PetraElster's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:2.8
- Helpful Votes:152
- Reviews Submitted:13
- First Review:September 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:July 15, 2021
- Featured reviews0
Colorful pixel art space adventures are coming your way!
Overall rating
2
/
5
1 of 3 found this review helpful
Images are too ugly
PostedJuly 15, 2021
PetraElster
fromEmily's Message in a Bottle
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Arcade & Action, Marble Popper, Puzzle, Time Management
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I bought the game. The mechanicas are good. There are some nice additions to this type of game like simple powerups that help completing the images.
Sadly, and I can't stress this enough, I was unable to finish the game due to the extreme ugliness of the so-called artwork.
I am halfway through and will delete the game unfinished.
I played just enough to unlock all of the levels, but now that I see what is coming, I just do not want to endure the ugliness any longer.
Sadly, and I can't stress this enough, I was unable to finish the game due to the extreme ugliness of the so-called artwork.
I am halfway through and will delete the game unfinished.
I played just enough to unlock all of the levels, but now that I see what is coming, I just do not want to endure the ugliness any longer.
I don't recommend this game.
Plantera is a cute farming game for all ages. It offers many upgrades, fun gameplay, and your very own garden to watch.
Overall rating
3
/
5
9 of 9 found this review helpful
Very Relaxing
PostedApril 10, 2018
PetraElster
fromEmily's Message in a Bottle
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Arcade & Action, Puzzle, Time Management
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Everything you click gives you coins. You use the coins to plant trees, bushes and other vegetables that you then click for even more coins. When the game figures you clicked enough items and gathered enough coins, it levels you up. Every time you level up you can buy better clickable plants.
There are also powerups that help you with your tasks. Not that you will need a lot of help, because the game pretty much runs by itself, even when you are away from your computer.
It´s kind of like investing... you buy some stuff which gives you some dividends while you sleep and then you get to reinvest those dividends turning them into more of the same stuff you bought.
Pests try to steal some of your fruit and vegetables... , kind of like taxes. They do little damage, though.
Expanding the garden gives more helpers.
Clicking fireflies saves the game.
There are also powerups that help you with your tasks. Not that you will need a lot of help, because the game pretty much runs by itself, even when you are away from your computer.
It´s kind of like investing... you buy some stuff which gives you some dividends while you sleep and then you get to reinvest those dividends turning them into more of the same stuff you bought.
Pests try to steal some of your fruit and vegetables... , kind of like taxes. They do little damage, though.
Expanding the garden gives more helpers.
Clicking fireflies saves the game.
The good:
1) Nothing bad ever happens. Sure, a magpie may steal a fruit... a fox may try to get away with stealing an egg or two... but everything moves very slowly, so you can always save your produce... or even let the bird have its lunch. There will always be more fruit.
2) There´s no need to hurry. You may click the ripe fruit... but if you don´t, it falls to the ground; where you can pick it up... or not. If it lays there long enough, some helper will eventually pick it up.
3) Graphics are simple, but cute.
4) Powerups work fine. Scarecrows scare away the magpies... and the dogs chase away the foxes.
5) Ladybugs are worth a ton of coins... and they get more valuable with every click.
6) Once in a while a crazy night runs through the screen and if you click him repeatedly he spills out lot of coins.
1) Nothing bad ever happens. Sure, a magpie may steal a fruit... a fox may try to get away with stealing an egg or two... but everything moves very slowly, so you can always save your produce... or even let the bird have its lunch. There will always be more fruit.
2) There´s no need to hurry. You may click the ripe fruit... but if you don´t, it falls to the ground; where you can pick it up... or not. If it lays there long enough, some helper will eventually pick it up.
3) Graphics are simple, but cute.
4) Powerups work fine. Scarecrows scare away the magpies... and the dogs chase away the foxes.
5) Ladybugs are worth a ton of coins... and they get more valuable with every click.
6) Once in a while a crazy night runs through the screen and if you click him repeatedly he spills out lot of coins.
The bad:
1) There are zero instructions. The game is very self explanatory. Like... DUH!... obvious. But even so... instructions would be nice... at the very least to reassure the player he figured it out correctly.
2) You can expand your garden but then have to scroll left and right to see it. You can scroll with the right mouse button or using the keyboard. There is no way to zoom out.
3) The game is ... well... pointless. It´s all cute and everything, and everybody likes shiny coins... but really... after a while... you start questioning the meaning of life.
