PsychoPrincessX's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.5
- Helpful Votes:243
- Reviews Submitted:44
- First Review:June 26, 2012
- Most Recent Review:June 29, 2014
- Featured reviews0
Help the secret organization of Mystery Trackers find 3 missing celebrities in the mysterious Void family mansion!
Overall rating
5
/
5
27 of 28 found this review helpful
classic creepy detective game
PostedAugust 25, 2012
PsychoPrincessX
fromVirginia, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I found this game to be a must have for people who like detective adventures. Everything about it is what you would expect from this developer for people that are familiar with their other games. The fact that is an older release has nothing to do with the quality of the game.
STORY: I personally didn't get the story at all until I decided to check all the 21 pages of my journal that I've had to that point. READ THE JOURNAL, or else you'll get confused. You play as the newest addition of a secret organization founded in the dark ages, that deals with high profile mysteries. You have to find 3 celebrities that dissapeared in a mansion. You have to deal with the experiments of a mad doctor and try to put an end to all the creepy stuff that is happening around you. the ending came unexpected. there's no way to predict the story. A big bravo for the script writers.
GAMEPLAY: You have the must-have journal, that, again, you have to read constantly. The little frog is your hint. You don't have a map, but you have a strategy guide in case you get stuck. There's not a lot of running here and there, usually you get to do everything in an area and proceed, so the scene changing is very smooth. There are achievements available for players who love challenge.
HOS&PUZZLES: A ton of hidden object scenes await you in this game. There's one at every step, and they're not easy either. There are some that you have to solve 2 times, but most of them are unique. The puzzles are in a big variety, the difficulty varies from medium to hard. Don't skip them, use the SG if they cause you trouble, or else you won't get the achievements.
GRAPHICS&SOUND: The visual quality of the game is spectacular, as expected from the devs. Crisp and clear scenes, animations at every steps. You have plenty of cut scenes to enjoy. The characters are 3D, but they don't look plastic. There is voice over and creepy noises everywhere.
EXTRAS: You have an extra game play where you play as the bad guy and try to escape from prison. The bonus is not very long, but is a fun play. You also have a lot of wallpapers to chose from, the soundtrack, screensaver, concept art. A new and very fun thing you get in the extras, are some printable paper craft sheets to make the goofy characters from one of the puzzles. I found it to be a nice addition.
STORY: I personally didn't get the story at all until I decided to check all the 21 pages of my journal that I've had to that point. READ THE JOURNAL, or else you'll get confused. You play as the newest addition of a secret organization founded in the dark ages, that deals with high profile mysteries. You have to find 3 celebrities that dissapeared in a mansion. You have to deal with the experiments of a mad doctor and try to put an end to all the creepy stuff that is happening around you. the ending came unexpected. there's no way to predict the story. A big bravo for the script writers.
GAMEPLAY: You have the must-have journal, that, again, you have to read constantly. The little frog is your hint. You don't have a map, but you have a strategy guide in case you get stuck. There's not a lot of running here and there, usually you get to do everything in an area and proceed, so the scene changing is very smooth. There are achievements available for players who love challenge.
HOS&PUZZLES: A ton of hidden object scenes await you in this game. There's one at every step, and they're not easy either. There are some that you have to solve 2 times, but most of them are unique. The puzzles are in a big variety, the difficulty varies from medium to hard. Don't skip them, use the SG if they cause you trouble, or else you won't get the achievements.
GRAPHICS&SOUND: The visual quality of the game is spectacular, as expected from the devs. Crisp and clear scenes, animations at every steps. You have plenty of cut scenes to enjoy. The characters are 3D, but they don't look plastic. There is voice over and creepy noises everywhere.
EXTRAS: You have an extra game play where you play as the bad guy and try to escape from prison. The bonus is not very long, but is a fun play. You also have a lot of wallpapers to chose from, the soundtrack, screensaver, concept art. A new and very fun thing you get in the extras, are some printable paper craft sheets to make the goofy characters from one of the puzzles. I found it to be a nice addition.
As I said, it's a must have. if you like it, go and play the other mystery trackers. Cause I will.
I recommend this game!
After overcoming the Dreamless Castle and Moonfell Wood, you have come to the rugged, mountainous snow-peaked Goblin Kingdom!
