GrrlScientist's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.6
- Helpful Votes:2,517
- Reviews Submitted:124
- First Review:March 28, 2012
- Most Recent Review:February 15, 2013
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Help the Queen save the city of Babylon!
Overall rating
2
/
5
31 of 33 found this review helpful
so much promise followed by ... disappointment
PostedJuly 18, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
this game transports you back to ancient Babylon in 605 BC. the king, Nebuchadnezzar II and his armies have left to fight a war, leaving the queen, Amytis (whose role you assume in this game) in charge of the city. according to the game developers, an invasion of this vulnerable city is brewing, and only the queen -- you -- can thwart this invasion and protect the city and its inhabitants.
graphics: the opening cutscene artwork is gorgeous; detailed, rich, colourful and interesting. all cutscenes after the introduction are static. the hidden objects scenes are numerous but static. unfortunately, HO scenes are filled with random piles of junk, much of which is not period-appropriate (high heeled shoes in ancient Babylon??). some of the items you must find are tiny or blurry, adding to the challenge. there are few puzzles, included almost as an afterthought, and with poorly explained goals -- the biggest challenge these puzzles provide are trying to understand what you are expected to do.
scene transitions are static and all dialogue is scripted. the font is difficult to read unless you are playing this game in a darkened room.
music and sound effects: although it is repetitious, the music is alright as background sound. minimal sound effects and no voiceovers. nothing remarkable here.
storyline: the developers claim there is story in this game, but i was absolutely unable to identify what that story might be.
gameplay: there is no tutorial, and there is just one level of play. hints recharge fairly quickly, and puzzles can be skipped. each hidden item collected gives you 10 points but there is an overclick penalty (you lose 10 points). no journal, although a map is provided after you complete several HO scenes. scenes load quickly and there are no cursor freezes.
my interaction: one hour demo. i’ve no intention to purchase this game.
overall, i have a very mixed opinion of this game. on one hand, the art and historical notes suggest lots of potential, but on the other hand, i was disappointed by the lack of anything of substance beyond the interesting opening cutscenes. i got the impression this game is a rough draft of what the developers may re-design after reading all our comments. if you really love hidden object games, you may enjoy this one because it is almost a purely hidden object game, comprising one HO scene after another, with few puzzles or other distractions. but if you seek something more than HO junkpiles, this game will disappoint you.
I don't recommend this game.
Princess Loreen and Prince Nathaniel have been kidnapped, and need your help to escape from a mysterious dungeon!
Overall rating
5
/
5
34 of 34 found this review helpful
so much fun that my morning coffee went cold
PostedJuly 10, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
what happens when you take two 21st century personalities and somehow put them into two mediaeval characters? this hilarious hidden object puzzle adventure proposes one amusing answer to that question. in this game, you take turns playing the independent Princess Loreen and the appropriately miffed Prince Nathaniel, both of whom have been kidnapped and imprisoned in a castle on a remote island. somehow, you have to get these two mutually suspicious people to stop their arguing long enough to work together to gain their freedom.
graphics: really lovely artwork; clean, colourful and crisp. useful objects are located throughout the story instead of being inside a series of dedicated hidden object scenes, so i don't think of this as a traditional hidden object game. a fair number of the collected objects have to be combined before you can use them -- lighting a candle, etc. the puzzles were unexceptional. most were variations on the unlock-the-lock or piece-together-a-torn-up-note themes, and were easy to solve, so no frustrations there.
music and sound effects: nothing special, although i was pleasantly surprised and pleased to hear the yellow warbler song during one scene. voiceovers were well-done -- the voice sounded appropriately sardonic (or was that just my imagination?)
storyline: strongly character-driven. the characters in this story are as sweet, distinctive and interesting as any i've ever seen in any video game. they are just so charming and funny that they bring a smile to your face and you can't help but care about them. the entire story is set up to showcase the interactions between the prince and princess: there's nothing sinister in this story, and the goals are simple and clear.
gameplay: cursor changes to gears, a magnifying glass or a hand when you mouse over appropriate objects. no sparkles. puzzles can be skipped. no map, but there is little back-and-forth, so a map is unnecessary. a diary is provided -- with hints, each one more specific than the one prior. the diary conveniently keeps up with where you are in the game, too. scene transitions are smooth, and there’s no cursor freezes. my only complaint is this is a short game, but since it's the daily deal, i think it's well worth the price.
my interaction: one hour demo. i purchased this game -- with a smile on my face!
i enjoyed this sweet little game so much that my morning coffee went cold whilst i played it -- and that's quite an accomplishment!
