_misschrissi_'s Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4
- Helpful Votes:386
- Reviews Submitted:23
- First Review:May 7, 2012
- Most Recent Review:July 12, 2013
- Featured reviews0
Guide a mother who pursues a terrifying apparition into a twisted reality to save her daughter.
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
Lacking a Certain Something
PostedJuly 12, 2013
_misschrissi_
fromGlasgow, Scotland
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
*Review of Completed Game*
The first 'Stray Souls' was a game I thoroughly enjoyed and have probably played 3 times over. So when I heard there was to be a second game I couldn't wait. Maybe it's my fault and I over-anticipated it, but having just finished the main game my overall feeling is one of disappointment.
The first 'Stray Souls' was a game I thoroughly enjoyed and have probably played 3 times over. So when I heard there was to be a second game I couldn't wait. Maybe it's my fault and I over-anticipated it, but having just finished the main game my overall feeling is one of disappointment.
Storyline is similar to the first one, where we were rescuing our missing fiance. This time around we play a mother searching for her missing husband, who has shown up at a motel and taken her daughter. Along the way we fill a doll's house with puppets, which tells us something of the husband's background story, although for me there were still loads of unanswered questions at the end. And, of course, the EVIL CLOWN returns!
The graphics were OK, pretty much the same as those in the first game. I was disappointed that there was a lack of CE 'extras' in the main game such as collectibles/morphing objects, and even more disappointed that most of the "Bonus Extras" can't be accessed until you've completed the Bonus Chapter!
The main game felt short. I suspect that's because the player is more or less led all the way - if you find an inventory item you're not going to hang on to it for long. There really wasn't any element of head-scratching or feeling of "what do I do NOW?" as I click, click, clicked my way routinely through each scene. I just knew where I had to go and what I had to do at every step. The HOG scenes were, in the main, a simple list with the odd interactive item, although I seem to recall 1-2 of them being the 'newer' style of finding one item, using it to get another, etc.
As I've said before on here, MENSA-style puzzles are not much my thing #I play these games to unwind and relax#; however, here the puzzles were *so* simple I completed many of them without even having to stop and think them through.
All these factors made for a pretty humdrum journey through the game, and that lack of having to think is probably why the game felt so short #there are plenty chapters, but they're not long#. In saying that, perhaps it's just as well it was short - it sadly wasn't going to keep my interest much longer . The only 'zing' in this game is the creepy clown, and I think he could have been employed to better effect.
I will return to the game tomorrow and tackle the Bonus Chapter, which at least features a completely different character and what looks like entirely new locations.
Overall, for a Collector's Edition, I don't really think this is worth the extra money unless wallpapers and concept art are your thing - there aren't enough little extras to justify paying more. There *is* a 'video', which I'm curious about, but I'm not allowed to see it until I complete this Bonus Chapter #bah#.
Dark Dimensions: City of Ash Collector's Edition
A dark dimension has fallen over Phoenix Hill, turning its residents into volcanic ash. Help them rise from the ashes.
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
NOT TERRIBLY CHALLENGING :(
PostedJune 1, 2013
_misschrissi_
fromGlasgow, Scotland
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
It has been said that this game, which starts with yet another car crash!!!, is quite short (about 3 hours for the main game has been the figure quoted by a few). I would guess that the reason is because the game, or at least what I demo'd, is not that challenging. Inventory items were used almost immediately - most times you knew exactly where to go and what to use the item on. I felt I was just going through the motions - there was nothing to excite me or make me have to think much.
The demo took me 40 minutes to complete, and in that time I progressed through 9 scenes. There are a total of 27 in the main game (according to the map#, so you can work out the maths quite easily. If it continued at the same speed, I'd quite probably have the main game wrapped up in about 2 and a half hours!
The "puzzles" I came across in the demo had not much 'puzzling' about them. In one, all I had to do was change ONE element to get the answer. I don't like puzzles that are overly difficult #a little bit of thought required suits me just fine#, but the ones I came across here are really pretty simple.
