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:
What mysteries are hiding in your family's history?
Overall rating
4
/
5
72 of 89 found this review helpful
Deja Vu?*******More Like Deja Vecu
PostedJune 24, 2016
pennmom36
fromJust a shout out to LivingAsif, I enjoy reading your reviews, hope to read more in the future:)
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
One Minute you're enjoying your holiday in Scotland, the homeland of your ancestors, the Heartfells. But in the blink of an eye, you find yourself smack dab into the same exact time period as your ancestors, September 18, 1751 (hence Deja Vecu not Deja Vu) ! This is a date the citizens of Invert County relive, over and over and over again, but they are unaware of this occurrence, they have no clue that they have been cursed by the Chimera's Curse. They have literally been Cursed and Forgotten, as time passes them by! Today, like yesterday and the day before, it is Elizabeth Heartfell's wedding day to William Sutherland. Unfortunately, Elizabeth will never live to wed the love of her life if you cannot stop the dark magic that surrounds this cursed county. The good new is, you'll have all the time in the world to separate the good from evil, because there's always tomorrow and tomorrow is always today!
What a beautiful love story with an interesting plot that would make Bill Murray proud! After playing the entire Collector's Edition as well as this Standard version, (because I always wanted to know the differences within each version) I still have a problem with the fact that the devs lately are going way off the deep end from the original plot. Chimeras are fire-breathing female monsters with a lion's head, a goat's body and a serpent's tail, NOT a dark spell! If they want to go so far off the beaten path, why not just make this a whole new series? I'm just going to pretend that this game has nothing to do with my beloved Chimeras series because this game doesn't hold a candle to the other games in the series!
The Collector's Edition has the usual Achievements to earn, 32 Morphing Objects, 16 Collectible Tarot Cards with descriptions about mythical wizards, sorceresses, fairies, trolls, sprites and even the ever elusive Horse Rider who only seems to make an appearance about once every 7 years and is feared by all. The Collector's Edition also has 36 rather large, not so hidden Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces that can be assembled to form 3 different Screensavers.
The Hidden Object Scenes vary throughout the game with basic Listed items with slight interactions to perform, mostly opening drawers or containers, opening up Lists with the find of 4 objects to drag to the outlines, finding Key Words during a story, Multiple finds of the same type of item such as musical instruments, finding two of each item to fill up Silhouetted Shapes, and one of my personal favorites was finding shapes and symbols in a tye dyed colorful swirl of paint or some other sort of liquid. There are also smaller Zoom Zone scenes and a scene where you click two items at a time to uncover 6 matching items.
The Mini Games are way to easy, and thankfully they do indeed get somewhat increasingly more difficult as the game progresses, but most can be solved on the first try. Below are brief descriptions of some of the Mini Games you'll encounter during the demo, and some of my favorites from the game after the demo:
1) Complete the picture by moving the pieces to the right spot by swapping and rotating pieces.
2) Play the correct tune on bagpipes by repeating the notes in the same order as shown.
3) Place wooden boards in the correct positions so they form a complete gapless fit.
4) Throw a lasso when the meter shown is in the green target zone, three times correctly.
5) Restore the stained glass picture by placing shards into the outlined slots.
6) Move the hand, shield and helmet of a knight into the correct positions as shown on a sketched clue.
7) Recreate symbols shown in the center bar by swapping symbols on the top and bottom columns so that when combined create the symbol shown.
8) Move the tokens from the left column to their positions on the right column without passing the tokens over each other.
9) Uncover matching pairs of symbols by flipping two stones at a time.
10) Help the frog get to the other side of the bank by choosing lily pads in the correct order.
11) Direct the boat to the tower avoiding danger and obstacles hidden under fog covered grids.
12) Connect all the pipes from the center to all 4 outlets until all 4 outlet lights turn green.
12) Deactivate all the lock pins using up and down arrows to light up each pin with the correct number of clicks.
13) Undo all the embroidery stitches by untangling the threads.
The Collector's Edition has 5 Music Soundtracks, 16 Wallpapers, 12 Concept Art pictures, 18 Achievements, 36 collectible Jigsaw Puzzle pieces that will form 3 Screensavers, a Secret Room, 16 collectible Tarot Cards, 32 Morphing Objects, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
The Collector's Edition has 5 Music Soundtracks, 16 Wallpapers, 12 Concept Art pictures, 18 Achievements, 36 collectible Jigsaw Puzzle pieces that will form 3 Screensavers, a Secret Room, 16 collectible Tarot Cards, 32 Morphing Objects, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Who broke the agreement between good and evil?
