s_sgs's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.9
- Helpful Votes:3,617
- Reviews Submitted:99
- First Review:January 8, 2012
- Most Recent Review:October 24, 2013
- Featured reviews1
Status:
The Torment of Mont Triste Collector's Edition
No one dares fall asleep in the village of Mont Triste... for when sleep arrives, so does the mysterious Lord of Nightmares.
Overall rating
5
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
FUN-FACTOR SKY HIGH, EXECUTED BEAUTIFULLY
PostedOctober 24, 2013
s_sgs
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED GAME IN 2nd (Advanced) of 3 modes. It had few sparkles around HOS, minimal black bar hints. Terrific!
This game has all the classic elements to make for top quality gaming. The story instantly draws the player in, then delivers unique and top quality artwork/graphics, HOS, MINI-GAME, and ADVENTURE that keep the player absorbed rather than serving as a distraction. The team did a wonderful job keeping quality on "High" through to the end.
DETAILS
-------------
STORY/GAME PLAY: Our mission is to save a the people of a town trapped in their own nightmares. The back story unfolds in cut-scenes with VOs as the player discovers various documents throughout the town. The story advances as the player, using a special doo-hicky, enters the nightmares of the town folk one by one conquering the evil within. What a great construct-all kinds of room for sequels.
-------------
STORY/GAME PLAY: Our mission is to save a the people of a town trapped in their own nightmares. The back story unfolds in cut-scenes with VOs as the player discovers various documents throughout the town. The story advances as the player, using a special doo-hicky, enters the nightmares of the town folk one by one conquering the evil within. What a great construct-all kinds of room for sequels.
ARTWORK/GRAPHICS: Despite the variety of locations in the nightmares, the scenes are cohesive and well integrated with beautifully rendered, vibrant but not gaudy graphics. The artwork was unique, offering the humorous, the kooky, the gorgeous, the sinister-Whatever needed for nightmare lands. I just stopped and looked at many scenes. There was a lot to see and meticulous detail.
HOS: The artwork/graphics made the scenes and items fun and interesting. Most HOS are mildly interactive and there are a couple of silhouette style.
MINI-GAMES: This is where this game breaks from the pack, taking the lead. Never did I have the sense of "been there done that". The games were beautiful, fun, UNIQUE, and some with twists on old favorites that made these games new to me. There are a good number of them. I really loved them all. THANKS so much team. KUDOS on an excellent job!
ADVENTURE: Plenty o' things to find and hidden well enough to be easily overlooked. I appreciated that at times the next action was not obvious and required thought.
MUSIC: Sorry, didn't listen, so can't comment.
COLLECTIBLES: YES. 21 easily located little gargoyles. I suspect those who love morphing/cursed objects and collectibles will probably not be satisfied.
AWARDS: YES. Nothing special. Each time a chapter (Nightmare turned to dream) completed there was an award in addition to the usual fair of completing HOS with no hints, etc.
GIMMICKS: YES. Nightmares are entered through a special device that is kept at the bottom left part of the screen and glows whenever it is time to use it. There was also for a time an ice butterfly and a forest Sprite providing assistance.
-------------------
-------------------
REALLY great job team! This is the perfect game for those drawn to HOS, MINI-GAME, ADVENTURE with little hand holding.
Those who want more meaty action in the achievements and collectibles category may be disappointed.
I recommend this game!
Explore a world of magic to stop an ancient evil!
Overall rating
2
/
5
40 of 50 found this review helpful
THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES
PostedOctober 20, 2013
s_sgs
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
As much as I dislike being in the minority and in spite of the rave reviews, I just gotta say:
THIS GAME IS NOT FUN.
Unlike the first two in this series, this third installment lacks originality, interest, and adventure.It is almost as if the design team were on auto-pilot assembling unused scraps left on the floor from the first two releases.
TRUE, the first in the OTHERWORLD series is one of the best games of its kind that I have come across. There is fine artwork with well rendered graphics that deliver an original, delightful and unexpected fantasy universe. The story is engaging as are the characters. HOS, mini-game, and adventure element-This one first on all cylinders and is a must have.
TRUE, the second OTHERWORLD has attributes similar to the first, so the art and graphics are still gorgeous as they were we we first saw them. The continuation of the story was still engaging and the game play fun, so this one is a keeper for me as well. There was a new element of "hand holding" through heavy handed black bar hints that cannot be turned off and take an extra click to clear which dampened fun factor.