Some people have also said the game is too "HOG-heavy". OK, there *are* quite a number of them, but then again - this *is* a hidden object game. Perhaps the quantity of HOGs is countered by the fact that they too aren't very difficult. I completed most of them in about 60-90 seconds, I'd guess. Items are pretty clear, and it's easy to work out by looking at the list which objects need to interact with others.
I had no complaint about the graphics, which I liked, and the game automatically filled my 26" monitor without adjustment. The characters in the game were very realistic, which I liked. The scenery was much brighter and more colourful than previously - I've played the previous Dark Dimension games, and they were all much darker/sinister/gloomier-looking than this one. I know some people complain about 'doom and gloom' games, but, for me, it's hard to believe in sinister things happening when everything looks bright, rosy and cheerful!
I didn't have to use the hint button at all, so I don't know how quickly it loads up. There is an interactive jump map, which I didn't need either, but it would be very useful if you did get stuck as it shows areas where there's still something to be done.
I won't be buying this as a CE - there don't even appear to be many extras beyond the strategy guide and bonus chapter. I will probably pick it up as an SE at some point, though, maybe with a punch card credit or in a sale.
I don't recommend this game.
Solve this maritime mystery to reunite a pirate with his lost love!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
AHOY THERE, PESKY VARMINTS!
PostedMay 12, 2013
_misschrissi_
fromGlasgow, Scotland
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
No doubt there will be people who don't like this game because it's too "dark", but - for me - the darker and more dismal the scenery, the better! I'm not 100% sure of what exactly is going on after playing the demo, and I can't be 100% sure that I absolutely, definitely like the game as a whole.
LIKED:
* Fabulous graphics, clear and very realistic - could be too drab for some, though
* A Scottish accent in a game!!!
* HOGs nice and clear, if, again, perhaps a little colourless
* Interactive/jump map, with 'things to do' in each zone
* Good level of challenge - i.e. collecting well-hidden coins
* Some puzzles are an interesting variation on the usual
* Inventory store is rotational - i.e. you could just keep hitting one arrow button and eventually find the object you needed.
* Fabulous graphics, clear and very realistic - could be too drab for some, though
* A Scottish accent in a game!!!
* HOGs nice and clear, if, again, perhaps a little colourless
* Interactive/jump map, with 'things to do' in each zone
* Good level of challenge - i.e. collecting well-hidden coins
* Some puzzles are an interesting variation on the usual
* Inventory store is rotational - i.e. you could just keep hitting one arrow button and eventually find the object you needed.
DISLIKED:
- Some coins were *very* well hidden
- Cartoon graphics in the 'storytelling' scenes
- Not sure if the storyline is right up my street or not
- Hint button seems to take a l-o-n-g time to recharge - used it for last item in HOG, then couldn't use it again for what felt like an eternity
- Strategy guide is in a 'pop-out' menu button which also has, underneath it, the 'exit' button, easy to press wrong one!
- Some coins were *very* well hidden
- Cartoon graphics in the 'storytelling' scenes
- Not sure if the storyline is right up my street or not
- Hint button seems to take a l-o-n-g time to recharge - used it for last item in HOG, then couldn't use it again for what felt like an eternity
- Strategy guide is in a 'pop-out' menu button which also has, underneath it, the 'exit' button, easy to press wrong one!
I do *like* this game, especially the crystal-clear, lifelike graphics, but I might wait until a sale, or until I have a couple of GCCs to use.
I recommend this game!
Look after and feed fun 3D fish and watch them play and interact with each other as you complete exciting match-3 levels to earn money for decorating your aquarium!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
I HATE THIS GAME.....
PostedMay 11, 2013
_misschrissi_
fromGlasgow, Scotland
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Yes, indeed, I hate this game - for it has got me completely, hopelessly hooked (pun intended). This is the first Match-3 game I have ever bought, and my poor husband is now something of a "Fishdom Widower".