1) There are zero instructions. The game is very self explanatory. Like... DUH!... obvious. But even so... instructions would be nice... at the very least to reassure the player he figured it out correctly.
2) You can expand your garden but then have to scroll left and right to see it. You can scroll with the right mouse button or using the keyboard. There is no way to zoom out.
3) The game is ... well... pointless. It´s all cute and everything, and everybody likes shiny coins... but really... after a while... you start questioning the meaning of life.
The ugly:
1) You can't buy more than 2 scarecrows. So, you expand your garden beyond your initial screen, plant trees, bushes and vegetables where you wont be able to see them without scrolling... and can´t protect them from pests. That´s weird.
1) You can't buy more than 2 scarecrows. So, you expand your garden beyond your initial screen, plant trees, bushes and vegetables where you wont be able to see them without scrolling... and can´t protect them from pests. That´s weird.
Tip: If you want to use this game as a kind of visual meditation device (I'm sure it would work), you can expand your garden but never plant anything outside the initial screen. This way, you get more helpers to gather your produce, without having ever to worry about scrolling beyond your initial screen.
Watching things grow, fall of trees, get picked up and turn into coins without having to do pretty much anything... turns out to be very relaxing.
Watching things grow, fall of trees, get picked up and turn into coins without having to do pretty much anything... turns out to be very relaxing.
For little kids or for those days you had enough challenges and just want something colorful to click and be happy...
I recommend this game!
Ready to solve a gripping mystery? Tackle ingenious riddles in this hidden object puzzle adventure!
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Based on Full Game played until the End!
PostedJanuary 6, 2018
PetraElster
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Arcade & Action, Marble Popper, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management
Current Favorite:
Delicious: Emily's Hopes and Fears Collector's Edition
(49)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
This game is more like an animated picture book, than a game.
Better suited for children than for adult players.
This review contains !SPOILERS!
Better suited for children than for adult players.
This review contains !SPOILERS!
The Good: 1)The puzzles are pretty straightforward and fun to play; not too hard and not too easy. If the player uses a hint,the level has to be replayed later to get all the achievements. 2) The graphics are nice and the soundtrack does not have to be turned off. 3) Regular levels advance the story and bonus levels help the player to collect prizes, that complement the story, adding a bit more insight into the characters personality and details to the adventure.
4) There is a fantastic quote from one of the characters in the middle of the game: "Sometimes we forget to want what we already have".
4) There is a fantastic quote from one of the characters in the middle of the game: "Sometimes we forget to want what we already have".
The bad: 1) The game attempts to merge Mortimer Beckett with the Emily Series, putting Kate (Emily´s sister in law) as a romantic partner to Mortimer. The story, however, lacks real momentum. Kate is dissatisfied with her life and wants to experience a new adventure. No amount of travelling or getting into trouble makes her happy, though and her dissatisfaction is a bit of a bummer throughout the game. Mortimer, who has every reason to be upset since he got dragged into the adventure against his wishes, on the other hand, is always polite, helpful and competent... not that Kate ever acknowledges that. At least her personality remains consistent throughout the game: when she is not complaining about her life, she is complaining about Mortimer, constantly putting him down despite him being always there for her.
The Ugly: 1) Like in every Emily game, there is a mouse to find in every level. The mouse is only drawn from the neck up, because it is always hiding behind objects. Usually this is not an issue, but in this game, when you click on the Mouse, a severed mouse head flies through the screen... which is really disturbing for a kids game. Would it really be so hard to draw the entire animal?
2) In the end scene, when Emily appears, all Emily characters are off scale in relation to Mortimer and Kate. I know this seems like nitpicking... but if a game relies a lot on graphics like this one, characters must blend together. This flaw made the game seem unpolished.
3) Finally, there is a glitch in the game. Even if the player gets all the mice in all the levels, he doesn´t get the "found all mice" trophy. Maybe it´s because I forgot the mouse in some levels and then went back, found the mouse but didn't play the level until the end... but either way, the mice are all there and the trophy isn't. It has never been so frustrating not to get a piece of cheese!
2) In the end scene, when Emily appears, all Emily characters are off scale in relation to Mortimer and Kate. I know this seems like nitpicking... but if a game relies a lot on graphics like this one, characters must blend together. This flaw made the game seem unpolished.
3) Finally, there is a glitch in the game. Even if the player gets all the mice in all the levels, he doesn´t get the "found all mice" trophy. Maybe it´s because I forgot the mouse in some levels and then went back, found the mouse but didn't play the level until the end... but either way, the mice are all there and the trophy isn't. It has never been so frustrating not to get a piece of cheese!
