nepravda's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.2
- Helpful Votes:0
- Reviews Submitted:6
- First Review:June 18, 2022
- Most Recent Review:October 5, 2023
- Featured reviews0
nepravda's Review History
Guide Hika-Ri and Kao-Ri on the adventure of their lives and enjoy countless hours of time management fun on the enchanted island of Tapa-Tui!
Overall rating
2
/
5
Most disappointing instalment in the series
PostedOctober 5, 2023
nepravda
fromSkopje, Macedonia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is the first instalment in the Moai series where I was seriously bothered by technical, visual and audio issues, as well as disappointing simplifications:
- the progress bars no longer fill up smoothly, but discontinuously
- the resource bar has become too small
- bonuses activated on an altar by sacrificing resources are now displayed as a plain progress bar, rather than as the circular icon of the bonus which depletes radially, so you can't check what bonus you've activated if you've forgotten
- some animations are very primitive, e.g. the way they blow on the glass machine, without even touching the tube with their lips, or how they fix the purple structure with the five energy pole by scratching away at the air around it, which is just lazy recycling of the animation used for digging up caches
- some obstacles and collectibles disappear from the screen before they are fully removed or collected, but the tribesmen continue to perform the corresponding animation, which makes no sense at all; this is very notable when they remove cobwebs, for example
- the ghost's movements are much more rudimentary (when they enter from the sides, as opposed to when they walk along the paths), and they are also too slow
- there was a level with a market floating on the water, which looked like the normal market had just been lazily dragged over the water, rather than being properly integrated into the water design
- some obstacles and collectibles are hard to click because you're not supposed to click on them but on the green circle at their base which does not appear until you hover on it
- Manu-Ai and jellyfish are much harder to catch as they move, in an annoying rather than a challenging way; they should not have changed them from Moai V
- achievements are now in one vertical row, making it less convenient to scroll through them, and they no longer show your progress status: you either have them or you don't, so you can't know how close you are to getting the one's you don't have yet
- the progress bars no longer fill up smoothly, but discontinuously
- the resource bar has become too small
- bonuses activated on an altar by sacrificing resources are now displayed as a plain progress bar, rather than as the circular icon of the bonus which depletes radially, so you can't check what bonus you've activated if you've forgotten
- some animations are very primitive, e.g. the way they blow on the glass machine, without even touching the tube with their lips, or how they fix the purple structure with the five energy pole by scratching away at the air around it, which is just lazy recycling of the animation used for digging up caches
- some obstacles and collectibles disappear from the screen before they are fully removed or collected, but the tribesmen continue to perform the corresponding animation, which makes no sense at all; this is very notable when they remove cobwebs, for example
- the ghost's movements are much more rudimentary (when they enter from the sides, as opposed to when they walk along the paths), and they are also too slow
- there was a level with a market floating on the water, which looked like the normal market had just been lazily dragged over the water, rather than being properly integrated into the water design
- some obstacles and collectibles are hard to click because you're not supposed to click on them but on the green circle at their base which does not appear until you hover on it
- Manu-Ai and jellyfish are much harder to catch as they move, in an annoying rather than a challenging way; they should not have changed them from Moai V
- achievements are now in one vertical row, making it less convenient to scroll through them, and they no longer show your progress status: you either have them or you don't, so you can't know how close you are to getting the one's you don't have yet
The way they've jumbled up the Hika-Ri artefacts is also very annoying - what was wrong with having the two for each body slot next to each other, with the order of the pairs following the order of the body slots?
Otherwise, the gameplay was fun; significantly easier than Moai V, but still much more challenging than the infantile Moai III. Unfortunately, the developers had not added enough new elements, and the ones that they have added occurred too rarely, e.g. the labs and the blocks you lower with a lever, which had more potential in my view. At the same time, some of the features from earlier games seemed to have declined in relative importance, e.g. the purple Kao-Ri signs.
On the whole, the game feels like the product of slipshod, hasty design and programming, and there is insufficient/poorly exploited novelty, so I believe that the developers would have been better off ending the series on the high note of Moai V. For me, Moai VI will be the end, as I cannot play Moai VII - it takes over a minute for a level to load, although my PC meets the requirements specified by Big Fish.
I don't recommend this game.
Powerful magic is at your fingertips as you protect your island home!
Overall rating
4
/
5
Toughest in the series
PostedOctober 5, 2023
nepravda
fromSkopje, Macedonia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
In terms of difficulty, this instalment is much harder than any of the others in the Moai series, but I really enjoyed the challenge and I appreciate the developers' effort to release a game that truly tests the skills of advanced players like me.
I got gold on about half of the levels from the first attempt, but I had to replay the rest one or more times, trying to figure out the best strategy in terms of what to build, what to upgrade, and in what order to perform all the necessary actions. I barely used the guide, preferring to solve the levels myself. The only level on which I was unable to get gold, either with my own strategies or the guide's help, was 35. Another player, who has posted videos on YouTube of them completing each level with gold time, has also failed on that particular level, and a commenter has claimed that the level is simply impossible to beat with gold time. I believe this to be the case as well, and therefore an error on the developers' part, hence the 4 stars instead of 5.