ALSO TRUE, THIS NEWEST OTHERWORLD brings nothing new or spectacular to the table. Yes, this third time around the graphics are still beautiful but not much new in the way of artwork and nothing new about this now thread bare story. Even so, there should still have been fun to be had. There wasn't.
Unfortunately, every ounce of FUN-FACTOR was sucked out by the game construct.
From the start, game play is linear with the player led by the nose each step of the way leaving nothing to chance. Top this with heavy handed black bar hints that cannot be turned off and require an extra click to clear.
ONE NICE THING I will say, this is the first game I have come across that offers the option of turning off the achievement pop-ups.
Very nice touch because in this game just about everything earns an achievement pop-up.
For me the combination of linear, tightly controlled game play, blatant black bar hints, and the incessant stream of pop up achievements made for a game that was tedious rather than engaging, interesting, or fun.
I don't recommend this game.
Should anyone ever check in to a place called the Final Journey Hotel?
Overall rating
4
/
5
15 of 15 found this review helpful
HIGH FUN FACTOR - All the Right Elements!
PostedOctober 18, 2013
s_sgs
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED GAME IN 2ND OF 3 MODES, few sparkles, few black bar hints, nicely done.
This game is a bit old school in the best of ways as the theme, ambiance, and variety of challenge reminded me somewhat of the Ravenhearst series.
If not for just a couple of implementation issues (covered below) this would easily have gotten a top rating.
WHAT I LOVED ABOUT THIS GAME
--------------------------------------------------
COLLECTIBLES - YES. In keeping with the theme well designed, humorous portraits each describing the various monsters skulking the hallways of our haunted house crop up in the most unexpected of places.
--------------------------------------------------
COLLECTIBLES - YES. In keeping with the theme well designed, humorous portraits each describing the various monsters skulking the hallways of our haunted house crop up in the most unexpected of places.
MORPHING OBJECTS - NO. Yes, some say NO MORPH=NO CE. I humbly disagree and found the portraits ample in the fun and interest department.
HOS - YES. Not a single scene revisited. If If there is one, I somehow missed it.Not having to back again and again was refreshing. I don't recall any other games like that.
The HOS varied in type from mildly interactive object list to progressive silhouette. The scenes and inventory items were beautiful, well designed, and not cluttered.
A few things were a little challenging to find because they were "hidden-in-plain-site" - all to the good. Unfortunately at other times objects were tough to find because the graphics were fuzzy and dark around the edges.
This is the sole reason for not giving artwork and graphics top rating.
ACHIEVEMENTS - YES. These were the standard fare - Complete a HOS in less than a minute, no use of hints, complete all the mini-games, etc. I appreciated that a subtle slide in box showed the accomplishment without interrupting game play.
MINI-GAMES - YES. These were fun, in keeping with the theme, and varied in difficulty. One game involving a stencil was deceptively challenging. Another involving alignment of suns, moons, and an eclipse was easier than it looked. I thoroughly enjoyed all of them.
ADVENTURE - YES. There is a lot to see and to pick up which sent me backtracking more than once. The next step was not always obvious which added some nice challenge.
STRATEGY GUIDE - YES. This was done very well and I consulted it more than once.
VOICE OVERS AND CUT SCENES - YES. Not too many to be distracting or overwhelming, but given when needed and well executed.
MUSIC - YES. Can't comment. Out of habit I turn this down as just about any repetitious noise becomes irritating after a while. Bad habit as no doubt I am the one missing out.
JOURNAL - YES. Very organized, also sparse and primarily reference only. The history unfolds in little film-like clips that can be replayed at any time.
MAP - YES. No option for turning off active areas. This is ok by me as I play in difficult/advanced modes trying to get rid of the sparkle-fest and blatant black bar hints, but that doesn't mean a little help from the map would not be welcome...
WHAT I DID NOT LOVE ABOUT THIS GAME
(Why it didn't get top rating)
-------------------------------------------------------------
Primarily the muddy graphics took it off the top for me. None of today's games should come out of the gate with murky, fuzzy graphics, especially when there is such nice artwork to admire in the HOS.
