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:
After learning about your royal heritage, you’re off on a fantastic adventure to undo the amber curse and save the King and Queen!
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Learn the Dark Queen's secret and save your kingdon. Oh, and pet the dog
PostedDecember 18, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Adventure, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
You were born to royal parents who ruled a happy kingdom but shortly after your birth, the Dark Queen attacked casting a spell that trapped your parents and the whole kingdom in amber. She tried to get you also but your brave nanny spirited you away and has raised you as her own in another kingdom. You have become of age and it is time to realize your heritage and take back your kingdom. Your nanny gives you a small chest that contains a pendant and scroll, the only objects she was able to save when she saved you. The scroll tells you that the pendant is needed to forge the Eye of Omniscience in fire and can only be used by one of royal blood. Your nanny tells you of a hidden magic portal that will return you to your kingdom and that there is a secret entrance into the castle. As Princess, you are the only one that can return and remove the amber curse and save your parents and kingdom. Of course, on your journey you must save various characters along the way by finding personal items that remove the curse from them and get more information about the Dark Queen's secret so you can defeat her.
The first in the series and a gem from 2011, I enjoyed this game and thought it was well constructed with a nice flow that presented a familiar story very well. The graphics are top notch, beautiful, clear and very detailed, excellent voice acting, and music that went well with the story and scenery. Background sounds fit and enhanced the areas, especially the outdoor scenes, with multiple and varied environmental sounds. A journal keeps track of your progress but there is no map. Being fairly linear, the amount of backtracking is kept to a minimum so a map is not really missed here. Hidden object scenes are intricate and detailed interactive list type with most objects of a size that can be found fairly easily. Puzzles and minigames are well done with some interesting twists that, though not new, do provide a different slant on them. They are not overly difficult and there is a skip button. Not as long as some CE games with a rather short bonus chapter that provides some additional information on how the Dark Queen came about. Recommended for those looking for a fairy tale afternoon.
I recommend this game!
After being kidnapped, your friend is about to be sacrificed to a powerful demon and it's up to you to save him!
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Your friend is about to be sacrificed to resurrect an Aztec dark god and you have to save him
PostedDecember 18, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Adventure, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
You receive a phone call from a journalist friend, Peter Harris, asking for your help as he has been investigating evil worshipers in a small Mexican town that are trying to resurrect the Demon of Darkness that will swallow the world into darkness if successful. His investigation has raised the worshipers' attention and they are now after him as they only need one more sacrifice to finish their ritual. You jump into your car and drive a long time to get to where Peter is just in time to see servants of the dark god grab Peter and drag him into the nearby hotel. As he is dragged away he tells you that in order to see their world you have to change light to dark. What does this mean? You rush into the hotel but it is empty. Where did they go? You notice the window blind and decide to close it shutting out the sunlight and suddenly the hotel is transformed into a different ancient Aztec setting. Now you understand what was meant by changing light to dark. You now begin your search for Peter and a way to stop the ritual and prevent the resurrection of the Demon of Darkness.
The story unfolds through video tapes Peter made during his investigation that you find scattered in different locations. they can be replayed from your journal. I have never played a game using light and dark to change scenes but it seemed to work in this one and, even though there are not a lot of locations to explore, the change of scenes using light and dark doubles the number and you do a fair amount of changing them during the game all without a map. This scene morphing will open up new doors or passages, or reveal new objects or add to the story. Changes made in one setting affect things in the other setting so something you may not be able to do in one may becomes easier to do in the other. Fortunately, you are told most of the time that you may need to change the light to do something there.
Graphics were well drawn with a lot of detail, especially in the Aztec scenes, and I really enjoyed the catchy music that added to the atmosphere and, even though it was looped, it never became annoying for me. Voice acting was good. Hidden object scenes consisted of interactive list type and a return items to their proper place type. Minigames were fairly easy and nothing really new. This one won't win any awards but if you are looking for something a little different, give it a try.
I recommend this game!
After discovering a new system of caves, the entire town is excited to explore, until Suzy is kidnapped by a mechanical beast!
Overall rating
4
/
5
Felicia wants to be young and beautiful again and wants your little girl to do it!