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
very easy and relaxing game
PostedAugust 24, 2012
PsychoPrincessX
fromVirginia, USA
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Finally a real collector's eddition for this series. I wish they would make another one, but you never know. The game was as expected. The fans of the trilogy will experience improvements from the previous games, but overall is pretty much the same.
The story of princess Sophia continues in the goblin kingdom and further. This time the little fairy doesn't come with you, but you have a cute little owl instead, and the dragon from the previous game that helps you set things on fire along the game. The story and gameplay are fun and smooth, exactly like a book. The storyteller has voice over as usual.
The only thing that i hoped it would be improved, but it wasn't, was the cutscenes. They are lifeless. Even like this the graphics are beautiful.
You have more HOS and a ton of puzzles to enjoy. They were all easy and fun, You had the goblinjong, classic picture puzzles, match 3, untagle and a lot more. The variety was endless.
You finally have some bonus gameplay, the epilogue. The extras also include the soundtrack, wallpapers, screensaver and concept art that offers before and after works.
It was a lovely game and being so easy it would be a great way to make younger children get familiar to the way hidden object games work and give them some brainy challenges. They will love it.
The only thing that i hoped it would be improved, but it wasn't, was the cutscenes. They are lifeless. Even like this the graphics are beautiful.
You have more HOS and a ton of puzzles to enjoy. They were all easy and fun, You had the goblinjong, classic picture puzzles, match 3, untagle and a lot more. The variety was endless.
You finally have some bonus gameplay, the epilogue. The extras also include the soundtrack, wallpapers, screensaver and concept art that offers before and after works.
It was a lovely game and being so easy it would be a great way to make younger children get familiar to the way hidden object games work and give them some brainy challenges. They will love it.
I recommend this game!
After awaking from a century long slumber, Princess Sophia finds a world that is devoid of people! Help her find her friends!
Overall rating
5
/
5
A fancy game
PostedAugust 22, 2012
PsychoPrincessX
fromVirginia, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
A very cute game, improved from the first Awakening. The princess will still be a princess in this game as well. As the last game from this series, only fantasy lovers who don't get frustrated about kiddy puzzles and stories will enjoy it.
The story continues with princess Sophia going to find her kind, this time with the help of the witch if the woods. You have the usual goblins helping you here and there, but this time you don't have to play goblinjong with them. They make you play tripeaks solitare instead.
Now you have to run here and there for items, is not as simple as the first one. You have to find a pack of tarot cards from the start to the end, cards that will give you items everytime. A lot of item finding takes place in the same scene , witch some exceptions.
The HOS are not many, and now they have some interractions between objects. On the other hand there a tons of puzzles. Most of them are very easy, others just take some time to figure out. Journal is extremely helpful because it stores puzzle hints and solutions even without knowing what they are at first.
The graphics are as enchanting as in the first one. You dont have much animation and you have voice only in the story telling, like in the first one.
Now you have to run here and there for items, is not as simple as the first one. You have to find a pack of tarot cards from the start to the end, cards that will give you items everytime. A lot of item finding takes place in the same scene , witch some exceptions.
The HOS are not many, and now they have some interractions between objects. On the other hand there a tons of puzzles. Most of them are very easy, others just take some time to figure out. Journal is extremely helpful because it stores puzzle hints and solutions even without knowing what they are at first.
The graphics are as enchanting as in the first one. You dont have much animation and you have voice only in the story telling, like in the first one.
Overall pros: long game, a lot of puzzles, fun for all ages
Overall cons: not many hos, no extras
Overall cons: not many hos, no extras
I recommend this game!
After Awakening in a mysterious castle it's up to you to collect clues and items needed to solve perplexing puzzles and escape!
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
a princess game for princesses
PostedAugust 21, 2012
PsychoPrincessX
fromVirginia, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I personally LOVED this game. It's true that I'm 22 and older people might not enjoy it. Now, if you're looking for a challenging game, don't buy it, because this game is not made to offer challenge or aimed at expert players who get bored easy. It's a very easy and relaxing game ONLY for fantasy lovers. The main character is no hero princess, she's a classic who doesn't like to get her hands dirty and doesn't like spider webs, so think good before getting this so you won't get dissapointed. This game is made for people who want to take it easy in a lazy afternoon.
