pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4710
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:March 20, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Guide Dracula on a madcap quest to find out who's zombifying the masses through their cell phones!
Overall rating
5
/
5
121 of 137 found this review helpful
Just An Ordinary Family Man With Really Long Teeth
PostedAugust 30, 2016
pennmom36
fromWant fries with that?
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The Incredible Dracula is no longer a bachelor, yep, he's a family man thanks to his online dating stalker, also known as Princess. The Count soon finds trouble in paradise, when people start to become hypnotized after using their cell phones. The Count and the Princess hit the road, together this time, to search for answers and destroy the billboards and other technology responsible for zombifying everyone.
I've truly never enjoyed a Time Management game more than this series, Chasing Love was an exceptional game and The Last Call is even better! You can play in relaxed mode, multi click and timed modes and each level has a present to find and open to receive collectible stickers.
I've truly never enjoyed a Time Management game more than this series, Chasing Love was an exceptional game and The Last Call is even better! You can play in relaxed mode, multi click and timed modes and each level has a present to find and open to receive collectible stickers.
This game has it all, Vampires, Zombies, Werewolves and Trolls. You will need to hire zombies to clear paths, gather resources and collect food. My favorite part is building BloodDonalds hamburger shacks when the Count gets hungry, but of course there's the normal buildings such as sawmills and mines. Rufus is your go to zombie guy but has very little to say other than uugghh. Some items you collect will go towards crafting objects, after all, Princess still requires luxury. You will gradually earn bonuses that can be used once the meter fills such as swift feet which speeds up the zombie workers temporarily (but I thought everyone hated fast zombies!?) . I love how everything is related to the story, the garlic, the BloodDonalds, and even when you repair the road, the zombies simply slap a few misguided boards on top. The goal is to earn 3 gold stars, and you can replay the levels to achieve a better score.
This Collector's Edition has 30 Hidden Presents with stickers, 10 Biographies (hilarious) 6 Wallpapers, 5 Creepy Music Soundtracks, 5 Concept Art pictures, 34 Trophies to earn, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy....if you dare!
I recommend this game!
Mysterious creatures are terrorizing the train!
Overall rating
3
/
5
90 of 112 found this review helpful
My Vacation Has Been Ruined By Evil Doers!
PostedAugust 26, 2016
pennmom36
fromMy high tech laser can cut through an iron fence with just a single 9V battery!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I don't need to track this mystery very far, the slow moving train derailed at the beginning and came to a screeching halt followed by derailment after the demo! Normally I'm a huge fan of the Mystery Trackers series, but these devs are going to have to dig a little deeper moving forward to get the series back on the right track. Right from the beginning, I found the tasks at hand to be monotonous at times as I had to search each train compartment for supposedly my own personal belongings that somehow ended up in some impossible places. I found it a bit bizarre that no matter how long it took me to do my thing in other compartments, each time I returned to my own cabin, I brushed passed a young girl scared out of her mind, peeking around the corner. Do I say, hey I'm on it, no worries? Do I say, hey why don't you hide, because at this point I have not yet discovered which "girl" the villains are after? Nope, I just walk past her with a trusty bottle of oil to fix the zipper of my own bag that I didn't bother to fix before departing, don't mind me sweetie, btw, have you seen my cool new device that can open any electronic lock? Well once I play a match 3 game of course! Then there's the TYPO's, oh dear my big eared proboscidea mammalia pachyderm what's up with that? Have you ever wondered how that's even possible? Surely someone or multiple someone's played the game through once it was completed, or at least one Beta tester from BF said, " hey, great game, tons of fun but these words don't make sense!??