PostedDecember 15, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Adventure, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
A festival to celebrate the finding of a cave system with ancient drawings and glowing crystals is being enjoyed by the town inhabitants. As a mother and her child, Suzy, explore deeper in the system, they discover a mechanical man that grabs Suzy and bounds out of the cave causing a cave-in at the back entrance. You, a detective, have been called to investigate and find her daughter. As you look over the area, you discover a secret tunnel that was walled up some time ago that exits to a valley on the other side of the mountain. As you emerge, the mechanical man destroys the rope bridge across a ravine and scampers off toward a town in the distance. Working to find a way across the ravine, you discover an old military journal left by a garrison guard from Joyville who had been ordered to prevent anyone or anything from the town of Moonstone from escaping across the bridge as the mechanical puppets built to help run the town apparently had began acting mysteriously. The guard group was finally ordered to close off the cave to prevent any escape. Finally crossing the ravine and approaching the abandoned town, you see one of your old nemesis's helpers, a spider puppet, look at you and skitter off towards town. Cautiously entering the town, you find various neglected and decaying mechanical puppets that were used as the work force for the town but were left behind when the town was abandoned. Pieces of paper and notes tell of a mysterious huge crystal being found in the mountain caves that has drawn a figure to the town and has seemed to have effected the puppets. As you search for the little girl, it becomes clear that Felicia has come here to use the power of the crystal to make her young and beautiful again but she needed a little girl to do it. Now, you have to defeat her and save the little girl.
It has been several years since I played the first two in this series and I really enjoyed them very much and this third in the series released in 2011 did not disappoint me. Spooky, dark atmosphere, great artwork, and moody music gives the run-down mining town with rusting and broken down puppets the perfect setting for this adventure. What little voice acting that was there was well done but the animations were the real star as usual. Everything is well synced and smooth giving the puppets very lifelike movement. There is no map or journal so you will need to keep some notes to help keep track of what could be used where to solve puzzles as the number of locations to visit and items collected increase. The town is not large and you will spend a lot of time retracing your steps, often for one object, but details in the scenes do help to break the tediousness. The narrative remains on the screen until you click on it to continue so you have plenty of time to take notes. The inventory is not your usual window at the bottom that pops open everytime you get to close to the bottom of the screen but is a device in the lower left corner called "Tools" that opens like a fan and the item removed from there. It takes some getting use to as you always instinctively move your cursor to the bottom to access inventory. There are a lot of inventory item puzzles and the usual minigames to complete to advance with plenty of hidden object scenes sprinkled in-between and everything is well detailed with objects found from the usual interactive list. Some puzzles open other puzzles or hidden object scenes when completed. there is a help button for the minigames that provide simple directions and all can be skipped. The hint button works for both the game and hidden object scenes.
The game was fun, even with the backtracking, with enjoyable tasks, scene detail and animation and some clever puzzles. Even if not a fan of the series or are new to it, this one would be a good one to try.
I recommend this game!
After a group of young students go missing, the Mystery Trackers are called in to search the city of Raincliff!
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
What is Raincliff's secret and did it cause the disappearance of the Phantom Seekers Club?
PostedDecember 13, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Adventure, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
You watch the news broadcast about members of a university club outing of four students and their bus driver having disappeared near the abandoned town of Raincliff and, as a member of the Mystery Trackers Detective Agency, you decide to investigate the incident. These were members of the Phantom Seekers Club who were apparently drawn to Raincliff, a town abandoned for the last 10 years because of the rumors of weird and unexplainable happenings there. You soon discover that the town is not empty and something or someone is trying to stop you from finding the missing people and finding out what the town's secret is. There is also someone that seems to be helping you by providing hints on locations to visit and how to access certain areas. As you explore, you start finding notes and papers that provide some of the history of Raincliff and its secret and you find the missing club members in various locations and under the spell of noxious fumes from black roses. You discover that part of the Raincliff's secret concerns a family with a rare disorder that rendered some of the children invisible at a young age and they had to protect the secret. You have to discover how to counteract the fumes to save them and leave this place.