The story is about a princess who was sleeping since she was little. She wakes up and has to find out who she is and what happened in her past. You have faries and goblins everywhere in the game. You play in a magic kingdom where you are the only human and have no magic at all.
The gameplay is smooth and pretty fast going. You have a fairy that serves as a hint and a journal that stores some information. The HOS are very few and extremely easy. The puzzles are made mostly of match 3 and mahjong (goblinjong) and a lot of picture puzzles which I absolutely loved. You have no strategy guide, but you don't need it.
The graphics are beautiful, it's visible that the game is older but there's still some animation and some voice in the cutscenes, which are few. The music is chosen to fit the enchanted world you're in, but you may want to turn it down a little.
At the end you unlock some rounds of goblinjong. If you play it you get some sort of magic FAQ, if I can call it like that, about humans, fairies and goblins. It isn't anything special, but if you like playing mahjong like me, then go ahead.
As I said, think good if you like easy fantasy games before buying it.
I recommend this game!
Explore the Nightingale Theater, which was ravaged by a devastating fire 40 years ago, and uncover a dark mystery!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
nice creepy game
PostedAugust 21, 2012
PsychoPrincessX
fromVirginia, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Another excellent game from my favorite developer. This is supposed to be a HOG, treat it like one. A lot of people seem to be complainning about it having too many hidden object scenes, well that's why it's called a hidden object game!!
STORY: You play as the grandson of the owner of the teathre. Without giving any spoilers, i can say you have to uncover the mystery of the death of the prime ballerina. The evolution of the story in the game goes in a nice logical order, you have a lot of letters around that tell you little by little everything. You have romance, rage, jealousy, crimes, and a lot of mystery to enjoy.
GAMEPLAY: You have a journal that includes a map and a character profile. The map has no instant teleporting feature, it shows you where you are and where you have an area of interest. The journal is pretty much useless, It only stores objectives and characters. The game moves pretty easy, but there's a lot of running around. You have to keep your eyes open everywhere because some items are hidden under the carpet and in the corners. You have the option to look for morphing objects that make your hint recharge faster.
HOS&PUZZLES: YES, this game has A LOT of hidden object scenes. I personally love that, after all, the hos and adventure are the only reason I'm playing this type of games. The hos are very similar to dark parables games, you have to look for parts and make the item you need. Even if the game area is big, you still need to search in the same hos 2-3 times. The puzzles are few, but their difficulty increases as you progress in the game. Still, by the end of the game they get of medium difficulty. Skipping them will lock your hint for 5 minutes or until you find around 5 items in a hos. Also, your character has the special ability of seeing the past. using that you find various hot spots in the game that allow you to go in the past and play a hos to find other items you need.
GRAPHICS&SOUND: The professional chinese game designers from this developer did a great job again with the visual quality of the game. Lots of animations overall, cut scenes at every step, crisp colors and creepy ambient. My advice, turn the music down a little, is loud. You have everything you need to please your eyes and enjoy this game. It also offers voice overs for cut scenes and when you interract with the characters, even in the visions you have the option to click on them and make them talk.
EXTRAS: There's a character in the main game that was barely mentioned, The velvet diva. Personally I got more curious who she was. In the bonus game you become a little bit more familiar with her, but it suddenly ends and it says it will continue in the second one. You also have the videos, soundtrack, wallpapers, lots of concept art and the mini games.
GAMEPLAY: You have a journal that includes a map and a character profile. The map has no instant teleporting feature, it shows you where you are and where you have an area of interest. The journal is pretty much useless, It only stores objectives and characters. The game moves pretty easy, but there's a lot of running around. You have to keep your eyes open everywhere because some items are hidden under the carpet and in the corners. You have the option to look for morphing objects that make your hint recharge faster.
HOS&PUZZLES: YES, this game has A LOT of hidden object scenes. I personally love that, after all, the hos and adventure are the only reason I'm playing this type of games. The hos are very similar to dark parables games, you have to look for parts and make the item you need. Even if the game area is big, you still need to search in the same hos 2-3 times. The puzzles are few, but their difficulty increases as you progress in the game. Still, by the end of the game they get of medium difficulty. Skipping them will lock your hint for 5 minutes or until you find around 5 items in a hos. Also, your character has the special ability of seeing the past. using that you find various hot spots in the game that allow you to go in the past and play a hos to find other items you need.
