turkthesnake's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.3
- Helpful Votes:542
- Reviews Submitted:26
- First Review:May 2, 2012
- Most Recent Review:May 2, 2015
- Featured reviews0
Status:
To save your father from a hideous monster, you've decided to sacrifice your own freedom. Now you must journey through a strange and magical land before time runs out!
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 6 found this review helpful
I'm a sucker for beauty and the beast
PostedDecember 24, 2013
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I loved this game! It had me captivated from the very first moment. I couldn't tell you very much about the HOSs and puzzles because I was so intrigued by the story. Usually I refuse to use hints, but somehow the integrity of solving everything myself didn't seem as important as finding out what happens next. I was impressed because the game was still a decent length (HOSs and puzzles are time fillers). I can't think of another game where your little helpers are so well developed. When the weepie showed up I literally said "aww" out loud.
I even appreciated the technical aspects of this game. I'm not picky but I'm not easily wowed either and I think the custom cursor, design of the inventory, possibility for customization, etc, was all very well done.
I even appreciated the technical aspects of this game. I'm not picky but I'm not easily wowed either and I think the custom cursor, design of the inventory, possibility for customization, etc, was all very well done.
The things that bothered me were the cutscenes at the beginning and end of the game. The voice overs throughout the game were great on animals and mediocre on people, but in those cutscenes the queen, who turns out to be our heroine, sounds like a whiney brat. She isn't selfless or heroic, like the original Beauty. SPOILER ALERTish: this is reinforced by the fact that she chooses someone who is using her just because he has a hot bod and a castle over someone who has loved her all his life. Nice guys are supposed to win in fantasy. This really bothered me, enough to knock off a star, even though I do believe this game is a cut above the rest.
If you liked this game, I'd recommend the awakening, spirits of mystery, and dark parables series'.
I recommend this game!
Gemini Lost
A strange light leads your group to an unfamiliar world! Build a new society, while searching for a way back home!
Overall rating
2
/
5
A Disappointment
PostedApril 21, 2013
I love sim games and PlayFirst makes wonderfully fun games fairly consistently (like LifeQuest).
Perhaps I expected too much, but this game fell pitifully short. Everything seems to happen too easily and too quickly. There is no challenge in keeping everyone fed, for example. The potions made everything even easier, and there is no variety in the little people. They are often identical, if not merely similar to one another.
Overall, the game is boring.
I don't recommend this game.
Lead Saturn's son to the top of the Pantheon and help him become a mighty god in All My Gods! Use divine powers to change the life of Romans!
Overall rating
2
/
5
12 of 14 found this review helpful
gods don't need to make any effort
PostedJanuary 21, 2013
I found this game far too easy. Uniquely, it got easier and easier as the game advanced. Your power and production capacity increases, but the challenges you face do not grow significantly in difficulty. I suppose it is quite relaxing if you enjoy doing small tasks with infinite power.
There are achievements, a couple of which I had not completed by the time I was done with the storyline, so these are helpful. The graphics are good, and the little workers are rather adorable.
Strategy games are few and far between, but this one is not particularly entertaining. If you feel starved for a new game (as I did), just be sure to try before you buy. If you like games like this that have challenges rather than levels as the game progresses, you might try dream builders: amusement park (also recently released).
This probably would have gotten three stars from me if they hadn't perverted Greco-Roman mythology in the rather weak storyline.
I don't recommend this game.
Squids
An epic underwater adventure - with Squids! Lead your team of squid heroes for epic turn-based battles against corrupted crabs and shrimp.
Overall rating
2
/
5
8 of 9 found this review helpful
It killed itself (full game)
PostedDecember 14, 2012
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
This game ends at level 20 with no real resolution of anything. At all. From any perspective.
I thought this game was rather fun. Although some might criticize it for mixing elements, i like games that are complex and give me many things to do. I think it makes them more replay-able.
There is a currency to collect and spend, turn-by-turn battles to be fought,arcade style power ups, a story line to follow, and the strategy involved in using the different members of your team and their strengths. I thought the anthropomorphism of squids was kind of interesting. I used a punch card coupon.
Unfortunately, my "buy" did not turn out to be very gratifying. First, the game was way too short. it had about 20 levels. Standard for these kinds of games is about 40-50 levels, so 20 levels is pathetic. I felt like the game was just getting started when it suddenly ended.
(Spoiler alert - if there is any story to spoil in the first place...) Further, the story line also abruptly ended. There was no resolution to anything. The last scene had the characters basically saying, "Where should we go next?", "Anywhere!", and that was it.You never really meet the game's villain, or resolve any of the problems that the game represents as your goals, or learn the back story they keep hinting at, or anything.
Also it is painfully obvious that this game was supposed to be released around Halloween. Thanksgiving has come and gone. That doesn't speak well of how "finished" the game is.
The devs seem to think that this counts as a cliff hanger which will generate demand for a sequel. Well, I'm certainly not interested. They should have just finished this one.
I don't recommend this game.
A disastrous avalanche... an evacuation... did anyone survive? The ski trip you've dreamed of for so long turns into a nightmare.
Overall rating
3
/
5
22 of 22 found this review helpful
Buyer Beware!
