catbag8717's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.3
- Helpful Votes:8,793
- Reviews Submitted:584
- First Review:April 27, 2012
- Most Recent Review:September 23, 2020
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Characters from classical literature are coming to life!
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
My Ideal Game... So Why Am I Not Buying It?
PostedJanuary 6, 2015
catbag8717
fromTasmania, Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Current Favorite:
Ominous Objects: Family Portrait
(30)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
Downloading this game, I was a bit skeptical because of the change in developers. While the change in developers did not have that big an impact on the series, I will not be purchasing this one.
My reason for not purchasing this game is its story. I found it to be quite boring, which is a shame because time travel is one of my favourite storylines in HOPAs. The story had a good opening and started well, so I was really looking forward to seeing how this would pan out. My excitement was short-lived, however, as the story soon faded away in to nothingness. After the first portal was entered, the story became uneventful and boring, with no twists or developments to go on, only backstory (which I knew most of by that point anyway). It got to the point where the creep factor was the only thing keeping me going. And even though that was good in the beginning, even that was gone after a while (I'm guessing it started with that unnecessary singing!). So in the end I was just left biding my time until the end of the demo. To its credit, though, the demo ended well. It was the only twist and the highlight of the demo period. Sadly though, even the best demo twist in the world wouldn't have convinced me to buy this game after the lackluster performance this story gave. The story (or lack thereof) is enough to turn me off buying this game.
The gameplay was actually pretty good. I absolutely loved the HOS. They were fun, creative and came in a good variety. The HOS came in the from of extra-step junkpile, interactive junkpile (facing a normal scene- not zoomed in for HOS- and having to find the items around you) and progressive silhouette. I really enjoyed all these HOS and looked forward to each time I got to play them. The thing I enjoyed most was the creativity. The first HOS, for instance, required the player to assemble the inventory item to collect it. One HOS was a book scene in which players had to find things and put them back in the book. All of these ideas paid off and I applaud the developer for thinking outside the box to deviate from the boring norm without sacrificing the fun.
The puzzles were the exact opposite to the HOS. They were not creative at all. Instead, they were the same old stuff we see time and time again. I believe it was because of that I found them extremely easy. While I did enjoy attempting them, I would have liked to see the same creativity I saw in the HOS, and maybe a bit more difficulty. The quantity was good though. There were 6 puzzles in the demo and they were well spaced out.
I'm pleased about the adventure component. It was very prominent and did not seem secondary to HOS & Puzzles, as seems to be the norm these days. In fact, I noticed that the adventure component seemed to be dominant to HOS & puzzles, which I was really pleased about. However, prominent or not, the adventure part of this game was quite basic and did not offer much in the challenge department. Developers, it's all well and good to have a prominent adventure component, but all that means nothing if the game is too easy. Even on custom difficulty (in which I turned map indicators & sparkles off) I found the game to be a breeze. Maybe it's to do with the fact that I am almost entering 3 years of playing HOPA games, maybe the developers can't think outside the box when it comes to adventure... I don't know. But what I do know is that this game really needed a bit more difficulty.
The additional features have been done well. The developers have added everything I want in a game. There are two features: + objects and a helper. These are my two favourite features, so I was pleased to seem them here. The + objects were done well. They only required one item to be added and there was never more than two in your inventory at a time. I also liked how they stayed in your inventory for a while, instead of being picked up and gone in about two minutes, like some other games. The + objects were also of a good number, too.
The other feature is an animal helper. I know some will cringe when they see this, but fear not: you do not have to dress it up in a fuzzy pink tutu or dote over it. In fact, that's only a CE extra. The helper in this game is a raven, as with the other games. It is used realistically, and there is an indicator of when it can be used, which is fantastic. My only gripe is that it's not used enough. I think I used it twice during the demo period. If the demo was 30 minutes long, that would be passable. But seeing as it was much longer than that, there is an issue. I would have liked the raven to be used a fair bit more for the time period.
The other feature is an animal helper. I know some will cringe when they see this, but fear not: you do not have to dress it up in a fuzzy pink tutu or dote over it. In fact, that's only a CE extra. The helper in this game is a raven, as with the other games. It is used realistically, and there is an indicator of when it can be used, which is fantastic. My only gripe is that it's not used enough. I think I used it twice during the demo period. If the demo was 30 minutes long, that would be passable. But seeing as it was much longer than that, there is an issue. I would have liked the raven to be used a fair bit more for the time period.
The basic features have been done really well. There is a DIARY (WOOHOO!) which is fantastic for keeping track of events. I also really liked reading the entries. There is a map too, which is interactive and does its job well in the lower difficulties. The hint works well outside HOS too. There are even four modes of difficulty, including custom. Unfortunately though, I had to switch to custom rather than advanced, as advanced still shows map indicators. I did like the amount you could customise though.
The graphics are good, but definitely a decline from past games in the series. There was not as much detail in previous games, although I did notice the character designs and scenes were very clear. There is still some good detail here though, just not as much as before.
The voice-overs are standard. I have no issue.
The voice-overs are standard. I have no issue.
FEATURES
4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom. Differences were standard. Unfortunately I had to switch to custom due to advanced having map indicators. Custom difficulty was good.
Hint/Skip- hint works well outside HOS.
Diary- Great for keeping track of events.
Map- Does its job well; it is interactive and gives great help on lower difficulties.
+ objects- Never too many at the one time and not used too quickly. There is an indication for when it can be used.
Helper- Our helper is a raven and it is used realistically. It is not used enough for the demo period, IMHO.
4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom. Differences were standard. Unfortunately I had to switch to custom due to advanced having map indicators. Custom difficulty was good.
Hint/Skip- hint works well outside HOS.
Diary- Great for keeping track of events.
Map- Does its job well; it is interactive and gives great help on lower difficulties.
+ objects- Never too many at the one time and not used too quickly. There is an indication for when it can be used.
Helper- Our helper is a raven and it is used realistically. It is not used enough for the demo period, IMHO.
CE EXCLUSIVES
Bonus Chapter
Built-in Strategy Guide- shows locations of collectibles, but not HOS solutions.
Achievements
Collectible shamrocks (50)- collecting all 50 allows you to play tic-tac-toe with the raven.
Collectible raven coins- can be spent to buy things for the raven.
Backstory
Concept Art
Wallpapers
Soundtrack
Characters
Replay cutscenes
Raven Shop- Here you can buy things for your raven.
Bonus Chapter
Built-in Strategy Guide- shows locations of collectibles, but not HOS solutions.
Achievements
Collectible shamrocks (50)- collecting all 50 allows you to play tic-tac-toe with the raven.
Collectible raven coins- can be spent to buy things for the raven.
Backstory
Concept Art
Wallpapers
Soundtrack
Characters
Replay cutscenes
Raven Shop- Here you can buy things for your raven.
WHICH IS THE BETTER BUY?
The CE has some quite interesting stuff. I especially like that there is a reward for collecting all shamrocks. If I were to buy this game, I would be going with the CE because it has some good value and appealing extras.
The CE has some quite interesting stuff. I especially like that there is a reward for collecting all shamrocks. If I were to buy this game, I would be going with the CE because it has some good value and appealing extras.
MY PROGRESS
The demo has 2 chapters, which I finished in 60 minutes. There are 7 chapters in the main game.
The demo has 2 chapters, which I finished in 60 minutes. There are 7 chapters in the main game.
This game has absolutely everything I want in a game- + objects, story about time travel, animal helper, nice extras- but unfortunately the uneventful story has turned me off buying it. If the story were better, I would definitely be buying this one and giving it five stars. As it stands, I am giving it four stars because I liked the demo.
I recommend this game!
Stop a vengeful Titan from destroying Athens – and the world!
Overall rating
1
/
5
14 of 23 found this review helpful
The Longer I Played, The More I Hated It
PostedJanuary 2, 2015
catbag8717
fromTasmania, Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Current Favorite:
Ominous Objects: Family Portrait
(30)Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
A new year means new HOPA games. And I was hoping that this latest installment from Blam would kick off the year in style. Unfortunately, I have been severely disappointed.
I'll start with the story. First, just a warning: The game was so bad, I was unable to finish the demo, so this will not be the most accurate review. I played 36 minutes of the demo, and the story thus far was incredibly boring. The concept was okay, even though that stuff doesn't interest me, and I was looking forward to seeing how it would pan out. Unfortunately, it was executed poorly. Absolutely NOTHING unexpected happened in the demo. The opening wasn't very exciting, and the rest of the story just stayed that way. It just coasted along, without any shocks or twists to suck me in. That is the key to a good story, so the developer has failed massively here.
Even though the story wasn't specifically designed as one of those dark games, I was still expecting some of the creep factor, given that we were dealing with ancient gods. Well, I didn't get that. At all. Not one bit of the story was frightening, or exciting in any way. The rest of the story is basically a jumbled mess of time traveling, so overall, this story was a big failure. Maybe I should have known that when the first cutscene's voices were WAY behind the pictures.
Even though the story wasn't specifically designed as one of those dark games, I was still expecting some of the creep factor, given that we were dealing with ancient gods. Well, I didn't get that. At all. Not one bit of the story was frightening, or exciting in any way. The rest of the story is basically a jumbled mess of time traveling, so overall, this story was a big failure. Maybe I should have known that when the first cutscene's voices were WAY behind the pictures.
The gameplay was not much better, I'm afraid. 2014 was the year of innovation, where basic stuff no longer cut it... so why are Blam refusing to improve? Nothing has changed in their gameplay since 2013, and that's just not acceptable anymore. The HOS were all basically extra-step junkpiles or find and use scenes. All were incredibly easy and a bit lacking in the fun department. When compared with other fantastic HOS from games in 2014, these pale in comparison. These HOS were severely lacking in effort, and I hope the developer learns quickly from their mistake. There was also a match 3 as an alternative, and even that was bad. There were no special tiles for matching 4 or 5, which is a basic for a match 3 puzzle. Also, you were unable to move the square; you had to match around it. This was very annoying.
The quantity was okay of the HOS was okay though; in the time I played I came across 3 HOS. The spacing out left a bit to be desired; there was one HOS right at the start, then none for quite a while. Then I played two, bang bang, just like that. But 3 is still a pretty good number for the time I played.
The quantity was okay of the HOS was okay though; in the time I played I came across 3 HOS. The spacing out left a bit to be desired; there was one HOS right at the start, then none for quite a while. Then I played two, bang bang, just like that. But 3 is still a pretty good number for the time I played.
The puzzles were just okay. I enjoyed one of them, but I think they needed some serious working on. The puzzles were quite easy, and were all the same stuff I've seen countless times. Because of that, they were very boring, too. I think I just skipped one because I did not want to waste my time doing something I wasn't going to enjoy. The only one I enjoyed was that multi-step one where you had to place the various items. When a game can't get something like puzzles done right, you know it's going to be a bad one. Similar to the HOS, the quantity was okay. There were 3 puzzles in the time I played. But like I said, these were extremely easy and needed some serious working on.
As bad as the HOS & Puzzles were, my biggest gripe is with the adventure component. Firstly, it is minimal, almost to the point of nonexistence. Tasks are basic and the game progresses quickly. The game seemed to be dominated by HOS & Puzzles. How can I tell? Not only did we go from a HOS straight to a puzzle, but we also went from one puzzle straight into another one. This is my pet peeve in a game, so naturally, I was furious. This was adding more annoyance to an already very annoying adventure component.
Secondly, the game progressed very quickly. I'm sorry, but if I am in Greece AND time traveling in the same game, I would like to be able to explore, please! The game did not allow for any of that as I was constantly bouncing from scene to scene, puzzle to puzzle, and HOS to HOS. There should have been a lot more of the adventure component than there was. Even the time traveling component was handled badly. We were constantly jumping back and forth between time periods just to do one or two things. I could handle it at first, but eventually it got incredibly annoying.
