twinsoniclab's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:2.8
- Helpful Votes:3,182
- Reviews Submitted:110
- First Review:June 17, 2013
- Most Recent Review:December 2, 2022
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Can you stop the Revenant before it's too late?
Overall rating
2
/
5
36 of 40 found this review helpful
I just don't "get" it...
PostedNovember 22, 2017
twinsoniclab
fromSouthern Oregon
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
What I don't "get" is the raves for this game. I think it might be that players think it's expected to give a new MCF game high marks, just because. This game is ordinary at best. But, I don't see it at best, I see it as not just ordinary, but boring. In a few weeks I expect to read this is the big winner, Game of the Year. Aren't they (MCF) always?
The story is trite, and been done dozens of time before.
The HOS were disappointing, nothing outstanding.
The puzzles were fine, scant instructions for those who need more help in even knowing how to get started! The multi-step are not as fun or mind-bending as in other MCF.
The graphics were good at times, other times rather outdated.
The HOS were disappointing, nothing outstanding.
The puzzles were fine, scant instructions for those who need more help in even knowing how to get started! The multi-step are not as fun or mind-bending as in other MCF.
The graphics were good at times, other times rather outdated.
I just found most of the scenes cluttered with all the miscellaneous stuff from every game ever played. All just sort of laying around, too much stuff just laying around for no reason, not all even interactive. Things didn't always make sense.
Right off, there's some big silliness. Are we are really to believe a body will lay where it fell, rotting, for days (weeks perhaps) giving us time to fly from Great Britain? And, then, there was no reason whatsoever for us to examine the body. All we did was take his watch, notice a mark I didn't even notice, but read about noticing. I also didn't notice the mark on my own arm I mention later!
Obviously the deceased young man has a vendetta against his former "friends." I will guess he is going to go after them one by one, starting with the body by the willow tree (yes, the make sure we know it's a willow tree, even though it looks little like one). Did they cause the fiery crash? I don't care...
Kick piles of leaves, because... just because the developers added that as something to "collect." Collect morphs, cards and letters. Those disappear, but you can see what they were about in your journal.
It's been years since I've enjoyed a MCF very much. I will continue to try them, as I try most games. There is one MCF I would love to see released for PC, The Malgrave Incident. It was just too hard to play on Wii.
With a year between MCF (usually) I would expect a better game. This developer used to be the best, the most original, the one with break-out puzzles and amazing collectibles. Ordinary has ceased to get me to part with my hard-earned money.
Travel through a surreal and disturbing dreamland where everything depends on your actions. You can't die but you can suffer greatly...
Overall rating
1
/
5
13 of 21 found this review helpful
Blood and Gore are NOT Entertaining!
PostedNovember 17, 2017
twinsoniclab
fromSouthern Oregon
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
A different kind of game is always exciting, but this game is just disgusting.
I barely played any of it, but enough to review so those with like mind can skip the download/install time and save themselves the bloody horror.
The game opens on a bridge. You see trash, read some papers laying on the ground, notice a few crows sitting on the railing. Now, as any game player knows, crows are thieves and often drop whatever they are carrying when you scare them off.
So, click on a crow, see what it leaves. Nothing but a big bloody mess. That's right, click a crow and it dies in a messy, blood-splatter explosion. Time to exit.
Usually the warning on the main game page is overstated, but not here. If you like killing and seeing the gory results, this game is for you.
(This is my second attempt at a review. It is not the first of its kind, so why am I not being published?)
I don't recommend this game.
Can you solve an old murder case and save your sister?
Overall rating
1
/
5
11 of 21 found this review helpful
Enjoying the modern day time period... until...
PostedOctober 31, 2017
twinsoniclab
fromSouthern Oregon
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Mahjong, Match 3, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I was enjoying this game more than usual, and was happy to find a modern day setting. Sure, it was ghosts, but at least we didn't enter a portal to a castle!
The HOS were fun and extremely varied, and puzzles doable with a bit of persistence (although I believe the solution in the SG was incorrect for one).
So, why one star? Because, after playing for hours, we learn the back story of the mother, and yet again the developers resort to a mental hospital to find their "baddie." Most mental patients are more of a danger to themselves than to others. They are not scary. They are only trying to live ordinary lives, with families, friends, and jobs.
