot at the Tower of London was completely unrelated to the rest of the game, and deserving of an explanation. How would Lupin have known that such a chamber existed, since the Chief Warder himself didn't know about it? He must have figured out how to open it in order to put the bat inside, but how did he even know to look for it? What was with all that stuff in the sub-basement at Buckingham Palace, too? Are we supposed to believe that relics of the Norman kings would just be stuffed in an underground room to suffer the effects of time and moisture? And why did they have a collection of ~Native American~ artifacts? That entire sequence of puzzles was the most annoying to me out of the whole game, actually; it felt like Holmes had become trapped in one of those "escape the room" games, what with having to MacGyver different contraptions in order to keep moving forward.
I deleted this from my game manager as soon as I was finished. Given everything I disliked about it (and I didn't list them all here), the replay value for me is nil, and I think I'm officially done with Sherlock Holmes games from Frogware.
I don't recommend this game.
Brainiversity
Keep your brain on its toes with daily mental exercises covering different subjects. Stimulate your brain with Brainiversity!
Overall rating
4
/
5
11 of 11 found this review helpful
Brain training
PostedJune 21, 2013
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Dark Parables: The Exiled Prince Collector's Edition
(75)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
If you've ever played Brain Age on one of the handheld systems, then you have some idea of what to expect from Brainiversity. With the help of the world's cutest light bulb, you can increase your mental acuity through different exercises in memory, math, language, and analysis. Test yourself daily to see how well you're progressing. Earn stamps by achieving particular goals, and unlock different kinds of exercises by remaining consistent with your training.
My only complaint is that it's not completely touchpad-friendly; more than once I accidentally clicked on a wrong answer while in the process of moving my arrow to the correct one, and I was docked points for the misclick. But the exercises are well crafted, the graphics are cute, and while I found the light bulb's "voice" to be annoying, it can be turned off without any difficulty. If you like the concept of a Brain Age style game that you can play on your computer, this is a good game for you.
I recommend this game!
Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe's Murders in the Rue Morgue Collector's Edition
Use your Hidden Object and Adventure game talent to solve a dreadful Murder in the Rue Morgue!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
It all starts here.
PostedJune 18, 2013
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Dark Parables: The Exiled Prince Collector's Edition
(75)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Although this is the first game in the Dark Tales series, it was actually the last one of the five that I played. I think it's for the best that I came by this later, because I don't like it as well as the other four. It's not a bad game by any means - it was certainly worth playing - but ERS takes the formula they introduce here and continuously improve on it with the subsequent games.
This is how you, as the unnamed detective, first become acquainted with C. Auguste Dupin. Once you prove to him that you're a worthy sidekick, he takes you with him on a trek through Paris to solve a baffling and chilling murder, and also a possible kidnapping.
I don't care much for Poe's writings; his stories are a little too macabre for me. I really enjoy the Dark Tales, therefore, because they make the stories much more fun. I knew who the murderer was all along because of having read the original story, but I was curious to see how ERS would handle it and they rose to the occasion beautifully.
My only real complaint was that I felt a little abandoned at times. Many of the puzzles have no instructions, leaving me to ponder exactly what I'm supposed to do with each one. This isn't really a bad thing, but it would have been nice to have the option of a little guidance. Even on the easiest setting, no instructions.
It's still a good way to ease into the adventure, though, and you and Dupin will remain good friends for a long time to come!
I recommend this game!
Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe's The Premature Burial Collector's Edition
A young man has hired Detective Dupin to solve a mysterious case in Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Premature Burial!
Overall rating
5
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
I started in the middle.
PostedJune 18, 2013
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Dark Parables: The Exiled Prince Collector's Edition
(75)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
While this is actually the third game in the Dark Tales series from ERS, it was the one that introduced me to the series. I had the great fortune to be one of the beta testers for this game, and I was so disappointed when my trial ran out that I was absolutely determined to buy the game when it was released!
The idea of being buried alive terrifies me, as it would terrify pretty much any sane person. So to have a game where you confront that very fear is really spellbinding. Unlike its two predecessors, this Dark Tale (and all those that come after) includes voice acting for Detective Dupin and the other NPCs you meet. Dupin has a NICE voice!
The graphics are beautiful, the settings seem real despite being animated, and the mystery demands that you stick with it to the very end. The bonus chapter only makes everything that much more disturbing too. Definitely worthwhile!
I recommend this game!
Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe's The Black Cat Collector's Edition
Go on an adventure with Inspector Dupin! Monsieur Mark Davies has reported his wife missing and now it’s up to you to help!
Overall rating
5
/
5
12 of 14 found this review helpful
Creepy!
