pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4714
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:May 15, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
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
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)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
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)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
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)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
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)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!
The ones who touch the artifact must die. Will you be next?
Overall rating
5
/
5
211 of 266 found this review helpful
This Evil Cannot Be Conquered, This Evil Can Only Be Restrained!
PostedAugust 18, 2016
pennmom36
fromThis is by far the best Myths of the World game in the series!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
When the Romans discovered an artifact that contained pure evil (seriously, Hannibal Lecter feared this entity) two brothers were chosen to restrain the evil within by separating the box and it's key for eternity. Vespasian, the keeper of the box and Sabinus the keeper of the key. One brother was successful, the other was murdered by his own men who were seeking wealth beyond imagination. Time eventually passed and the artifacts were all but forgotten, until Uncle Harry North's curiosity was piqued with the discovery of this very artifact that had been passed down from generation to generation. This curiosity led Uncle Harry to his grave, but, he has left encrypted clues in hopes that his last surviving niece can stop the curse he has initiated, and save the others who have been cursed before it's too late!
In my opinion this is one of the best Myths of the World game to date. Titus Flavius Sabinus served as legate in Britain under Aulus Plautius, governed Moesia for seven years as well as consul for another eleven years under Nero's reign. His brother Vespasian worked beside his brother in Britain, governed Africa and eventually Judaea. Although the brothers were an important part of history from about AD 45 TO AD 52, there is no mention of them finding nor guarding an evil artifact, but I think it's kind of cool how the devs were able to take actual Roman brothers and incorporate them into a thrilling adventure on an Island with Forgotten Evil in the year 2016, AND make the story credible and believable to a certain extent.
This Collector's Edition has all the bells and whistles you could ask for, not to mention fantastic graphics, plenty of Plus Sign Inventory Items to combine, and a really interesting plot. There are 42 very well blended Lyre's, or Apollo's Signs to find in each scene, Morphing Objects hidden in the Hidden Object Scenes and of course, Achievements to earn for achieving game related milestones such as solving a Mini Game quickly, or finding 8 objects within 8 seconds. The only "prop" you have in this game is the Valor's Light, which which reveals hidden caches and can protect you from the Romans who continue to guard in the afterlife.
The Hidden Object Scenes aren't fantastic, and typical for this series. After playing thousands of HOPA's, I've come to realize that there's not a whole lot you can do to make a HOS exciting. Nevertheless, they aren't bad, but there's nothing proprietary about them either. There are scenes that you first find a berry of a specific type on a branch that will then move aside until you finally get to the real HOP, where you find ingredients and other items and use them back in the scene to whip up an alchemy recipe. Another scene requires you to find 5 of the same items in two groups that will then give you a tool to use to open up the interactive List finds. There are also silhouetted Shape finds as well as Sketches of two items, tasking you to find the item related to the combination of both sketches. Each Scene has a Morphing Object to find and there is an alternate game of "Skipping Stones" which is basically a Chain type Match 3 game where you click and drag a line that connects adjoining identical tiles.
The Mini Game Puzzles are unique and quite entertaining. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo. As I continue to play this immediate purchase I'll add to the list other memorable puzzles on my review of the Standard Edition:
1) Valor's Light puzzle, tasking you to scan the scene in search of 4 symbols, using the lighted area to guide you right, left, up or down.
2) Help the caterpillar reach the bottom left corner by selecting and placing items from the board to overcome obstacles.
3) Complete the family tree by placing the portraits strategically, each portrait placed will will move the last previously placed portrait to the next place.
4) Complete the central shield symbol by selecting arrows to change the image on the cubes, selecting the correct image on the cube to place them in the center.
This Collector's Edition has 42 Hidden Apollo's Lyre Signs, a Souvenir Room, 12 Morphing Objects in the Hidden Object Scenes, 12 replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 24 replayable Puzzles, replayable Skipping Stones games, 13 Videos, 9 Music Soundtracks, 8 Wallpapers, 8 Concept Art pictures, 13 Achievements to earn, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Always dreamed of being a god and discovering something new? Dive into an exciting adventure with Solitaire Doodle God and release the god within!