Thirdly. The game was incredibly easy. I never once struggled with what to do, even on advanced mode. I have a feeling that was to do with the incredibly basic taks. And speaking of advanced mode, the game still offered quite a bit of help. The map still indicated where I had tasks to perform, and HOS still sparkled (even though that was the only thing that sparkled in the game). I'm sorry, developers, but this doesn't happen on other advanced modes, so why yours? I shouldn't have to switch to hard or customise just to turn it off. The easiness of this game just further shows this developer's lack of effort.
And finally, my biggest problem with adventure mode? THE BLACK BAR TIPS. Black bar tips are SUPPOSED to give you hints as to what to do. These developers must have missed the memo or something, because these black bar tips are the most frustrating I've ever seen! The gears would change, and I would click on something, but instead of offering help, the game would say “That's not right” or “maybe I should think of another solution”... EVEN WHEN I WASN'T USING ANYTHING. “That's not right”? Sorry, I didn't know it was a crime to click on something to find out what you had to do with it! I won't do it again! Every time I got that message without even using anything, it just increased my frustration levels. I will even go as far to say that this ruined the entire game for me. I'm sorry, but these black bar tips needed some serious work done to them. It ruined the entire experience for me. To tell me I'm wrong when I'm ONLY CLICKING ON SOMETHING TO SEE WHAT I HAVE TO DO is just the worst thing you can ever do.
Secondly, the game progressed very quickly. I'm sorry, but if I am in Greece AND time traveling in the same game, I would like to be able to explore, please! The game did not allow for any of that as I was constantly bouncing from scene to scene, puzzle to puzzle, and HOS to HOS. There should have been a lot more of the adventure component than there was. Even the time traveling component was handled badly. We were constantly jumping back and forth between time periods just to do one or two things. I could handle it at first, but eventually it got incredibly annoying.
Thirdly. The game was incredibly easy. I never once struggled with what to do, even on advanced mode. I have a feeling that was to do with the incredibly basic taks. And speaking of advanced mode, the game still offered quite a bit of help. The map still indicated where I had tasks to perform, and HOS still sparkled (even though that was the only thing that sparkled in the game). I'm sorry, developers, but this doesn't happen on other advanced modes, so why yours? I shouldn't have to switch to hard or customise just to turn it off. The easiness of this game just further shows this developer's lack of effort.
And finally, my biggest problem with adventure mode? THE BLACK BAR TIPS. Black bar tips are SUPPOSED to give you hints as to what to do. These developers must have missed the memo or something, because these black bar tips are the most frustrating I've ever seen! The gears would change, and I would click on something, but instead of offering help, the game would say “That's not right” or “maybe I should think of another solution”... EVEN WHEN I WASN'T USING ANYTHING. “That's not right”? Sorry, I didn't know it was a crime to click on something to find out what you had to do with it! I won't do it again! Every time I got that message without even using anything, it just increased my frustration levels. I will even go as far to say that this ruined the entire game for me. I'm sorry, but these black bar tips needed some serious work done to them. It ruined the entire experience for me. To tell me I'm wrong when I'm ONLY CLICKING ON SOMETHING TO SEE WHAT I HAVE TO DO is just the worst thing you can ever do.
This game was bad enough gameplay wise, so imagine my frustrations when I found there were NO additional gameplay features! I can deal with no helpers, but there weren't even any + objects in this game! + objects are becoming a HOPA game staple, so why hasn't this developer caught on yet? The lack of + objects just made a dull game even worse. Developers, your gameplay needs some serious fine tuning.
I even found problems with the basic features. There were 4 difficulty modes (including custom) and the hint worked well outside of HOS, which was good. The map was too helpful for advanced mode, but still did its job well. My problem? There's no diary. Diaries are an essential part of HOPA games, and they have been slowly fading out over the course of the year. Why? They are good for keeping track of events (not that there was anything to keep track of in this one) and I just like reading the entries. Hopefully the developer reads these. PLEASE BRING BACK THE DIARY!
Overall, the gameplay was an absolute shambles. I sincerely hope the developer reads this review and takes into account everything I've said.
Overall, the gameplay was an absolute shambles. I sincerely hope the developer reads this review and takes into account everything I've said.
The one and only positive thing I am taking out of this game is the graphics. I thought they were done well, with some nice details and good colours. All scenes were clear, with the character designs done well too. This is the only thing the developers have done correctly in this game.
The voice-overs were standard. I have no issue.
The voice-overs were standard. I have no issue.
FEATURES
4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom. Advanced is too helpful for my liking. Custom has minimal settings. I played Advanced.
Hint/Skip- both recharge at a decent speed for the difficulty I selected. Hint is useful outside HOS.
Map- The map was helpful and did its job correctly. I would have liked task indicators to be off in advanced, but that's just my preference. The map is interactive. It has still been done well.
4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom. Advanced is too helpful for my liking. Custom has minimal settings. I played Advanced.
Hint/Skip- both recharge at a decent speed for the difficulty I selected. Hint is useful outside HOS.
Map- The map was helpful and did its job correctly. I would have liked task indicators to be off in advanced, but that's just my preference. The map is interactive. It has still been done well.
CE EXCLUSIVES
Bonus Chapter
Built-in Strategy Guide- shows locations of collectibles, and gives step-by-step puzzle solutions, but does not show HOS shots.
Achievements
Collectible statues (21)- I didn't bother to find these.
Wallpapers
Concept Art
Soundtrack
Replay Puzzles
Replay cutscenes
Bonus Chapter
Built-in Strategy Guide- shows locations of collectibles, and gives step-by-step puzzle solutions, but does not show HOS shots.
Achievements
Collectible statues (21)- I didn't bother to find these.
Wallpapers
Concept Art
Soundtrack
Replay Puzzles
Replay cutscenes
WHICH IS THE BETTER BUY?
I would not recommend buying any version of this game (due to it being so bad), but if you like it, I would advise you buy the SE. There is absolutely nothing in here that tempts me even remotely. It is all the standard stuff and further proves the lack of effort.
I would not recommend buying any version of this game (due to it being so bad), but if you like it, I would advise you buy the SE. There is absolutely nothing in here that tempts me even remotely. It is all the standard stuff and further proves the lack of effort.
MY PROGRESS
I didn't finish the demo, but played 36 minutes. In that time I had advanced in to the second chapter.
I didn't finish the demo, but played 36 minutes. In that time I had advanced in to the second chapter.
Well, this is only the first CE of 2015, but if this is a pattern of what's going to be on offer, I'm not looking forward to it. We're only a day in to the year, but I can already tell this will be one of the worst games of 2015. I cannot give it any more than 1 star. If this is the best 2015 can do, call me back next year!
I don't recommend this game.
The Smithsonian Castle’s secrets lie in a Civil War past.
Overall rating
4
/
5
12 of 13 found this review helpful
A Great Way To End 2014!
PostedDecember 28, 2014
catbag8717
fromTasmania, Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Current Favorite:
Ominous Objects: Family Portrait
(30)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
Although they are among one of the most popular developers these days, I have grown a bit of a disdain for Eipix, so I wasn't looking forward to this one. Nonetheless, I trialed it. I am glad I did, because I quite enjoyed the demo.
The story was good, but a bit lacking in some areas. I thought the story got off to a very slow start. The opening cutscene did not grab me and I wanted to quit after about 15 minutes, but I decided to persist. After that period, things got a little more interesting. There was a fantastic twist to set up the remainder of the demo, but where I was really engrossed was when the time-traveling started. I was absolutely fascinated and just wanted to keep playing. I think the time traveling element was handled well and done in a realistic manner- our HELP box from the future no longer functioned, as I expected. After the time-travel, the story continued well. There was a great twist, and the demo ended well.
While the story was good overall, I did notice some unrealistic elements. Firstly, the characters from 1848 seemed to have no visible reaction of shock-or anything else for that matter- when our character (from 2014, and wearing 2014 clothes and probably carrying 2014 stuff) entered the room. SURELY they would be shocked? I know for a fact that, today, if I had someone come from 3942, I would definitely be shocked! Eipix has been known to give their characters a lack of emotion in the past, and it has happened again here. Let me tell you here and now, a lack of emotion is a real killer when it comes to story telling.
Secondly, I was in the salon with some other guy, and there was an argument in the next room. MY character clearly heard the argument, so why was there no reaction from the other guy? I know that I at least would be commenting to the next person in the room.
Overall though, even with those unrealistic elements, I did enjoy the story.
While the story was good overall, I did notice some unrealistic elements. Firstly, the characters from 1848 seemed to have no visible reaction of shock-or anything else for that matter- when our character (from 2014, and wearing 2014 clothes and probably carrying 2014 stuff) entered the room. SURELY they would be shocked? I know for a fact that, today, if I had someone come from 3942, I would definitely be shocked! Eipix has been known to give their characters a lack of emotion in the past, and it has happened again here. Let me tell you here and now, a lack of emotion is a real killer when it comes to story telling.
Secondly, I was in the salon with some other guy, and there was an argument in the next room. MY character clearly heard the argument, so why was there no reaction from the other guy? I know that I at least would be commenting to the next person in the room.
Overall though, even with those unrealistic elements, I did enjoy the story.
This gameplay in this game is one of the best I've seen in any Eipix games. The HOS, which are usually so overly-interactive and long, have really been scaled back in this game, which I loved. The only jazzing up done here was the way the clues were listed. The HOS were mostly silhouette junkpile, with one being a fragments scene. I absolutely loved each HOS and had so much fun playing them! Developers should know that we don't need long or overly-interactive HOS all the time... sometimes good old fashioned silhouette junkpile will do just fine! The quantity of HOS is also good. There were 4 HOS in the demo in total.
I was astounded by how good the puzzles were! They were definitely the best Eipix have ever offered us. Usually I comment on how all their puzzles are the “same old”, but there is nothing “same” or “old” about these puzzles! These puzzles are so unique, and better yet, are SO FUN! They may not have been overly challenging, but I had an absolute blast playing them! I definitely hope to see more puzzles like these in future Eipix games. The quantity was fantastic; 7 in the demo. Puzzles lovers will adore these.
There was enough of the adventure component to warrant it being called an adventure game, but I would still have liked there to be more of it. I couldn't help but feel the adventure component took a backseat role to the HOS & Puzzles. All the tasks were basic, and I felt the locations were over with too quickly. I would have liked to explore them a little more, especially since I've just traveled back in time! This is something Eipix needs to work on.
As far as challenge goes, I was impressed. The overall gameplay wasn't all that challenging, but still enough so I didn't pull out my hair in frustration. What really impressed me, though, was the difficulty settings. I've been playing advanced for a while now, and have always been disappointed when map indicators are on. I noticed in this mode, they were off... and they STAYED off! This was fantastic as it really allowed me to get by without much help at all. The only sparkles that appeared were to indicate HOS, which was great. There is NOTHING worse in a game than SPARKLES! So thanks to the developers for the fantastic difficulty settings. They really allowed for the challenge to come back in to the game.
As far as challenge goes, I was impressed. The overall gameplay wasn't all that challenging, but still enough so I didn't pull out my hair in frustration. What really impressed me, though, was the difficulty settings. I've been playing advanced for a while now, and have always been disappointed when map indicators are on. I noticed in this mode, they were off... and they STAYED off! This was fantastic as it really allowed me to get by without much help at all. The only sparkles that appeared were to indicate HOS, which was great. There is NOTHING worse in a game than SPARKLES! So thanks to the developers for the fantastic difficulty settings. They really allowed for the challenge to come back in to the game.
There were two extra features in this game: + objects and the HELP box. The + objects were done well; there were never more than a couple in the inventory at a time, and there was an indication of when they could be used. The items only needed one object to be added, which was fantastic. I never like having + objects in my inventory for too long.
The other feature was the HELP box, which I have mixed feelings about. I liked how it was used to pass messages between my colleague and I, but I really didn't like having to collect the fact cards. I felt they were un-necessary and just a distraction. Smilar to the history voice-thingies, they took away from my enjoyment of the game. It's always been my problem with the HE series. I know some people enjoy it, but I wish there was a way to choose whether they were included or not. I mean, if I want to know about Smithsonian History, I'll look it up, thanks. Or maybe make the information relevant to the story in some way.
