pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4712
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:April 24, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Can you stop townspeople from turning into crystal in time?
Overall rating
2
/
5
67 of 98 found this review helpful
A PLAGUE THAT TURNS PEOPLE INTO CRYSTAL?~IF THAT'S THE BEST PLOT YOU CAN COME UP WITH END THE SERIES~SERIOUSLY GIVE IT SOME DIGNITY!
PostedMay 16, 2019
pennmom36
fromMost Amax games are based on real locations, Puppetshow: The Price of Immortality was the 1st Amax game with a male profile option, but in Haunted Legends: The Secret of Life you could only play as St. Germain before he was cursed to a dwarf. ⚘
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
True Fear: Forsaken Souls Collector's Edition
(322)Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Completed Game approximately 4.0 hours
(including CE Bonus Chapter & all mini-games)
(including CE Bonus Chapter & all mini-games)
I'm not even going to attempt to give a storyline synopsis, there is no storyline to synopt. (no it's not a real word) I had a CE code that was going to expire so I bought this game, I prolly should have just let the coupon expire:( The storyline is utterly ridiculous, they just don't have any "new" plot ideas so they just wing it as they go. Amax hasn't released any new series games so they just keep plugging away at the same handful of series offered since the beginning of time. In the beginning, these games had fresh plots with just enough of an edge to please any crowd, but the beginning is in the rearview mirror folks, the middle flew by about 8 years ago, the end actually occurred a few years back, everyone got the memo accept for Amax.
The CE collectibles are rather confusing. The SG clearly states that there are Collectibles AND Morphing Objects, but the Collectibles are Jigsaw Puzzle pieces that Morph. Then I discover a Casket that claims it holds Crystals located throughout the game, so I thought they were collectibles, only to discover I need them for the final scene. I have a thing about achieving all available achievements so I read them carefully before starting the game. One of the achievements says Make 6 unnecessary moves in the game...what the hot fudge cake does that mean? I played the entire game trying to figure out how to make one unnecessary move, much less 6. Surely I should have achieved the achievement for the simple fact that I completed this worthless game?
There are 13 Hidden Object Scenes and 5 Zoom Zone scenes and I actually found some of them to have well-hidden items or interesting interactions. Once again Amax repeated the HOP's twice on every location, which makes them so boring a second time around, and quite frankly it seems lazy to me. There are Interactive Listed Item Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Multiples of the same Object Finds, Matching Pair Finds, Description Finds, Related Item Finds, Fragment Finds, Misplaced Item Finds, and Keywords in Sentence Finds. At least there is a good variety, but there are no alternate mini-games available. I've said this before, I'll say it again if devs would offer a mini-game option in place of the Hidden Object Scenes AND a hidden object scene option in place of the mini-games, wouldn't it suit everyone's tastes and increase sales?
There are a whopping 25 Mini-Games, most of which were utterly boring, or simply mindless tasks such as dragging a ball through a gazillion line shapes. I'm going to try very hard to list some of the games I didn't find too boring:
1~Place & align all using directional arrows to direct the moonlight beam. That's about it folks.
The Collector's Edition Bonus Chapter takes place immediately after the investigation when the Cardinal asks you to investigate how Saint Germain discovered the Well of Souls and its powers, by "recalling the investigation." This is an average length Bonus Chapter across 8 scene locations with 12 additional mini-games and 6 hidden object scenes. You will pick up the remaining 16 Morphing Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces to complete the collection jigsaw.
This Collector's Edition version has 6 Wallpapers, 7 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Screensavers, 8 Movie Video Cutscenes, 4 Music Soundtracks, 12 Achievements, 13 Re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 13 Re-playable Mini-Games, 52 Morphing Puzzle Pieces, 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-in Strategy Guide.
HAUNTED LEGENDS SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-The Queen of Spades (December 9-2010) 4.2
2-The Bronze Horseman (September 8-2011) 4.1
3-The Undertaker (November 15-2012) 4.4
4-The Curse of Vox (June 20-2013) 4.0
5-The Stone Guest (November 15-2014) 4.0
6-The Dark Wishes (May 7-2015) 3.7
7-The Secret of Life (November 5-2015) 3.9
8-The Iron Mask (June 30-2016) 4.1
9-Faulty Creatures (December 3-2016) 3.1
10-The Black Hawk (March 9-2017) 3.4
11-The Cursed Gift (August 24-2017) 3.9
12-Monstrous Alchemy (March 24-2018) 3.4
13-Twisted Fate (October 13-2018) 3.0
14-The Call of Despair (May 16-2019) n/a
2-The Bronze Horseman (September 8-2011) 4.1
3-The Undertaker (November 15-2012) 4.4
4-The Curse of Vox (June 20-2013) 4.0
5-The Stone Guest (November 15-2014) 4.0
6-The Dark Wishes (May 7-2015) 3.7
7-The Secret of Life (November 5-2015) 3.9
8-The Iron Mask (June 30-2016) 4.1
9-Faulty Creatures (December 3-2016) 3.1
10-The Black Hawk (March 9-2017) 3.4
11-The Cursed Gift (August 24-2017) 3.9
12-Monstrous Alchemy (March 24-2018) 3.4
13-Twisted Fate (October 13-2018) 3.0
14-The Call of Despair (May 16-2019) n/a
by: Amax Interactive
I don't recommend this game.
Follow Esther on a paranormal adventure in this classic hidden object game!
