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:
A letter offers new information about Elizabeth just as Lynn's powers have awakened. Help her overcome the darkness before it's too late!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
The saga continues when Lynn gets a lead on Elisabeth
PostedJuly 30, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The lead-in cutscene explains the happenings during and after the first game - Charleston Curse. After saving Lynn, the two of you have grown closer and she has become your ward. But lately, she has become withdrawn and you fear she is becoming aware of her potential as a witch and will want to explore that some more. Lynn receives a letter from a woman named Morgana, who is aware of the situation with Elisabeth [the witch who tried to kill her] and that she has seen her in Rothenburg, Germany. Lynn's thirst for revenge causes her to use magic to create a portal to travel there. Being worried and responsible for her safety, you also travel there to find Lynn looking for Morgana's house. Lynn is not happy and tries to prevent you from following her. As you search for Lynn, you learn that Morgana has tricked Lynn to get her to come there and that she is really the Witch Queen. Years ago, Morgana had tricked a witch hunter, Wolfgang, into marrying her so she could get to his sister, Elisabeth, and turn her into a witch. She killed Wolfgang and susceeded in turning Elisabeth who used the same ruse at Charleston Manor when she tried to turn Lynn.
There is the usual journal that keeps track of clues and story, an interactive map that you acquire once you reach Rothenburg that shows locations of sites with actions available, background sounds appropriate for the scene, intermittent music that was pleasant, and an inventory that locks. Graphics, animation and cutscenes were very well done with dialog displayed at the bottom of the screen that you click on to continue. I especially liked the animated door knob with a cold.
You find an imp helper that apparently was Lynn's dog that died and was turned into the imp by Elisabeth so she would have a companion. The imp helps to retrieve things during the game.
HOS are interactive list types that are well drawn with most items visible but some are well blended. There are the usual achievements, 42 morphing objects and 45 puzzle pieces to find. Some are very hard to see, especially some of the puzzle pieces that don't even look like puzzle pieces.
I did enjoy the game and story and I thought the ending was appropriate with you convincing Lynn not to kill Elisabeth which angers Morgana and sets it up for the next sequel.
The bonus chapter involves Lynn wanting to destroy the magic mirrors Morgana uses as portals before you both return home. I don't think it added that much except to flesh out a little more of the story.
There is the usual journal that keeps track of clues and story, an interactive map that you acquire once you reach Rothenburg that shows locations of sites with actions available, background sounds appropriate for the scene, intermittent music that was pleasant, and an inventory that locks. Graphics, animation and cutscenes were very well done with dialog displayed at the bottom of the screen that you click on to continue. I especially liked the animated door knob with a cold.
You find an imp helper that apparently was Lynn's dog that died and was turned into the imp by Elisabeth so she would have a companion. The imp helps to retrieve things during the game.
HOS are interactive list types that are well drawn with most items visible but some are well blended. There are the usual achievements, 42 morphing objects and 45 puzzle pieces to find. Some are very hard to see, especially some of the puzzle pieces that don't even look like puzzle pieces.
I did enjoy the game and story and I thought the ending was appropriate with you convincing Lynn not to kill Elisabeth which angers Morgana and sets it up for the next sequel.
The bonus chapter involves Lynn wanting to destroy the magic mirrors Morgana uses as portals before you both return home. I don't think it added that much except to flesh out a little more of the story.
I recommend this game!
Life imitates art with deadly results in this thrilling whodunit!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Who is framing the author for murder using his own books?
PostedJuly 30, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Russell Pollack, a rewnowned mystery story writer, and you, Samantha, his wife, have just moved into their new home in Boston when two policemen come to the door looking for Russell. He apparently is now a suspect in three murders that have recently occurred that were very similar to how characters were killed in his novels. He tells you that he is innocent and to look for answers in his books. A detective friend, Robert, has offered to help prove Russell's innocence. The muses referred to in the title is a reference to the talents of the seven victims - composer, scientist, explorer, sculptor, actress, artist, and writer. You will need to prevent the murder of the last four victims and prove your husband is innocent.
