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:
After awaking from a century long slumber, Princess Sophia finds a world that is devoid of people! Help her find her friends!
Overall rating
5
/
5
5 of 7 found this review helpful
princess sophia goes back to nature
PostedJune 5, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
in this second installment in the "awakening" series, you are princess sophia, and you have escaped your "beautiful cage" -- the castle. you have entered Moonfell Wood to search for the fairy queen who can help you find your lost people (um, humans). you are accompanied by the fairy, mira (your hint button), and also by a "pocket dragon", which basically is a living, breathing candle lighter and beard burner (Hagrid would be so pleased).
graphics: stunning. the hidden object scenes are beautifully rendered but not especially challenging for those of us who love this sort of game. (note: there is a frequent-click penalty in the hidden object scenes.) if you love graphics, you will like to know that one of the game developers really likes water graphics and obviously works hard to create them because the pond, for example, is simply superb. no, i mean SUPERB, as in, the best i've EVER seen ANYWHERE. this game has more mini-games and puzzles than hidden objects scenes .. games such as matching items, re-assembing broken objects and sequence recall stuff. these mini-games and puzzles are varied and pleasantly challenging without making you rip your hair out in frustration.
soundtrack: voiceovers were nice, and the music was quite enjoyable.
storyline: consistent throughout the game, and well-supported by the hidden object scenes and mini-games.
weather report: nighttime (at least in demo), but a clear and cloudless night since i could see the moon.
my interaction: one hour demo, "normal" mode. i plan to purchase this game in my next big game-buying spree. (eek, i hope there's a really big sale soon!)
my biggest challenge: deciding which version to purchase: SE or CE?
in summary: this is a fun and lighthearted puzzle and hidden object adventure story with lovely music and superb graphics. 4.5 thumbs up!
I recommend this game!
After Awakening in a mysterious castle it's up to you to collect clues and items needed to solve perplexing puzzles and escape!
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
relaxing game, especially after a stressful day slaying dragons at the office
PostedJune 5, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
in this puzzle-filled hidden object adventure story (the first in the "awakening" series), you are a princess who has awakened in a mysterious abandoned castle. you don’t know who you are nor what you are doing in that place. thus, your goals are (1) to find out your identity and of course (2) to escape. to accomplish those tasks, you must solve puzzles and brain-teasers and locate a variety of hidden objects. you are helped along the way by a few friendly goblins and you have a companion fairy, mira, who accompanies you (as your hint button).
graphics: simply gorgeous and beautifully rendered! really fun to look at and to interact with. the hidden objects aren't very difficult to find (note that there are few actual hidden object scenes). i appreciated that the hidden objects scenes were not the typical junk piles (always annoying to look through). in this game, there are a lot of puzzles and brain-teasers that are imaginative and varied -- for example, some arithmetic puzzles, simple logic brain teasers, and a goblin version of mahjong -- but all are fairly straightforward to solve.
music: kinda nice: not too distracting or annoying.
storyline: well-designed and carefully developed. there are no evil wizards or ghosts here, but still i got the feeling that there was something mysteriously wrong, perhaps forgotten or lost, as i played this game. certainly this beautiful castle is the princess's prison, and as such, it almost seems a metaphor for life: do you remain imprisoned in a beautiful cage or strive to escape so you can explore and experience the (possibly dangerous) larger world?
weather forecast: unlike so many games i play and own that take place in the middle of a dark and stormy night, the weather in this game is bright and sunny (at least in the demo).
my interaction: one hour demo. i'd guess this game was designed for beginning gamers and children (especially girl children), however, even though i am neither a beginning gamer nor a ten-year-old girl, i plan to purchase this game anyway.
summary: the artwork is beautiful and the story is engaging. designed for beginners and girls, this game is great for everyone (even adults!) if you want something relaxing and cheerful to do in the evening or whilst traveling.
I recommend this game!
There's a terrible secret hidden deep within Lockwood Manor!