Overall rating
3
/
5
81 of 88 found this review helpful
Nothing More Than A Mahjong Game
PostedAugust 17, 2016
pennmom36
fromI didn't get to make fire, wind or rain, not even a volcano :(
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
The Chronicles of Emerland Solitaire
(147)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This is my least favorite type of solitaire game, matching two identical pairs of cards. To me this type of solitaire game is nothing more than a Mahjong game. I had high expectations because Doodle God is generally all about mixing two existing elements to create an entirely new element, but this is really just a card game with element themed levels. There are 10 different card designs and 3 different card face styles to choose from.
The goal is to match two identical cards regardless of suit and remove all gold cards to receive the maximum amount of points. The more cards you are able to match consecutively, the higher the multiplier bar reaches and the more points you'll earn. You begin in Newby mode which allows you to replay any level, and then you can switch to Professional mode if desired which only allows you to play the entire deck or set of 10 levels. If you remove all gold cards you win the game even if regular cards remain and perfect scores are then added to the next level.
Some cards are Bonus cards which gives you more points or other useful bonuses. The points you earn can be used in the Shop to buy Joker wildcards, Shuffle features and Mulligans which allow you to undo the last move. There are 12 different pack levels and 10 levels in each pack. You must earn the necessary amount of points in order to unlock the next pack, and there are trophies to earn as well. If this game was a Higher/Lower type solitaire instead of a Match 2 solitaire game, it would have been an instant purchase for me. After playing the demo, I'm not impressed so for me this is a no go, but if you like Match 2 type solitaire games this will be a perfect fit.
I recommend this game!
Assemble mosaics with Alice and the heroes of the world beyond the looking glass!
Overall rating
5
/
5
96 of 113 found this review helpful
Mosaics From Beyond The Looking Glass
PostedAugust 15, 2016
pennmom36
fromWhy is everybody named Alice in the games lately?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Alice's Patchwork 2 has beautiful mosaics that are even better than the first one. There are 6 different Mosaic Worlds and each has 20 puzzles available in different types of materials, wood, cloth, glass, paper, metal and precious stones. There is a left hand mode as well as a Relaxed feature that automatically gives you the key and points for finishing the game within the allotted time. In order to receive the other two keys you have to complete the puzzle without making any mistakes. You will earn coins for each completed puzzle and can use the coins to buy extra time or instantly refill the hint feature.
The object of the game is to correctly place available mosaic puzzle pieces located on the right side of the puzzle. Some puzzle pieces are already placed on the board as "clues" and more pieces are added until the puzzle is complete. All of this sounds really easy, but when you are trying to place the pieces wicked fast and without making a mistake, it can be mind blowing. You can replay the puzzle as often as you want to try to earn a better score, but each time the puzzle will reset with different puzzle pieces as clues. If you're looking for a fast paced challenge, this is a really fun game, if you want a relaxing game, this game will work for you as well, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
A young woman joins the Order of monster hunters and discovers its dark secrets.
Overall rating
5
/
5
116 of 134 found this review helpful
Could A Rogue Agent Be The Missing Link To Your Forgotten Past?
PostedAugust 14, 2016
pennmom36
fromDoes Sylvia remember where she lives?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The Order and hunting monsters is the only lifestyle Sylvia remembers after her accident last year. Members of the Order dedicate their lives to fight creatures from beyond our world. They are humanity's only defenders against the darkness, acolyte's that rely on wisdom and cunning over strength. Sylvia is one of the Order's newest proteges working as an apprentice under the wings of Simon, the organization's senior agent. Sylvia's latest assignment is to stop Gabriel, a rogue agent who has stolen a powerful artifact from the Order's archives. This artifact, called the Incarceri Stone, is capable of breathing life into death, but Gabriel was unaware that the Stone created a riff which unleashed a very powerful monster known as the Koshmaar. The Koshmaar possesses humans and turns them into evil minions. Capturing Gabriel and the Stone may prove to be an invaluable piece of Sylvia's lost memory that she may not be prepared to deal with!
This is by far the best Grim Legends yet. I played the Beta version several months ago and was sent an updated version just a few weeks ago. My comments for the game included the fact that this game would be an instant purchase for me, and I can't wait to get back to the game to finish this awesome story and discover who Sylvia was, before the accident. The graphics are incredible and the storyline gets better with each new chapter, it does a fantastic job of holding your attention and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Many of the zoom zones offer a very interactive feature where you can fiddle with objects using a rotation button to flip the object as you push buttons, slide gears and find and install missing components. The Collector's Edition version offers 28 Achievements to earn and 30 Hidden Skull Imps to find as well as the usual CE bling of Wallpapers, Concept Art etc.