Overall rating
2
/
5
39 of 44 found this review helpful
IT'S NOT HORRIBLE...BUT IT'S NOT EXACTLY GREAT EITHER
PostedMay 15, 2019
pennmom36
fromWhy is there a huge lag when you click on the HO scene with a long pause of staring at a black screen? Is this paranormal or retro? ⚘
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I had the same questions others had about whether this was a really old game that BF removed from the vault, gave it a good dusting, and said, "ta-dah, it's brand new!" I looked it up and to my surprise, it was originally released in January of this year, so apparently, this was how it was intended to be retro, but not the kind of retro that we loved and have been yearning for, unfortunately. Did anybody else wonder why Esther warped 50 years into the future to 2019 and then rented a new office with a 1970's rotary phone, a globe, and a 1950's radio? Is the retro time period retro as well?
Esther was a Private Detective in London and was somehow chosen by unknown circumstances, aka, blue lightning struck her car and warped her 50 years in the future. This paranormal event gave her Anna Gray super-powers that lets her see into the past, no skull necessary. Now she has all the qualifications it takes to be a Paranormal Detective and the police have dumped a gazillion Cold-Cases upon her desk, why not? Because there's simply no way a single game can allow you to solve a gazillion cases, we are treated to 5 cases. Five Cases pop up for us to choose from, yet only the first case can be chosen, I will give them the benefit of the doubt that IF you actually purchase the game, you will indeed get to choose any order of cases, The Vanishing Child, The Urban Legend, External Love, Message From Miyako, and Cursed Bloodline.
The background story begins with narration by Esther, the rest of it nothing more than dialog text. You choose areas with glints to play Hidden Object Scenes, as you progress, more scenes are unlocked. The goal is to earn 3 Stars per scene, fair warning, they are timed levels and you'll have to complete the scenes within an average of a minute to earn all 3 stars, but the levels can be replayed, but (cuz there's always a but) the listed items are different each time. Each scene requires you to earn a specified amount of stars to continue, the first case requires 21 stars which means you HAVE to have 3 stars per HO scene!?
There is a Magnifying Glass that allows you to zoom in on areas of the scene. There is a Hint feature (Esther's "powers") but you are only allowed to use it 3 times per scene. The final feature is a Camera Icon to capture ghosts that randomly appear in the scenes and capturing 3 ghosts will help you progress and reveal the identity of the ghosts. That sounds awesome, doesn't it? It was all I could do to keep from bursting with laughter when the first ghost appeared because the ghost moves in a jilted fashion across the screen like an old B-rated horror flick! (and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get my camera out in time to capture an elusive ghost?)
Once you collect Evidence from the HO scenes it's time to draw a conclusion by placing 6 very large Square Tiles upon a ghosted background image or a Matching Pair Game, because that's how all good paranormal detectives draw conclusions to put someone behind bars? I'll let you draw your own conclusion as to the worthiness of this very dated HOS :)
I don't recommend this game.
Prepare stunning dishes in the best restaurants in this culinary time management adventure!
Overall rating
1
/
5
23 of 25 found this review helpful
CHANGING THE CHARACTERS NAMES QUALFIES THIS AS A NEW RELEASE?
PostedMay 14, 2019
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I'm actually offended that this developer throws out one game after another hoping one will "stick". If that one isn't a grand hit, all they do is slap a number next to it to say it's the 2nd or 3rd in that same series without having to lift a finger to change anything This game is a perfect example, not a single thing is different...except for the characters names they changed from Katy & Bob to Mary & John.
The story is exactly the same, only the names have been changed to protect the innocent...paying customer who bought Katy & Bob. The restaurant layout is exactly the same, starting out with 3 standing room only tables on the left, a fence around the entire tiki hut restaurant, a grill where John continuously flips steaks at a break-neck pace, a condiments station to the left of the grill, rectangular tables for fruits of various types on the bottom portion of the screen, a freezer on the right-hand side, next to the grill, to turn those fruits and veggies into a frosty cold beverage, and eventually, 2 different restaurants with similar Katy & Bob themes. Does any of this sound familiar? Of course, it does, because this is the MO for all games by this dev, all they ever do is change the Title and now the characters names.
This is a Point & Click, Time Management game where you serve customers for tips. You simply click the customer to give them a menu when they arrive and then click on the items they order, (pictured items are shown in their thought bubble) and re-click the customer to deliver those food items (exactly as pictured) The good news is that you don't have to drag anybody or anything, an annoying feature some TM games incorporate. When the $ sign appears, you click the customer a final time to accept payment and then scan the cursor over the coins to receive the tip. (Coins? I don't think a few coins add up to a 20% tip!?!) Each customer has a Green Smiley over their head which turns Yellow, and eventually, Red if the service is too slow because they lose patience. Their patience level also directly affects the amount of tip they are willing to leave, with either Gold, Silver, or Bronze Coins. The "Expert" Goal amount is shown before the start of each level, and there are Bonus Goals available (but not required) which are shown at the bottom, such as collecting money from three consecutive customers simultaneously.
As you progress, the Menu items increase and become more complex, such as a Steak with several different condiments or sides. The tips you earn are used to purchase Upgrades from the Shop to help you achieve level goals, such as Extra Serving Stations, Decor to help stabilize the customers' mood or earn more money by Increasing the cost of food items.
by: 8 Floor Games Ltd.
I don't recommend this game.
Experience another glorious summer at Pinecreek Hills National Park with the latest in this acclaimed hidden object adventure series!
Overall rating
5
/
5
285 of 318 found this review helpful
NOTHING SAYS "WINTER'S OVER" LIKE A VACATION AT PINECREEK HILLS!!