(Why it didn't get top rating)
-------------------------------------------------------------
Primarily the muddy graphics took it off the top for me. None of today's games should come out of the gate with murky, fuzzy graphics, especially when there is such nice artwork to admire in the HOS.
Also, this might sound like a nit but I don't think it is given expectations of today's games. There was no particular WOW CUT-SCENE. Most games today give an extravagant sometimes spectacular scene at some point whether it be the beginning, middle, end, or bonus chapter.
This subject matter offered plenty of opportunity but unfortunately no scene really "popped" giving something specifically memorable to associate with the experience as it should with this class of game.
SUMMARY- I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THIS GAME
----------------------
The storyline is fun and maintains some mystery and a bit of the sinister for a while. There is a nice balance between HOS, MINI-GAME, and ADVENTURE. I like the way these guys mange game play as they keep things simple.
----------------------
The storyline is fun and maintains some mystery and a bit of the sinister for a while. There is a nice balance between HOS, MINI-GAME, and ADVENTURE. I like the way these guys mange game play as they keep things simple.
While visiting your uncle, you stumble upon a curious case. Men are vanishing, reappearing dead days later. Who killed them?
Overall rating
5
/
5
20 of 20 found this review helpful
PUZZLES MAJOR FUN FACTOR, Other goodness
PostedOctober 4, 2013
s_sgs
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED GAME IN HARDCORE 3rd of 3 MODES, no black bar hints (Excellent!), no sparkles, twinks, or blinks.
I loved this game and took my time. Folks who require Collectors Edition to offer certain features may be disappointed. No morphing objects. There are 30 cool posters from a by-gone era that are tough to find, and achievements, but that's it for fancy features.
LIKES
---------
GAME MODES: This is one of few games that truly does turn off the distraction of a black bar dropping down with a phrase that gives unwelcome and blatant hints with each mouse click. KUDOS For a job well DONE!
---------
GAME MODES: This is one of few games that truly does turn off the distraction of a black bar dropping down with a phrase that gives unwelcome and blatant hints with each mouse click. KUDOS For a job well DONE!
Other games give a token nod in advanced mode- The black bar still drops down with each click of the mouse but the hand holding hints are replaced by a single, typically sassy, remark that is repeated until end of game. This gets old fast especially when an extra click is required to clear it.
So again BLAM! job well done! THANK YOU for job well done!
SHOWING ACTIVE AREAS: Another nice option is the choice on whether to see active areas on the map regardless of chosen game mode. Did this one have a jump map? I did not find a way to transport to locations but it wouldn't be the first time I've missed something like that.
MINI-GAMES: The puzzles truly are excellent with quality and creativity maintained to the end.
Rather than carelessly peppering thread bare, seen before, boring puzzles every few moves we are given well thought out, creative and fun, games that integrate naturally into game play.
At one point we play chess on a dart board - The darts are shaped like chess pieces and the field is the dartboard (round). What hoot! These guys went for quality over quantity and it pays off in FUN-FACTOR.
HOS: Normally I am not much into HOS but these were all very well done, with clever interactions that required thought and resulted in me laughing at the ingenious way of getting a Polar Bear to fish for a Crab.
The HOS and MINI-GAMES: were very well integrated into game play and complemented each other so progression of the story was smooth and natural.
CUT-SCENES: I don't really get much out of cut-scenes, but for those who do, they are excellent in this game. The artwork, characters, and voice overs are all very well done and lifelike - to a point.
ARTWORK/GRAPHICS: Nicely done. The motif is a deserted desert town with lovely old style buildings including plenty of stained glass. There is a lot to find and some things are very cleverly hidden so it helped to have the beautiful scenery.
MUSIC: This was fine and in keeping with the theme.
So What's NOT to like?
------------------------------
PERFORMANCE: On my system game performance became slow toward the end of the main game. Not a big deal, but something to know. I have a high end gaming system so this doesn't often happen.
------------------------------
PERFORMANCE: On my system game performance became slow toward the end of the main game. Not a big deal, but something to know. I have a high end gaming system so this doesn't often happen.
STORY CONFUSION: The story never really made much sense-at least to me. The villain is a shape shifter queen with an army of spiders. We rarely see the spiders or interact with them (maybe that should go in the likes category) and any character attacked gets 3 scratch marks across the face as if from a cat not a spider.