Released in 2011, the second in the series is a fairly long game with no journal or map. At first there are only a few locations to visit, but as more of the town opens up, there becomes a fair amount of backtracking with some hidden object scenes, inventory items to carry for a long time and loads of inventory puzzles to solve with the collection of items to solve them being slow in coming so you should keep note of what items were needed where as it can become confusing at times during the game as you visit or pass through areas repeatedly. Many of the puzzles could have been solved with the same item but, of course, you have to find a different item for each puzzle. Fortunately, the hint button will tell you where to go. By the way, the hint button is that same dressed up frog from the previous game. Instead of a journal, you make text narrative comments, find notes and watch video cutscenes that can be repeated to give the background story
Graphics depicted a snowy, abandoned and dilapidated town but were washedout and blurry in some scenes. Music was spotty but ok and background sounds were mostly howling wind. Most of the characters encountered were unconscious and the one student you find doesn't really say anything when he runs off so there was no voice acting but it really wasn't missed. There are achievements most having to do with completing puzzles and hidden object scenes but there are also frogs scattered throughout the game, even in hidden object scenes, that you collect. You only need to collect 50 for the achievement but there are about 60 total so you should have no problem getting 50 of them.
Once you get into the game, it becomes more interesting but many will find it not very exciting but it could provide a few hours of mystery tracking.
I recommend this game!
Everyone deserves a second chance – even the stingiest of them all.
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 4 found this review helpful
Can Scrooge's nephew turn back the clock and save Ebenezer from a loney end?
PostedDecember 9, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Adventure, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
A letter from your Uncle Scrooge is delivered by pigeon and, in it, he asks you to come and spend Christmas in his home as he is suffering from strange visions. The letter continues by telling you that he is old and feels the breath of death like never before and wants you come as soon as possible as he doesn't have anyone else to help him. It is Christmas Eve and you are very worried especially as you have seldom been invited to his home and always felt he didn't want you there. When you arrive, you discover he has asked for a lawyer to draw up a will and now you are really worried. The entrance is less than friendly when the door knob animates and tells you he deserves to be alone at Christmas and to go away. After gaining entry to the house, you find Uncle Scrooge asleep in a chair by the fire when suddenly a ghost appears. The Ghost of Christmas Past tells you that you that it is possible to change your Uncle and save him by changing the events that made him who he is and that he has stopped time so that you can visit these events and change them.
You then become witness to a conversation between the good and evil consciousness perched on your Uncle's shoulders and discover that they are fighting against each other - the good to try and change him and the evil to keep him the way he is. The good conscious become a helper for you with a special power to animate objects that you can use while the evil conscious throws up obstacles to prevent you from making the changes. The story involves visits by the three ghosts of the past, present and of Christmas yet to come and you need to change events in all three to save your Uncle. The Past involves your wanting to marry Belle and the proposal, the Present involves saving Tiny Tim by providing a necessary medicine he needs to live, and Christmas yet to come involves giving your Uncle more time before death so he can enjoy his family and friends by collecting the Sands of Time from the cemetery in the future where he was buried.
I suspect very few people have not heard the story "A Christmas Carol" in some form or another and are at least familiar with the basic events of the story. This game takes the story and applys a few twists and "what-ifs" giving Scrooge a human side but in a different way than the original by changing events that caused him to become a miser and alone. I liked the way it was presented. There was no journal but you do find papers and notes that give some background. There is a lot of attention given to this game in the graphics, music and animations and the sheer Christmas look and feel. Bright and beautiful color and detail were beautiful to look at and made the game fun to play. Music was all Christmas themed and pleasant to listen to if you like Christmas music. Voice acting was very well done giving the characters depth. I was surprised at how the Ghost of Christmas Past was portrayed as a boyish character dressed rather oddly and the Ghost of Christmas Present as an old man and the Ghost of Christmas yet to come as a grand reaper.
There is a very good jump map that showed areas requiring action but I also noticed that when the jump map didn't show an area requiring an action, it usually meant that I needed to do something with and object in my inventory that had a plus sign on it. The locations shown by the map were restricted to the time you were visiting such as the past, present or future so you only had access to those locations which reduced the backtracking. Hidden object scenes are the standard interactive list type and were fairly easy although some objects were small. Minigames and inventory item puzzles were interesting and of medium challenge and fit the scenes. One of the puzzles involving the Tiny Tim lock where you had to find the parts and place them in the lock and then move the parts to match the outline had a little glitch in that, even though the parts were placed correctly, it did not unlock the chest. I had to move all the parts several times until it finally opened.
