This was a pretty good game. I enjoyed most all of it. Didn't really know what to expect, but Eipix hadn't let me down yet, so I went ahead and got it after playing the demo.
Perhaps the only disappointment I had was in the graphics. They were a bit over drawn and jumpy. They weren't smooth and almost lifelike as in other games from this developer. The sound was excellent. Voice overs were well done, effects perfect and the music went along with the action in the scene.
The level of challenge was fine for my tastes. I play these games to relax and pass an overly hot Florida afternoon and this game did just that. There is a lot of variation in the hidden object scenes. Everything from shadow, to association, to lists and others as well. I have to admit some were pretty simple while others were somewhat more challenging. The same was true of the mini games. If you are one who likes the challenges of hard, mind bending minis, you probably won't like this one. There is an interactive map which is almost a must for me now. It shows where there are things to do and objectives to achieve and of course transports you anywhere. The evidence board they provide, well, I just haven't found the value for it yet other than reading something and going back to see just who the person is. Other than that, I didn't use it. It just repeats what you have just seen and no reference for things in the future.
I won't bore you by going over the story line with you. It was consistent and held my attention throughout the game. I didn't even get lost which normally occurs with me.
While I have played better games from Eipix, this one is passable and something you really should check out. Play the demo and see if it isn't something you might enjoy also.
I really enjoyed playing this one. It has been a while since I played the other game in the series, but as I remember it, this one is much better. Lots of fun, with just one drawback.
The graphics and sounds, especially the voice overs were excellent. Music went along with the action in the scene and the effects were really good.
This kind of game suits my level of challenge. The only drawback that I mentioned earlier, was all the hidden objects were silhouettes. No lists, just the picture you needed to find in the scene and then use to continue looking. I don't mind these, but a mixture would have satisfied me much more. In the hidden objects they had mini games as well as mini games throughout the game. They were not difficult and I actually had the patience to play most of them. AMAZING for me.There is a journal which I used some, and an interactive map which did show places that had things to do and would transport me wherever I needed to go. Of course there is a hint button, which along with the skip, load quickly. For you die hards, play in the difficult mode for more of a challenge.
The story was pretty good. I won't go into the story, because Big Fish does a great job telling you about it and you don't need me to rehash it for you. The story had me from almost the beginning and kept my attention all the way though. There is an old friend from the previous game, but I either missed the part where he got involved in this one, or something. Other than that, the continuity was there and just not thrown together.
You don't have to have played the previous game to enjoy this one. It isn't hard and it isn't easy. It's just right for me. Give it a shot and you may be SHOCKED to learn you like it too.
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3
Fun Factor
3/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
3/ 5
Level of Challenge
4/ 5
Storyline
3/ 5
This is posted after playing the entire game.
The riddle to this is why did I buy it. I made a mistake when I purchased it and thought I was getting something else. My bad. However, it was an okay game and with the sale it wasn't a total loss. The game was... okay. Not the best I have played, but not the worse either. It was middle of the road in fun. I did get bored and quit once, but when I came back I kind of got into the game. To say it was fun would be an exaggeration.
The sound was good, voice overs were well done, but the music seemed to be on a loop and didn't have a lot to do with what was going on. Graphics were good and the colors were pleasant.
Hidden objects in this game were the point and get pictures of what you needed either there at the time on later to come back and finish. It's different than the list silhouette we usually get. Mini games were the hardest I have ever played and I did try to play them, but in most instances ended up just skipping them. If you like mind benders, you'll love these.
Story wise, again it was okay. It was consistent, but all engrossing as some. The way it ended there will probably be a sequel. Pretty predictable and not hard to figure out.
As I said it was an okay game. Give the demo a try and see what you think.
I was really disappointed in this game. Not only was it not fun, it lacked the basics I have come to expect these days from the developers. I have to wonder if this is a re-issue of an older game. I must have hit the wrong button when it asked if I wanted a tutorial, because I got none. Not that there was really a need for it.
The sound was okay. Music wasn't irritating at all, and the hidden objects were clear. Voice overs were well done and the scene colors were fine. There probably could have been more voice overs, but there weren't.
