hermitcave's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.8
- Helpful Votes:407
- Reviews Submitted:240
- First Review:March 27, 2014
- Most Recent Review:October 27, 2016
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Enter an enchanting world of legends, mystery and magic, where your destiny was written in blood and the soft murmurs of true love...
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Secret love, a vengeful spirit, a huge protective bear, and a reunited family - what more is needed?
PostedOctober 27, 2016
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
An heir to the Haugwitz Castle fell in love with a village girl but was aware that his parents would not approve so they had to keep their affair a secret. They vowed to run away and get married and were to meet at their secret meeting place, the old windmill. Night after night she waited there for him but he never came. She did not know that his mother found out about their plans and locked her son in a tower to prevent him from leaving. Feeling that he had been toying with her, she became upset and went running through the forest to the mysterious blackness of local legend known as the Abyss. Crying and shouting, she throws the ring he gave her over the edge cursing the ring and his kin. The ring lands on a rock in the Abyss where a clawed hand grabs it. The Spirit of the Abyss rises from the Abyss as the woman leaves and tells her she shall be avenged and then he will come for her. Shocked by his appearance and his acknowledgement of her curse, she tries to take it back but with no success so she decided to leave the village and go deep into the forest to live. After some months, she gives birth to twin daughters but being afraid that the evil might find her and her daughters, she decides to hide them by placing them in a basket where a kindly man from the village could find them. For 25 years, he has raised them as his own. One daughter left the village to live elsewhere while Lilly stayed there and met a young man, Edward, and fell in love and plan to marry. The sister returns to the village for the wedding and as the ceremony begins, a huge bear rampages through the village and takes Lilly who has fainted carrying her off into the forest. Edward and her sister goes after them but become separated when she falls into a ravine. As she tries to find a way out, she discovers a hut and a woman who seems to know her and the bear. She also warns about Edward as he may not be who he claims to be. She needs to follow the bear's tracks, find Lilly, and determine who Edward is and what he is up to.
Graphics are nicely done with some very good animations, Music was nonintrusive, and voice acting was well done. There is an objective list but no journal and a good jump map with action areas indicated. Early in the game you find and save a kitten who becomes a helper but the frequent mewing in the first part of the game did become annoying. I really liked the way inventory puzzles and minigames were intergrated into the story making them feel necessary and important to the story progression. Hidden object scenes were fragmented objects, silhouettes and interactive list type and were well done and fit well into scenes. A fairly long game, the story was well presented with enough twists to keep your interest and unfolds at a decent pace. I enjoyed this one and most will find it good for a few hours of diversion.
I recommend this game!
After Alice's car careens into a river, she wakes to find herself in a strange world. To escape, Alice will have to overcome her fears.
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
You want to make changes in your life but Fate has other plans. Injured in a crash, you struggle to gain control and start a new life
PostedOctober 26, 2016
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Two years ago, Alice Dahl fulfilled her dream of starting her own business, a bookstore cafe, that became successful and was happy when she was contacted for an interview by a news agency about becoming a business entrepreneur of the year. During the interview, she related to the reporter that things had not always been this way. She used to work for a manager in an office who constantly gave her personal errands to do for him on top of her regular work and was required to work any time he decided that something needed to be done. She was afraid to stand up to him for fear of losing her job. She was about to leave on vacation when he sent her on business to Seattle that canceled her vacation. While driving in a rain storm across a bridge, the wheel suddenly turned causing the car to crash and fall into the water. As if in a dream, she saw an ominous cloaked figure controlling a puppet figure of herself and commenting that he had plans for her. As she became aware of her surroundings and not sure if she was dreaming, she finds her legs strapped to a gurney in a hospital-like room. From her hand, a red lifeline begins to move around the room as if showing her a direction she should travel. Releasing the straps, she follows the red line as if there was some spiritual connection with it and she feels someone is watching her. As she explores, she finds objects from her past and an exit door which she is finally able to open. As she trys to exit, everything around her begins to fall apart leaving her in a dark area with several new doors. Only able to open one of the doors, she finds a swivelled old woman who seems to know her and tells her she needs to defeat her demons to find her way out and back home. She needs to find four totems that will restore the path to the the way back to her life. They are scattered in four remote parts of her memory and each area can be accessed by a portal that opens to each of the four areas that she will need to explore to find the totems.
