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:
Azada’s saga continues when its precious elements are stolen!
Overall rating
5
/
5
42 of 51 found this review helpful
OMG, HOs!!! Sacrilege or Progress?
PostedMarch 23, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
BASED ON OH-SO-LABORIOUSLY COMPLETED GAME
Everyone and their sidekick has reviewed this one, but I’m putting in my two cents’ worth anyway.
I would have recognized this as an ERS game within seconds. One look and you know. And three bars of the music as well. I do think I caught one track that didn’t sound like either Azada or ERS.
But I would have recognised it as an Azada game in my sleep. Why are these games so darned hard? I love the idea, so I keep buying them, but they are way beyond my abilities!
The story, I think, is this game’s weak spot. While it remains the appealing lost-in-book tale of all the Azada games, it seemed a bit strained in this one, and no feeling whatsoever of being in a book rather than the many alternate worlds faced in other games. I believe a fifth in this series would be hard pressed to sound credible.
If, as the arguments say, this is Azada-for-dummies, because we have HOs now, then pass me the dunce’s hat. I found even the HOs to be some of the hardest I’ve played! I was overwhelmed too, by the sheer volume and creativity of the many puzzles and mini-games. Such colour, variety, imagination! Wow!
In the battle between the pre or post ERS, I weigh strongly in favour of ERS. This is the most beautiful and imaginative endeavour from them yet, and was way better than the earlier Azada in visuals.
As a fan, I’m also proud to see ERS finally break out of the mould and introduce features like the interactive jump map and all those unusual extras in the Bonus Content. I’m still trying to work what to do with the Azada in Colour, but the Azada Dwellers volume was an excellent idea!
Now, ERS, to get my unreserved Best & Bravest Hero award for most adventurous developer, I just need you to lose the female voice actor you’ve been using shamelessly in every game I can think of. She was never to my liking to begin with, but now I cringe whenever there’s dialogue.
Bonus Content Review *****
I’d forgotten to mention that I managed without using the SG, when lo and behold, started the Bonus Content and immediately needed the SG!
However, the bonus content is actually a little easier on the whole, of reasonable length, and holds well together. It flows well from the main game, without being at all necessary to it. In fact, I really enjoyed it.
We’ve mentioned all those extras, so I won’t repeat myself. They’re all fun.
And so now, after struggling through FOUR Azada games, I can finally say:
I recommend this game!
I recommend this game!
Get tips and hints from our handy Strategy Guide! Follow our crystal clear instructions and helpful tricks to succeed!
Overall rating
5
/
5
6 of 8 found this review helpful
BASED ON 5 MIN TRIAL
PostedMarch 23, 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
Odd to write a review on a Strategy Guide, but when I noticed the opportunity, I thought why not?
I usually base decisions on purchases using reviews, trial and walkthrough, but the walkthrough is always such a pain loading etc. Today I tried the SG instead.
If it is a good SG it will allow you to get a feel for the game - you can see whether the visuals are up to your standard, if the HOs and puzzle balance is to your liking, if it's a long enough game. Heaps of stuff.
This one certainly seemed fit the bill. Mini-games looked as though they were explained well, and it is very clear what the atmosphere of the game will be like.
It is also an advertisement for the game. This game looks to be really beautiful. I had written this game off after finding out it was a fragments HO game. I generally don't like them. But after trialing this I'm not so sure. The pieces seem to be fairly easily identifiable, and there a lots of HOs. I might just get it.
I'm sorry, Felix, I'm sure that's not what you have in mind for SGs. Still, already I'm thinking of those times when I kick myself for not buying the CE, when I am finding the puzzles really hard.
Now, an SG bought at a sale price or with a coupon doesn't seem such a bad idea.
I recommend this game!
Uncover the mystery behind an artist’s deadly talent!
Overall rating
4
/
5
26 of 44 found this review helpful
I Had A Really Enjoyable Time
PostedMarch 23, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED GAME
Sometimes the demos really can be very deceiving, and that was certainly true of this one. Although I loved the concept of this game, paintings that predict the future, I was not overly impressed with the trial.