I guess I could say it was challenging, because I lived on the hint button trying to figure out where to go. There is no map whatsoever. Hidden objects were simple and the mini games were challenging, but so much that they couldn't be done. To successfully complete this, it is necessary that you read the provided journal... every entry to have a ghost of a change to figure out what to do.
Not real sure about the story. I think perhaps the demo might have gone on a little longer to get the player more involved in the story, but it didn't catch me at all. I had no desire to know what happened to the magician and his assistant. About the only positive I could find was that the protagonist was a male for a change. Got to leave my high heels in the closet.
I'm sure this is a great game for some, but for me, it left so much to be desired. Not having a map was a deal breaker. It just made no sense to me.
After reading some of the other reviews, I was a bit leery about getting this game, but I found nothing wrong with it. I really enjoyed playing and brought several hours of fun into my day along with playing with my granddaughter it was awesome!
While I still do not understand the need for the dialog boxes, the voice overs were well done. The special effects were good and the music went along with the action at the time and was not irritating. Graphics, for the most part, were okay. They have done better in the past, but this was acceptable.
Hidden objects were interesting. There were several different types, from silhouette, to lists, to association, to riddles and other variations. Really kept me guessing and enough of a challenge for me. The mini games... well they were mini games and I'm just thankful the skip filled quickly. I did play more than my usual of them, but I just don't have the desire to over work what brain I have left... LOL There is an interactive map which does show places where you have something to do and will transport you to any location on the map. Great help in getting around.
The story, while I took a bit to catch on what was taking place and going to take place, it was predictable, but kept my interest all the way through.
Give it a try. I do believe you will find it an acceptable game for all ages.
This is posted after playing the entire game played in casual mode.
Really enjoyed this one. There were tons of things to do and kept my interest from the beginning.
As usual from Eipix, the graphics and sound were excellent. The only difficulty I had were some scenes were difficult to see, because things seemed very small, but that is probably because of my computer. It's time to head back to the shop with her. Other than that, the colors were great, and the effects as well as the music were extremely well done. Voice overs were well executed and seemed more natural than a lot we have been getting here lately.
The hidden object scenes were pretty easy and varied. Everything from silhouettes, to lists, to matching, to.. you name it they were in this game. The mini games were as difficult as the hidden objects were easy. I did have problems understanding what to do and more importantly how to do them. I really must practice patience, but I don't think that's going to happen at my age. There were several minis that were new to me and I did give all of them a chance, but with that skip button firing up so quickly, I soon over came the problem... :-) If you like challenging brain teasers these mini games will suit you just fine.
To help you along there is an interactive map that does show places of interest and will transport you to that scene. The hint also is quick to recover and was very helpful. Some times, it would pop up a window and tell me where to go. That didn't happen all the time, but it was handy when it did.
So far as the story, Big Fish explained the premise very well so I won't bore you with a rehash of it. The story is kind of a continuation of the Wolf Studios series, and kept my interest pretty much all the way through. The only thing I found was a mix up in gender of the hero/heroine. It started out with a male voice, when he/she encountered the first person, he/she was addressed as mam, and ended with a male again. Thought that was funny. Maybe I missed something along the way, but I don't think so. I couldn't tell from the ending if there will be anymore in this series, but it might just be.
Although the quality of this game was a bit less than what I have grown to expect from Eipix, it was still very good. I always enjoy their productions and this was no exception.
Just as an aside, I have been going back and playing my old games and it is just amazing how things have changed, for the better over the years. Designers, such as Eipix and others, have led the way and set standards for others to follow. My hat is off to these people who work so hard to bring us games and challenges trying to please all the various factions of players. I thank each and everyone of you.
I have to admit, I've played better games, but all in all it did pass a hot Florida afternoon. I kind of got lost at the beginning and never really did catch up which lost a lot of the fun of the game. There is nothing exceptional about this game, but it does pass the time.
The graphics were good. Colors were excellent and the sound, including the music as very acceptable. Voice overs were pretty well done. The only thing I didn't understand is why, in my opinion, when there should have been voice overs there were none, IE the crash scene and others.