Well, anywho, on the bright side, Elf hasn't retired yet and seems to be in really good health considering he's been working hard for six straight years. He needs this vacation as much as I do and he's dressed for the occasion wearing his Aloha Hawaiian button shirt and a Panama hat, clearly there's no fashion faux pas here. Your only tool for this job is the aforementioned electronic lock pick that can unlock any electronic lock, (unless it's been melted by the villain) and you will need to play a Match 3 game each time its used, matching the specific number of icons shown to the left. This is a very boring Match 3 game, and slow because you have to wait for all the action to stop before you can make another match, but the device isn't used that often so all's good. The Collector's Edition version has 32 collectible Jigsaw Puzzle pieces to assemble, as well as Morphing Objects and Monuments to find. Normally I love Morphs but I just wish the cursor wouldn't change to a hand whenever the cursor passes over the available morph. The CE also has Achievements to earn and both versions have plenty of Plus Sign inventory items to keep you busy.
The Hidden Object Scenes are good, I have no complaints because they offer a variety of entertaining styles. Do you remember when the HO's in this series required you to switch back and forth using inventory items you found in the game to progress through the Hidden Object Scene? I loved that feature and wish they would incorporate that again, rut row was that a complaint? There are Interactive List Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Multiple Finds, and even an interactive scene where you have to administer First Aid items to one of the passengers. There are also several Zoom Zone HOP's where you just have to find a handful of items.
The Mini Games are awesome, mainly because of the famous Super Puzzles. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo as well as a few memorable puzzles from the main game:
1) Guide the star through the grid filling in all squares without overlapping.
2) Super Puzzles requiring you to tinker with several aspects of the game, without pulling out your hair.
3) Select the numbered arrows until only the three symbols in the code shown are lighted. One arrow moves the counter four to the left, the other moves the counter three to the right.
4) Rotate the gears so that the symbols inside the wire pulleys match.
5) Another Super Puzzle which will allow you to pull out some of your hair.
6) Rotate the central part of the mechanism and swap the elements to place them correctly.
7) Move the handle up and down to guide the key through the mechanisms as it constantly moves forward.
8) Find pairs of daggers with matching symbols on the blades.
9) Another hairbending Super Puzzle, nuff said.
10) Place the birds in the correct nests by moving them along highlighted routes.
The Collector's Edition has 8 Wallpapers, 8 Concept Art pictures, 6 Music Soundtracks, 32 collectible Jigsaw Puzzle pieces, Morphing Objects, a Secret Room, 21 Achievements, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter!
Can you uncover the secrets of Crimson Hollow in time?
Overall rating
5
/
5
202 of 226 found this review helpful
A Cringeworthy Addition To Grim Tales!
PostedAugust 25, 2016
pennmom36
fromBlack is the new Gray!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Detective Anna Gray has a new case to solve, one that might be a little too close for comfort! Rosette Darkwood has asked Anna to look into the mysterious disappearances of several of her Boarding School students that have gone missing. The headmistress has a few theories of her own, because all of the women were last seen with the handsome Dorian Black, at his family's mansion, Crimson Hollow. The Black family and the Gray family might have more in common than Anna ever imagined, and Dorian may be impossible to investigate if he has the same abilities as Anna!
Daddy dearest is alive and well, sort of. If you remember the last episode, Anna received some unexpected help from her father Richard's spirit when her nephew's son was kidnapped. After the investigation, Anna kept her father's powerful skull (weird right?) and just so it wouldn't fall into the wrong hands, she has brought the skull with her. Once inside Crimson Hollow, Richard Gray is awakened once more, perhaps because of the family ties that bind.....whenever his skull glows, dad has something important to discuss with you, but just bits and pieces of information at a time. There are a couple of devices to help your investigation, Anna's trusty detective kit with a lockpick, a screwdriver and a flashlight (high tech stuff) and a Charm that was actually given to Dorian by richard. The charm is called the Sphere of Time and is capable of allowing its owner to travel to the past even when protected by magic.