I'm not sure how many levels there are, but there are a LOT, and I believe they get progressively more difficult as you go along. There is the option to play on a timer, or - as I did - you can switch the timer off and take your time. As a Match-3 newbie, I preferred having the time to get used to the 'strategy' of these types of game. Each M3 game is quite similar, I suppose, but with just enough slight variation to keep you going. And with the coins you earn from these games, you can buy fish for your aquarium, plus all sorts of pretty "accessories" to decorate your tank!
Beware, this game is chronically addictive..........#off to play some more LOL#
I recommend this game!
Explore the zombie island and break an ancient curse! What caused the disaster? Was it a virus or magic?
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Sitting on the fence
PostedMay 1, 2013
_misschrissi_
fromGlasgow, Scotland
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based on the demo I played, I don't really know how I feel about this game, to be honest. I kind of liked it, but I didn't.
Storyline - as a fan of the macabre, anything with the word "zombie" or "undead" tends to grab my interest. Like another game I've just reviewed, the storyline probably kept me playing longer than I would have done otherwise.
There seemed to be a fair bit of hand-holding in some respects, and then none in others - it was quite random. Sometimes the screen gave you visual hints about what needed doing, other times you found things only by clicking around. Certainly the jump map made it super-easy to leap around locations to whatever needed doing next. Some of the interactive Hidden Object scenes, however, I found a bit tricky to start with because you don't get any 'sparkles' and sometimes have to click about, but once I got the hang of it I found it much easier. You visited each scene twice, so something that appeared interactive the first time, but wasn't on the list, would crop up the next time you "visited". I found that, second time around, I could find the objects in super-quick time because I'd seen them the first time.
The puzzles I came across in the demo weren't too tricky - I actually can't remember them except for the "place the gears" one.
For me, the graphics were OK - I had no problem with them.
The biggest issue I had with this game was the English. It was appalling - truly awful! I can forgive a little slip here and there, but the entire game had clearly never been proofed by someone with decent English skills and it came across as just shoddy. It also described the mysterious cloud that swarmed out of people as "a clot"! Hmmmm.
I might use a PCC on this one eventually, but the terrible English and the fact it makes my computer whine while it's running have me sitting firmly on the fence at the moment.
Save yourself from an unknown disease and leave the island!
Overall rating
3
/
5
8 of 8 found this review helpful
Could have been a great little game
PostedMay 1, 2013
_misschrissi_
fromGlasgow, Scotland
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game had potential, and could have been so much more. The start of the story was funny but good - you've just arrived on honeymoon and fall asleep, leaving your new husband on his own (great start to *that* marriage LOL). You wake up, apparently in the morning, yet when you venture outside it's dark. Your husband, clearly in a huff at the lack of honeymoon excitement thus far, has joined a local gang of 'zombies', and is standing outside your hotel with what appears to be a feather duster in his hand (!). Oh no! You have to save him!
What I did like about this game was the scenery, and the potential storyline. It probably kept me playing for a lot longer than I otherwise would have done. I thought the graphics were OK, really, I have no gripes there.
Now to what I didn't like. Although this is a Hidden Object Game, there were so many HO's, and "busy", HO's at that, it got tiring - it would have been more effective if they were used sparingly, although I get the feeling they were there to help "pad" the game out. And, like yesterday's 'zombie' game (although not quite as bad, as the narration here was OK), many items were wrongly labelled. Like others have said, what is a "dall"? A spyglass is *not* "glasses". Developers should realise that, for many, this is a major, major turn-off.
The few puzzles I came across were incredibly simple - in one of them I had to swap around just 6 pieces to "make the picture". Not challenging enough for me, unfortunately.
Finally, the game also felt 'clunky', particularly in the few seconds of blank screen between scenes.
This *could* have been an interesting and fun game, had more attention been paid to the language issue, and a bit more thought given to the storyline instead of using HO's to pad it out. It might be OK if you have nothing else to play, or want to use up a PCC.