Can't really think of anything else not to like.
This is a game I will play again and high recommend to others.
I recommend this game!
Sable Maze: Norwich Caves Collector's Edition
Your students have gone missing during an expedition under the university. Can you track them down before the water rises?
Overall rating
2
/
5
13 of 21 found this review helpful
DISAPPOINTED, LACKING CHALLENGE & FUN FACTOR!!!!!
PostedAugust 31, 2013
s_sgs
fromUSA - Check out the fav game shown as contrast
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED GAME IN HARD MODE (3rd of 3) they still put sparkles here and there, plentiful black bar hints, hand held all the way through.
Those who like excellent graphics, cute puzzles offering no challenge, piles o' collectibles and awards should enjoy thoroughly
This formulaic, plug 'n play story was so lacking in originality that even gorgeous, intricate graphics and artwork with beautiful music could not overcome the tedium of more of the same.
The setting of a college campus could just as easily have been the typical island town, remote mansion on a cliff, or a Zeppelin for that matter.
The game construct is the usual plug 'n play: Player arrives at [College Campus] seeking, need I say it? [Children-College Children, but still….] who [disappeared] after a mysterious discovery of a [Labyrinth beneath campus].
The player quickly discovers there is another mystery of [Ancient Evil dude who looks like a Greek God, so we get some eye candy at least] and the [professor] leading the investigation turns out to be a [bad guy! or is he?]
Given the rave reviews I suspect many will be annoyed that I did not share in the fun this time around.-But C'mon, how many games fit this scenario by plugging in the different variables?
The mini-games were beautifully put together but shamelessly easy sucking any potential for fun right out. Diagrams are provided showing the order in which to push buttons or stones or curtain cords.
Nothing is left for the player to puzzle over. Example: To open "portal" style opening all the player need do is find the missing wing-nut, then following the diagram that pops up to show the order in which to turn each of the other wing-nuts. How is that a mini-game? There are several instances like this. Is the message that players have so little gray matter that they need to be told step by step what to do? Seriously? What's the point?
HOS IMHO were the most interesting part of the entire game. They tended to be a progression of find an item, use it to help find another item. For me some required thought as the next step was not obvious and this I appreciated.
There were plenty of collectibles- find 3 Butterflies, then 3 of this and 3 of that. Progress can be viewed at any time.
This was well done and I did like that the items could be found just about anywhere. Plenty of achievements and the way they were announced was not at all intrusive. -Also a nice touch.
There is also a good amount of finding shapes to plug in to complete a mini-game gain access.
Sorry-I know this will annoy many, but when there is a "HARD MODE" can't we please turn off the blatant black bar hints and leave off the hand holding? -For me if the puzzles, adventure, and HOS FUN are then it is not big deal to cookie-cut the storyline.
I don't recommend this game.
Save your niece from the evil presence haunting her school!
Overall rating
1
/
5
39 of 52 found this review helpful
HATED IT. ZERO ON THE FUN FACTOR SCALE
PostedAugust 4, 2013
s_sgs
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
REVIEW BASED ON SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO PLAY LONG ENOUGH TO DISCOVER THE ATTRACTION.
This game does not deliver. It is dark. It is dank. It is dreary. It is just plain un-fun.
Harsh? Maybe. You be the judge ----
The mini-games are few, far between, and nothing we haven't seen before.
The HOPs though not junk pile somehow manage to appear cluttered, fuzzy and dingy around the edges.
The objects themselves are not particularly interesting or artfully drawn. If an item was difficult to find it was because it was hard to see, not because it had been cleverly placed.
The thread-bare motif of "save the children" offers no new twists -the player's favorite niece calls in panic from her boarding school where teachers have gone missing and children have gone evil.
Each scene has at least one mutilated, warped, and leering doll and often a sinister, sullen red-eyed demon child exuding black smoke on exit.
This game takes itself very seriously - We are not here to have fun. We are here to see a drab, sinister world, with mediocre graphics and apathetic artwork.
Nothing is tongue in cheek, there isn't even a light sprinkling of sappy jokes or situations to take the edge off. This game means business!
Having said that there is a completely out of place sassy side-kick in the form of a chipmunk who crawls after hard to reach items. So odd to have "Chunky the chipmunk" amidst the horrific.
