Lots of bugs in this game - it's not up to BF's usual high standard. The music didn't play at all at first, then the game crashed, then the music started playing.
Initially I was thrilled to find some cultural variety at last - the relentless sameness of many games is bothering me. I'd love to see a much wider range of languages and cultures used in adventure games.
However this game disappointed - the puzzles were frustrating and boring, and as another reviewer said, the HO scenes were annoying with meaningless items like pinwheels repeated over and over.
The lack of cultural relevance of some of the items annoyed me too, and the pointlessness too. We want to lose ourselves in a different, magical, fascinating world, not have tedious reminders of American culture like Halloween pumpkins turn up in Ancient China!
Overall, this game lacked fluency, a sense of wonder, and satisfying challenges.
I thought "Love Chronicles" would contain some romance, but didn't find the slightest hint of it in the demo version that I played. In fact, the visual tones of brown and grey, together with the emphasis on tools and practicality, gave it a distinctly masculine appeal. However I was very impressed by the overall quality of the game, especially its uniqueness.
The style may be masculine, but smart girls should not be put off (I'm a girl myself!) as the game appeals to anyone who appreciates and enjoys the unusual and the challenging. Also, the visuals are extremely beautiful and satisfying to the eye, and the puzzles are not irritatingly difficult but require a bit of lateral thinking and imagination.
It doesn't have many of the usual cliches of the hidden object game genre, so if you want more of the same you won't like this.
For fans of mentally stimulating adventure games, it's totally worth every cent! :)