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:
Help Hero and Ann wake up all of mankind in Lost in the City: Post Scriptum! Put an end to the curse and save the entire world!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
A great story - as intriguing as the first one
PostedNovember 25, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Adventure, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
You and your love, Ann, became guardians of the future and were tasked to protect the Sphere of Knowledge and keep it safe but had to give up life in the normal world to do so. But now, THEY have returned and tell you the future has lost all meaning and you both have been released of your charge as the Sphere apparently has lost its power. You are told to hurry up and that you are almost out of time. Out of time for what? You and Ann leave the city that has become so much a part of your lives and return to the world of the living. Or is it? As you return to the normal world, you find no noise, no traffic, no people only evidence that something happened. In a train station trying to get to the nearest town, Ann is kidnapped and an ominous note is left referring to you as "Last One" and that the game is officially underway and that Ann is the guarantee that you will play and is signed "Chessmaster." You also start having blackouts and strange dreams that can be lessened or even stopped by consuming massives amounts of coffee and energy drinks. As you work feverishly to find Ann, you discover the entire human population is under the Chessmaster's control and asleep. Now you have a new direction you must follow and that is to save Ann, wake up all of mankind and stop the Chessmaster.
Take a basic hidden object game and surround it in a strange and perplexing story that runs the gambit of emotions and you have the Lost in the City pair. Most of the game is spent figuring out who or what the Chessmaster is and, trying to find Ann again. There are only a few scenes with any sense of urgency and they are timed. Other than those moments, the majority of the game is slow paced with hidden object scenes and some inventory puzzles and a few minigames. There is no map but each chapter only has a few locations to visit with multiple scenes within them so one is not really needed. Most chapters finish with you making a decision as to what you want to do next. It gives you a feel that you had some control over the direction to go only to find out that you are being guided a certain way regardless of which choice you make. Destiny? Maybe.
There are no voice acting and dialogue text can be read at your own speed requiring you to click to continue. There is a diary that can be helpful in some areas. Music was pleasant and changes periodically so you are not hearing the same thing all the time. Most of the game was silent except for the music which added to the sense of being alone in abandoned surroundings. The graphics were old and outdated style probably to add to the desolation and feel of the story. Hidden object scenes and most puzzles are fairly easy and logical and usually provide a needed item to finish a scene. There is a hint button that takes some time to recharge but, there are colorful butterflies in every scene including the hidden object scenes that give additional hints. There is a magnifying glass that can be used if needed. There is a click penalty. In the main menu there is an option called "Extras" that contained "presents" that contain concept art and some dialogue and are awarded by collecting the butterflies. One of the more memorial moments in the game for me was the scene with you waking up and having an inquisitive cat looking at you. It becomes kind of a companion for part of the game and seems to guide you some. Another touch to the story was the ability to see some of the language [which is in Russian] be translated into English by holding your cursor over it. It gave more depth to the story.
This game may not for everyone but it does have an interesting story and a deep and compelling plot that is sad, desperate and good.
I recommend this game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
An arranged marriage, a sudden death, a secret burial with no explanation. And this has happened before. Is the husband to blame?
PostedNovember 21, 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
4
/
5
Inspector Dupin and you, his able assistant, receive a letter from a despondent poet, Julien Bossuet, who was in love with a woman of society, Victorine LaFourcade, but, because of an arranged marriage, she married Renelle Fore, a banker, breaking his heart. They still comunicated however, and when she died suddenly and was secretly buried without explanation by her husband, Julien became suspicious and is asking for your help to find out what happened and where she is buried. During your carriage ride to the town where Julien lives, a ghostly apparition of a woman appears on the road and your carriage is wrecked. What is the connection to the case you have come to investigate? When you arrive at Julien's apartment, you find him about to commit suicide but you are able to convince him to give you time to find out what happened to Victorine. As you progress, you discover that Fore had a first wife, Louise, that also died suddenly and was secretly buried. Could this be why the ghost keeps appearing? Could this be the ghost of the first wife seeking revenge?