PostedMay 11, 2019
pennmom36
fromNow all we need are some collectible morphing objects in each scene to make it a perfect game! ⚘
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Completed Games 1-8
Vacation Adventures 9 approximately 3.0 hours
Vacation Adventures 9 approximately 3.0 hours
Wow, Vacation Adventures Park Ranger 9 is all grown up now and has joined the big leagues with its first Collector's Edition version! Yup, I bought it without playing the demo first because, well... because it's a new Vacation Adventures Park Ranger game. I don't care how repetitive the game may seem, or the fact that these kids never grow up, because I love the familiarity of the game, I feel a connection to it, it always has a positive association, and it's just fun to play.
This Collector's Edition version has 24 Wallpapers, 20 Music Soundtracks, and 48 Replayable Mini-Games such as Spot The Differences, Jigsaw Puzzles, Square Tile Rotation Puzzles, Strip~Swap Puzzles, Word Search, Lable Placing, Identifying Fish, Knots, Animal Puzzles, Matching Games, Cards and every kind of Vacation Adventure Game that makes it fun to play! You also get to visit the Buffalo Valley National Park!
There are 20 Achievements to earn for completing various tasks such as finding Wildlife, buying souvenirs, finishing a mini-game quickly or completing the game within 5 hours (so save the bonus content for last!) They have added an Extreme Mode that doesn't allow you to use hints and requires that you find all Wildlife & Recycle items to complete the levels.
There are seek and find puzzles in scenes all around the park, and even scenes where you find multiples of similar or related objects. Each scene has several wildlife animals to find that are shown as silhouettes in a box to the left of the word search bar and when all the animals have been spotted, the box will close. You can even access a Wildlife Notebook to see illustrations of all the wildlife you have found. You will also recycle trash that is lying around, such as plastic bottles, crumpled paper, bottles and cans, when all trash has been found, the recycle can icon will be displayed and the bin will be full. Some Scenes have a Camera Icon that allows you to take a photo for the photo album so don't forget to keep an eye out for those.
You will earn an Eagle Eye achievement if you don't use either the Hint or Mega Hint feature. The Magnifying Glass will show you a hint of one item and the Mega hint will show you the location of every item left to find. You earn a Bronze Star for completing the search, a Silver star if you find all wildlife OR all recyclable items and a Gold star if you find all wildlife AND all recyclable items. Words listed in blue require an interaction of some type, and words in red are hidden inside or behind things, requiring you to click on an item to open it or Solve it, which will reveal the hidden item. Many of the scenes have an area that zooms in which will have several items within, that are on the list. Levels can be replayed at any time to better your score or locate items you missed the first time.
My favorite feature in the Vacation Adventures games are the abundance of Mini Games available after each search & find scene, such as, Spot The Difference, Word Search, Match Two and several different styles of puzzles, rotating tiles and putting together maps and pictures with different shaped pieces.
You can use the money you earn playing the game, in the Souvenir Shop to purchase 16 vacation park souvenirs, everything you purchase is kept in a display case in the Souvenir Room, and you can earn Achievements Badges as well, happy camping, enjoy!
VACATION ADVENTURES PARK RANGER SERIES
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Vacation Adventures Park Ranger 1 (July 23-2013) 3.8
2-Vacation Adventures Park Ranger 2 (March 31-2014) 3.9
3-Vacation Adventures Park Ranger 3 (March 24-2015) 4.5
4-Vacation Adventures Park Ranger 4 (March 30-2016) 4.5
5-Vacation Adventures Park Ranger 5 (November 15-2016) 4.7
6-Vacation Adventures Park Ranger 6 (May 31-2017) 4.6
7-Vacation Adventures Park Ranger 7 (March 21-2018) 4.5
8-Vacation Adventures Park Ranger 8 (September 24-2018) 4.6
9-Vacation Adventures Park Ranger 9 CE (May 11-2019) n/a
2-Vacation Adventures Park Ranger 2 (March 31-2014) 3.9
3-Vacation Adventures Park Ranger 3 (March 24-2015) 4.5
4-Vacation Adventures Park Ranger 4 (March 30-2016) 4.5
5-Vacation Adventures Park Ranger 5 (November 15-2016) 4.7
6-Vacation Adventures Park Ranger 6 (May 31-2017) 4.6
7-Vacation Adventures Park Ranger 7 (March 21-2018) 4.5
8-Vacation Adventures Park Ranger 8 (September 24-2018) 4.6
9-Vacation Adventures Park Ranger 9 CE (May 11-2019) n/a
by: Casual Arts
I recommend this game!
Can you uncover the origins of a dangerous ancient artifact in time?
Overall rating
2
/
5
66 of 82 found this review helpful
BORING GADGETS, BORING GAME
PostedMay 10, 2019
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Completed CE Game 5.0 hours
(including CE Bonus Chapter & all puzzles)
Demo only on SE version
(including CE Bonus Chapter & all puzzles)
Demo only on SE version
World-renowned archaeologist Alvaro De Lucca has asked Dr. Ann Walters to join his excavation at Pompeii where he believes they have discovered incredibly important artifacts. Seismic activity stemming from Mt. Vesuvius has been hampering their progress, but as luck would have it, Dr. Walters hits the jackpot before even lifting a shovel! Neptune's Trident sends the good Doctor on a worldwide adventure from Pompeii to Egypt, France, and Sicily, searching for 3 Shells that adorn the Amethyst encrusted Trident. (reminds me of the movie Demolition Man & the 3 seashells in the bathroom) Completing Neptune's Trident is the only way to discover its true potential, but someone went to great lengths to prevent this from happening. Centuries have passed, the gods have been long forgotten, does Neptune's Trident wield otherworldly powers? Should we tempt fate on yet another Hidden Expedition?