Let's give mental illnesses the same respect as other medical issues. There are no games with frightening seizure sufferers! Or bald cancer patients... I do not recommend this game.
I don't recommend this game.
Return to the world of Jewel Match in this beautiful Solitaire adventure with 320 levels, multiple play variants, 8 castles to build, and much more!
Overall rating
5
/
5
47 of 54 found this review helpful
This is what I've been asking for!
PostedOctober 17, 2017
twinsoniclab
fromSouthern Oregon
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Finally! A GOOD solitaire that is NOT just one-up-one-down! (Nothing wrong with that in moderation, I play one on my phone, but 99% of solitaires are that kind.)
In just a few minutes of play I moved beyond one-up-one-down and could play both Klondike and Spider, two of my favorites!
Don't worry, you only play 4 or 5 hands before upgrading, it goes quickly.
Don't worry, you only play 4 or 5 hands before upgrading, it goes quickly.
The game is beautiful, the cards lovely, crisp graphics and large enough to really see. The music is nice enough to leave on. The game play moves along a quickly or slowly as you want. You can choose between normal, relaxed, or hard modes. So, you can follow the traditional rules, or only go through the deck once if you really want it hard!
You gain coins for power-ups, such as jokers, undo cards, and shuffles. Collect gems to rebuild castles. Stars unlock the other variations, accessible from the "bonus games" area. You get trophies, the achievements for the game. I'm a Swift Fox for using 5 cards in 5 seconds! You can turn the tutorial on or off, which is helpful when playing an unfamiliar solitaire version.
In the one-up-one-down variation the hands have the usual impediments necessitating the removal ice, vines, etc.
In short, I'm happy today's a weekend for me!
I recommend this game!
A Halloween party becomes a spine-tingling fight for survival!
Overall rating
3
/
5
14 of 19 found this review helpful
Same Game, Different Theme
PostedOctober 13, 2017
twinsoniclab
fromSouthern Oregon
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I could sum it up in three words, Nothing New Here.
Knowing how tremendously good (some of) the Elephant Christmas games have been, I was excited to see their take on Halloween. Boy, was it overdone! It looks like someone bought out a Spirit store (American Halloween seasonal store) lock, stock and barrel, cramming all the inventory into one room/house/game!
How about the story? It's nothing new, absolutely nothing new. Mother makes pact with "devil" to save ill child. Black robed, floating "baddies" need the "last" of a kind (in this case a "seer," played by the player). Oh, don't forget there is some sort of "door" or "gate" between the "worlds" that may open, allowing the "beyonders" into the human world. Thankfully, one "beyonder" is a rebel, thinks humankind and "beyondkind" can live in harmony, so he helps us! Sound familiar? Of course it does. Put in the Jack-o-lanterns, skeletons, bats, etc. and there you have it! A NEW Halloween series! I hope at least it will be a different set of characters and all next year, like how the Christmas Stories differ. Oh, those "beyonders" are beyond stupid. They can't think to search under a bed, or in a closet when we are hiding, just wonder, "Where'd she go?"
The puzzles and HOS are super easy. I thought the scrolling one in the cemetery was clever, but was so easy it ruined the fun. The text will read something like, "Oh, this statue needs an arm," and there's the arm, laying on the ground at the statue's feet. It was nice to see such a mix of HOS. FROG, lists, progressive... but they were too easy.
The collectibles are varied and actually not simple to find on the most part. At times they were in your face easy, in the foreground and morphing up a storm. Other times I had to click on objects to test them out. That takes time, since the scenes are just jam packed with objects!
Just how many demonic dolls do we need? It's more spoof than scare! That monkey one we had to "fight" was ridiculous! The game had no suspense, which is more frightening to me than the attempted jump scares in this game.
Admittedly, here is a shortage of Halloween themed games. But, just taking the same ol' stuff and adding in a few toothy dolls and talking pumpkins isn't good enough.
I just finished playing Shadows: Price for our Sins (2013) and it is much better. Oh, the technical parts aren't better, there are no voice overs, etc. But, the game is harder and much creepier than this one. Long too, without resorting to time spent on collectibles, as it's not a CE.