GRAPHICS&SOUND: The professional chinese game designers from this developer did a great job again with the visual quality of the game. Lots of animations overall, cut scenes at every step, crisp colors and creepy ambient. My advice, turn the music down a little, is loud. You have everything you need to please your eyes and enjoy this game. It also offers voice overs for cut scenes and when you interract with the characters, even in the visions you have the option to click on them and make them talk.
EXTRAS: There's a character in the main game that was barely mentioned, The velvet diva. Personally I got more curious who she was. In the bonus game you become a little bit more familiar with her, but it suddenly ends and it says it will continue in the second one. You also have the videos, soundtrack, wallpapers, lots of concept art and the mini games.
It was a very entertaining game and I can't wait to play the second one. Good job devs!
I recommend this game!
When a young woman is found comatose by the side of the road with a bloody knife beside her, it’s up to you to unravel her story!
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
a WOW game
PostedAugust 17, 2012
PsychoPrincessX
fromVirginia, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The last Surface was fun, but this one passed all my expectations far more than I would have ever imagined. I can't believe some negative reviews almost made me not play it. It was EXCELLENT, exactly my type of game.
STORY: As a psychic, you get in the mind of a girl who was found on the road, in what seems to be, a coma. There's no way you can predict what happens next and where you'll be, because you're teleported in such weird places only the human mind could have. The psychology of this game is incredible. The overall goal as a player is to find out the girl's name and cure all her symptoms. It has a very engaging plot.
GAMEPLAY: Very smooth game, easy scene changing. It has everything to make you comfortable. The map is helpful, it has an instant teleporting feature and it shows where you have stuff to do and where you're done. The hint gives you instant information about possible actions instead of just pointing stuff out for you. There are plenty of achievements to win, as a very competitive person I didn't use the hint or skip puzzles at all. You have a lot of flowers to find around. They are used to buy items for your office in order to make it look more interesting. You don't run all over the place for items and you have a lot of scenes to visit overall. You also have a strategy guide included and an option to get special decorations for your interface from the store.
HOS&PUZZLES: The hidden object scenes were quite easy, but they were so many. I love when the games offer plenty of HOS during the adventure There was no need for me to ever use the hint in them. You have some puzzles overall, not many and quite simple.
GRAPHICS&SOUND: As in the last Surface, this game offers a combination of photo/video manipulations and painting, and real actors for the characters. I can't say the main girl was good at acting in this game, but I could live with it. The costumes they used were gorgeous. The game is full of cutscenes that you can re-watch at any time in your journal. I didn't care much for the music in this one, but all the visual qualities are professionaly created.
EXTRAS: The CE offers a bonus game, very smart made, of a decent lenght. You get to hypnotize the girl and get in her mind once again. You also get the usual wallpapers, music, screensaver, mini games, and 3 scenes that were cut from the game.
GAMEPLAY: Very smooth game, easy scene changing. It has everything to make you comfortable. The map is helpful, it has an instant teleporting feature and it shows where you have stuff to do and where you're done. The hint gives you instant information about possible actions instead of just pointing stuff out for you. There are plenty of achievements to win, as a very competitive person I didn't use the hint or skip puzzles at all. You have a lot of flowers to find around. They are used to buy items for your office in order to make it look more interesting. You don't run all over the place for items and you have a lot of scenes to visit overall. You also have a strategy guide included and an option to get special decorations for your interface from the store.
HOS&PUZZLES: The hidden object scenes were quite easy, but they were so many. I love when the games offer plenty of HOS during the adventure There was no need for me to ever use the hint in them. You have some puzzles overall, not many and quite simple.
GRAPHICS&SOUND: As in the last Surface, this game offers a combination of photo/video manipulations and painting, and real actors for the characters. I can't say the main girl was good at acting in this game, but I could live with it. The costumes they used were gorgeous. The game is full of cutscenes that you can re-watch at any time in your journal. I didn't care much for the music in this one, but all the visual qualities are professionaly created.