I recommend this game!
Travel back to the 18th century and uncover the secrets of bygone days with Golden Trails 2: The Lost Legacy!
Overall rating
4
/
5
9 of 10 found this review helpful
strange but interesting hidden object game
PostedJuly 7, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
you are the grandson of a wealthy gentleman in the 18th century. one day, you are startled to see your grandfather arrested and jailed -- for piracy! he is then condemned to death, so in this hidden object game, you must locate his ship's logbook to learn the truth about his early years and to save his life.
graphics: the artwork is very nice; detailed and crisp with minimal fuzziness. the hidden objects scenes ranged from cluttered to junkpiles, and didn't always help the story advance. the developers seem to have a fixation on cats, as there was a cat or two in nearly every hidden object scene. some objects required some sort of interaction before you could collect them (opening a drawer or curtain, for example).
music and sound effects: generally well done. the main character's voiceover was lovely to listen to, but the tutorial narrator is VERY annoying and intrusive!
storyline: it was ok, although somewhat unfocused.
gameplay: there one play mode although you can unlock the unlimited play mode after earning 50,000 points. points are awarded for finding hidden objects, some of which are worth more than others (i couldn't figure out the point system). the overclick penalty freezes your cursor for a rather long period of time (30 seconds? 1 minute?) and takes away ALL your points. you can earn hints by shooting pirates that pop up into hidden object scenes (kinda fun). minigames can be skipped. there was some back-and-forth as you often needed an item from one scene to complete another scene. these scenes were often linked to each other, like a room containing another hidden object scene jutting off the room you were working. achievements (trophies) awarded throughout game. game loading was sometimes slow, although scene transitions were smooth and there were no cursor stutters or freezes (well, unless you overclick!).
my interaction: one hour demo.
this entertaining game is different to the usual dark and spooky HOPAs and thus, is a nice change of pace. it's fun for the entire family!
I recommend this game!
Many years ago, mysterious events separated Rachel and her father. Help find him and save the world from catastrophe!
Overall rating
5
/
5
85 of 94 found this review helpful
detailed art, thought-provoking puzzles, and compelling storyline
PostedJuly 7, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
ever since you were a young child, you've been living in the shadow of your father's mysterious disappearance. in this hidden object puzzle mystery, you are rachel, and you've been trying to find your lost father for years. he was a scientist who disappeared fifteen years ago whilst examining a strange object discovered in a mine near the small town with the crazy name, Howlville. but during his investigations, something strange happened. as a result, the town was evacuated, no one is allowed inside and even its existence was classified as top secret. but rachel is determined to find him and to solve the mystery of what happened so long ago.
graphics: gorgeous, detailed artwork. most hidden object scenes had minigames or puzzles that must be solved to complete the hidden object scene. many of the hidden object scenes were cluttered, although most items had some at least some relevance to the story instead of being random junk included in the scene. i was especially pleased by the interactivity of the game -- for example, you can turn the ambulance radio on, although it doesn’t have anything to do with the storyline (as far as i could tell). such things made it fun to “click around” whilst exploring.
there are plenty of puzzles, but nothing unique. however, they were well-done, and were part of the story progression, instead of just being a random puzzle embedded into the game.
music: minimalistic. sound effects were appropriate. voiceovers were quite nice.
storyline: somewhat far-fetched, but nonetheless, carefully developed so the story does make sense.
gameplay: there are two modes, expert (no sparkles, no hand-cursor) and casual (sparkles, hand-cursor). clicking on small light bulbs hidden in the game provide extra hints, although the hint button does recharge after a period of time (several minutes?). puzzles can be skipped. scene transitions were smooth and relatively quick. no cursor stutters or freezes. a journal is provided. there is no map, but really, this game is so well designed that there is little back-and-forth; the tools provided help guide you through the story.
my interaction: one hour demo, expert and casual modes.
perhaps it's the scientist aspect, but i really enjoyed this game and purchased it as soon as my free demo ended. it is a bit dark for younger kids, but this game is smart, engaging, and well-designed and will appeal to most people. highly recommended!
I recommend this game!
Tara needs a break from her Lawyer job! Help her run a fun and exciting TikiBar and save Tiki Island from an evil plot!