Overall rating
4
/
5
7 of 8 found this review helpful
gorgeous art, but technical issues present an unexpected challenge
PostedJune 5, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
in this hidden object thriller, my best friends -- jennifer, her boyfriend, john, and his twin brother, matthew -- have all mysteriously disappeared. so i follow jennifer's trail and find her chained up and surrounded by burning candles in the dark basement of the creepy old Lockwood Manor mansion -- held prisoner by john, of all people!
graphics: the artwork in this game is simply stunning. from what i saw in the demo, the art is lush, high quality and wonderfully detailed in every scene. even though i am not a ghost/demon/dark magic fan, i loved the graphics so much, i almost purchased this game based on the quality of the graphics alone (but more about this later). the hidden object scenes were rather junky and cluttered, but the objects were well drawn and recognisable, and the objects you needed to find were mostly consistent with the theme of the game (candles, spiders and whatnot). the puzzles weren't too difficult, mostly brain-teasers, and could be solved within a reasonable length of time. rewards were given for game achievements, such as not skipping puzzles, not using the hint button and for quickly finding hidden objects.
music: truly beautifully done. the soundtrack for this game is the best i've ever heard for a video game.
storyline: as i already mentioned, i think supernatural stuff is just plain silly, but the plot for this game is so well thought out that the game is really quite enjoyable.
my complaints: switching between scenes took 10 seconds or longer to load and the cursor would often freeze for 5-10 seconds at a time, especially in the hidden object scenes. it was annoying and frustrating to wait for the game to catch up with where i was trying to go. also, there was no map, which meant i got lost sometimes trying to remember where i was supposed to use certain items that i'd just added to my inventory.
my interaction: one hour demo, casual mode (there's two modes).
in short: this is a gorgeous game. i was ready to purchase it, but the slow load and cursor freeze issues made me pass it over.
I recommend this game!
After overcoming the Dreamless Castle and Moonfell Wood, you have come to the rugged, mountainous snow-peaked Goblin Kingdom!
Overall rating
5
/
5
20 of 26 found this review helpful
wow, what a wonderful game
PostedJune 5, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
in this hidden object and puzzle adventure, you are princess sophia, who has been asleep in the Dreamless Castle for a century. you have awakened to find you are completely alone, so you have come to the goblin kingdom seeking your lost people. but the goblin king has also vanished and the once glorious goblin kingdom has fallen into ruin, although there still are a few goblins around to help. in your quest to find your lost people, you must also help restore the goblin kingdom.
graphics: lovely. really wonderfully imagined and incredibly well done. the artwork is gorgeous and oh, so realistic (the water fountain mini-game is one example of the quality of the artwork in this game). the level of attention to detail and the thought that was put into the overall design is wonderful. for example, i loved the imaginative and charming way they showed you the map of the goblin kingdom. the mini-games and puzzles were many, varied and lots of fun. they are solvable -- not excessively challenging -- although they can be skipped after a short of time (but why would you want to skip them? although, as one reviewer noted, some puzzles do lack clear instructions.)
soundtrack: cheerful and soothing music. no voiceovers (well, in the demo, anyway)
storyline: this is a very well designed story, and the mini-games and hidden objects scenes all tie in well with the story. even though you are searching for your lost people, you are not alone: you have a cute owl companion as your hint button, an adorable "pocket dragon", which purrs whenever you pick it up to light something aflame, and there are a few goblins around who help you, too.
my interaction: one hour demo, normal mode. i plan to purchase this game.
in summary: i highly recommend this game. it's intricate but well-designed, and just so fresh and imaginative. in fact, because i enjoyed this game so much, i plan to purchase its two prequels as well.
I recommend this game!
After discovering a new system of caves, the entire town is excited to explore, until Suzy is kidnapped by a mechanical beast!
