arnold1049's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.8
- Helpful Votes:4,545
- Reviews Submitted:555
- First Review:February 24, 2012
- Most Recent Review:December 24, 2024
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Track the treasure and solve the riddles of the past with Golden Trails 3: The Guardian’s Creed game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
NEVER A DULL MOMENT
PostedJune 16, 2014
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
There are so many things to do in this game that I was never bored for even a minute. There are achievements to be won, fleur-de-lis to collect, lots of different puzzles, all on top of the hidden object searches. I actually played the game all the way through twice, because at the end of the first time around, I had not collected all the fleur-de-lis nor won all the achievements. The game actually gave me the ability to play again while keeping all the items I had already won. However, in order to play the unlimited mode, even though I had done everything I needed to do the first time around, starting over again locked certain scenes in the unlimited mode until I finished the game again. But I enjoyed the game so much, that wasn't a problem.
I was unable to win 3 of the achievements: play the game all the way through once without exiting; collecting all the fleur-de-lis the first time through; and not skipping any puzzles. Not bad for a great-grandma.
I recommend this game!
Discover a wonderful Love Story in this fantastic Hidden Object game! Travel back in time and relive a beautiful tale.
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
A WONDERFUL HAPPY ENDING
PostedJune 12, 2014
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is an excellent game; I loved it. But I did find the scenes set in Cambodia about a POW of the Vietnam War a little discomforting. For those of us who had husbands, fathers, boyfriends, etc. involved in this war, just beware that this could delve up old memories. But, as all good love stories should, it has a happy ending.
The hidden object scenes were numerous and fairly challenging as most of the objects were tiny. The few puzzles were pretty original and not too hard. It is a long game and kind of like a good book; I didn't want to quit playing until I found out what happens in the end.
I give very few games a 5 star rating, but this one deserves it, mostly for the storyline. I'll be buying the other 2 games in the series and I hope they are just as good as this one.
I recommend this game!
Rob from the rich and give to the poor! When an evil ruler taxes his people to near starvation, it's up to Robin to save the day!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
GOOD BEGINNER'S GAME
PostedJune 11, 2014
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
A very easy, fairly short game. The hidden objects and puzzles were very easy and the storyline and graphics would definitely appeal to kids. There is a lot of variety in the game play, including archery contests, collecting wanted posters and money. None of the puzzles repeated, nor did the hidden object scenes.
I enjoyed it as a nice break from some of the darker, harder games that can be frustrating at times. A light hearted game that should not be taken too seriously, just enjoyed.
I recommend this game!
Cargo flight 821 has crashed on an uncharted, beautiful and deadly planet. Your only companion is the trustworthy robot, Oscar and together you must escape.
Overall rating
1
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
"DATA" FALLS DOWN RABBIT HOLE, ENDS UP IN "SECRET GARDEN"
PostedJune 11, 2014
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The logic in this game, if there is any, totally escapes me. Perhaps the makers of this game wanted to see just how much frustration players will put up with. Think "City of Fools" on a smaller scale.
The hint button only works in the hidden object scenes, and I needed at least one for every scene. One reviewer said a mask was found behind a door on the wall. My experience was there was no door, just a blank wall and without the hint I would have been clicking all over the wall for hours trying to find the correct spot to reveal the door.
The task list does have some hints connected to it, but references like "shovel can be found along one of the roads in a junk pile" are no help at all. Does "junk pile" refer to hidden object scenes or the actual junk littering all the scenes?
How about getting across the quick sand. The area is surrounded by trees and there is an axe in the inventory. Logic would say, take the axe, cut down one of the trees so it falls across the quick sand, and be on your way. Not. After having to refer to the task list help, I needed to go to 3 different locations, many, many steps back and forth among them, to find a bolt cutter to cut the chains around a stack of wooden planks, then a rope to fasten the planks together to make a "raft" to lay down across the quick sand. That defies any logic I was ever taught.
