JustTheFacts's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.9
- Helpful Votes:33,148
- Reviews Submitted:681
- First Review:December 7, 2011
- Most Recent Review:June 4, 2018
- Featured reviews0
Status:
There's a dark force at work in Pilgrim's Hook. Return to your childhood home and save your twin brother from the evil that lives beneath the sea.
Overall rating
5
/
5
120 of 128 found this review helpful
Best Game Of Year 2013 Contender
PostedMay 12, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED CE GAME
Yes, this game really is that good. It’s got something to please everyone.
The story though superficially familiar is far more interesting than that. Just exploring the island, talking to the remaining inhabitants and trying to figure out what’s going on is involving.
The game looks great, bright, clear, misty within context. And I particularly love that though the town was deserted, it was not all old and ugly. Some parts of the town had been attended to up until very recently.
The voiceovers were wonderful. Beautiful well spoken speeches exhibiting appropriate emotions. That’s a rare treat. Music okay and background noises very good at establishing atmosphere. There are times in the game where you are walking about alone and the sense of eerie emptiness is inescapable.
The HOs are not very hard, a little interactive, and of two list types, giving us a little variety. The puzzles are well explained and are fairly easy – I only needed the SG twice.
Experienced players will want to play on hard core (level 3), but I suspect even then this may a bit easy. For intermediate me, it was perfect.
Is the CE worth the extra money? I’m glad I bought it. The bonus games were fun, I actually found a wallpaper worth putting on my desktop and there are morphing objects and achievements.
The main game is self-contained and finishes properly, so I don’t think this is a lesser game. It is still well worth the money at SE prices.
I recommend this game!
After crash landing onto an extraordinary string of uncharted islands, you find yourself suddenly thrust into adventure!
Overall rating
4
/
5
12 of 12 found this review helpful
Seven HO Types In One Great Adventure
PostedMay 11, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED GAME
Rarely would many of us say that the HOS were a SERIOUS CHALLENGE, compared to puzzles. This game delivers several different HO types that will get you seriously searching:
• Standard Interactive List (with silhouette option available)
• List with 180 deg Pan
• Multiples (Find 8 things forbidden by Mom)
• HO Progressive Puzzle
• Related Pairs
• Poisoned HO
• Deliberately Monochromatic Environment
• List with 180 deg Pan
• Multiples (Find 8 things forbidden by Mom)
• HO Progressive Puzzle
• Related Pairs
• Poisoned HO
• Deliberately Monochromatic Environment
The HO PROGRESSIVE PUZZLE is similar to PROGRESSIVE SILHOUETTE HO, where you must find one item to get the next and so on. In this version, you get a LIST OF 4 ITEMS, some of which go to your inventory, and are needed to find the next list of 4 items. This goes on until you clear all 5 or 6 lists and get the necessary item. You have the option to SKIP and you can get a HINT without forfeiting the puzzle, and it is just a hint. (Try burning the canvas, for example).
The POISON HO is made particularly difficult by the colouring, and the fading in and out of focus of the items.
Similarly with the MONOCHROMATIC HOS are deliberately difficult.
Although there are many HOs in this game, and they are very much MORE CHALLENGING than most, the game is also a PUZZLE ADVENTURE, with many interesting puzzles as well. A number of these are also PROGRESSIVE, taking several steps to be solved.
EXCELLENTLY DESIGNED & PRODUCED, the GRAPHICS are first rate, crystal clear except where they are deliberately designed otherwise.
The STORY is a bit FANCIFUL, and doesn’t hold tightly together, but at times the characters are quite funny, and the whole game is a ROLLICKING PIRATE ADVENTURE.
I recommend this game!
Solve this maritime mystery to reunite a pirate with his lost love!
Overall rating
3
/
5
78 of 100 found this review helpful
I Can Already Hear The Howls Of Disappointment
PostedMay 11, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
BASED ON FULL DEMO
The EXPERTS & COLLECTORS are both going to be disappointed by this game. Luckily, not all of us are going to feel that way.