Because it's one of the few Halloween games outside of solitaire or match-3, this will be a big seller. Congratulations on that to BFG an Elephant. But, really, the game is just mediocre.
I don't recommend this game.
330 variants of solitaire each with a detailed tutorial and quality HD graphics.
Overall rating
2
/
5
29 of 32 found this review helpful
STILL looking for a GOOD solitaire!
PostedOctober 11, 2017
twinsoniclab
fromSouthern Oregon
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
My hopes were raised this morning when I saw a game offering various solitaire games! Not just one-up-one-down, which I enjoy now and again, but "real" solitaire as I call it, like Klondike and Spider.
I eagerly installed the game, only to be disappointed. Disappointed in the quality of the graphics, the sounds, the texts... all 'round disappointment.
I eagerly installed the game, only to be disappointed. Disappointed in the quality of the graphics, the sounds, the texts... all 'round disappointment.
I played one variation, Northwest Territory. The cards are glunky to move, by either dragging them into place, or double clicking. Even when I won the hand (and in Northwest Territory it's pretty hard NOT to win!) I still had to double click or drag each card to complete it, no auto finish like even my little free phone app solitaire does. It just takes sooo long to play!
The board and cards do not have crisp, clear graphics. This is the case in nearly every solitaire with a variety of games I've found. Why? Why such plain backgrounds? Why always a teensy bit foggy?
And those hovering hints are just ridiculous! Maybe there is a way to disable them, I disabled the tutorial. Any time your cursor happens to cross over a card it opens a hint at the top of the page telling you what that card can be played on, or what can be played on it.
Why doesn't someone come out with a quality solitaire game? They exist as one-up-one-downs and match 2 cards (talk about boring); what's the problem with Klondike or Free Cell? How about a game with a nice story, nice graphics, like Emerland, but NOT one-up-one-down for a change? I'd buy it instantly! And the next one after that, and the next one after that!
I don't recommend this game.
Can you save your sister from her new abilities in time?
Overall rating
2
/
5
4 of 8 found this review helpful
A disappointing sequel, nothing like the first
PostedOctober 8, 2017
twinsoniclab
fromSouthern Oregon
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
What a disappointment! I loved the first Dawn of Hope. It was original and engaging. The novel setting was such a breath of fresh air, seeing everyday items in our lives used in unusual ways, etc. It was a post-apocalyptic Earth. I guess this one is too, but here we have the evil entity from another world, and a magical amulet.
It just felt like the developers tried too hard. The scenes didn't make me stop and look around, congratulating them for their cleverness. They were cluttered and no fun.
I didn't care about any of the characters, there was just no connection to them.
If you like the first Dawn of Hope game, you won't like this one! It's just another hidden object game, with the same trite elements we've tired of. A zipper pull breaks off? Really? How about that water valve? We will obviously need one of those. Same ol' stuff in our inventory as usual.
It just felt like the developers tried too hard. The scenes didn't make me stop and look around, congratulating them for their cleverness. They were cluttered and no fun.
I didn't care about any of the characters, there was just no connection to them.
If you like the first Dawn of Hope game, you won't like this one! It's just another hidden object game, with the same trite elements we've tired of. A zipper pull breaks off? Really? How about that water valve? We will obviously need one of those. Same ol' stuff in our inventory as usual.
I don't recommend this game.
Explore the four corners of Oz in this thrilling fantasy game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
A Real Winner for Once!
PostedJuly 25, 2017
twinsoniclab
fromSouthern Oregon
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
It's been a long time since I've liked a game as much as this one! It's not only beautiful, it's fun, and interesting enough to keep my interest. Finding a game that keeps my interest is challenging lately.
It might be that this game has clearly defined parts to it East, West, North, South, so it feels not like one tiresome long game, but shorter ones with different settings and tasks, yet related tasks.
The collectibles are not hard to find (a few were), but that's okay here, the rest is entertaining enough.
It's not too hard, but not so easy it's a bore. In the words of Goldilocks, "It's just right."
Many of the HOS are brilliant and novel! The one with Toto in the bath is adorable!