Released in 2011, this is the third game in the Dark Tales series based on Edgar Allan Poe's stories where you assist Detective Dupin in solving the mystery. It is a basic hidden object mixed with adventure style game that includes the usual notebook to track the story and clues found, a hint button, pleasant French-themed music that becomes repetitive, appropriate background sounds for the scenes, nicely done artwork depicting quaint European-style locations and spooky scenes with animated creepy-crawlies. The gruesome story and ghost that wants revenge is fleshed out through convenient newspaper articles and conversations with the locals in the town. Dialogue is presented in the 19th century style which may seem odd to some but adds depth to the setting. During your romp through the game, there are 33 roses scattered in the scenes that become a bouquet at the end and used for the final scene.
There is a nice mix of hidden object scenes, puzzles, and mini-games that are both familiar and fairly easy with some interactive objects to be found. I did find some quirks that made these a little more challenging mainly because of the labeling of objects differently than normal. One involved a scroll which was listed in the list of objects as a roll, a watering can as a funnel, a bowl as a chalice, and an ear as a wheat ear shaft. One puzzle involving egyptian hieroglyphics where you had to determine which number was represented by which character was very confusing. Several inventory puzzle solutions were a bit odd - to cause a dog to go to sleep you had to inject ether into the dog. I don't think ether is able to be used in that fashion for that effect. In the mansion, you need to open a cupboard that has a wax seal on it but you don't want to break it because Fore would know you were there so you wind up melting the seal with boiling water instead. How will that not alert him you are there? To break into the mansion quietly so as not to alert Fore, you need a key in a cuckoo clock but the only way to get it is to set the time so it kuckoos making noise. And finally, there is a curtain over a window held by a rope which says the rope could be handy if cut by a knife yet when you do cut it, you get no rope but the curtain is now off the window letting light in so that you are now able to go up the stairs.
There is a nice mix of hidden object scenes, puzzles, and mini-games that are both familiar and fairly easy with some interactive objects to be found. I did find some quirks that made these a little more challenging mainly because of the labeling of objects differently than normal. One involved a scroll which was listed in the list of objects as a roll, a watering can as a funnel, a bowl as a chalice, and an ear as a wheat ear shaft. One puzzle involving egyptian hieroglyphics where you had to determine which number was represented by which character was very confusing. Several inventory puzzle solutions were a bit odd - to cause a dog to go to sleep you had to inject ether into the dog. I don't think ether is able to be used in that fashion for that effect. In the mansion, you need to open a cupboard that has a wax seal on it but you don't want to break it because Fore would know you were there so you wind up melting the seal with boiling water instead. How will that not alert him you are there? To break into the mansion quietly so as not to alert Fore, you need a key in a cuckoo clock but the only way to get it is to set the time so it kuckoos making noise. And finally, there is a curtain over a window held by a rope which says the rope could be handy if cut by a knife yet when you do cut it, you get no rope but the curtain is now off the window letting light in so that you are now able to go up the stairs.
Despite these quirks, the game was generally pretty good and provided entertainment for an afternoon. I have played the first two in the series and each one has gotten better. I am looking forward to the fourth installment, The Gold Bug.
I recommend this game!
Enter Ravenwood Park and discover the secrets hidden in the mists...
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
A demonic battle rages among giant redwoods in the scenic Ravenwood Park
PostedNovember 18, 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
It has been two years since the incident at Maple Creek where you disrupted the preceedings of the demon lord Asmodai being conducted by the mad preacher who escaped. You have been looking for the preacher and finally have a lead as to his possible whereabouts. People have been mysteriously disappearing among the redwoods on the West Coast. Driving on the Redwood highway, a black mist sweeps across your path almost causing you to crash and, as you gain control of the truck, you come across a motor home along side the road near the closed entrance to the Ravenwood Redwood Carving Heritage Park. It appears to have been damaged with debris scattered everywhere and strange claw marks on the side as if some large animal struck it. It seems to be empty but, while searching inside, you find a little girl that is hiding who is scared and wants her mom. You need to calm her down and bandage her arm so you search through the debris and find a first aid kit and her teddy bear. As you gain her confidence, there is a shudder and a giant misty raven descends on the motor home ripping a hole in the roof and knocking you out as the girl screams. When you awake, everything has disappeared, the motor home, the debris, your truck and the little girl. Strangely, the entrance to the park is now open and you see people inside. You have a strange feeling as you enter and the park owner and an employee welcome you. They indicate that they just opened a few minutes ago and have no knowledge of the motor home, your truck nor the family that is missing. You are invited by the owner to look around while he goes and contact the authorities, and become locked in a basement where you find a mysterious man being kept a prisoner and all you can see are his eyes from behind the door. He tell you that the owner, Gerald Whitmarsh, is evil and, if you help him escape, he will help you find the missing girl and her parents. There is something strangely familiar about this prisoner but you agree to help him by finding 12 stone discs that provide some of the background story as each disc is inserted into the door of the cell. This becomes a focus point in your investigation into the secrets of Ravenwood.