The other feature was the HELP box, which I have mixed feelings about. I liked how it was used to pass messages between my colleague and I, but I really didn't like having to collect the fact cards. I felt they were un-necessary and just a distraction. Smilar to the history voice-thingies, they took away from my enjoyment of the game. It's always been my problem with the HE series. I know some people enjoy it, but I wish there was a way to choose whether they were included or not. I mean, if I want to know about Smithsonian History, I'll look it up, thanks. Or maybe make the information relevant to the story in some way.
The basic features have been done quite well. There are 4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom. The difficulty settings are perfect, and I loved the amount you could customise. The map was interactive and really helpful for me. I didn't like the fact that there was no diary. I really would have appreciated it, because it helps me keep track of events. And with two different worlds to jump in, that's a lot of events to keep track of!
The graphics were good, but not great. For the most part, the scenes were clear, but I found that the cutscenes were very blurry and pixelated, but the other scenes were drawn with some great detail. The character designs were okay, but not the best I've seen from Eipix. Overall, the graphics are passable, but I think they need a bit of work.
The voice-overs are standard. I have no issue.
The voice-overs are standard. I have no issue.
FEATURES
4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom. The difficulty settings were done perfectly; there was a lot to customise too. I played Advanced.
Hint/Skip- Both recharged at a decent speed for the mode I selected. The hint is useful outside HOS and acts as a teleporter.
Map- The map is really good. There are indicators for casual, but I loved how there were none on advanced mode! It is interactive to save time with backtracking.
+ Objects- These were done really well. There were never more than 2 at a time, and each one only required one object to complete. There are also indications.
HELP box- I've got mixed feelings. The messages were good, but I found the education cards un-necessary.
4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom. The difficulty settings were done perfectly; there was a lot to customise too. I played Advanced.
Hint/Skip- Both recharged at a decent speed for the mode I selected. The hint is useful outside HOS and acts as a teleporter.
Map- The map is really good. There are indicators for casual, but I loved how there were none on advanced mode! It is interactive to save time with backtracking.
+ Objects- These were done really well. There were never more than 2 at a time, and each one only required one object to complete. There are also indications.
HELP box- I've got mixed feelings. The messages were good, but I found the education cards un-necessary.
CE EXCLUSIVES
Bonus Chapter
Strategy Guide- The game page quotes this SG as “comprehensive”. I'm laughing, because that couldn't be further from the truth. This SG does not show HOS solutions, and does not offer step-by-step puzzle solutions. This is an absolute joke. A SG is meant to walk you through the game, giving solutions to everything. And no, a screenshot of a puzzle solution does NOT count as a puzzle solution! Give me a break. Eipix, pick up your game.
Achievements
Collectible figurines (43)- one in every scene, should include Bonus Chapter if previous Eipix CE's are anything to go by. There is also the ability to go back in- via the extras menu- to find any collectibles you've missed.
Replay HOS & Puzzles
Souvenir Room- basically, this involves going through each scene in the game to find one item. It's quite fun.
Concpet Art (4)
Wallpapers (8)
Soundtrack
Replay movies
Bonus Chapter
Strategy Guide- The game page quotes this SG as “comprehensive”. I'm laughing, because that couldn't be further from the truth. This SG does not show HOS solutions, and does not offer step-by-step puzzle solutions. This is an absolute joke. A SG is meant to walk you through the game, giving solutions to everything. And no, a screenshot of a puzzle solution does NOT count as a puzzle solution! Give me a break. Eipix, pick up your game.
Achievements
Collectible figurines (43)- one in every scene, should include Bonus Chapter if previous Eipix CE's are anything to go by. There is also the ability to go back in- via the extras menu- to find any collectibles you've missed.
Replay HOS & Puzzles
Souvenir Room- basically, this involves going through each scene in the game to find one item. It's quite fun.
Concpet Art (4)
Wallpapers (8)
Soundtrack
Replay movies
WHICH IS THE BETTER BUY?
Look, I'd have to say the SE. Eipix have kind of scaled back a bit with the CE Exclusives, and their games generally end conclusively. So I would definitely save your money.
Look, I'd have to say the SE. Eipix have kind of scaled back a bit with the CE Exclusives, and their games generally end conclusively. So I would definitely save your money.
MY PROGRESS
The demo goes in to the second chapter, but I'm unsure if it finishes it. I finished the demo in 54 minutes on Casual, but I did stop and start a couple of times and I left the room for a couple of minutes while the demo was running.
The demo goes in to the second chapter, but I'm unsure if it finishes it. I finished the demo in 54 minutes on Casual, but I did stop and start a couple of times and I left the room for a couple of minutes while the demo was running.
This game signifies the last HOPA CE for 2014, and what a great way to end it. If the demo is anything to go by, it should provide great enjoyment for players. While I did enjoy the demo, I was happy just playing the demo, so I won't buy it. I'm giving this one a well-deserved four stars.
I recommend this game!
Someone – or something – is stealing the children of Blake’s Mountain!
Overall rating
5
/
5
34 of 34 found this review helpful
For Once There Is A Game That Lives Up to All Praise!
PostedDecember 27, 2014
catbag8717
fromTasmania, Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Current Favorite:
Ominous Objects: Family Portrait
(30)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED STANDARD EDITION GAME
After all the hype this game received, I was skeptical. Would it really be as good? I downloaded the trial immediately and I can safely say this game is worthy of all the praise it has received.
The story was quite good. The opening cutscene was very interesting and got me sucked in to the story straightaway, which is always great to see. It provided a great basis for the beginning, and as I was hoping, the story got right in to the twists and kept me interested. I especially liked the touch of humour in the beginning. It was nice to see the villain fail for once!
The demo ended on a great note, so I had to continue. The story picked up right where it left off, with a fantastic twist and some nice action to get me excited. Most stories drop off after the demo, but this one certainly did not. There continued to be interesting events in the story, especially as each new chapter of the backstory unfolded. The backstory was probably the most interesting part as far as the story is concerned.
However, I did notice that there were some unrealistic elements in the game. For example, when we were in the room that was on fire, we finally managed to get the ladder up to escape, yet we kept going back in to the burning room to do things... and we just casually had a conversation with the fortune teller while we were in the burning room. Um, hello? Wouldn't we be trying to GET OUT AS FAST AS WE CAN??? That took away from the realism of the game and annoyed me at the same time.
But aside from that, the story was relatively good for the remainder of the game and progressed along quite well, adding excitement with cutscenes at just the right time, and chucking a twist in there along the way. The backstory, which told us the story of our villain and why he/she was doing what they were doing. It actually made me sympathise with them, which was great. The backstory, as I said, was probably the most exciting bit of the story.
But is the ending of the story conclusive? Well, yes and no. The ending wrapped things up and finished as I expected, but there were still a couple of questions left unanswered. Who was the assistant? The game also hinted that he had some sort of relation with our scarecrow helper, but we never found out what this was. Overall though, I'm still happy with the ending. It was a satisfying conclusion to the story, so I don't feel ripped off at all.
The demo ended on a great note, so I had to continue. The story picked up right where it left off, with a fantastic twist and some nice action to get me excited. Most stories drop off after the demo, but this one certainly did not. There continued to be interesting events in the story, especially as each new chapter of the backstory unfolded. The backstory was probably the most interesting part as far as the story is concerned.
However, I did notice that there were some unrealistic elements in the game. For example, when we were in the room that was on fire, we finally managed to get the ladder up to escape, yet we kept going back in to the burning room to do things... and we just casually had a conversation with the fortune teller while we were in the burning room. Um, hello? Wouldn't we be trying to GET OUT AS FAST AS WE CAN??? That took away from the realism of the game and annoyed me at the same time.
But aside from that, the story was relatively good for the remainder of the game and progressed along quite well, adding excitement with cutscenes at just the right time, and chucking a twist in there along the way. The backstory, which told us the story of our villain and why he/she was doing what they were doing. It actually made me sympathise with them, which was great. The backstory, as I said, was probably the most exciting bit of the story.
But is the ending of the story conclusive? Well, yes and no. The ending wrapped things up and finished as I expected, but there were still a couple of questions left unanswered. Who was the assistant? The game also hinted that he had some sort of relation with our scarecrow helper, but we never found out what this was. Overall though, I'm still happy with the ending. It was a satisfying conclusion to the story, so I don't feel ripped off at all.
The gameplay was absolutely fantastic. It was so fun, and I loved every minute of it. The HOS were absolutely awesome; I loved each one I got to play. I especially liked the effort the developers went to make them so fun. This was shown with the multiple varieties: there were progressive silhouette, word-list junkplile, silhouette junkpile, and some jazzed up scenes. One HOS even had 50 items in it! As I said, all the HOS were fantastic and I loved them all. I would happily play HOS like these over and over again. The quantity is brilliant too. There are 17 HOS in the game, with most scenes played twice. They were well spaced out too.
I'm not really a fan of puzzles, but the ones in this game were BRILLIANT! They were so fun, because they were different. They weren't overly-challenging (in fact, most weren't challenging at all) but they were still some of the most fun I've played. I would happily play a game of just puzzles if it were puzzles like these. I appreciate the effort the developers have gone to to find unique puzzles, yet still make them incredibly fun, because it has paid off. I almost wish I'd gotten the CE so I could just play these puzzles over and over. There was a great quantity of puzzles too: 15 all up in the main game. This is a fantastic number. They were also well spaced out.
As much as I enjoyed this game, I found it quite easy. I appreciated that there was a custom mode, but I turned off map hints and they still appeared, which was very annoying. If I turn off something, I expect it to be off, not off at some points and on in others. I also noticed that the adventure component was quite basic and, in the beginning of the game, was quite minimal, with HOS & puzzles being more dominant. This problem was fixed as the game wore on, as I noticed the adventure component becoming more and more prominent and therefore, more enjoyable. I was quite pleased in the end. The developers have used a good portion of adventure in their game, and even though it was quite basic, it was still as fun as the rest of the game.
There are two additional features in this game, and both are fantastic. One of these is + objects. These have been done quite well; there were never more than 2 at a time in the inventory and there was an indication of when they could be used, which was great. I really liked this feature. It made the game more fun.
The other feature is the helper, which in this game, is a scarecrow. This feature was done quite well. The helper was used frequently, but not overly so, and was used realistically. I like how the developers have gone to more effort with this feature. I actually had to interact with it in ways, such as putting it in clothes, or giving it things to use, and I really enjoyed this. The helper was incredibly fun to use and was one of the best things of the game. One very minor complaint I have is that I would have liked the helper to tie in to the game somehow, so it would seem there was a purpose there. But, purpose or not, I still loved it.
The basic features have been done quite well. There are 4 modes of difficulty, including custom, and I liked the amount of things we could customise in it. But as I mentioned, I had some problems with the map. I turned the task indicators off, but it still showed them sometimes. This was quite annoying to me. Even if I did turn it off, the map was still useful and interactive, which was great. There was also a diary, which was great. It kept track of events and had sections for each part of the story (such as events relating to the assistant, the scarecrow and the children), which was cool. We also had the ability to re-watch cutscenes, which is usually only available in CE's, so this was nice.
Overall, fantastic gameplay, executed to near-perfection.
Overall, fantastic gameplay, executed to near-perfection.
The graphics were absolutely BRILLIANT! They were drawn with SO much details, the cutscenes especially, and were very clear. There were some great colours used too. There was even lip-synch, which seems to be disappearing from games lately. I am so pleased to see the developers going to so much effort to make their games visually appealing. It has really paid off.
The voice-overs were standard, but not used much. I noticed there was not much dialogue and it was only used when absolutely necessary. Cutscenes were never longer than they had to be, which was great. Dragging out dialogue really kills a story.
The voice-overs were standard, but not used much. I noticed there was not much dialogue and it was only used when absolutely necessary. Cutscenes were never longer than they had to be, which was great. Dragging out dialogue really kills a story.
FEATURES
4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom. There were lots of things to tinker with in custom mode, and the differences in other modes were standard. I played Custom and turned off sparkles and map hints, with hint/skip set to 40 sec.
Hint/Skip- Both worked well. The hint was incredibly helpful outside HOS, sometimes acting as a teleporter.