The title page shows a puppet Alice struggling to break free from her controlling wires which suggests a struggle between her desire to make changes to her life and fate who has plans for her. She has to fight her way back to consciousness by fighting against that feeling of helplessness and being afraid to try something new. The graphics depicted a hazy central core of the mind with multiple paths that led to four distinct areas that she had to explore to obtain the totems. Each of those areas were well presented fitting their themes. Music varied with locations and voice acting was good. There is a jump map provided for the first three areas visited but not in the fourth. Inventory puzzles and minigames were the usual seen in these games and presented nothing really new. Hidden object scenes were the usual interactive list type with most objects fairly easy to find. There is a journal for the story and clues with an objectives tab. This one doesn't set any new trends but will provide a few hours of diversion.
I recommend this game!
The rich folklore continues with this exciting tale set in an old Slavic land. As Child of Spring, can you save the world from eternal winter?
Overall rating
4
/
5
Born to save Springtime, help save the Goddess of Spring and defeat the Goddess of Winter
PostedSeptember 29, 2016
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
In a far away land where magic exists, a special baby, you, was born and placed among some lilies where a loving couple found you taking you home and raising you as their own. Becoming of age, you are standing there looking out at the longest winter in memory when you hear a voice. You turn and see a strange woman in your mirror. The woman speaks telling you that she is Vesna, Goddess of Spring and that she is being held prisoner by Morana, Goddess of Winter. She tell you that you are the Child of Spring and the only one who can save her. If you don't get her released, Winter could last forever. You need to seek the help of Baba Yaga, a wise woman. Morana appears and tries to block your way. Once you reach Baba Yaga's cottage, you learn that Morana is afraid of you as you are the only one she can't turn to ice because you are the Protector of Springtime. You must find the magical Firebird Fife to defeat Morana and free Vesna and end this endless Winter.
Loosely based on old Slavic mythology about an everlasting conflict between the Goddess of Spring and the Goddess of Winter, graphics are nicely drawn winter scenes and icy landscapes with pleasant music and background sounds and fairly good voice acting. You will meet many characters that will provide assistance but for the usual price of your help with something. You find a furry animal helper, an ermine, that can be named. Various inventory items have a special indicator that tells you to give the item to the ermine who chews on it making it into a useful needed item such as giving him a piece of wood that he shapes into a screwdriver. He is certainly different than the usual helpers you usually see. Vesna gives you a special Spring Bush used to unfreeze areas in various locations to uncover items needed. It is used much like a paint brush by swiping it over the area. There is a journal and jump map but most items collected are used almost immediately so there is very little backtracking. Hidden Object scenes were of two types, interactive lists and Silhouettes but you can play a match 3 game instead. I did find one thing that could cause a problem in the placement of the hint button. It is a bunch of flowers that stick up on the right bottom corner of the screen and can be clicked by mistake if not careful. The game is linear and fairly easy but will provide a few hours of diversion.
I recommend this game!
A shipwreck on a volcanic island unearths deadly secrets!