I really loved the introduction scene that showed a pianist during a concert and how his piano had been rigged to fire a pistol during a certain part of the concert. There are several scenes throughout the game that shows other intricate methods that murders were to be committed. Graphics and ambient sounds are solid and well done with some music primarily played during the HOS. Voiceovers were very well done and the cutscenes were replayable from the journal. Dialogs are well done with a "click to continue" at the bottom of the screen. There is an interactive map that helps with the traveling and a lot of HOS which I really liked. They were simple interactive list types so nothing very spectacular but all objects were visible with some well blended. Of course there are the usual minigame puzzles sprinkled throughout most being fairly easy but some more challenging.
There is a strategy guide, the usual achievements, 25 teapots to collect, a magnifying glass that you use to find finger and hand prints that are used later to provide bios on the characters, and the usual wallpaper-music-videos-games-art stuff.
I did think the ending was appropriate and set up the bonus chapter. The bonus chapter takes place in Chicago where a similar situation is taking place with new victims and locations and murders to prevent. Not a bad game to spend some time with sleuthing.
I really loved the introduction scene that showed a pianist during a concert and how his piano had been rigged to fire a pistol during a certain part of the concert. There are several scenes throughout the game that shows other intricate methods that murders were to be committed. Graphics and ambient sounds are solid and well done with some music primarily played during the HOS. Voiceovers were very well done and the cutscenes were replayable from the journal. Dialogs are well done with a "click to continue" at the bottom of the screen. There is an interactive map that helps with the traveling and a lot of HOS which I really liked. They were simple interactive list types so nothing very spectacular but all objects were visible with some well blended. Of course there are the usual minigame puzzles sprinkled throughout most being fairly easy but some more challenging.
There is a strategy guide, the usual achievements, 25 teapots to collect, a magnifying glass that you use to find finger and hand prints that are used later to provide bios on the characters, and the usual wallpaper-music-videos-games-art stuff.
I did think the ending was appropriate and set up the bonus chapter. The bonus chapter takes place in Chicago where a similar situation is taking place with new victims and locations and murders to prevent. Not a bad game to spend some time with sleuthing.
A meteorite devastates a town, yanking Emily from her normal life.
Overall rating
4
/
5
The House, the safest place on Earth, becomes infected by evil and needs help and a new member
PostedJuly 21, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
While you, Emily, are in your dark room processing some film, there is a knock on the door and when you answer it, Kate Reed [apparently she had a name change as in the game it was spelled READ] tells you that you need to trust her and go with her to help save the world. She shows you something horrible that is approaching and you need to go now. You join her in her car and drive to a seemly empty spot when a house suddenly appears. You are told you will find answers inside to what is happening. Once inside, you find a family tree with one missing photo and when you find the photo, it turns out to be you. You are apparently a member of the Lancaster Family who occupies the House of 1000 Doors. You are brought here because you possess a special gift of Inner Light which just happens to be what is needed to help with the pending disaster. A meteorite has hit a small town of West Hills not far from here and an evil infection is spreading that will destroy the earth. Your special gift of Inner Light can remove this evil from places, people and things. While you are learning this from the other House members, the infection manages to break into the House and infect all of the other members. Because of your gift, you are immune but now you have to save the House and its occupants.
There are three portals within the House that you will need to cleanse and enter to save them. The first takes you to a robots and gaget type world where you have to battle Sammy and heal him, the second takes you to a world of art where you have to battle Amanda and save her, and the third takes you to a lost world where simon must be found and cleansed. Once these are done, you learn that you now have to fight the strongest infected member, Kate, who became infected outside the House. As you work your way through the House, you have to save your pet cat that becomes a helper that gets things, your Hand of Light that dispels the infection from objects, a Chronograph used to repair things, and a True Vision device that allows you to through things. After you have saved the House and its occupants, you are welcomed to the family and provided with your own key to the House. Nice ending.
In the bonus chapter, Emily has saved the House but Gabriel feels she needs to be supervised until she fully understands her power. So you, as Kate, has been provided with a light gun created by Sammy and is sent out to use it to cleanse any remaining pockets of infection and to find the source of the infection at the meteorite strike site in West Hills, a small town built in the style of the wild west but is now empty and run down. The chapter ends with a twist setting it up for a sequel.
There is the usual journal that records clues and story, a very good interactive map for all that traveling, 48 evil faces collectibles that i found very hard to find, and some nice puzzles and HOS. The HOS were of several types including the usual list, but mostly silhouettes that you either find the item or find and use an item to complete other items. I enjoyed them very much and some did require some thought to complete. The graphics and cutscenes were very well done and the music was good. Some of the background sounds can be quite loud in some "shock" scenes.
