This "Top Reviewer" is one of our most frequent game reviewers. We think you'll trust what they have to say and find their reviews helpful and informative.
This "Top Reviewer" is one of our most frequent game reviewers. We think you'll trust what they have to say and find their reviews helpful and informative.
I'm a Jigsaw Puzzle Geek and until the Puzzle Pieces series rolled around, BF never offered a decent Jigsaw game. The only puzzles they offered were by the same developer whose puzzles never had any decent options, in fact, they didn't have ANY options! Then along came this developer, an Indie Developer who cared, a developer who listened to our constant pleas for better options and better images. This developer continues to listen and continues to tweak the games accordingly. When a series continues to get better and better, that's when you know that a developer pours their heart and soul into a game versus the developer who says "it is what it is, deal with it and take the elevator to the eighth floor to give us money" tee-hee-hee.
There are 6 Chapters plus a Secret Chapter and a Chapter that lets you download your own images. You'll earn Sunbeams & Coins for completing the puzzles which allow you to defrost more chapter puzzles and buy more time. Each chapter has several Customizable images for a total of 230 Jigsaws (not including the ones you download yourself) and you can earn Achievements and a Daily Reward as well.
CUSTOMIZATIONS: Enable/Disable: Piece Rotation Enable/Disable: Puzzle Preview Enable/Disable: Random Extra Pieces Puzzle Piece Amount: Drag Slider Bar 30-1024 Choose Puzzle Shape: Standard Tab-(8 total variations) Squares-Loop, Bird Tabs, etc. Zoom Feature: Scroll to Zoom or + & - (and drag the entire board using the right or left click) Shuffle: Shuffle Puzzle Pieces Brightness: Adjust Color-Warmth-Brightness Background: 10 Background Options Show/Hide: Edge Pieces Show/Hide: Ghosted Image Buy Additional Time Hint: Hint For Any Puzzle Piece Placement Puzzle Preview: Can Be Placed Anywhere
Thank you Graphium for another fantastic jigsaw puzzle! I've opened my own forum and would love to have you join us at thewoodsforum.boards.net
IT'S JUST AS ENJOYABLE THE SECOND TIME AS IT WAS THE FIRST
PostedMarch 21, 2021
pennmom36
fromIt's a beautiful day today, some say the ☼sunshine's glow is bound to be from heaven so spectacular that even the ><(((('> fish are watching it rise to the occasion! ❀
This "Top Reviewer" is one of our most frequent game reviewers. We think you'll trust what they have to say and find their reviews helpful and informative.
Even though I purchased and played the Collector's Edition version of this game, I still enjoyed playing this Standard Edition version. When a game is just as enjoyable the second time around, you know it's a decent game! The graphics are really good, the scenery is interesting, and there's a ton of different features, collectibles, and fun facts for each scene location, even in this Standard Edition version. Point8Games are the developers who brought us the Adventure Trip series and in my opinion, this game is more interesting...maybe because I love camping and nature.
There are 5 different Hidden Object Modes, Listed Items, Silhouetted Shapes, Missing Vowels, Riddle Descriptions, and Scrambled Letter. You can replay the scenes AND you can choose which mode you want to play or simply follow the default which gives you a different mode each time you replay the scene.
You will receive extra points when you find objects Quickly and for me, it was an added challenge to try to find the items first, and then click on them all at once so I could see if I could remember where they all were as I watched the point amount increase with each correct selection. (you can also achieve accuracy awards) You will receive 14,000 points when you don't use the Hint and another 14,000 points for 100% Accuracy. You can play in an Easy Mode which gives you 15 second Hint recharges and no Misclick Penalties, a Medium Difficulty with a Misclick Penality, and a 35 second Hint Recharge, or a Hard Mode with a Misclick Penalty and a 60 second Hint Recharge.