Gadgets...get your Gadgets! We have so many Gadgets you're gonna wish we didn't have so many Gadgets! Clearly, Eipix didn't think this one thru, it's like I always say, a gamer won't specifically search for a game to play because it HAS a Gadget, but gamers WIIL opt to PASS on a game that has a Gadget, so why would knock out half of your gaming audience from the get-go by purposely adding a Gadget? Not to mention the fact that the Gadget has no curb appeal, and then take it one step further, to throw in a whole kitchen sink worth?
Worthless & Annoying Gadgets
(each time a tool is used it requires you to slide a button to align the image. Why? Did I miss something? Are these tools from a different planet?)
*Examination Kit that contains 3 ordinary tools: (or are they?)
COMPASS: Detects Amethyst...duh~used 3 times +3 slider games.
FLASHLIGHT: Helps brighten dark areas~used 8 times +8 slider games.
MAGNIFYING GLASS: Makes small things appear large~used 9 times +9 slider games.
LATIN BOOK: translates ancient parchment that somehow survived the Pompeii "incident"?~used 7 times, doesn't require slider game (& always located at the far left of the inventory bar...scrolling)
HIEROGLYPHIC DICTIONARY: translates gobblygook ancient Egyptian drawings, that also survived for centuries, into words that make sense, get the picture?~used 4 times (no slider game required)
(each time a tool is used it requires you to slide a button to align the image. Why? Did I miss something? Are these tools from a different planet?)
*Examination Kit that contains 3 ordinary tools: (or are they?)
COMPASS: Detects Amethyst...duh~used 3 times +3 slider games.
FLASHLIGHT: Helps brighten dark areas~used 8 times +8 slider games.
MAGNIFYING GLASS: Makes small things appear large~used 9 times +9 slider games.
LATIN BOOK: translates ancient parchment that somehow survived the Pompeii "incident"?~used 7 times, doesn't require slider game (& always located at the far left of the inventory bar...scrolling)
HIEROGLYPHIC DICTIONARY: translates gobblygook ancient Egyptian drawings, that also survived for centuries, into words that make sense, get the picture?~used 4 times (no slider game required)
There are 16 Hidden Object Scenes (+4 within the Collector's Edition Bonus Chapter) I will admit that some of the objects are cleverly hidden, but sometimes it was because of a lack of clarity within the scenes making it difficult to identify the object. You will use the Magnifying Glass from the Evidence Kit on 3 of the Hidden Object Scenes, which of course requires you to slide a button on a bar to align images before it can be used. There are several Keywords In Sentence Finds which helps to progress the storyline, but there are also Interactive List Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Finding and Replacing Items, Pictured Item Finds, Fragment Finds, Multiple's Finds, and Combination Silhouetted Shape Finds (_+_=_) Most of the HO Scenes are multi-layered and offer 2-3 different types in each scene, and in the Collector's Edition version, each of the HO scenes have a fairly well hidden Morphing Object. You can re-play the Hidden Object Scenes in the CE extra's menu to pick up any Morphs you may have missed.
There are 17 Mini-Games +20 Tool Kit repetitive slider puzzles (+4 in the CE Bonus Chapter) They range from super simplistic to medium difficulty, and most can be solved on the first attempt. As I said earlier, there is a repetitive mini-game associated with the Examination Kit which was super annoying, requires no skill, and is a complete waste of time. To play this particular so-called "puzzle" you simply slide a button across a horizontal line until 3 disk sections align together. If someone can't slide a button, I'm pretty sure they won't be able to play this game in the first place, so why have it? This is repeated 20 times!
These are some of the mini-games I did actually enjoy:
1~Rotate reels using directional arrows & drag letter tiles to match the clue. ღ
2~Jump tokens to swap their positions.
3~Eliminate the enemy tokens by trapping them between 2 tokens. ღ
4-Set numbers until all the bonds between pentagons have identical numbers. ღღ
5-Place triangular puzzle pieces until all partial edge images align.
6-Use buttons to rotate & change patterns on disk sections.ღღ
1~Rotate reels using directional arrows & drag letter tiles to match the clue. ღ
2~Jump tokens to swap their positions.
3~Eliminate the enemy tokens by trapping them between 2 tokens. ღ
4-Set numbers until all the bonds between pentagons have identical numbers. ღღ
5-Place triangular puzzle pieces until all partial edge images align.
6-Use buttons to rotate & change patterns on disk sections.ღღ
The Collector's Edition Bonus Chapter rewinds the clock to 200-BC playing as a Roman Emissary named Agrippina. Disaster and chaos don't take long to catch up, and we soon find ourselves shipwrecked and at the mercy of a crazed Captain Cornelius who desperately wants to become a god to controls Neptune's Children. The is a fairly short Bonus Chapter with only 8 Scenes, 4 Mini-Games, and 4 Hidden Object Scenes. There are 8 large & obvious Stone Turtles remaining (after completing the BC you can return to the scenes to pick up missed Turtles) There are only 2 remaining Hidden Object Morphs (you can pick up missed Morphs by playing the HOP's in the CE "extra's" section, as well as earning Gold, Silver, or Bronze Medals, and missed HOP Achievements) There are no Fact Cards remaining within the Bonus Chapter.
