Kirbmeister's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.1
- Helpful Votes:91
- Reviews Submitted:16
- First Review:December 31, 2012
- Most Recent Review:February 25, 2016
- Featured reviews0
The Lost Lands are in danger again... There's only one brave soul who can face the four evil horsemen to save it – you!
Overall rating
5
/
5
9 of 10 found this review helpful
Great HO Game, If You Do Not Like It, You Are in a HO Rut.
PostedAugust 14, 2015
Kirbmeister
fromWorld traveled but staying in Alabama
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Before writing this, I read the bad reviews. The complaints I saw indicated that those persons like their comfort zone.
This game is in a league all it's own. It has everthing you could want in an H.O. game and more. It is hard to believe it is not a Collector's Edition. What makes it special to me:
This game is in a league all it's own. It has everthing you could want in an H.O. game and more. It is hard to believe it is not a Collector's Edition. What makes it special to me:
1. Advanced HOS - None of your sparkling scenes of static objects recycled through the game. Each scene involves finding a few objects in the scene, using them to release other objects, and ending with the tool or piece to need to travel on. No scene is used twice. And each scene has the added mental challenge of a puzzle. If you like to think, you will like this format.
2. Non-Linear Gameplay - This I love. You do not have to travel in a predetermined line to reach your goals. Areas may have multiple exits where you can choose to take the one you just opened or work on opening the other and going that way. There are multiple worlds with multiple areas in each world. Once you have opened an area, you can choose variations of how you want to proceed and jump back and forth. Thank goodness for the excellent map. You need it. The map indicates multiple simultaneous options you can do at any time, not just "future" options where you do not have the tools yet to complete that scene.
3. Generous and Expansive Play - The amount and length of play is more than I remember in almost any game. I played this game for multiple hours over two days. This is not a three to four hour game.
4. Graphics - The game graphics are the perfect blend of realism portraying a fantasy world. No doe-eyed characters, giant shiny purple plants, cutsie sidekicks or other cartoonish creations. Just solid portrayals of creatures spanning a wide range of mythology and folklore who have individual personalities, not everyone or everything is either a friend or the enemy.
5. Some C.E. Features at a Regular Price - There are "collection" features including the accumulation of scrolls which give information on various characters you will encounter along the way. Your are not handed a massive "Book of Knowledge" nor are you constantly bothered with cinematics which are an overused way to throw background facts at you.
Fantasy and magic are not one of my favorite genres, however, this game is so expansive and done so well that you do not feel contrived elements anywhere along the game. This is one of the best purchases I have made. (Especially since I bought it on sale).
I recommend this game!
Can you bring Maria back from a shadowy realm?
Overall rating
1
/
5
15 of 18 found this review helpful
I Wonder How Anyone Liked This Game
PostedAugust 11, 2015
Kirbmeister
fromWorld traveled but staying in Alabama
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I don't review often. But this game stuck out so far as being poor that I felt the need to post to possibly save one person from wasting their money. I play 98% HO Games and have seen all kinds. This one is a complete mess. It starts out when you arrive to help a father find his daughter who has disappeared as a result of opening some black magic birthday present. The stupidity starts here and does not stop. The player is not told who they are or why they are helping. Law enforcement, detective, friend? Then you see a game where the writers took dozens of the most overused "Lock and Key" cliches in the genre. They then created situations just to stick these "puzzles" in. Like the girl having an airplane sitting in a suburban back yard with no runway or hanger for her plane, so some clues could be put in there. Casino style slot machines sitting out in the street exposed to the weather and vandals just to give you somewhere to put that coin you have to find. You visit some fortune teller to hear some story about the girl disappearing and in the end the fortune teller gives you the key to the girl's house. Why did the father not give you the key when you met? This smelled so bad, I barely got through 15 minutes. It seemed that the design group got together, made a list of dozens of well worn seek and solve routines and then submitted it to the artists who created an non matching landscape of different styles, eras in time and universes to stick the necessary doors and keys, coins and machines, boxes and levers, etc. in to complete the list. This game does not even reach mediocre. There are many better games to buy. Make the designers catch a clue and put in some work.
I don't recommend this game.
Louis the Clown and Mr. Dudley are back in an all-new adventure! Travel through the dark corners of history's most famous fairytales to rescue children trapped in a frightening netherworld!