One thing's for sure, this series just keeps getting better and better! You can always count on Grim Tales games to have exceptional graphics and a flawless incorporation of real characters. What often goes unnoticed however is the sounds. You can hear the wind howling, and the crackle of fire, everything is realistic, and several things can be interacted with, just because you can! Stop playing for just a few seconds and listen, the sights and sounds are what make or break a game and you may not even know it. This Collector's Edition has hidden Jigsaw Pieces that will allow you to assemble 3 different Screensavers. As far as I can remember, all Grim Tales have Morphing Objects, and the Morphs in Crimson Hollow are very creative, some of which aren't very obvious. There are also the normal CE bling of Achievements, Wallpapers, Secret Rooms and even Archives.
The Hidden Object Scenes are really just average, for me, that's okay as long as the Mini Games are decent and in abundance and they certainly are. There are Silhouetted Shape finds, finding items that match Keywords in a story setting, Listed Item finds and even small Zoom Zone HOP's where you are tasked with finding a handful of fragments.
The Mini Games are a mixture of small and simple puzzles to longer more frustrating types, but seem to be very doable. Below are brief descriptions of some of the Mini Games you'll encounter during the demo (puzzles from the main game will be added on my review of the Standard Edition because I wait for 2 for 1 sales)
1) Select a word from each column that relates to the clues given, then click search on the computer. If correct you will read information pertaining to the search.
2) Fill each bronze plate with the correct number of spheres based on the number clues next to them and use the green triangle to move the spheres from one plate to another.
3) Control the magnet to take out all of the fragments from the fountain.
4) Move the cubes so that they will fit into the top slots of the lock using directional arrows on rows and columns.
5) Release the brides spirit from the door by selecting locks from beginning to end on chains that are free.
6) Trap the white checker piece in the corner using black checkers that can be moved to highlighted places on the board.
7) Move the clock hands so that the clock is set to Midnight, moving one hand may affect others and at different speeds.
8) Navigate to the center of the labyrinth in a specific number of moves, using directional arrows.
This Collector's Edition has 8 Wallpapers, 8 Concept Art pictures, Archives, a Secret Room, 5 Music Soundtracks, Hidden Jigsaw Puzzle pieces that allow you to assemble 3 different Screensavers, Morphing Objects, 15 Achievements (to the best of my knowledge) a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy the wedding!
I recommend this game!
Queen Aerin saves her kingdom from a new menace – evil Duke von Gross.
Overall rating
5
/
5
93 of 107 found this review helpful
Finally, The Standard Edition!
PostedAugust 24, 2016
pennmom36
fromI never thought Mortessa would join our adventures!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
What I love most about the Elven Legend series is the challenge it presents. Most Time Management games are based on endless clicking without any strategy involved, but not this one. It is nearly impossible to achieve all three stars on the first attempt, you have to task queues in a specific order to have the resources to progress. If you build a sawmill at the wrong time when you need a farm or crystal mine, it will leave you in a bind, unable to progress while you wait for the correct resources to become available. To me, this is how I want a TM game to be, strategically challenging. I can always switch over to the Relaxed mode if I want a less intense game.
I also love the graphics Elven Legend games offers, and each level has really good layouts with plenty of active areas to interact with. This isn't an easy breezy game, and I will admit that I had to restart several of the levels just in the demo alone, to "get it right" by slightly altering the order in which I queued my tasks, otherwise I had to waste time waiting for the necessary resources to be available because I used them on a different task that I thought had more benefits. You can earn up to 3 stars in each level, and you will have to use strategy to earn all three stars.
The goal is to help Queen Aerin find the thief that stole the evil witch Mortessa's Diadem and return this dangerous artifact. In the Collector's Edition, each level has a hidden Book to find and some of the levels have a Morphing Statuette to discover. I just didn't see the benefit of purchasing this game in the CE, so I patiently waited for this version so I could use one of my many credits. There are the normal resources to collect, food, wood, stone etc. and the same tasks of clearing the roads, repairing bridges and filling in pits along the way. Queen Aerin will do all the magic work, once she has enough magical crystals to charge her staff, and her trusted Griffin has joined her on this adventure as well. There are several Altars of Resources available in each level that will produce resources over a period of time and each level has a Bonus meter that recharges to give you temporary boosts such as faster workers, more resources, or extra workers. Queen Aerin will use her magic to collect Golden Petals which can be used to rebuild the Elven Capital one building at a time, and you get to name the Capital before you rebuild.