This is actually (although they don’t call it that) the second Youda Mystery game. Don’t let the connection to the cartoonish games put you off though, The Stanwick Legacy was photo realism, and quite high quality GRAPHICS, and so is this one. It’s also NOT CHILDISH.
The reason for the howling is that it is an EASY ADVENTURE game. A HELPFUL HINT & INTERACTIVE JUMP MAP make the INTEGRATED SG unnecessary. And the GAMEPLAY is very STRAIGHTFORWARD.
I came across 2 HO SCENES, which were very CLEAR but MONOCHROMATIC, and NOT INTERACTIVE.
There were a couple of PUZZLES, but really only one you’d think of that way. And it was VERY EASY.
So this is a GREAT BEGINNERS’ game, and a pleasant enough afternoon for INTERMEDIATE players. EXPERTS, don’t even bother to download it. Honestly.
The other disappointment is that it is NOT CE CALIBRE.
There are COINS to COLLECT, but they are needed to progress in the game and by necessity will not be exclusive anyway. They unlock chests holding important items throughout the game.
LENGTH looks okay. The first TWO CHAPTERS took me 45 MINUTES, and there are NINE plus THREE BONUS CHAPTERS.
BONUS CONTENT REVIEW**
STRATEGY GUIDE, helpful enough, but I doubt many will need it. GALLERY OF CONCEPT ART and MUSIC. NO OTHER CE FEATURES.
I would probably RECOMMEND the SE version, it does look like a NICE LITTLE GAME.
As a CE, I can’t in good conscience recommend it.
I don't recommend this game.
Uncover a dark scheme in Entwined: Strings of Deception and solve an elaborate murder mystery!
Overall rating
3
/
5
7 of 8 found this review helpful
Good HO Whodunit
PostedMay 9, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED GAME
This is one of those games I bought on a whim but shouldn’t have, because it is just not my cup of tea. However, I will try to give you an unbiased appraisal of the game.
It’s a MODERN WHODUNIT, complete with detective, you, MURDER BOOK in hand. It lists suspects (5), autopsy, observations and task list.
A famous inventor has been murdered in his home, found at the bottom of the stairs with a (non-fatal) stab wound, injuries from the fall, and poisoned contents in his stomach. Sounds like they all had a go at him!
His mansion is a wonderful, many-roomed affair, and that NON-INTERACTIVE MAP is a necessary accessory. HINT is VERY HELPFUL outside HOS, you choose a task you want help with, and it will list the necessary steps. It WILL NOT tell you where to go next, however, you will have to work that out. In HOS, it gives you a close-up view of the item.
The game is dominated by ADVENTURE action. You spend most of your time trying to nut out the clues, and there are only a VERY FEW PUZZLES. A lot of toing and froing is required, and it is easy to lose track of what was needed where. But then that’s what adventure games are all about, right?
You must question all of the suspects, and VOICEOVER is used for this. It is VERY GOOD. The only other SOUND I noticed was the drumming of rain on the roof.
There are quite a lot of HO SCENES, which provide many of the tools you’ll need. They are of the NON-INTERACTIVE LIST variety and can be quite tricky. CRYSTAL CLEAR REALISTIC GRAPHICS make the scenes a joy to search.
TWO COLLECTIBLES. FINGERPRINTS are collected with a fingerprint kit. And there is also a large quantity of JEWELLERY just lying around.
I am convinced that someone without my prejudices would find this a good game, but I doubt anyone would be floored by it.
I recommend this game!
The gates to another world will open soon! You can stop the impending disaster - if you track down the stolen runes!
Overall rating
4
/
5
131 of 160 found this review helpful
Yup, I’m Buying
PostedMay 9, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
BASED ON ONE HOUR DEMO
This one looks like a winner. Not extremely difficult, but it has atmosphere and visuals and a good mix of gameplay.
INTRO is a blast, and gets the adrenaline going straight away.