That being said, the game does have a lot of playing value, since the main problems are in the storyline and some of the graphic choices.
I recommend this game!
Online dating has got Dracula in a bind! Can he escape?
Overall rating
3
/
5
18 of 18 found this review helpful
Based on finishing CE Edition
PostedDecember 5, 2015
PetraElster
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Time Management, Adventure, Match 3, Large File, Strategy, Marble Popper, Arcade & Action
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This game is almost excellent.
All the good stuff:
1) Very good storyline. Witty and entertaining.
2) Cute characters. Excellent artwork.
3) Music is varied and not in the least intrusive.
4) Good amount of bonuses and powerups. The bonuses can be switched during the level, which enhances playability.
5) Minigames are incorporated into main game. There are items to search within the levels, which provides variety and enhances fun-factor.
6) Total of 60 levels in CE edition. A lot of game time for every credit spent.
7) CE levels are an extended part of the original story. It´s really fun to see all the characters offspring.
8) Some easter eggs included that earn achievements if found.
2) Cute characters. Excellent artwork.
3) Music is varied and not in the least intrusive.
4) Good amount of bonuses and powerups. The bonuses can be switched during the level, which enhances playability.
5) Minigames are incorporated into main game. There are items to search within the levels, which provides variety and enhances fun-factor.
6) Total of 60 levels in CE edition. A lot of game time for every credit spent.
7) CE levels are an extended part of the original story. It´s really fun to see all the characters offspring.
8) Some easter eggs included that earn achievements if found.
All the bad stuff:
1) There is no way to know if all the hidden objects were found on a level. If you miss one, you have to enter every level to see if you forgot something or not.
2) If you find all 30 stickers and all 60 princess statuettes, nothing happens. You do not gain any achievement and there is nothing to do with the stickers.
3) Spelling error: The game should have undergone some revision to avoid showing "neitralize" instead of "neutralize".
4) Missing objective on level 34. The game states two objectives and the third one reads: "!!!TRANSLATE-ME - game_goals_3!!!" Despite the exclamation points and the capital letters, it was never translated.
5) There is no way to replay the storytelling bits without replaying the level that comes before it. And the last part of the story is cut off by the credits before the narrator finishes reading the last sentence.
2) If you find all 30 stickers and all 60 princess statuettes, nothing happens. You do not gain any achievement and there is nothing to do with the stickers.
3) Spelling error: The game should have undergone some revision to avoid showing "neitralize" instead of "neutralize".
4) Missing objective on level 34. The game states two objectives and the third one reads: "!!!TRANSLATE-ME - game_goals_3!!!" Despite the exclamation points and the capital letters, it was never translated.
5) There is no way to replay the storytelling bits without replaying the level that comes before it. And the last part of the story is cut off by the credits before the narrator finishes reading the last sentence.
The ugly:
1) The game has three game modes: Normal, Multi-click and Untimed. It is absolutely impossible to get three stars on all the levels, except for untimed mode, which makes it a flawed TM game, albeit being a very entertaining past-time.
Obviously, in Untimed mode, the three-star achievement cannot be earned which precludes the player from earning the "All achievements earned" achievement.
The Multiclick Mode and the Normal mode work very nicely, but neither give the player any chance of earning three stars on all the levels. I am a VERY experienced TM player and I got so frustrated by this particular flaw, that I played the game in Untimed mode. I never, ever played a TM game in untimed mode before. But as I said, the story is entertaining and I really wanted to play through the game to see what happens to the characters.
Obviously, in Untimed mode, the three-star achievement cannot be earned which precludes the player from earning the "All achievements earned" achievement.
The Multiclick Mode and the Normal mode work very nicely, but neither give the player any chance of earning three stars on all the levels. I am a VERY experienced TM player and I got so frustrated by this particular flaw, that I played the game in Untimed mode. I never, ever played a TM game in untimed mode before. But as I said, the story is entertaining and I really wanted to play through the game to see what happens to the characters.
All in all I do reccomend the game for all it´s good qualities.
I just hope the developers make a patch or an update that fixes the three-star issue, so the game can be fun and challenging, but not impossible as it is now.
I just hope the developers make a patch or an update that fixes the three-star issue, so the game can be fun and challenging, but not impossible as it is now.
I recommend this game!
Rescue the captured lords of the Elven Kingdom in an exciting time management strategy game set in a fantasy world.
