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:
Famed writer Nathaniel Hawthorne has died during a freak storm, and his spirit comes to you for help!
Overall rating
4
/
5
43 of 45 found this review helpful
Another Very Enjoyable Midnight Mystery
PostedJanuary 24, 2012
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Don't get me wrong, this is one of best HO games , but this is my least favourite of the Midnight Mysteries, which means it's only great not excellent. :)
Artwork: I preferred both the other MMs, but I can't pin down exactly why. There are a couple of moments of sheer brilliance though. Watch for the wolf and the hanging tree. Magic.
Story: On solid ground here. A little involved at times, it intrigues and satisfies, with some interesting twists.
Difficulty: Just about right for both HO and puzzles. A bit frustrating for me on the adventure side of things. I always miss picking up a item and end up totally unable to move forward. Still, probably not a problem for the more experienced players.
Likes: Again, the wolf, LOVED the wolf. The way to combine items in a special box is great. Tracking what % of the game you've completed is helpful.
Dislikes: I hate the way you have to be so precise with the cursor when using tools, sometimes I had to repeat the action several times to get it right. The map is worse than useless. Even though it was my second go in two weeks, I still managed to get lost. Walkthrough was necessary a few times, especially since the help feature can sometimes be less than helpful.
Replayability: Excellent. I still found it a challenge, and the trophies and unlocked games add further incentive to try to beat yourself next time. I'll definitely be playing it again and again
I recommend this game!
Help out James Voodoo as he investigates a mysterious attack and goes on an incredible adventure in Voodoo Chronicles: The First Sign!
Overall rating
4
/
5
39 of 43 found this review helpful
Better Than I Expected, But Not Worth CE
PostedJanuary 24, 2012
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
I never buy CEs, and when I bought this by mistake I was quite cross. I didn't think I'd like this much from the trial, so I was doubly doubtful. Then I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.
Set in the era of speakeasies and flappers, it is very much a period piece in style, right down to the music and the way people talk. The actor who plays Voodoo is great, he's a real ham, but it suits the game's era to a tee. I also like the fact that he fed his cat before leaving for his big assignment. :)
This game, despite the name, is not really about voodoo, that's just the guy's name. But it does involve magical and sinister beings - who are wonderfully creepy. But in a light-hearted way
The graphics are excellent and the gameplay good. Plenty of HO scenes, usually visited twice. They are pretty static, and occasionally some objects are given strange names, but none of that interferes with the fun factor. Not much in the way of puzzles.
The ending was cool, and satisfying. Then, being a CE, there followed extra gameplay. This really didn't do much for me, and THAT ending was really annoying, it just... stopped. I certainly was disappointed with the CE, I think the story played better without it. But having the strategy guide was very helpful.
Basically, I think it a better than average game that was far more enjoyable than I expected, but I see no reason for buying the CE.
I recommend this game!
Help Sara find her missing husband and stop an evil pirate's ancient curse in Mystery Case Files: 13th Skull!
Overall rating
5
/
5
58 of 64 found this review helpful
Enjoyable Departure From The Norm
PostedJanuary 23, 2012
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
I really was impressed with the ways in which this game was different. The live action was great in my book. Sometimes irritating characters, but then, that's people isn't it? A new touch - in the options you can choose whether characters are 'normal, southern or snarky'. I've tried them all and they're all funny. I guess if I was from Louisiana I'd feel a little miffed, but hey, it was a gentle ribbing. I loved the humour in the game, particularly during the last hour or so and the big finale.
The story is cool from start to finish, a winner all the way. You are looking for a man who's missing who in turn was looking for pirate's treasure. However, I did not like how long it took to get to the treasure finding part. Even his wife complains about us not getting on with it! lol All is forgiven though at the finish. The ending was satisfying, surprising, dramatic and funny! The best I've seen anywhere by far.
The usual attractions - graphics, sound, mini-games and HO scenes were as great as we've come to expect from MCF, in fact better than most of the others.
An odd device was the objectives set before you in the tool bar, and the fact that you can't do anything with any other relevant items etc. until you completed that mission. Still, it had the advantage that you knew you'd missed something if you didn't move on to the next one when you thought you would.