The scenes will have either a Hidden Bear or a Hidden Flag that will be shown at the top and beforehand as a silhouetted shape, Some of the scenes have an 8-Ball as well (60 each) Finding all 60 Bears will Unlock the Unlimited Play, and collecting all 60 Flags will Unlock the Bonus Mini-Game section. The Diary holds all the Fun Facts about each location, and there are 19 Souvenirs that are actually Achievements. Each scene has 14 Items to find and some of the CE scenes have Sparkle Zoom Zone areas that disappear once you find all the items, as well as interactive items in Blue Text that require an Interaction to complete such as dragging gazebo parts to fix the roof. The only feature I wasn't happy with was the Magnifying Glass which disappears every time you click on an object, and you have to click on it to use it again, which is kind of annoying because you can't find items quickly while using this feature when it disappears after every click.
After playing a few Hidden Object Scenes, you will play a various Mini-Game such as Spot the Difference, Mahjong, Match 3, Word Search, a Memory Card Game, or Sudoku. The mini-games were a little too easily solved and I love "Spot-the-Difference" games but I wish they had gone the extra mile to make subtle changes in the scenery versus simply adding hidden objects to one of the scenes because anyone can spot something that is added to a scene, especially when they are large objects that aren't native to the scenery.
You will visit familiar Vacation destinations throughout California, such as Santa Catalina Island, Death Valley, the Golden Gate, the Hearst Castle, Hollywood Boulevard, the Joshua Tree, Cable Cars, Lake Tahoe, the Lighthouse, Mammoth Mountain, the Monterey Aquarium, Napa Valley, The Observatory, The Palace of Fine Arts, Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, the Cali Zoo, and Yosemite National Park.
The Collector's Edition version has 14 additional scene locations that are incorporated within the regular locations and are marked with a CE rosette. Come join us on my new forum at thewoodsforum.boards.net
FANTASTIC STORY! MHG IS IMPROVING BY LEAPS & BOUNDS WITH EACH NEW GAME
PostedMarch 19, 2021
pennmom36
fromIt's a beautiful day today, some say the ☼sunshine's glow is bound to be from heaven so spectacular that even the ><(((('> fish are watching it rise to the occasion! ❀
This "Top Reviewer" is one of our most frequent game reviewers. We think you'll trust what they have to say and find their reviews helpful and informative.
Completed Game approximately 6.0 Hours (including completion of all puzzles & Bonus Chapter 19 Scene Locations +7 CE Bonus Chapter Difficulty Range: Beginner-Intermediate
The Bermuda Triangle has been surrounded by mystery since the 1800s, ships and planes vanish into thin air with no logical explanation. After making your delivery you witness a strange purple lightning storm coming from the triangle, a completely avoidable situation until the pilot makes a rash decision to fly directly into the eye of the storm. Now the two of you are stranded on a mysterious island...and you're not alone!
I was at a loss as to why everyone was complaining about this game when it first released? Fortunately, brave gamers threw the negative aside and downloaded the game and they began to see what I had seen; a fantastic story, colorful graphics, and unusual tasks Clearly, Mad Head is fighting tooth & nail to gain their fans back, the ones they lost because BF persuaded them to abandon their style and go for a less costly method of copy/pasting graphics from game to game, and inserting all those cookie-cutter features. They paid the price when we began to notice the decline, and now we notice the rise as MHG climbs to the top once more.
! never play the demo anymore, so I'm not sure where the demo ended and the actual game took off but this has a very interesting plot with lots of twists and turns and I don't recall this particular plot being done before? We are always complaining about the same ole storylines developers keep offering and when we finally get something new and creative, everyone freaks out because it isn't a familiarity, so I say "Embrace Change" MGH did an outstanding job with this game, the scenery is beautiful, and they took advantage of unusual camera angles to make the gameplay a bit different, and more realistic, not to mention the fact that the HO's are really, really good, and that's saying a lot because HO's usually bore me to death lately.
Morphing Objects/Collectibles (CE version only) Each of the 26 Scenes, throughout the Main Game and Bonus Chapter, has a Morphing Object that is quite challenging to find in most of the scenes! Each scene also has a Collectible Triangle, (26) but I didn't have any issues finding these, even though they are constructed of different types of material, such as stone or wood.
Hidden Object Scene Morphs: In true MHG fashion, they also have those infamous Morphing Objects within all 17 Hidden Object Scenes, and they are definitely not easy to spot! Any missed Hidden Object Scene Morphs can be picked up by replaying the HO's in the extra's menu, which also allows you to better your star or accuracy score. I'm giving MHG "mad" props on the morphs in this game, they were perfectly sized, not too big, not too small, they morph at a decent rate (although slowing the speed just a tad would make them even more challenging, and that's why they add morphs...to be an added challenge!)