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
A Surprise! Still Kills A Lot of Newer Games
PostedJuly 29, 2015
Kirbmeister
fromWorld traveled but staying in Alabama
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I played (and purchased),the original Weird Park, (Broken Tunes), game when I began playing HO several years ago and for some reason, did not notice that this sequel and another had come out. As a newbie, I loved the first one but thought that after purchasing and playing over 200 HO Games and Demos since that time, this game would seem old and tired. Graphics have come a long way and it only takes a few years to provide developers with giant leaps in visual effects. However, this game does not rely on the standard collection of "lock and key" methods and predictable puzzles which seem to dominate newer games which depend more on visual atmosphere and surprises to impress you. This title retains a firm grip on hiding clues, more complex puzzle solutions and challenging tasks while still providing a creative atmosphere for your adventure, despite perhaps lacking visual effects often overused in other titles. For me a HO game is successful for it's ability to challenge my mind, as "cinematic bursts" are quickly forgotten. In fact, I skip many of them. After trying an unknown number of newer HO games, this one forced me to use the "Hint" button several times, something I rarely do and still UAdespise. I purchased this game and I have now downloaded the demo of the third installment. I am hoping for another pleasant surprise.
I recommend this game!
Sable Maze: Norwich Caves
Your students have gone missing during an expedition under the university. Can you track them down before the water rises?
Overall rating
2
/
5
5 of 8 found this review helpful
Less Than Average in My Opinion
PostedApril 22, 2014
Kirbmeister
fromBirmingham, AL
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I have played over 800 HO Game Demos or Complete Games. It has been a while since I quit prior to completing the Demo. On this game I did after about 15 minutes. The game play was slow, the puzzles were meant to be challenging, but were simply annoying. The graphics were below average. Others complained about no map, however, I had one. I do not like games like this one which require you to travel back four or five scenes over and over again to complete. Spend your money elsewhere.
I don't recommend this game.
Visit the legendary Roman Empire! Love, treachery, adventure, and jeopardy await you in this amazing Hidden Object game.
Overall rating
1
/
5
11 of 12 found this review helpful
Do Not Waste Your Time!
PostedFebruary 20, 2013
Kirbmeister
fromBirmingham, AL
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I have complaints with two areas of this game:
A. Dialogue: You can't turn it off. (Unless I missed it.)
Romans use expressions like "Finger Licking Good"
B. HOS: This game uses pictures of the objects at the bottom of the screen to tell you what to look for. This allows untalented game developers to use cheap tricks to add difficulty rather than clever disguise and concealment. This game uses them all.
1. Discoloring: A bright red scarf will show on the bottom, you find it later colored muddled brown stuck on the side of a tree.
2. Size Distortion: An object such as a guitar will show in the picture the size of a mouse's paw.
3. Article Decapitation: A sword will be stuck inside a vase so that only part of the handle is actually visible. And I was looking for a sword.
4. Minimum Item Disclosure: You may see what is obviously a hidden object. However if it is not one of the five or six objects currently showing at the bottom of the screen you cannot select it. You have to wait until it shows up later to collect it.
5. Unable to finish a HOS without visiting multiple other HOS scenes: You cannot open a cabinet to get the object you need because the cabinet knob is located in one of four other scenes you have access to at the same time:
I must say that I do not make a habit of writing reviews, unless they are so bad I feel a duty to say so. But in the interest of fairness, I can say I liked one thing about this game. You get to collect coins in each HOS which are useful later in buying equipment. The coins are the only objects that remain stable throughout the game.
A. Dialogue: You can't turn it off. (Unless I missed it.)
Romans use expressions like "Finger Licking Good"
B. HOS: This game uses pictures of the objects at the bottom of the screen to tell you what to look for. This allows untalented game developers to use cheap tricks to add difficulty rather than clever disguise and concealment. This game uses them all.
1. Discoloring: A bright red scarf will show on the bottom, you find it later colored muddled brown stuck on the side of a tree.
2. Size Distortion: An object such as a guitar will show in the picture the size of a mouse's paw.
3. Article Decapitation: A sword will be stuck inside a vase so that only part of the handle is actually visible. And I was looking for a sword.
4. Minimum Item Disclosure: You may see what is obviously a hidden object. However if it is not one of the five or six objects currently showing at the bottom of the screen you cannot select it. You have to wait until it shows up later to collect it.
5. Unable to finish a HOS without visiting multiple other HOS scenes: You cannot open a cabinet to get the object you need because the cabinet knob is located in one of four other scenes you have access to at the same time:
I must say that I do not make a habit of writing reviews, unless they are so bad I feel a duty to say so. But in the interest of fairness, I can say I liked one thing about this game. You get to collect coins in each HOS which are useful later in buying equipment. The coins are the only objects that remain stable throughout the game.
I don't recommend this game.
An archeologist comes home from an expedition with an ancient medallion. The next day she goes missing and James must save her!
Overall rating
2
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Not a challange, optical nightmare
PostedDecember 31, 2012
Kirbmeister
fromBirmingham, AL
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I have played over 100 Hidden Object games. I have seen most types of camouflage, blending or other methods to hide objects. These are a challenge. In this game, the objects are not just hidden but tiny. On some challenges, the pieces you need to put together objects are so small that I could not even see them when using the hint. I just clicked inside the circle and got the pieces. They were so tiny and set into a similar background that they were impossible to see at all.
I don't recommend this game.