EXTRAS: The CE offers a bonus game, very smart made, of a decent lenght. You get to hypnotize the girl and get in her mind once again. You also get the usual wallpapers, music, screensaver, mini games, and 3 scenes that were cut from the game.
Overall I think it's a wonderful game. Will play it again and again. It's very long as well.
The ONLY thing I didn't like in the whole game were the magnet puzzles. I found them extremely boring.
I recommend this game!
Celtic folklore seems to be more truth than lore when the Samhain festival goers disappear! Find the missing people and save the day!
Overall rating
4
/
5
13 of 13 found this review helpful
better than expected
PostedAugust 16, 2012
PsychoPrincessX
fromVirginia, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I initially started playing this because I like celtic culture and myths. But I found a lot of changed and invented things between the actual celtic folclore and the game. Still, that's another story, the game was pretty good overal.
STORY: Pretty long detailed story, overused concept. Your ex boyfriend goes missing and you go to find him. On the way you save more people and fight against supernatural beings. The story and the place where everything takes place is a mix between reality and fantasy, the player having to use the modern technology and the ancient pagan rituals on its way.
GAMEPLAY: First of all, I advise you to use the journal in this game, otherwise the story will get very confusing. There are more details in the journal than the game gives you on the spot. I ended up reading everything from the beggining, because about 30 minutes in the game I couldn't understand anything. There's no instant map, still there's a strategy guide in case you get stuck. The game area is big, and you don't run all over the place for items. Once you're done with a part, you move on. There are plenty of achievements to obtain as well.
HOS&PUZZLES: If you're an expert and have a trained eye, the hidden object scenes are extremely easy. There's no interaction, between the items you have to find, but sometimes they're stacked over eachother, so you have to find one in order to see another one under or behind it. Puzzles are from easy to medim difficulty, decent variety.
GRAPHICS&SOUND: Pretty good graphics, painting mixed with 3D animation. There are plenty of cut scenes. Music is well chosen, but i prefered to turn in low because the abient effects were better. Everything has a creepy feeling that almost makes you cold.
EXTRAS: You get the bonus game in the CE. You play from Robert's perspective. You go back in the town where the main game ended, You don't get many new scenes, but the town looks changed because it's been rebuilt. The ending is very sudden and it doesn't leave room for anymore information, probably because it will be continued. As far as I know there's a part 2, but i dont know if it's related to this one yet.
STORY: Pretty long detailed story, overused concept. Your ex boyfriend goes missing and you go to find him. On the way you save more people and fight against supernatural beings. The story and the place where everything takes place is a mix between reality and fantasy, the player having to use the modern technology and the ancient pagan rituals on its way.
GAMEPLAY: First of all, I advise you to use the journal in this game, otherwise the story will get very confusing. There are more details in the journal than the game gives you on the spot. I ended up reading everything from the beggining, because about 30 minutes in the game I couldn't understand anything. There's no instant map, still there's a strategy guide in case you get stuck. The game area is big, and you don't run all over the place for items. Once you're done with a part, you move on. There are plenty of achievements to obtain as well.
HOS&PUZZLES: If you're an expert and have a trained eye, the hidden object scenes are extremely easy. There's no interaction, between the items you have to find, but sometimes they're stacked over eachother, so you have to find one in order to see another one under or behind it. Puzzles are from easy to medim difficulty, decent variety.
GRAPHICS&SOUND: Pretty good graphics, painting mixed with 3D animation. There are plenty of cut scenes. Music is well chosen, but i prefered to turn in low because the abient effects were better. Everything has a creepy feeling that almost makes you cold.
EXTRAS: You get the bonus game in the CE. You play from Robert's perspective. You go back in the town where the main game ended, You don't get many new scenes, but the town looks changed because it's been rebuilt. The ending is very sudden and it doesn't leave room for anymore information, probably because it will be continued. As far as I know there's a part 2, but i dont know if it's related to this one yet.
Anyway, it was a nice overall experience. There's a lot happening in it, and i personally had to take a break from time to time. I will definately play the second one too.
I recommend this game!