Yes, Toto comes along as a helper, but as much as I hate helpers, I don't mind Toto. He acts like a dog! Digs... jumps into water... chases rats... barks... I love dogs, and this one behaves like one, not like an elf (ahem). I won't purchase anything for Toto though. Maybe a toy or two!
Don't expect The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (the book title), this does have recognizable elements to that story, but it has other familiar characters and themes too (think rats and flutes).
I actually disliked Alice in Shadowland, so was pleasantly surprised to enjoy this one so much.
I recommend this game!
Can you stop the townspeople from mysteriously aging?
Overall rating
1
/
5
86 of 107 found this review helpful
One word? Terrible.
PostedMarch 23, 2017
twinsoniclab
fromSouthern Oregon
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
No, the MCF games haven't been the same since BFG quit making them, but some have been okay. This one is one of the most boring games (2 chapters) I have ever played. After 2 chapters I had to pause and ask myself what the story was again? It is just too unremarkable. Too jumbled up, the story, the mechanisms that were supposed to be creepy, but weren't... just the entire demo. The HOS were short and simple, even with mini-puzzles within them. If the multi-step puzzles were this game's "Rube Goldberg" types, they missed by a mile. No logic to figure out what to do first, or how one puzzle would affect the next step, just do one part first, then move on to the second, third, etc.
Please, someone come up with an entirely new game, with no sequels, no prequels! How about a stand-alone game that doesn't rely on the series name to sell? One that doesn't have to make little asides and references to past games would be welcome at this point.
MCF isn't the draw it used to be for me. I end up with them, and regret buying them. I won't make that mistake this time. It's a no purchase for me.
Please, someone come up with an entirely new game, with no sequels, no prequels! How about a stand-alone game that doesn't rely on the series name to sell? One that doesn't have to make little asides and references to past games would be welcome at this point.
MCF isn't the draw it used to be for me. I end up with them, and regret buying them. I won't make that mistake this time. It's a no purchase for me.
I don't recommend this game.
The enemy of your enemy is your friend, or are they?
Overall rating
1
/
5
53 of 72 found this review helpful
Worst Dark Tales Poe game yet... SPOILERS!
PostedDecember 29, 2016
twinsoniclab
fromSouthern Oregon
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
This is the worst Dark Tales game yet, and I have played them all! Why do I feel that way? The story, the characters, the game play, the entire game. The following has spoilers.
*****SPOILERS*****
The story line is ridiculous. I know they couldn't make an entire game from The Raven, it's a rather short poem. So, why try? Earlier Poe games were based on short stories, and much earlier ones stuck to the story. If there are no more decent stories from which to make games, retire the series! The game begins with a few lines from The Raven, but from then on it's pure fantasy, if you don't count Lenore having a grave (even if she isn't the one entombed). The evil Raven Society... the White Crow (a woman dashing around in a skin tight body suit, crow mask, and slashers attached to her hands)... an artifact that can raise the dead...
Dupin has morphed from a "brilliant detective," which some players found attractive (I thought he was a bit too feminine in looks), to a side-kick who barely is involved. Apparently the developer wanted to "man" him up a bit, and now he looks haggard, with slight stubble and sunken, bruised looking eyes! His voice is not the same either. My first thought was, "What happened to Dupin?"
Games with warnings are the rage now. Some warrant the caution, most don't. Yes, this one has blood and murders before our eyes, but mostly for the sake of having the blood, and the warnings as an attempt to make it a more "adult" themed game.
The ending is ridiculous! That will stay unspoiled. You get a choice about using the resurrection machine (no, not on Dupin, that happened earlier!).
I would use a third, un-offered, choice, and let the series itself die. It's been progressively dying over the years anyway. It would have been so much better to quit on a high note.
The extras, with just one meager collectible, are not worth the double price of a CE. The HOS were as expected and ditto for the puzzles. Nothing special. The reoccurring scarab in a maze was fun the first time, but not again and again.
If I encounter yet more new games with figures in those beaked hood masks I'll skip even demoing. The concentration game based on masks was nauseating (literally, the scene slides back and forth). I hope that won't become a "thing" in games, the sliding back and forth.
I don't recommend this game.