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
An angry volcano spirit is about to destroy the island where you wash ashore and you need to appease it
PostedSeptember 23, 2016
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
You, Alexis, your Coast Guard Partner, Gregory, and the cabin boy from the ship, Marco, set out in a small raft after escaping from the Ship of Spirits, but after a while, your outboard motor ran out of gas and you are now drifting. The weather changes and a large wave upsets the raft and carrys you along to be washed up on the shore of a tropical island. Gregory was injured and you need to find some medical aid for him. A poacher that you saved while on the ship, Frederico Gamez, apparently escaped the ship also and has been able to make it to this island. He appears periodically trying to stop you from finding the idol and artifact. Marco decides to explore looking for help as the island begins to rumble as a volcano is coming to life and threatening to erupt destroying the island. You meet a native woman, Nai, who tells you some of the history of the island. Long ago, a ship stopped at the island seeking fresh water and provisions and discovered the Mayan village and their temple. The sailors broke into the temple and found a golden sarcophagus which they stole killing the guards. The sarcophagus contained a special artifact that protected the village and island by sealing a portal to another world where evil spirits were contained. When the artifact was removed, the portal was opened and evil spirits entered our world and attacked the village. The village elders made temporary idols of straw to try and stop the evil spirits but they failed so they sealed the gates to the village whiched contained the spirits. They established a new village at the gates to the old village to keep watch but the sailors stole the largest idol and took it to their ship. The volcano spirit became angry and is now threatening to destroy the island to seal the portal again. You need to find and return the idol and artifact to save the island.
The bonus chapter continues the story of Nai and Marco who fell in love and decided to stay on the island after you find an abandoned military base with a disabled plane you are able to repair and use to leave the island. Frederico wants to use the plane for himself leaving you behind but you are able to capture him and the three of you leave. He is tied up but has a knife suggesting a sequel.
A fairly decent game with good graphics and music and acceptable voice acting but the guardian spirits had a strange accent probably to make them seem special. There is a journal for the story and you find pieces of the mayan artifact that adds more to the island history and are replayable from the journal. There is a jump map with action areas indicated. Periodically, they throw in a cutscene of volcano activity that is suppose to indicate urgency but it was overdone and the video was of poor quality. There are 40 "beyond objects" [think morph] and 40 humming birds to find. The humming birds are hidden behind an object that has to be clicked on to expose them so you have to look for something that stands out. The main game has 30 of each and the bonus chapter had ten more for the total of 40 each. Inventory puzzles and minigames are nothing new and easy to figure out with the usual backtracking that has become common in these games. Hidden object scenes are standard interactive list type done well with objects well presented in size and shape. There is a mahjong game that can be played instead. Not the best out there but will provide a few hours of diversion.
I recommend this game!
To save your father from a hideous monster, you've decided to sacrifice your own freedom. Now you must journey through a strange and magical land before time runs out!
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
To save the beast, I need to reach his castle before midnight to break the curse
PostedSeptember 22, 2016
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
A young girl ready for bed wants a bedtime story so you begin a story of your youth. "When I was 18, my father took a long voyage and on his way home he passed by a castle that appeared abandoned. Searching inside, he found a cage with a beautiful nightingale. Feeling sorry for it, he decided to bring it home to me. A beast lurking in the shadows tells father that because he took the bird that he would have to give me to him. My father ran for his boat and began rowing out to his ship when the beast appeared and threw a ring that landed in the boat. Returning home, he gave the nightingale to me telling me it was magical having the ability to make plants grow and flower. Being tired and needing to rest, he went to his room. A friend, Dorian, has stopped by and desires to marry me but I am not in love with him. He visits my father and I am able to overhear the conversation when father tells him about the beast and that he must send me to the beast by midnight or go instead to be his slave. If no one goes, father will die. I don't want him to go or die so I decide to get the ring and go as the beast wanted. Finding the ring, father wakes just I put on the ring which begins to teleport me to the beast's castle but the teleport is interrupted by Varga, a witch, who wants to prevent me from reaching the castle before midnight. She is the cause for the curse on the beast and if I am unable to reach the castle before midnight, he will be a beast forever. She has enchanted Dorian who tries to stop me as well. The teleport took me to a strange place and now I need to find my way to the castle before midnight.