Overall rating
5
/
5
205 of 253 found this review helpful
Did Mr. Hyde Survive The Execution?
PostedJune 23, 2016
pennmom36
fromCan I refuse the position?
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
Uncle Ernest Hawkes has arranged a meeting with you and a good friend of his, Phileas Fogg, to discuss an important matter. Before either of you get a chance to say hello, your Uncle is attacked by a monstrous man, the spitting image of London's first serial killer, Mr. Hyde. That however is impossible, because Mr, Hyde was executed 20 years ago! Uncle Ernest has been gravely injured by this hulk of a man, but just before passing, he bestows you with an amulet of great importance, for it seems that your Uncle was a very important man with a secret identity, an identity you have just inherited! You quickly learn that Uncle Ernest was a member of the Vermillion Watch, a secret clandestine league dedicated to protect Queen and country. They fought criminals with dark agendas in the shadows of a seemingly civilized society. The Vermillion Watch was disbanded 20 years ago when they signed a treaty with an undisclosed organization, called the Moorgate Accord. The streets of London are no longer safe, it's time for you to assume your Uncle's' position as a member of the Vermillion Watch, and quench the flames of evil!
I love this new series, which seems to be a blend of two of my favorite series, Hidden Expedition and New York Mysteries! The graphics are incredible, the plot is fresh, there's plenty of action and enough mystery to keep you on the edge of your computer chair! Each Scene has a Hidden Sign to locate and there are plenty of Achievements to earn. Many of the scenes have panning abilities that allow you to pan the screen to the left or right and even up and down. My only complaint is that the Morphing Objects this Collector's Edition offers is only available within the HOP's, I wish they were available in the main game itself, and this would be the perfect game to offer a non-linear type of morph where the item doesn't morph the first time you visit the scene.
The Hidden Object Scenes are very well done, some of which have unusual features or take place in out of the ordinary scenes. There are Interactive List Finds, Multiple Listed item finds, Silhouetted Shape finds and even Silhouetted Shape finds in Multiples where you must find several of the same type of items to fill up the Silhouette shape. I liked the HOP where you are tasked with finding 6 of each building that is being described to you, on a map. There are also several smaller zoom zone Hidden Object Puzzles, and as I mentioned earlier, each of the main HOP's have a morphing Object to discover.
The Mini Games are creative, some newer some older, some super easy, others a bit frustrating. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Move all tokens onto the green circle by selecting red highlighted areas to move to, moving some tokens affect others.
2) Click on each watch pin to match the Roman Numeral with a symbol to figure out a coded lock.
3) Turn all of the tiles into fuses by selecting the tile with the red button and dragging the tile over others to flip them within 2 moves, repeat process with the second board as well.
4) Arrange dice in the same order as the barrels shown in an earlier clue discovery.
This Collector's Edition has 15 replayable HOP's, 20 replayable Puzzles, 9 Concept Art pictures, 9 Wallpapers, 9 Developer's Diary photos, 5 Music Soundtracks, a Souvenir Room, 15 Achievements, Morphing Object within the HOP's, Characters room, 16 Videos, 44 Hidden Signs, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Adventure, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Solve the riddle of eternal Darkness and save the Tree of Life
Overall rating
3
/
5
128 of 152 found this review helpful
Darkness Has Risen
PostedJune 22, 2016
pennmom36
fromI don't think she should have added the sleeping potion to all of the meat in the pot?!?
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
Amy has been plagued with nightmares lately, she has been having the same dream, night after night. In her dreams she sees her mother place a baby in a cradle, as she sings a beautiful lullaby. Before she releases the cradle to the currents of the stream, she places her medallion gently next to her and softly whispers, "I will always be with you, I love you Amy!" As the cradle begins to drift she watches her mother succumb to the powerful blow of lightning from a dark ominous figure...... Darkness! Amy has been raised by a kind and gentle Elder for several years, and he fears that Darkness has returned. He has sent Amy on a journey to save the Tree of Life from Darkness. This quest is not an easy journey, she will have to help many others along the way, before facing her fears from the Darkness of her nightmares.