I went ahead and bought it on sale anyhow, because of the story. I have only just now got around to playing it, and what a wonderful surprise. I sailed right through it in one sitting, not noticing the time, until suddenly it was 3am!
I loved every minute of this game. It had just the right mix of HO/Puzzle/Adventure for my liking . The HOs were varied and actually a genuine challenge (without ‘cheating’ by making the objects too small or the scene too dark).
Puzzles varied in the degree of difficulty, but few were hard enough to force me to skip.
The adventure aspect followed a logical progression without ever descending to linear. I was kept on the ball all the way, but never felt I was straining.
The story was excellent, treated very cleverly and I was kept guessing till the very end. The graphics, while not over the top, were still top quality, and the sound track was appropriate.
What was lacking was the WOW factor, but in this game I think that was a plus. Sometimes all that bling can detract from the experience by overloading the senses and overshadowing the story.
This is a game for every mood and every player, but I’ll not rate it as five stars, because that spot is reserved for the bling.
I recommend this game!
Push your detective skills to the limit in a fantastical faraway land and find a prince's lost love.
Overall rating
5
/
5
55 of 60 found this review helpful
Enchanting
PostedMarch 22, 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 TWICE
This is a fun story that embellishes freely on the Cinderella tale, with a darker theme to it, but filled with lively creatures as well as skeletons. I really enjoyed this one, more for the beauty of it than the gameplay I think.
The game opens in an atmosphere of archetypal detective stories – I think bootlegging and cabarets. But don’t get used to it, before long you’re off to a ‘faraway land’ looking for the girl with the crystal slipper. In the process you come across magical locations and spectacular creatures the likes of which could only be possible in a fairy tale.
I found the HOs invariably beautiful, even the really ugly (sometimes disturbing) ones. NOTE: The HOs are all ones where you must put back items. The rest of the gameplay is adventure lite, not too many brain cells likely to fry, but I did occasionally need to use the map and the hint system outside HOs to direct my next move.
Both were really good for that, so consequently I didn’t even open the SG. Using the help sped things up, the game still seemed a decent length to me. ... and the story ended happily ever after.
Well worth many a replay.
Bonus Content Review ****
In the CE, as well as helping the prince and saving the girl, we also can photograph the strange beings we encounter for our photograph album. This is a really fun exercise and the chief benefit of buying the CE. The album is then available from the play page.
The usual wallpapers, screensavers and concept art are available. And I want to make a point that applies particularly to this game, but most other CEs as well.
The usual wallpapers, screensavers and concept art are available. And I want to make a point that applies particularly to this game, but most other CEs as well.
Frankly I, like many others, wouldn’t care if we had these items in a CE or not, but if you’re going to have them, let’s do it properly. At the very least, the wallpapers should have been depictions of the gorgeous creatures, surely. Why not make the photo album the choice for the screensaver as well? Even concept art would be more interesting if it followed through the several incarnations of a single character/image as a screensaver. Just me and my soap box.
The bonus game play was good, took about a third of the time of the main story. It used many of the same locations but they were practically completely redrawn to reflect the new circumstances. It worked as a stand-alone short game and was not at all needed for the main game. Had same standards as the main game.
Would I buy the CE again? Yes, but really, only for those photos.
I recommend this game!
The wolf has returned and Red Riding Hood is in danger - but this is no fairytale!
Overall rating
4
/
5
36 of 43 found this review helpful
Pretty Darn Good Actually!
PostedMarch 20, 2013
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
GAME COMPLETED TWICE
I was thinking “Better Than Average”, but that sounds a little wishy washy doesn’t it? Actually, it’s really a great game to play. It is colourful and lively with a lot of activity in every scene, and a lot of excellent (though static) HOs.
It is enveloped in a well-constructed story, is entertaining rather than hard, and quite lengthy. Technical quality is there, artistic talent pleasant without being earth-shattering. No voiceovers, just sweet little notes from the baddy, and a detailed journal.
A serial killer has got your guy and is playing a cat and mouse game with you, leaving you nasty little notes, attached to clues and pieces of evidence that advance your search. No matter what you do or where you are, he always seems to be just one step ahead.