Graphics & Sound: The graphics are gorgeous! This is the kind of graphics I have been waiting for from MHG, they make me wish I were deserted on this tropical Island of Chibi. The sound effects were subtle, and because there were 10 different music soundtracks, you never hear repetitiveness, it gently ramps up during key moments and smoothly descends back down flawlessly, most of the time you don't notice the music loops because that's exactly what soundtracks are supposed to do. You'll hear the sounds of nature in the background of each scene, with chirping birds, crickets, rustling leaves in the wind, or moving water, it's peaceful, it's relaxing, and it fits in perfectly with the graphics theme of a tropical paradise.
Hidden Object Scenes: There are 15 Hidden Object Scenes, +4 HOP's in the CE Bonus Chapter, along with several smaller Zoom Zone HO's where you are tasked with finding a handful of objects shown as silhouetted shapes. MHG's shined in the HO department, the HO scenes had a good variety of styles and the objects are really well-blended into the scenery. The locations of the Hidden Object Scenes were bright and colorful, and every single HO scene was in tune with the game's theme, not to mention the fact that some of the HO's were a puzzle-HOS hybrid! There are a lot of different variations such as Silhouetted Shape Finds, Matching Pairs Finds, Interactive & Listed Item Finds, and Symbol Finds (MHG loves their symbols!) You'll be searching for colorful exotic fruits or flowers in one scene, and the next you may be trying to find objects on a stone bas-relief. You may have to Find and Replace objects within an old ship's logbook, find the colored version of flowers shown as colorless images, or find 12 Triangles cleverly blended into the scenery. One of my favorite scenes required you to find the matching stone block, as shown in the center. Each stone had an etched image of a tribal chief with subtle differences such as a feather headdress, earrings, beads, etc. Each of the HO scenes has a Morphing Object, and if you miss one, you can pick it up within the CE Extra's menu, where you can replay 17 of the HOS and earn achievements for time and accuracy. There are no alternative games available in lieu of HOP's.
Mini-Games: There are 24 Mini-Games +6 in the CE Bonus Chapter, some of which can be played in an Easy, Medium, or Hard difficulty mode. Although most of the games were rehashed puzzles from past games, most of them are enjoyable puzzles that can be solved within one or two attempts. Because MHG didn't add any new puzzles (and didn't put a lot of effort into the puzzles like they did the HOS)) I deducted a star from my rating...but honestly, I'm okay with this because the story is really interesting, and the HOS and graphics were top-notched! Here are some examples of the games available:
1-Find the rope knot that matches the example shown one at a time. 2-Swap shards on the top & bottom of a door lock so they interlock when closed. 3-Place torn fragments to complete a blueprint. 4-Rotate the symbols, one at a time, so they are in the correct position when a mechanical arm picks them up and places them into their matching slot. 5-Place all of the fruit, of various sizes and shapes, into a wooden crate. Available in an easy, medium, or hard difficulty mode (not as easy as it sounds!) 6-Repeat the pattern of flashing arrows x4 7-Select triangles on several wooden signs from smallest to largest x4. 8-Drag & rotate the catapult to aim at a pile of dried leaves. 9-Select footprints when they are located directly on the log.
Bonus Chapter: (CE version only) Join up with Andrew Collin lV on a swashbuckling adventure through the black market on a mission to steal the Seal Keys and find his long-lost love, Julia. This is a semi-lengthy, but hilarious Bonus Chapter spanning over 7 scene locations, with an additional 4 Hidden Object Scenes and 6 Mini-Games. There are 4 Hidden Object Scene Morphs, 7 Scene Morphing Objects, and 7 Collectible Triangles remaining. After completing the Bonus Chapter, you'll also be able to access the Treasure Hunt game where you return to the scenes to find 26 Treasure Hunt objects. You can also access Chibi Islands and the unused features of the Gallery.