Interesting having the inventory items outside the HO scenes seen as objects rather than having to guess what you'd need too.
I found the puzzles more complex than hard. Another oddity was having no instructions for the puzzles. Instead, hint offers you up to three tips on how to solve the puzzle and/or skipping the puzzle altogether. Being weak on puzzles, I found this useful.
Criticism? I would have liked to take longer finding the skulls when we finally get around to it.
All up this is a top notch game that offers originality, great story, beautiful graphics and sound, unusual mini-game structure, and fun HO scenes.
I recommend this game!
During the finale of The Maze, the transmission is mysteriously stopped. Now it's up to you to find the missing contestants!
Overall rating
5
/
5
113 of 117 found this review helpful
A Truly Original & First Class Production Set In The Present
PostedJanuary 21, 2012
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
This game is so good in so many ways, I'll have to resort to itemising if I'm to get you to read it.
1. STORY - Original!! And set in the electronic age! And CREEPY! Contestants have disappeared within the sets of a reality program - your job is to find out what happened - and it's soon obvious that something really freaky is going on.
2. HUMOUR - like the leopard in the bathroom and the "That only works in reality shows", this game takes the mickey (gently) out of everyone's favourite TV genre (personally you wouldn't catch me dead watching reality TV).
3.HIGHEST QUALITY ARTWORK - it's fabulous, top of the range, and it's colourful AND modern. Not a medieval weapon in sight - okay, well, maybe a couple, but they were relevant to the story in that one scene.
4. SOUNDS - this game doesn't rely so much on music to set your skin crawling - sometimes the silence is more ominous, and when the scary music does kick in, you'll jump. Also, to add urgency, some of the most intense moments are enhanced by the sounds of the modern age that drive us all nuts - think chainsaws.
5. HELPFUL HINT JOURNAL & MAP that you must use or you'll be the one lost.
6. ORIGINAL INTERESTING PUZZLES that will twist your brain in knots, with, thankfully, a speedy skip button. Lots of HO scenes, but twice as many puzzles.
7. FAST PACED, CHALLENGING & LONG - There are reviewers in these pages that disagree me on this last point but I just don't get them at all. I'm an experienced intermediate player and I've never seen a game like it. I was totally out of my league. It took me 8 hours and near the end I was suffering major battle fatigue.
This is something really special. Even if it is too hard for me now, I'll be playing it again in the hopes that I'll learn how to be worthy of it.
I recommend this game!
Travel from the Dark Middle Ages to the present to save the inhabitants of the Orion kingdom in Echoes of the Past - The Citadels of Time!
Overall rating
4
/
5
45 of 45 found this review helpful
Something A Bit Different
PostedJanuary 21, 2012
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
I almost missed this game because I didn't like the previous episodes' graphic quality, but this game is good enough for me to rethink those earlier ones.
The story is one of my favourites - travel in time to save the day. I enjoyed the way it was handled here, involving interesting characters from different times. But it's not a edge of your seat thriller and doesn't try to be.
It gave me great pleasure to see the Inventory bar etc. at the top of the screen - I've grizzled about the problems of having it at the bottom every since I started playing HO.
The game that offers a variety of hidden object games - the traditional list, shuffling aside through a pile of junk for your item and replacing misplaced objects - all of which were great fun. And a twist I've not seen before - a separate final item, which is the inventory item.
The HO scenes were very well executed, there was tons of interactive stuff in them, and they looked fabulous. They were very cluttered, which doesn't bother me but I know a lot of gamers don't like it.
The graphics on this one have me puzzled. For the most part the HO scenes were really well done - clear crisp colourful. But the game outside these was often really awful, and the cut scenes, which could have been such a buzz, were downright amateurish. I don't understand why a developer would do this, but it's a bad idea. This alone has caused me to give it a four instead of the five it might otherwise receive.
I wasn't too keen on the music either, although once again, some tracks were excellent while others were dreary.
One thing that I really liked about this game is that the puzzles were doable. Most of the minigames were familiar, but put together to allow a solution more easily. I loved this because many of the standard puzzles in HOPA I have to skip. This game gave me the chance to nut through exactly what I should be doing with these kinds of puzzles so I can learn how they work. If for no other reason, I'd replay this game.
