Zurreen's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:369
- Reviews Submitted:165
- First Review:January 31, 2015
- Most Recent Review:December 9, 2023
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Mysterious creatures are terrorizing the train!
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 6 found this review helpful
Great Game!
PostedJanuary 3, 2018
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I love trains, and this game gives us a great train adventure. Of course, it might have gotten a bit boring if the whole game took place inside the train. But don't worry! It does not. We do reach a destination, and the game continues to be interesting.
The storyline is also very good. The writers made only one mistake: they brought back a character from another Mystery Trackers game, Nightsville Horror, as someone who had "special abilities," when in fact that was the only major character in that game who did NOT have any such abilities! But that was just one mistake, and a minor one at that.
The graphics are very good also, and the music is okay. The HOPs are fun, and the puzzles are mostly pretty easy too. I say "mostly" because there *is* one puzzle - or rather one part of a multi-part puzzle - that can be rather tricky. But don't let that daunt you. If you get too frustrated, you can always refer to the Strategy Guide or a Big Fish walkthrough to solve it, of course.
Finally, the Bonus Chapter is also quite interesting and a logical extension of the main game. In short, I really liked this game, and I think you will too. :)
I recommend this game!
Someone's made it their personal vendetta to bring down the Mystery Trackers.
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Nice Game
PostedJanuary 1, 2018
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The storyline was not original, and not really very interesting either. But the graphics were great, the music nice, the Hidden Object scenes fun, and the puzzles pretty easy. The same goes for the Bonus Chapter, except that I enjoyed the special device in the main game much more than the one in the Bonus Chapter.
In addition, there are three Extras: Morphing Objects, Collectibles, and photo fragments. All of them are fairly easy to find, and do not distract too much from the main game.
In short, if you are looking for something simple and rather easy, even in the hardest difficulty mode, you should enjoy this game. :)
Happy New Year!!! :)
I recommend this game!
A mysterious Owl Man is terrorizing citizens!
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Great Game!
PostedDecember 25, 2017
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This has to be the best Mystery Trackers game I have ever played. The storyline is original and intriguing. The music is *absolutely* marvelous. The graphics are wonderful. I even loved looking for the morphing objects, the collectibles, and the coins. They are all quite easy and a lot of fun. It was also fun spending the coins at the Vending Machine; and the Secret Room is fun too (for a change).
In addition, the Hidden Object Puzzles are quite easy and fun also. The puzzles are also, for the most part, pretty easy and interesting. But there are three exceptions. In the main game, there is what I would call the Bottles puzzle, which can be a bit challenging. You have the clue right up there in the upper-right corner of the screen, but it can still be rather tricky. It might be a good idea to just refer to the Strategy Guide. After all, you did pay for it getting this Collector's Edition, right?! :D
But the Bottles puzzle in the main game is not nearly as bad as the two what I call the Lanterns puzzles in the Bonus Chapter. They are just plain insane, in my opinion at least. You get absolutely no clue as to where or how you are supposed to set the pattern on each side. And if you think the first Lantern puzzle was bad, wait till you get to the second one! I can only wonder what the person who made these puzzles was "smoking" when he/she created them. :/ But, to return to the point - unless you have an uncanny ability with the abstract (or have been "smoking" the same thing as the developer of these puzzles!), or love to spend perhaps hours trying to solve the same puzzle - my advice would be to forget the ego, and just look up the Strategy Guide! Fair warning though: the screen shots in this Guide are quite horribly small; and they are especially useless for these Lanterns puzzles since they show you only two of the four sides you need to set to solve each of these puzzles. So refer to the screenshots only to note the labels on the buttons, and use those labels to then just follow the written instructions. Feel free to try those puzzles yourself, of course. But don't waste too much time, and just use the Strategy Guide, or you might well get too frustrated to enjoy what is otherwise a truly fantastic game.
Good luck! And enjoy the game! :)
You’re about to uncover the secret that’s been haunting Blackrow!
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
It was okay...
PostedDecember 21, 2017
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The central idea (seeking immortality) is not original, of course, but the game does present a new twist on it, which was pretty good. But I think I would have liked the game much more if there had been fewer cut scenes and puzzles. There seemed to be a cut scene on just every turn! And, for the most part, these cut scenes would take you in the past, interrupting your quest in the present. Very distracting, indeed, and quite unnecessary too since much of what was "revealed" could just as easily and far more quickly relayed in a note or diary. Ironically, you do also find such notes in addition to the same information's being relayed in the cut scene. So, quite redundant indeed.