I have played all four in this series and have enjoyed all of them.
There are three portals within the House that you will need to cleanse and enter to save them. The first takes you to a robots and gaget type world where you have to battle Sammy and heal him, the second takes you to a world of art where you have to battle Amanda and save her, and the third takes you to a lost world where simon must be found and cleansed. Once these are done, you learn that you now have to fight the strongest infected member, Kate, who became infected outside the House. As you work your way through the House, you have to save your pet cat that becomes a helper that gets things, your Hand of Light that dispels the infection from objects, a Chronograph used to repair things, and a True Vision device that allows you to through things. After you have saved the House and its occupants, you are welcomed to the family and provided with your own key to the House. Nice ending.
In the bonus chapter, Emily has saved the House but Gabriel feels she needs to be supervised until she fully understands her power. So you, as Kate, has been provided with a light gun created by Sammy and is sent out to use it to cleanse any remaining pockets of infection and to find the source of the infection at the meteorite strike site in West Hills, a small town built in the style of the wild west but is now empty and run down. The chapter ends with a twist setting it up for a sequel.
There is the usual journal that records clues and story, a very good interactive map for all that traveling, 48 evil faces collectibles that i found very hard to find, and some nice puzzles and HOS. The HOS were of several types including the usual list, but mostly silhouettes that you either find the item or find and use an item to complete other items. I enjoyed them very much and some did require some thought to complete. The graphics and cutscenes were very well done and the music was good. Some of the background sounds can be quite loud in some "shock" scenes.
I have played all four in this series and have enjoyed all of them.
I recommend this game!
End the Charleston Curse before it wipes out an entire family and save a young girl in Witches’ Legacy: The Charleston Curse!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
What is your connection to Charleston Manor and why is someone trying to kill you?
PostedJuly 17, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
You receive a letter from a woman, Elisabeth Sithling, who states that she has been the caretaker for a child, Lynn, who apparently is related to you but she can no longer take care of her due to her age and fading health. She wants you to come see her about taking over the care of raising her. Lynn's parents were wealthy and lived at Charleston Manor but both died leaving Lynn their fortune and estate but she can only inherit it if she is raised by a blood relative. You seem to be her only remaining relative. The letter also contained part of a drawing depicting a happy child with an older woman that was apparently drawn by Lynn. As Charleston Manor is not far from where you live, you decide to visit there. When you arrive and knock at the gate, a young girl answers but before you can enter, you are hit from behind and knocked unconscious. When you awake, you find you are locked in the attic where a ghost of a young man appears and tells you you need to escape and find and save Lynn. You soon discover that Elisabeth is a witch and is trying to make Lynn one also and that all of her family has been systematically killed to leave lynn as the sole heir and as you are a blood relative, she plans to kill you also.
There is a journal that stores clues and the background story that is provided by drawings. As you explore you find parts of drawings that are added to the journal and once completed, provide more of the background story. A nice touch. I did have one glitch that occurred after completing one of the drawings where the text entered in the journal apparently overwrote itself or another entry making it impossible to read it. It did clear later and become readable. There is a current task tab also.
There is no map so you have to remember where you still need to finish an action and sometimes you have to revisit some areas to trigger an HOS to continue your exploration. There is some traveling to be done as the HOS scenes are used twice and some items are repeated on the lists. HOS are the usual list type with some interactive items written in green. Some items are well blended but all were visible. The inventory bar locks open and most items found are used fairly quickly so you don't have a huge amount to sift through.
Graphics were good with the use of some live actors and the cutscenes were well done. Voiceovers were incomplete, however, so be sure to read the dialog that appears at the bottom of the screen. The font size could have been a little bigger. Music was ok but could get annoying after a while. There was a background sound of a laughing woman that got really old after a while and seem to be out of place in some spots.
I did enjoy some of the newer animations that were presented during the game such as the sneezing door knob [shades of Disney}, a divice that had to be switched on in an HOS that created lightning instead of just a jagged line as is usually presented, and the imp.
The ending was fast but ok as you did save Lynn and you both escaped the manor. the fate of the witch is unknown but as this is the first in a series, you assume she survives and shows up later in a sequel.