The Hidden Object Scenes aren't spectacular, but there's only so much you can do with HOP's. There are Interactive List finds, Multiples of a single item finds, Finding Symbols in groups of two and some smaller Zoom Zone puzzles where you are tasked with finding just a handful of items.
The Mini Games are fairly decent and I didn't find any of them so far to be too frustrating or so boring I skipped it. The following are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Use lockpicks to open a lock.
2) Click on four Masks until the correct color sequence matches the clue shown.
3) Find hidden runes in a picture that match the symbol inside the crystal ball.
4) Shoot a pistol when the target is green.
5) Click on balls to darken the correct pattern as shown in a negative photo. (keep in mind how a negative works)
6) Drag stained glass pieces to the correct places on the pane.
7) Follow the picture directions of a recipe.
8) Place elements hidden in the pictures in their proper slots.
9) Each time Sylvia uses her "powers" to fight the enemy you must click on the token that doesn't have any of the symbols inside the enemies tokens.
The Collector's Edition has 12 replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 18 replayable Mini Games, 6 Wallpapers, 12 Concept Art pictures, 28 Achievements to earn, 5 Music Soundtracks, 6 replayable Cutscenes, a built in Strategy Guide, and a Bonus Chapter, (The Ancient Stone) enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Can you save your world from darkness in time?
Overall rating
5
/
5
201 of 229 found this review helpful
The Seers Didn't See This Coming?
PostedAugust 13, 2016
pennmom36
fromThose Seers don't have very good vision!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
General Luther tried to enslave the world with the help of his troops. The Seers predicted this would happen and imprisoned his army in the Gates of Oblivion. Unfortunately, the General was too powerful and was able to destroy the Seers (what! They didn't "see" that one coming?) Loreley, the last standing Seer used her dying breath to curse Luther, taking away his physical body. Without a body, Luther cannot open the Gates, and ironically, his soul can only be revived within the body of a natural born Seer. There hasn't been a natural born Seer in over a thousand years, and the General has waited patiently for this day to come. This day is your sister Alice's 21st birthday (or it may be your daughter's 13th birthday according to BF) and Alice is about to get a big birthday surprise, from General Luther himself!
Well, this isn't the best Reflections of Life game out there, and yes, I agree with sunnyglow that there are way too many games with the same storyline and same cloaked evildoers, but the game held my interest with it's numerous puzzles and HOP's so I didn't care what the story was about. Loreley's spirit is alive and well inside a crystal ball that has been in the family's attic for a while so she's more than happy to assist you with the occasional hexed magical barriers you come across during this adventure. (if she can zap things in the real world, why can't she zap herself out of the glass ball?) I will also admit that this game has many logic flaws as well There's the description flaw discrepancy, whether Alice is your daughter or sister for starters. Her cake says she's 21, the description says she's 13, and when you wish her happy birthday, she claps her hands in a manner that would lead you to believe she's 13, but she looks 21. Then the bad guys torch the shop and you have to get out the fire extinguisher, the problem is, this life saving device is locked behind a glass cabinet and is missing a gem required to open it, I'm pretty sure that's not up to code lol. The crystal ball was an item Granny had been holding onto for who knows how long, but why? Is the crystal ball a thousand years old? Was the crystal ball passed down from generation to generation just in case one of your descendants turned out to be the "one"? When we finally make it out of the burning building (yep still burning because I didn't get my fire extinguisher out in time) we were fortunate enough to find a grappling hook and a really long ribbon. As luck would have it, we also found a very special alley cat that was able to walk up this ribbon sideways! That's correct, he walked all the way up the ribbon to reach the street light and his delightful prize, as if it were nothing! Fast forward a tad bit and you find a plastic "spork" in mint condition, that is until you use it to successfully remove mortar in between some red bricks! Not that it's illogical, but I did find it odd that two of the main characters had odd names that will probably ring a familiar bell, Luther and Demien. Speaking of familiar, this game has 66 hidden lumps of fur with eyeballs called Familiars. There is a pull out tab on the left of the screen that that will tell you if you've found all of them in a scene or how many are left to find there.
