northswirl2's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:106
- Reviews Submitted:31
- First Review:September 16, 2013
- Most Recent Review:July 7, 2021
- Featured reviews0
Solve a series of devious puzzles to escape Arcana manor and uncover the dark secrets of the mysterious magician once lived there.
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Thank You
PostedOctober 18, 2019
northswirl2
fromBritish Columbia Canada
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I have been lamenting the lack of challenging puzzle games for quite a while now, and then I stumbled onto this game while looking at a posters comment history. Thank goodness for comments! This game FAR exceeded my expectations. There are some challenging puzzles, especially the constellation puzzle and the find your way through the round maze puzzle. I have trouble with even basic right and left let alone rotating something and knowing what it will look like so I ended up getting the first piece or move for a couple of puzzles otherwise I would have been stumbling around in them for days and days. With that first clue those puzzles were still quite challenging enough for me. My favorite unaided success was the push the golden balls puzzle – one has to be very, very careful with moves.
The story line is based on finding what happened to Doctor Arcana. It involves keys, moving around to open up rooms in the house, and doing LOTS of puzzles. I probably made about 4 pages of notes and drawings. I used the journal, which is great. Other games are usually so simple a journal is more of a decoration. A map is found mid game, but I didn’t use it much as I drew a map as I went along. The graphics were fine – again, not the main point of the game.
This game was good enough that I will replay it at some point, and that’s rare for me. I sincerely hope MORE puzzle games like this are made available.
I recommend this game!
Twenty years ago, the children of Greystone were taken by a mysterious fog - only you escaped. It’s time to find out why...
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Enjoyed this Game
PostedSeptember 21, 2014
northswirl2
fromBritish Columbia Canada
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
There was a lot of effort put into making this interesting and enjoyable game. The game play and storyline are linear, good, and flow very well. The graphics are great. There is a large variety of things to do, and on the hardest level that adds lots of intriguing game play. Even the HOS are good, and that says a lot since I usually don’t like the HOS in most games. My only complaint is that the puzzles were very easy. I had to stretch the grey matter only a couple of times, and even then it was only a slight stretching. It’s too bad that choosing to play on the hardest level can’t somehow make the puzzles harder, as that would elevate this game to awesome.
I recommend this game!
Discover the secrets of your family's past on a mystical island!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Tranquil
PostedJanuary 19, 2014
northswirl2
fromBritish Columbia Canada
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game has tremendous graphics - they were a real pleasure to look at. I usually like grey matter workout games, but, for some reason I really enjoyed playing Meteorite despite it not being difficult, and despite the following criticisms. There were too many HOS, especially towards the end of the game, but there is no penalty for clicking all over instead of searching diligently. If you like HOS, you will be impressed by the time switch. There were too many similar objectives – lots of find the key or the object to open something. The end of the game was abrupt, with no closure to the story being followed. I suspect there might be a sequel in the works? If the puzzles and the gameplay were more varied and harder (at least on the hardest level), if there were about 4 less HOS, and if there was some reference to the beginning of the story at the end of the game, I would have given this game five stars. This is an ideal game for a beginner, or any player for that matter, wanting a peaceful, makes sense most of the time linear type of game.
I recommend this game!
A classic Christmas tale tail, with a whole new twist! Help the Nutcracker rescue the princess from the evil Rat King!
Overall rating
4
/
5
Engaging
PostedDecember 27, 2013
northswirl2
fromBritish Columbia Canada
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is a strong story game. There’s all the surface glitz and decoration of the season and a definite mission (the background of which you find out about as you go along), but there’s also an undertone of darkness and, of course, the rat villains. My sympathetic mind enjoys being more clever than destructive, so I would have preferred not to blast that poor snowman to oblivion or sneak up on that rat swinging its legs so innocently – I actually thought I was going to gain an ally there! Usually helpers don’t do much for me, but I actually enjoyed the likeable candle. There is the usual amount of searching and going back and forth, but negotiating around is pretty easy. Even at the hardest level you can choose to use the instant transport map that also displays active areas. Although some scenes were slightly discordant (a Mayan calendar, anti-gravity fields?), gameplay was fairly logical and there were just enough written hints and visual clues such as shapes of keys or objects needed, etc. to make the game flow along. The HOS were okay – a bit of the usual mess of things and some interactive items, but for the most part, not annoying. The puzzles ranged from easy to medium. The flag puzzle was very random, and the instructions didn’t seem right. Not sure how I eventually succeeded with this puzzle, but I did. All in all an engaging game.
I recommend this game!
Something wicked has taken over Fate’s Carnival!
Overall rating
3
/
5
8 of 8 found this review helpful
Mixed Feelings
PostedDecember 15, 2013
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The graphics were good and, in that ‘darkish I don’t like clowns way,’ sufficiently creepy. I was very intrigued for the first part of the game, but lost the storyline along the way, and then the long, repetitiveness and obscurity got to me. At any given time this game has too many areas where small, random things need doing. It requires a huge amount of going around from place to place to find things and stuff them into the right spot, which is usually OK when there is an overall purpose, but in this case it was too often aimless. I always play on the hardest level possible and want zero help, but this time I had to go to the strategy guide because the next step or solution was not intuitive or logical. At the hardest level there were too many times where inventory objects made no sense to the game, or there were too many places where they could potentially be used. At times, short of clicking on every square inch of a scene, or going to the strategy guide, I’m not sure how the game maker expected us to figure out what to do. I finally switched to the easiest level to try to get through the game, but by then had lost interest. On the positive side - some of the standalone, single puzzles were absolutely terrific, and even the HOS were somewhat challenging. I absolutely did not like the multilayered, cluttered puzzles that seemed to require a lot of clicking until the seemingly random solution unraveled. With mixed feelings, I still recommend this game – but I wish I had played from the start at an easier level to avoid getting frustrated with it. I may try to finish the game another time, just for the good puzzles, but will use the hint button liberally until I get to them. So, two warnings: 1.) if you like playing at the hardest level, be prepared as the game is not more challenging in an ‘I have thought my way through this and succeeded in solving it way,’ and 2.) be prepared for a long, repetitive game.