The STORY is a bit confusing at this stage, the gist of it seems to be, as a member of the Helsing family you are the only one who can track down stolen runes across a series of worlds. The runes are needed to keep the Portal to Evil closed.
In the demo, I got to see the first of those worlds, which gave me a feeling of witches at the stake, although in fairness to the village, no stakes were in evidence.
There was also a very intriguing ghost I’d be interested to know more about.
It looks like a LONG GAME. I was halfway through the second chapter when the hour ran out and there are 10 CHAPTERS plus the BONUS. Definitely want to see the rest of this one.
The background SOUNDS & MUSIC were both CREEPY and religious, sounded like I was at a very solemn religious ceremony – one that might involve sacrifices!
The GRAPHICS were REALISM, VERY WELL DONE. Very CRISP, although a lot of DARKNESS as well. HOs were easy to find.
The HOS were few, but I visited them twice, once with an INTERACTIVE LIST and once to REPLACE OBJECTS.
There were also NOT MANY PUZZLES, what there were, were medium difficulty and some were ORIGINAL. Some of the puzzle instructions left me without a clue as to what to do, and the SG was NO HELP.
This game seems to be mostly ADVENTURE, and fairly EASY, and there is an INTERACTIVE JUMP MAP and DIRECTIONAL HINT as well.
There are 15 MESSAGES to COLLECT, but NO ACHIEVEMENTS.
BONUS CONTENT includes STRATEGY GUIDE, BONUS CHAPTER, WALLPAPERS, CONCEPT ART, 15 MINI-GAMES (from the game and some of them look like good fun), MUSIC.
Nothing much in there for me. If I can resist, I will wait for the SE on this one.
I recommend this game!
Join in the race as teams battle to be the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Explore the mysteries of the world and find clues to support your journey.
Overall rating
3
/
5
7 of 9 found this review helpful
Ancient History, Classic HO
PostedMay 9, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED GAME
There are some strange things on my desktop, and this is surely one of them. How an ancient game (2007) with my least liked form of graphics, and a pure HO gamestyle ended up here is one of the great unsolved mysteries. But here it is, so let me tell you about it.
First, HORRENDOUS GRAPHICS in every way. These are of the CUT & PASTE form, which is bad enough, but they are also so poor in quality, I couldn’t play this game on full screen.
The WINDOWED version was the size of a (small) NOTEBOOK, and LOOKED GOOD ENOUGH. The HO SCENES were still ugly piles of nonsense junk, many items distorted out of recognition, and very small. And even in such a small window, some of the cuts were visible.
SOUND & MUSIC were rudimentary, but could be ADJUSTED SEPARATELY. There was a very occasional VOICEOVER from a real climber who provided background information about historic climbs etc.
The STORY is for show only, as it is both IRRELEVANT to the gameplay, and SILLY. You are in a race to the top of Everest, but you can’t go straight there, you must find a secret way up before the other teams do, and your journey starts in the jungles of South America!
The GAMEPLAY is MAP-DRIVEN. There is NO ADVENTURE play, and NO PUZZLES, apart from a couple of jigsaws.
Each level gives you a number of LOCATIONS to visit. There you will complete a static HO LIST. Scattered throughout are also MULTIPLES HOS. You visit each HO SCENE 3 times.
There are COLLECTIBLES in the form of 5 GEMS to be found in each scene, which earn you HINTS. The number of hints is FINITE, so if you use them you’ll need to replace them.
There is also an HOURGLASS in each scene to give you extra time.
It is a TIMED game, with no choice in the matter, and you compete with 3 RIVAL TEAMS whose progress is constantly measured against yours. If you come last in a level, you have to do it again. You also have the option to REPLAY a level.
If you play on a notebook and are comfortable with that, and if you like classic HO action, then this will probably appeal to you.
For the rest of us – stand clear, someone might fall!
I don't recommend this game.
Explore the incredible underwater hidden object world of Aquascapes.