The Collector's Edition has 9 Wallpapers, 6 Concept Art pictures, 6 Hidden Objects, 50 Collectibles, 8 Character Encyclopedia bios, a built in Strategy Guide, 40 Levels & 10 Bonus Levels, 38 Achievements, High Scores and a Bonus Chapter, but as I stated before, I really think this Standard Edition is the route to go, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Cathy is chasing the dreams of others instead of her own. But once she discovers her passion, her strength will be put to the test. Will Cathy stay true to herself?
Overall rating
3
/
5
53 of 71 found this review helpful
Third Place Winner
PostedAugust 23, 2016
pennmom36
fromWhy do I have to catch the mice, why can't Ming catch the mice?
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
It's hard to write a review that's fair for Cathy's Crafts because I can't help but compare it to it's popular rivals. After 12 seasons of the Delicious Emily series I have grown very fond of her games and usually purchase her games sight unseen because they are all fabulous. Speaking of Fabulous, Emily's baby sister Angela, has her own fashion series too, with fantastic graphics. So if I compare apples to apples, Cathy's Crafts takes the Bronze when comparing these three similar Time Management games. (Emily and Paige do make a cameo appearance after all) It's really just more of the same thing with a different title, and other than a few trophies to earn, this game doesn't offer anything worthy of the Collector's Edition price.
Cathy's Crafts offers 10 levels in each of the 6 different locations, and you get to choose which character avatar you want as your profile picture. You can choose to play Beginner, Normal or Expert difficulty modes, and you will be asked if you want a quick Tutorial. The graphics are a bit toned down from the vivid HD quality of Fabulous and the last couple of Delicious games, they aren't bad, they just aren't very crisp or detailed.
The object of the game is keep the customer happy, and of course, make money! When a customer arrives at the Hardware/Craft Store (Fred and Ivy have left the business in the capable hands of their daughter Cathy while touring Hardware stores in Asia) they will tell you what they are interested in purchasing as shown as an idea bubble over their head. Then you simply click on the product they want, click again on the customer to deliver the goods and then click on the cash register to collect the money. Some customers will sit at the available tables which requires an extra step of cleaning the table after collection the money. You will need to manage your time as quickly possible, if you are too slow the customer will lose patience in the form of a heart above their head, which means less of a tip. As you progress, more customers arrive at the same time, more items to sell are added (some of which require combining two or more items in the correct order) and more side tasks are added too. You can earn up to 3 gold stars per level and you can replay the level as often as needed to try to earn a better score or make more money.
The money you earn is used to purchase upgrades such as a larger more efficient Counter Workstation, Larger tables to accommodate more people, Comfortable Sofas and other various decorations. Each of the upgrades help you progress by allowing Cathy to work faster, help the customers remain patient longer or make the customers happier and tip better. Each scene has at least one Mouse that pops up randomly around the Hardware store and if you click on the mouse 0r mice, you'll earn bonus points. Ming the cat also helps customers lighten up and tip better IF the customer likes cats, if the customer doesn't like cats, they will actually lose their patience and tip less. The problem is, Ming likes to eat, so if you forget to feed him, everyone will become less happy! Don't forget to feed Ming, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Explore the ancient forest and help forest fairies discover hidden images.
Overall rating
4
/
5
90 of 100 found this review helpful
Riddles Of The Forest?
PostedAugust 22, 2016
pennmom36
fromI hope my mouse doesn't get a splinter!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This griddler game starts out with very basic and easy grids but quickly adds puzzles that become far more challenging. I really liked the "wooden" shades of colors that are presented but they are all just one basic color per grid.