The Collector's Edition version has 8 Wallpapers (only 3 have characters on them, yay) 4 Concept Art Pictures (with before/after sliders) 9 Music Soundtracks, 12 Movie Video Cutscenes, 14 Re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 16 Re-playable Mini-Games, 13 Achievements To Earn (5 achievements have 3 categories) 21 Fact Cards, 14 Morphs (within the Hidden Object Scenes only) 39 so large you can't miss 'em Stone Turtles (Hidden Signs) a Souvenir Room (search 21 Scenes to find a souvenir in each location) 4 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-in Strategy Guide. Fruor!
HIDDEN EXPEDITION SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Titanic SE only (July 22-2006) 3.6
2-Everest SE only (June 1-2007) 3.3
3-Amazon SE only (June 20-2008) 3.8
4-Devil's Triangle SE only (October 23-2009) 3.6
5-The Uncharted Islands (October 29-2011) 3.4
6-Smithsonian Hope Diamond (January 17-2014) *no longer available*
7-The Crown of Solomon (August 1-2014) 4.3
8-Smithsonian Castle (January 23-2015) *no longer available*
9-Dawn of Prosperity (September 25-2015) 3.7
10-The Fountain of Youth (February 5-2016) 4.3
11-Midgard's End (July 1-2016) 3.7
12-The Eternal Emperor (September 30-2016) 4.0
13-The Lost Paradise (January 20-2017) 3.8
14-The Pearl of Discord (May 7-2017) 3.1
15-The Curse of Mithridates (November 26-2017) 4.3
16-The Golden Secret (March 11-2018) 3.7
17-The Altar of Lies (August 19-2018) 2.9
18-Neptune's Gift (May 10-2019) n/a
2-Everest SE only (June 1-2007) 3.3
3-Amazon SE only (June 20-2008) 3.8
4-Devil's Triangle SE only (October 23-2009) 3.6
5-The Uncharted Islands (October 29-2011) 3.4
6-Smithsonian Hope Diamond (January 17-2014) *no longer available*
7-The Crown of Solomon (August 1-2014) 4.3
8-Smithsonian Castle (January 23-2015) *no longer available*
9-Dawn of Prosperity (September 25-2015) 3.7
10-The Fountain of Youth (February 5-2016) 4.3
11-Midgard's End (July 1-2016) 3.7
12-The Eternal Emperor (September 30-2016) 4.0
13-The Lost Paradise (January 20-2017) 3.8
14-The Pearl of Discord (May 7-2017) 3.1
15-The Curse of Mithridates (November 26-2017) 4.3
16-The Golden Secret (March 11-2018) 3.7
17-The Altar of Lies (August 19-2018) 2.9
18-Neptune's Gift (May 10-2019) n/a
by: Eipix Entertainment
I don't recommend this game.
Can your love overcome a grudge that spans a thousand years?
Overall rating
3
/
5
107 of 151 found this review helpful
A FORBIDDEN LOVE~AN IMMORTAL LOVE~A FORGOTTEN LOVE?
PostedMay 9, 2019
pennmom36
fromLadyhawke is a 1985 American medieval fantasy movie where a demonic curse turns Isabeau into a hawk by day and Navarre a wolf by night so that despite always being together, the lovers are eternally apart!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Completed Game just shy of 4 hours
(including CE Bonus Chapter and all mini-games)
(including CE Bonus Chapter and all mini-games)
An Immortal Love knows no boundaries, but Jacob and Alison have a forbidden kind of Immortal Love. Born into rival Clans, this young couple had no idea how deep the hatred ran, most clan members didn't know why they were rivals. No one believed that there was a time when the two Clans were at peace with one another, in fact, they even loved one another. Ahh, but that was long ago, and way before Jason and Alison were cursed, a Forbidden Love, an Immortal Love, a love that remains even though fate has dealt them the cruelest hand, ...and even stole their precious memories.
I'm a fan of most 4Friends games and although this storyline reminded me of one of my favorite older movies, Ladyhawke. I wasn't particularly fond of the mini-games, hidden object scenes or the "gadgets" I was even more disappointed that the Opaque Sheep and Morphing Objects were so poorly hidden and obvious. Normally, I LOVE 4Friends games because of the challenge of their collectibles, but I was able to find both sheep and both morphs in each scene within mere seconds, the sheep were too large (why sheep?) and the morphs too obvious (mostly because they were the only small item in the scene)
There are 2 Gadgets/Helpers since you are playing as both characters from different Clans. Alison is granted 3 Abilities by her Guardian Owl, Owl Defense, Owl Attack, and Owl Agility and Jason has a Guardian Bear that grants him 3 special Abilities, Bear Strength, Bear True Sight, and Bear Wisdom. You will only use these abilities one time per ability per guardian and there are no repetitive mini-games required to use them, but you aren't granted the ability until a Memory Star is collected by "remembering" something to trigger it. The biggest issue I had with this scenario was that the Bear Guardian seemed kind, and just, wanting and willing to solve the 2 clans differences. The Owl Guardian, on the other hand, seemed angry and revengeful, spiteful, and unwilling to see both sides of the coin, quite frankly just an owlhole who wasn't about to bend or try to bury their differences, and this was a huge turn off for me. (and contradicting to the actual plot?) You would think both guardians would be wise and peaceful, especially an owl? There was a similar helper feature in the last Immortal Love, a dragon named Oberon, but Oberon was adorable, graphically appealing, and looked really cool wrapped around the character's wrist as a bracelet.