Otherwise, I also enjoyed the new distinction between Hika-Ri and Kao-Ri levels as well as the spells (though I was a bit disappointed by the reduction of the number of artefacts available for Hika-Ri levels). These were welcome additions at this stage in the series, considering after so many games, the same formula would become tedious.
In summary, a great game for players seeking a genuine challenge, with an apparent design mistake on level 35, but I do not advise beginning with this one unless you have played the previous instalments in the Moai series. Also, considering how many players have struggled to get gold time on even a few levels, the developers could have added another difficulty level, "normal", with the current one as "hard".
I recommend this game!
Explore newly created islands, teeming with bizarre creatures and heart-stopping danger!
Overall rating
5
/
5
Considerable improvement from Moai III
PostedSeptember 25, 2023
nepravda
fromSkopje, Macedonia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Arcade & Action, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I was disappointed by Moai III, as you can read in the review I have left for it, but this next instalment proved much better, so I am glad that I gave it a chance. It is still not as good as the first two, which will remain my favorites from the series, but it is definitely a solid game when considered in its own right. It offers a nice level of challenge (I had to replay multiple levels, especially to get all the collectibles), as well as exciting new features, such as lighthouses, preparing artefacts yourself from ingredients you collect, and unique individual tasks such as saving underwater citizens and performing rituals at designated places. I also liked the birds as attackers and I had lots of fun upgrading scarecrows. The birds are not as captivating as the ghosts from I and II, but they are much better than the bandits from III. Additionally, the Moai statues had a real function in this game; I actually relied on them to complete levels and built even more than was required in order to get resources faster, unlike in III, where I barely even remembered that they existed.
Lastly, I loved the bonus levels, which were not just alternative versions of basic levels like in II and III, but entirely separate.
I am looking forward to seeing what Moai V is like.
I recommend this game!
Reclaim a stolen artifact to crush the threat to your kingdom!
Overall rating
3
/
5
Much worse than I and II
PostedSeptember 23, 2023
nepravda
fromSkopje, Macedonia
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I really enjoyed the first two instalments in the series, especially because they differed significantly from other TM games like Roads of Rome and Northern Tale which I had been playing for years, but I was less than impressed by this third instalment.
Firstly, compared to the first two, it is much easier, to a childish degree. I only had to replay one level to get a gold orb on the map, and I finished most levels with about a third of timer remaining, sometimes almost half.
Secondly, the levels did not seem well planned. In the first two instalments, I needed to come up with a strategy and often make several attempts to figure out what I need to build and in what order. I also felt that every lot had a purpose. In this game, I felt like I was just filling up the lots and waiting for the resources to accumulate. I often pointlessly planted groves and sawmills just because I had space. Furthermore, I did not even need to use some of the preplaced structures. For example, in one level where one of the goals was to accumulate a certain amount of rocks, I completed the goal before even unblocking the way to a preplaced, upgraded quarry at the end of the path!
Thirdly, the ghosts from the first two instalments have been removed. I really enjoyed fighting against them in the first two instalments - they provided a tower defense subgame within the main TM game, which was a refreshing combination. In this instalment, they have been replaced by bandits, which take only two clicks to kill. There are structures which shoot lightning at them (distinct from the Moai statues), but they are always preplaced and cannot be built on empty lots. They also cannot be upgraded, and there are no subtypes of bandits, whereas in the first two instalments, there were blue, red and purple ghosts with different movement speeds and which required a different amount of clicks to kill. Lastly, the bandits illogically move through obstacles. This would make sense for ghosts, which are immaterial beings, but not human bandits. On the whole, the removal of the ghosts greatly impoverished the game.
Fourthly, as there are no ghost attackers, the Moai statues have now been repurposed - they produce Mana, but only 10 units per cycle, and cannot be upgraded. As a result, they are totally pointless. I got all the Mana I needed from the temples, the contribution from the Moai statues being totally negligible.
Fifthly, the terrain changes too much in a seemingly haphazard fashion. I would have preferred something like ten jungle levels followed by ten snow levels etc.
In conclusion, this game is not really worth playing if you already played the first two, but if it's your first in the series, you may be more likely to enjoy it.
The visual and sound quality is as good as in the previous two games. I have nothing to say about the storyline because I always skip them, so I gave it 5/5 by default.
I don't recommend this game.
A city is left in ruin at the hands of a corrupt official, and you have been called in to rebuild it in this exciting new installment of the Be Rich franchise!