At first I thought all the puzzles were forest related images, such as tadpoles, turtles and even fish, but then they threw in images of wine glasses, people and streetlamps which confused me. There isn't a story that goes along with this game, but it is soothing and relaxing.
You begin with 3 stars and a star is deducted if you make mistakes. You can choose an auto option that will cross off empty cells, and when the cells are empty, the cells become clear, which is another feature I enjoyed. The Hints are Fairies that when chosen will fly down and fill in 2 or 3 cells for you.
There are 20 grids in each of the 6 categories offered, the 6th one has to be unlocked, I'm assuming as you progress. I really liked this griddler game and would probably have given it 5 stars if there were more colors offered in each grid. Give it a try for yourself to see what you think, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Uncover the secrets buried under Karkhala Peak.
Overall rating
5
/
5
110 of 132 found this review helpful
The Key To Defeating The Preacher May Be Smaller Than You Think!
PostedAugust 21, 2016
pennmom36
fromWill the Preacher escape again?
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I remember waking up in the tiny town of Maple Creek dazed and confused. The entire town had been torn to shreds by a violent tornado, and my memories were fuzzy. Slowly I began to remember why I was sent to Vermont in the first place, to investigate the disappearance of a young teenage girl. What I found was unfathomable, I had found the bodies of several missing persons dating back over 80 years! The person responsible for these atrocious murders was even harder to imagine, a Preacher! The Preacher's history is one of evil, who'll stop at nothing as he prepares to become the unholy vessel and resurrect the ancient demon, Asmodai. It sickens me that the Preacher managed to escape.
Nearly a year later, I encountered the Preacher near the Redwood Forest in Northern California. I have learned so much about Asmodai who was slain by the Archangel Raphael during the great battle. Asmodai followers, called Reapers followed him into immortal oblivion. Raphael ordered all Reapers to be killed using a ceremonial dagger, and their numbers dwindled from 12 strong to a mere 2 The Preacher is one of those Reapers, but unfortunately, once more the Preacher managed to escape!
After returning to Maple Creek, I have found new evidence about the Preacher's nefarious plans which has led myself and detective Richard Hamilton to an ancient monastery, nestled high in the mountains of Tibet. The Preacher is now the last of the Reapers and is prepared to resurrect his unholiness, Asmodai! There is no room for error now, the ceremony must not take place, the Preacher must die for the world to live!
The Shadows of Karkhala is my least favorite in the Enigmatis series, partially because of the location, but mostly because the game lost that eerie vibe that it's predecessors had. The graphics are good, but again, it's too bright and cheery for the plot. Your evidence is now kept on your smartphone, which is a vast improvement from the hotel wall right? This is the game that made the evidence board famous, where pieces of evidence, notes and clues are kept and sorted out to draw conclusions on the ongoing case. The Collector's Edition is loaded with extras like 15 hidden White Feathers, hidden Widow's Sorrow Flowers, and my favorite feature, Morphing Stains of Evil, tainted reality souls, the corrupted souls and their foul deeds! There are also several Achievement categories available, so for me, the CE was the perfect choice.
The Hidden Object Scenes are decent although they are far and few between. They are mostly Interactive Listed item finds, but there are also matching pair finds, finding items that match the pictures and some HOP's that are more like Mini Games.
The Mini Games, however are in abundance, the following are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo, as well as some noteable puzzles afterwards:
1) Place the rungs in the proper sockets to climb the pole following the pattern.
2) Move the dagger along the pathways so it passes through every hub once.
3) Click disks to create an image.
4) Narrow down evidence and locations from clues.
5) Find the landmarks listed in the notes and draw a circle around them. Each circle's radius should equal the distance given in the note using a compass.
6) Click on the tree trunk to balance the pole left or right.
7) Arrange the books using the photo as reference details, then push books in the right order.
8) Pair the symbols from the dictionary with those in the chronicle to translate it.
9) Follow directions on a map to choose the correct path.
10) Make the distiller work by rotating and connecting pipes of the same color.