There are 12 Hidden Object Scenes (some are HOP's that include puzzles) +6 in the CE Bonus Chapter (some of the mini-games are cross-overs that could be a HOP but are listed as a mini-game) Nearly all of them are Interactive Listed Item Finds, and most Scenes are Repeated once. Several scenes had fragments hidden under each item that would complete a box image of some sort which would open to reveal the last item. There are also a couple of Silhouetted Shape Finds, and the only one I was impressed by, was a Progressive~Interactive Silhouetted Shape scene towards the end where you had to find images that matched the silhouetted shapes hidden throughout several books. That same scene was repeated and this time you had to click on pages in a layout of open books to create & align images. There are no alternative puzzles available.
There are actually only 18 Mini-Games +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter because some of the Mini-Games are really a type of Hidden Object Scene (finding & replacing items) but 4Friends lists them as Mini-Game, NOT Hidden Object Scenes. I wasn't thrilled with most of the mini-games because they are the same games offered by 4Friends, some of which I believe was just offered in their last recent release of a different series. They are far too simple and can easily be solved on the first attempt. I don't mind easy games if they are fun, but they should also throw in a few more complex mini-games, now and then. Below are a few of my favorite games offered:
1~Select from 3 different patterns to move chips into their corresponding slots.
2~Slide tiles to highlighted positions on a cross until the tiles complete the images on the edges of the cross. ღ
3~Remove all Owl Chips by jumping them with 2 available Bear Chips. (would have been awesome with a little more challenge) ღ
4~Combine ingredients using the pictured equations until you have created the 3 correct ingredients necessary to make medicine required. ღ
5~Place character pictures according to the descriptions (this person loves that person, this person hates this person)
6~Slide puzzle tiles using existing tiles and bumpers to create an image in the center. ღღ
7~Arrange tiles from smallest to largest according to the clues on 3 different stacks.
2~Slide tiles to highlighted positions on a cross until the tiles complete the images on the edges of the cross. ღ
3~Remove all Owl Chips by jumping them with 2 available Bear Chips. (would have been awesome with a little more challenge) ღ
4~Combine ingredients using the pictured equations until you have created the 3 correct ingredients necessary to make medicine required. ღ
5~Place character pictures according to the descriptions (this person loves that person, this person hates this person)
6~Slide puzzle tiles using existing tiles and bumpers to create an image in the center. ღღ
7~Arrange tiles from smallest to largest according to the clues on 3 different stacks.
The Collector's Edition Bonus Chapter winds the clock back just a tiny bit to learn about another couple whose life and love became shattered by the Amulet of Oblivian. Like Jason and Alison, Douglas and Ayla had a love for one another that was forbidden by their respective clans. Their bond helps them escape the clutches of Vivan as well as what lies ahead waiting to rear its ugly head. The is an average Length Bonus Chapter that takes place over 9 Scene Locations and has 6 Hidden Object Scenes and 5 Mini-Scenes. After completing the Bonus Chapter you will unlock the final 3 replayable mini-games and hidden object scenes. You won't use the Owl & Bear special Abilities but you will continue the Qpaque Sheep Collection (18) and Morphing Object Collection (18) with 2 of each per scene, a feature I do enjoy when the collectibles continue to the very end.
This Collector's Edition version has 19 Scene Locations +9 Bonus Chapter Scene Locations. 8 Wallpapers (all w/characters noooo) 29 Concept Art Pictures, 4Screensavers, 6 Music Soundtracks, 38 Movie Video Cutscenes, 25 Achievements To Earn, 13 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 14 Replayable Mini-Games, 56 Opaque Sheep (2 in each scene) 56 Morphing Objects (2 in each scene) 5 Collectible Sheep (to unlock by collecting 5-10-25-45-56 opaque sheep) 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a Built-in Strategy Guide.
IMMORTAL LOVE SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Letter From The Past (December 10-2015) 4.0
2-The Price Of A Miracle (December 8-2016) 4.3
3-Blind Desire (July 29-2017) 4.2
4-Black Lotus (March 22-2018) 3.8
5-Kiss of the Night (September 13-2018) 4.1
6-Bitter Awakening (May 9-2019) n/a
2-The Price Of A Miracle (December 8-2016) 4.3
3-Blind Desire (July 29-2017) 4.2
4-Black Lotus (March 22-2018) 3.8
5-Kiss of the Night (September 13-2018) 4.1
6-Bitter Awakening (May 9-2019) n/a
by: 4 Friends Games
Clear It is back with a new action puzzler! Can you clear each of these cleverly constructed levels?
Overall rating
3
/
5
34 of 37 found this review helpful
SEEMS EXACTLY THE SAME AS CLEAR IT 1-4?
PostedMay 8, 2019
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
*more like a 3.7-star rating*
Completed Clear It Games 1-4
Demo portion on Clear It 5
Completed Clear It Games 1-4
Demo portion on Clear It 5
I have purchased all previous Clear It games using a PCC (punch card coupon) and I completed each game with the exception of this one (I will wait until BPM (bonus punch Monday) They are all decent games, but the features are always the same, the only thing that changes from game to game, is the layout of the playing field. Unfortunately, this isn't a very challenging game, therefore, they do tend to become monotonous, especially for hardcore Match 3 fans.
There are 190 Clear It puzzles available to solve, the first 2 Clear It games only had 150, the 3rd Clear It had a whopping 205 which diminished to 180 on the last or 4th installment, yet they all claim to have 10 hours of gameplay? I love that the next level pops-up the second you finish the prior level, but that's because there is no scoring, thus, no score pop-up window. I also love that there are 6 Profile slots available so that other family members can play too, and there are colored tabs for each profile with challenge levels. For some reason, they didn't offer an Expert Mode on this installment, or at least I couldn't find one, which requires a Match 3 vs. this 2-orb match, which was a bit disappointing.