Diary- The diary was good for keeping track of events, with different sections for each character.
Re-watch cutscenes.
Map- The map was interactive and very helpful. However, it still displayed active task indicators even though I had turned them off.
+ Objects- These were done quite well; there were indications of when they could be used.
Helper- Used frequently and realistically. Also required lots of interaction, which was fantastic.
4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom. There were lots of things to tinker with in custom mode, and the differences in other modes were standard. I played Custom and turned off sparkles and map hints, with hint/skip set to 40 sec.
Hint/Skip- Both worked well. The hint was incredibly helpful outside HOS, sometimes acting as a teleporter.
Diary- The diary was good for keeping track of events, with different sections for each character.
Re-watch cutscenes.
Map- The map was interactive and very helpful. However, it still displayed active task indicators even though I had turned them off.
+ Objects- These were done quite well; there were indications of when they could be used.
Helper- Used frequently and realistically. Also required lots of interaction, which was fantastic.
WHAT DO I MISS OUT ON IF I BUY THE SE?
2 bonus chapters- I was pleased with the ending, but some things were not explained from the main game.
Built-in Strategy Guide- I didn't need it at all.
Achievements
Collectible owls (25)- one in every scene.
Collectible dolls (7)
Wallpapers
Concept Art
Soundtrack
2 bonus chapters- I was pleased with the ending, but some things were not explained from the main game.
Built-in Strategy Guide- I didn't need it at all.
Achievements
Collectible owls (25)- one in every scene.
Collectible dolls (7)
Wallpapers
Concept Art
Soundtrack
WHICH IS THE BETTER BUY?
I bought the SE and was happy with it, but I would definitely say the CE is of good value, especially to those who love collectibles and extra gameplay. If you like those things, go for the CE. If not, go for the SE, as there's not really much else.
I bought the SE and was happy with it, but I would definitely say the CE is of good value, especially to those who love collectibles and extra gameplay. If you like those things, go for the CE. If not, go for the SE, as there's not really much else.
ON THE GAME LENGTH
I finished this game in 2.5 hours, which is a perfect length for me. This game progressed quickly and logically, so nothing was dragged out, which made the story so much better. I think the game would have been less fun if it was longer.
I finished this game in 2.5 hours, which is a perfect length for me. This game progressed quickly and logically, so nothing was dragged out, which made the story so much better. I think the game would have been less fun if it was longer.
While this game is not perfect, I did have a lot of fun with it and would not change a single thing. It is one of my favourite games to come out this year and, despite its easiness, I can't see any reason to not award this game 5 stars.
I recommend this game!
Can you escape from the grasp of a lovestruck ghost?
Overall rating
4
/
5
16 of 16 found this review helpful
Dear Boomzap, More Like This, Please!
PostedDecember 27, 2014
catbag8717
fromTasmania, Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Current Favorite:
Ominous Objects: Family Portrait
(30)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED STANDARD EDITION GAME
I've never really enjoyed Boomzap games before- in fact, they're my least favourite developer- so I wasn't expecting much of this one. Imagine my surprise when I started playing! This turned out to be a great game and I am so glad I spent my money on it.
I really, really enjoyed the story! It seems, because pretty much all of their stories are fantasy, I have underestimated their ability to create fantastic stories. This is exactly what I got here. Although the opening scene was not the most exciting in the world, and the story got off to a slow start, I was sucked in during the demo by a great twist, one that was quite unexpected. From there, the story continued on and never lost momentum. The demo ended spectacularly and this, combined with the great gameplay, was enough to make me continue.
Most stories drop off for a bit in the middle portion of the game, and while that did happen with this one, it was only for a short while. I was beginning to tire a bit when I was sucked back in by some fantastic twists. This was when everything in the story was beginning to unravel and everything was starting to make sense. It got to the point where the story was so interesting I couldn't stop playing and had to see this through to the end. Every single bit of information uncovered was fascinating and I really wasn't expecting it. The developers have done a brilliant job in the planning of their story. If this was made in to a novel, I would be re-reading it over and over again.
With the entire story being so great, I was expecting a conclusive ending. While the ending was conclusive, it was far from what I was expecting, and just showed off the creative side even more. Instead of heaps of dialogue, the developers split the ending up in to a HOS & a puzzle, which was a brilliant idea executed perfectly.
Overall, a fantastic story with loads of fantastic twists and a terrific ending.
Most stories drop off for a bit in the middle portion of the game, and while that did happen with this one, it was only for a short while. I was beginning to tire a bit when I was sucked back in by some fantastic twists. This was when everything in the story was beginning to unravel and everything was starting to make sense. It got to the point where the story was so interesting I couldn't stop playing and had to see this through to the end. Every single bit of information uncovered was fascinating and I really wasn't expecting it. The developers have done a brilliant job in the planning of their story. If this was made in to a novel, I would be re-reading it over and over again.
With the entire story being so great, I was expecting a conclusive ending. While the ending was conclusive, it was far from what I was expecting, and just showed off the creative side even more. Instead of heaps of dialogue, the developers split the ending up in to a HOS & a puzzle, which was a brilliant idea executed perfectly.
Overall, a fantastic story with loads of fantastic twists and a terrific ending.
What I loved most about this game- and what made me purchase it- was the brilliant, creative gameplay. For starters, I absolutely loved the HOS. Although they were quite easy, they were incredibly fun and creative and I looked forward to each one. They came in a good variety- junkpile, silhouette, progressive silhouette, etc.- but my favourite was definitely the memory scenes. This really showed off the developer's creativity while adding to the story at the same time. They were also quite interactive, with many zoom in scenes and things to be clicked on. Some included puzzles, which was quite nice. As I said, I absolutely loved all HOS, and quantity wasn't a problem either. In the game, there were a grand total of 19 HOS, which is a fantastic number.
The puzzles were quite good too. However, they were nothing unique and- similar to the HOS- were extremely easy. I actually solved some of them in a couple of clicks. That being said, I still loved attempting them and, overall, quite enjoyed myself. I also liked that the developer has included puzzle hints in this game. It is something I have been calling for for a very long time and it added to the fun, so I could have help to solve a puzzle instead of skipping it when things got too hard. In addition, my pet peeve made an appearance in this game. For those who don't know, that is having one puzzle straight after another. This happened a total of four times in the game, and was quite annoying.
For me personally, the quantity was a bit of a problem. There were a mind-numbing 40- yes, FORTY- puzzles in this game! That, for me, is way too much. I think the developers should have had less puzzles and a bit more of the adventure component, which was lacking considerably. Developers, too many of something really kills the game. Luckily for me, I liked the rest of the game so much that this wasn't really an issue, but I suggest it is fixed in time for your next game.
For me personally, the quantity was a bit of a problem. There were a mind-numbing 40- yes, FORTY- puzzles in this game! That, for me, is way too much. I think the developers should have had less puzzles and a bit more of the adventure component, which was lacking considerably. Developers, too many of something really kills the game. Luckily for me, I liked the rest of the game so much that this wasn't really an issue, but I suggest it is fixed in time for your next game.
My biggest problem with this game is the adventure component, or lack thereof. The game is completely dominated with HOS & Puzzles, so the adventure component is almost nonexistent. This is evidenced by the fact I went from HOS to puzzle (puzzle straight after completion of HOS) four times. This is an indicator that there should have been a lot more adventure in this game, and I hope the developers fix that too. The plus side to minimal adventure component is that there is not much backtracking. Backtracking is a real killer in games, especially those adventure-prominent ones, so it was nice to see a lack of that here. What there was of the adventure component was fairly basic, and quite easy, so the challenge factor suffered as a result. This game was quite easy, and will probably be a frustration for the experts. I have noticed as of late that the more fun games- for me, at least- are the easier ones. I hope this trend does not continue! I would have liked to see a lot more adventure and challenge in this game. Developers, please take note.
One thing the developer does quite well on is extra features. There are two here: + objects and the animal helper. The + objects were done quite well; some involved just zooming in on a sheet of paper to read, while others required additional objects. I enjoyed them because there weren't too many. They made a good addition to the game.
The other feature was the animal helper, which I absolutely LOVED! Our helper is Bandit, a ghostly dog who is with us from the beginning of the game. He is used realistically and very frequently, which is great. I like how he also had a role to play in the story! That doesn't happen very often, but it is so nice when it does. I think the animal helper was a great part of the game and made it so much more fun. Kudos to the developers.
The other feature was the animal helper, which I absolutely LOVED! Our helper is Bandit, a ghostly dog who is with us from the beginning of the game. He is used realistically and very frequently, which is great. I like how he also had a role to play in the story! That doesn't happen very often, but it is so nice when it does. I think the animal helper was a great part of the game and made it so much more fun. Kudos to the developers.
The basic features have been done well; there are 3 modes of difficulty, but I did wish there was a custom. I played on Advanced and was pleased to find no sparkles anywhere. The map was still quite helpful on advanced, with the objectives still showing. This was not ideal for me, as I would have rathered it off, but it still served its purpose, which was great. Unfortunately for me, there was no diary, which made it hard for me to remember some of the details of the story without referring to my notes. I would have much rathered the diary be there; I have no idea why developers don't like it anymore.
Overall, though, fantastic and fun, albeit easy, gameplay.
Overall, though, fantastic and fun, albeit easy, gameplay.
I wasn't the biggest fan of the graphics, in all honesty. The scenes were done with some nice detail but looked cheap and cartoony in some areas, particularly the cutscenes. I could immediately tell they were cartoon drawn and they were not designed very well. I was quite disappointed, especially when comparing to other developers.
The voice-overs are standard, although I did get sick of Lucian saying “Alexandra” over and over. But that's just my taste.
The voice-overs are standard, although I did get sick of Lucian saying “Alexandra” over and over. But that's just my taste.
FEATURES
3 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced and Hard. Differences are standard. I wish there had been a custom difficulty though. I played Advamced.
Hint/Skip- both recharged at a decent speed for advanced mode and the hint was extremely helpful; it functioned everywhere (even in puzzles) and sometimes acted as a teleporter.
Map- The map was interactive. Even on advanced, it let me know where I had tasks to perform. I would have liked to be able to turn this off, but that's just my preferences. It still provided a great help.
+ Objects- Some involved reading notes while others were the standard use. These were a great feature.
Helper- Our helper is Bandit, a ghost dog. He was used frequently and realistically and I enjoyed every time I got to use him. He added to the fun factor significantly.
3 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced and Hard. Differences are standard. I wish there had been a custom difficulty though. I played Advamced.
Hint/Skip- both recharged at a decent speed for advanced mode and the hint was extremely helpful; it functioned everywhere (even in puzzles) and sometimes acted as a teleporter.
Map- The map was interactive. Even on advanced, it let me know where I had tasks to perform. I would have liked to be able to turn this off, but that's just my preferences. It still provided a great help.
+ Objects- Some involved reading notes while others were the standard use. These were a great feature.
Helper- Our helper is Bandit, a ghost dog. He was used frequently and realistically and I enjoyed every time I got to use him. He added to the fun factor significantly.
WHAT DO I MISS OUT ON IF I BUY THE SE?
Bonus Chapter- not needed; game is 100% conclusive.
Built-in Strategy Guide- does not show HOS solutions. Not needed due to game's simplicity.
Achievements
Wallpapers
Screensavers
Music
Concept Art
Replay cutscenes
Bonus Chapter- not needed; game is 100% conclusive.
Built-in Strategy Guide- does not show HOS solutions. Not needed due to game's simplicity.
Achievements
Wallpapers
Screensavers
Music
Concept Art
Replay cutscenes
WHICH IS THE BETTER BUY?
I bought the SE and advise you to do the same. I was extremely happy with this purchase. The CE does not offer many extras- even missing out collectibles, which are a CE necessity- and, in fact, was one of the most light CE's I've seen in recent times. So yes, the SE is the way to go.
I bought the SE and advise you to do the same. I was extremely happy with this purchase. The CE does not offer many extras- even missing out collectibles, which are a CE necessity- and, in fact, was one of the most light CE's I've seen in recent times. So yes, the SE is the way to go.