Collector's Edition Extra's: 12 Wallpapers, 6 Concept Art Pictures with a Before/After slider bar, 10 Character Bios, 10 Music Soundtracks, 11 Achievements (6 available in 3 categories) 3 Replayable Mini-Games, 17 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 26 Collectible Triangles which allows you to unlock the Ultimate Hidden Object Scene, 26 Scene Morphing Objects, 15 HOP Morphing Objects, an Ultimate HO Puzzle, Chibi Islands image (after completing the BC) 26 Treasure Hunt Objects, a 40 piece Jigsaw Puzzle (that can be completed ANY time, even before you start the main game!) 6 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a Built-In Strategy Guide. Please join us at my new forum thewoodsforum.boards.net where you can find my series lists, chat with friends, play HOPAs and Adventure games together in group play games and so much more!
fromIt's a beautiful day today, some say the ☼sunshine's glow is bound to be from heaven so spectacular that even the ><(((('> fish are watching it rise to the occasion! ❀
This "Top Reviewer" is one of our most frequent game reviewers. We think you'll trust what they have to say and find their reviews helpful and informative.
I would love to give this developer a higher Star Rating because they developed some of the most creative HOPAs back in the day, such as Awakening, Botanica, Emberwing, and one of my personal favorites, Otherworld. Unfortunately, this third game in the Faircroft's Antiques series is no different than the first or second game. They all 3 have a compatibility issue that renders the Mini-Games unplayable because it doesn't recognize that the player is clicking on a puzzle piece. Several people complained about this, while others had no issues, whatsoever, but enough people have complained that it DOES warrant some type of patch!
There are several grammatical errors and several mislabeled items listed such as "gun" which was actually a "cannon" I found the game extremely finicky about where you clicked on an object. If you weren't clicking the dead center of the object it wouldn't recognize the click. If you keep clicking because your eyes are positive about what they are seeing, the screen freezes up to penalize you, this is really frustrating when you give up and hit the hint button only to be shown the exact item you were just madly clicking on!
The Mini-Games on all 3 games so far have been impossible to complete, not because they are difficult, but because of the compatibility issue! A simple "Click to Rotate Square Tiles" game gets pretty complicated when you have to find the exact corner to click on, then you get to the last 4-5 squares and they won't rotate no matter where you click!
We aren't getting much when it comes to the Collector's Edition versions lately. Each release seems to include less and less CE bonus content...Are We Okay With That???? Less Content for twice the price isn't More of anything (less is more doesn't apply here) There are only 15 Main Levels and 5 CE Levels and 30 Mini-Games total (not extra!) Join me on my new forum! thewoodsforum.boards.net
GET YOUR MAGNIFYING GLASS POLISHED, YOU'RE GONNA NEED IT!
PostedMarch 17, 2021
pennmom36
fromIt's a beautiful day today, some say the ☼sunshine's glow is bound to be from heaven so spectacular that even the ><(((('> fish are watching it rise to the occasion! ❀
This "Top Reviewer" is one of our most frequent game reviewers. We think you'll trust what they have to say and find their reviews helpful and informative.
When the first Paint by Numbers game was released by this developer I loved it and couldn't wait for the next one. Unfortunately, BF wasn't offering them at the rate they were being released (btw: Paint by Numbers is actually on game #19 game and counting) Meanwhile, I fell in love with a similar game by a different developer called Art by Numbers because the features, graphics, image selection, etc. is way better than these, they aren't even in the same league!
They never change anything in Paint by Numbers, they never spice things up, which would be perfectly fine if the game was spectacular like Art by Numbers, but it's far from being spectacular. In fact, this game is about as basic as it gets, the image selection always seems to be unappealing, they are always just a single clipart image slapped in the middle of a grey screen, unlike Art by Numbers which allows you to paint an entire screen! There is no customizable option, no cursor/paintbrush options, you can't even see past the first 8 images much less choose one to color...but I'm sure the images don't improve and they certainly won't add a new feature midway so I've stopped buying them. I'll keep playing the demos, maybe one day on game number 300 they will decide to get creative?
Paint by Numbers 8 once again has but a single option to choose from, the option to change the color of the background with a full-scale color bar which also changes the color of the "greyed" area or highlighted area of the number you are currently working on. Unfortunately, this sort of defeats the purpose, I love the background colors, I asked for background colors repeatedly, but it still needs to have a color variation between the background color and the highlighted area because it's hard to spot the colors you are working on if they are next to the background.