There was a couple of features that I liked very much, but unfortunately not enough to finish the game -
First, there are odd-ball magical creatures to find. I liked that each was unique in appearance and description and unpredictable to find as there was not necessarily one for each scene as is so often the case.
Second, the map was excellent. Well put together. -Easy to navigate.
---------------
I'm thinking the audience for this game are those who enjoy the unrelenting Goth, Dark, Creepy, and Sinister with no need for comic relief.
---------------
I'm thinking the audience for this game are those who enjoy the unrelenting Goth, Dark, Creepy, and Sinister with no need for comic relief.
I don't recommend this game.
The Emperor’s son has a mysterious illness. As legendary healer Daiyu, you’re called to the palace to save him, but you end up having to save yourself!
Overall rating
4
/
5
14 of 17 found this review helpful
ENJOYED BUT "THAT'S NOT GOING TO HEAL ANYONE!"
PostedJuly 7, 2013
s_sgs
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
COMPLETED GAME + BONUS CHAPTER in "INSANE", 3rd of 3 modes, No sparkles and one repetitive and annoying back bar refrain...(See Dislikes).
This game is a standout - almost a new breed. The artwork is elaborate, original, with truly crisp, bright graphics that provide a wealth of eye-candy in just about every direction. The wealth of extras should please even the most demanding Fish in the Pond.
DETAILS
-----------
STORY: The theme is set in ancient China, with the player a Chinese Healer asked to save the Emperor's son. Quickly she is drawn into sub-plots and other evils to conquer. Oddly the main game is open ended, with the conclusion found in the BONUS CHAPTER.
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STORY: The theme is set in ancient China, with the player a Chinese Healer asked to save the Emperor's son. Quickly she is drawn into sub-plots and other evils to conquer. Oddly the main game is open ended, with the conclusion found in the BONUS CHAPTER.
GAME PLAY: The healer locates items for characters in order to collect objects needed for the healing spell that concludes each chapter. Action takes place on a ship, in and around a Chinese Palace, Temple, and Surrounding woods -there is snow and ice.
ARTWORK/GRAPHICS: The backdrop for the game has a lot of fine detail and original artwork. They made the most of the exotic setting to give us beautiful, well-blended color schemes, and intricate, dramatic scenes. Characters like the "Blue Dragon" are pretty cool too! Job well done!
EXTRAS: On completion of main game, there is an elaborate and lengthy BONUS CHAPTER that actually serves as the conclusion of the story, full access to all HOPS and MINI-GAMEs, ability to replay cut-scenes (some of these are stunning and worth another view), and other good stuff.
TOOLS:
--A SCROLL THAT INCLUDES:
--Journal: Used infrequently for mini-games
--Jump Map: Ability to toggle available activity indicator
--Current Objective
--A SCROLL THAT INCLUDES:
--Journal: Used infrequently for mini-games
--Jump Map: Ability to toggle available activity indicator
--Current Objective
GIMMICKS:
--Medicine Kit/Lab: Raw substances like crystals are processed through the healing kit creating what will be an ingredient of the healing spell that concludes each chapter.
--Medicine Kit/Lab: Raw substances like crystals are processed through the healing kit creating what will be an ingredient of the healing spell that concludes each chapter.
--Sassy-Side-Kick: NO.
HOS: Interactive list, progressive silhouette, and replacing objects in a scene. Normally not a HOS fan, these I thoroughly enjoyed as the scenes varied in difficulty with elaborate and ornate items.
MINI-GAMES: Very, very easy. Standard fare, but well packaged and integrated into the Exotic backdrop. It was too bad with such beautiful puzzles they couldn't have given some challenge.
DISLIKES
------------
BLACK BAR HINTS: I had hoped "insane" mode meant no or few black bars hints. I'm thinking now that "insane" is what happens to the player after the 100th time the "That's Not Going To Heal Anyone!" scolding and useless black bar pops up. Seriously? No black bar would have been so much better. It took a click to clear the black bar - SIGH...
------------
BLACK BAR HINTS: I had hoped "insane" mode meant no or few black bars hints. I'm thinking now that "insane" is what happens to the player after the 100th time the "That's Not Going To Heal Anyone!" scolding and useless black bar pops up. Seriously? No black bar would have been so much better. It took a click to clear the black bar - SIGH...