This game involves a lot of seeking and finding, travelling through numerous locations and clearing dozens of HOs. So it is just as well you have the bad guy AND an interactive jump map to keep you on track.
Unlike many games with similar stories, the gameplay is designed to remind you of the theme of the story, so fairy tale references pop up a lot.
Puzzle and adventure experts steer clear; this is a game for casual relaxed play, not Master Mind. And now I think about it, there’s hardly any puzzles at all. Hmm. Didn’t even notice, I was having such a good time.
I recommend this game!
Rescue your abducted brother from eternal darkness in this thrilling Hidden Object adventure game!
Overall rating
2
/
5
36 of 41 found this review helpful
Totally & Utterly Forgettable
PostedMarch 19, 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
3
/
5
GAME COMPLETED TWICE
I have just completed this game again and for the life of me I can’t think what appealed to me enough for me to buy it. I am even having trouble remembering what it’s about right now. Its biggest impact is in the opening moments – loved that. Unfortunately that was the best part of the game.
The story (I think) was typical - lame brother gets in over his head with some seriously evil dude trying to rule the world with magic. And of course you’re the only one who can stop him, there’s some magic artifact you have to find, etc. All totally predictable.
There was one thing that I liked but I don’t want to do a spoiler. But, interesting things with mirrors. Oh, and no black side bars – dark red corpuscles instead. Does that rate as an improvement?
What I can tell you is that there were a fair number of HOs, and all the puzzles were familiar ones. Except the colourful skulls door lock (see free screenshot on this page), which was a lot of fun as well as something new. There was no map and no colourful extras. Just a straight forward B grade low budget HOPA.
The voiceovers weren't particularly well synced with the live actor scenes, but I don’t understand why other reviewers get worked up about that. I just ignore their mouths. The music and ambient sounds didn’t register on me at all. The graphics were much the same mediocre – at no point actually bad – performance.
I’m straining my brain, but I really can’t imagine who this game might best appeal to . Nothing suggests itself. And even though it is far from the worst game I’ve seen, I wouldn’t even recommend it as a Daily Deal.
I don't recommend this game.
20 years ago a terrible accident destroyed most of Cyan City. Now, Monica returns to uncover the secrets of her childhood!
Overall rating
5
/
5
98 of 103 found this review helpful
Unbelievably Original & Beautiful
PostedMarch 19, 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
How Could I Have Forgotten This One? It makes every game we’ve been so excited about over the last year look staid and ordinary.
City Of Cyan is different on so many fronts, it’s hard to encompass them all, but every HOs and every puzzle is by far more inventive and unique than we’ve seen anywhere else. Obviously, no competing developers have played this game or we’d have seen this sort of thing elsewhere by now. Two examples from early in the game:
• The list HOs have hot spots that trigger mini-HOs that are related to a past memory and ask for, say, “10 toys that match these pictures”. I’d LOVE to see this feature in a time travel game.
• A jigsaw style puzzle that is unlike anything I’ve seen, with pieces within pieces.
The graphics are really special too, even taking in the year’s worth of improvements. The inhabitants? Spirits? Survivors? are depicted beautifully and cleverly. There is a very high level of voiceover content, and again, there’s quality here as well as quantity. There is something shining and new at every turn. You get the idea.
The story is not entirely unfamiliar. We are called back to the town of our youth, where our parents ‘died’, only to discover maybe they didn’t die after all. There’s magic and dubious science involved, and more questions than answers. The end came abruptly, leaving me a little unsure how to interpret it, but I’ve learned to live with that.
Bottom line? If you don’t already own this game, put it on your must have list – you won’t be disappointed.
I recommend this game!
Vampires: Todd & Jessica's Story
Explore an extraordinary and touching love story that will touch your heart and blow your mind!
Overall rating
3
/
5
77 of 95 found this review helpful
A Little Different
PostedMarch 19, 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
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
BASED ON DEMO ONLY
As always, my dreams of a top quality game on vampires (with or without romance) are disappointed. But this game is not all bad. It has its moments.
Its biggest drawback is that it moves oh so fatally slowly - literally, because each transition to a new location involves 'walking' movements in that direction. Another way the game gets slowed down is confusion about where you are. Some of the locations have viewpoints that contradict others.