This is an okay game with no frills, substandard graphics, and a storyline that offers nothing new. It's decent enough to use a credit on however, if you have one that's about to expire, or perhaps taking advantage of today's sale, it's not horrible, it's just not a fantastic, gotta have type of game. There are 3 available modes of difficulty, Easy, Normal and Hard. There are no voiceovers other than the opening trailer, otherwise, you'll have to read dialog boxes from each character you meet.
The Hidden Object Scenes are pretty much the same, and most of the scenes have such basic graphics, it can make it difficult to recognize some objects. There are mostly Progressive, Interactive Silhouetted Shape finds where you find an item that matches the silhouetted shape shown, and then use that item back in the scene interactively to expose the next item and so forth. There are also Fragmented object finds and Listed item finds, and some of the scenes are doubled up as you revisit past scenes, for another HOS in the same place.
The Mini Games are decent as well, although none of them were new or variations of an older favorite. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Enter the coordinates on the telescope by selecting the symbol to change, and then turning a handle to scroll through different symbols until you have the correct symbols according to the clue you found earlier.
2) Sharpen the image in the telescope by adjusting 4 knobs.
3) Rotate the rings to complete the image of the Tree of Life.
4) Rotate 4 sections of a keyhole frame until they line up with the keyhole on the door.
5) Guide the two pearls to the appropriate holes at the bottom of a stone maze using left and right rotational arrows.
6) Remove the poisonous vines by matching the correct ends with each other.
7) Swap books to form a complete image on the book spines.
I wasn't blown away by anything in this adventure, however for a Standard Version game, it's okay. There are no bells and whistles, no achievements or over the top features, but it has a decent storyline and somewhat of an entertainment factor worthy of a credit in my opinion, but give it a try and see for yourself is this game will float your boat, or is is cradle?
Guide Bob to safety as he sleepwalks through the city. Control his subconscious guardian, Subob, as the pair travel through a surreal dream world.
Overall rating
2
/
5
147 of 166 found this review helpful
What About Bob
PostedJune 21, 2016
pennmom36
fromI'm going back to bed.
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Bob has a sleeping disorder, Narcolepsy, which causes him to fall asleep at work and sleepwalk. Luckily for Bob, he has a subconscious guardian named Subob who helps Bob make it safely to his bed, by gently guiding him through the obstacles and various dangers within his dreamworld.
Each level is the same, you guide Subob to the green apple which is usually located nearby. Once he is close enough to the giant fruit, you right click to pick the apple up, left click to guide Subob to the best area to change Bob;s walking pattern (as shown by footprints) and right click again to place the apple. Bob will always turn clockwise, and there are other stationary objects along the way that will also cause Bob to turn clockwise. If Bob falls off the edge of the grid, he will restart from the beginning point, but Subob and the apple stay in the same place they were. This means that you might have to scramble a bit to reach Bob's previous wrong way obstacles, but at least you will know the right strategy to take.
Back to Bed is actually a fast paced game where you have to struggle with your computer mouse, unless you have a game controller which is what this game was designed around. The first few levels were fairly entertaining, but as the levels became progressively harder, I found the game to be more frustrating than I personally cared for, so for me, I'll pass on this one.
I don't recommend this game.
Take a romantic journey through Japan! Prepare for an exciting adventure and experience Japan during the spring time.
Overall rating
5
/
5
204 of 219 found this review helpful
I Wasn't Expecting This Match 3 Game To Be So Entertaining
PostedJune 20, 2016
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I was pleasantly surprised to find that this Match 3 game had some unique features that made it so entertaining. You can choose from three modes of difficulty, Bronze is an easy mode with no timer and the hint and skip features recharge in 30 seconds. Silver is a medium difficulty mode that gives you times to complete each level in the 500's and the skip and hint recharges in 60 seconds. Gold is a hard level which gives you time to complete the level in the 300's, the hint feature recharges in 120 seconds and there is no skip feature available. There are Mini Games to play after a few levels such as a seek and find scene, tracing dotted lines with your mouse or preparing California rolls by following the recipe shown.
Most of the levels are the typical Swap type Match 3, but occasionally, there is a Group type Match 3 where you click to remove groups of 3 or more tiles. The goal is to remove all Gold and Silver tiles by making matches on those cells, sections of the board are blocked until you make enough matches of an item to unlock that portion such as a keys that unlock chests or scissors to cut the grass that has grown on that section. If you make large matches or combo matches, you will receive a Bomb on the board that can be clicked on or included in a match to explode, destroying tiles surrounding it. There are Bonus icons to collect by simply clicking on them, when you earn enough to fill the meter, you can use them, such as Origami birds that will destroy tiles in a snowflake pattern or a Lucky cat that destroys tiles in a row.