The graphics are cartoonish fairytale style that will appeal to children but are nice and colorful with light fairytale music and fairly good voice acting. Some character voices did not fit them as well as they could have. Based on the story of Beauty and the Beast, you meet a variety of cutsy critters that are more suitable for children including one called a "weepie" that needs to be made to "weep" which is done by feeding it chili peppers and onions. I thought that was somewhat cruel. The nightingale becomes your helper used to make various plants bloom, flower and bear fruit that are needed. There is a journal with a task tab and you acquire a jump map with action areas indicated after finding the ring and the interrupted teleport. Inventory puzzles and minigames were nothing new and ranged from easy to medium difficulty. Hidden object scenes are used twice and included the usual interactive list, silhouettes, and finding s number of objects. You can play a match 3 game instead. One nice feature was the ability to set the rate the hint and skip features regenerate ranging from 5 to 200 seconds. This one won't win any awards but can provide a few hours of diversion.
I recommend this game!
You were just about to relax with a good book when a stranger leaves a baby on your doorstep.
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Belle, baby Alice and Pierre have a connection and she needs to remember and save Pierre from becoming a beast forever
PostedSeptember 22, 2016
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Basking in your latest success in defending your client who was found innocent, you decide to relax and read a book. It is a dark, stormy night when there is a knock on the door and when you open it you see a car speed away and hear a sound. Looking down, you find a baby in a basket on your doorstep. There is a note on the basket that says not to call the police and that you are the only one who can save her. You pick up the basket with the baby and decide to follow the car grabbing your keys and lucky locket that you have never been able to open. It has four recesses as if something should be placed in them. Placing the baby in the car, you follow the only road that the other car could have taken. A ways down the road, you see the car blocking the road and a large man comes to the car and takes the keys and throws them away on the side of the road. He tells you not to follow him. You find your keys and continue along the road where you see a large mansion appear out of nowhere and the car you are following crashed near the gate. Your phone rings and the man tells you that you must find the portal inside the mansion and that he will try to help you but that you must stay away from him and protect the baby at all costs. Near the door to the mansion, you find a mechanical owl that you repair and is named Gears and he becomes your helper. He can solve minigames if you decide you want to skip it. Entering the mansion, the door slams shut and you are now trapped there. Storybooks and papers scattered about slowly reveal you have a secret and are somehow involved with the baby and man. You must find the portal and visit four other worlds to unravel that connection.
This game was a little hard to follow at first because you start out in a normal world with normal situations that quickly become twisted and involving fairytale worlds where you originally lived. It keeps your interest by slowly revealing the story through interesting characters and travel to four different worlds - a volcanic island, some future world, Jack and the Beanstalk world with jack and a giant, and island of pirates. Inventory puzzles and minigames are altered enough to give them a fresh feeling and many have puzzles within puzzles making them more entertaining. Many inventory items are "plus" items requiring some manipulation. Hidden object scenes were located and started in some very creative ways that fit into the situation as if they belonged such as breaking the bark on a log to expose the scene and were of several different types and only presented once for each scene. There was the usual interactive list but exposing the lists involved completing minipuzzles, a stained glass scene to find shapes and silhouettes, and exposing fragments that form a final object to complete the scene. All were well done and none felt out of place. Graphics are beautiful with very good animations and cutscenes with a light fairytale music score and good voice acting. Your cell phone become the journal and jump map showing action areas. The flow of the game is well designed becoming more complicated the deeper you get into it and will provide several hours of diversion.
I recommend this game!
Defeat the giant to save the world from destruction!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
The last giant has been freed from his prison in the clouds and Jack has been kidnapped. Will the Brothers Grimm be able to save him?