And how about taking the panel off to open the gate into the lab. Pretty simple; an allen wrench in inventory that matches the bolts on the panel. Well, 3 of the 4 bolts, anyway. No matter where I clicked or how often I clicked, the 4th bolt would not budge and I even got a message saying that wouldn't work. So, thinking the bolt was damaged or something, I went looking for clues or other tools to get the last bolt out. I went back and forth and over and under and through and around every location with no luck. I went back several times trying the allen wrench again and again. Nothing in the task list was of any help. Finally, on the umpteenth time of trying the allen wrench, it worked. Makes me think I'm going insane; you know, the saying about insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. I truly think this game was created by people with multiple personalities.
The map was useless; not interactive and so busy with jungle and used such small type that I couldn't even figure out where I was let alone where to go to next or how to get there.
Any game that has a logic that is so hard to figure out that you practically live in the strategy guide/hint area is not the kind of game I want to waste my time on, let alone the backtracking over and over and over again. I like a challenge, but there has to be some kind of reason behind the actions. That is totally lacking in this game.
I rarely give up on a game, but this one did it for me. I only have to beat my head against a brick wall so long before I get the message; I don't live in that weird a world, not do I want to.
So, given the logic (or lack thereof) reflected in this game and the many problems I have listed, I guess I should have given it a 5 star rating.
I don't recommend this game.
After their hiking trip takes a tragic turn, a group of friends are forced to travel between realms to undo an old wrong and save the Cypress Witch.
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
GOOD BEGINNER'S GAME
PostedJune 8, 2014
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is a pretty short, fairly easy game suitable for beginners. I did like the brightness of the graphics and the American Indian theme.
Many years ago, mysterious events separated Rachel and her father. Help find him and save the world from catastrophe!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
SOLID GAME
PostedJune 7, 2014
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game had lots of hidden object scenes. The puzzles were varied and ranged from easy to hard. There was very little back and forth, so the play was fairly linear. There was very little delay between picking up an inventory item and using it, which kept the inventory from filling up.
A good, solid game.
I recommend this game!
In a fading world devoid of color, the ghost of Nikola Tesla reaches through the Ether and invites you on an incredible adventure through time and space.
Overall rating
2
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
WHAT YEAR IS THIS?
PostedJune 5, 2014
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Time travel to change history and right wrongs is the premise of this game. It left me totally confused: what year is it and where am I and what am I supposed to do here? Actually, except for the very end of the game, I am in the same place, just different year; 1895? 1918? 1943? present? There was entirely too much dialog to try to explain why I was at a specific place in time, what I needed to do to fix things in the future, and how that affected the world. Yet when explanations were needed, like how to read/use the map or instructions for puzzles, information was unavailable.
I enjoy hearing voiceovers, and I was able to turn off the other sounds and still hear the protagonists, a real plus for a game in my opinion. However, I got really tired of hearing the high-heels of the time traveler click/clack back and forth over and over again. A very annoying sound that really got on my nerves.
There weren't that many hidden object scenes and the puzzles were the same over and over again. I think this is just laziness on the part of the developers, when there are so many types of puzzles out there to choose from.
There is a map, but it was also confusing and served no purpose that I could see. In the casual mode that I played, the hint and skip buttons charged pretty quickly, one of the few good things about the game.
The final straw for me that made me rate this game low is the infinitesimal movements of the mouse that are needed to complete an action. For example, in one hidden object scene I was looking for a wine glass. I clicked and clicked on the only item that I could find to fit this name. I finally gave up and went looking for another wine glass. When I still came up empty, I used a hint and it sent me right back to the original item I had been clicking on in the first place.
Another example was having to sew pieces of cloth together in a frame. After clicking with the thread all up and down the lines where the pieces of cloth connected, I accidentally found the right spot; at the very end, right against the frame. I could cite several other examples. Ridiculous.
Even in the puzzles, the mouse was very unresponsive at times. I checked the walkthrough a few times to try to figure out what I was doing wrong, but I wasn't; the mouse just didn't want to work.