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Cute, but way too hard.
PostedJuly 3, 2015
PetraElster
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Time Management, Adventure, Match 3, Strategy, Marble Popper, Arcade & Action
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game is almost perfect. Good storyline, great graphics.
Pros also include the possibility to turn off music and vocals, and it offers three game difficulties to choose from: relaxed, normal and professional.
The great big dissapointment is that even in normal mode the game is impossible to beat. There is a good walkthrough in BFG forum and the player that wrote it really spared no effort to beat the game.
I am an experienced player and my favorite genre is TM. Professional mode was so hard I gave up after the first 5 levels and started over in Normal mode.
I played happily and felt well challenged until level 24, when I went after the walkthrough. Turns out level 24 is unbeatable. Ok, I thought... one level out of 40 isn´t so bad, but after level 27 I just didn´t bother with getting the stars anymore. The game stopped being fun and felt more like a chore, at least for me, who am the kind of player who likes to complete the levels with all the stars.
After level 30 each level takes at least a dozen trials to get properly finished in Normal mode. I can´t even imagine how many times one has to repeat a level to get every click right when playing in professional mode.
Other than that, the game is nice. If you do not care about completing the levels perfectly, enjoy cute characters and a nice little fairytale storyline, this game is for you.
Pros also include the possibility to turn off music and vocals, and it offers three game difficulties to choose from: relaxed, normal and professional.
The great big dissapointment is that even in normal mode the game is impossible to beat. There is a good walkthrough in BFG forum and the player that wrote it really spared no effort to beat the game.
I am an experienced player and my favorite genre is TM. Professional mode was so hard I gave up after the first 5 levels and started over in Normal mode.
I played happily and felt well challenged until level 24, when I went after the walkthrough. Turns out level 24 is unbeatable. Ok, I thought... one level out of 40 isn´t so bad, but after level 27 I just didn´t bother with getting the stars anymore. The game stopped being fun and felt more like a chore, at least for me, who am the kind of player who likes to complete the levels with all the stars.
After level 30 each level takes at least a dozen trials to get properly finished in Normal mode. I can´t even imagine how many times one has to repeat a level to get every click right when playing in professional mode.
Other than that, the game is nice. If you do not care about completing the levels perfectly, enjoy cute characters and a nice little fairytale storyline, this game is for you.
I recommend this game!
Cruel beings have devastated a floating island leaving its peaceful populace helpless in the face of war. Conquer the evil scourge and repair the land!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Absolutely Excellent!
PostedJune 26, 2015
PetraElster
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Time Management, Adventure, Match 3, Strategy, Marble Popper, Arcade & Action
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Adventure + Match3 + Strategy + Tower defense = pure awsomeness!
If you want something completely different, fun, with a great storyline, this game is it.
It offers a good challenge and it is really hard, but it also gives you the opportunity to enhance your chances with powerups and upgrades, so that you can replay the levels and get better scores.
Another plus is that the stars earned by completing the levels can be use to get upgrades and they are infinite. This means you can replay an easy level a lot of times to collect stars over and over again. If any developer is reading this... this is the way to go.
You get potions via a Match-3 game which revert into extra items to use in the battles. You get bonuses and experience points by completing tasks in the storyline which gives you additional territory and skills.
And on top of it all you comand dragons!
How cool is that??
I recommend this game!
Dive into the Middle Ages and play the successor to the worldwide #1 hit, Bridge Constructor!
Overall rating
1
/
5
5 of 7 found this review helpful
Unplayable
PostedJune 25, 2015
PetraElster
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Time Management, Adventure, Strategy, Marble Popper, Arcade & Action
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
The game could be great, but it has clumsy controls that make the game unplayable. Unclicking the tools is a chore. The screen does not roll back and forth easily.
Switching between erasing and placing objects is cumbersome.
Switching between erasing and placing objects is cumbersome.
And most of all, there is no way to adjust the language. It is totally uncool to assume that just because someone is not currently living in the US, that the person does not speak english.
I was very dissapointed.
I don't recommend this game.
Return to the days of magic, maidens, goblins and gold!
Overall rating
3
/
5
48 of 55 found this review helpful
Bought it...disappointed.
PostedFebruary 3, 2013
PetraElster
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Arcade & Action, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I loved the first NYKAC and so I bought the second.
Nothing much has changed in gameplay, which continues to be pleasant.