The Dark Piper unleashes infested rodents into the town of Hamelin! Defeat him before he leaves a trail of destruction all across Europe!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Good, but the developer made better games
PostedAugust 14, 2012
PsychoPrincessX
fromVirginia, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I have to say this is my favorite HOG developer, and I play all of their games, so I can say they made way better games, even if they are older. Still, this game deserves a bravo for the way it presents itself. I thought it would be better than Dark Parables, but it wasn't quite like that
STORY: You play as a detective who has to stop the piper and, of course, his rats. You try solving a mystery and stopping a plague. I might be wrong, but I think the story takes place around 1800, from the way the town looked. It's a smooth going storyline, but no matter how mean the piper was, I felt bad for him at the end. A lot of supernatural elements are involved around the game.
GAMEPLAY: Pretty large area for you to move around. You have a map that tells you where you have objectives and HOS. Very annoying journal that keeps popping up whenever there's a new entry. I like reading the journal, but when I want, not when the game makes me to. You have a cat that acts as a hint. There are 20 morphing objects that make your hint recharge faster, but they are hard to find and I personally didn't need them, since I don't use the hint much. I found 2, and those by mistake. Along the game you find some sort of "superpowers": a flute that summons a raven, a key that opens everything (almost), and closer to the end you get the flute that controls the rats. There's a lot of running around for items, at least you get a map.
HOS&PUZZLES: The hidden objects scenes are quite simple. Not much fuss is needed to find what you need, since most of the items are big. You have 2 sets of items that interact in each HOS and at the end you always have to find another item that goes in your inventory. The puzzles were the ones I didn't really like. The one with the horse on squares is so repetitive. I think I playd it more than 5 times. The variety is horrible, and they are not challenging at all. Come on guys, I know you didn't run out of puzzle ideas yet.
GRAPHICS&SOUND: The strong point of this game are the graphics. They are so clear and beautiful. Very realistic made. Some people say they are blurry, but digital painted animations look different from the 3D ones, they are smooth, not blurry. The music is calm and beautiful, but you might want to turn it down a bit, because the default set is very loud. You don't really hear it along the game, but it starts when you're in a HOS or puzzle. There are tons of cut scenes and animations everywhere.
EXTRAS: You have a bonus game, with some new areas in the underground cave and tons of doors to open. It's of medim lenght and pretty easy without looking at the map. Is not really related to the dark piper, that's why I have the feeling they are working on another one. It's about people being turned to stone by Medusa's head.
9 extra puzzles
6 soundtracks
6 beautiful wallpapers
20 videos (the cutscenes from the game)
18 conceptual character and environment artworks and works in progress
9 extra puzzles
6 soundtracks
6 beautiful wallpapers
20 videos (the cutscenes from the game)
18 conceptual character and environment artworks and works in progress
Overall Pros: well structured, stunning graphics, lots of cutscenes
Overall Cons: popping journal, repetitive and easy puzzles, very easy HOS
Overall Cons: popping journal, repetitive and easy puzzles, very easy HOS
I recommend it for begginers and maybe itermediate players, but experts might find it a little bit frustrating.
I recommend this game!
After your son, Bobby, mysteriously disappears, it’s up to you to find him in Surface: The Mystery of Another World!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
Impresive game- see full review for details
PostedAugust 12, 2012
PsychoPrincessX
fromVirginia, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I didn't know what to expect when I got this game, I just wanted to try other series from this developer who gave me a nice experience with other games in the past. It's a pretty different game from what I'm used to, I'll detail everything in parts as usual.
STORY: Your son dissapeares from the train and you start a journey trying to find him. Long story short, you end up in another world that has a ruler who wants to get "ownership" of Earth because this mystery land was taken over by "the perish". After trials and a long game you obviously solve the mystery, but I'll let you find out the whole story and the ending by yourself.
GAMEPLAY: Nice easy to use interface. You have a strategy guide that is not much needed. You also have an instant travel map (thank the devs for thinking how hard it would be without it). A lot of running back and forth for items, but the map makes it a little bit easier. Very challenging game with 3 levels of difficulty. You can collect flowers in almost every scene, that allow you to win extra games. You have a bunch of achievements to collect through the game, nice feature for competitive players. Smooth scene changing considering it's a pretty big file. The starting is a little bit slow and you need good memory to know what to do and where to go, because the game area is so large. For those who prefer using hints for the times they don't remember, it has a nice feature that tells you where to go and what to do instantly, without having to use the SG.