PostedDecember 7, 2012
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This seems like a nice enough game with a nice enough story. It is well drawn, offers three levels of play and has my interest.
HOWEVER, those of you who are expecting this to be comparable in quality to the original phantasmat, perish the thought!
-there are no achievements in the CE. The original phantasmat had achievements in the SE.
-The story is pretty much a complete knock-off of the original phantasmat. The parallels are uncanny, right down to characters, plot, and game mechanics.
(SPOILER ALERT: you follow a maze in the beginning to get to the resort, have to fix the power to make a phone call, get locked in at one point, etc etc etc. sound familiar?)
(SPOILER ALERT: you follow a maze in the beginning to get to the resort, have to fix the power to make a phone call, get locked in at one point, etc etc etc. sound familiar?)
Phantasmat was not originally an ERS game. They seem to have bought the rights to the title, but they haven't maintained the quality associated with it. No achievements, no hidden symbols, no originality.
The SE will be a buy for me, since I loved the original phantasmat so much. Having another game nigh exactly like it without a few of the frills is worth it to me. The CE, however, is not worth the extra money by any standard, let alone phantasmat standards.
I don't recommend this game.
Save Brightfield from a shocking plot by a dastardly organization!
Overall rating
5
/
5
11 of 12 found this review helpful
Based on full CE game
PostedOctober 13, 2012
turkthesnake
Skill Level:Intermediate
I don't like having live actors (they just look cheesy in a drawn world), for some reason I don't like being addressed as "detective," and the super-dramatic music gets old.
Ok, so there ends my pathetic attempt to find something wrong with this game. The story is absolutely enthralling and believable, despite its mythic quality. It comes to a satisfying ending in the main game.
The bonus game has you going through a few of the same locales from the main game (there is no new area). It is also it's own story, of descent length and quality, but it gives you a little taste of what the next Mystery Trackers will look like (squee!).
There are 4 levels of game play: the traditional 3 (fast hint, slow hint, no hint), and a "detective" mode in which the cursor doesn't change for active areas. You can switch modes mid-game.
You can adjust the volume of the sound effects, music, environment, and voice over. You can also adjust the lighting if you find things too gloomy, though I didn't have this problem.
There are no achievements (pout). There are a few morphing creatures and you can look through the ones you've found and read a quick zoological description. You also have a dog, Elf, who helps you through out the game, and you can buy him things with coins you collect. He will play with them and it is rather adorable. Personally, I would have preferred to find tons of individual coins, rather than a few individuals and several large stashes (like clovers in midnight mysteries). The Elf feature is, I believe, a development from the cat in The Wishes and the office in Noise.
HOSs are of the traditional variety. You get a list of objects to find and some of those objects require an extra step. You end up keeping one object for each scene. You do not revisit scenes. I did not notice a clicking penalty.
I can't comment much on the strategy guide as I never needed it, but it does include a menu of all the chapters and I assume that it is as thorough as any other SG.
There is a map which you can use to jump to any place you have already discovered. It will also show you places to go for the "current task". I didn't use this because the layout of the game was fairly linear. I didn't get lost and it was fairly easy to back track a bit if I was unsure of what to do next. I like doing this because it makes the game feel a bit more real to me.
The graphics are superb! They reminded me of Raincliff (which despite this game's quality is still my favorite in this series) because 4Aces is set in winter and there is a light snow falling. The locations were as beautiful as could be expected, considering that the town is abandoned and rapidly decaying.
You can't click through the cutscenes, which is unfortunate because I am a fast reader, but the voice overs were fairly well done, though they were a bit melodramatic.
Overall, this was a wonderful little excursus from the real world! It's totally worth the CE price, though I think you will be satisfied if you decide to wait on the SE. Whatever you do, don't pass this one up!
I recommend this game!
Discover the fate of your exiled kingdom, save your people and end the ancient evil that started it all!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Very Pretty, Very Easy, Child Friendly
PostedOctober 13, 2012
turkthesnake
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Based on the whole game.
navigation map
achievements
3 levels of play
Bonus game
no collectables/morphing objects.
achievements
3 levels of play
Bonus game
no collectables/morphing objects.
If you like the less dark, more child friendly type of game, try Lost Souls -- I have the link on the left.
Like the others in this series, this game is visually very colorful. You are a princess in a fairy tale wherein everyone has magic but you. There are multiple races in the series, but this one mainly concerns your fellow humans.
The villain might be a little scary to the especially young but overall this is not a dark game. As a fan of the dark and spooky, I waited to play this until I was in the right mood.
The villain might be a little scary to the especially young but overall this is not a dark game. As a fan of the dark and spooky, I waited to play this until I was in the right mood.
The game is easy. There are only a few actions available in each area and they are easy to keep in mind as you find new items.
HOSs are sometimes traditional and sometimes interactive. As someone who gets bored very quickly with HOSs, I appreciated the variety.
The puzzles are almost ridiculously easy and mostly involve interpreting visual clues. I did skip a couple but that was only because I didn't understand what I was supposed to do.
HOSs are sometimes traditional and sometimes interactive. As someone who gets bored very quickly with HOSs, I appreciated the variety.