A worthy successor to Enigmatis: The Ghost of Maple Creek, you again become involved in an exciting and intense detective story that I think is presented better than the first in every aspect from the plot, the creepiness, natural feeling characters, excellent animations, emotional dialogue and voices, and the unexpected twists that occur and a jump map included this time. The evidence board is used again to keep track of and sort out the clues creating questions and providing answers to reach and solve the final puzzle and save the family. There are many more clues and questions to be answered this time around so you become involved and feel as if you are part of the story. There are a few "gotcha" moments sprinkled in the game that some will react to but they do add drama to the story. The characters, their voices and mannerisms are well done giving them believability and depth that makes the game more fun and interesting, especially the prisoner and the ticket lady. It is not necessary to have played The Ghosts of Maple Creek, but it does help you understand some of the references made during the game, especially toward the end when you find out who the mysterious prisoner is and how he and Whitmarsh are connected.
Atmosphere and mood and the feel of being among giant redwoods were provided by sharp, beautifully rendered and colorful graphics with just the right shades and lighting. The cutscenes were enhanced and made seemless by the smooth animations moving from static scenes to action that much more enjoyable. Music complements and enhances the mysteriousness of the game being pleasant to listen to and were not repetitive loops. It is clear that a lot of time went into crafting the scenes and all that went into presenting the story.
There are not a lot of hidden object scenes or minigames in this one as it relys mostly on inventory item searches and puzzles but the hidden object scenes that are there work towards a final goal instead of just finding objects on a list. An example is in the first goal of the game where finding something to gain the little girl's trust involves working through a hidden object scene to find and repair her teddy bear using various objects in the scene to solve various little puzzles within the scene to obtain those objects needed to complete the task and then actually repairing the bear. It gave purpose to having the hidden object scene. There is an option to switch to a matching game if you really hate hidden object scenes. Minigames were fairly easy with some presented in a different fashion than the norm making them more interesting.
I have not played a game that held my interest to the final scene in some time but this one did an excellent job in doing that with enough surprises and questions to keep me wanting more. The ending sets it up for a sequel that I will be looking forward to and since it has been two years since this one was released, I hope one comes out soon.
I recommend this game!
Find a kidnapped teenage girl and save yourself in Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek, a fun Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
A detective with blood on your hands and suffering temporary amnesia - Why am I here and what happened?
PostedNovember 18, 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
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Lightning strikes a tree as you are driving along and you swerve and crash the car. You awake after the crash and are running through the forest arriving at a small town of Maple Creek in Vermont. Maple Creek appears to be abandoned and you have no idea why you are there. As you enter town, you start to find items that start to trigger your memory. You find your notebook and learn that you are here to investigate the location of a missing girl and that you have taken a room at the inn. You also learn that other young girls have been disappearing over the last 30 years and that another detective, Richard Hamilton, disappeared 30 years ago while investigating one of them. As you explore, you find some of the missing residents that appear to be in a trance and under mysterious control. Now your investigation just got more complicated as you need to solve the secrets of Maple creek.
