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:
You, as Jennifer, have to solve a perplexing mystery and save her only daughter in Silent Scream: The Dancer!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Don't Let The Graphics Fool You!
PostedOctober 17, 2017
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
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I don't know why the developers chose this form of graphics. Cartoon-style, almost like comic strips but one frame at a time. Such graphics tend to give the impression it is going to be a children's game, or something equally light. In fact, it is a very serious game, and quite an interesting one at that. Perhaps the developers used this form of graphics because, even though the game is made in 2009, it is set in the year 1969. So maybe the idea is to make it seem like one of those old detective stories. No idea.
As I said, however, it *is* a pretty good story. The graphics do make it a bit difficult to solve the Hidden Object scenes. But you can always use the Hint (available in both the Casual and Advanced difficulty modes) to find that one (or more) elusive object(s). The Hint is also quite useful in the game itself. There are a lot of locations in the game, and no map to help you get from one place to another. This can be a bit problematic since, often, there will be an object you need in one location, but you will find it in a different, sometimes rather unlikely place. Clicking on the Hint will give you an immediate screenshot not only of the location, but also where exactly you can find that object in the location you are shown.
The puzzles are, for the most part, quite easy. Most of them involve moving your cursor ever so slowly to move objects around in the scene. There *is* one puzzle, however, that can be rather challenging - it involves putting a bunch of pipe pieces together for a tap. Quite a clever puzzle, actually. But if you get too frustrated, you can always SKIP, of course; OR you can look up the solution in an excellent walkthrough by Big Fish itself!
Finally, even though the game is not a Collector's Edition, it does have an Extras section. The most vital item here is no doubt the "Chapter Bonus," which provides an important part of the story. You will also find all the cutscenes from the game in this section. Neat.
In short, and to repeat, don't let the graphics fool you! It's actually a pretty good game. :)
Experience a story about love so strong, it can overcome the most powerful evil! Explore visually stunning mystical dimensions and rescue your fiance!
Overall rating
5
/
5
7 of 8 found this review helpful
A Good Sequel
PostedOctober 15, 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 game is perhaps not as original as the first in the series (Sacra Terra: Angelic Night). Big Fish has made so many games where the main character goes to find a loved one captured or otherwise "taken" by some form of Evil. The idea of Star Crossed Lovers is also rather well-known. But this game presents the old ideas in a very original manner. It is also not as "dark" as I called the first game in the series. In fact, it can actually be quite touching and heart-warming in so many ways.
Like the first game, even though it is a Collector's Edition, it does not have any of those pesky Achievements that serve to only distract the players from the storyline and the gameplay. It does have the Beyond (morphing) Objects but, as in the first game, they are so easy to find - there is one in every location and all you have to do is move your cursor around the screen to find that clutching hand which indicates either something you can pick up for your inventory OR the Beyond Object. Unlike the first game, however, you don't get any "award" for finding all the Beyond Objects. In the first game, finding all these objects unlocked the Videos on the Main Menu, allowing you to see all the cutscenes in the game. Unfortunately, this game does not have that feature at all. The Extras give you only the Clipart and the Wallpapers. Not a good "subtraction," since it is always nice to be able to see at least some of the cutscenes again.
The Hidden Object scenes are okay, but it *can* be difficult to find some objects sometimes. The Hint is as great as that in the first game, however, and available in both the Casual and Expert Difficulty Modes. As in the first game again, the Hint can also guide you in the game itself, not just in the HO scenes. What's probably the best feature, however, which was not available at all in the first game, is that we have a MAP! And a great one at that, showing you not only the locations, but also whether a location has a Beyond Object. It also gives you a total of such objects we have found. The Map even tells you whether an action is available and, if so, at what location. What's more, you can actually turn off any of these features (showing Beyond Objects and Available Actions) on the Map itself. Thus, lots of help, and available as needed/desired.
The puzzles are not always as "user friendly" as those in the previous game though. But I noted only two such puzzles, which some folks might find frustrating. But you can either solve these puzzles with the help of the Collector's Edition's handy Strategy Guide, OR just SKIP them!