PostedSeptember 15, 2016
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Earth was nearly destroyed by giants that roamed the land but the Guardians fought them to preserve Earth and killed all but one giant who was banished to the clouds where he was imprisoned and under the watchful eye of one Guardian. But the smallest thing can change things and a mysterious man gave magic beans to a young boy. You are the newest graduate of the Grimm Brothers Institute having just been awarded your deploma by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. You are told that Wilhelm had a vision of a magic bean that would bring chaos and destruction to the Earth when a mysterious man appears and destroys your cart and the bridge. The brothers decide to follow the mysterious man in their balloon and you have been tasked with finding those beans and protecting them or a link will be made between Earth and the clouds that can destroy the Earth. In town, you see a boy, Jack, running after the mysterious man who gets away from him so Jack stops to talk to you. He tells you that the man has been causing all kinds of trouble and that he traded their cow for some beans that were suppose to be magic but they were duds. You ask him for the beans and he tells you that they are in his house but his mother has locked him out until he gets the cow back. You help him break into the house and he gives you two of the three beans and doesn't know where the third bean is as his mother threw it out the window. Unable to find the third bean, it begins to grow and becomes a giant beanstalk that stretches to the clouds. Jack is kidnapped by the mysterious man and reduced in size and trapped in a jar so you have no recourse except to climb the beanstalk to find him. At the top you find the crossroads of the stalk and meet the Guardian of the Path who tells you that the giant has been released. You ask about Jack and he tells you that he could have landed in any of the worlds accessible from the crossroads so you will have to work your way through them to reach the clouds and the giant's realm. You soon discover that the mysterious man was once a Guardian who betrayed them and wants to resurrect the giants using Jack. You have to find this traitor, free Jack and stop the resurrection and kill the last giant.
A fairytale game using the Brothers Grimm story of Jack and the Beanstalk as its base, it weaves an interesting tale of betrayal, thirst for power, and triumph of good over evil. I think the game is geared more to a beginner level as it reminds me of the old story books that parents would read with their children that had hidden objects in the picture and you helped the children find. Unfortunately, many of the objects in these scenes were not as recognizable as in the story books as they were usually parts of a larger object. It was still fun to find them and then complete a puzzle using them. Inventory puzzles and minigames were directly related to hidden object scenes as you would discover a puzzle which would then present a list of items to be found that are ten used to solve the puzzle. You often would have multiple puzzles open at a time with several lists of items to find and not all items would be in the same scene. Those that could be found in the scene were highlighted while those not in the scene were greyed out. There are a few standard hidden object scenes as well that were well done. There is a jump map that is very helpful with the backtracking involved. Graphics were fairytale bright and colorful with nicely designed characters and good voice acting fitting the characters. I actually enjoyed the relaxed and different gameplay from what is normally presented and many will find a nice few hours of diversion.
I recommend this game!
While visiting your uncle, you stumble upon a curious case. Men are vanishing, reappearing dead days later. Who killed them?
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Four deaths from rare spider venom, strange sandstorms, and a call for help from an Uncle you haven't seen or heard from in a long time.
PostedSeptember 15, 2016
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
A letter arrives from an uncle you have not seen or heard from in a long time asking you to come visit him as he needs your help. With nothing going on at the moment and having your own plane, you decide to fly to Transvaal to visit Uncle Sam and maybe renew old acquaintances but as your plane nears Transvaal, a sudden sandstorm blows in seemly trying to stop my plane. Through my windshield i see a vision of a laughing, dark-haired woman appear in front of my plane and the sandstorm worsens damaging the plane and causing it to crash. Fortunately I survived the crash and realize I am near Uncle Sam's house. As I approach the house, I see someone that may be Uncle Sam and call out to him. Strangely, he ignores my calls and enters the house and closes the door. Anearby newspaper carries two local stories - one concerning the taming of the surrounding sands and the opening for resettlement of the town outskirts with a new city tram being ready for passengers and a second article about four men going missing in last couple of weeks and the body of one of them being found and apparently dying of a rare spider venom. In the house you see the reflection of Uncle Sam in a mirror that suddenly transforms into a dark-haired woman with glowing eyes. The man/woman leaves through another door and you find a flyer for the Hotel White Raven with a note scrawled on it to meet him there. You also discover that he was in Andville where he defeated the Black Widow, Morgana, and her spider army. After her disappearance, he heard of strange things happening here and moved here to investigate them. A taped message tells you he suspects Morgana is here and to look for her lair somewhere in the old catacombs. At the Hotel White Raven, you see a couple leave and go behind the hotel where a strange light glows and the man staggers out and falls dead. The woman returns and becomes the dark-haired woman and takes a side street which she blocks with a huge mount of sand. You need to remove the sand, discover who the dark-haired woman is and her conncetion to Morgana and find your Uncle Sam and help him defeat her.