CONTROLLED PLAY: Objectives are very clearly spelled out and the player is closely guided, channeling activities in a very specific order. -It felt like hand holding, but these games are so complex now, maybe that is necessary.
AT TIMES SLUGGISH: No doubt the price for those over-the-top spectacular graphics is using up computer resources. I could not run any other apps while playing this game and on a couple of scenes response was delayed.
THIS GAME IS A WINNER AND HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, though not top rated due to dislikes.
I recommend this game!
Uncover the true murderer as you investigate a haunted house!
Overall rating
3
/
5
46 of 50 found this review helpful
POLISHED, RAVE REVIEWS - SO WHY DIDN'T I ENJOY IT ???
PostedJune 24, 2013
s_sgs
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED GAME + BONUS CHAPTER, in Hard Mode, 3rd of 3 modes. -No sparkles, black bar hints.Yay! Mode could be changed at any time.
SUMMARY
I really wanted to like this game as the prior releases by this company (Bronze Horseman, Undertaker) are so well done. I get why many consider this one an instant classic as we are given a well polished, gorgeous and whimsical world with original, truly cute, fun HOS and Mini-Games and all the bells and whistles people expect in CE games..
I really wanted to like this game as the prior releases by this company (Bronze Horseman, Undertaker) are so well done. I get why many consider this one an instant classic as we are given a well polished, gorgeous and whimsical world with original, truly cute, fun HOS and Mini-Games and all the bells and whistles people expect in CE games..
SO WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE?
Well for starters there was no map. Seriously? - The combination of no map, no "area complete", and no separation of areas by chapter, resulted in some back and forth to find those teeny little overlooked rings and un-played HOS.
----------------------
----------------------
LIKES:
HOS: Scenes already played appear in the same state they were left in after the previous round of play. -Not sure if there is a concise term for this, but I love this feature! Job well done!
HOS & MINI-GAME: It's great that we're seeing more than simple lists in the newer games. These HOS have embedded mini-games, are detailed, crisp and bright, and manage to remain fun and clever throughout the game including bonus chapter.
Same thing with mini-games. They were very well done. We get the "use telescope to locate constellations", "use compass on map to zoom in then re-create the area using a variety of methods, "organize like images". -I had a lot of fun with these.
ARTWORK/GRAPHICS: Scenes are original, bright and crisp and beautifully wrought with fine detail. Lots of eye candy throughout - HOS, Mini-Game, Scenes.
COLLECTIBLES:
---NECKLACE OF RINGS: I thought this was a cool feature to collect rings for a necklace used to get through barriers of "evil". Each ring was ornate and beautiful making me look forward to finding the next one.
---GHOSTS: In just about each scene a ghost would appear (a bit like morphing objects). Each ghost found would go toward breaking one of the seals on a letter stored in the journal. When opened each letter contained reduced recharge for hint and skip buttons. This was pretty cool and oriiginal.
NEUTRAL:
BONUS CHAPTER: This was a continuation where the main game left off and it was OK--Not great but it did retain the quality of the main game. The designers had mercy and did not resort to list HOS after HOS after HOS which I appreciated.
DISLIKES:
SASSY SIDE-KICK: OK, NO there wasn't one in the traditional sense. However, in most scenes we bump into this unpleasant, rotten tempered, little, evil dude with a Napoleon complex. He says nasty things, shakes his tiny fists, then disappears leaving damage in his wake. We run into this guy enough that designers would have been better served by taking a page from Warner Brother. They provided some of the best bad guys around in Yosemite Sam, Wile E. Coyote, Marvin the Martian, etc.
CUT-SCENES: Generally I like voice overs and building up the back story. However this game has a LOT of cut-scenes, a lot of dialogue, and unfortunately little content and a lot of redundancy. This didn't leave much to put in the journal so it was little used.
COLLECTIBLES:
---THE GREEN HOUSE ???? OK. I'm just going to say that this gimmick of collecting flowers in each scene, then growing and selling them for no apparent purpose was distracting, time consuming, and pointless. The flower section of the journal included a page of six achievements in flower form. ? Two achievements were awarded at completion of main game, two at end of bonus play, leaving only two awarded during the game.
-----------------------
-----------------------
So NO, this isn't the game for me, but I'd still recommend it for the quality of HOS and MINI-GAME.
I recommend this game!