PostedJune 18, 2013
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Dark Parables: The Exiled Prince Collector's Edition
(75)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is the second of the Dark Tales from ERS, and brilliantly handled. Once again you're partnered with the dashing Detective Dupin to solve a mystery inspired by Poe's stories. This time, the adventure takes you to a contraption-filled mansion that was once home to an illusionist, and currently belongs to a man named Mark Davies. Monsieur Davies' wife Sarah is missing, and he hires the pair of you to solve the disappearance. But all is not as it seems, because a mysterious black cat keeps appearing... and so does Sarah.
Lots of genuinely scary moments in here, but all in good fun. I loved the mansion where the game takes place. The music enhances the atmosphere without being overwhelming, and the bonus chapter makes everything that much more deliciously creepy as you learn what caused everything to go horribly wrong.
Great job, ERS!
I recommend this game!
Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe's The Gold Bug Collector's Edition
Dupin needs your help solving the mystery of the gold bug. Crack the codes and follow the clues to one man’s obsession with an old legend.
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
A treasure indeed
PostedJune 18, 2013
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Dark Parables: The Exiled Prince Collector's Edition
(75)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The Dark Tales is my favorite series of games from ERS, and this, the fourth such adventure, suited me very well. Excellent graphics and sound, and as usual, very challenging puzzles. The only complaint I can think to offer is that the game didn't make it very clear who the villain is; I figured it out, but it would have been nice if Dupin had stated who the character was. Otherwise, full marks!
I recommend this game!
Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe's The Masque of the Red Death Collector's Edition
A murderous figure in a red mask haunts the streets of a small French town, and the mayor needs your help to track him down. But you soon discover that the mysterious Red Masque might not be the real criminal…
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Justice?
PostedJune 18, 2013
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Dark Parables: The Exiled Prince Collector's Edition
(75)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The latest and, in my opinion, greatest addition to this series yet. The lavish graphics, beautiful music, and compelling storyline kept me riveted until the very end. The bonus chapter is so good as to definitely be worth the extra money - I don't want to give any spoilers, but I genuinely cried out in shock. Can't wait to see what ERS has in store for the next Dark Tale!
I recommend this game!
The Beast of Lycan Isle
Luna's friend calls her to a remote island after unearthing ancient mystery. Now together they face the cult of the Wolf Man.
Overall rating
3
/
5
6 of 8 found this review helpful
A decent way to kill a few hours
PostedJanuary 8, 2013
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Dark Parables: The Exiled Prince Collector's Edition
(75)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I had a coupon to burn and this looked interesting, so I bought it without doing the trial. I don't regret it.
Pros: Playthrough was glitch-free and flowed nicely. Vivid and well-rendered visuals. Nice music. The voice acting was pretty good. The story kept my interest and the puzzles, while not the most challenging I've completed, were innovative and unusual. I particularly appreciated the fact that the HOG scenes weren't your standard junk-pile fare. I also want to express my appreciation for the fact that all of the written dialogue on my screen was spelled correctly! Many times I have complained about blatant misspellings and poor grammar in these games, so it's always a plus with me when I don't encounter that particular problem. I especially enjoyed the sequence of puzzles that Luna had to solve in order to make her way through the castle.
Con: Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see where it was explained that Tara was researching this cult. Since I'd forgotten that from the game's description, I found the opening letter ("all those things we talked about") to be somewhat jarring and confusing. What things did they talk about, exactly? I also thought that the ending left something to be desired, since it there was no explanation offered for how the Wolf King came to be in his predicament, or where the cult came from, or why anyone would want to live in that place. I thought the machine with the discs that Luna found and played as she went along was a clever idea, but I was baffled as to how Brina was able to make them so quickly. And how did Brina know Luna's name? As interesting as the story was, it contained a number of logic holes. I'm also thinking the replay value is probably pretty low.
On the whole, I would give this 3.5 out of 5 stars.
I recommend this game!
Awakening: The Skyward Castle
Discover the fate of your exiled kingdom, save your people, and end the ancient evil that started it all!
Overall rating
5
/
5
More magic!
PostedOctober 29, 2012
laurakay76
fromLehigh Valley, PA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Dark Parables: The Exiled Prince
(159)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I love the Awakening series, and this was a great addition. It was fun to help Princess Sophia conclude her adventure and become queen. Not everything was resolved, so I'm hoping that upgrading to the collector's edition and gaining access to the playable epilogue will answer those last few questions, but on the whole I was very satisfied. The helpful owl and pocket dragon make a return, and the animation was once again beautiful and lush.
I got a kick out of the pirate character, who was clearly inspired by Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow. I also quite liked the cute knight captain Sophia has to rescue; maybe it's me, but I was strongly reminded of the character of Alistair from the popular Dragon Age games. I found myself sort of hoping he and Sophia became an item!
I didn't enjoy some of the puzzles, and made use of my skip button, but that's purely a personal preference. On the whole I have no serious complaints, and I'd like to congratulate the developers on a wonderful series!
I recommend this game!