There's no timer or limited moves, so you take all the time in the world to clear the orbs, which makes this type of game very relaxing, yet addictive. The gameplay itself is simple, but the game itself isn't so simple to master. There is an unlimited number of colored orbs located on all four sides of the board, all you need to do, is select and click on an identical colored orb from one of the sides which will travel in a straight line until it hits another orb (or power-up) If the selected orb hits another identical colored orb or orbs, they are removed. Using a little bit of strategy, however, allows you to destroy several orbs in a single move.
Each level usually has power-ups that only remain briefly, and when hit with an orb, the power-up will be activated. There are Rotation power-ups that shuffle all the orbs, Stars that eliminate several random orbs, Lightning & fireballs that eliminates nearby orbs, Exclamations that eliminates all orbs of the same color, and the numbers1 or 5 that will allow you to choose either 1 or 5 orbs to remove. I have to admit that I loved the sound effects for some of the power-ups, and the background graphics are really good.
Each level is slightly more difficult than the previous level, as more colors are added, and fewer orbs in the desired color along the edges. Sometimes you just have to sacrifice and add a few orbs to the equation, just to get to the orb color you actually need, but because there's no time or moves limit it doesn't count against you.
I was disappointed that the rows and columns didn't highlight the chosen paths and that there weren't any new features or anti-bonuses added (which is why I love Quadrium) It's basically the same game as the others in the series, so for those reasons I deducted stars from my review rating, however, if you are new to this series, it will probably be okay.
CLEAR IT SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Clear It 1 (April 11-2016) 4.3
2-Clear It 2 (September 6-2017) 4.3
3-Clear It 3 (August 26-2018) 3.7
4-Clear It 4 (November 22-2018) 3.7
5-Clear It 5 (May 8-2019) n/a
2-Clear It 2 (September 6-2017) 4.3
3-Clear It 3 (August 26-2018) 3.7
4-Clear It 4 (November 22-2018) 3.7
5-Clear It 5 (May 8-2019) n/a
by: Itera Labs
I recommend this game!
Unleash the power of the gods on a quest to defeat the lord of the underworld!
Overall rating
3
/
5
48 of 56 found this review helpful
I Love Alawar Games So It Pains Me To Say...
PostedMay 7, 2019
pennmom36
fromDon't give up devs, you're on to something big, it just needs a tune-up with a few minor tweaks, and I'll be anxiously awaiting to fill in all 5 Stars!!!!! ⚘
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I rarely give up on a demo because I don't think it's fair to give an assessment of a game without at least playing the demo, but I gotta tell ya, this one baffled me! Right from the start, it was crammed full of resources and Time Management staple features, but they didn't seem to have a pattern, rhyme or reason to manage them. The game mechanics were slow to respond, just clicking on the menu button alone seemed to hesitate so long that I thought it didn't work. When you replay a level, it doesn't have a skip conversation feature so you just have to click one dialog box after another.
At one point, on the second level, it appeared that all the workers and citizens split the scene and my queued tasks de-queued, un-queued, anti-queued (?) I did a quick scan and I hadn't even built the bridge and there were still several wolves scampering about, huh? I looked up at the taskbar and the time was still ticking down so I started re-queuing everything in a state of confusion, which drained away precious time. I'm thoroughly convinced Hades had something to do with this evil cruelty!
One thing's for sure, the graphics are really, really good (and usually are in Alawar Games) but I was constantly panicking as I searched for things to do. It's hard to describe, but it just drained all the fun factor out and made it seem more like a dreaded chore. I love a good challenge, but I want a challenge based upon strategies, not confusion??
Although the storyline is similar to all of the other Greek God-themed games, I thought it was interesting. When the citizens of Greece begin to stray from worshiping their gods, the gods began to weaken and Mt. Olympus begins to decay. Hades, being an opportunist, decides to seize this golden opportunity with plans to take possession of their unfaithful souls. Hermes, the demi-god, has been chosen to convince the good people of Greece that the gods are worthy and deserving of their worship. Naturally, Hermes hits a few roadblocks on earth that prevent him from spreading the good word.
You can play in a Relaxed untimed mode, Casual, or Hard Difficulty Mode, and there are 27 Trophy Achievements to Earn over 50 Levels. You can earn up to 3 Stars per Level and the levels can be replayed. I liked that the pop-up Score window shows the current score as well as you "best time" There are the usual TM tasks of Collecting food and other resources such as Stone and Gold, and I loved that you plant and harvest Olive Trees for food. There are cracks in the pavement that need to be repaired, bridges to build, and Wolves to chase away with torches lit by the fires of Olympus. There are merchants to buy or trade supplies and banks to get a quick withdrawal during tough times. As you progress, Bonuses become available to help speed workers, renew resource, etc.
This game had great potential, I just think they made it a bit too busy in an attempt to make it something special if that makes sense? Hopefully, whoever created this game, takes these negative reviews as constructive criticism to simply go back to the drawing board and tweak it slightly. I think they are onto something special here, so please devs, don't give up!
Team up with pirates and head out on a treasure-filled solitaire adventure!
Overall rating
2
/
5
66 of 74 found this review helpful
Avast Mates, I'd Rather Be Walking Ye Plank!