ON THE GAME LENGTH
I finished this one in 3 hours on Advanced mode. This was a perfect length for me. I actually prefer shorter games as I tend to get bored of them if they go on for too long. I will be playing this one over again for sure.
I finished this one in 3 hours on Advanced mode. This was a perfect length for me. I actually prefer shorter games as I tend to get bored of them if they go on for too long. I will be playing this one over again for sure.
This is Boomzap's best game to date. The 3 hours I spent on this game were some of the most fun-filled ones I've experienced. I'm giving this a well-deserved four stars, with the only things holding back from a 5 being the cheap graphics and lack of adventure component. This one is definitely a keeper.
I recommend this game!
Welcome to Holy Mountain Hotel, where all criminals are punished.
Overall rating
3
/
5
23 of 28 found this review helpful
Disappointing Gameplay Is The Real Killer Here
PostedDecember 19, 2014
catbag8717
fromTasmania, Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Current Favorite:
Ominous Objects: Family Portrait
(30)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
Elephant's last few games have been outstanding, and have really brought them back as a top developer. I think it was because of that I was expecting this game to be so outstanding. While it did not meet my expectations, it was still an enjoyable game for the demo.
I was excited for the story; plots like this one always intrigue me. Unfortunately, the story's opening was quite weird and the game itself got off to a slow start. For the first 10-15 minutes I was quite bored and considering quitting the demo. I'm lucky I stayed, because the story got so much better after that! As soon as those film reels came in to it, I was intrigued and excited; I wanted to find these people and save them, and catch the person that did it. It got me really fired up, and I was excited for the next events.
The story continued quite well after that, but it was the little things that impressed me. The story did great on the creep factor. It was stereotypical stuff but it frightened me a tad, so well done. The key thing to a dark story is the creep factor, and the developers seem to have nailed it.
The demo ended quite well, and overall the story is quite good, but it's just good. I felt there could have been quite a bit more done to it to make it interesting. Perhaps they could have done something in the beginning and not left all the exciting stuff until halfway through the demo. Either way, this story never did get past good, which is disappointing, because I know Elephant is capable of brilliance.
The story continued quite well after that, but it was the little things that impressed me. The story did great on the creep factor. It was stereotypical stuff but it frightened me a tad, so well done. The key thing to a dark story is the creep factor, and the developers seem to have nailed it.
The demo ended quite well, and overall the story is quite good, but it's just good. I felt there could have been quite a bit more done to it to make it interesting. Perhaps they could have done something in the beginning and not left all the exciting stuff until halfway through the demo. Either way, this story never did get past good, which is disappointing, because I know Elephant is capable of brilliance.
The gameplay seems to have taken a step back too, which is extremely disappointing. Instead of the interactive, highly fun junkpile scenes that appeared in recent games, Elephant have reverted to the boring, standard extra-step junkpile ones. There was the one HOS which was jazzed up ever so slightly- a silhouette junkpile where you have to assemble an item at the end- but that was it. Elephant, I ask you, why revert to boring when the new stuff was working? Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy them somewhat, but the other interactive ones were SO much better! These ones offered no challenge; I could do them in about 10 seconds flat. The quantity of the HOS is good; there are 3 in the demo and, as I said, all of them were pretty much the standard junkpile. I have absolutely no idea why Elephant reverted back to these. It's not very wise.
To add to my disappointments, the puzzles weren't very good either. They were just boring! They were all the same puzzles I've seen over and over again and were quite easy. In the end, I just didn't bother attempting them because I didn't see it as worth my time. Elephant definitely are capable of fantastic puzzles (I LOVED the ones in Christmas Stories 3), so this is a bitter disappointment, and was just annoying, in the end. I was just shocked. These were so mundane, and just killed the fun for me. For those who like puzzles, though, the quantity is good: there are 5 in the demo. But for me that was 5 boring puzzles too many. Elephant, you've stepped up your puzzle game before, you really need to do it again.
The one positive I'm taking out of this gameplay is the adventure component. It was quite challenging, and was also very prominent. The tasks were basic, but Elephant somehow managed to find a way to put the challenge in there. I actually had to decrease the hint recharge speed a little, which I've never had to do before. I was glad that Elephant still managed to sneak some challenge in, despite the rather mundane HOS & puzzles. I also really liked the level of interactivity in the adventure component. I was constantly clicking on things to force them out, or brushing leaves away to reveal something. I loved this because it made the game appear more realistic.
I was pleased about the considerable lack of backtracking, as opposed to previous games. Nothing kills a game more than excessive backtracking, so I was pleased to see Elephant have learned their lesson.
I was pleased about the considerable lack of backtracking, as opposed to previous games. Nothing kills a game more than excessive backtracking, so I was pleased to see Elephant have learned their lesson.
There was one additional feautre in this game; the n+ objects. These + objects were executed quite well, and were about as far as the innovation went in this game. They were not like any of the others I've seen around; some + objects required the player to complete minigames to open or use them, which was fantastic. Adding to the positives, there were indicators of when the + objects could be used, which is great. I did notice that there were quite a large number of + objects. There were never more than 2 at the one time, but they made multiple appearances throughout the demo, almost bordering on too much. I think Elephant maybe needed to cut down on the number by 1 or 2.
There are no other additional features in this game, but it doesn't worry me, because the game doesn't need it. The basic features have been done quite well; there are 4 modes of difficulty, including custom. For once, there is a diary- thank heavens- and it is used to keep track of events. I really enjoyed reading the entries and am glad Elephant has kept the diary in. There is a map, which is interactive and quite helpful, which is nice.
Overall, though, I found the gameplay to be quite boring and mundane. I wasn't impressed.
Overall, though, I found the gameplay to be quite boring and mundane. I wasn't impressed.
The graphics are good. The scenes and character designs are clear and drawn with some nice details. As for the colours, though, I think they could have done with a bit more variety. I noticed that blue was everywhere, in every scene, all the time. I think the developers should have experimented with their colour palette a little more.
The voice-overs are standard. I have no issue.
The voice-overs are standard. I have no issue.
FEATURES
4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom. Differences are standard; I noticed limited changes could be made in custom. It was impossible to turn off black bar tips or map indicators, and the hint times were still set (choice of 15, 30, 45, 60 sec). Quite disappointing. I played Advanced.
Hint/Skip- The recharge was a little longer than I would have liked, but that's probably because I found the puzzles so boring. I ended up making it shorter. The hint is useful outside HOS.
Diary- Great for keeping track of events; reading the entries was fun.
Map- The map is interactive and helpful. It lets you know where you have active tasks.
+ Objects- some had minigames, which was great. But there were 1 or 2 too many of them, in my opinion.
4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom. Differences are standard; I noticed limited changes could be made in custom. It was impossible to turn off black bar tips or map indicators, and the hint times were still set (choice of 15, 30, 45, 60 sec). Quite disappointing. I played Advanced.
Hint/Skip- The recharge was a little longer than I would have liked, but that's probably because I found the puzzles so boring. I ended up making it shorter. The hint is useful outside HOS.
Diary- Great for keeping track of events; reading the entries was fun.
Map- The map is interactive and helpful. It lets you know where you have active tasks.
+ Objects- some had minigames, which was great. But there were 1 or 2 too many of them, in my opinion.
CE EXCLUSIVES
Bonus Chapter
Alternative Ending
Built-in Strategy Guide- shows location of collectibles, but not HOS solutions.
Achievements
Collectible character figurines (10)- these are scattered around, so not in every scene.
Collectible Antiques (22)- quite fun to collect- I enjoyed these.
Wallpapers (7)
Concept Art (8)
Screensavers
Soundtrack
Bonus Chapter
Alternative Ending
Built-in Strategy Guide- shows location of collectibles, but not HOS solutions.
Achievements
Collectible character figurines (10)- these are scattered around, so not in every scene.
Collectible Antiques (22)- quite fun to collect- I enjoyed these.
Wallpapers (7)
Concept Art (8)
Screensavers
Soundtrack
WHICH IS THE BETTER BUY?
Definitely the SE. There's nothing in the CE that makes it worthwhile or interesting to me. I would advise you to save your money.
Definitely the SE. There's nothing in the CE that makes it worthwhile or interesting to me. I would advise you to save your money.
MY PROGRESS
Demo goes in to the second chapter, but I'm unsure if it completes it. I finished the demo in 41 minutes on Advanced mode.
Demo goes in to the second chapter, but I'm unsure if it completes it. I finished the demo in 41 minutes on Advanced mode.
The editor and I must have different tastes. For a so called “Editor's Choice”, this was fairly underwhelming. It looks like Elephant have gone from cookie-cutter, to innovative, back to cookie-cutter. Why that is beyond me. As they say, “if it's not broken, don't fix it.”
I'm giving this three stars and recommending it only for the story. Enjoy.
I'm giving this three stars and recommending it only for the story. Enjoy.
I recommend this game!
Something wicked has taken over Fate’s Carnival!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 6 found this review helpful
Great Game, But FAR Too Long!
PostedDecember 14, 2014
catbag8717
fromTasmania, Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Current Favorite:
Ominous Objects: Family Portrait
(30)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED STANDARD EDITION GAME
In my quest for challenge, I stumbled upon this game. The demo seemed good, so I thought I would purchase it. While the game itself was quite good, I can honestly say I have never regretted anything more in my life.
The had a very interesting concept and began quite well. I had not played the first Madame Fate, but I knew it was very popular, so I was excited to see what the sequel would bring. In terms of the creep factor, the story has done incredibly well. Lots of things were shocking and just downright scary. I actually would be gasping and wondering what was happening in a couple of scenes, as if I myself was experiencing these things in the game. I give kudos to the developers for this.
In terms of cotent, in all honesty, at first I was struggling to connect all the events. Sure the story was easy to follow, but in the beginning it just seemed to be “go and save all these people from despair” and there was nothing to say why these people were in their predicaments, or clues as to what was happening. Don't get me wrong, I liked how each of their predicaments somehow related to their act, and the excitement that each one bought, but there was no joining link there.
After the demo ended, I decided to purchase. I had no idea at the time, but I would later come to regret this. The story picked up quite well from where the demo picked off, and began to prove me wrong with my assumption that it was just a game where I had to go around saving people. There was a huge, totally unexpected twist in the middle of the demo that I absolutely loved. It sucked me right back in to the story and I was determined to find out what was happening.
However, shortly after that was where my excitement ended. Things just started getting strange. We discovered a few of the victims were already dead. What was the point of that? It made me angry, because I'd already been playing for quite a while and it just didn't seem worth it. Speaking of playing for quite a while, that's exactly what I did. This story is INSANELY long, waaaay too long for my liking, and my enjoyment suffered as a consequence. I had reached chapter 8 and, with no ending in sight, was getting frustrated. I soon discovered this game consisted of a mammoth 14 chapters. To discover I had been playing for that long and was barely past HALFWAY through was just the killer for me. From then on I just lost motivation to finish and was considering abandoning this halfway through. I stopped enjoying the story or paying attention to it. I just could not wait for this game to finish and was thrilled when it finally did. I felt like I was the one being tortured. The ending was quite good. I was relieved that it was conclusive. It was a very exciting, high action ending that I felt I was fully deserving of after having played for so long. If it had not been conclusive I would have demanded my coupon back.
This game also featured a backstory, which I absolutely loved. It went in to the details of the villain and their connection with Madame Fate. I also liked how it made connections with the Ravenhearst saga. It was nice to see Elephant revisiting other things in the series. It was probably my favourite part.
Overall, a good story, but just waaaaaaaaaaaay too long!
In terms of cotent, in all honesty, at first I was struggling to connect all the events. Sure the story was easy to follow, but in the beginning it just seemed to be “go and save all these people from despair” and there was nothing to say why these people were in their predicaments, or clues as to what was happening. Don't get me wrong, I liked how each of their predicaments somehow related to their act, and the excitement that each one bought, but there was no joining link there.