The graphics are of the style I think people call cartoon, which I don't like much, but it was done very very well and colourfully.
I quite enjoyed the HOs because they looked great and were more difficult than usual. Also, they were interactive, but there was no indication on the list, so you really had to be attentive, or drive yourself nuts. But if you're used to sparkles, you'll go nuts anyway - every darned thing in the view sparkles!
I liked the puzzles and mini-games because so far, they were all dreadfully easy. I'm not good on puzzles :). They seemed to flow more seamlessly into the game. As did their instructions. When you need parts of a helmet to complete a hot spot, the black bar tells you how many, and changes to match what you've done. If you need certain tools, you will see ghost images of them.
I loved the shoot-em-up bats game. And then my hour was over and I'd done almost nothing.
All of which should serve as fair warning, no matter how much of a vamp fan you are, this a weird little game that is too easy for the experienced player and too confusing for the novice.
I don't recommend this game.
An organ grinder seeks revenge, marking his victims with cards. Can you stop him before he destroys the entire city?
Overall rating
5
/
5
84 of 92 found this review helpful
A Captivating Tale Told Beautifully
PostedMarch 18, 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
GAME COMPLETED TWICE IN A ROW
By the time we’d got through the intro to the first game page, I was already sold. It’s not just the nice dramatic atmosphere of a medieval fair and fireworks. Nor its main character, the organ grinder, with his creepy trappings and his oh so eerie Poe-like rhyme – though I absolutely adore this rarely seen technique of having a real song playing on the play page.
It’s not even the beautifully macabre graphics, which capture both the colour and the darkness of the game and help create an atmosphere both deliciously chilling and light-hearted.
It’s the very idea of dishing out fiendishly appropriate fates, based on the legends and myths that have troubled the human imagination since forever that tickled my fancy, and the game lived up to my expectations.
Having played the game back to back now, I can say I honestly can’t remember a game I have enjoyed more. It is not a difficult game, and the focus is on HOs and adventure lite, so it’s relaxing. The scenes are very well drawn and the HOs are interactive. The puzzles can’t have been too hard because I only skipped a couple.
There are 13 cursed cards to collect, but they are necessary to the game play, so they’re not really collectibles. Actually, considering the developer, there is surprisingly little bling. Maybe it was all in the CE.
There is a map, interactive and teleporting. Very helpful, but oddly no journal of any kind. Still, I rarely noticed its absence. The final confrontation was fun, but ran a little slow for a climactic finish.
Despite less spectacle than we are getting used to, this is my new favourite game – at least until the next one.
I recommend this game!
Face your fears and unravel the mystery of the abandoned asylum!
Overall rating
5
/
5
85 of 87 found this review helpful
All The CE Bells & Whistles...
PostedMarch 17, 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
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
GAME COMPLETED SEVERAL TIMES
This game clearly was designed to be a CE, all that is missing is the bonus game play. As well as a well crafted game, it has the following extras:
• Integrated SG
• Collectibles
• Achievements
• Wallpapers
• Sneak Peek (video from their next game Frozen – looks good)
• Collectibles
• Achievements
• Wallpapers
• Sneak Peek (video from their next game Frozen – looks good)
The game is good value in its own right. The graphics are good, not spectacular, but the cut scenes are sensational and make up for it. The atmosphere is oppressive, ugly and sometimes downright scary. The story is nothing new, and is not emphasized with lots of scattered info along the way. You spend most of the time simply getting around the grounds and buildings trying to find out what happened. But it is well paced, and finishes with a bang.
I found myself having to get help on what to do next from the SG a bit too often. Still, I was playing late at night and it might have been just me. What this game didn’t have and needed desperately was an interactive map. The game area was huge. There were dozens of locations, often used only for a couple of items spread apart of course, and they were all over that none existent map. It required my full concentration to just get around, never mind remembering where particular puzzles were. Now that we’ve mentioned them, there were very few puzzles and they were easy. This was a HO game, wrapped into a good adventure.
Overall, this game is worthy of a solid four stars from me – its extras have earned it a fifth.
I recommend this game!