The main problem with part 2 is that it lacked a final checking before it was released. There are grammar errors, spelling errors, programming errors that prevent the player from getting the achievements... or "achivments" as they are called in the game and mapping errors that prevent the player from clicking the right spot when trying to assing chores to the workers.
All this errors could have been avoided, they are just an indication that the game came out in a rush.
This really dissapointed me.
It´s always sad when quality suffers due to excessively tight deadlines.
:(
Nothing much has changed in gameplay, which continues to be pleasant.
The main problem with part 2 is that it lacked a final checking before it was released. There are grammar errors, spelling errors, programming errors that prevent the player from getting the achievements... or "achivments" as they are called in the game and mapping errors that prevent the player from clicking the right spot when trying to assing chores to the workers.
All this errors could have been avoided, they are just an indication that the game came out in a rush.
This really dissapointed me.
It´s always sad when quality suffers due to excessively tight deadlines.
:(
I don't recommend this game.
Your home has been raided. Your father is missing. Set off on a dangerous journey to save him, and become the Hero of the Kingdom!
Overall rating
2
/
5
7 of 22 found this review helpful
Too long, Too tiny, Too weird
PostedDecember 20, 2012
PetraElster
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Arcade & Action, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
It seems like a good game at first. A boy goes on a quest to look for his father and has to perform various tasks in order to advance in the game, which is rather open-ended and gives plenty of opportunities to explore, hunt, gather and interact with NPCs.
The main problem of the game is that the tasks are performed in a weird fashion. For example: You get a basket and fill it with flowers. Once you deliver the flowers you give the basket away and you have to go buy another basket. Why? Why would anyone give his basket away?
On the other hand you can collect infinitesimally small mushrooms without having a basket. Logic please?
Another example: a mand offers to go with you on your quest. Two screens away he decides otherwise and you are one man short again and have to hire help when you need it.
This illogical coming and going of elements make all tasks take forever, and if it weren´t enough you have to eat and sleep almost every two tasks.
Combine that with trying to find elements that are pixel-small and you have a desastrous result of what could have been a great game otherwise.
:(
The main problem of the game is that the tasks are performed in a weird fashion. For example: You get a basket and fill it with flowers. Once you deliver the flowers you give the basket away and you have to go buy another basket. Why? Why would anyone give his basket away?
On the other hand you can collect infinitesimally small mushrooms without having a basket. Logic please?
Another example: a mand offers to go with you on your quest. Two screens away he decides otherwise and you are one man short again and have to hire help when you need it.
This illogical coming and going of elements make all tasks take forever, and if it weren´t enough you have to eat and sleep almost every two tasks.
Combine that with trying to find elements that are pixel-small and you have a desastrous result of what could have been a great game otherwise.
:(
I don't recommend this game.
Discover the fabulous secrets that a jungle hides in Adelantado Trilogy: Book One! Help the brave and noble officer, Don Diego De Leon, to find and save the lost expedition.
Overall rating
4
/
5
56 of 63 found this review helpful
Beyond Beautiful
PostedSeptember 17, 2012
PetraElster
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
First of all: the graphics are stunning. Very well rendered, characters move well, scenery is realistic to the point you believe it is an actual island, but not so much it clashes with the characters, buildings are beutifully detailed.
The game is resource-based with building and exploring missions. A lot of nice things to do and places to explore; a little along the lines of Island Tribe, The Island: Castaway and Buried in Time.
You have to chop trees, cultivate food and help out the local tribe with various assignments. Aside from the main tasks, there is an artifact to complete by collecting gold pieces, stones to collect which enhance your abilities, and secrets to find.
The game may be played in several dificculty modes which is a nice feature as it accomodates both relaxed and challenging playing styles.
The only thing that worries me a little is that it is "Book 1", so I do not know how long the actual playing time is, for this installment. There are two chapters divided in 5 parts each plus one "conclusion" level for experts only.
Other than that, it´s great!
The game is resource-based with building and exploring missions. A lot of nice things to do and places to explore; a little along the lines of Island Tribe, The Island: Castaway and Buried in Time.
You have to chop trees, cultivate food and help out the local tribe with various assignments. Aside from the main tasks, there is an artifact to complete by collecting gold pieces, stones to collect which enhance your abilities, and secrets to find.
The game may be played in several dificculty modes which is a nice feature as it accomodates both relaxed and challenging playing styles.
The only thing that worries me a little is that it is "Book 1", so I do not know how long the actual playing time is, for this installment. There are two chapters divided in 5 parts each plus one "conclusion" level for experts only.
Other than that, it´s great!
I recommend this game!