As for the storyline, it *is* very interesting and, as I indicated, much more positive than the first game. But I couldn't help but feel that the developers forgot who the real villain was in the first game. I will not say more, of course, because that might be a spoiler. So I will just let you figure out for yourself what I mean. LOL!!! :D
In short, a really nice game. Well done, indeed.
I recommend this game!
The demons of the Seven Deadly Sins have broken free of their fiery prison and taken up residence in Sacra Terra!
Overall rating
5
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
Well Done!!!
PostedOctober 13, 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 must confess that this game is a bit "dark" for me, but it was most skillfully developed in every way. The storyline is quite interesting and so original, especially the depiction of the 7 Deadly Sins. The graphics are great, and so is the music - both most suitable to the theme. The puzzles are quite easy, and the Hidden Objects are (well, shall we say, for the most part) fair. But don't worry. If you can't find that last elusive object, you can always use the Hint, which is available in both the Casual *and* the Expert difficulty modes.
In fact, the Hint is available and most helpful even if you get stuck anywhere in the game itself. It will continue to show an arrow at the bottom center of the screen and, as you click on it, it will thus take you to the exact location where you need to be, and then point out exactly what you missed or need in order to proceed forward in the game.
And, as if all of the above were not enough, the Bonus Chapter is actually related to, and even necessary to understand, the main game - unlike so many other Collector's Edition (CE) games, where such a chapter seems to have been "tacked on," apparently just because they *are* supposed to be CE games. What's more, unlike other CE games, there are no pesky "Achievements" that tend to only distract us from the main game and/or the storyline. There *are* the so-called "Beyond Objects," (i.e., morphing objects), but they are easy to find: there is supposed to be one in every location, and all you have to do is move your cursor all around the screen, find and then just click on the clutching hand, which appears on a morphing object (as well as an item you can pick up for the inventory). Nice and simple indeed. And once you do collect all these objects, you are actually given a "reward" as the game unlocks all its cutscenes, which then become available on the Main Menu.
Last but not least, although I started out by saying that this game was a bit dark for my taste, I should also note that the ending is quite positive and most satisfactory.
I recommend this game!
Embark on an exciting journey and plunge into the myths of Ancient Greece with Odysseus, the legendary hero of the Trojan War!
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
A Wonderful & Adventurous Saga
PostedOctober 11, 2017
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
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 really loved this game. Players who are used to modern pastel-like graphics might find a need to adjust to this game's graphics, but I thought they were just right for the theme: just the way you see history depicted in art, museums, etc. In other words, it's like an artist painting historic scenes. Great job!
The story is really interesting too. I don't know enough about the historic Odysseus to be sure whether the game's story conforms 100% to the legend, but it certainly seems to be "legendary enough" all the same. The music is very good also, and is especially suited to the game's theme. The hidden-object scenes are quite fair, as are the puzzles. The only thing I missed was voice-acting; but maybe that might have only spoiled the game, especially this one. We all do tend to have our own idea of how a character - especially a legendary figure - should sound. So the lack of voice-acting might have been intentional - or at least can be "excused" - for that reason.
In short, I really loved this game, and would highly recommend anyone to play it!
I recommend this game!
Enter the weird and wonderful realm of legend in Oddly Enough: Piped Piper, an enchanting Hidden Object game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Nice, clean fun!
PostedOctober 10, 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 game was probably designed for kids, but is fun for children and adults alike. It is pretty straightforward. The storyline is pretty much like the children's tale, with a bit of extension. The Hidden Object scenes are quite easy, the puzzles fair, the graphics nice, and the music even nicer. In short, if you are in the mood for something very light and entertaining, this game really fits the bill!
I recommend this game!
Face a 200-year mystery and save your best friend! Discover how strong friendship ties can be and to what extremes unrequited love is ready to go.
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Great Game, But Where Is The Sequel?!!