Overall rating
5
/
5
166 of 196 found this review helpful
Fishdom H2O Meets Fishdom 3
PostedMay 8, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
BASED ON DEMO & MANY HOURS WITH BOTH H2O & 3
I own both of the above games, and this one has the GAMEPLAY of FISHDOM H2O and the VISUALS & EXTRAS of FISHDOM 3.
The basic idea is you GO DIVING for treasure to gain COINS so you can buy FISH & ACCESSORIES. The fish TALK to you via little speech bubbles and images in thought ones. These guys can be truly FUNNY. They also demand that you FEED them, keep their aquarium CLEAN, and buy them things.
The diving is your HOS. They come in 3 flavours from what I saw. STANDARD LIST, MULTIPLES OF & SILHOUETTES. The colours are vibrant and beautiful despite being entirely underwater. OBJECTS are easy to see. Lists start small but get longer as you progress.
Not mentioned in the blurb is the EXTRAS:
COLLECTIBLES – shells (3 per ‘level’) that can be used in the shop for special items
SCREENSAVER – you can use any one of your tanks for this, if it’s like the other games it has themed music for each tank that is also played in the sceensaver.
Fishipedia – detailed information on the fish in your tank.
AWARDS & STATISTICS – dozens of them.
Option for SPARKLE HINTS.
Fishdom 3’s screensaver is my alltime favourite, and I am excited about getting this game and playing that “70 exciting hidden object levels” and decorating myself another 8 wondrous aquariums for my screensavers.
I recommend this game!
Travel back in time to help stop a terrible fire that started Felicia down her evil path in PuppetShow: Return to Joyville!
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
About Face For Felicia
PostedMay 8, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
GAME COMPLETED SEVERAL TIMES
In a delightful TWIST IN THE TALE, the latest episode in the PuppetShow series sees that evil soul-sucking woman from the last 3 games, Felicia, turning back time to prevent the accident that changed her life, and thereby altering the future for you and all her victims. Of course, to do so, she needs your help. SHOULD WE TRUST HER? Only one way to find out.
So begins the STORY in this game. It is presented in SPECTACULAR HAND DRAWN GRAPHICS with the signature texture and colour of ERS Game Studios. If you are new to the series and/or developer, you are in for a visual treat.
Can’t get quite so glowing about the MUSIC because it is, as always, REPETITIOUS. However, when the music halts for a while you get a DELIIGHTFULLY EERIE SOUND that could have come from the depths of space or time itself. VERY COOL.
The GENERAL GAMEPLAY takes us, for the most part, simply from one HO scene or puzzle to the next. There is not a lot of ADVENTURE.
There is NO MAP, which might have saved quite a lot of running back and forth within the theatre, where little alcoves are around every corner. The HINT IS USELESS outside HOS. The ubiquitous “There’s nothing you can do here.”
The HO SCENES are SLIGHTLY INTERACTIVE LISTS, with ONE exception. (see next para.) We visit each scene twice.
We’ll have to find a name for these silhouette first-one-leads-to-another HOS. I’m gonna call them PROGRESSIVE SILHOUETTE HOS.
So, we have precisely one of those here, the first HO in the game, so I’m guessing this was the first test of what has now become a very popular HO style.
Fewer than the HOS, the PUZZLES are also INTERESTING. More ORIGINAL than I expect from ERS, which means they were, for me, also MORE DIFFICULT than their usual fare. This is no doubt good news to our EXPERT fishies. Not so much for me. I had to skip quite a few.
This series is made to a SPECIFIC FORMULA, for which you either love them or hate them. For me, I love them, and most of all this one. The story was a genuine surprise for me, which is nice, and I like COMFY OLD SLIPPERS.
I recommend this game!
Help Sophia uncover the secret behind the Curse of Laroche Palace and rescue the Royal Family from their magical slumber.
Overall rating
3
/
5
117 of 131 found this review helpful
Ornate, Opulent, Over The Top
PostedMay 7, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON FULL DEMO
First of all, it is ESSENTIAL that you IGNORE THE INTRO if you are to give this game half a chance. The opening scenes and (written) backstory delve into new depths of awful. Definitely felt like something dragged from the vault where it had been lying for eons.