This one is right up your alley if you like Christmas and the Christmas Carol story.
I recommend this game!
These nursery rhymes are cursed, and your sister’s been taken by the Crooked Man!
Overall rating
4
/
5
Did Mother Goose promise the Crooked Man a way to bring back his departed beloved?
PostedDecember 6, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Adventure, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Riding in a horse-drawn cart down a narrow path through a darkening forest, you and your sister, Renee, are chatting when she begins a story about rumors of young women her own age being abducted along this very path never to be seen again, when suddenly, a large black cat attacks overturning the cart. As you get up, a sinister man appears behind your sister and grabs her. As you approach them, the black cat scowls and the Crooked Man creates a portal through which the cat and he, with you sister, disappears and closes. As you begin your search for where he took Renee, you save a lamb from a lynx and a spirit appears before you thanking you for saving her lamb and tells you the story of a young man and woman that were to be married but she died. This caused the man to become despondent and vowed to find a way to resurrect her somehow so be began abducting women about her age convinced that one would be a reincarnation of his beloved. Now, your sister has become his latest victim. You begin your search finding various items belonging to other women abducted and are visited by their ghosts asking for your help. To help them and save your sister, you have to find this Crooked Man with his Crooked Cat and defeat him.
A dark tragedy that is probably not really for children, there were vague references to an old woman[Mother Goose?] that promised the crooked Man that his beloved could be brought back but she was never actually named. There is an old Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme about a crooked man who walked a crooked mile and found a crooked sixpence and bought a crooked cat to catch a crooked mouse and all lived together in a crooked house. The story relies loosely on this nursery rhyme and throws in a lot of material to flesh out the story but in a twisted way. Well developed and presented, this is a long, involved game with many story-driven inventory puzzles and mini games and few hidden object scenes and even a twisted ending. There is even a direct reference to Mother Goose in a poem that is found during the game - "Mother Goose spreads her rhymes, A dark tale, written line after line, With the souls that they stain, Her power does gain. Such rhymes are called Cursery." Mother Goose apparently offers items to people that make their wishes come true and it corrupts their souls twisting what they wished for. The cursed items make them susceptible to moonlight which can defeat them.
Highly detailed scenes are presented with very bright, clear and colorful graphics and exceptional animations. Characters had developed personalities and their background was presented through papers found throughout. This attention to detail was also present in the many puzzles and the few hidden object scenes giving them the feel of belonging. Instructions for many of the puzzles were presented as riddles which increased their difficulty but additional instructions were available for those not wanting to figure out the riddles. Voice acting gave life to the characters and the music fit the scenes and game as a whole with many varied background sounds completing the setting. There is no journal, only a current task and there is a fair amount of backtracking that is aided by a very good jump map, but in some areas, the close presence of the crooked man prevents you using the jump map so you have to figure out the route yourself. This seemed to only be toward the end of the game. The few hidden object scenes were primarily fragmented object style [FROGS] highly ornamented and detailed. There are 20 cursed objects to be found that refill the hint button faster and a variety of achievements as usual.
The bonus chapter, while referencing a character in the main story, was really a separate story entitled "Humpty Dumpty" about another man gone mad after some eating advice[tomatoes?], again from an unnamed old woman, and your son has gone missing. He apparently has been eaten by this mad man and you have to save him before digestion starts. Very gross theme. I did not enjoy it very much and would have purchased the SE if I had known this was the bonus story.
This may be what some are looking for with exceptional graphics and a weird and twisted story.
I recommend this game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Has your sister married a werewolf? How will this affect their newly arrived son?
PostedDecember 3, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Adventure, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
After helping save your sister and her fiance in your last visit, it has been years since you have seen your sister and now, you have been invited to their castle for the Christening of their son. Looking forward to your visit with Luisa and John Gray, as you approach their castle while driving in a storm, you lose control of the car and crash. Thankfully, you are near the castle and, as you make your way there, a giant wolf appears and destroys the bridge over the moat. Now you have to find another way into the castle. Once inside, you discover it is empty except for wolves that block your every effort to find your sister, her husband and the baby. The ghost of a Gray ancestor appears and asks for your help in saving the Gray family by removing a curse that was brought on them in the past. Looks like you have to save them again.