After the demo ended, I decided to purchase. I had no idea at the time, but I would later come to regret this. The story picked up quite well from where the demo picked off, and began to prove me wrong with my assumption that it was just a game where I had to go around saving people. There was a huge, totally unexpected twist in the middle of the demo that I absolutely loved. It sucked me right back in to the story and I was determined to find out what was happening.
However, shortly after that was where my excitement ended. Things just started getting strange. We discovered a few of the victims were already dead. What was the point of that? It made me angry, because I'd already been playing for quite a while and it just didn't seem worth it. Speaking of playing for quite a while, that's exactly what I did. This story is INSANELY long, waaaay too long for my liking, and my enjoyment suffered as a consequence. I had reached chapter 8 and, with no ending in sight, was getting frustrated. I soon discovered this game consisted of a mammoth 14 chapters. To discover I had been playing for that long and was barely past HALFWAY through was just the killer for me. From then on I just lost motivation to finish and was considering abandoning this halfway through. I stopped enjoying the story or paying attention to it. I just could not wait for this game to finish and was thrilled when it finally did. I felt like I was the one being tortured. The ending was quite good. I was relieved that it was conclusive. It was a very exciting, high action ending that I felt I was fully deserving of after having played for so long. If it had not been conclusive I would have demanded my coupon back.
This game also featured a backstory, which I absolutely loved. It went in to the details of the villain and their connection with Madame Fate. I also liked how it made connections with the Ravenhearst saga. It was nice to see Elephant revisiting other things in the series. It was probably my favourite part.
Overall, a good story, but just waaaaaaaaaaaay too long!
The gameplay is absolutely fantastic. The HOS are pretty good; each of them are junkpile with extra-step objects, and some even included minigames. While I found the HOS to be very enjoyable and quite challenging, I wasn't a fan of the minigames. I know they were added for challenging, but I found them confusing and not fun at all. I think the HOS would have been much better without them. All that aside, I loved each HOS I played. In the beginning, they seemed to be few and far between, but they grew more frequent as the game wore on, which was fantastic. There were a total of 16 HOS in the game, which was a great number. I would have liked maybe one or two more, considering the amount of puzzles.
If you love puzzles, then this is definitely the game for you. I myself am not a fan of them, yet I absolutely loved these ones. I loved how unique and totally challenging they were, while still being very fun. My favourtie puzzles were definitely the multi-step ones with the puzzle hints. I loved their uniqueness, and enjoyed every one I got to play. In addition, they each had a 5 minute skip recharge, which I loved, as it encouraged me to really have a go at the puzzles. Other puzzles had skip recharge times of 1:30, which was fantastic. I loved how creative the developers got with these, with each puzzle being different and more fun than the last. The puzzles are prominent throughout the whole game and are well spaced out. The quantity is certainly no problem: there are an uncanny 34 puzzles in the game, making this one a puzzle lover's dream.
As of now there are two things I am after in games: Challenge and prominent adventure component. I certainly got both in this game! The adventure component was more prominent than ever before and was very enjoyable. In addition, this is the most challenging game I have played... ever! I was frequently using hints, even looking at the online walkthrough... something I have never had to do before! The challenge factor made the game so much more fun and really stretched my brain to the limits of its thinking powers.
I do have one issue though: While the adventure component is EXTREMELY prominent, the amount of backtracking in this game is ridiculous. I have no doubt this was added for length, but had a huge impact on the fun factor. I was jumping back and forth all over the place, sometimes going back by 6 or 7 locations just to do one thing, then go back to the location I was in before! I was starting to get a little motion sickness. Another thing to do with backtracking... I had to go and set the various clocks in the game three times! THREE! Twice was slightly annoying, but three times was infuriating. I think Elephant really need to work on their backtracking issue. Also, to make matters worse, sometimes the map wouldn't help at all. It would display one location as having an active task, but I would go there and find I had nothing to do. I ended up discarding the map completely and using only the hint (which acted as a teleporter).
I do have one issue though: While the adventure component is EXTREMELY prominent, the amount of backtracking in this game is ridiculous. I have no doubt this was added for length, but had a huge impact on the fun factor. I was jumping back and forth all over the place, sometimes going back by 6 or 7 locations just to do one thing, then go back to the location I was in before! I was starting to get a little motion sickness. Another thing to do with backtracking... I had to go and set the various clocks in the game three times! THREE! Twice was slightly annoying, but three times was infuriating. I think Elephant really need to work on their backtracking issue. Also, to make matters worse, sometimes the map wouldn't help at all. It would display one location as having an active task, but I would go there and find I had nothing to do. I ended up discarding the map completely and using only the hint (which acted as a teleporter).
There was one additional feature in this game: an animal helper. The animal helper was Isis, Madame Fate's cat. I loved how she tied in to the story, and was actually involved at one stage! Isis was also used realistically and frequently, although I did notice she only seemed to sit and watch in the closing stages of the game.
The basic features have been done well. There are a staggering 5 modes of difficulty (including timed), but Casual is still fairly difficult. There is an interactive map, but it is hit and miss in terms of helpfulness. Sometimes it would help, sometimes not. There was also a journal, which contained various puzzles and hints to other puzzles. I didn't think it was necessary the majority of the time, especially since ¾ of the puzzles were not necessary to the game. I decided not to solve any of the puzzles in there, nor did I put them in my puzzle count. I would have much preferred the old-style journal.
Overall, fantastic, extremely challenging gameplay.
Overall, fantastic, extremely challenging gameplay.
The transition of this series to Elephant Games means the time of live-actors has come to an end, which is very disappointing. The graphics in this game are still done quite well, with some nice details and great colours. All the scenes were clear and character designs had lip-synch and looked realistic.
The voice-overs are standard. I have no issue.
The voice-overs are standard. I have no issue.
FEATURES
5 modes of difficulty: Easy, Advanced, Hard, Ultra Hard and Timed. Timed mode is only available after completing the game. The differences between others are standard, with the last two difficulties offering no help at all. I played Casual and was still challenged quite a lot.
Hint/Skip- Hint recharged at a decent speed for the difficulty, while the skip varied in time from 1:30 to 5:00. I liked the lengthy skip recharge as it forced me to attempt the puzzles.
Alistair's Diary- Contained puzzles and solutions to puzzles. I really didn't think it was necessary.
Map- The map is interactive but not helpful all the time. Sometimes a location would flash, saying it had an active task, but I would find nothing to do there.
Isis- Isis is our animal helper. She is used frequently and realistically, which is great. I also liked how she tied in to the story.
5 modes of difficulty: Easy, Advanced, Hard, Ultra Hard and Timed. Timed mode is only available after completing the game. The differences between others are standard, with the last two difficulties offering no help at all. I played Casual and was still challenged quite a lot.
Hint/Skip- Hint recharged at a decent speed for the difficulty, while the skip varied in time from 1:30 to 5:00. I liked the lengthy skip recharge as it forced me to attempt the puzzles.
Alistair's Diary- Contained puzzles and solutions to puzzles. I really didn't think it was necessary.
Map- The map is interactive but not helpful all the time. Sometimes a location would flash, saying it had an active task, but I would find nothing to do there.
Isis- Isis is our animal helper. She is used frequently and realistically, which is great. I also liked how she tied in to the story.
CE EXCLUSIVES
Bonus Chapter- absolutely not needed, and- for me- not wanted.
Built-in Strategy Guide- shows HOS solutions.
Achievements
Collectible Old Pounds- some can be earned through solving puzzles from the diary.
Collectible Bobbleheads
Collectible Secret Cards
Play Solitaire
Shop- You can spend the money you collect in a shop for Isis.
Wallpapers
Music
Concept Art
Bonus Chapter- absolutely not needed, and- for me- not wanted.
Built-in Strategy Guide- shows HOS solutions.
Achievements
Collectible Old Pounds- some can be earned through solving puzzles from the diary.
Collectible Bobbleheads
Collectible Secret Cards
Play Solitaire
Shop- You can spend the money you collect in a shop for Isis.
Wallpapers
Music
Concept Art
WHICH IS THE BETTER BUY?
The CE has some nice collectibles, but I cannot possibly recommend it. The SE game is long enough on its own without the bonus chapter added to it. I would definitely advise you to get the SE.
The CE has some nice collectibles, but I cannot possibly recommend it. The SE game is long enough on its own without the bonus chapter added to it. I would definitely advise you to get the SE.
ON THE GAME LENGTH
This game is excruciatingly long. It was so long that I ended up losing interest and had to force myself to finish. This game would have been 4 hours at the very bare minimum, but I wouldn't be surprised if I reached the 5 hour mark. I didn't time my gameplay, but 4-5 hours is my best estimate.
This game is excruciatingly long. It was so long that I ended up losing interest and had to force myself to finish. This game would have been 4 hours at the very bare minimum, but I wouldn't be surprised if I reached the 5 hour mark. I didn't time my gameplay, but 4-5 hours is my best estimate.
The rest of the game was great, but the excessively long story ruined it for me. This is the most challenging and unique game I have ever played and, if not for the story's length, I would not have hesitated to give it 5 stars. In the end I must settle for a four. Elephant, I strongly suggest you learn from this mistake. Nobody likes games that are too long!
I recommend this game!
Reveries: Soul Collector Collector's Edition
Your wedding day gets interrupted when your fiancée is kidnapped!
Overall rating
4
/
5
39 of 50 found this review helpful
ERS is Improving Tremendously!
PostedDecember 14, 2014
catbag8717
fromTasmania, Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Current Favorite:
Ominous Objects: Family Portrait
(30)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
I hated the first Reveries (I ranked it second in my list of ERS' worst 5 games) so I wasn't overly excited for the sequel and wasn't expecting much. While this was quite considerably better than the first, I will not be buying it.
My main reason for deciding against purchasing this game was the story. I'm not a lover of fantasy, so I wasn't expecting to love it, but I was hoping to at least enjoy it. Unfortunately I did not. For me the main problem was that the story was quite uneventful and everything that did happen was predictable, so didn't achieve the desired effect. In fact I was quite bored about halfway through. Each “twist” was expected by me, so I wasn't thrilled, and the demo- which is meant to end on a cliffhanger- didn't do so. If that was ERS's attempt at a cliffhanger, it failed miserably. Even though this is fantasy, it should have still had some nice twists, and this one didn't. Not once was I excited or wanting to find out what happened next. Part of the reason for that was some parts of the story were absolutely ridiculous, even for a fantasy game. Our kidnapped husband told us that the villain was going to “steal his heart and turn him in to a tree.” A tree. Really? There are endless ways to go about this, and ERS chose to turn him in to a tree. I'm sorry but that is just too funny. Of all the things...
What I did like about the story, though, was that the cuteness element has been toned down significantly. While it is still present in some areas (such as the tree helper), it is nowhere near the first game. ERS have tried to make this game as realistic and dark as possible, and I commend them for that.
What I did like about the story, though, was that the cuteness element has been toned down significantly. While it is still present in some areas (such as the tree helper), it is nowhere near the first game. ERS have tried to make this game as realistic and dark as possible, and I commend them for that.
As of late I've been fairly critical of ERS for a lack of effort and for their gameplay being too mundane. It looks like ERS has finally taken my criticism on board, because the gameplay has improved by a good margin. The HOS were quite good, and I especially liked their variety. They are all junkpile scenes, with some of them being jazzed up slightly, which is a first for ERS. Some HOS had you using the item, in the scene, while others had lists in the form of spoken words. While they were not very challenging, I still enjoyed every single one of them. I think this is the most I have ever enjoyed an ERS Hidden Object Scene. The HOS scenes were in good quantity and spaced out well, although I did notice that one of the scenes was repeated. This should not be happening this early in a HOPA game. There were 4 HOS in the demo, which is a great number for me, considering its short length.
The puzzles, in quite the contrary to some ERS games lately, were absolutely fantastic. I can tell that ERS has gone to a great effort for these, because they are not the boring, same old stuff I've seen over and over again. Instead, they are unique, a little challenging in some points, and EXTREMELY fun! I have not had as much fun with ERS puzzles as with these ones. In fact I would happily play a game full of puzzles like these. I give the biggest kudos to ERS for this. It shows they really have made the effort to step up. The quantity of puzzles is great too; there are 3 in the demo. Because they were so enjoyable, I was secretly hoping for one more, but that's just me. For those interested, some puzzles had the option of casual or hard difficulty. But either way, they were amazing.