There are the usual obstructed tiles that have single locks or double locks that require a match of the same tile that is locked, or boxes that require matches adjacent to them to break the box. You will receive different flowers as you progress to fill you Herbarium collection, which gives you brief description of the flower and it's origin.
I played the demo game on the Silver or medium difficulty, and I found that I had plenty of time left, so I plan on purchasing this game with a credit and then I'm going to try playing the game on the Gold or hardest level. I actually found this game to be relaxing, and the music and graphics are soothing and peaceful. This is the perfect game to play after work or a stressful day just to unwind and take your mind off all the chaos of the day, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
It's up to you to rescue your friend and discover what the dark forces are after!
Overall rating
4
/
5
87 of 97 found this review helpful
Dungeons And Dragons Are Cool But Why Did This Game Take A Fairytale Twist....oooh nooo, not again!!!
PostedJune 19, 2016
pennmom36
fromWhat does the purple fox say?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
For me, The Secret Order was love at first sight right from the beginning. The storyline was mysterious with one of the freshest plots, the kind of game you couldn't stop playing because you wanted to find out what came next for Sarah Pennington and her frigate Time Machine. I purchased the Collector's Edition of this game because once again I fell in love with the storyline. And once again the plot started out as a thrilling and realistic action paced game, with current lifelike graphics, but suddenly did a 180 after the demo. The graphics took on a whole new fantasy world theme, with an over abundance of pink and purple hues, vibrant and colorful butterflies, huge otherworldly fauna and fuzzy little creatures, even the fox was purple! This game is supposed to be about Time Travel, and I just wish that these types of games would stick to one genre or another. The Buried Kingdom is a great game, but I was a little disappointed with the game and it's features in the last few chapters. Here's a recap of my review from the Collector's Edition along with a few comparisons in this Standard Edition.
After Sarah Pennington's last mission, the Griffin Order banned all time travel and destroyed all time traveling devices including the Frigate that took us on so many epic adventures in time. Sarah has decided to take some time off to reconnect with her friends and family, and it just so happens her best friend Julie has some very exciting news to share. Julie is a renowned explorer and after years of searching, has finally discovered the Buried Kingdom, a legendary kingdom where dragons and humans thrived together, until a tidal wave buried the kingdom under the ocean forever. Legends have been told for generations about this mythical kingdom that adapted to the oceanic conditions, but until now, was only speculation! Somebody doesn't want this discovery to be known, and someone or something has kidnapped Julie, so it's up to Sarah to search the buried kingdom for answers and find a way to save Julie, with the help of an unusual sidekick (who just happens to be a beautiful shade of purple) of course!
Griffins can't swim, and they don't make scuba equipment large enough to fit a large beasts anyway, so for this underwater adventure you'll need a baby dragon, DROI. Droi is adorable to say the least, and can retrieve items from places only a dragon could reach, and of course the fact that he breathes fire is a big plus too. You will also receive a Dragon's Eye that will be used to unlock special entrances, but needs recharged with a mini game after each use. There are plus signs on some inventory items that indicate some type of interaction is required before the item can be used such as assembling a torn photograph. The Collector's Edition has several extras to keep you busy, there are 24 Achievements to earn, 20 Morphing Objects that must be in the correct form to click on, and Collectible Dragon Eggs in Blue, Green and Purple and a mystery color as well.
The Hidden Object Scenes are varied, and very well done. There are Interactive List finds, Interactive Progressive Silhouetted Shape finds, finding items that match Keywords in a story and one of my personal favorites, Fragment finds where you find fragments for three different sections that will combine to make a useful inventory item, the same type as in the Dark Parables series.
The Mini Games tend to be on the easy side, but all are fun and entertaining. The following are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) The Dragon Eye recharging games are a series of progressively more difficult versions of connecting pipes from the dragon symbol to the dragon's eye by rotating pipe sections.
2) Guide a ship through all of the points to reach the yellow spot, without revisiting any of the points.
3) Use a magnet to guide the key through a maze to reach the upper right corner.
4) Find scuba equipment and place in their correct silhouetted shapes.
5) Place the symbols from the sheets in their proper places on the stone relief.
6) Rotate the 4 outer circles to light up all the gems on the wheel, with circles that move 2 places right, 2 place left, 3 places right and 3 places left.