A murderous figure in a red mask haunts the streets of a small French town, and the mayor needs your help to track him down. But you soon discover that the mysterious Red Masque might not be the real criminal…
Overall rating
5
/
5
24 of 25 found this review helpful
ERS ARE UPPING THEIR GAME
PostedApril 28, 2013
_misschrissi_
fromGlasgow, Scotland
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Review based on completed game (inc. bonus chapter)
This was the first game by ERS in a while where it held my interest long enough to actually finish. As always, in these Edgar Allan Poe adaptations, you accompany the Dishy Dupin on the trail of yet another murderous foe. This time it's a villain knows as "The Red Masque", who is bumping off the town officials. But all is not as it seems......
The music is recognisably ERS, but not quite as "samey" as all the games that came before it - phew! The scenery is instantly recognisable as their artwork. Puzzles are not terrifically difficult - some were very easy, while others took a little more patience and thought. Hidden Object scenes were well spaced out, and were either list-style (with a few interactive items) or the type where you find one item, use it to get another, and so on.
At the end of the main game you have a decision to make, and it made me stop, review my "evidence" and have a think about who the real villain here was. It was a nice touch.
The bonus game didn't take a long time, but explored new areas, which I always like. And I got to see Dupin minus some of his shirt, too. I think I added about 15 minutes on to my playing time just by having a good look :) The 'extras' are the usual fare - concept art, screensavers etc., plus you can replay the HOGs and puzzles. Oh, and there's also something called "Workshop", which takes you to 30 pictures of the ERS team hard at work - or not, as the case was sometimes by the looks of it!!!
My only gripe was the cat (and I'm a cat person - I have 3). I just didn't see the *point*, to be honest, beyond the "look at the cutesy cat we've got to play with outwith the game!" factor. I hope this isn't going to be a recurring theme (another recent offering had a pet dog area) because the game itself should be able to stand on its own merit without that sort of schmaltz added in.
Overall, I hope ERS can continue to develop games that are less 'cookie cutter' and more innovative and original. For a long time one game felt just like another, so this is a good step forward.
I enjoyed this game and recommend it!
I recommend this game!
Vampire Legends: The True Story of Kisilova Collector’s Edition is an incredible adventure based on the true story of the first documented case of vampirism ever!
Overall rating
4
/
5
44 of 55 found this review helpful
On the Trail of the Vampire.....
PostedMarch 31, 2013
_misschrissi_
fromGlasgow, Scotland
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I was excitedly waiting for this game to be released today, hoping it might end the drought of really decent games in the past few weeks. Unfortunately, having played the demo, I'm left a little bit disappointed.
The devs are a new one to me, although the design of some of the characters seemed a little familiar. As a big fan of "dark/sinister" games, I was hoping the atmosphere of this game would be creepy and immersive, but it felt more cartoon-ish than anything else. I have no real complaints about the voiceovers, except how surprising it is that there are so many American accents in Kisilova!
The Hidden Object scenes were fine, really, with most items being of decent size and not so ridiculously hidden as to be impossible to spot. A number of items were 'interactive' #e.g. 'pick up the knife, cut the melon to get the melon slice'#.
The puzzles I came across in the demo felt just a little bit dated; there are some cleverer and more innovative puzzles coming out these days. The ones in the demo weren't terribly difficult, but as I play for relaxation, not to stress my brain, I never mind that *too* much.
I think the biggest problem for me was that the game felt really linear. You just couldn't do things in a different order to how the game wanted you to play it. I felt like I was being steered, instead of being able to wander around and uncover things in my own way.
Will I buy this game? Hmmmm. Maybe, but either using GCC or in a sale. I've rounded my rating up to 4 stars, but would probably give it a 3.5 out of 5.
For those interested, it is possible to find out more about the vampire story of Kisilova #also known as Kisiljevo# in the 1700s. It may be this is discussed in the "Interviews" section within the CE Extras page, but nevertheless for vampire fans it's an interesting topic.