There is a journal that stores clues and the background story that is provided by drawings. As you explore you find parts of drawings that are added to the journal and once completed, provide more of the background story. A nice touch. I did have one glitch that occurred after completing one of the drawings where the text entered in the journal apparently overwrote itself or another entry making it impossible to read it. It did clear later and become readable. There is a current task tab also.
There is no map so you have to remember where you still need to finish an action and sometimes you have to revisit some areas to trigger an HOS to continue your exploration. There is some traveling to be done as the HOS scenes are used twice and some items are repeated on the lists. HOS are the usual list type with some interactive items written in green. Some items are well blended but all were visible. The inventory bar locks open and most items found are used fairly quickly so you don't have a huge amount to sift through.
Graphics were good with the use of some live actors and the cutscenes were well done. Voiceovers were incomplete, however, so be sure to read the dialog that appears at the bottom of the screen. The font size could have been a little bigger. Music was ok but could get annoying after a while. There was a background sound of a laughing woman that got really old after a while and seem to be out of place in some spots.
I did enjoy some of the newer animations that were presented during the game such as the sneezing door knob [shades of Disney}, a divice that had to be switched on in an HOS that created lightning instead of just a jagged line as is usually presented, and the imp.
The ending was fast but ok as you did save Lynn and you both escaped the manor. the fate of the witch is unknown but as this is the first in a series, you assume she survives and shows up later in a sequel.
I recommend this game!
You're called to a health spa in the Alps, where an evil professor has something terrible in mind for his unwitting patients.
Overall rating
4
/
5
The fight against the Seekers Brotherhood continues and you are their target now
PostedJuly 16, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
As Detective for the Agency of Anomalies, you are on a tram with a concerned wife, Renee, who wants you to find out what has happened to her husband, Alfred, who went to a sanitorium in the Alps for a cure of his illness of paranormal disturbance. The only word she has received is a letter telling her their marriage was over and his watch. When you arrive at the sanitorium, you find out that Doctor Swens is part of the Seekers and the story by Renee was bait to get you to walk into their trap. Patients are being brainwashed by being convinced that their nightmares are their reality to serve the needs of the Brotherhood. Now the Seekers want you to become part of their Brotherhood. You must save the patients and yourself and return them to reality.
The graphics are very nice and the voiceovers are well done but no voice sync. The music is intermittent but pleasant. Ambient sounds fit the scenes. A journal keeps track of clues and a list of objectives and has patient files including cutscenes about each patient and their problem. You are provided with a brain device that takes you into the minds of your victims and alternates betwen a dream world and reality. There are four patients to help. There is a jump map that shows locations with tasks that need to be completed.
HOS are many and varied, some are almost like puzzles. They are clear and items are not difficult to find. There are a nice mixture of object lists, silhouettes, and returning items back into the scene. The last type actually had two types - find items displaced in the scene and return them to their place and items in a list that needed to be placed in the scene. I thought they were well done. Each scene was used twice but were usually of a different type.
There is a collectible of 31 canes throughout the game and they do not morph but are straight lines so some were not easy to see. The strategy guide did include a list of where the canes are found. There are achievements to be earned but I have never been much of a fan of them.
During the main game, you find notes left by another anomaly detective that apparently was investigating the sanitorium but was killed. the bonus chapter provides his story.
After playing all four games in this series, I can say that they all had their merits and interesting story.
The graphics are very nice and the voiceovers are well done but no voice sync. The music is intermittent but pleasant. Ambient sounds fit the scenes. A journal keeps track of clues and a list of objectives and has patient files including cutscenes about each patient and their problem. You are provided with a brain device that takes you into the minds of your victims and alternates betwen a dream world and reality. There are four patients to help. There is a jump map that shows locations with tasks that need to be completed.
HOS are many and varied, some are almost like puzzles. They are clear and items are not difficult to find. There are a nice mixture of object lists, silhouettes, and returning items back into the scene. The last type actually had two types - find items displaced in the scene and return them to their place and items in a list that needed to be placed in the scene. I thought they were well done. Each scene was used twice but were usually of a different type.
There is a collectible of 31 canes throughout the game and they do not morph but are straight lines so some were not easy to see. The strategy guide did include a list of where the canes are found. There are achievements to be earned but I have never been much of a fan of them.
During the main game, you find notes left by another anomaly detective that apparently was investigating the sanitorium but was killed. the bonus chapter provides his story.
After playing all four games in this series, I can say that they all had their merits and interesting story.