Adding all of these things together, I was glad when I finally finished the game.
I don't recommend this game.
Play as a clairvoyant detective and investigate the baffling disappearance of a carnival magician in this colorful Hidden Object game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
JOIN THE CIRCUS
PostedJune 3, 2014
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
One thing I liked about this game was that the locations were "closed" once all the actions had been completed in that area. That sure saves a lot of unnecessary back and forth.
The hint button was no good except in the hidden object scenes. All it said was that there was "..nothing to do at this location...", a very annoying response.
There is a map, but not interactive, which really wasn't necessary as the game was pretty linear through the circus setting.
Lots of hidden object scenes which is good in a hidden object game. Most of the puzzles were fairly easy and had the skip option.
I found 23 of the 26 ace of spades that supposedly increased the speed of the hint recharge. It was a good thing I didn't need too many hints. At the very beginning, it seemed like it took five or more minutes to charge up the first time before use.
All over, a good, solid game.
I recommend this game!
Forget those long-winded stories and dive right into the HO scenes you love! 100% Hidden Objects gives you complete control over your gaming experience.
Overall rating
5
/
5
11 of 13 found this review helpful
AND I THOUGHT I WAS GOOD AT HIDDEN OBJECTS
PostedJune 3, 2014
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
This game made me rethink the "Expert" rating I've given myself for hidden object games. This game is a real challenge and I will be playing it over and over again to try to get better at it.
There are boxes that contain several locations in each. For each location, you can either choose a word list or a silhouette for the objects to search for. In each location, you can win three stars, one for finding a specific object within the few seconds given you, one for finding lots of objects quickly, one after the other, and the last star for finding all objects in the time frame given. Needless to say, I was not very good at earning the stars. For a few locations, I managed to get two stars, one for the specific object and one for finding all the objects in the allotted time. But I finished many locations with no stars at all.
With winning stars, you also get money to spend for help with the locations. You can buy hints, magic wands, lanterns to light blacked out scenes, time extensions, etc. I won so few stars that about all I could afford were some hints and a few lanterns.
Part of what makes this game hard is not only how hidden the objects are, but how some of them don't look like what the name of the object says. For instance, a "plate" actually looked like the lily pad a frog was sitting on. Other problems come in when a word on the list has more than one object. In one scene I was looking for a hat. The top hat I saw was the obvious choice, but was wrong. I finally clicked on a blob on a rock that didn't look like anything, and that was the hat. So, to find all objects within the time frame is difficult as you waste a lot of clicks thinking you have found the correct object.
Along with winning stars, there are also achievements to be accomplished. With my first full play of the game, I won 12 of the available 64 achievements, about as good as I did at winning stars.
But all of this is what makes the game fun, and I will be playing it over and over again to try to get better. And I will, as the more I play, the better I will remember the places of the hidden objects. This is a great game to hone your skills.
I recommend this game!
After discovering that the queen has been having a secret relationship you are sent away to Roanoke Island!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
ANOTHER "HIDDEN MYSTERIES" WINNER
PostedJune 1, 2014
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game was about the right length; not too long but not too short. The graphics are excellent and the hidden objects contain a lot of items that relate to the period of time covered by the game. The puzzles are fairly easy; in fact the game is pretty easy and relaxing.
The hints could have been better; they were of the "nothing more to do at this location" type. The map was not interactive, which it needed to be, as there is a lot of back and forth in this game, one of my pet peeves. The map did mark the locations where things needed to be done, so that was helpful. I referred to the map constantly to make sure I was going down, over, up and back the right way. Again, very frustrating. Of course, if there hadn't been a lot of back and forth, the game would have been too short.
I liked the historical setting of the game; made me want to refresh my memory about all the goings on of the English royal families. Also made me want to check out more Hidden Mysteries games, although I won't be paying full price for them; good uses of my free coupons.
I recommend this game!