The puzzles, in quite the contrary to some ERS games lately, were absolutely fantastic. I can tell that ERS has gone to a great effort for these, because they are not the boring, same old stuff I've seen over and over again. Instead, they are unique, a little challenging in some points, and EXTREMELY fun! I have not had as much fun with ERS puzzles as with these ones. In fact I would happily play a game full of puzzles like these. I give the biggest kudos to ERS for this. It shows they really have made the effort to step up. The quantity of puzzles is great too; there are 3 in the demo. Because they were so enjoyable, I was secretly hoping for one more, but that's just me. For those interested, some puzzles had the option of casual or hard difficulty. But either way, they were amazing.
There is only one additional feature here, and that is our tree helper. This is the cutest thing in the game, so I was able to withstand it. There is an indication of when we can use the helper. It bounces around in its little place at the side of the screen. Luckily for me, it was well out of the way, so I did not find this irritating at all. The helper is used quite frequently, so that's always nice to see.
While the one extra feature was good, I was disappointed to see the lack of + objects. These have become standard now, but ERS seems to be unwilling to use them. I have no idea why this is; they make the game a lot more fun. ERS, if there is one thing you can improve on gameplay wise, it is this. Please put + objects in your next game!
While the one extra feature was good, I was disappointed to see the lack of + objects. These have become standard now, but ERS seems to be unwilling to use them. I have no idea why this is; they make the game a lot more fun. ERS, if there is one thing you can improve on gameplay wise, it is this. Please put + objects in your next game!
I liked the adventure component. While it was fairly basic in terms of tasks, it still managed to retain some level of difficulty- certainly more than their last few offerings!- which is wonderful to see. The adventure component played a little bit of a backseat role to the HOS & puzzles, but was still enjoyable nonetheless. However, I would have liked to see a fair bit more of the adventure component. In terms of challenge, I was quite disappointed to see the difficulty settings in this game. As with the last game, they still offer quite a bit of help, even on hard mode. I started on hard mode because of the hint recharge speed (Casual was 10, Advanced 20 and Hard 40), but eventually switched back to advanced- with hint on 40 sec- because I could not live without black bar tips (which was the only difference, sans speed, between the two). I was quite disappointed to find that the map still shows active tasks even in hard mode. The reason people play hard mode is to have virtually no help at all, yet this, along with the speed, gives them a considerable amount of help. If I was an expert player, I would be complaining bitterly. I was able to make it through okay on advanced, but did run in to some trouble a couple of times. So I'm glad the challenge level has risen.
The basic features are hit and miss with me. As I mentioned beforehand, I have a huge issue with the easiness of all three levels. The map is interactive and helpful, which is a plus. It has been designed to tell you where your active tasks are, which should be helpful to the casual players. I take issue with the fact that, once again, there is no diary. ERS use to do diaries all the time, now they never do. Why? This is frustrating. I wish the diary would come back. It helps me connect with the main character more, and also helps me keep track of events (because everyone knows I'm bound to forget some of them). Developers: BRING IT BACK!
The graphics are the classic ERS style that I have grown to love. As soon as I see these graphics I can instantly tell it is an ERS game. The scenes are hand-drawn with such great detail, and the character designs are very lifelike. The scenes are clear and very colourful, which is great to see. I also liked that ERS have brought lip-synch back to their games. It makes it so much better.
The voice-overs are standard. I have no issue.
The voice-overs are standard. I have no issue.
FEATURES
4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom. Once again the difficulties offered a lot of help, even on hard mode, which was disappointing. I played the majority of the demo in advanced mode with the hint customised to be a little longer. Advanced mode has no sparkles though, which is brilliant.
Hint/Skip- Both recharge way too fast- at 20 sec- for advanced mode, so I was forced to customise this. The hint is quite useful outside HOS.
Map- The map is interactive and helpful, but still continues to show active tasks, even on advanced & hard modes. This needs to be changed, or a feature added to the custom difficulty so we can turn it off.
Helper- Our helper in this game is a tree and is mainly used to get things out of reach. I liked the helper. It was used frequently and I had fun doing so.
4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom. Once again the difficulties offered a lot of help, even on hard mode, which was disappointing. I played the majority of the demo in advanced mode with the hint customised to be a little longer. Advanced mode has no sparkles though, which is brilliant.
Hint/Skip- Both recharge way too fast- at 20 sec- for advanced mode, so I was forced to customise this. The hint is quite useful outside HOS.
Map- The map is interactive and helpful, but still continues to show active tasks, even on advanced & hard modes. This needs to be changed, or a feature added to the custom difficulty so we can turn it off.
Helper- Our helper in this game is a tree and is mainly used to get things out of reach. I liked the helper. It was used frequently and I had fun doing so.
CE EXCLUSIVES
Bonus Chapter
Built-in Strategy Guide- shows locations of collectibles.
Achievements
Collectible bird feathers- there appears to be one in every scene.
Wallpapers (10)
Concept Art (9)
Replay HOS & Puzzles
Replay Cutscenes
Soundtrack
Screensavers (5)
Bonus Chapter
Built-in Strategy Guide- shows locations of collectibles.
Achievements
Collectible bird feathers- there appears to be one in every scene.
Wallpapers (10)
Concept Art (9)
Replay HOS & Puzzles
Replay Cutscenes
Soundtrack
Screensavers (5)
WHICH IS THE BETTER BUY?
There is no chance of me recommending the CE, due to the boring and minimal CE Extras. All that is there is the basic stuff such as wallpapers and replaying HOS. I would have to recommend the SE on this one.
There is no chance of me recommending the CE, due to the boring and minimal CE Extras. All that is there is the basic stuff such as wallpapers and replaying HOS. I would have to recommend the SE on this one.
MY PROGRESS
I finished the demo in 35 minutes on Advanced mode. The game goes in to the second chapter during the demo but I am unsure if it finishes it.
I finished the demo in 35 minutes on Advanced mode. The game goes in to the second chapter during the demo but I am unsure if it finishes it.
This game is a tremendous improvement from its predecessor in terms of gameplay, but the story is still lacking. I am deciding to give it a four star rating for the following reasons:
1) It is much better than the previous Reveries game.
2) It is much better than the previous ERS CE, which I gave three stars.
3) The game is much more fun that recent ERS games, so the developers have gone to a lot of effort.
4) The challenge factor is there.
1) It is much better than the previous Reveries game.
2) It is much better than the previous ERS CE, which I gave three stars.
3) The game is much more fun that recent ERS games, so the developers have gone to a lot of effort.
4) The challenge factor is there.
This game, to me at least, signifies that ERS is on the way to becoming a top developer once again. This shows huge improvement from them and has me eager to see what 2015 will bring for them.
I recommend this game!
Christmas Eve: Midnight's Call Collector's Edition
Do you have what it takes to save Christmas?
Overall rating
3
/
5
12 of 17 found this review helpful
One of the Easiest Games to Come Out... EVER!
PostedDecember 12, 2014
catbag8717
fromTasmania, Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Current Favorite:
Ominous Objects: Family Portrait
(30)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON DEMO
I'm really not the biggest fan of ERS, but I was in the mood for something Christmasy so I gave this a whirl. This is a lot better than the other games they've been putting out lately, so I'm pleased they're finally putting in some effort.
I was extremely surprised by how good the story was. Given the title and the trailers, I was expecting cute and cuddly, a story so sweet I'd be sick. What I got was the exact opposite. This story was dark, even exciting in some parts. It gave me surprises and shocks, so I give huge kudos to the developers for this. It made the story much more enjoyable for me personally. I know for a fact that, if the story had been sweet, I would have quit after about 10 minutes.
Content wise, the story starts off good and gets better. There are some great plot twists in there, one that I really was not expecting. I've been finding HOPA stories incredibly predictable as of late, so this was a welcome change. My only problem with the story in terms of content was that the demo ended abruptly, so it wasn't one to instantly make me wonder what happened next, or rush to get the credit card out.
Overall, this story is pretty good, but some things just didn't add up. For instance, twice in the demo a character's name is mentioned before we meet the character: first with Leonardo (the person we meet when first entering the world), then with Robert, the alchemist. I know for a fact if an author did this in a story, they would receive the grilling of a lifetime, and the same thing should happen for game stories. I feel that if ERS had taken the time to edit this story, they would have noticed this mistake. They could have had Leonardo introduce himself when we first met him. And with the puppy, we could wonder who they were, and then have the alchemist say “Oh, I see you found my puppy...” etc. Sometimes it's just the small things that annoy me in a story and this is an example of that.
Other than that, though, the story was good.
Content wise, the story starts off good and gets better. There are some great plot twists in there, one that I really was not expecting. I've been finding HOPA stories incredibly predictable as of late, so this was a welcome change. My only problem with the story in terms of content was that the demo ended abruptly, so it wasn't one to instantly make me wonder what happened next, or rush to get the credit card out.
Overall, this story is pretty good, but some things just didn't add up. For instance, twice in the demo a character's name is mentioned before we meet the character: first with Leonardo (the person we meet when first entering the world), then with Robert, the alchemist. I know for a fact if an author did this in a story, they would receive the grilling of a lifetime, and the same thing should happen for game stories. I feel that if ERS had taken the time to edit this story, they would have noticed this mistake. They could have had Leonardo introduce himself when we first met him. And with the puppy, we could wonder who they were, and then have the alchemist say “Oh, I see you found my puppy...” etc. Sometimes it's just the small things that annoy me in a story and this is an example of that.
Other than that, though, the story was good.
Unfortunately, the gameplay still remains the standard lackluster affair that has plagued previous ERS games. Starting with the positives, I was pleased with the HOS. They came in two different forms: junkpile and replace the item. Both were quite easy, but enjoyable nonetheless. I noticed the tiniest little bit of improvement; in the first HOS, we had to find objects according to the alchemist's recipe. After we found them, they would go in the pot instead of fading away. But other than that, the HOS are pretty much the ERS standard. Adding to my frustrations, there were only two in the demo. This is nowhere near enough for my tastes. I would have liked to see at least one more.
Once again, ERS fails with the puzzles. They are just the same old, same old, and they offer absolutely no challenge, making them a bore to play. One positive thing I will say is that some of the puzzles I know ERS is capable of innovation, so why aren't they making the most of their talents? The fun factor suffers as a consequence. There were 4 puzzles in the demo, which is a good enough number for me, given their lack of enjoyment. I would have liked to see more HOS than puzzles, but that's just me. I think ERS seriously needs to work on making their puzzles more fun, but more challenging at the same time.
There are no extra gameplay features at all, unless one counts the magnifying glass minigame as an extra feature. I absolutely loved that minigame when it first appeared, so was overjoyed to see its return. This time, instead of looking for clues on the faces, we had to move the magnifying glasses over the item to identify the previous owner. I liked how this tied in with the game too because it made the minigames necessary to the story. Even though they were incredibly fun, the minigames were also incredibly easy, to the point where I finished one of them in about 10 seconds flat. I still loved them, though.
I am extremely disappointed in the lack of extra features- ERS did not even include + objects, which are a given these days- and the adventure component suffers as a result. Even though the adventure component is prominent, I would have liked to see a little more of it. All the tasks are basic and it is blatantly obvious what to do next, so the game offers no challenge whatsoever. The game's quest for challenge certainly isn't aided by the ridiculous difficulty levels. I'm going to shock you all when I say this- I chose an ever so slightly altered HARD MODE because that would give me the most challenge. I turned black bar tips on but that was it. No sparkles, nothing. Even on hard mode, the hint recharge speed was an incredibly laughable 40 seconds. That's what most CASUAL modes are set to, so that's absolutely ridiculous. And, furthermore, the map STILL showed where I had tasks to perform- even though I was on HARD mode! This never happens in any other games- so why here? It was annoying me, so I tried to turn it off, but there was no way to.