The puzzles are almost ridiculously easy and mostly involve interpreting visual clues. I did skip a couple but that was only because I didn't understand what I was supposed to do.
The CE includes achievements, some of which are hard to interpret until after you achieve them.
Bonus chapter is comparable to the rest of the game: beautiful and rather easy. It seems to serve as a teaser for the next game in the series. If you don't want to be teased, the SE is probably sufficient.
Bonus chapter is comparable to the rest of the game: beautiful and rather easy. It seems to serve as a teaser for the next game in the series. If you don't want to be teased, the SE is probably sufficient.
I recommend this game!
Rescue your daughter, Hannah, from the clutches of an evil witch before it's too late in this chilling Hidden Object adventure game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
40 of 41 found this review helpful
The art of a good SE is not lost
PostedOctober 3, 2012
turkthesnake
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Based on the whole game.
This didn't quite become my favorite game in the world but I did enjoy it immensely. I give it five stars because on top of overall good game play it . . .
-was complete in itself. It feels like so many of the SE games released are CEs minus the satisfying ending. It's like getting people to buy movie tickets and then requiring them to play double the price to see the last 10 minutes of the film. Not so here. The story was complete in all its spooky glory.
-had no HOSs. I like adventure. I tolerate HOSs because they come with the territory, but I often find myself wishing they had a charging skip button like puzzles do (try The Witch's Prison if this describes you too. I'll add the link).
-was long and covered a lot of ground. It took me a couple of afternoons to get through it, and there was TONS to explore (to that end, the map is EXTREMELY helpful). The length is particularly significant because of the lack of hidden objects. HOSs serve to lengthen a game without adding content. So, a "long" game can end up having very little to explore in reality.
-doesn't have a whole lot of hand holding. The map gives you an idea of where you need to go but not how to accomplish the task you are given. I feel like I figured out a lot on my own, and that is a good feeling.
These are features that are very rare in the current trend, and ERS deserves to be commended for the genuine effort they clearly put into this game as an SE.
I recommend this game!
Explore a terrifying tale in Mystery Stories: Mountains of Madness! Find out what happened to an entire team of researchers!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Great DD!
PostedJune 28, 2012
turkthesnake
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I actually came across this game a while ago and couldn't justify paying full price for it. By all accounts, it was shorter than most of this genre (true). Every now and then a daily deal comes along that you were actually hoping for, and this was mine. It lived up to all of my expectations.
The story was enthralling. Towards the end you are switching between the two members of the expedition, which I expected to hate but which was actually kind of fun. You pull off a rescue on a team with yourself (who better? ;)) I found myself using the hint without even trying to figure things out (a rare thing for me) just so I could find out what happened next.
The graphics were superb. For the most part, you are in an icy city built by a mysterious race. It was beautiful. Bonus, if your favorite color is blue (mine is!)
Hidden Object Scenes were standard.There were a couple of times where you had to move a box or find another object on the list first before you could find a particular object. This happened rarely, though, maybe 5 times throughout the game. You revisit scenes and the previous HO's are not magically reappearing in the scene, which I like. You also often get multiple objects out of the HOS, which I really like (there is no "I just saw a wrench in the last 5 HOSs and now I need one, but I don't have one!").
There are achievements, but they are mute. They are basically markers for how far you have come in the story. If you finish the game, you get all the achievements. Nothing annoying about them, but the devs probably could have saved themselves a little time. They are rather pointless.
All in all, yes, short, but they nailed it on every other point. Worth a try. Who knows, you might get too enthralled in the story to not finish it :).
I recommend this game!
Take on Time Mysteries: The Ancient Spectres, a challenging Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game! Stop the evil witch Viviana!
Overall rating
2
/
5
16 of 16 found this review helpful
um, no.
PostedJune 14, 2012
turkthesnake
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I purchased this when it was on sale for the SE price. It looked like it was going to be really good. The graphics are amazingly beautiful, and the story line seamed like it had a mild spooky bend to it, which I love. It was wonderful, up until you fix the time device. Then, the device basically tells you exactly where to go, and takes you there instantly. This kind of ruined it for me, so I tried going on a "time device diet." The places you go are practically random; you really do need the device to tell you where to go. Sometimes, you can't get to a place without using the device. Basically, there are two options: wander aimlessly for hours, or get detailed directions without the chance to figure it out yourself.
Objects are not replaced in HO scenes you revisit, which is nice. There were a couple of items nigh completely obscured, and if you begin an interaction, you'd better know where to finish it because you cannot click anywhere until you do.
I'm very disappointed, especially since the graphics are mesmorizingly beautiful, both in spooky and non-spooky locals. Clicking on the little fire butterflies was about the only thing I enjoyed in this game. The character bought into the idea that her family members were time travelers far too quickly. The villain did not pose a threat.
In the bonus game, you save the main character from the regular game from a fire . . . I think. I followed the map, went where I was supposed to go, did what I was supposed to do, but I have no idea how fixing random machines accomplished anything. There was very little story logic behind the game play.
Shiver does a much better job with the inherit-a-haunted-estate story line. I'd recommend that instead of this game.
I don't recommend this game.