11) Move all the junk blocking the water wheel by interacting with the scene, (could also be considered a HOS)
12) Guide the ball through a labyrinth maze.
13) Swap tiles so that each head matches it's surroundings.
14) Ascend the wall by finding each handhold rock as shown.
15) Take loose pieces from each wall and place them in the opposite wall X3.
16) Toggle the symbols on the buttons so that each grate bar has the same symbol, by following the connections correctly.
The Collector's Edition has replayable Pair Matching games, collectible Widow's Sorrow Flowers and White Feathers, Morphing Objects, 8 Cutscenes, 9 replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 6 replayable Puzzles, 5 Music Soundtracks, 14 Wallpapers, 12 Concept Art pictures, several Achievement categories, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Stop the evil Princess of Hearts and discover your true destiny!
Overall rating
5
/
5
93 of 106 found this review helpful
I'M LATE, I'M LATE, I HAVE AN IMPORTANT TEA PARTY TO ATTEND, THERE'S NO TIME TO WASTE!
PostedAugust 20, 2016
pennmom36
fromBad day to have the name Alice!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Alice was distracted by a large red top hat adorned with playing cards, laying on the road, when she was taking an evening run. Curiosity got the best of her so she stopped to get a closer look, but this turned out to be a very bad decision. Alice is broadsided by an old man who pushes her over the bridge and into the river below! Alice panics and grabs the first thing she sees, a mirror shard that swooshes her into a portal of Another World! This isn't the Wonderland that Alice discovered in the fairytales, this is Shadowland, and the old man is none other than the white rabbit, well Rabbitson, to be more specific. Things go from ugly to worse when he realizes he has the wrong Alice, this Alice isn't the one the prophecy awaits to save Shadowland, and the Princess of Hearts has put a price on her head! Just when you think things couldn't get worse, Alice's very own shadow is taken, and without your shadow, you cannot survive in the real world, Alice can't go home without her shadow!
What a fantastic twisted fairytale! This game is awesome, and you can't help but think about the good old days when you were a child. I remember watching Alice In Wonderland for the first time, I thought the Cheshire Cat was scary with those humongous teeth, nobody told me he was a grinning kitty at the time! I have to give kudos to the devs, this is thinking outside of the box, this is genius in the making and they should recognized for their efforts! Alice will find some very useful devices along her journey to recover her shadow, among them is a very special Watch. This watch is used to transfer from your body, into your shadow , and back using the hands of the clock. (this part didn't make sense to me, how does she transfer into her shadow if the Bandersnitch stole her shadow?) Alice also briefly uses a special Compass that helps locate lost items but only when used with another item connected to it. The compass will reveal what happened when you move the compass around the scene and click on the matching image as shown. Several of the scenes have a Panning Feature that allows you to pan the scene right or left to create a broader range. This Collector's Edition also has the usual Achievements to earn as well as 31 Morphing Objects and 37 Collectible Playing Cards. Each Scene may contain more than one of each object so there are pull out tabs on the left of the screen that will tell you how many cards and morphs are available in each location. I found this feature entertaining and was enough to persuade me to purchase this Edition over the upcoming Standard Edition.
The Hidden Object Scenes are really well done and had interesting locations as well. There are Interactive List finds, Keywords to find in a story and one of my favorites was finding several Metal Alphabet letters.
The Mini Games are numerous and varied with a mixture of super simple puzzles to lengthy more complicated games. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo. I'll include more on my review of the SE, from the main game as I complete the adventure:
1) Click to open two roses at a time to match identical colored flowers.
2) Arrange the photos for each step of the kidnapping plan.
3) Jump over the symbols so that only one is left remaining, only opposing symbols can eliminate each other. This puzzle is repeated with 2 more games that become increasingly more difficult.
4) Click on different components of flower arrangements on a horse statue to change the arrangements to mirror the clue shown.
5) Find the objects shown on Alice's Compass to reveal what happened by moving the compass until the necessary image is visible and clicking to select the image.