So why, you may ask, did I choose hard mode? I chose it because the others were even more ridiculous. The hint/skip recharge speed for Casual? 10 seconds. Advanced? 20. That is absolute lunacy. I've heard of hand holding, but this is beyond ridiculous. The settings for this game were, honestly, pathetic. To have a 10 second recharge time for casual is just the ultimate insult to those who play on Casual difficulty. And to offer as much help as ERS did on hard mode is an even bigger insult. Those who play hard choose to do so because they WANT to be challenged. It's ridiculous to still keep the active tasks indicator on the map on this level. In hindsight I probably could have kept black bar tips off and still gone through okay. The level of challenge in this game is one of the most ridiculous I've ever seen. I've criticised ERS for a lack of effort before, but this just takes the cake.
So why, you may ask, did I choose hard mode? I chose it because the others were even more ridiculous. The hint/skip recharge speed for Casual? 10 seconds. Advanced? 20. That is absolute lunacy. I've heard of hand holding, but this is beyond ridiculous. The settings for this game were, honestly, pathetic. To have a 10 second recharge time for casual is just the ultimate insult to those who play on Casual difficulty. And to offer as much help as ERS did on hard mode is an even bigger insult. Those who play hard choose to do so because they WANT to be challenged. It's ridiculous to still keep the active tasks indicator on the map on this level. In hindsight I probably could have kept black bar tips off and still gone through okay. The level of challenge in this game is one of the most ridiculous I've ever seen. I've criticised ERS for a lack of effort before, but this just takes the cake.
Giving credit where credit is due, basic features have been done well here. There is a map, which is interactive, although is still shows active tasks in hard mode. The hint is useful outside HOS, but there is unfortunately no diary. The diary would have been great in this game, especially since we are playing from the perspective of a woman who is trying to find their long lost sister.
Overall, a complete lack of challenge and effort gameplay wise.
Overall, a complete lack of challenge and effort gameplay wise.
The graphics are great. They are the classic ERS and the embodiment of the phrase “if it's not broken, don't fix it.” These graphics are lovely old-school style, drawn clearly with some great detail and nice colours, as well as incredibly realistic character designs. There is also lip-synch in this game too, which is great.
The voice-overs are quite good too; very dramatic when there is need to be, and not over-acted. The only complaint I would have is that I would have cut down on some of the main character's dialogue. I think she spoke too much, with almost every line of hers in voice. Other than that, though, great job.
The voice-overs are quite good too; very dramatic when there is need to be, and not over-acted. The only complaint I would have is that I would have cut down on some of the main character's dialogue. I think she spoke too much, with almost every line of hers in voice. Other than that, though, great job.
FEATURES
4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom. The differences are standard, with custom option offering very little in the way of making the game harder (only turning off sparkles and black bar tips). These are the easiest difficulties I have ever seen. Even hard was laughable. I played on a slightly customised hard mode. I had black bar tips turned on, but after playing the demo, I can safely say I would do fine without them.
Hint/Skip- this was simply too quick for hard mode, at only 40 seconds. Casual and advanced were even worse, with only 10 and 20 seconds respectively.
Map- The map is interactive, which is great. However, it still shows where tasks can be performed, even on hard mode. This would not been a problem if I was playing Casual.
4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom. The differences are standard, with custom option offering very little in the way of making the game harder (only turning off sparkles and black bar tips). These are the easiest difficulties I have ever seen. Even hard was laughable. I played on a slightly customised hard mode. I had black bar tips turned on, but after playing the demo, I can safely say I would do fine without them.
Hint/Skip- this was simply too quick for hard mode, at only 40 seconds. Casual and advanced were even worse, with only 10 and 20 seconds respectively.
Map- The map is interactive, which is great. However, it still shows where tasks can be performed, even on hard mode. This would not been a problem if I was playing Casual.
CE EXCLUSIVES
Bonus Chapter
Built-in Strategy Guide- does not show HOS solutions, but does show collectible locations.
Achievements- some of them are story related (such as “help the boy” or “free such and such”), but in general they are not that hard to earn.
Collectible presents- I liked how you had to find them to unlock the bonus content. That was a nice touch and an added incentive to find them.
Wallpapers
Concept Art
Music
Replay HOS & Puzzles
Replay cutscenes
Bonus Chapter
Built-in Strategy Guide- does not show HOS solutions, but does show collectible locations.
Achievements- some of them are story related (such as “help the boy” or “free such and such”), but in general they are not that hard to earn.
Collectible presents- I liked how you had to find them to unlock the bonus content. That was a nice touch and an added incentive to find them.
Wallpapers
Concept Art
Music
Replay HOS & Puzzles
Replay cutscenes
WHICH IS THE BETTER BUY?
If I were to recommend a version, I would pick the SE. There is nothing apart from the bare essentials in this one. There are plenty of CE's worth the money, but this is not one of them.
If I were to recommend a version, I would pick the SE. There is nothing apart from the bare essentials in this one. There are plenty of CE's worth the money, but this is not one of them.
MY PROGRESS
I finished the demo in 33 minutes. This is not very surprising, given how easy the game was. The game goes in to the second chapter during the demo but I am unsure if it completes it.
I finished the demo in 33 minutes. This is not very surprising, given how easy the game was. The game goes in to the second chapter during the demo but I am unsure if it completes it.
To conclude, this yet another potential ERS masterpiece ruined by a complete lack of effort and challenge. ERS has entered a downward spiral and does not look like coming out of it any time soon. It is a shame that a developer who was once among my favourites has slipped to this level. ERS, it really is time to pick up your game.
I don't recommend this game.
The evil wizard Moramor has captured the Happy Empire! Help Princess Leya overcome difficulties, banish the evil wizard and restore the empire!
Overall rating
2
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
Angry Empire Is A More Fitting Title
PostedDecember 9, 2014
catbag8717
fromTasmania, Australia
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Current Favorite:
Ominous Objects: Family Portrait
(30)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
BASED ON 20 MINUTES OF FREE SAMPLE (it was all I could take).
I am no longer a fan of TM games, but am still open to playing them. Curiosity got the better of me on this one due to the poor reviews. I wanted to see if this game was as bad as everyone has been saying.
To make a long story short, it was. It is obvious to to me that this game is trying to copy the success of Royal Envoy- perhaps the most successful building TM game of all time- but it fails in every aspect.
To make a long story short, it was. It is obvious to to me that this game is trying to copy the success of Royal Envoy- perhaps the most successful building TM game of all time- but it fails in every aspect.
I played 5 levels and was up to the 6th when I quit out of frustration (I'll explain why later). During that time, there was very little story to go on, and I was disappointed. The opening scene seemed exciting and I had high hopes for how the story would continue on, but it didn't. There were a few lines of dialogue (no voices, just text) in the first level and that was it. There was nothing afterwards; no interfering from the villain, no updates as to how the story was progressing... nothing. Every game, no matter what the genre, needs a storyline, and this game has failed tremendously in that respect. Part of Royal Envoy's appeal to me was its loveable characters and great story and this was missing completely.
The one plus I brought out of this game was that the graphics were lovely. They were designed well, drawn with lots of detail, and every scene was exceptionally clear. Unfortunately there were no voice-overs (aside from the narrator at the beginning). In this day and age, trying to present a game without voice-overs in this day and age, when it is almost 2015, is unacceptable. I sincerely hope the developers fix this for their next game, if there is one.
What I disliked the most about this game was how incredibly frustrating it was. I found the gameplay to be quite laborious. For starters, the workers were incredibly slow (unless you used powerups to make them faster), and you had to wait until they returned to their hut until they could go on with another task. This is fair enough if they were carrying something, but after one of my workers fixed the road, I clicked on the chest to collect it and a second worker had to come ALL THE WAY from the tent just to take it- why couldn't the other guy do it? It would have saved tonnes of time and maybe made the game bearable.
Another complaint I have is you are dictated to do everything the way the game wants you to, even if the path is clear to go on to something else. An example of this was the level with the stairs. I had cleared EVERYTHING in the path of the stairs so I could go down and fix the road, but for some odd reason, the game would not let me pass. I was confused, as I had cleared everything and could see no reason for this happening. There was a sack of gold (I deemed it to be completely unnecessary to me at the time) to the right of the stairs so I collected that first. Tried going down the stairs again and, what do you know? I could. My question to the developers is: WHY!? Why couldn't I just go down the stairs and come back to the gold when I needed it? That got me incredibly angry.
Another complaint I have is you are dictated to do everything the way the game wants you to, even if the path is clear to go on to something else. An example of this was the level with the stairs. I had cleared EVERYTHING in the path of the stairs so I could go down and fix the road, but for some odd reason, the game would not let me pass. I was confused, as I had cleared everything and could see no reason for this happening. There was a sack of gold (I deemed it to be completely unnecessary to me at the time) to the right of the stairs so I collected that first. Tried going down the stairs again and, what do you know? I could. My question to the developers is: WHY!? Why couldn't I just go down the stairs and come back to the gold when I needed it? That got me incredibly angry.
Here's another thing: I really am not the best when it comes to games that involve high amounts of thinking or problem solving. Even when the reviewers complained of this game's easiness, I shrugged it off. What was easy for them would probably provide a slight challenge for me. I played on timed mode (this game also has a relaxed mode, which is great) just to see how challenging this game truly was. The answer? Not challenging at all. The tasks were straightforward, and there was no deterrent or obstacle to overcome before we completed the level. Even in the early levels, other games like Royal Envoy would provide some level of challenge, but this one did not. It was mainly a case of “see how fast you can collect this”. This meant the game was painfully easy to the point where, combined with all the other problems, I was just getting bored. I actually got 3 stars for EVERY SINGLE LEVEL I played. At that point I was ready to quit. But that was not the final straw...
The thing that broke me was the map. I noticed reviews telling me the demo was short, so after Level 5 finished, I backed out to see how many levels I had completed. I discovered I had completed 5 levels, so attempted to go back in to the 6th and play on- I at least wanted to make it to the end of the demo-. This was where the problems began. Where exactly WAS level 6? No levels were numbered, and they were not in order. This confused me. I could not find level 1, let alone level 6. The layout of this map is horrible and needed some desperate fixing.
Now it gets worse. I took a closer look at the map. There were only 5 things popped up, all with 3 stars. Where was the pop-up with no stars? I looked EVERYWHERE. Try as I may, I could not find it. Then, to my sheer anger and frustration, I discovered I would have to REPLAY THE LAST LEVEL just to find my way back! Level 5 was the most boring and time consuming of the lot. So my reaction was a simple, “Nope! No way!” before I exited out of this game. This felt like a punishment for looking at the map. It felt as if developers just wanted us to keep playing and playing and “abandon all hope ye who dare look at the map to see where ye are.” My advice to the developers? FIX. YOUR. MAP. LAYOUT. This was the absolute worst thing I have ever seen in a TM game and proved that, maybe I should listen to the reviews once in a while. It would have saved the 20 minutes I spent on this game. That is now 20 minutes of my life I will never get back.
Now it gets worse. I took a closer look at the map. There were only 5 things popped up, all with 3 stars. Where was the pop-up with no stars? I looked EVERYWHERE. Try as I may, I could not find it. Then, to my sheer anger and frustration, I discovered I would have to REPLAY THE LAST LEVEL just to find my way back! Level 5 was the most boring and time consuming of the lot. So my reaction was a simple, “Nope! No way!” before I exited out of this game. This felt like a punishment for looking at the map. It felt as if developers just wanted us to keep playing and playing and “abandon all hope ye who dare look at the map to see where ye are.” My advice to the developers? FIX. YOUR. MAP. LAYOUT. This was the absolute worst thing I have ever seen in a TM game and proved that, maybe I should listen to the reviews once in a while. It would have saved the 20 minutes I spent on this game. That is now 20 minutes of my life I will never get back.
So, to conclude, a TM game which was full of potential has been ruined by poor execution of the gameplay. It makes me feel empathetic for the TM lovers. The TM industry is dying, so it is not very often they get a new one here. To wait for that long and find out that, when they do get one, it's a dud, would be just horrible.
Developers, you have some serious work to do.
Developers, you have some serious work to do.
I don't recommend this game.