A sequel to Grim Tales The Bride, it takes a while before the story reveals the true problem that is confronting the Grays and you never really find out why the wolves are attacking. I always thought werewolves would dominate wolves but maybe these are special wolves. Anyway, the story finally reveals through photos found that an ancestor killed a werewolf and created the curse that has been passed down to his descendants and, yes, to your sister's husband and son. It took a long time for this to develop making this one of the longer SE games I have played in a while. There is no journal so you have to pay attention to the story and keep track of clues as you go or you could get confused. There are a lot more inventory puzzles and minigames than hidden object scenes requiring you to solve something at almost every turn in order to advance and, while most are fairly easy, some are rather difficult and there is a skip button for most. There is a lot of backtracking but there is a jump map so all you really need to remember is where that item you just found can be used. There is a very good hint system in case you do get lost or wonder where to go next.
The graphics are well done with an option to change the gamma level that will brighten or darken the scenes that is not often seen. Cutscenes and animations are good as is the voice acting. Music is not overbearing with long pauses between segments. Hidden object scenes are the usual junk piles with a list of items to find but unfortunately, some of the items just don't fit the theme of the story. They are graphically nice and objects are fairly easy to find.
Give this one a try if you like slow developing plots or just don't care about the story and just want the puzzles. This one favors them over HOS and has a nice length.
I recommend this game!
Appease terrifying ghosts before they kidnap and punish the entire city of Sunnyvale in this dark and mysterious Hidden Object game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
A ghost house appearing in Sunnyvale and snatching people and the body of a woman murdered 30 years ago suddenly found! What's connection?
PostedNovember 30, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Adventure, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
You, Emma Roberts, investigative reporter for the Fear For Sale Magazine, have been sent to Sunnyvale by your editor to look into rumors of a ghost house appearing out of thin air, abducting people, and then disappearing again. Also, local authorities have discovered a body of a woman by the old mill that they have not been able to identify. When you arrives, the mayor, Harrold Stern, is less then hospitable denying the rumors and telling you to leave. Of course, you ignore him and examine the body. Nearby, the sheriff tells you that he thinks the mayor knows more than he is offering and wants to meet you near the sheriff's office and he will tell you all he knows. You find an old newspaper clipping from 30 years ago detailing events that surround the murder of Alice Chesterton and the surprising conviction of her husband, Jean Etienne, the local miller, for that murder based on flimsy evidence. There was rumors of jurors being brided but no investigation. The picture of the woman in the clipping was exactly like that of the body found. How is this possible? You find a picture of the mayor and a house which you show to the mayor who denys any knowledge but, before you can question him further, the ghost house appears and both he and the deputy run. The house grabs the deputy with unearthly vines and drags him into the house while the mayor escapes and then the house disappears. You have to find out why the house is here and why the body of a woman who was murdered 30 years ago has appeared.
A different twist on the haunted house where a house torn down years ago to make room for a supermarket and highway is haunting an entire town. The house is being used by the ghost of the convicted and excuted miller who was wrongly accused of his wife's murder and he is seeking revenge. His appearance during the game strapped in an electric chair was a little unnerving and gives the game some of its dramatic moments. Released in 2011, the graphics were well done although the scenes with the electric chair were blurry and hard on the eyes but that may have been intentional. Voice acting was satisfactory for the most part but some were cut off in mid sentence so you had to read the text to finish them. Fortunately, the dialogue displayed remained until you click it to advance to the next text. The journal also records extensively the story as it is revealed and should be referred to frequently to keep you on the right track. There is a lot of back tracking as there is no map. You often travel to distant locations for a single item and usually a hidden object scene and then travel back to the other end to use it. The puzzles and hidden object scenes are fairly easy with some interactive objects. The ending was abrupt with newspaper clippings detailing the exposure of the real killer of the miller's wife and jury tampering and then just ends. Maybe it continued in the CE, not sure.
Better than the first one in the series but also not one of the best out there but may still be worth a look.
I recommend this game!
Help the secret organization of Mystery Trackers find 3 missing celebrities in the mysterious Void family mansion!