Hidden objects were somewhat varied and interesting to do. The mini games were also varied and had some I haven't tried to play before. Several I just couldn't figure out what to do even with the instructions, so thankfully the skip, as well as the hint buttons, were quick to charge. There is an interactive map which does show you where there are actions to be done and will transport you there. There isn't a journal, but the objective screen will hold important information that you will need later. Didn't catch that right away and was floundering until I realized they were there. Also in the tutorial, they didn't mention that you can move from side to side in various scenes and when I was lost, hit the hint, lo and behold an arrow popped up on the side of the screen telling me to check over there. This isn't in every scene, but if you get lost just run your cursor to the edge and see.
The story if okay. It seemed to wander somewhat. It would go from almost reality to fairyland from scene to scene. It did have a beginning and an ending. It just didn't grab me from the beginning like so many from these folks do.
I had a free game about to expire and I decided to go ahead and use it. I'm glad I did and I'm sure when I play it again in a few months, I'll be able to figure out where I got lost and all will be fine. Give it a try. It's not the longest game I have nor the shortest, but it is well worth checking out.
I have to say, I was a bit reluctant to purchase this game, but I am so glad I did. I had enjoyed the Dark Parables series, but the last ones have not been up to the quality of the originals. This one lived up to those originals and then some. I really enjoyed playing.
The graphics were okay. They were clear and appeared to be hand drawn. Colors were great and some scenes were actually worthy of being called art. The sound, including the music, was great as well. Voice overs were well done and made the story live, if you will.
The hidden objects were the put together type like all others in this series, but with one large exception. The past few games, I was able to just go through the pictures without even looking at the clues and get 99% of the objects. Not this time. They were well hidden and I had to search. Yes, these types of games do get a bit boring, but this one had that special touch that made them more of a challenge. The mini games were difficult for me. I'm not much of a mini game kind of guy. I just don't have the patience anymore. If you like brain busters, you're going to love most of these.
You have an interactive map which takes you where you want to go as well as showing where there are things to be done. The hint and skip buttons, in casual, as quick to refill which is always a plus in my book.
I liked the story and I'm not much into fairy tales, but this one was good. It had me from beginning to end. You know the detective is going to win out, but how it's done is rather unique. Big Fish does a great job explaining the story so I'll not go into that. It is an interesting and fun time.
Give it a shot. I think you'll like it like I did.
Really enjoyed this one. Another hit for Elephant as far as I'm concerned. I enjoy almost everything about it.
The graphics are really well done and the sound is excellent, including voice overs. Music is good and the effects are right along with the action in the scene.
Hidden object scenes are varied and interesting. Not very hard in most instances, but it was enough for me. I did play most of the mini games for a change, so they must not be too difficult either, but again, enough for me. You have a map which shows you where there are current tasks. Every once in a while, I couldn't find anything to do and used the hint and it would send me to another area, so it isn't what is to be done right now, just to be done. There are several levels to in which to play. I played in casual so the hint and skip buttons recharge quickly. I swear I am going to get those minis where you have several different things to do to move on. I always get hung up on one segment, but one day!
The story is really good. I have several of this series and I do believe this is the best story of them all. I won't go into the story itself, because Big Fish does a great job giving you the idea. No need to rehash. Just to say, it had me from the beginning.
This is a fun, interesting game with numerous puzzles, hidden objects and other goodies to spend a few hours playing. I do believe you'll enjoy it too.
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3
Fun Factor
2/ 5
Visual/Sound Quality
3/ 5
Level of Challenge
4/ 5
Storyline
3/ 5
This is posted after playing the demo.
I did my best to like this game, but it is so lacking, I just can't say I liked it. It is confusing and empty. Just not my cup of tea.
The graphics were okay, but the voice overs were... amateurish in nature. Music was okay. Matter of fact I hardly noticed it and the effects went along with the action.
Hidden objects were interactive. There seemed to be more mini games than anything and half of those I couldn't figure out what to do. I cleaned up the list of hidden objects before I realized I had gotten anything. It's convoluted to say the least.
All I can tell you about the story is a guy's daughter went into this house of horrors and he was trying to over come his fears to rescue her. Not real imaginative in my opinion.
There isn't a whole lot good I can say about this game, except it is not a buy for me. Give it a shot and play the demo and perhaps you'll see or find something that will make it interesting to you that I missed.