This is one game where it's really necessary to try it first. Some players are going to hate the visuals, although many have praised them. And some may hate the puzzles because they're too easy.
I recommend this game!
Discover the secrets behind a magical deck of cards in Haunted Legends: Queen of Spades! Find The Countess and stop her curse!
Overall rating
4
/
5
29 of 29 found this review helpful
Truly Enjoyable and Involving
PostedJanuary 18, 2012
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
I love ERS games, and this one is another first class effort, but it will never be my favourite.
The artwork is very crisp, there's plenty of colour and interesting items. There are also occasional interactive items that require extra actions, but they are not coloured differently in the list. They are easy to figure out though.
The music is a negative for me, it became repetitious in a very short while, and there was little in the way of ambient noise.
However, it is the gameplay and story that make this a very good game. There are dozens of locations, oodles of HO scenes, and about average number of mostly easy puzzles. There are a couple of errors in the HO scenes, but I mean a couple, as in two or three in the whole game. Good enough for me.
It is a very active game - lots to do. There's so much to see, I think a map would have been helpful. Even though there's very little toing and froing, it was easy to get lost.
It is clear most of the time what should come next, most inventory items are nearby, and those that aren't carry the momentum - you know what you're going to need them for, and will remember what to do when you have all the pieces.
The storyline is unique, although you may not think so at first. It starts like a traditional spooky manor, evil countess, weird looking monster, but I promise it takes many interesting turns before the conclusion - and it takes a good deal longer to get there than most games.
So, it's a very good game, I'm happy to recommend it, but it is not the very best of ERS Studio's collection.
I recommend this game!
Help Stan Riddle escape the Haunted Manor! After being trapped by the Lord of Mirrors, Stan needs you to guide him to safety!
Overall rating
4
/
5
31 of 33 found this review helpful
Surprisingly Good Graphics, Very Simple Gameplay
PostedJanuary 18, 2012
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
2
/
5
I would never have thought to buy this one if it hadn’t been on sale at the same time the sequel, Queen of Death, but I’m not unhappy I did. It offers a different style of gameplay than I’d prefer, but of its type, I think it’s outstanding.
The first surprise was the clarity of the graphics. I don’t know how old this game is, but it seems to me that games of the same ilk never come close to the purity of this game’s artwork. It is excellent craftsmanship rather than art, but still impressive. Music includes ‘Requiem’, very spooky. I’d like to see more game developers use the very dramatic music offered by the classics.
I loved the story concept. Spooky manor, evil mirror, other trapped souls both good and evil. Good stuff. Travelling from room to room via mirrors is an exceptionally fun device. It also worked well with the linear gameplay.
Each room is a separate chapter in itself, and each chapter is completed within that room. You have 2 HO searches and a couple of puzzles in each – all easy - with a little point and click to get you through the middle bits. The thing that sets it aside in terms of the gameplay is that you are given a list of the items needed outside the HO scenes as well as within. This seriously simplifies the game and would put off experienced gamers, and is the reason I wouldn’t recommend it, to them it’s worth no more than three stars.
I wish, though, that I’d known about this game when I first started on HOPA games after getting my feet wet with pure HO games. I had a terribly frustrating time figuring out the adventure parts of games. And the puzzles, even today, often still get the better of me. This game is the answer to a prayer for new gamers. It is excellent practice – particularly seeing the game style is repeated over many chapters. For newbies, the game deserves five stars.
I also loved the finish of this one, and if I hadn’t already decided to purchase the sequel before playing Lord of Mirrors, I would have on the strength of the potential of the story.
So, three stars or five? Split the difference, four stars. If you’re still a bit muddled, I would highly recommend this game and if you’re not I wouldn’t recommend it at all.
I don't recommend this game.
Relive the fantasy of Beauty & the Beast in this never before told story of magic and love!
Overall rating
5
/
5
55 of 59 found this review helpful
A Delightful Experience
PostedJanuary 18, 2012
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
What can I possibly say that hasn’t already been said by dozens of other reviewers? The ‘Best Graphics of 2011’ is well earned. The game is unbelievably pretty, varied in the scenes it offers, and the cleanest I’ve ever seen.