Overall rating
2
/
5
28 of 31 found this review helpful
the most boring tikibar i’ve ever visited
PostedJuly 6, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
in this time management game, tara is a lawyer who is taking a break from her demanding job. she returns to tiki island to visit her grandparents and to help them with their beachside tikibar, just as she did when she was younger. but when she arrives, there’s a protest at the airport: a CEO from a megacorporation is trying to acquire the entire island and displace the villagers so the corp can construct a nuclear power plant on the island. (i guess he hasn’t heard that sea levels are rising!)
graphics: cartoon-style art, nothing very complex. basically, you serve lemonade, ice creams, hamburgers, sandwiches and other items to customers on the beach. however, this is a rather static game.
cutscenes are comic-strip style with scripted dialogue (no voiceovers).
music: steel drum music, but the same eight bars of the score play over and over and OVER again. oh, and did i mention that the music is repetitive? like the graphics, the music is nothing special. the sound effects are average.
storyline: it’s really difficult to see how the storyline outlined in the opening cutscenes actually tie in with the game when in fact, all you ever do is serve sandwiches, drinks and ice creams to customers and upgrade your tikibar.
gameplay: well, it’s a relief that the game doesn’t have slow scene transitions, and the cursor doesn’t freeze, but annoyingly, you cannot queue tasks (except when mixing drinks, when you can queue one and only ONE task -- delivering the drink), so that will slow you down. once you’ve figured out the system for beating the game, it becomes quite repetitious and boring, even. i wonder if this game is the “rough draft” “pre-beta” (?) version of the finished game that the developers will release a year or two from now?
my interaction: one hour demo. i’ve no plans to purchase this game.
i am a fan of time management games, but i think there are far better games out there for you to purchase. for example, if you like the island theme, then you should try “ranch rush 2: sara’s island experiment” or if you like the food theme, then you may enjoy “burger shop 2”. if the bartender theme appeals to you, i (unfortunately) have not run across any bartender time management games (yet), so i cannot suggest those. but rest assured, i am eagerly seeking them out!
in summary, i did not like this game at all, and i don’t think you will, either. sorry big fish!
I don't recommend this game.
Help Elise run the very first Sandwich Shoppe in this fast-paced Time Management game!
Overall rating
2
/
5
10 of 15 found this review helpful
meh!
PostedJuly 5, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
this time management strategy game has a 1700s theme to it, although i don't recall women running their own sandwich shops at that time in history. anyway, in this game, you are helping Elise run this shop, which means you are guiding her as she builds various types of sandwiches, gets juice and other items for her customers, and stops the evil petty thief from sneaking behind the counter to steal foods without paying for them.
graphics: i didn't much like the graphics or artwork. instead of helping maintain the rustic theme, the art was just grainy and sloppy. it was also difficult to see the sandwiches (tiny, fuzzy) to know what each customer wanted. cutscenes were strip cartoons with scripted dialogue.
music and sound effects: music is boring. i almost never turn off the music on a video game, but this time, i did just that. no sound effects and no voiceovers.
storyline: the success of Elise's sandwich shop will help establish the sandwich as a staple food item in her community. your goal is to help her achieve that.
gameplay: there are several modes of play: timed, untimed, endless and hard mode. the entire game was slow, which is stressful enough to make you anxious if you regularly play many time management games. you can queue tasks.
my interaction: one hour demo, timed mode. i've no plans to purchase this game.
this game feels unfinished: the art is sloppy, the gameplay is slow, it doesn't present any challenge and the storyline is not believable. if you want to play a truly fun, engaging and addictive time management "sandwich" game, go check out "burger shop" or "burger shop 2", both of which have great graphics and are crazy and humorous fun for the entire family.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you uncover the truth before you become the next page in the killer’s diary?
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 9 found this review helpful
realistic graphics highlight this hidden object puzzle mystery/thriller
PostedJuly 5, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
strange things are happening on the Conti vineyard and you, a detective, have been contacted by the family's terrified maid. she gives you a diary that she discovered whilst cleaning, a diary that describes the murder of three women. who is the killer? since the Conti family is away, it would seem you can rule them out as suspects. in this hidden object puzzle mystery, it is your job to learn who is the murderer is before he finds -- and kills! -- you!