The Collector's Edition has replayable Mini Games and Hidden Object Scenes, 24 Achievements, 20 Morphing Objects, 21 Collectible Dragon Eggs of different colors and mystery bonus game collectibles, replayable cutscenes, 18 Wallpapers, 14 Concept Art pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Can you defeat the mysterious Blade Master?
Overall rating
4
/
5
202 of 219 found this review helpful
Your Blood Will Release Dark Dimensions
PostedJune 18, 2016
pennmom36
fromHow is it possible for him to throw that many knives at once? Where does he keep them, there are hundred of 'em?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Dinner and a show, what a great way to spend your first Anniversary, especially when you've been chosen as the Blade Master's volunteer assistant! Turn's out this could wind up being your first and last anniversary! Everything was going smoothly, you prepared the knives and buckled Sabrina, the other volunteer, tightly to the target board, what could possibly go wrong, after all, he's an expert marksman, right? Anything and everything can go wrong, welcome to the Dark Dimension! This Blade Master has an evil agenda, spill blood with poisoned knives to begin the ritual that awakens the Dark Dimension,,,,,,,again!
Something has happened to the core game series lately, the once famous and dark games of yesterday have become watered down. No longer are the games true to their origins, these games are no longer creepy, dire or scary, they are floating somewhere between a fairytale game and a family oriented G rated movie. Don't misunderstand me, I like fairytale fantasy games, I just don't like it when that theme is presented in a game that has become popular BECAUSE it was a dark scary game genre. What's next, Madame Fate turns the carnival into a bright and happy toyland with pink fuzzy bunnies and happy faced balloon blowing clowns that get kidnapped by a giant purple unicorn? This game is the perfect example, There are no possessed children, no ghosts maliciously wreaking havoc, no imagination, just more of the same, so for that reason, I cannot give this Dark Dimension 5 stars. It's a good game with really good graphics, but it's no Dark Dimension, perhaps it's an almost Dark Dimension that is desperately trying to be, but couldn't go the extra mile.
There isn't a whole lot going on as far as bells and whistles, you do receive a Knife Box that was left behind by the Blade Master. Throughout the adventure you will find pendants that open up different compartments, each compartment holds a knife that is used to open gates that are meant to deter you from following the Master as he attempts to flee, so he's not all that masterful if he left the keys behind. There are several Plus Sign inventory items that require some type of interaction before the item can be used, some of which are small puzzles to solve such as rotating discs to line up correct symbols. Each scene has a Morphing Jigsaw Puzzle piece to locate, some of which are cleverly blended into the scenery. When you find all the pieces, you can assemble each of the 4 puzzles, rotating the pieces with rotation arrows at the bottom. That's about it, no Achievements, or other collectibles available.
The Hidden Object Scenes are decent, but nothing to write home about. There are scenes where you find Multiples of items, Progressive and Interactive listed item finds and Multi-layered scenes, some of which have a puzzle such as clicking on two broken board halves that belong together. I did enjoy the one where you are tasked with finding 12 knives that have been thrown at you and frozen mid air with a 3D type effect. I was actually surprised at how well hidden a few of those knives were.
The Mini Games are decent as well as entertaining, nothing too easy or too difficult. The following are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Place blade fragments onto the correct knives according to the shape of the fragments.
2) Assemble the mask using rotational arrows to turn the mask until the fragments are lined up in the correct position to snap onto the mask.
3) Swap the inner gray plates until they match the outlines of the copper shapes, by swapping the teeth, the teeth can only swap to specific positions shown.
4) Light up all of the candles, clicking on one candle may affect other candles.
5) Use arrows to rotate the loose branches so they will fit over a gem and connect with other branches. They will shine if placed correctly.
This Collector's Edition has 19 Developer's Diary photos, 11 Concept Art photos, 6 Wallpapers, Morphing Jigsaw Puzzle pieces (which have 4 different Puzzles to assemble) 4 Music Soundtracks, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Adventure Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
The real Bloody Stanley was caught, or so they thought...