I recommend this game!
Several young women have gone missing in Paris. Now only you can stop a maniac’s murderous trail of fragrance and deception!
Overall rating
5
/
5
7 of 8 found this review helpful
HEAVEN "SCENT"........
PostedMarch 15, 2013
_misschrissi_
fromGlasgow, Scotland
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is a game that I knew I would buy after 5 minutes of playing. The graphics are lovely, and I had plenty of time to admire each scene while I tore my hair out looking for the 'hidden items'!!! Beware - many of them are *extremely* well concealed; however, I prefer hidden to mean 'hidden', rather than some games where you can find them in seconds.
The plot - you are a detective assigned to find the killer of a number of seemingly random young women - may not seem anything particularly new. However, I enjoyed collecting the scents as I went along, and mixing different 'perfumes' to assist me in certain tasks. That was a novelty.
There is much to explore in each scene, but a very handy jump map is there to help you when needed. The map shows where you are, and areas where there is something still to be done. I tend not to rely heavily on the jump map to get me through the entire game, but it's certainly useful when the "little grey cells" fail me temporarily! I didn't need to use the Hint button at all during the demo game, because I either knew what I had to do, or could check the map. There is also an in-built Strategy Guide, which shows only the 2 chapters of the demo, but I'd imagine most people won't need to refer to it much.
Puzzles, again, are nothing particularly new, and they're not head-scratchingly difficult either #at least, not the ones in the demo#, more just a matter of "fiddling" until you get the right result. The Hidden Object Scenes were clear and the objects well-sized - not the microscopic, halfway-off-the-screen, eyestrain-inducing things you come across in some games.
Overall, I found this to be a fabulous, fun game that I look forward to playing in its entirety. Other devs had better watch out, because this particular developer has really created a game that is "up there" with the best!
I recommend this game!
A simple murder investigation in Spain becomes a puzzling whodunit filled with intrigue.
Overall rating
3
/
5
37 of 51 found this review helpful
Comfy Slippers
PostedFebruary 28, 2013
_misschrissi_
fromGlasgow, Scotland
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based on the demo, this game feels like the equivalent of putting on a comfy pair of slippers (hence the title). It's very obviously ERS, not least because the background music is *exactly* the same as a couple of their other games! For me, that one aspect made the game feel a bit "same old same old", because it created such a feeling of deja vu. That said, there's nothing especially wrong with the game formula per se - it just doesn't feel particularly new or exciting, which is a shame. It's like they take the same basic ingredients, mix them together a bit differently each time, and hey presto - a game!
This time around you are a detective hunting the murderer of Hugo, who seems to have been a bit of a philanderer by all accounts. But "whodunnit"? The wife? Mistress? Mistress' husband? #Or, like all good whodunnits, is there a disgruntled butler lurking around somewhere?? Lol#. Like the others in the series, you have a shop in which to buy things with the gold coins you collect throughout the game. The Hint system is the same too - it's not unlimited, you have to collect feathers to increase the number of hints at your disposal. This, of course, prevents you from using the button indiscriminitely, but I do prefer having unlimited hints!
There were 4 Hidden Object scenes in the demo I played. Two were a list of objects #a few of which were interactive#. One was "find 12 of" a certain item. And one was the more 'modern' take on HOGs, which was finding items then using them to uncover other objects, and so on. I did like that the devs varied the types of HOG. The puzzles were fairly routine, and not too difficult.
Scenery was as you'd expect from these devs - hand drawn, lovely to look at, slightly hazy and almost a sort of 'soft focus'. You could look at a screenshot and know *exactly* who created this game!
I might buy this game, and possibly the CE too #it has a number of extras including replaying HOGs, replaying puzzles, a 'Trivia' section and a 'colouring book' as well as the usual #and, to me, useless# offerings of wallpapers, screensavers, music and concept art#. However, I think I'll most likely either wait for a sale or use Game Credits to buy it.
I recommend this game!