As for the puzzles, there are just way too many. Most of them are quite easy, and in fact some are so *ridiculously* easy that they should not even have been presented as puzzles! Again, we are interrupted in our quest on just about every turn as these two parallel bars pop from the right, "Reset" and "Information," both announcing the start of yet another puzzle. After a while, it gets to be pretty annoying, especially when the "puzzle" is something as silly as pushing 3 buttons to open a box or being asked to close the four corners of an umbrella in the correct "order." Why can't we just click to open the box and/or close the umbrella?! Why does everything have to come in the form of a puzzle?!
The Hidden Object scenes were rather good, but there weren't too many of them. I certainly would have enjoyed the game a whole lot more if there were less puzzles and more of these Hidden Object scenes.
Finally, I really don't think much "research" went into this game. As I mentioned at the beginning, the game does a good job of presenting an old idea, but it also botches some of the most widely accepted notions of alchemy: the Philosopher's Stone itself is supposed to be a key to immortality, but the developers apparently were not aware of it. They would rather use it to conquer spirits, which has *never* been known to be one of its possible uses. "Curiouser and curiouser..."
Conclusion: good storyline and graphics, but too many puzzles and cut scenes. With that in mind, you can decide for yourself whether you would like to play this game. :)
Sherlock Holmes: The Mystery of the Persian Carpet
Join Sherlock Holmes and Watson as they investigate the murder of an artist in this Puzzle-Adventure game.
Overall rating
5
/
5
9 of 11 found this review helpful
The Game's Afoot!
PostedDecember 17, 2017
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I loved this game. There is no voice-acting, but the music is wonderful - the beautiful violin tune that I have heard in many Sherlock Holmes *adventure* (non-Hidden-Object) games that came much later than this one.
In fact, I liked this game so much, I played it four times! Twice in the "Adventure Mode," then in the "Casual Mode," and then in the "Detective Mode." The opening selection page actually tells you the main differences. The Casual Mode has easy puzzles, allows you to skip up to 7 puzzles, and provides you with "guided, linear investigation" (which, as I learned by playing, means that they open up only the locations, and spots within a given location, one by one). The Detective Mode is a bit harder, as it has "difficult" puzzles and allows you to skip up to only 3 puzzles; but it still provides you with "guided, linear investigation." The Adventure Mode is the hardest, of course. Like the Detective Mode, it too has "difficult" puzzles and allows you to skip up to only 3 puzzles, but there is no "guided, linear investigation." Instead, it gives you "Freedom of investigation," which basically means you have to set your own priorities as to where you would investigate, when you would examine/analyze the data, and when you would work on your "Deduction Board" (pretty cool, but you would have to check it out yourself to see what I mean!).
Playing in all three modes also confirmed something else that I suspected. In the Adventure Mode I'd played the first two times, I got only 3 Hints per level. But the Casual Mode offers 7, while the Detective Mode provides 5. In case you might be wondering, no, I don't like to use Hints myself. But, believe me, they can really come in handy in this game, because the hidden objects can be really, really small. But don't let that deter you. As I mentioned, the levels are usually short, and even 3 Hints can be enough.
Finally, I should mention that you can choose to play this game in the Timed or Untimed Mode, regardless of the Difficulty Mode you choose. I don't think the game mentions that in its instructions, so be sure to check that out. Just go to Options, and you will see it at the very top of the page. Thus, you can choose to play in the Timed or Untimed Mode. It would probably be more enjoyable to play it in the Untimed Mode, at least the first time you play it. But it's up to you. :)
In short, this is a really neat and relatively short game. I know it is a rather old game, but if you haven't played it yet, I would definitely check it out. And Big Fish is selling it for only $6.99! And it is only $3.49, if you get it during one of those 65%-Off sales! And it's definitely worth every penny of it. So, Watson, what are you waiting for? The Game's Afoot! Let's go! :D
I recommend this game!
Can you solve an old murder case and save your sister?
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Great Game! Must Try It!
PostedDecember 14, 2017
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
It seems that most of the games these days might have some really nice Hidden Object Puzzles (HOPs) and other puzzles, but the story is quite bland, following either a well-worn formula or just not developed enough. Not this game though! The cut scene even before you enter a profile name is quite gripping, and the story gets only more intense as you go along. I had actually thought at one point that maybe the developers revealed too much, too soon. As it turned out, however, there was more to come! Yes, the plot thickened, as they say... :D
The graphics are great, and the music is most haunting - perfect for the storyline. The HOPs and puzzles are quite easy and fun at the same time. There are only two "side quests," so to speak - the Morphing Objects and Coins. But, unlike many games in which you collect these "extras" only for some achievement, this game gives you a whole lot more for your effort! As for the Morphing Objects, each one is actually a puzzle piece. You can go in the Bonus Menu at any time during the game, open the Morphing Objects tab, and see how many pieces you have collected. You will find that there are six jigsaw pictures that you can put together with the pieces you collect; and, no, there are no tricks - only the pieces required to complete a given picture will be found on that particular page. So you don't have to take the pieces from picture to picture to see where each fits!