The Hidden Object Scenes were different variations each time, one of the scenes in the demo are repeated, but it was repeated with a different style the second time around. You can opt for a Match 3 alternative instead. There are small Zoom Zone HOP's with just a handful of items to find, Interactive List finds, Silhouetted Shape finds that you locate and place back and forth with 3 different locations using buttons to switch scenes, finding Misplaced items and returning them to the correct spots, and a Progressive Interactive HOP where you interact with several different items within an entire location (not a small zoomed in area) which exposes other items that are used to progress the scene.
The Mini Games offer a nice variety as well, some are super simple, others tend to be a bit frustrating but not impossible. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter:
1) Guide both glass shards to their places at the bottom of the board, using directional buttons on each row to allow the shard to fall down to the bottom.
2) Fold the map so the path to the Brotherhood's hideout is visible, folding vertically or horizontally.
3) Match the symbols on the arrows with the symbols on the outer ring by rotating the arrows to move them.
4) Restore the pathways from the 3 orbs in the center to the outer ring by selecting the inner circles to rotate them and the center button to move the orbs.
5) Adjust the dick until the correct tokens match the symbols in the inner circles.
This Collector's Edition has 66 hidden Familiar creatures, 14 Achievements to earn, replayable Mini Games and Hidden Object Scenes, 8 Music Soundtracks, 10 Wallpapers, a built in Strategy Guide, a Bonus Chapter and a Hidden Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Return to Blake's Mountain to save an innocent family!
Overall rating
4
/
5
91 of 99 found this review helpful
Gets Way More Interesting After The Demo
PostedAugust 12, 2016
pennmom36
fromHere Tom, put these sunglasses on and don't look at me, you're eyes are creepy!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I'm usually a big fan of this little series, which I've always considered to be a "sleeper" series. What I mean by that is that for the most part, the games have been surprisingly good, but never really made the spotlight. Dark Omens was released in 2013, and earned a 4.5 rating average, Wicked Harvest was released in 2014, and earned a 4.6 average rating and Silent Mountain was released in 2015, earning a 4.4 average star rating. When "The Gatherer" released the Collector's Edition on July 15, my first reaction was that the series had hit a brick wall because after playing the demo, I was bored, it had nothing new or exciting to offer. Reluctantly, I purchased the game when a good sale came around so I could complete my League of Light library, and I have to admit, everything got way better! Now I'm not saying this is the best game in the series, but I am saying that I judged this book by the demo, and the demo is just a grain of sand, that distracted me from seeing the beautiful beach.
After saving Hank Hunter and his young son Tom, from the evil witch, the Hank has asked you return to Blake's Mountain, to keep his family safe.Someone has been impersonating a League of Light agent, and as soon as you arrive, the imposter has you thrown in jail! Young Tom joins you once again, as the adorable yet creepy scarecrow with hollow eyes. The two of you attempt to stop the imposter from "gathering" the scarecrow and other human abominations, for reasons not yet known, but will it be too late?
You get the choice of playing the game as a Male detective, or a Female detective, or no gender which I'm assuming means to voice dialog at all. I chose the female voice, but thought it was funny that whenever my female voice spoke out loud, a silhouette of a man would appear at the top right corner, was that supposed to be my character? The Collector's Edition version offers 24 Hidden Owls, 6 Collectible Character Figurines, 20 puzzle pieces and 9 Achievements to earn.
The Hidden Object Scenes are far and few between, but fairly decent and in different variations including small Zoom Zone scenes. My favorite was finding pictures on the jail cell wall that matches the description being read. There are also Interactive Listed items, and Silhouetted Shape finds, and Multiples of the same item finds.
The Mini Games get more challenging as you progress, but are still fairly easy to solve. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo, and a few notable game after the demo:
1) Swap tiles on the basket lid so that there are no duplicate tiles on any column or row.
2) Find misplaced items and place them where they belong as a story is being told.
3) Throw a rope when the ball reaches the center mark.
4) Use a partial code to figure out a lock combination.
5) Find and drag objects in the image to their correct places during a picture story.
6) Select matching pairs by flipping over two coins at a time.
7) Place labels on bottles using silhouettes as a clue.
8) Select a path to sneak past the bandits. If one spots you, you will be caught and have to start over.
9) Use the cursor to fly the balloon over obstacles to reach the ship.
The Collector's Edition has 6 Music Soundtracks, 18 Wallpapers, 36 Concept Art pictures, 9 Achievements, 6 Collectible Character Figures, 20 Puzzle Pieces, 24 Hidden Owls, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!