I can still see the spiders swarming over the train and dragging that poor woman away wrapped in a cocoon in the first episode, Web of Deceit: Black Widow, and was disappointed that the spiders were not as involved in this one as well. They only play a small part in this episode. Though not a bad game, I did think the cutscenes were not as well done as in that episode. Graphics and animations were good just not as exciting with a very good music score that I enjoyed. Voice acting was very well done with live actor characters. The usual journal for the story is there as well as a jump map with action areas indicated. Some cutscenes are replayable from the journal. Inventory puzzles and minigames were good and ranged from easy to medium difficulty and fit the story well. Many are presented and solved in layers so you find items and use them quickly requiring some backtracking but returning to a scene usually involves another layer to solve. Hidden object scenes were interactive list type with good graphics and objects well defined. This is not a short game and has a satisfying ending setting it up for another episode which has never been made. With a decent storyline, entertaining gameplay and lots to do, this will give a few hours of diversion.
I recommend this game!
It should have been a tremendous achievement, but the tunnel through the Ridge of Leviathan became the site of a great disaster. What really happened that day?
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Dr. Bors says he can find the train with your daughter and husband that disappeared but what is his real motive? Who are the Masters?
PostedSeptember 14, 2016
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Your husband, Richard, and daughter, Melanie, are already aboard the Capital Express Train and you are running late in joining them for the historic first train to use the newly finished tunnel through the Leviathan Ridge. Rushing toward the boarding gate, a man collides with you upsetting your luggage and as you try to recover what has been scattered around you, the train departs leaving you behind. You spend the next few hours trying to make reservations for the next train so you can join your family when word comes that the train never reached it destination and has disappeared inside the mountain. Investigation by Capital Express and authorities over the next few months were unable to find any cause of the disappearance nor any trace of the missing train. Authorities fearing other disappearances decided to close the tunnel and never use it again. A year has past and with no word about the train. Seeking closure as there is no grave to visit, you have finally gotten up enough nerve to return to the abandoned tunnel entrance to try and figure out what happened. As you approach the blocked tunnel entrance, you see a man with a lantern in the tunnel and he calls to you. "Gina, I have been waiting for you and need you to follow me. I can help you find answers." Logic says no but your desire to find out what happened overshadows it and you agree. In the tunnel he asks, "How far are you willing to go to find out what happened to the train?" He then gives you a train ticket with your name on it dated the day it disappeared and then goes deeper into the tunnel on a hand cart. The ticket gives you hope and you want to know how he knows your name so you follow him. As you go deeper into the tunnel, you find notices about strange sounds and flashing lights reported by tunnel workers but were never investigated. You finally come to a lighted area where you find the man and a full size replica of the train that disappeared. The man tells you his name is Dr. Martin Bors and that he has been investigating the train's disappearance as well as others and refers to them as abductions. He has formed a theory that personal ties with people on the train, especially blood ties as she has with her daughter, can be used to determine what happened by recreating the circumstances of that day. You both board the engine and it moves deeper into the tunnel and just before it is to emerge on the other end, a vortex appears and the train falls through crashing in a strange world apparently under the rule of a race called the Masters who have enslaved the train survivors and other misfortunate people that have fallen into this world. The Masters control this world from a central sphere called the Patheon. You see a vision of Melanie and know she and Richard are here and you need to find and help release them and all the other slaves and destroy the Patheon. Dr Bors has his own agenda that you will need to deal with as well.