Overall rating
4
/
5
80 of 92 found this review helpful
Slightly More Entertaining After The Demo
PostedJune 17, 2016
pennmom36
fromDon't trust the cat!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Originally I was going to pass on purchasing this game because it just wasn't that exciting to me. I decided to take advantage of the sale offered yesterday, and threw this game (Collector's Edition) in for the discounted price. It does get slightly better after the demo, mainly because of the Mini Games offered. I played the demo of this Standard Edition to be able to compare the versions side by side. In my opinion, this Standard Edition is the better choice, unless you want to collect fake gold coins that aren't hidden at all, to purchase make believe knives from around the globe. This is a fairly easy game and I saw no need to use a Strategy Guide which is also included in the Collector's Edition. I have included my review from the demo as well as some features from the other chapters. (5 Chapters total plus Bonus Chapter)
Hank Williams has been arrested for the gruesome murders that have occurred recently. This serial killer has been dubbed "Bloody Stanley" and he's scheduled to be executed, the town can rest easy now that he's behind bars....or is he? Seems like Hank may be innocent, because there's been another murder with the same MO! You're first day as detective is going to be a doozy, not only do you have to prove one man's innocence, you have to find the real murderer, before yet another name is crossed off his list!
The graphics are fairly decent, but the storyline is getting old. The storyline waivers a bit from a serial killer to paranormal once you find an Orb that can detect 5 memory fragments floating throughout some of the scenes. Once you have caught all 5, a ghost will appear to show you something very important that will help your investigation. As you scour the town for evidence and clues, you will come across several silver coins that are used to purchase miscellaneous items from a shady back alley vendor's trench coat lining. These coins are also used to pay the coach driver for each new location (or chapter) he takes you to. These coins are not to be confused with the collectible Gold Coins that you find and use to buy Knives from around the world such as the Tanto a Japanese sword, the Kukri a machete from Nepal and the Sgian-dubh a knife used with the traditional Scottish Highland dress. (Gold Coins are only available in the Collector's Edition, most coins are just laying in plain sight within the zoom zones) That's all fine and dandy, but I don't get this feature at all, who cares about fake virtual buying? I'd rather find the knives themselves as a collectible or better yet, a morphing knife object. The Collector's Edition also has Collectible Skull Masks, within the Hidden Object Scenes. (again, they are not hidden, they are just laying out in plain sight, and the cursor changes to a hand which makes it even easier to spot) Whenever you speak to other characters, you are given several conversation options, usually one straight to the point option, one slightly introverted, and one slightly sarcastic. When I played this SE version, I chose different questions to ask and I got the same response. The CE also has Achievements to earn, the only ones I was impressed by told you how long it took you to finish a puzzle or HOP. Both editions have the usual Plus Sign inventory items, some of which require you to solve a puzzle which is kinda cool.
The Hidden Object Scenes lack imagination and are all basically the same, usually Interactive List Finds with some multiples of the same item, followed by Silhouetted Shape Finds. There are also smaller Zoom Zone HO's where you need to find 4 fragments of a particular object. In the Collector's edition each Hidden Object Scene has a brightly colored collectible skull mask to find, but I have no idea what the mask has to do with the storyline. My biggest disappointment with this game came with the realization that many of the scenes are repeated, this is a feature I despise, it's just too boring the second time around, even more so when it was boring the first go round.
The Mini Games aren't bad, they start out in the demo kind of boring, but really do improve afterwards. Below are brief descriptions of some of the Mini Games you'll encounter during the demo, and a few of my favorites after the demo:
1) Place flower tokens of different shapes on the board so that they fit together. (one of my favorite games)
2) Catching memory fragments using your Orb ghost catcher each time it's used by clicking on each floating orb until the orb indicator is full.
3) Move the silver token to the empty silver space on the board. Move the gold chips to move the frame and create a path for the silver tokens.
4) Move the silver chip to the empty space on the plate using arrows to rotate the disk.
5) Navigate the buttons and open the blockers with tools you find in a labyrinth. This was my favorite puzzle because the labyrinth was made up of hedges and stone walls and was covered in fog so you couldn't see openings, you had to move the character a little at a time, and hit dead ends a lot of times. You come across obstacles such as locked gates, or even a beehive that require you to explore every inch of the maze to find things that will help you such as, keys to open the gates or a smoker to calm the bees down long enough to walk past them!
6) Swap lock "teeth" on the bottom rail, press the check button to expose the top rail of teeth until the bottom teeth fit snugly into the top teeth.
7) Get all the color coded bugs to their final color coded positions. Bugs will move until they hit an obstacle or another bug,
8) Move the puzzle parts to their final positions, puzzle pieces stick to each other.