There are 64 images available but you are forced to finish the first level before moving on to the next. Why do I have to finish one level before proceeding? If you won't let the player see what's in store for them they may not purchase the game based upon the images presented in the demo, you should at least place some interesting pictures on the first level!
They also made the cursor tip slightly smaller and less bulky and you can now drag the cursor to fill in the colors on the entire board as long as you don't let go of the mouse button. In other words, as long as you left-click & hold before dragging a color, only the current number will be filled in, all other numbers will be ignored until you release the mouse button. This is a painting game...so give us some actual paintbrush tip options (options is the keyword here as in more than one)
There is also a Hint button that will point to any missed areas of the current color, without penalty if you don't feel like swiping over the whole board to catch missed areas. I had to use the Hint frequently during the demo because the areas to fill were microscopic...this wouldn't be an issue if there was an option to choose the color of the current number you are working on!
There's not a whole lot to have to figure out, it's about as uncomplicated and basic as it gets. Paint By Numbers is a computer version of Oil or Colored Pencil Paint by Numbers, and actually closer to the real thing than the Pixel Art versions. Each area has a number and you simply chose the corresponding color bubble from the palette (also numbered) on the right side, left-click to fill in all the numbers with the correct color. Once again, the colors offered are unappealing and the black outlines are thick which makes the completed image even more unappealing.
There is a Slider Bar that allows you to zoom in & out as well as a "fit" tab. You can also move the entire page around by right-clicking and dragging. There is a slider bar that allows you to change the color of the background, which now includes a full-color scale.
I'm sure there are still old-school Paint by Number fans because they wouldn't be on number 19 and counting. I'm also sure that if they gave Art by Numbers a spin around the track, those fans would see what they have been missing! Won't you please join us on my new forum? thewoodsforum.boards.net ☯
This "Top Reviewer" is one of our most frequent game reviewers. We think you'll trust what they have to say and find their reviews helpful and informative.
This developer has never disappointed me, they know how to create amazing Time Management games that have unique themes, and interesting features that are just downright fun to play! This developer brought us New Yankee, Rose Riddle, Viking Brothers, and Weather Lord, all of which are highly-rated game series, and my personal favorites.
You can play in an Easy, Untimed Mode, a Normal Mode, or Hard Mode with tighter Time-limits. My only complaint is that you have to start from the beginning if you switch modes. Sometimes I like to switch to the easy mode if I'm having difficulties earning all 3-stars until I figure out the best strategy, and then I'll switch back to Normal or Hard to earn my 3-stars. This is definitely a strategy-based game and you'll have to queue tasks correctly in order to complete the level goals.
There is so much to do, and you'll be doing it in different seasons, Autumn, Winter, Summer, and Spring! You'll have to repair railway sections, repair railway stations so you'll be able to unload train cargos full of supplies, such as Ore or food, Trade merchants for tools needed for the job at hand, chase away Bandits, rescue Settlers, and build them houses to collect rent, catch cows and corral them into pens to get food (apparently, cows provided people with ears of corn back in the Wild West days?) and of course, you'll have to clear obstacles, mine gold, gather food, remove traps, and chop down lots of trees as well as hire extra workers. Some tasks require two or more available workers, and workers assigned to cut wood at the sawmill, for example, can be "unhired" if you need them for another task.
In both versions, each scene has a hidden Yustas owl that peeks out from behind a bush, there are 60 "Wanted Owls" total. There are a ton of features included, 51 Town improvements, 50 Settlers & Indians to rescue, 30 Bandits, to arrest, 300 Houses to build, 50 Wigwams to build, 100 sections of Railway to repair, 1,000 Letters to collect, and 5 Shooting Ranges to shoot pop-up bandits and ducks, in both versions (reminds me of the Golden Trails HOG), so no one's getting bored with this game!
There are also several Bonuses that are added at certain levels, 4-8-1-5-18-22-24-29-33-36-39-and 45. The bonuses help speed up workers, produce more resources, etc.