As for the Coins, they are easy enough to spot. What's more, as far as I noticed, a close-up does not disappear until you have picked up the coin in it! So you should not have any problem collecting these coins. Then, whenever you are ready, just go to the Bonus Menu again, open the Collections tab, and you will see six different games in a room. Yes, you use your coins to purchase these games. You can then play the game you purchased, and win an item. You will use the close-up icon on the cabinet in upper-right to see what you won. You get the Achievement only after you have won all six games.
In short, this game is just filled with fun. I should note, however, that I did not care that much about the Bonus Game. Something that was undoubtedly resolved (or certainly seemed to be) in the main game, resurfaces in the Bonus Game, and without any explanation as to why it does so. [You will see what I mean when you play the game.] It was almost as if the Developers felt obliged to provide a Bonus Game because this *was* a Collector's Edition, after all. They still gave it a good shot, however, and they do provide some important background information to the main story. And, of course, there are more fun HOPs and puzzles. So do be sure to play the Bonus Game as well.
Well, that's all I can think of right now. Hope that my review has been helpful, and that you will enjoy the game as much as I did. :)
I recommend this game!
A Halloween party becomes a spine-tingling fight for survival!
Overall rating
5
/
5
10 of 11 found this review helpful
Superb!
PostedDecember 11, 2017
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This was truly a great game. The storyline is original and so intriguing. The music is absolutely perfect also for the storyline - so haunting and even creepy! The Hidden Object Puzzles (HOPs) are quite easy, and the puzzles are quite fair as well.
And, yes, there *is* a Bonus Game, since this *is* a Collector's Edition, after all. Unlike so many Collector's Editions' bonus games/chapters, however, this one actually relates to and even extends the story covered in the main game. In fact, it provides a critical answer to a question (implicitly) raised in the main game! But I will let you find out for yourself what I mean by that, when you play the game. ;) Suffice it to say, the Bonus Game is well worth the money spent for the Collector's Edition.
Finally, the Achievements. There are many of these (24, to be exact), no doubt; but they are all fair. Again, we do have to find/collect a lot in this game: the Morphing Objects, the Collectibles (Figurines), and the photo fragments. But you don't really have to, if you don't want to, of course. It *is* a lot of fun though, especially to find and then check out the figurines you collect. Just go in the Map, click on Figurines, and then click on each one you have collected, and you will see what I mean! ;)
In short, I really enjoyed this game and all the Bonus Content. It was a lot of fun! And I highly recommend it to everyone. Hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. :)
I recommend this game!
Can you recover your memories and save a missing girl in time?
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 5 found this review helpful
Mixed Review
PostedDecember 8, 2017
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The main game was actually pretty good. The storyline was interesting, even original, and there was a lot of suspense. I really disliked the music though. The game advises you that it would be best to play with the sound on, but I would advise against it! The main music throughout the game is extremely monotonic and even psychedelic, of sorts. After a while, it feels like someone hammering on your head in measured tones! Enough to drive some gamers nuts, to be sure. So it might be best to turn the sound on only when you click on someone to talk to them, or during a cut scene.
And, yes, there *is* a Bonus Chapter. Apparently, only because it *is* supposed to be a "Collector's Edition," after all. And it is in fact a chapter, but quite unrelated to the main game. It does not even share the "problem" at work in the main game. The only thing that it shares with the main game is one of the locations and one of the *minor* characters (in fact the one I most disliked in the main game!) The story is quite uninteresting, and one puzzle especially towards the end of the chapter is simply insane! Most, if not all, gamers would practically have to follow the Strategy Guide to solve it! And it, like the chapter itself, is just no fun at all.
As for the Achievements, there are way too many. The most tedious is all the things you have to find/collect throughout the game - not only the usual Morphing Objects and the Collectibles, but also the so-called Screen Fragments (of which there are so many!) Altogether, these Achievements are just distractions, best ignored.
My recommendation: Buy the Standard Edition, but don't waste your money on the Collector's Edition. If you get stuck, there is a pretty good walkthrough by Big Fish itself on the main game.
Can you delve into a dangerous past and escape in time?