Overall rating
2
/
5
Too much clicking
PostedMay 16, 2023
nepravda
fromSkopje, Macedonia
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Time Management
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game involves too much clicking, especially when one is removing rat infestations, thieves and saboteurs; there are also too many incidents of the latter kind, leaving too little time to focus on completing level goals; the appearance of a neighborhood drops drastically (to -1000 or under) simply because you build real estate and you have to place dozens of decorations just to keep it above zero; the commercial buildings no longer generate income from properties you don't own, unlike in the previous instalments (Be Rich & Be Richer); the money floating on top of the real estate prevents you from bulldozing and selling it, which is an unnecessary complication; when you collect floating money, sometimes the money symbol (but not the sum) remains, due to an apparent glitch.
Furthermore, it is extremely difficult to get even silver time on most levels, let alone gold time, even when one has bought all the special blueprints. Sometimes, you have to wait at the beginning of the level for a property to come on sale cheaply, before you start your timer with your first click; otherwise, you seemingly have no chance of getting silver or gold time. This waiting as the start is very annoying. On the whole, the whole game is much more annoying than enjoyable.
The previous instalments in the series were infinitely superior, especially the first one, which has the best balance of difficulty and fun (the second was very enjoyable but too easy). After trying to accept this third instalment, I ended up losing my patience with the endless accidents and sabotage and uninstalling it. In any case, Build a Lot is better than this whole series.
I don't recommend this game.
Who is the mysterious ally supporting the Roman soldiers?
Overall rating
3
/
5
0 of 1 found this review helpful
Fun but glitchy
PostedJune 18, 2022
nepravda
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I greatly enjoyed the gameplay and the challenges it poses, but unfortunately, there are too many glitches:
- when there are many buildings producing resources and many workers running around at the same time, the game starts to lag, and the problem is particularly noticeable when the workers cross the green speed boosters; I realize that this is partly my fault, since I am playing the game on a small laptop which overheats easily, but the fact remains that I do not have this problem with any of the first six Roads of Rome games (I have not yet played Roads of Rome Portals I, so I don't know if that game has the same issue)
- I once clicked on the Arc de Triomphe while there was a giant in front of it, blocking access to it, and this caused a glitch that made it impossible to complete the level; specifically, once I removed the giant, I was able to build the Arc de Triomphe, but it no longer showed whether it was at stage 1, 2 or 3 as usual, and after I built it, the corresponding task from the task bar was not removed. I then restarted the level and completed it successfully, but it was annoying that I had to replay it because of the glitch.
- I once clicked on a warthog to send soldiers from the barracks to kill it, but I did not have enough beer, and rather than being told that the task could not be completed due to insufficient resources, as usual, the warthog was killed and I ended up with negative beer, specifically -105; after that, I could not assign any task to any worker, because whatever I clicked on, the game told me that I need 105 more beers, apparently because if you have one negative resource (which should not even be able to happen), you cannot do anything until you bring it up to zero; however, because my beer parlor was producing only 30 beers at a time (and can never produce more than 50 beers anyway), rather than 105, I was simply blocked and had to restart the level
- I finished the bonus level with expert time and I found all five hidden objects, but on the map, the ring around the base of the flag is silver rather than gold, as if I had omitted some of the hidden objects; when I hover my cursor over the flag, it says that I have found all of the hidden objects, and I even got the award for finding all 236 objects in the entire game, but the ring is still silver; I'll try replaying the level, but I should not have to since I did everything right the first time.
- I once clicked on the Arc de Triomphe while there was a giant in front of it, blocking access to it, and this caused a glitch that made it impossible to complete the level; specifically, once I removed the giant, I was able to build the Arc de Triomphe, but it no longer showed whether it was at stage 1, 2 or 3 as usual, and after I built it, the corresponding task from the task bar was not removed. I then restarted the level and completed it successfully, but it was annoying that I had to replay it because of the glitch.
- I once clicked on a warthog to send soldiers from the barracks to kill it, but I did not have enough beer, and rather than being told that the task could not be completed due to insufficient resources, as usual, the warthog was killed and I ended up with negative beer, specifically -105; after that, I could not assign any task to any worker, because whatever I clicked on, the game told me that I need 105 more beers, apparently because if you have one negative resource (which should not even be able to happen), you cannot do anything until you bring it up to zero; however, because my beer parlor was producing only 30 beers at a time (and can never produce more than 50 beers anyway), rather than 105, I was simply blocked and had to restart the level
- I finished the bonus level with expert time and I found all five hidden objects, but on the map, the ring around the base of the flag is silver rather than gold, as if I had omitted some of the hidden objects; when I hover my cursor over the flag, it says that I have found all of the hidden objects, and I even got the award for finding all 236 objects in the entire game, but the ring is still silver; I'll try replaying the level, but I should not have to since I did everything right the first time.
Thus, it appears that the game was sloppily designed, possibly in a rush. The glitches that I have presented above are easy to notice and could have been detected by having players play the game in its entirety before releasing it. This is a significant decline in quality with respect to the earlier games.
On account of these technical issues, I do not recommend the game.
I don't recommend this game.