Confront an ancient evil and uncover your true! After a startling revelation changes your world forever, you must embark on an epic journey to save mankind.
Overall rating
4
/
5
61 of 73 found this review helpful
SLOW START BUT LANDED IN MINI-GAME HEAVEN!
PostedJune 23, 2013
s_sgs
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED GAME + BONUS chapter in Expert, 2nd of 2 modes, no sparkles and some black bar hints.
SUMMARY
This one was slow to get started and I almost lost patience and gave it up. -- I AM SO VERY GLAD THAT I STAYED WITH IT. After that initial frustration, came mini-gamers' delight! They were plentiful, clever, beautifully packaged and with wide variety.
This one was slow to get started and I almost lost patience and gave it up. -- I AM SO VERY GLAD THAT I STAYED WITH IT. After that initial frustration, came mini-gamers' delight! They were plentiful, clever, beautifully packaged and with wide variety.
The initial disappointment was lack of original or interesting artwork and quality of graphics. With the exotic Middle-East as a back drop how could there not be lush, sensuous, and ornate artwork to draw us in? How could there not be crisp, gorgeous graphics?
Somehow the boat was completely missed with scenes surprisingly "flat" and utilitarian. The graphics were nothing special either. I am sad to say they were fuzzy in places and some HOS were a little dark around the edges. What a waste!
All that aside, it still gets a high rating because of the quantity and quality of the mini-games. This is one I could play again and I don't typically do that.
All that said, for me this game is:
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR MINI-GAME LOVER
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR MINI-GAME LOVER
People into iHOS might rate this as average because there weren't many and though there were multiple types, none seemed special or interesting. People preferring adventure might rate this game even lower as there didn't seem to be much in that department.
GAME CONSTRUCT
STORY: The gamer is heir to mighty cool artifacts and stuff but must go through Zodiac, Runes, temples, camels, sand, and all kinds o' ancient evil in order to inherit. The bonus chapter picks up where the main game leaves off. It took a couple of hours (note that I am a slow player and don't skip mini-games), keeping up with a variety of fun mini-games.
TOOLS:
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--Journal: Yes. It is one of the first things collected and comes in handy a couple of times for mini-games.
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--Journal: Yes. It is one of the first things collected and comes in handy a couple of times for mini-games.
--Jump Map: Yes. Nice and concise with visuals.
--Sassy Side-Kick: Nope. THANK YOU!
--Gimmicks: Nope. Nothing fancy anyway. The Heir collects amulets but doesn't use them as a tool to ward off evil.
--Hints: didn't try them, so can't say. Sorry.
--Strategy Guide: Ok. It was tough to find the right place a couple of times. Every so often comes a game that keep pace with game progress-would have been nice here.
COLLECTIBLES/ACHIEVEMENTS: NO. For some lack of morphing objects, achievements, and collectibles are the kiss of death for a CE. I am ok without these as long as the rest of the game and bonus chapter deliver.
ACHIEVEMENTS: NO. -At least I didn't find any. This is ok by me, but I know some
ACCESS: Doors were opened typically by keys, not futzing around with a string of random shapes that lead to opening a door. -Some mini-games opened doors and chests.
HOS: There were two types which I always appreciate - Interactive list and progressive silhouette. The art was fine but not great and some of the terminology was off.
MINI-GAMES: As said, these were colorful, fun, with a lot of variety in type and difficulty, though most were easy. The cursor became a rotating die whenever a puzzle was available.
ADVENTURE: Yes, some, but probably not enough for hard core folks. There is a fair amount to find and with no sparkles some are pretty subtle.
WHY IT'S NOT 5 STARS:
LACK OF EYE CANDY: The art/graphics just weren't the best. There were no scenes that drew me in making me stop to look at beauty or fine details. What a waste of a beautiful locale.
INTERFACE CUMBERSOME: The cursor was cool but tiny for my middle-aged eyes. Normally, I appreciate getting away from those giant clunky boot and pointers that seem to take over the game, but this cursor was a bit small. I got used to it and to the fact that (maybe on my system only) it took a couple of clicks sometimes to get an item recognized.
BALANCE BETWEEN HOS, MINI-GAME, ADVENTURE: HOS lovers will likely not be drawn to this one as it doesn't have beautiful, detailed, interesting HOS and there aren't very many. ADVENTURE lovers will probably avoid this one too as there doesn't seem to be much of that. MINI-GAME lovers on the other hand should be happily engaged for hours of FUN, FUN, FUN!