I recommend this game!
Journey down a magical road to save two worlds!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Enjoyable
PostedNovember 29, 2013
northswirl2
fromBritish Columbia Canada
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This enjoyable game takes a while to play, and requires a good memory or notes. There is a fair amount of back and forth, which the map is handy for. Sometimes you have objects in your inventory that take a long time to find a use for. If you are playing in the hardest mode there are places in the game where logic doesn’t dictate where you go, or what you need to do, such as freezing the pond, or using tennis racquets for shoes. Laughably, a few times when I was stuck, I just plain forgot to use one of the two little helpers. Although cute, having a lighter would have sufficed instead of the little dragon. Too bad a game player can’t choose what to have as a helper as there are some of us who don’t need or want the “cute.” The HOS were the usual piles of miscellaneous junk – why, oh why, can’t there be more specific things pertinent to the situation? Most of the puzzles are good and enjoyable, especially the water pipes. The last puzzle, directing light beams, was confusing even after reading the directions – there were too many ways to position the variables on top of trying to figure if the red beams are “good or bad.” The story line was OK, but to be fair it’s never my main interest.
I recommend this game!
You were just about to relax with a good book when a stranger leaves a baby on your doorstep.
Overall rating
2
/
5
9 of 13 found this review helpful
Oh, Dear
PostedNovember 16, 2013
northswirl2
fromBritish Columbia Canada
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I started with this game with enthusiasm, but that eventually wore down. The story could have been great, but is disjointed somewhat by the places you go to. The graphics are great. It is a longer game with lots to see, do, and collect, although you aren’t told anything about what to collect so you sort of trip over that eventually. After the moon episode I just stopped playing and I doubt I will finish the game. Too many HOS, and too many puzzles (if you can call them puzzles because they really didn’t seem like puzzles) that you either you got the answer from the phone/memos (what challenge is there in that) or you just tinkered until you lucked out on the right combination. I like puzzles where I have to think. I’d rather have a game with 10 hard thinking puzzles than one with 100 itty bitty easy HOS and puzzle manipulations. I’m still going to recommend the game, because I see its merits for others, but even on the hardest level this game was way too easy.
I recommend this game!
It should have been a tremendous achievement, but the tunnel through the Ridge of Leviathan became the site of a great disaster. What really happened that day?
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Likeable
PostedNovember 8, 2013
northswirl2
fromBritish Columbia Canada
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game was likeable. It’s usually difficult puzzles or things to figure out that make a game interesting for me, so I was surprised the story line played an important role in how much I enjoyed this game. Even on the hardest level most of the things to do were relatively simple, as were most of the puzzles (once I figured out what was supposed to happen). I don’t know why I thought most of the puzzles had a sense of sameness, but I did – maybe the same brain cell areas kicked in or something. The HO areas were different - you had to look in your inventory as well as in the HO. If you didn’t have the needed object in your inventory you had to go find it. I liked that you could lock the inventory instead of having it flip up and down in a dizzying manner. The graphics were great. It’s a red/orange/yellow kind of alien world with lots of interesting scenes. Really, the only thing I didn’t like was the overly breathy and dramatic voice of the mother. I always turn the music down or off, and should have done the voice sooner too.
I recommend this game!
Detective, it is your job to destroy the evil machine that is tearing the city apart and arrest the crazed professor responsible for the destruction!
Overall rating
5
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
VERY Impressed!
PostedOctober 20, 2013
northswirl2
fromBritish Columbia Canada
Skill Level:Intermediate
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I just finished Questerium, and, WOW, was that a run! I loved, loved, loved this game. I played it on the hardest level possible, and took an embarrassingly long time to complete it, but thoroughly enjoyed every sometimes frustrating minute. There is a lot to do and collect, some of the puzzles are very challenging but doable with persistence, the hidden object areas are even good. As there were no map hints, sparkles, etc. (just really basic puzzle instructions) in the level I was playing in, I did go to the forum twice. Note: there doesn’t appear to be a walkthrough, but that made the game even more interesting and challenging for me. I’m happy to say I figured out what to do with an inventory object prior to getting an answer for my question in the forum, and the other time I just looked up some basic hints for one puzzle – the electricity red and blue buttons game - as the instructions were a bit too vague. I highly recommend this game, and am going to look for more by this company.
I recommend this game!
Deep in the heart of an enchanted forest, a forbidden love blooms. Guide the human Eveline as she sets out to rescue her beloved from the clutches of a tyrant.
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
Potential Lost
PostedOctober 9, 2013
northswirl2
fromBritish Columbia Canada
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This game didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The level of gameplay is very simple - find and object and use it, but there is a tiresome and cumbersome amount of reading. I just ended up just ignoring the memos. I also reluctantly plowed through making the potions which presented nothing new in methodology each time. Admittedly, it is a very pretty game to look at, but I’m not sure why so much attention was placed on extremely detailed scenery and so very little on challenges. There is an abundance of flowers that poof glitter dust or pulse with light, elves fluttering wings, water moving, etc. which made the download of the game extremely long. What there was not, except for a mere few, are puzzles that actually make you think. Thank goodness there weren’t any HOS, or I would have pulled out my hair. I did finish the game, but without enthusiasm. I really struggled to recommend this game, but decided to based on the fact that others might enjoy the adventure style gameplay.
I recommend this game!