HOS&PUZZLES: A feature that I haven't seen often, is the need of using inventory items for the HOS, which makes the game even more challenging. A good thing about it is that you can find all the items you can, being able to leave and come back when you find the other items that help you complete a HOS. The items are super easy to find even if everything is very well blended, most of them are big, and the usual shadows on the walls from other games are very rare in here, I actually don't even remember seeing one. Still I would have prefered more HOPs, They were too few for my taste. The puzzles were of medium difficulty, some of them take some time to complete without much thinking, since just few of them are strategic. You find a large variety of them around the game.
GRAPHICS&SOUND: The graphics in this game are unusual, not used often in HOGs. As a digital artist, I like observing them and the techniques used were a combination of digital and matt paintings and photo/video manipulations since the game uses real actors. They used nice costumes for them that reflect exactly the weird world you're in, and their acting is pretty good. It has nice soundtrack that starts especially when you're in an important action. It has a lot of cut scenes and animation.
EXTRAS: Along the game you unlock mini games that you can play instantly or go to them from the main interface. You have a bonus game that takes you to new scenes that were not present in the main game. It has a decent lenght. You also have 3 funny videos with the little robots and actors dancing, wallpapers, soundtracks and a screensaver. It also offers some nice concept art with raw sketches the scenes were made from.
Overall pros: challenging, visually impressive, good composition
Overall cons: slow start, need to use the hint if you don't have good memory
Overall cons: slow start, need to use the hint if you don't have good memory
Glad I got it, I'll definatelly try the second one.
Explore a decrepit mental asylum and find your missing boyfriend in Haunted Halls – Green Hills Sanitarium!
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
good but not the best- see full review for details
PostedAugust 12, 2012
PsychoPrincessX
fromVirginia, USA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I got this game wanting to try other things than my already routine fantasy-sci-fi games. From the other reviews I thought it would be amazing, but I was a little bit taken by surprise in a not so pleasant way.
STORY: Classic horror story. Your boyfriend goes missing and you go at the sanitarium and try to save him. Before saving him you have to save all the other patients in the building. They are all trapped by their phobias, your boyfriend having a special disorder being afraid of losing you. There's an evil doctor frankenstein-like, that you have to defeat. The ending was a little bit unpredictable to me. Guess it will be continued in a part 2 of the game.
GAMEPLAY: You have the super-common journal that is helpful only when you have to stock information. There's no map, which is a little bit annoying cause you have to run all over the place for items, from the begging to the end. You have plenty of hints that you surely need. The scene changing is pretty heavy and some things don't make any logical sense. I thank the developers for including nice strategy guide for the times i got stuck, and they were plenty.
HOG&PUZZLES: Pretty difficult hidden object scenes. Had to solve some of them in 2 with my husband. The items are very tiny, transparent, or blended using unnatural colors that aren't usually used in real life for those objects. A lot of them were words that I never heard about, but probably that's just me, since I'm still adapting to english language. The puzzles were of medium difficulty, All can be done without using the skip button with patience.
GRAPHICS&SOUND: The graphics of this game were beautiful indeed. The colors are not vibrant, they used a lot of browns and greens to create the creepy asylum feeling. The animations are rare, and they only occur in some scenes. The characters had no voice over. The music disturbed me. I prefer getting into the game and playing that character as good as I can, so I had to turn the music off. It was loud and it was suited only for the intense action. The sound effects are creepy indeed, disgusting in some parts, but oh well, that's why they are called creepy games.
EXTRAS: After the main game ended so abruptly, I hoped everything would be solved in the bonus chapter. I was wrong. You go again to find your boyfriend, have few new areas to explore and do some minor tasks around. It's decent lenght as well, but the end was weird. I guess they need to continue the story. You also have the music, which is better outside the game when you're actually not playing. The wallpapers are included as usual and you have some raw concept art that make excellent study materials for those ho have art as a hobby.
Time: about 5-6 hours it's a pretty big game
I enjoyed it but it also frustrated me. It felt like a grandpa of today's new hidden objects games. The developers have way better stuff on the market than this. They are professionals so i really think they could have done better
I recommend this game!