The Collector's Edition has 9 replayable Mini Games. 18 replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 22 Movies, 4 Music Soundtracks, 5 Screensavers, 9 Wallpapers, 11 Concept Art pictures, 17 Achievements, 11 Collectible Masks, 15 Knives from around the globe to purchase with Collectible Gold Coins, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Not all fairy tales are just stories…
Overall rating
5
/
5
317 of 364 found this review helpful
Awesome Game But It Seems More Like A Dark Parable Story
PostedJune 16, 2016
pennmom36
fromWhat, no Princess bed in Cindy's bedroom?!
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 Book of Fairy Tales supports all life within Fairyland. Unfortunately, this important artifact was damaged and some of it's pages were scattered across Fairyland and the real world, the book itself is missing! The characters within those scattered pages were also scattered between the two worlds, including Cindy Allen who seems to have no idea that she's really a Fairytale Princess. She doesn't have much time to figure things out because the Huntsman from Snow White is hunting her down as he searches desperately for the ever so important book!
No Fairytale would be complete without the Cheshire Cat, so naturally he joins the princess on this amazing adventure, and he sure can talk up a storm! Surface has had a few duds lately but The Lost Tale is certainly not one of 'em, however, this doesn't seem like a storyline that should be offered in a Surface game, it seems more like a Dark Parable storyline to me. As usual, there are Red and White Forget-me-Not hidden flowers to collect, some of which are very well blended into the scenery. This Collector's Edition offers the usual Achievements to earn as well as 12 Morphing Fairytale Characters that give a brief bio about the character as well as their alter ego.
The Hidden Object Scenes are varied with Interactive List finds, Matching Pair finds, Progressive Silhouetted Shape finds and even scenes that have you placing items from the list into the scene correctly. Some of the HOP's are multi-layered and have two or three different types within the same scene.
The Mini Games are fairly easy, none seem to be frustrating either. The following are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Match the fairytale character to the logical diagnoses by swapping characters.
2) Select the arrows to steer the car towards home, avoiding obstacles in the road.
3) Get Cinderella to the ball by interacting with objects in the scene.
4) Find out when the clock stopped and set the hands to show the correct time.
5) Reconstruct Alice's memories by dragging the three clouds on the left to adjust the memory fragments to fit together. Moving some clouds may cause some fragments to disappear and others to appear.
6) Place the mythical creatures on their place of origin by swapping the creatures.
7) Repair the net by selecting the correct tasks.
This Collectors Edition has replayable Puzzles and Hidden Object Scenes, Collectible Red and White hidden flowers, 12 Morphing Fairytale Characters, Achievements to earn, 10 Wallpapers, 1 Screensaver, 10 Concept Art pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Haunted Hotel: Lonely Dream
Explore the Haunted Hotel and experience supernatural phenomenon for yourself in Haunted Hotel: The Lonely Dream!
Overall rating
3
/
5
7 of 8 found this review helpful
Haunted Hotel: Lonely Dream
PostedJune 15, 2016
pennmom36
fromWell at least they mention the Hotel could be haunted this time.
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 being totally disappointed with the original Haunted Hotel, I was glad to see a clarification of the storyline in this game. Although I'm still not impressed yet with the game mechanics, this game is an improvement from the last one, with a slight edge on the entertainment factor.
The Lonely Dream Hotel is just a front for a Time Machine, which has components hidden throughout the rooms of the hotel, but there's not really any explanation as to how it got there or why. The Time Machine is fueled by the talents of musicians and various artists who are invited as "guests" with the promise that the Hotel will enhance their artistic abilities. The problem is, once they check in, they can never check out!
Damon Sundey returns as the FBI agent who arrested the priest of a cult who he thought was responsible for all of the missing persons in connection with the hotel. Agent Sundey learns he was wrong when he is teamed up with Jack Saver, a cop and expert in the paranormal time travel field. Together they return to the Hotel to search for the missing guests before disassembling the Time Machine.
This isn't an easy game because there is no map and there are so many different locations to investigate. In my opinion the items you find as well as search for in the HOP's are too small, many of which aren't recognizable because they are so small. The Hidden Object Scenes are all the same, and still lack imagination, there's no interactions, nothing other than finding item after listed item. The Mini Games or puzzles are far and few between, however, they are pretty decent games for being such an old game. I liked the one where you place mirrors of different angles to reflect the beam of light from the bottom left of the screen to the top right of the screen, easy but fun, enjoy!
I don't recommend this game.