I recommend this game!
Fitzpatrick McGovern is long gone, but his mysterious lost legacy is still out there! Find it in Big City Adventure: London Story!
Overall rating
4
/
5
Good to have when you just want to play a hidden object for a few minutes just to relax
PostedJuly 15, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
There are minigames between each hidden object and there is a skip button in the upper right corner that takes a little time to charge before you can use it. There are also coins you find in each scene and some will be skip coins. All the hidden object screens are repeated several times with different items to find. Some of the items are small and hard to find. Some of the minigames were fun such as the the safe puzzles with the arrows and you had to find the pattern to open the safe and the find the words using graphic symbols. The scarabs game was ok but sometimes hard to figure out. Not a bad way to kill a few minutes just to relax.
I recommend this game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
The Brotherhood of Seekers has no respect for the theater
PostedJuly 13, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
As a paranormal detective, you are use to odd happenings so your senses becomed heightened when while driving along during a storm, a woman appears in front of you causing you to swerve and come to a stop. She appears to be an angel (has wings) and tells you the theater and its actors are in trouble and they need your help. They are part of a performance group in Patrizia's Freakshow composed of authentic freaks. Something is happening to their bodies and paranormal powers after having experiments run on them by the Brotherhood of Seekers that is killing them. The theater owner,Patrizia Edelstein, has also disappeared. You must save them and restore their human forms and find what happened to Patrizia. Gerard, the decrepit personal secretary, pops in throughout the game to provide additional information that often just repeats what was just said by one of the performers. You find out his secret in the end.
During your investigation, you meet various performers with paranormal powers that you acquire when you help each one and restore their human forms. Eve has astral-projection, Lissom hubert has super flexibility, Salavat Jao has underwater breathing, Johnny has electricity, and Anna has bio-transformation. These powers are stored in your amulet [looks like a crystal ball] and are used in various places and some mini-games. Of course, you finally find out what happened to Patrizia and stop the experiments thus preventing the brotherhood from achieving its goals.
Graphics, cutscenes, voiceovers, and ambient sounds are all very good and the music is not bad but can get loud in spots and repetitive. There is a notebook that keeps track of the story and clues and each cutscene can be replayed from here. There is no map so you will do a fair amount of back tracking. Diaglog is displayed at the bottom of the screne and there is not mouth sync and it continues without a mouse click.
Hidden object scenes included interactive objects [in yellow text] reverse object finding, placing objects back into scenes, and silhouettes. They were used twice. There are lots of adventure puzzles, many being more minigame then puzzle, and usually logical. Items both in and out of HOS were almost always big and clear so missing something in a location was rare. Some of the puzzles the amulet [crystal ball] was used for included rotating a line picture until it made something recognizable, clicking on opposite icons to make a path [positive and negative], moving clouds to change a beam's path, filling in an outline of a shape with a spray bottle, and linking molecules together.
I did find one minor error during one of the puzzles that required you to make a potion. One of the ingredients listed on the directions paper showed the ingredient needed as algae but what was actually used was seaweed.
Each in the series has had it good and bad but overall, they have all been good games.
During your investigation, you meet various performers with paranormal powers that you acquire when you help each one and restore their human forms. Eve has astral-projection, Lissom hubert has super flexibility, Salavat Jao has underwater breathing, Johnny has electricity, and Anna has bio-transformation. These powers are stored in your amulet [looks like a crystal ball] and are used in various places and some mini-games. Of course, you finally find out what happened to Patrizia and stop the experiments thus preventing the brotherhood from achieving its goals.
Graphics, cutscenes, voiceovers, and ambient sounds are all very good and the music is not bad but can get loud in spots and repetitive. There is a notebook that keeps track of the story and clues and each cutscene can be replayed from here. There is no map so you will do a fair amount of back tracking. Diaglog is displayed at the bottom of the screne and there is not mouth sync and it continues without a mouse click.
Hidden object scenes included interactive objects [in yellow text] reverse object finding, placing objects back into scenes, and silhouettes. They were used twice. There are lots of adventure puzzles, many being more minigame then puzzle, and usually logical. Items both in and out of HOS were almost always big and clear so missing something in a location was rare. Some of the puzzles the amulet [crystal ball] was used for included rotating a line picture until it made something recognizable, clicking on opposite icons to make a path [positive and negative], moving clouds to change a beam's path, filling in an outline of a shape with a spray bottle, and linking molecules together.