The GAME is not that bad. It is PRIMARILY HO SCENES with some older WELL KNOWN & EASY PUZZLES, and the mystery is in finding your way about the palace. That is tough, the palace is huge, but you have a NON-INTERACTIVE JUMP MAP to help.
HINT is USELESS outside HOS. Just the “nothing to do here” message. And even when it does indicate a hot spot, it is not necessarily one you have the inventory items for now. That’s REALLY ANNOYING.
I admit the GRAPHICS are not to my taste. They are a strange mix. Some CLOSE-UPS are clearly HAND DRAWN. The HO SCENES are REALISM, CLEAN & CRISP, but are so embellished with gilt and ornate tapestries that, for me, I can hardly focus my eyes - literally. Some of the OUTSIDE scenes are gorgeous.
The STORY comes out piecemeal, via the “Heart Of The Palace”, an entity of mechanical/magical origins which took it upon itself to put all the inhabitants to sleep when a disaster threatened. You awake with no memories of who you are or why you are in this magnificent edifice, but you start remembering pretty quickly.
You must fix the “Heart”s mechanical components. Solve the mystery of who killed the King – if indeed he is dead. And there is also a ROMANCE to be sorted out between you (a commoner) and the Prince and Heir to the Throne. So you’re going to be a busy girl.
Minor details – my cursor felt draggy in this game, and that doesn’t usually happen with my pc.
The HO SCENES are for the most part NOT INTERACTIVE, but every now and then, an action is required, but there will be no indication on the list.
While the VOICEOVER was GOOD, there was TOO MUCH CHATTER from our character. AMBIENT SOUNDS, when I turned them up, were WONDERFUL.
This is not a game I would buy, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think it’s okay. Many people, particularly HO FANS WHO PREFER REALIST GRAPHICS, will like this game.
Good for a Daily Deal for the rest of us.
I recommend this game!
Vampire Legends: The True Story of Kisilova is an incredible adventure based on the true story of the first documented case of vampirism ever!
Overall rating
5
/
5
77 of 84 found this review helpful
Finally, A Really Good Vampire Game
PostedMay 6, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED CE GAME
Not since Dying For Daylight has there been such an excellent vampire game, and this is totally different in every way except one – it is designed to entertain.
This game is an account of the true life events surrounding the first official report of vampirism in Eastern Europe. You get to play a court appointed investigator – and there actually was one sent at the time of the incidents. Very weird feeling of realism, and a great way to immerse yourself in the mysteries of the past.
Everything about this game is easy. The PUZZLES are fairly FAMILIAR, and not too difficult even for me. But they are put together in an imaginative fashion.
Likewise, the HO SCENES are not difficult, they are the INTERACTIVE LISTS we see most often. Objects were not difficult to find and hint was quick. The GRAPHICS are a bit GRAINY, but toggling ASPECT RATIO fixed that.
HINT was HELPFUL outside HOS, and SKIP was quick. You get a JOURNAL with NOTES & OBJECTIVES and a INTERACTIVE MAP.
All of which would probably drive our expert fishies nuts.
It is the ATMOSPHERE & STORY that set this game apart. A great deal of effort has gone into presenting a tale of historic significance in a way that keeps you wanting more.
You have a M. Dupin (Dark Tales) – like PARTNER, who communicates with both us and the characters in the BEST VOICE ACTING I’ve ever heard.
I had a thoroughly delightful time with this one. A unique gaming experience.
I must admit that part of my enjoyment came after the game, when I had access to the BONUS CONTENT of the CE, in which there are interviews with experts and photos of modern Kisilova. There are in town still members of the family whose ancestor was accused of being a vampire. Wow, try to live that one down!
But I don’t think this game loses any of its appeal by being a SE. It is first class game, and I hope we see more like it.
I recommend this game!