graphics: really nice: i was impressed with the overall quality and detail of the art and cutscenes, although some scenes were a bit grainy. hidden object scenes were sometimes cluttered, but i didn't see any genuine junk piles. hidden object scenes varied in the tasks they requested: some had you searching for the same type of object, only LOTS of them (10 hammers or chains, for example), and some of which needed to be assembled before collecting. other hidden object scenes provided silhouettes of the objects you were expected to find (most of which had to be found in sequence). fans and lire distributed throughout the game for you to collect. lire were used to purchase items from Giovanni's store that you need to progress in the game, whilst fans provided you an additional hint. the minigames were fine; some were different to the usual, although none of them were particularly difficult. (i did not run across anything that i would consider to be a puzzle.)
music: uninspired. simple. dare i say it ... ? boring. repetitive -- and not in a good way. no, seriously: skip the soundtrack. a unique feature in this game is that you can change the soundtrack at the jukebox in Giovanni's store. (unfortunately, i didn't like any of the soundtracks.)
the sound effects were strange ... i assume this story was set in Italy somewhere (but i could be wrong about that), but the birdsongs were from North America -- incredibly distracting for the birders in the crowd. the voiceovers are fine. i did find the booming male voice reciting the title of the game (at the beginning) to be a bit startling for someone who is home alone on a dark and very stormy night!
storyline: this is your basic suspense-filled murder mystery.
gameplay: the game has three modes of play and interestingly, you can change play mode during the game -- a wonderful feature i've not seen before now. the game is logically designed so there isn't much running around and the items you find indicate story progression -- there's little guesswork or confusion. strategy guide and diary provided. no map. hints recharge quickly on casual mode (1 minute?), puzzles can be skipped, a hand appears when you mouse over collectible objects and of course, there's sparkles. scene transition required little wait and i didn’t experience any cursor stutters or freezes.
my interaction: one hour demo, casual mode. i've no plans to purchase this game.
the graphics were so stunning that i almost purchased this game in the first few minutes of the demo. however, my exuberance was short-lived. i gave it four stars for the reasons outlined in this review. don't get me wrong: it's a nice game, but it seems a bit pricey for what is being offered.
I recommend this game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 7 found this review helpful
above average haunted house
PostedJune 25, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
in this hidden object puzzle supernatural thriller, you learn that your parents have been murdered by an ancient evil being, the Queen of Death, who happens to inhabit your childhood home. the only survivor is your twin sister, Stella, whom you’ve never been close to at all and in fact, it was Stella who appealed for your help. you return home to rescue your sister and find utter confusion -- is your sister a demon or another victim? in this game, you must locate an amulet, save a few souls and brew a potion -- can you accomplish all these tasks before it’s too late?
graphics: lovely, detailed, rich. the hidden objects scenes were generally well-done although there were a few junk piles and some objects were hidden on the edges of the screen. other hidden objects required some sort of interaction -- moving something, for example -- before you could collect them. confusingly, some of these interactive portions of hidden object scenes didn't yield anything on your search list.
there is a nice ratio of hidden objects scenes to puzzles and mini-games. the mini-games and puzzles were fun but not especially difficult, and refreshingly, some of these puzzles were novel. i did get a bit annoyed that some of the puzzles required you to find yet ANOTHER item before you could solve them. cutscenes contributed to the story.
music and sound effects: the opening scenes of the game feature some of Mozart's gorgeous Requiem. however, the background music during gameplay was NOT Mozart, but instead, was a minimalist score that occasionally featured a whispered, "i am evil". the whispering got a bit repetitive (and annoying) after awhile. no voiceovers.
storyline: typical supernatural horror story filled with ghosts and dead or dying people desperate for you to "save my soul".
gameplay: this game has only one mode of play. no overclick penalty, hints recharge fairly quickly (1 minute?) and can be used outside hidden objects scenes without penalty. all puzzles can be skipped. includes sparkles. there's no map but since there's so much back-and-forth in this game, you quickly develop your own cognitive map. smooth scene transitions and gameplay, with no stutters or freezes.
my interaction: one hour demo. i do not intend to purchase this game.
although this game (and especially its puzzles) was enjoyable, i rather liked another, similar, game much more (PuppetShow: Return to Joyville). for the reasons described in this review, i gave this game 4 stars overall.
I recommend this game!
You, as Jennifer, have to solve a perplexing mystery and save her only daughter in Silent Scream: The Dancer!