I did find one minor error during one of the puzzles that required you to make a potion. One of the ingredients listed on the directions paper showed the ingredient needed as algae but what was actually used was seaweed.
Each in the series has had it good and bad but overall, they have all been good games.
I recommend this game!
Return to the House of 1,000 Doors to save mankind from annihilation!
Overall rating
4
/
5
The earth is being eaten by Giant Snakes
PostedJuly 13, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The earth is being devastated by fire and giant snakes and the House of a 1000 Doors is the only safe place on earth. You, Kate Reed, have been saved by a mysterious man from your burning home and he has brought you to the House. Who is this man and how does he know about the House? His name is Rafael, part of a race from another planet called the Light Ones, and he tells you that you will have to find four elements in four different epochs that are needed to help save the earth. he has the power to open a portal to each epoch but is weak and can only open one at a time. each epoch requires a key that you must use to enter the portal. He gives you the first key but Sammy (boy genius and House resident) will make the other three. These elements are needed to use a weapon capable of stopping the snakes and saving the earth. This weapon was used centuries ago when the Light Ones fought the snakes then.
The four epochs include the South American Jungle for the air element, Medieval France for the water element, Ancient Rome for the fire element, and a time during a flood for the earth element. each was well done and of course you have to solve problems there before you can get each element. Once you have the four elements, you find out that a fifth element is needed, Light, and it is on rafael's planet and again you have to solve problems to get it.
Graphics and cutscenes are excellent with very good voiceovers and ambient sounds paired to each epoch. Music was non-intrusive and suitable. Game flow is smooth and well laid out. Puzzles are appropriate and not over challenging. There are 40 morphing objects but many are very small so you have to really watch for them. HOS are interactive with both list type and placing items in the scene by association. Each scene is used twice. Some have a zoom in spot for additional items.
There is an interactive map that helps move around and also indicates where actions are available. A journal keeps track of clues. The inventory panel does not lock open. The bonus chapter provides the information on the mysterious stranger so it does add to the total experience.
I have enjoyed all of the games in this series and have one more to play - Evil Inside.
The four epochs include the South American Jungle for the air element, Medieval France for the water element, Ancient Rome for the fire element, and a time during a flood for the earth element. each was well done and of course you have to solve problems there before you can get each element. Once you have the four elements, you find out that a fifth element is needed, Light, and it is on rafael's planet and again you have to solve problems to get it.
Graphics and cutscenes are excellent with very good voiceovers and ambient sounds paired to each epoch. Music was non-intrusive and suitable. Game flow is smooth and well laid out. Puzzles are appropriate and not over challenging. There are 40 morphing objects but many are very small so you have to really watch for them. HOS are interactive with both list type and placing items in the scene by association. Each scene is used twice. Some have a zoom in spot for additional items.
There is an interactive map that helps move around and also indicates where actions are available. A journal keeps track of clues. The inventory panel does not lock open. The bonus chapter provides the information on the mysterious stranger so it does add to the total experience.
I have enjoyed all of the games in this series and have one more to play - Evil Inside.
I recommend this game!
Guide Kate Reed as she solves four mind-bending mysteries that take her to worlds she's never imagined!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Traveling by house and helping spirits along the way
PostedJuly 7, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
As the first in a series made starting in 2012, many will not like this game, as according to today's game standards, this is considered an "old" game and does not have all the bells and whistles you see in releases now. Does that make it a bad game? No! The concept of a house being able to move from place to place depending on circumstances and being a portal for supernatural phenomena makes for some interesting stories.
The series follows the story of a psychic writer, Kate Reed, and her adventures in the magical house of 1000 doors. As a one book author, Kate is having writer's block and is starting to question her life successes and is desperatly looking for something to help her regain some of her former status using her psychic abilities. A package arrives containing an invitation to cattend some classes on the supernatural at the School of Spiritism. Rationalizing that this could be a sign, she attends hoping for new experiences and the chance to meet other mediums. The invitation includes attending a séance which allows all attending to talk with other mediums. During the séance, she sees and talks with her dead grandmother who wants her to go to and enter a haunted house that materializes briefly at different locations in space and time. The haunted house is the "House of 1000 Doors" and she encounters other supernatural lost spirits that she must help using her psychic powers so they can move on to another plane of existence. Her dead grandmother is one of these spirits who wants her to solve a long forgotten murder to restore and repair her grandmother’s legacy.