The Collector's Edition version has 50 main levels and 10 CE levels. There are also 60 Collectible Owls, 4 Wallpapers, 5 Shooting Ranges, and 5 Music Soundtracks as well as a Built-in Strategy Guide that show where the Collectible Owls are located. Grab your tent and join us on my new forum at thewoodsforum.boards.net
This "Top Reviewer" is one of our most frequent game reviewers. We think you'll trust what they have to say and find their reviews helpful and informative.
Completed Game approximately 6.0 Hours (including completion of all puzzles & Bonus Chapter 15 Scene Locations +8 CE Bonus Chapter Difficulty Range: Intermediate-Advanced
Okay, the acting is a bit dreadful, but the storyline does get more interesting after the short demo! The storyline wasn't what piqued my interest, the fact that this wasn't a cookie-cutter game, the fact that I had to think about what to do and where to go was what totally floored me for the first time in years! Unlike the developer whose games we have been playing every single week with the same repetitive tasks, where you know where every zoom zone is located, and what every single item is used for and where you will use it the second you pick it up, this developer spent a lot of time and effort to purposely create a game that makes you think! Bravo Telltale games, you have impressed me beyond expectations, something no other developer has been able to do in years! If the HO's & Mini-games were replayable and the acting was a bit more polished, I'd have given this game 5-stars but I am a fan and will purchase any and all future games that you create...thank you for renewing my faith and putting the joy back into my HOPA game experience! :)
Morphing Objects/Collectibles (CE version only) Each of the 23 Scenes, throughout the Main Game and Bonus Chapter, has at least 1 fairly well hidden Collectible Bat. I loved this collectible! Unfortunately, there are no Morphing Objects, which is a shame because I think this developer could have pulled off a non-linear Morphing Object quite well!
Graphics/Audio/Video The graphics are decent, I love dark and dreary and I love vampire stories! The acting was a bit weird and the story could use some polishing around the edges to make it a bit more natural, but I can deal with a less than stellar plot when the game itself is not a cookie-cutter like all the other developers (1 D in particular!) The audio only had 4 tracks but I didn't notice anything repetitive, which is the point, it shouldn't be noticeable!
Hidden Object Scenes: There are 15 Hidden Object Scenes and 41 Smaller Zoom Zone HOP's +8 HOP's & 17 Mini HOP's in the CE Bonus Chapter. Some of the inventory items must be collected as 4-5 fragments around the scene in an old-school style of Circles that pop up, requiring you to find & place the fragments into the correct circle with a silhouette. None of the objects are obvious to spot. The regular HO's were simply amazing! For the first time in years, I had difficulty with knowing where to place the items, they weren't difficult to find, they were difficult to figure out where they went and I loved it! You may be required to place candles with symbols onto their matching candlesticks...not as easy as it sounds! You may have to straighten up a room as Cathrine tells you what needs to be done one sentence at a time, they aren't ordinary cookie-cutter HO's...and I loved them!
Mini-Games: There are 17 Mini-Games +8 in the CE Bonus Chapter. The mini-games weren't as good as the HOP's but they weren't bad either. I loved that some games required you to remember a clue you saw earlier versus posting a sticky note with the code etc. Here are a few examples of the games you'll come across:
1-Swap pie-shaped pieces correctly. 2-Move a flower to the end of the path according to the direction of the arrows shown. 3-Navigate a labyrinth by selecting directional arrows using a map. 4-Repeat the music by selecting the same piano keys demonstrated. 5-Swap sections of hexagonal pieces correctly using the points that are stationary as a starting point. 5-Set the position of several bats using partial clue images.
Bonus Chapter: (CE version only) Elizabeth returns to Lady Catharine's manor to help her become human again after she realizes the consequences of immortality. This is an average-length Chapter spanning 8 scene locations with 8 HOP's & 17 Mini HOP's, and 8 mini-games. You will continue to search for the final 13 Bats as well.
Collector's Edition Version Extra's: 7 Wallpapers that are beautiful! 4 Music Soundtracks, and 15 replayable Movie Video Cutscenes, 15 Achievements, 34 Collectible Bats, 3 Main Chapters (very long chapters) +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide. Please join us at my new forum at thewoodsforum.boards.net where you can find my series lists, talk about the games and so much more!