Overall rating
3
/
5
11 of 14 found this review helpful
gorgeous art made me WANT to love this game
PostedJune 24, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
in this hidden object thriller, you are Jennifer, a single mother who is supporting her asthmatic daughter by working as a dancer. one night after leaving work, Jennifer is attacked and knocked out. after regaining consciousness, you/Jennifer discover that your daughter is missing. so in this game, you/Jennifer are working feverishly to locate and rescue your daughter.
graphics: wonderful graphics. the art is especially gorgeous; quirky, stylised and lovely to behold. the artist's style reminded me of "james and the giant peach". hidden objects scenes were not plentiful, in my opinion, and some of the objects were tiny or fuzzy and therefore, difficult to see. your HO search lists either consist of individual listed items or of matched item pairs. however, there are items scattered around throughout the game that you need, too. there are some puzzles but they are not very plentiful, but some of them are novel. cutscenes are a series of static pictures that advance the story, comic book style. my inner editor was surprised and quite distracted by grammatic and spelling errors!
music and sound track: the music was nice; simple but it helped the atmosphere. there is a peculiar whispering in hidden objects scenes, but i was unable to discern what the whispering was saying -- "seahorse"? or something like that when you found an item. (did anyone else pick up what it was saying?) there are voiceovers and they're well done.
storyline: your basic kidnapping story, but i actually cared about the characters and am curious to know what happened to them.
gameplay: this game has two modes of play: casual (tutorial, sparkles, hint & skip recharge quickly -- 2 mins?) and advanced (no tutorial, but with sparkles, hint & skip recharge more slowly). when you click on the hint in hidden object scenes, the entire screen darkens, except for the item(s) you are seeking, which are highlighted. annoyingly, there are items that you will need (and you KNOW you'll need them, too) but cannot collect until you've progressed to a particular point in gameplay. as an added teaser, your cursor turns into a little hand when you mouse over these items, too. unfortunately, it's difficult to know what that point is, so there's plenty of fruitless back-and-forth in the game. smooth scene loading and transitions with no stutters of freezes.
my interaction: one hour demo, casual mode.
i ALMOST purchased this game based on my attraction to the art alone. it's just beautiful (and i am still thinking about buying it). however, the many flaws are quite distracting and disappointing. overall, i gave this game three stars, and i am ambivalent about whether to recommend purchasing it.
I don't recommend this game.
Solve whimsical puzzles, explore worlds of exquisite detail, and keep your eyes peeled for hundreds of cleverly Hidden Objects!
Overall rating
5
/
5
8 of 8 found this review helpful
a quirky, whimsical and imaginative steampunk adventure
PostedJune 23, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
are you tired of murder, vehicle crashes, creepy spooks and imprisonment in mental asylums? would you like to play a game that won't offend your parents? if so, then this quirky, whimsical and imaginative game is just what you have been looking for. the art is gorgeous and the soundtrack is refreshing and both perfectly fit the delightful but improbable storyline.
in this fragmented hidden object puzzle adventure, you are Jack Blair, a world famous racecar driver who puts his career on hold to catch the mysterious snark. what is a snark? it's an elusive creature few people have seen and no one has caught. your pursuit has you jumping through mirrors (inspired by Vonnegut?) into strange quirky Dali-esque worlds to capture your quarry.
graphics: wonderful! the art is richly detailed and lusciously colourful. hidden objects are actually fragments of just a few objects, and most of these fragments are hidden in plain sight (no junk piles!!) throughout the game, although a few of the hidden fragments require some interaction before you can obtain them. the puzzles and mini-games require some thought but they're so pretty and fun that you’ll want to complete every one on your own. cutscenes are scripted and mostly are television news reports.
music and sound effects: effervescent music, almost like something you'd hear in a comedy film. minimal sound effects, no voiceovers.
storyline: absolutely and completely unbelievable, and not very complicated; just light good old-fashioned fun.
gameplay: this game has only one mode of play: PLAY! hints recharge very rapidly (30 seconds?) and hints can be used to directing you from mirror to mirror. no overclick penalty. no map, no journal (neither are really necessary), smooth scene loading, no cursor freezes.
my interaction: one hour demo. the only reason i didn't purchase this game after just five minutes of play was because i couldn't rip myself away long enough to do so. however, reality rudely interrupted my fun so i did purchase it moments after demo ran out.
wonderful fun for the entire family! this engaging game is yet another "daily deal" that is more appropriately thought of as the "daily steal"! thank you so very much, big fish, for bringing this sweet little game to your fans!
I recommend this game!