Overall rating
4
/
5
Missing celebrities in the mansion of a mad scientist becomes your first assignment as the newest recruit in the Mystery Trackers Detective Club
PostedNovember 29, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Adventure, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The Order of Pathfinder Knights were founded during the Dark Ages to investigate phenomena and solve mysteries before hysteria ensued. Identified by their badge and code name, MYSTERY TRACKERS, they evolved into the Mystery Tracker Detective Agency. You are their newest recruit and have been assigned to investigate the disappearance of three celebrities, Kevin Sting, horror novelist, Jerald Spring, Illusionist, and Rebecca Thatcher, Shakespearean Actress, all within a short time at the old and massive Void Mansion which has been abandoned for last ten years since the owner, Malleus Void, died. Malleus had become imfamous and had a reputation as a mad scientist because of massive, odd experiments conducted at the mansion. You need to find out what is happening there and find the missing celebrities, if possible.
As with many of these games, this one stretches the boundries of realism just from the sheer size of the mansion and surrounding grounds as there are a lot of locations to explore which means a lot of puzzles, hidden object scenes and items to find. The story starts a little slow but then becomes more crazier so it takes a while before you really begin to see what is happening and who the players are even though you only really meet three characters [one has a split personality so does that make four?] and find a few dead bodies. Right at the beginning you find a fancy dressed, trained frog that becomes your hint button so that should have been a signal of other crazy things to follow.
First in the series and released in 2010, the graphics were surprisingly good, detailed and clear with music that was nice but seemed to repeat, especially during the hidden object scenes. There was no voice acting so the story is presented through papers found along the way and journal entries at various points in the game so be sure to refer to the journal frequently for the story and clues. Also, there is no map but backtracking is kept to a minimum by finding and using items within a few locations so your inventory never is full and you only have a few directions to follow.
The game was fairly long with [as other reviewers have stated] 38 hidden object scenes and 38 puzzles. I did not count them but there were a lot of them. One nice thing that is a feather in the developer's cap was that you only had to do each hidden object scene once. All were well presented, nicely lighted and minimal small objects to find. Minigames ranged from easy to medium difficulty with the usual skip capability.
The story would have been more interesting making it a better game by using cutscenes and character acting but it still worth taking a look at.
I recommend this game!
There's a terrible secret hidden deep within Lockwood Manor!
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Has the sordid past of dark magic practiced at Lockwood Manor reemerged? How is your boyfriend involved?
PostedNovember 28, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Adventure, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
In 1866, Lockwood Manor was used by demon worshipers that summoned demons and locked them into stone statues to control them. The authorities arrested the Lockwoods for their involvement and the manor has remained abandoned since then. Your friend, Jennifer, went to Lockwood Manor to look for her boyfriend, John, and his brother, Matthew, who went there to discover information about their father, a Lockwood descendant, who disappeared twenty years ago. Now they are missing and, when you were unable to contact Jennifer, you decided to go there and look for all three of them. On your arrival, you discover Jennifer chained in the basement by John. Has John turned to dark magic and is using Jennifer for some ritual? And where is Matthew? John attacks you and renders you unconscious and locks you in a dungeon. When you come to, you find a page from Matthew's diary detailing how he had become worried about John and his obsession with their father's disappearance and demon summoning. Other pages revealed his anger with John and Jennifer as she had been his girlfriend at one time. What other dark family secrets will you uncover?
The graphics were on par with most games released in 2011 and fit the story setting with pleasant music that did not overshadow or become too dramatic as sometimes is seen in these games. Cutscenes were presented well but there were some noticeable pauses while they loaded. There was no voice acting and conversations between characters was minimal with most of the story presented through papers and Matthew's diary pages found during your investigation. Apparently most of what the writers wanted you to know was presented in the first half of the game as fewer and fewer papers and disary pages were found in the latter half as if the story was not totally fleshed out. Maybe the CE went in more detail. There is a journal to record the story as it unfolds but no map available. The game is presented in segments with only a few locations presented at a time with multiple areas of interest so getting lost was not an issue but keeping track of where an object was needed could be helpful in returning to that location after the object was found. Inventory was never overly full and most items were used quickly.
The hidden object scenes were all list type with no interactive objects and most were easily identified but many were small. Graphics were clear and presented well. Puzzles ranged from fairly easy to medium challenge with an occasional harder one thrown in, usually involving trial and error, but all were usually able to be completed before becoming annoying.
Although nothing out of the ordinary, this one should keep you entertained for a few hours.
I recommend this game!