This "Top Reviewer" is one of our most frequent game reviewers. We think you'll trust what they have to say and find their reviews helpful and informative.
The Chronicles of Emerland Solitaire was one of my absolute favorite Solitaire games. I bet I played that game a thousand times, it was that good! When I learned that a new Emerland was on the horizon I just knew I was going to love it and I could hardly stand the wait...but I am a tad bit disappointed that it lacks the pizzazz of its predecessor.
You can play in an Easy or Advanced Mode and the first chapter has an annoying Card Shake tutorial if you hesitate for a second before choosing a card on the board, but fortunately, that goes away after the first chapter! There are only 3 Card Backs to choose from, none of which are that attractive. (you'd expect a few more choices in a CE version?) There are 3 Card Fonts, the default font is about as plain as it gets but the font is large enough for anyone to see easily. There is a Themed Card and a more modern large font as well, and 10 Achievements to earn.
Combos start at 5 Cards, and it's almost impossible to earn all 3-stars without making several combos because they were very stingy with the number of deck cards so the hand is over almost before it begins, and the combos and cards remaining are what fills the stars for "energy". Fortunately, you can Replay levels, and even better, you can click the score window to bring up the replay/continue tabs quickly.
Eventually, you will meet various characters that will join your quest to save Emerlands Magic. These characters can be used to change a deck card into a useful card or remove a lingering card, for example. These character boosters need to be recharged after every use by removing specific card suits such as Hearts or Diamonds.
What I dearly missed was the Hidden Object Scenes after every Chapter. In the original Chronicles of Emerland, they had amazing Hidden Object Scenes where you had to find Cards, Ravens, etc. and there was always a few objects that really hard to find because they were so well-hidden!
This Collector's Edition version has 10 Achievements, 5 Music Soundtracks, 5 Artwork Wallpapers, and an Extra Chapter that's supposedly more challenging.
I thought the game was plenty challenging, as I said earlier, they don't give you very many deck cards and it's difficult to make large combos, thus it's difficult to earn enough energy to fill all 3-stars and I had to replay most of the levels a few times. I was really excited about this game, but it didn't thrill me as much as the original version, therefore, since this CE version doesn't seem to have anything special, I think I will wait for the SE version and replay The Chronicles of Emerland 1~come join me at my new forum thewoodsforum.boards.net
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Completed Game approximately 5.0 hours (including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter) 20 Scene Locations +9 CE Bonus Chapter Difficulty Range: Beginner-Intermediate
Every actor is unique, some have talent, some have none, but every once in a while an actor arises with incredible talent, especially when assigned the right role. Oliver has waited his whole life for the perfect role, and today he announced the news that he would be playing the lead role as The Raven King in Radcliffe's new series of plays. What Oliver didn't know was that his Sparkle of Talent would be his demise!
Collectibles/Morphing Objects: (CE version only) Each scene has 1-2 Morphing Objects (for a total of 52) and there are 1-2 Collectible Dragons in each scene that unlocks a different Dragon at intervals of 5-10-24-30-45 and 52. There is an available pull-out Tab that tells you how many Morphs & Dragons remain in each scene which is super helpful due to the fact that not every scene has the same amount of morphs and dragons. If you find all the Dragons you get to play an extra mini-game.
Gadget/Helper: There is a Dragon "Helper" that destroys Magical Artifacts but he is only used 6 times during the main game. He isn't even noticeable between uses because he is a very well-trained and mature dragon who sits calmly on the far left of the screen. In true Friendly Fox tradition, the Dragon Helper enlightens with a background story, then he burns the magical artifact and leaves behind Magic Ashes which is then used as an inventory item. He is not available in the Bonus Chapter.
Hidden Object Scenes: There are 17 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter, some and several smaller Zoom Zone HO's. Most of the Hidden Object Scenes have several simplistic mini-games within them to solve such as placing torn picture fragments correctly or turning rings to align the images correctly. There are Interactive List Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Keywords in Sentence Finds, Find & Replace Items into the scene, Clue Description Finds, or Stage Placement Finds. There are no alternate games available.