The story unfolds through your thoughts, clues found, visions triggered by items found and some of the people you meet. The clues collected are sorted on an evidence board on the wall in your room where you determine their usefulness and how they fit into the story. Questions are asked on the board and you arrange them in certain groups to answer them with the clues found to solve parts of the puzzle and finally solve the mystery. Assembling clues on suspects, murder weapons, crime scenes and victims adds that additional feeling of being involved with actually solving the case. Added to this is an excellent journal that keeps track of all the information and becomes a good reference. There is no map but the evidence board controls the number of locations that need to be investigated. New areas are opened when you update the board and answer some of the questions. For a game released in 2011, the graphics are clear and beautiful with excellent animations, sound effects and music that add to the atmospheric environments, and nice voice acting.
There are the usual inventory item puzzles and minigames that range from medium to challenging and most seem to fit and the difficulty remains fairly constant throughout the game. A lot of hidden object scenes are there also and many are searched several times. Most are junk pile list types with some limited interactive objects that have many objects that are very small and hard to find.
The "to be continued" ending sets it up for a sequel that I have waiting in the wing to play. For those who want more in a mystery then going from place to place and solving puzzles, try this one and search for clues, analyze them, draw conclusions, and solve the parts to finally solve the mystery.
I recommend this game!
After your sister vanishes on her wedding day no one has any idea what happened to her, so it's up to you to find the truth!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Make a bargain with a demon to find out what happened to your sister who vanished on her wedding day
PostedNovember 17, 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
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
After our mother died and our father mysteriously disappeared, I went off to school leaving my twin sister, Luisa, in the care of a nanny. It has been years since I left, and now, she was to be married, but on her wedding day, witnesses say a dark figure pushed her into the river. No body was found and she was presumed dead. Maybe feeling a little guilty by being away for so long, I decided I need to return to the home of my childhood and find out what happened. As I entered the house, a demon materializes from the fireplace and offers me a bargain for my soul. He offers to return me to the moments of Luisa's memories that will allow me to follow in her footsteps and observe the events leading up to her wedding day and possibly save her. However, if at any time I fail in the attempts to pass through her memories, my soul becomes his. After accepting the challenge, he disappears back into the fire telling me to find her diary as it will open a pathway to her memories that will present the truth about what happened to her.
A fairly dark-themed game but with beautiful artwork, detailed and atmospheric settings, enjoyable mood music that complements the game very well drawing you into the memories so you feel involved in the story and its outcome. There are no voices which would have added even more to the ambience, but the only real character that you interact with is the demon that shows up periodically to nudge you along and taunt you so they probably weren't necessary. There is a journal that should be consulted frequently as it frequently contains more of the story and provides clues as you uncover a few family secrets than you get from the memories and your interaction with the demon. As each memory is like a chapter with locations to visit, you spend your time traveling into your sister's memories to visit key moments in her last days to find personal items of hers that moves you on to the next memory. There is no map so there is some backtracking as you spend a lot of time looking for keys that are often used somewhere else and can become tedious. You wonder how much money that locksmith must have made. Hidden object scenes are well done with objects fitting the scenes and they don't repeat. Some objects are pretty small or partially hidden.
Being first in anything always leaves room for improvement and that also applys to this game released in 2011. This is an interesting story that will keep you involved with it many areas to visit, hidden object scenes to explore, and inventory puzzles and minigames to work through. None are really new nor exceedingly difficult but are wrapped up in a fairly nice package that will entertain for a few hours.
I recommend this game!
Travel from the Dark Middle Ages to the present to save the inhabitants of the Orion kingdom in Echoes of the Past - The Citadels of Time!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Ding dong the witch is back and boy is she mad at you
PostedNovember 14, 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
After defeating the witch in Echoes of the Past: The Castle of Shadows, you decide to take some time off and visit the new exhibit at the Royal House Museum. After spending an hour viewing the exhibit, you decide to leave, but as you open the exit door, you find nothing but darkness when, suddenly, the witch appears. She places a spell on you and the museum plunging you into the past trapping you in a castle in the Kingdom of Orion by turning the Grand Clock backwards and then removing five parts scattering them in different parts of the castle. You have to find the five pieces by visiting five time era events in the castle's history and help free a character in each from the witch's time trap by fixing their clocks. Then, fix the Grand Clock, defeat the witch again and return to present day. The five pieces are the numbers 1, 4, 6, 8, and 11 from the face of the clock and the five characters to be helped are a prophet who needs a gear, a Princess needing clock weights, a Prince requiring a pendulum, a gear and spring for a fisherman, and watch hands for a scientist.