6) Grab strong ropes, toeholds and icicles to help Alice climb the cliff safely.
7) Touch the spots in the correct order to recreate the symbol, if you choose the wrong one you'll have to start over from the beginning.
8) Trap the spider by removing the web hexagons blocking it's way, the spider can only move to neighboring hexagons.
9) Use the clues to traverse the maze, choosing the paths based on the statues shown on your phone.
10) Remove all the symbols from the shield by selecting and dragging a chain of 3 or more identical adjacent tiles in a Match 3 variation game.
This Collector's Edition has 15 replayable Mini Games, 12 replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 13 Wallpapers, 4 Screensavers, 15 Concept Art pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 52 Movie Videos, 31 Morphing Objects, 37 Collectible Playing Cards, 20 Achievements, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Something terrible lurks in the halls of Iron Gate Asylum…
Overall rating
5
/
5
426 of 474 found this review helpful
INSANELY CRAZY GAME!!!
PostedAugust 20, 2016
pennmom36
from"Take this keycard and hide it" What! Where?
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Welcome to the Iron Gate Asylum, once that iron gate closes behind you, there's no going back to the free world! Sarah has just been assigned her new identity, prisoner number 76, she's about to do hard time but she's committed no crime! Sarah has infiltrated the prison with the help of Warden Michael, to find her sister Layla who was falsely accused of murdering 3 fellow campers. She quickly discovers that someone has been using the women of the prison to perform questionable experiments. Layla may be in solitary confinement, but she's not alone, and in an attempt to free her, Sarah unknowingly has just released a monster, an evil monster you cannot see with the naked eye! No one is safe, and there's no way off this island, at least not alive!
It all begins to make sense, once you realize that the ornate lantern you found is capable of exposing the evil entity that otherwise can't be seen. Seeing is believing, but finding a way to stop a shadow is a whole different ballgame. I absolutely love Mad Head games, they are so good at making games seem real, they use real characters and computer generated graphics to make you feel like you're actually in, and part of the game, it's believable and realistic. Each scene has a hidden creepy eye to find, some of which are very well blended, especially as the game progresses.
I've made the statement lately that there's nothing new or exciting nowadays in a Hidden Object scene, but I must admit I liked the HOP in this game where you have to use sliders on the top of the page to slide the scene right or left and the slider on the right of the scene to slide the scene up and down as you are tasked with trying to match up two corresponding items. There are also Interactive List finds and Zoom Zone HOP's with a few fragments to find and assemble.
The Mini Games aren't necessarily challenging, but they are entertaining which is what I really want in these games. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Rotate all of the tiles to connect the pipes from point A to point B.
2) Find the countries that match the outlines on a clue using a globe.
3) Rearrange the tiles by color so they are in the correct columns.
4) Place the drawings of Darwin's Theory in the correct order.
5) Unlock a box using the clue by clicking arrows to change the numbers.
6) Place the circles in the right spots using the side scrollers in each row and column.
This Collector's Edition has 12 Concept Art pictures, 20 Wallpapers, 6 Music Soundtracks, 18 replayable Hidden Object Scenes, a Shadow Puppet Theater, a Labyrinth, 11 Achievements, 18 Morphing Objects in the HOP's, 38 Collectible Hidden Eyes, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy your stay prisoner #76!
I recommend this game!
Can you save the Metzengerstein line before it's too late?
Overall rating
3
/
5
80 of 98 found this review helpful
FOLLOW ME..........