The house is home to the Lancaster family who are like caretakers of the house. The house contains a myriad of secrets, locked doors, and strange portals. Kate discovers others who need her help, not only the members of the Lancaster family, but other ghosts.
I thought the graphics were good as well as the voiceovers, cutscenes, music and ambient background sounds. There is an interactive map that you get after arriving at the house. It is located inside the journal on the left side. the journal helps with the story but I found that I needed to keep notes on some items and locations as some items found near the end are used to complete puzzles that appeared near the beginning but were not solvable until near the end. Some people will object to one solution to a puzzle that involved carrying a mouse for a long time to finally give it to a cat. Another puzzle that required a special key for a chest was hard to determine what the special key was as the shape was ambiguous and turned out to be an eye.
HOS were of the list type and each scene was visited twice but the listof items was different each time. Interactive objects were listed in a different color and had to be opened, moved or used to finally reveal the object to be found. All objects were visible though some were well blended.
There are 35 morphing "beyond objects" to be found throughout the game as well as a strategy guide, concept art and wallpaper. Many of the beyond objects are very small or in dark areas and require sharp eyes to see them. The bonus chapter is available after completing the base game. The inventory panel doesn't lock open. Zoom areas don't close automatically when there's nothing left to do in them. There are a lot of sparkles but those of interest seem to do so more often.
The series follows the story of a psychic writer, Kate Reed, and her adventures in the magical house of 1000 doors. As a one book author, Kate is having writer's block and is starting to question her life successes and is desperatly looking for something to help her regain some of her former status using her psychic abilities. A package arrives containing an invitation to cattend some classes on the supernatural at the School of Spiritism. Rationalizing that this could be a sign, she attends hoping for new experiences and the chance to meet other mediums. The invitation includes attending a séance which allows all attending to talk with other mediums. During the séance, she sees and talks with her dead grandmother who wants her to go to and enter a haunted house that materializes briefly at different locations in space and time. The haunted house is the "House of 1000 Doors" and she encounters other supernatural lost spirits that she must help using her psychic powers so they can move on to another plane of existence. Her dead grandmother is one of these spirits who wants her to solve a long forgotten murder to restore and repair her grandmother’s legacy.
The house is home to the Lancaster family who are like caretakers of the house. The house contains a myriad of secrets, locked doors, and strange portals. Kate discovers others who need her help, not only the members of the Lancaster family, but other ghosts.
I thought the graphics were good as well as the voiceovers, cutscenes, music and ambient background sounds. There is an interactive map that you get after arriving at the house. It is located inside the journal on the left side. the journal helps with the story but I found that I needed to keep notes on some items and locations as some items found near the end are used to complete puzzles that appeared near the beginning but were not solvable until near the end. Some people will object to one solution to a puzzle that involved carrying a mouse for a long time to finally give it to a cat. Another puzzle that required a special key for a chest was hard to determine what the special key was as the shape was ambiguous and turned out to be an eye.
HOS were of the list type and each scene was visited twice but the listof items was different each time. Interactive objects were listed in a different color and had to be opened, moved or used to finally reveal the object to be found. All objects were visible though some were well blended.
There are 35 morphing "beyond objects" to be found throughout the game as well as a strategy guide, concept art and wallpaper. Many of the beyond objects are very small or in dark areas and require sharp eyes to see them. The bonus chapter is available after completing the base game. The inventory panel doesn't lock open. Zoom areas don't close automatically when there's nothing left to do in them. There are a lot of sparkles but those of interest seem to do so more often.
I recommend this game!
Face your fears and unravel the mystery of the abandoned asylum!
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Why do I have this nightmare?
PostedJuly 7, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
You are plagued by a recurring dream where you are running from something or someone and in your haste to enter an elevator, you rush through the elevator doors before you realize there is no elevator and you fall down the shaft. You awake before hitting bottom and can't go back to sleep so you turn on the television and see a report about the body of a boy being found that had fallen down an elevator shaft and in the building you recognize from your dreams. You must stop your nightmares by going to the building in your dreams and find out why it haunts you. The building turns out to be the Chestnut Lodge Mental Hospital that has been abandoned and forgotten, but a terrible tragedy unfolded behind those rusty gates many years ago with patients disappearing without a trace with no clues being uncovered by the nurses or police. You need to explore the Asylum and find out what happened and how it affects you.