A very well made game sporting a strong story, this fourth in the series presents excellent graphics and animations with a lot of scene interactions that fit well into each scene. Story progression occurs through cutscenes and a variety of notes, papers, and dialogue that keeps it moving. The jump map acts also as a journal with cutscenes replayable from there. Locations usually only involve a few scenes but item usage is the usual so some backtracking is involved and the map helps there. Areas do become locked after finishing them. Live actor character models fill out the bill with fairly good voice acting and well done music and background sounds. The game was well balanced with almost equal parts exploration, finding useful items and inventory puzzles and minigames. There was nothing new in minigames but there were some variations that made them more enjoyable. They ranged from easy to medium difficulty. Hidden object scenes involved interactive list type as well as placing objects into the scene to obtain other objects. Objects placed were usually found elsewhere in a location so if you are unable to complete the scene, you probably haven't visited all the locations yet. The collectible flowers continue in this episode as in previous ones with the flowers being used to buy things in the Pantheon store where replayable minigames and hidden object scenes can be purchased. The bonus chapter continues the story five years after you and your family returned to earth as you discover that Dr. Bors had a daughter and she is trying to build a new Patheon to save her father who is still in the other world. An imaginative storyline with great visuals coupled with solid puzzles and well done hidden object scenes will provide a few hours of diversion.
I recommend this game!
Can you defeat the Four Horsemen and save the city?
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Even Death can find love in the right place
PostedSeptember 10, 2016
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Decades ago, five kingdoms were at war but were so evenly matched that no one was able to win. The ruler of one of the kingdoms, the Bone King, turns the tide in his favor by summoning the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse - Death, Pestilence, Famine, and the leader, War, and ordered them to conquer the other four kingdoms building an empire on the bones of his enemies. In return, the souls of the defeated were forced to join the Wild Hunt Army loyal only to the horsemen. The Bone King had a daughter, Angelica, and when he died, the leader of the Horsemen, War, received a prophecy that said the King's granddaughter would put an end to his power over the Wild Hunt Army. To prevent this threat, War decided to kill the King's daughter. He assigned this to his most loyal servant, Death. To gain her trust, he disguised himself as a knight giving her flowers and they fell deeply in love and she pledged to him her heart. Angelica and Death were married in secret and fled the palace and went into hiding for Death knew War would continue to hunt for them. Their union resulted in a baby, Zarina, who grew into a young girl. The Wild Hunt Army has come to the village of Osville and are terrorizing the villagers searching for all young girls looking for Zarina. A frantic mother, Helen, has sent you, a detective, a letter asking for help with the ghosts and save her daughters. You arrive at the village in your dirigible where a young girl tells you of the carnage asking you to save her mother and sister. As you investigate, you begin to uncover the truth behind what is happening and learn of a mysterious prisoner that could be of some help in defeating the ghosts. You must free the prisoner and learn his secret and aid him in ridding the village of the ghosts, save Zarina, and banish War.
Something a little different giving hope that anyone can find love in the right place. Graphics are very well done depicting a village under seige by the Wild Hunt Army and being ravaged by the three of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Voice acting was usually very good but the dialogue spoken by the ghostly skulls was hard to understand as they spoke very fast. Music was dark and ominous fitting the tone of the story. There is no journal with the story being revealed through papers scattered around as well as a kind of memories fountain that gave a little history for each of the main characters when you find and use their memory phail. A task button provides current tasks and you find a helper in the form of a bat that you free named Louis. There is a jump map and you will need it as there are a lot of inventory puzzles to find many objects needed resulting in a lot of backtracking. Most minigames were of medium difficulty but nothing really new. Hidden object scenes were interactive list type. The unusual characters [you don't see many games with four horsemen] gives this one something different and will provide a few hours of diversion.
I recommend this game!