PostedOctober 9, 2017
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
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's actually a great game. The story is very interesting, the gameplay quite straightforward, and the hidden object scenes and other puzzles quite easy. The voice actress for the main character is not good, but that was okay since she does not have much dialog. The game did have some problems that were more - well, problematic.
For example, there are so many locations and you have to keep running back and forth from one to the other. After a while, you wish you had a map in which you could just click on a location to get there. But ... there *is* no map at all, with or without such a convenience!
Again, after a while, you are likely to get tired of checking out every single location - or you might just have forgotten where you had seen something on which you could use the object you have finally discovered. Either way, you wish you could just click on the Hint to help you out. And the Hint does point out exactly where you can use an object from your inventory. But the problem is that it works only on a location-by-location basis. In other words, you have to go to each and every location and the Hint will keep telling you either that there is nothing to be done there OR that you should perhaps come back to that area later UNTIL you finally arrive at the location where the Hint actually points out something!
The very last puzzle is extremely tedious, to say the least, and quite unnecessarily so. It's not difficult at all, just tedious. But, again, none of the above problems bothered me so much as the ending. Don't worry, no spoilers here. All I can say is that we go through so much, only to be left hanging at the end. Apparently, the developers had intended to make a sequel but, as far as I know, they never made one. And if there *was* one, please do be sure to let me know! Send me a PM! This was actually the second time that I'd played the game, having forgotten the ending was really not an ending at all. I found that extremely disconcerting, especially in light of the "ending" we did get... :(
I recommend this game!
Anna needs to find the Lost Temple to save her grandfather from a terrible curse! Help her in this exciting Hidden Object game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Nice, But Hidden Objects Way Too Tiny/Opaque/Hidden-From-View
PostedOctober 6, 2017
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Family, Hidden Object, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
It was a pleasant enough game. The storyline is interesting, and the puzzles rather easy. But the hidden objects are mostly way too tiny, often opaque (blending in with the background, making it hard to even see them), and some even hidden at the very bottom of the page or tucked away close by the Hint in lower-right. In short, solving these HO scenes can really strain your eyes, and there are LOTS of these HO scenes. In fact, I think it is fair to say that at least 97% of the game is trying to solve these HO scenes. So, if you don't mind this difficulty, I would recommend the game; otherwise, not. But, even if you decide to play the game, I would highly advise you to take frequent breaks, to rest your eyes!
I recommend this game!
Return to the House of 1,000 Doors to save mankind from annihilation!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 4 found this review helpful
Pretty Good - as a Game, not the underlying theme.
PostedOctober 6, 2017
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
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This is the third game in the House of 1000 Doors series and, in my opinion, the second best. I liked the first game the best mainly because it *was* the first game, started off so mysteriously, and introduced us to the main characters in such an interesting way. But this one (Serpent Flame) was pretty good. I did miss Simon, however, and I don't know why they had to turn Sammy from a good-looking, articulate as well as intelligent little boy into a rather plump little nerdy kid with something of a lisp...
But the game did have some great features. The graphics were wonderful, the music was quite good, the Hidden Object scenes were more than fair (I especially liked the ones where you have to use items from the box at the bottom in the scene itself - few HO games have that kind of HO scenes), and the puzzles were quite easy as well. In short, just about everything was pretty good - except perhaps the underlying theme...
I don't know why the modern Science Fiction writers are so bent on the idea that we Humans, in our over 4000 years of existence, cannot possibly make the Wonders of the World we see today, and that it "had" to be ALIENS responsible for such "intelligence." These writers seem to forget that so many of our so-called "great" historical conquerors actually *destroyed* thousands of books, burning whole libraries of knowledge, because they thought these books and writings represented "pagan beliefs"! Yes, Hitler was not the first, my friends. He was just one of the last such IDIOTS, who destroyed precious knowledge, only out of fear that this knowledge might somehow empower their enemies and threaten their own supremacy. We will never know what kind of knowledge was thus destroyed, of course, but we do know there was a lot. So, again, we don't need "ALIENS" to help explain the many wonders of the world today. It is simply ridiculous to think that it's only after 4000 years that Man was able to create some wonders himself. Cell phones, computers, and other such technological gizmos are not the only product of intelligence, you know. The Egyptian and Mayan pyramids, etc., were built on the basis of a different kind of intelligence that actually worked *with* Nature as opposed to *against* it the way our "nuclear," for example, "technology" works.