Mini-Games: There are 30 Mini-Games +12 in the CE Bonus Chapter. Although the mini-games were somewhat enjoyable, they are very simplistic and can easily be solved quickly and within the first attempt. One of my favorites was a Collapse-style Match 3 game where you have to drag a line horizontally, diagonally, and vertically to remove at least 3 identical-colored gems and if you don't remove the right ones at the right time, you'll be left with only 1-2 gems that can't be removed.
Bonus Chapter: (CE version only) The story continues as you whisk off to help Sam find his missing daughter! This is an average-length bonus chapter that takes place over 9 Scene Locations. There are 12 Mini-Games and 5 Hidden Object Scenes. You will continue searching for the final 17 Morphing Objects and 16 Dragons.
Collector's Edition Version Extra's 8 Wallpapers, 8 Before/After Concept Art pictures, 8 Screensavers, 6 Music Soundtracks, 28 Movie Video Cutscenes, 28 Achievements (10 of which are available in 3 categories) 19 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 17 Replayable Mini-Games, 52 Morphing Objects, 52 Collectible Dragons that unlock a different dragon at intervals of 5-10-24-30-45-52) 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a Built-In Strategy Guide. Please join me at my new forum at thewoodsforum.boards.net...hope to see you there :)
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Completed Game approximately 5.0 hours (including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter) 20 Scene Locations +9 CE Bonus Chapter Difficulty Range: Beginner-Intermediate
Every actor is unique, some have talent, some have none, but every once in a while an actor arises with incredible talent, especially when assigned the right role. Oliver has waited his whole life for the perfect role, and today he announced the news that he would be playing the lead role as The Raven King in Radcliffe's new series of plays. What Oliver didn't know was that his Sparkle of Talent would be his demise!
Collectibles/Morphing Objects: (CE version only) Each scene has 1-2 Morphing Objects (for a total of 52) and there are 1-2 Collectible Dragons in each scene that unlocks a different Dragon at intervals of 5-10-24-30-45 and 52. There is an available pull-out Tab that tells you how many Morphs & Dragons remain in each scene which is super helpful due to the fact that not every scene has the same amount of morphs and dragons. If you find all the Dragons you get to play an extra mini-game.
Gadget/Helper: There is a Dragon "Helper" that destroys Magical Artifacts but he is only used 6 times during the main game. He isn't even noticeable between uses because he is a very well-trained and mature dragon who sits calmly on the far left of the screen. In true Friendly Fox tradition, the Dragon Helper enlightens with a background story, then he burns the magical artifact and leaves behind Magic Ashes which is then used as an inventory item. He is not available in the Bonus Chapter.
Hidden Object Scenes: There are 17 Hidden Object Scenes +5 in the CE Bonus Chapter, some and several smaller Zoom Zone HO's. Most of the Hidden Object Scenes have several simplistic mini-games within them to solve such as placing torn picture fragments correctly or turning rings to align the images correctly. There are Interactive List Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds, Keywords in Sentence Finds, Find & Replace Items into the scene, Clue Description Finds, or Stage Placement Finds. There are no alternate games available.
Mini-Games: There are 30 Mini-Games +12 in the CE Bonus Chapter. Although the mini-games were somewhat enjoyable, they are very simplistic and can easily be solved quickly and within the first attempt. One of my favorites was a Collapse-style Match 3 game where you have to drag a line horizontally, diagonally, and vertically to remove at least 3 identical-colored gems and if you don't remove the right ones at the right time, you'll be left with only 1-2 gems that can't be removed.
Bonus Chapter: (CE version only) The story continues as you whisk off to help Sam find his missing daughter! This is an average-length bonus chapter that takes place over 9 Scene Locations. There are 12 Mini-Games and 5 Hidden Object Scenes. You will continue searching for the final 17 Morphing Objects and 16 Dragons.
Collector's Edition Version Extra's 8 Wallpapers, 8 Before/After Concept Art pictures, 8 Screensavers, 6 Music Soundtracks, 28 Movie Video Cutscenes, 28 Achievements (10 of which are available in 3 categories) 19 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 17 Replayable Mini-Games, 52 Morphing Objects, 52 Collectible Dragons that unlock a different dragon at intervals of 5-10-24-30-45-52) 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a Built-In Strategy Guide. Please join me at my new forum at thewoodsforum.boards.net...hope to see you there :)