PostedMay 7, 2019
pennmom36
fromIf most solitaire fans dislike the "special card only" feature why not add the simple to program option to continue playing after they have been removed? Wouldn't that increase sales? I know I'd buy them if it were an option, and I'd give 'em 5 stars! ⚘
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Aarrr, another Pirate-themed "can't remove all cards" Solitaire game by those yellow-bellied, landlubber scallywags who never change anything but the next number in ye series! Once ye remove all the Special Cards, it's game over, time to walk ye plank to search for Davy Jones' locker mates! Aarrr, Golf Solitaire drives me nutz, if I can't remove all of the cards, what's the point of playing? (I just don't understand why they can't expand the program to give the player the option to continue playing after removing the special cards. I'd rather have to use my points to "continue" playing than pay 2500k for an Undo!)
Tis unfortunate, ye cons outweigh ye pros for me, the only pro feature f'arrr me personally, is that this is a Higher/Lower type of Solitaire, (with a Bowling system of scoring, which is a con for me) There are 12 Pirate-themed card designs to choose from, and 3 face card styles and fonts available. Ye mates can play in Newbie mode which allows f'arrr ye to replay any level 'aarrr Professional which only allows ye to replay the entire 10 pack level.
The cons, the graphics arrr rather bland and really has nothing to do with pirates. The music soon becomes annoying because it's the exact same music from all games by this dev but fortunately, you can turn the music off or at least lower the volume. I will replay a level over and over, until I get a perfect score, I'm totally OCD about it, which is why I don't care for the feature this game offers where you win the hand if you remove all "Special" or plated cards, even if regular cards remain. It annoys me to no end, to have several cards left on the board, but because I removed the last special card, the level ends, "Tis especially harrrd when you arrr on a long chain streak, and you can't complete the record-breaking chain, shiver me timbers.
My final complaint is that there are never any new or exciting features added, ever! If you have played any Solitaire game by this developer, you already know everything there is to offer in this third installment or any future Solitaire games that are released, never is, probably never will be. If you haven't played a Solitaire Game by this developer, there are 20 Locations and each location has 10 Levels, same as always/ In the event you earn a perfect score, the points you earned on that level will be added to the next level, same as always. With the points you earn, you can purchase a whopping 3 Bonus Cards, a Mulligan Undo feature for 2500 points, a Shuffle feature for 8000 points, and a Joker for 5000 points, same as always (and I didn't even have to look at my notes...because nothing changed)
SOLITAIRE LEGEND OF THE PIRATES SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Solitaire Legend of the Pirates 1 (May 1-2017) 3.0
2-Solitaire Legend of the Pirates 2 (March 14-2018) 1.5
3-Solitaire Legend of the Pirates 3 (May 6-2019) n/a
2-Solitaire Legend of the Pirates 2 (March 14-2018) 1.5
3-Solitaire Legend of the Pirates 3 (May 6-2019) n/a
by: Somer Games
(produced by 8 Floor Games)
(produced by 8 Floor Games)
I don't recommend this game.
Join the Great Shaman in a quest to explore a kaleidoscope of worlds in an exciting match three puzzle adventure.
Overall rating
3
/
5
38 of 44 found this review helpful
CUTE MATCH 3 GAME BUT NOT VERY CHALLENGING
PostedMay 6, 2019
pennmom36
fromI wish the graphics were as amazing as the cutscenes throughout the game :( ⚘
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
In all fairness, I'm not a big fan of Limited Moves Match 3 games, but this one is better than most Limited Moves games. It's not very challenging though because I breezed through about 25-30 levels within the demo and only "failed" one level. (you are given the option to +add 5 additional moves or replay the entire level) You can play in an Easy Mode that is simplified with easy boards to clear, a Normal Mode that is optimized with a balanced difficulty, a Hard Mode for experts and a Zen Mode with no restrictions or time limits, I believe the first game only offered 2 modes, but I thought it offered a timed mode last time?
This is a Limited Moves, Swap type M3 with goals of making matches of a specific amount of specific tiles. You may also have to make matches 1-3 times over gold, blue and teal colored cells, Drop Masks off of the board, or blast through obstacles such as Crates, Crates with Metal Brackets, Chains, Double Chains, Boulders, Boulders with Belts (??) Earth cells, Stone cells, and Gold. Some of the levels have a honeycomb style board, which I actually enjoyed, because of the different perspective or angle to make matches. I would rate this game with 5 stars if it had a Limited Time mode because I really loved the Honeycomb Grids and some of the obstacles (busting thru dirt and stone)
Large matches will give you a Bonus on the board that will detonate when swapped or double-clicked such as:
*Firecrackers: (M4) destroys an adjacent tile.
*Bombs: (M5) destroys a small group of adjacent tiles.
*Dynamite: (M6) destroys a medium-sized group of tiles.
*TNT: (T or L) destroys a large group of tiles.
*Bombs: (M5) destroys a small group of adjacent tiles.
*Dynamite: (M6) destroys a medium-sized group of tiles.
*TNT: (T or L) destroys a large group of tiles.
You will earn a single Star for each level completed, and those Stars allow you to Restore the House and discover all the strange wonders it has to offer. The restorations award you with new Tools or another use of a tool (limited number of uses) The tools are basically the same as the Bonus Power-ups with the exception of a Hammer to destroy a single tile, or a Magnet to collect all of one type of tile.
MUNDUS SERIES LIST
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Impossible Universe (March 19-2018) 4.1
2-Impossible Universe 2 (May 6-1962) n/a
2-Impossible Universe 2 (May 6-1962) n/a
by: Rumbic Games