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 7 found this review helpful
meet the jovyille spelunkers
PostedJune 4, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
the residents of Joyville discovered a new system of caves near their little town. unfortunately, little susie is kidnapped by a mechanical puppet-creature, which hides in these caves, also causing part of the caves to collapse so no one can follow. in this hidden object thriller, it is your task to find and rescue susie from this puppet-monster.
i believe this is the third part of the PuppetShow trilogy. after playing the demo version of "the mysteries of Joyville" on my iPhone (and not being able to get that game out of my head for literally months afterwards), i came to Big Fish, specifically seeking that game for my laptop. i found it, along with its sequels, and so much more!
graphics: lovely graphics. there is no click penalty, which is nice since the hidden object scenes are a bit cluttered. the puzzles are detailed and often intricate, but not excessively difficult. you can skip them, too (but why?).
music: same old, same old. it can get a bit repetitious (and thus, annoying) at times, so just turn the sound down so it doesn't assault your senses too much.
storyline: if you can go along with the other puppetshow storylines, then this one is no more fantastical than those.
complaints: the lack of a map was frustrating when you add a new item to your tools inventory but cannot remember exactly how to return to where that tool should be used. also no diary/journal and no hint button (except in the hidden object scenes), so there is plenty of wandering around, wondering what to do next. i also found the "tools" fan to be annoying.
my interaction: one hour demo, in casual mode (this game has two modes).
i was surprised to find i was creeped out when the puppet/robot creature kidnapped little susie, but after i got over that, i began to enjoy the game. i purchased the other two PuppetShow games many months ago and plan to add this to my games library soon.
I recommend this game!
Escape an underground vault of clockwork wonders with the help of its mysterious and eccentric inventor in Fantastic Creations: House of Brass!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
wow, what a fabulous game
PostedJune 4, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
in this hidden object adventure puzzler, you are trapped on the basement floor of a fabulous mansion filled with a variety of strange, beautiful -- and malfunctioning -- mechanical objects made of brass. these objects were created by eccentric Edwin Cogglethorpe, who provides helpful advice as you attempt to get the the top floor of the mansion so you can escape.
graphics: gorgeous, interesting, intricate. i especially enjoyed the mix of hidden object scenes, puzzles and adventure. the hidden objects list is different than the usual; instead of listing items to find, the scene would instead ask you to find "12 objects that spin and turn" -- this certainly makes your search list easier to remember! i also appreciated that the hidden object scenes weren't junk piles that required sifting through. the mini-puzzles were also fun, often intricate, ranging in level of challenge presented, and all requiring some thought (you can skip them, but why would you want to?). you do not interact with any people (or ghosts, etc.) in demo mode at least; instead, you interact with robots; mechanical humans and insects.
music and sound effects: appropriate. decent voiceovers.
storyline: simple but strange. but the graphics were so wonderful that i enjoyed exploring the mansion to see what i'd find next, so the story wasn't incredibly important.
my complaints: the cursor was slow or unresponsive at times. scenes took a bit of time to load, which was annoying since Cogglethorpe would talk about the scene whilst the little hourglass was turning, turning, turning, and blocking my view -- i couldn't really see what Cogglethorpe was talking about sometimes.
my interaction: one hour demo mode. i played both the CE version and now, the SE version, of this game (although my CE review mysteriously was not published). i plan to purchase the SE version after reading other reviewers' recommendations that the CE version is short and thus, overpriced.
this is a wonderful game for those who enjoy a blend of adventure, puzzles and hidden objects along with a healthy dose of intrigue.
I recommend this game!
After inheriting a manor in England, you begin to explore the Kangale Estate and discover its history!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 4 found this review helpful
compelling story and nice graphics
PostedJune 4, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
one day, Ricardo Chellini comes out of his soporific job-inspired daze to learn that he has inherited a manor on a small island in england. in this hidden object adventure game, you are Ricardo. you lay claim to your manor, the Kangale Estate, only to learn it is a falling-down dump occupied by a poltergeist with a bad temper and a fascination with fire.
graphics: generally well done, but overall quality was a bit uneven at times. however, the flames in particular were always well done.
music: unbalanced -- i turned the sound up to hear the voiceovers, which made the music too loud. but i really enjoyed what is a lone voice that sounds like a singer from the bulgarian women's choir -- wonderfully haunting.
storyline: compelling. i really want to know how this ends up! even though the main character (uh, that'd be me!) annoys me, i am still interested to learn why these poltergeists bear Ricardo so much ill will when he clearly doesn't know what the dealio is.
my interaction: one hour demo, casual mode (there's three modes).
i gave this game four stars because i think the graphics were a bit clunky in places.