So, to recap: I loved the game for all its "game" components: the music, the graphics, the HO scenes, the puzzles, etc. And it is for those "game components" that I recommend the game. As far as the underlying theme goes, however, I find it quite - well, in so many words, just plain ridiculous.
I recommend this game!
The nefarious treasure thief Jacques has kidnapped another damsel, and it’s up to you to stop his plans before she is sacrificed!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Not the same anymore
PostedOctober 4, 2017
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Family, Hidden Object, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This is the fourth and apparently the last game in the Hide & Secret game series, but the development team seems to have changed. Like the three H & S games before, it is still a story about Will and Anna and the villain Jacques. The music still sounds about the same, which is good because I loved those tunes from the previous games. And, thankfully, there is still no Collector's Edition, with all the pesky Achievements that serve to only distract the gamers from the main game itself. But aside from these few things, just about everything else is changed. Instead of the comic-strips or more-or-less straight H/O format, this game seems to follow the later trend of an HO/Adventure game. There are more difficulty modes, but thankfully only two - Casual and Expert, with the only difference between the two being the slower-charging Hints and Skips in the latter mode.
Other changes in this game are more "drastic," however. For instance, they have completely changed Will's physical appearance as well as his character: from the rather foolish but affable to an over-serious, in fact rather stern-looking, football-player/jock-like figure. Indeed, Will does not appear or even "say" much at all. And I use quotes for "say" because the developers have gotten rid of all the voice-acting! The only human sounds you ever hear in the game are either screaming, Jacques' "Mua-ha-ha" laughs, or his "NO!" at the end of the game.
In short, this game is very little like the first three Hide and Secret games that attracted so many fans (which might well be why they didn't make another one!). The storyline is complicated, and really not that interesting at all. The graphics are good though, the HO scenes and puzzles easy enough, and there is plenty of Help if you need it - from the Map to not just show but actually take you to various locations, to the Hint in the lower-right that will actually tell you all the steps you need to take to achieve a given objective. So the game does have a lot of good features, which is why I am recommending it. My only disappointment was that it was too different from the preceding three H & S games. In other words, it just wasn't a H & S game for me anymore.
Help reunite two ancient lovers by returning stolen artifacts to their graves! Travel all over the world to find the treasures.
Overall rating
5
/
5
12 of 12 found this review helpful
Definitely One of My Top Favorites!
PostedOctober 2, 2017
Zurreen
fromAustin, TX
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Brain Teaser, Family, Hidden Object, Strategy, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Of all the Hide & Secret games, this is definitely *the* best *and* one of my top favorite games. Like the first two H & S games, it does not have any multiple difficulty levels nor any of those "modern" pesky Achievements that serve to only distract us from the main game itself. There *are* some puzzles, but all are jigsaw puzzles and pretty easy ones at that. Unlike the first two H & S games, which gave us a limited number of hints (3 in the first one, and 2 in the second), you can actually get over a dozen! In fact, you have to find little brown pyramids to increase the number of hints available to you, there is one after every HO scene (and sometimes a puzzle) you solve, and the available hints continue to increase depending on how many of them you use up during the game. The HO scene are more than fair, so you really don't even need to use too many hints, sometimes none at all! You also don't have anyone "popping up" (like old Merlin in H & S 2), if you happen to click on one too many wrong objects. In other words, there was no random-click penalty, at least as far as I could tell. And on top of all the above, the storyline is extremely interesting (I love games on old Egypt anyway! LOL), the music is absolutely wonderful, and the game is just plain fun from beginning to end.
In short, I simply *love* this game, and would highly recommend it to everyone.
I recommend this game!