Unless you have played the first two in the series, you may wonder what the witch is yelling about, but as with most games, it is not necessary to have played them to play this one. She is hacked off because the kingdom won't recognize her magic abilities so she wants them to suffer much like a child that wants attention.
The game features, mechanics, and art style are similar to those of previous episodes in the series only better, with lively animations, bright, colorful graphics, solid voices, good music, but repetitive, some well designed and challenging puzzles ranging from medium to difficult and well done hidden object scenes. Something different from other games is the inventory displayed at the top of the screen which, for me, took some getting use to as I continually went to the bottom by habit. Hidden object scenes were the usual list with some interactive objects and some were "place the object back into the scene" type. They did begin to turn into more junk pile types toward the end of the game for some reason but were still doable. There is a journal but I found it of little help as it mostly just recorded the story. The hint button tells you if there is nothing to do in a location and only when in a location where some action is required will it indicate it. It dies show items in hidden object scenes and all puzzles can be skipped.
With the many locations that need to be visited and the moving between eras that have been opened, a jump map would have made the game more enjoyable. A fairly large place to explore made it relatively easy to get turned around so you need to find your direction again and sometimes you had to retrace your steps just to find a hidden object scene so you can continue. One thing that I am really getting tired of is the derogatory remarks made when you try the wrong inventory item on an action area. I can't understand why they feel they have to belittle the player for trying something. Even with these flaws, this is one of the better games out there and probably worth your time.
I recommend this game!
Emma Roberts has been tasked with writing a story about an old haunted manor. Help her explore the McInroy Estate!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
What lurks at McInroy Manor that caused the death of an entire family and servants? And what is the Watchman's secret?
PostedNovember 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
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Your editor of Fear For Sale magazine has given you, Emma Roberts, Investigative Reporter, the assignment to investigate the rumors and sightings at McInroy Manor. He has paid a small fortune so that you may gain access to the Manor and he wants a story so here you are. When you arrive at the gates of the Manor, a ghost of a woman appears and tells you the grounds and manor have an evil presence that binds her and the others to the Manor and that you need to learn the truth and set them free. When the ghost disappears, the Watchman of the Manor suddenly appears and tells you no one is allowed here and to leave. Showing him your press badge, he acknowledges that you can enter and gives you a key to the Manor's front door and that you are to restrict your investigation only to the Manor. He also tells you that the place is haunted by the ghosts of the McInroy family and their servants who all died mysteriously. From a photo you dug up in the magazine's archieves, you recognize the Watchman to be the spitting image of a family friend, Dr. Berk, but of course, it can't be him as this all happened 80 years ago so you assume it must be his son. Apparently McInroy was suspected of killing his family and servants and committing sucide but other police reports also suggested that Dr. Berk may have been involved in someway. Heading to the front door, you see an evil presence that causes a statue to animate and block one of the paths and obviously does not want you here. There were rumors of demon summoning by McInroy in hopes of bringing his wife back so your investigation has much to explore and dangers to face.
A journal is provided that keeps track of the story as it unfolds and clues found. There is no map but when there is nothing left to be done in a scene, the hint button provides a directional arrow to keep you going in the right direction. There is some limited backtracking and inventory items are used within a few screnes usually. Graphics are good but the evil presence appears to have been drawn by a very young person with little imagination and is more comical then scary. Music was ok but repetitive and got old after a while. There are no voices, only text, but at least you have time to read it. Background sounds include indistinct whisperings that become annoying after a while as does the thunder.
Hidden object scenes are of the usual junk pile list type with some interaction with objects, however, there were no text color to indicate those requiring interaction. Only by passing your curosr over an object and having it change did you find them. Some objects are very small and partially hidden behind other objects. There are a lot of locked door puzzles and well as the usual type of puzzles frequently found in these games.
The game provides a better than usual story with a satisfying ending and some twists that make it more interesting and is probably worth spending some time with if you like mystery type plots.