I recommend this game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
11 of 14 found this review helpful
it does the job, but nothing more
PostedJune 4, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
in this time management video game, you are an overworked office droid who falls asleep in her cube afterhours a little too often. in this game, your task is to invest your sleeping hours by helping to fix up Dream Land Resorts and to scare away monsters that are the stuff of nightmares for your fellow overworked colleagues.
graphics: average, nothing special. the game is surprisingly slow for this genre. between each level, there is a quick-match game where you click on two cards that have matching items on them. if you match them all, you win an upgrade to your resort.
music: annoyingly repetitive.
storyline: um, silly. the developers could have come up with a better premise for this game.
my interaction: one hour demo, and i've no plans to purchase this game.
perhaps ironically, one of my favourite ways to waste time is to play time management video games. so of course, i've played a LOT of them (and i own a lot of them, too!). but compared to those games, this is a "functional" game but nothing very special (that translates to mean: "this game is not addictive"). i recommend with reservations because there are better time management video games out there to get yourself wrapped up in.
I recommend this game!
Them: The Summoning
Find proof that you were framed for two murders that you didn’t commit in Them: The Summoning!
Overall rating
2
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
hidden object overdose
PostedJune 3, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
in this game, you are looking for proof that you were framed for two murders. to do this, you have to evade an investigator whilst also gathering clues.
you can choose to play as a man or woman, which doesn't affect the play during the demo portion of the game.
storyline: nearly nonexistent. this game is just one hidden object scene after another whilst the storyline is an afterthought. i like hidden object games a lot, but this is a bit too much. if you like having a few puzzles to break up the monotony, well, there's almost none of those in this game.
graphics: very crisp, often lacking all texture. looks like something an architect would draw. some scenes have objects that disappear when you mouse over them. collecting myriad tiny objects in some of the scenes unlock game extras. also, "items that open" (boxes, drawers, etc.) are important.
my interaction: one hour demo.
my complaints: this game is nonsensical. for example, near the beginning, the main character leaves one scene (which you've already searched once for hidden items) to meet a friend and needs to find a number of hidden objects before departing. these items are added to the character's backpack to be carried along through the story. but the items that had to be found were really strange: why did the character absolutely need to find a woodpecker but not KEYS before leaving his/her flat?
i was surprised by misspelled words, including the word woodpecker, which oddly, the developers listed -- incorrectly -- as two words (originally, i wrote this word in this review as they had done, but my comments were flagged for inappropriate language! so how did the game developers' misspelling get past your spell checkers, big fish?)
presumably, this story takes place in southern Europe, but from what i saw, this looks like anywhere, USA, during the 1970s.
in short, i do not recommend this game unless you are desperate for a time waster that you've not yet played.
I don't recommend this game.
Use your detective skills to uncover hidden objects and halt a cryptic crime spree! Gather clues and explore crime scenes.
Overall rating
1
/
5
13 of 15 found this review helpful
how did this one sneak in, big fish?
PostedJune 3, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
in this hidden object game, you are a detective who helps the local police to find an evildoer.
storyline: they tell me this game has a story, but in my opinion, the story is the most perplexingly hidden object of all in this hidden object game.
graphics: poorly rendered. the supposedly untouched crime scenes resembled a junk pile to my eye. further, few of the objects that are pictured have anything to do with the story, and few of the objects that you have to search for have anything to do with the story development.
puzzles and mini-games: described as 'tricky" but i merely found them annoying.
music/audio: there's just two soundtracks, and both are awful and annoyingly repetitive. worse, i could hear a man yelling in the background for one of the music tracks -- poor taste if this shouting was intentional, otherwise, a lack of professionalism if this shouting was unintentional.
my interaction: one hour demo.
in short, i doubt anyone will enjoy this game, and i do not recommend it.
I don't recommend this game.