But Beauty is not just about, well, beauty. The story continues the fairy tale theme of the original legend, and so is a little smaltzy at times. But this is made up for by the truly adorable other characters in the game – before you know it, you’re getting as soft as everyone else.
The puzzles are well handled, smoothly integrating different locales and objectives. They vary in difficulty, leaning towards easy. The HO scenes are of course beautiful. Hint was helpful, generally speaking, and the gameplay was well paced. I thought the game a little short, though the ending was great fun – and a challenge.
I came to this game a major fan of Phantom of the Opera, and despite giving Beauty a five star recommendation, I still like Phantom better. I think it’s the more grown up feel in Phantom that wins out over Beauty.
Either way, how could you NOT want to own them both?
I recommend this game!
After a group of young students go missing, the Mystery Trackers are called in to search the city of Raincliff!
Overall rating
5
/
5
51 of 54 found this review helpful
Exciting addition to the Mystery Trackers series
PostedJanuary 18, 2012
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
Raincliff grabs you even before the first menu with a sensationally exciting intro. Right from the beginning, the graphics and music are full on, in your face and spectacular. And it just keeps on doing it for the whole game.
There is much to enjoy about most aspects of Raincliff, particularly the artwork, but my personal favourite is the frogs. Never have I had so much fun finding the ‘beyond’ object. Each one of the more than 50 frogs scattered throughout the game is a little work of art.
The HO scenes and puzzles were all very well thought out and the game flows smoothly, although a little slow to get started after that amazing opener. The video highlights, which can be replayed within the game, are fun too. But I would have preferred a journal. There was no way to review what you had done or were looking for, and hint was too helpful when you just wanted a quick refresher after a break in playing. By the way, hint was fabulous, it got you right back on track immediately, but it was also addictive - for the same reason.
The story is handled exceptionally well. It is a familiar one to HOPA fans, but it is well-told in bite-sized chunks, never too much info at once, but always kept in the forefront of your mind. There is no time when slogging through the gameplay (or snow in this case) where you lose sight of exactly what you were doing and why. The ‘rescuees’ and bad guys both make regular appearances. The ending was great too, it didn’t end abruptly, it tied up all the loose ends, and it was almost believable.
A very satisfying finish to an excellent game, which remained exciting all the way through its extraordinary length (the longest I’ve played I think).
I really enjoyed Mystery Trackers – The Void... Raincliff is ten times better.
I recommend this game!
Lift an evil curse that has been cast on the kingdom by a witch looking for revenge in Love Chronicles: The Sword and the Rose!
Overall rating
3
/
5
31 of 35 found this review helpful
Pretty Average ***
PostedJanuary 18, 2012
JustTheFacts
fromRural Western Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
I’m kinda sorry I bought this one, although there’s nothing terribly wrong with it, and there are a lot worse games around, even on my own computer.
The introduction was a bit sappy, but I expected that from a game with Love Chronicles in its title. The game itself wasn’t a romance at all. It was your typical fairy tale storyline, admittedly. Handsome prince (that’s you) rescues beautiful princess from evil witch. But there the romance ends. And for most of the game, there is no real feeling of pursuing a goal. It took quite a bit of digging around before the first HO scene appeared and you could start feeling you’re achieving anything. After that the gameplay was well paced, and a decent length.
The visuals are passable but not up to par. And the HO scenes have much of their colour washed out, making for uninspiring searching. The music bugged me too, it didn’t add anything to the atmosphere and became repetitious. There was no voiceover, and no interaction with other characters, little animation, all of which made the game feel a bit flat.
There are plenty of mini-puzzles and HO scenes, none of them too taxing, and some variations of the ‘find 20 roses’ kind. For some reason (the previous Love Chronicles maybe?), the hero is required to make a lot of weird inventions to progress in the game. Really couldn’t see the point myself.
On the plus side, outside HO scenes, the hint was a direction to the right location, which I thought was a good in-between help, neither too much nor too little. There was also a scene where you panned around with cursor hover. I like cinematic touches.
As I say, nothing terribly wrong with this one, and others may enjoy it, but not inspirational, which is why I won’t be recommending it.
I don't recommend this game.