PostedAugust 19, 2016
pennmom36
fromThe things people will do for love!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
After I finished the demo, I purchased this game in the CE and as I progressed, I began to realize something. I began to realize that all of the games offered in the Dark Tales series are all the same. The same graphics, all of the scenery and buildings are variations of all the other games in this series. The characters are all the same as well as their voices, in fact every time I play a Dark Tales game the characters look so much like the last games that it seems as if the game is a continuation of the previous game because they look so familiar (doesn't the daughter look like the "lady of the night" witness from the last game?) and the voices all seem to be the same voices as well. I expect Detective Dupin to look and sound the same, but I think this series is releasing new Edgar Allan Poe mysteries at such a rapid pace, that they don't realize how noticeable it is to the player. This is one of the reason's that DTEAP mystery games haven't gotten rave reviews lately from Big Fish reviewers. Because the game fizzles out too much after the demo, I have deducted a star from my rating of the CE. With that being said, this Standard Version is the better option between the two versions if you're inclined to purchase one or the other.
My grandparents came to America from Hungry, when they were around 13 years old. (at that point they weren't yet my grandparents, lol) Even though they lived in the states most of their lives, they had very strong accents, and never could pronounce words correctly that began with the letter v, they would pronounce it with a w, vine sounded like wine every single time, even at the ripe ole age of 84. This game is supposed to take place in Budapest Hungary, yet, none of the characters has even a hint of an accent, German or Hungarian? If all of the people doing the voiceovers speak perfect English. then why not have the game take place in America? Oh well, minor details right?
Dark Tales has another Edgar Allan Poe story to tell, a story about two bitter rival families, the Metzengerstein family, and the Berlifitzing's (no v's to worry about here) These two wealthy Hungarian neighbor's have been feuding since the beginning of time, and Detective Dupin's services are required when Frederica von Metzengerstein becomes the victim of a what her father believes is a harbinger of the family curse! This ghostly apparition tries to lure Frederica to the dark side as he demands she follow him, through a mysterious purple fog, but a hero hidden behind a cloak always seems to save her just in the nick of time. It seems like Death himself is calling her to the afterlife! Is the hero hidden in the shadows trying to save Frederica to break the family curse? Who knows but surely, Detective Dupin can sort all the facts out and solve yet another Dark Tales mystery.
As I stated earlier, I gave only 4 stars to the Collector's Edition, and lowered my rating to 3 stars for this Standard Edition. In my opinion, the storyline is good but not great. The game becomes stagnant at times, and seems to drag on and take too long getting from point A to point B.
The Hidden Object Scenes are repetitive, not only are the scene locations repeated, but most of the HOP's are the same type, finding Keywords while Frederica reads her diary, and later in the game takes place while you are reading lost pages. There are several HOP's where you must find several of the same item such as 12 nails or 12 suns. There are also several progressive interactive Silhouetted Shape find types.
The Mini Games offer nothing new, and really nothing exciting. A few of the games are available with a difficulty mode of Casual or Hard, but not many of them which is unusual for this series. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo, and a few notable puzzles after the demo:
1) Trace symbols with the mouse aka candle, without going outside of the outlined shape.
2) Complete the picture by swapping triangles to available highlighted slots.
3) Move the letters to their correct spots based on the clue.
4) Rotate three discs to complete the picture.
5) Set the correct combination to the lock.
6) Turn 4 horseshoes in the correct order, turning one horseshoe may affect others.
7) Move skulls to their correct slots based on color, along the tracks, skulls cannot cross over each other.
8) Play the 5 melodies encrypted in the symbols on the music sheet by choosing 3 images from the piano keys to create each symbol shown.
9) Place all the figures onto the shelves so that their sums are equal.
10) Several mini games where you follow simple directions in the correct order to create a recipe.
11) Fill the baskets with the required fruit by clicking and dragging identical chains in a Match 3 type game.
12) Swap horse figurines to match the bases with the shapes on the shelves.
13) Set the clock to the correct time according to the clue you found then play a variation of "blocks" to move the blocks with symbols into the matching slots located on the top, bottom, left and right slots on the board.
The Collector's Edition has 18 Achievements, 13 replayable videos, 10 Wallpapers, 7 Concept Art pictures, 5 Screensavers, 3 Music Soundtracks, 16 replayable Mini Games, 21 replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Collectible cards that allow you to play a Mahjong type game when all have been collected, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter.
I recommend this game!