I recommend this game!
After waking up chained to the floor of a cabin, you must discover the Secret of Agony Creek and escape before it's too late!
Overall rating
3
/
5
0 of 1 found this review helpful
Who or what caused the mine explosion that you survived? Or did you? Why can't I remember?
PostedNovember 4, 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
While working in a mine, someone purposely caused an explosion and you have faint recollection of being dragged, a blurry face, and waking up shackled to the floor of an old shack. You don't know who you are or where you are any why you are shackled. You hear ringing and see a cell phone on a chair that you answer and an unfamiliar woman's voice warns you that you are in danger from a murderous cop that is coming to get you. She tells you to escape and meet her at an old cabin in the woods and she will tell you everything. You manage to pick the lock on the shackle and, as you are trying to break out, the cop bursts into the room and is surprised to find you there and tells you she is here to help and to use the bathroom to clean up and she will take you to the police station. You manage to break out the window and escape down the road but need to hide behind the fence as the police car races by with siren blairing. You now must get to the cabin and find out what is going on and why you are here. On the way you see a ghostly figure that seems to be stalking you or is it leading you? What is your connection to this spirit? As you make your way, you find the town of Agony Creek, an old mining town, abandoned but a few characters still roaming around who all seem to know you. How can they? I don't know them.
Graphics were ok for the dull, rainy, dirty, abandoned look and the hidden object scenes were fairly easy to finish even with some objects being quite small and faded. Animations were clunky appearing haphazard in some scenes. Voiceovers were pretty good adding some drama to the scenes and the music was nonintrusive. There is a journal that is of some help and the usual hint button that is graphically presented as a bank of candles that relight as the hint button recharges.
An Interesting setup for a game that starts out strong but then flattens out losing momentum. The ending turns out to be somewhat of a surprise but most of what goes on between the beginning and ending seems to be sketchy and less interesting. By the time you finally get to the ending, the intensity has been lost and there is some letdown. Even with these flaws, the game does keep moving even without a map and there is some backtracking but once an area has been completed, you don't need to return there usually. There were a couple of places in the beginning that required you to return and perform a task to finish that area so you had to keep track of them.
It does manage to create an atmosphere of mystery and menace for the most part and will provide a few hours of entertainment if you can overlook the lapses in the story presentation.
I recommend this game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
Before Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, there was Dupin amateur detective with incredible powers of observation
PostedNovember 4, 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
Loosely based on a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, the game is rather short and a basic hidden object game that involves solving a murder in Paris in the 1890's and finding her missing sister. The only clue is a tuft of hair clutched in the murdered woman's hand. You assist C. Auguste Dupin, a man fond of puzzles and analytical thinking. Your investigation takes you from location to location and interviewing people associated with the crime in some way. You soon find yourself traveling all over Paris in an attempt to track down the killer. The game is very linear being controlled by a map that is used to travel to the locations only when you have completed a location and found the clue to where to travel to next.
There is a diary that keeps track of clues and information that you will need to remember. There is a skip button to bypass puzzles or help find a hidden object if needed. Graphics were nicely drawn but the lack of animations detracted from the experience and music was ok but appeared to be one tune played continuously. There were no voiceovers which would have helped the game a lot. The dialogue was well-written.
Hidden object scenes were well drawn and contained occasional "zoom areas" that, when clicked on, opened another area within the scene that held objects. Unfortunately, the list of objects did not use color to indicate those items that may be in a "zoom area" but most were easily identified.
Not a very memorable experience that would have been better with a little more work put into the detective work, character depth, voiceovers, and animation.
I recommend this game!
Big City Adventure: Sydney, Australia
Search for cleverly hidden items around the amazing city of Sydney. Head down under and join the next Big City Adventure!
Overall rating
3
/
5
76 levels of hidden object scenes with minigames in between
PostedNovember 4, 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
4
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Repetitive in that you revisit the same locations with different objects to find. The minigames also repeat and some get harder [faster?] later in the game, especially the "bash aligators on the snout" game. Sprinkled throughout are bits of trivia to learn facts about sites in Sydney.
I recommend this game!