During your exploration you meet exactly 2 people, a boy (actually meet him twice) and a policeman, plus a guard dog at a house near the asylum. the story kind of explains that the boy was there pulling a prank by faking a fall down the elevator shaft and the policeman says he was there to investigate the body. However, there was no explanation for the guard dog being at the boarded-up, abadoned house near the asylum or who was taking care of him. As these are the only live individuals encountered, the rest of the story involves a lot of skeletons and why and how they died. So you play most of the game finding and using items to solve situations and play mini-games and do HOS. Top this off with no map and you have a lot of running around picking up items and carrying a lot of inventory around until you find the place they are used which is often some time later in the game. You also have to ride an elevator which I would think would be hard after the nightmare of falling down a shaft and you have to ride it a lot, so much so that I got tired of riding it after fixing it that I almost wished I hadn't fixed it. But, as you find out, the whole game is about people's fears and what they can do to you.
There is a journal that stores clues and keeps track of the story. The graphics are grungy, dark and gloomy and raining outside to depict an abandoned building and was appropriate to story but also made some of the HOS difficult to see items clearly. When you get to the patients rooms, there are a few cutscenes that were there for shock value. The music was ok and fit the story but did get repetitive after awhile. Voiceovers were ok, but not great, especially the boy's. With only 2 people you would think they would have been better.
HOS were the usual word list with several interactive items listed in a different color and requiring further manipulation. The lack of contrast in some of the scenes and the small size of some items made it very difficult to find an object. There didn't seem to be a click penalty in the HOS. There was some language problems such as "hummer" for hammer, "leave" for leaf and "level" for a scissor jack. One puzzle involving setting spider's legs in position had a glitch where one leg had to be moved from the its correct starting position and back again to complete the puzzle.
There were 22 morphing objects to find and some were extremely small or in shadow areas making them very hard to see and find. Even though this was not a Collector's Edition, there is a strategy guide and other achievements to win.
Overall, this was not a bad game with a twist at the end along with a big explosion. Made in 2012, many will not like this game as it is considered an "old" game and does not have all the bells and whistles you see in games today.
During your exploration you meet exactly 2 people, a boy (actually meet him twice) and a policeman, plus a guard dog at a house near the asylum. the story kind of explains that the boy was there pulling a prank by faking a fall down the elevator shaft and the policeman says he was there to investigate the body. However, there was no explanation for the guard dog being at the boarded-up, abadoned house near the asylum or who was taking care of him. As these are the only live individuals encountered, the rest of the story involves a lot of skeletons and why and how they died. So you play most of the game finding and using items to solve situations and play mini-games and do HOS. Top this off with no map and you have a lot of running around picking up items and carrying a lot of inventory around until you find the place they are used which is often some time later in the game. You also have to ride an elevator which I would think would be hard after the nightmare of falling down a shaft and you have to ride it a lot, so much so that I got tired of riding it after fixing it that I almost wished I hadn't fixed it. But, as you find out, the whole game is about people's fears and what they can do to you.
There is a journal that stores clues and keeps track of the story. The graphics are grungy, dark and gloomy and raining outside to depict an abandoned building and was appropriate to story but also made some of the HOS difficult to see items clearly. When you get to the patients rooms, there are a few cutscenes that were there for shock value. The music was ok and fit the story but did get repetitive after awhile. Voiceovers were ok, but not great, especially the boy's. With only 2 people you would think they would have been better.
HOS were the usual word list with several interactive items listed in a different color and requiring further manipulation. The lack of contrast in some of the scenes and the small size of some items made it very difficult to find an object. There didn't seem to be a click penalty in the HOS. There was some language problems such as "hummer" for hammer, "leave" for leaf and "level" for a scissor jack. One puzzle involving setting spider's legs in position had a glitch where one leg had to be moved from the its correct starting position and back again to complete the puzzle.
There were 22 morphing objects to find and some were extremely small or in shadow areas making them very hard to see and find. Even though this was not a Collector's Edition, there is a strategy guide and other achievements to win.
Overall, this was not a bad game with a twist at the end along with a big explosion. Made in 2012, many will not like this game as it is considered an "old" game and does not have all the bells and whistles you see in games today.
I recommend this game!