Overall rating
3
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
Nice Try, But That's All
PostedDecember 1, 2017
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The game had a great beginning. It was so dark and mysterious, raising so many questions. Unfortunately, the developers revealed too much, too soon. There was still enough suspense to carry my interest I would say halfway further into the game. But then, it just got too repetitive. I especially disliked the, shall we say, unusual uses of some objects. You collect so many objects and have to go trying it on different items in so many places. It just really slows down the game, and takes out all the fun.
The graphics were good at least. But I don't recall too much of the music, so that was obviously not so memorable. I did like some of the hidden object scenes and puzzles. But others were rather boring, like those multi-level Hidden Object Scenes that Eipix seems to love so much...
And, yes, there *is* a Bonus Chapter. You have to look carefully though in the Extras, which is set up in quite a weird way - like an attic with different objects, but no labels. You have to move your cursor ever so slowly on every object to find the label, if any, of an Extras item. Thus, you will find the Bonus Chapter by putting your cursor on the mannequin on right. But don't worry if you miss it, because you may well regret having found it after you have played it! Aside from being quite short, it is also quite redundant and unnecessary, apparently added only because this *was* supposed to be a Collector's Edition, after all. I think it would have been more worth our money, however, if the developers had done a better job on the main game, and totally dispensed with the Bonus Chapter.
Finally, the Achievements. Having now played so many of the EIPIX games, I would say that the Achievements in this game are just the EIPIX's "standard" set of Achievements. And, yes, I still like their idea that you can get almost all of their Achievements even after you have finished the game. [Note: The only Achievement you usually cannot get afterwards is where you have to play a Match-3 instead of a HOP somewhere in the game. There was only one game (I forget which one it was) where you could still get that Achievement even after you finished both the main game and the Bonus Chapter. But none of the other Eipix games allowed you to do so. So it is best to try to get that achievement before you do finish the main game and the Bonus Chapter.] To be honest though, I am starting to get a little tired of the same old Achievements that are neither that interesting nor very challenging. That "Supreme Achiever" Achievement, for example, which you get for finding the shown object in one scene after another, is probably the worst and most boring achievement of all.
In short, this was not really that great a game. The main idea is neither original, nor too sophisticated. Too much is revealed way too soon; and the rest of the game is just a slow and tedious drag to the finish line.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you stop the infamous Crows League before they strike again?
Overall rating
5
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
A Great Comeback!
PostedNovember 29, 2017
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Family, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
If you have read my review of The Raven, you can tell that I was really disappointed with it. It just did not fit Poe’s style at all. Lenore comes immediately after The Raven. The message at the beginning of each game notes that it is based not on a story but a poem by Poe. Unless you have read those poems, it is hard to say how much of the game is actually based on its particular poem. But the game Lenore is definitely more like the Dark Tales games we have all come to know and love. While the two games are said to be based on different poems, the games’ descriptions themselves, as well as the opening of Lenore in particular, tell us that the two games are related. For example, note the names of the two "guest" characters, Alan and Lenore, in both games. [Yes, I know that Alan's last name and even his profession is different in the two games, but apparently someone just goofed about that!] Both also involve some kind of a Crows' League. In fact, the very opening scene in Lenore indicates that it must be a prequel to The Raven. But that is good, because much of Raven's suspense derives from the fact that we knew nothing about these two characters. But then, Raven failed to explain so much. As I said in my review of that game, it just had too many "holes" in its storyline; and Lenore does a great job of filling at least most of them.
So you see why I am comparing the two games – because of the clear relationship between the two. Both games have great graphics and music, to be sure. But this is where the comparison ends, at least as far as anything positive is concerned. As I mentioned, Raven does not fit Poe's style at all; Lenore does. Lenore also has a far more developed, one might even say more complete, *and* interesting storyline. Its Achievements are also more sensible, both in number and type. You might recall that Raven had 49 achievements; Lenore has only 16. Raven also had a lot of "weird" achievements, three of which actually *required* you to play the game twice, because it gave a different achievement for two opposite responses to the same situation (for example, to pay or not to pay, to talk or not to talk, etc.)! Lenore does not have any such nonsense. Instead, it gives us the more usual *and* reasonable achievements: for not skipping puzzles or using hints, etc. Like Raven, Lenore also has a variety of interesting puzzles and hidden object scenes. But in Raven, the "weird" achievements associated with the various puzzles and scenes made it difficult to enjoy those puzzles and scenes or, for that matter, the game itself. Lenore is "free" of any such "distractions."
In short, I really enjoyed Lenore; and I believe you will too. Feel free to check out my review on The Raven, to see how and why I was so disappointed with that game. And if you were as disappointed as I was, possibly even disillusioned with the series itself, I think Lenore will "bring you back"! :)
I recommend this game!