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THIS IS A GOOD GAME, WORTH THE CE PRICE FOR THOSE WHO LOVE MINI-GAMES.
I recommend this game!
The Queen has chosen your sister as her successor.
Overall rating
5
/
5
47 of 52 found this review helpful
LOVABLE EVEN FOR THE PICKIEST FISH IN THE POND!
PostedJune 16, 2013
s_sgs
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED GAME + BONUS CHAPTER, Advanced, 2nd of 3 modes, No sparkles, few black bar hints.
This game is so well executed it truly merits the top rating. It has all the bells and whistles expected of a CE. Very elaborate achievements, variety in type and level of challenge with both iHOS and MINI-GAMEs.The only possible criticism I could find would come from the hard core gamers who like morphing objects included in all CE. There are collectibles-Coins used in game play, but no morphing items.
STORY/THEME: Even from cover art we can see an icy (sorry folks who are tired of the cold), fairy tale, Sleeping-Beauty motif complete with poisoned apples, dwarves, and judgmental mirror. The bonus chapter is good, lengthy, and picks up immediately where the main game left off. The story is about, ok, yes we've seen this before - A sister (the player) is obliged to save her sister who foolishly got chummy with, then betrayed and whisked to the icy castle of the almost-fairest-of-them-all evil Queen.
HERE'S WHAT WE DO GET:
EXTRAORDINARY GRAPHICS: Wow. Really 3-D-ish. Not much to add-See for yourself. The artwork was also very good with fine detail in each scene and ornate, creative items in each HOS that stretched through to end of bonus game.
MUSIC: I turned it down early on as it was kind of cutsie-twangy and distracting.
VOICE OVERS: Normally I'm not much of a fan, but these were top-notch, very well done, adding to ambiance.
FUN-FACTOR: This game was fun for me all the through including BONUS CHAPTER. There is humor, whimsy, challenge, with a tad of the menacing, sinister thrown in.
ACHIEVEMENTS: Yes. These are very elaborate and there are a lot of them. Each time one is earned a side bar pops up at the left top of the screen. Not too distracting. I'm thinking of replaying because I earned 90% of achievements and want to get to 100%.
COLLECTIBLES: Yes. There are coins discretely planted throughout that were useful in furnishing our side-kick's pad and reaching achievement by finding them all.
TOOLS:
--JOURNAL: Yes. Cut scenes could be replayed via the journal and any clues were kept there.
--JOURNAL: Yes. Cut scenes could be replayed via the journal and any clues were kept there.
--JUMP MAP: Yes which is good because there was a lot of hopping around at times.
--SASSY-SIDE-KICK: Yes, more of a cutsie one that only helps out a couple of times and doesn't sass. Most interaction is to spend the coins to furnish his pad.
--GIMMICKS: No. No amulets or gadgets that need to be charged. This is good by me. THANKS!
HOS: Some more challenging than others. A variety of types (list, progressive silhouette, adding back into scene). These were beautiful, a lot of fun, and most were visited a couple of times. Some things were tough to find and there were terms like "Rowan" that were not familiar to me.- Rowan is some kind of berry it turns out. At another point a "brush" looks very much like a tassle - each to overlook.
MINI-GAMES: These were whimsical, clever, and varied in challenge. From dioramas, matching pairs, moving tiles or circles to form an image. -A couple took me a while to complete but all were fun. I confess - I'm a a sucker for dioramas. At the end of the bonus chapter we open a cylinder, the key to which is a series of symbols that we've been noting all along the way.
ADVENTURE: The detailed, ornate scenes, some were icy, some were nice warm forest or maze held a lot of things to find. These were cleverly arranged and easily missed so there was backtracking (thank you jump-map!).
ACCESS (DOORS/CHESTS): Straightforward. Mostly keys and some puzzles, but none of this find a shape so you can find other shapes that will eventually lead to getting something to open if you can remember what it was that needed opening.
I am thinking the only peeps that won't appreciate this game would be those addicted to morphing objects or those who don't like the Sleeping-Beauty backdrop.
HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND. THIS ONE IS A KEEPER.
I recommend this game!