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:
Discover the city of Apothecarium, where inhabitants are caught in a perilous struggle against a powerful alchemist who is taking the lives of innocent!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
Somewhat different but not bad
PostedMay 20, 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
A mysterious plague swept through Italy during the Middle Ages killing thousands of people and devastated the country. Legends indicated that Italy's foremost scientists came to the mythical town of Apothecarium (old Latin for Storehouse) where they collaborated to stop the plague. People seeking the cure flock here but a mysterious discovery falls into the hands of an insane lunatic who takes over the city and uses the people for his bizarre experiments. Duke Medici asks you to help find his daughter and granddaughter who have disappeared near Apothecarium. Upon arrival, you discover that the granddaughter, Lucia, has escaped capture but her mother, Claudia, has not and she asks you to help save her mother. Background for the story unfolds through scrolls found throughout the game.
Graphics are animated cartoon style and well done. Music has an air of urgency and is repetitive and can become annoying after a while. Voiceovers are ok. The HOS are drawn well and contain many morphing items that may or may not be on your list to find. You have to wait for an item to morph to something you need before you can click on it. Not all morphing items will be on the list so you have to see what each item becomes. Morphing items on the list are in red lettering. You can choose to play Match 3 instead.
There is a journal with a task list and a puzzle and achievements tab. You receive achievements for completing various parts of the game. Puzzles tab allows replay of unlocked hidden object scenes, mini-games and chest puzzles. There is an interactive map that allows you to move between locations, however, it is covered with fog until you uncover specific things or complete specific parts. This sometimes makes it difficult to see some locations as the fog may cover part of the icon. Task locations are indicated by an exclamation point. There is a second part of the map that shows up for the underground area labeled "Estate" and is used after completing all of the above-ground locations.
Some hot spots for item locations in a scene are close together so one could be missed if you don't check the surrounding area to make sure there are not more than one available. Scattered throughout the location are special chests that present a puzzle that, when solved, either give you a bonus item such as an extra hint or coins that can be spent in the store for powerups. Also, each location have special tokens that give coins when clicked on that are also used in the store. I never have liked the use of powerups so never went there to see just what is available. Hints are limited unless you do the chests or buy from the store.
I found the flow of the game to be a little hard to track and know what area to visit next even with the map. Not all actions were indicated on the map so you sometimes had to revisit locations looking for HOS. For the most part, I enjoyed the game but it did get somewhat tiring toward the end as there were a lot of items to find and use to get to the final scenes.
Graphics are animated cartoon style and well done. Music has an air of urgency and is repetitive and can become annoying after a while. Voiceovers are ok. The HOS are drawn well and contain many morphing items that may or may not be on your list to find. You have to wait for an item to morph to something you need before you can click on it. Not all morphing items will be on the list so you have to see what each item becomes. Morphing items on the list are in red lettering. You can choose to play Match 3 instead.
There is a journal with a task list and a puzzle and achievements tab. You receive achievements for completing various parts of the game. Puzzles tab allows replay of unlocked hidden object scenes, mini-games and chest puzzles. There is an interactive map that allows you to move between locations, however, it is covered with fog until you uncover specific things or complete specific parts. This sometimes makes it difficult to see some locations as the fog may cover part of the icon. Task locations are indicated by an exclamation point. There is a second part of the map that shows up for the underground area labeled "Estate" and is used after completing all of the above-ground locations.
Some hot spots for item locations in a scene are close together so one could be missed if you don't check the surrounding area to make sure there are not more than one available. Scattered throughout the location are special chests that present a puzzle that, when solved, either give you a bonus item such as an extra hint or coins that can be spent in the store for powerups. Also, each location have special tokens that give coins when clicked on that are also used in the store. I never have liked the use of powerups so never went there to see just what is available. Hints are limited unless you do the chests or buy from the store.
I found the flow of the game to be a little hard to track and know what area to visit next even with the map. Not all actions were indicated on the map so you sometimes had to revisit locations looking for HOS. For the most part, I enjoyed the game but it did get somewhat tiring toward the end as there were a lot of items to find and use to get to the final scenes.
I recommend this game!
Take up the cross and slip into the role of a young exorcist on his first solo battle with the forces of evil in The Exorcist 2!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Demons, possession, and exorcism may not be everyone's cup of tea but not a bad game
PostedMay 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
4
/
5
Traveling through a desolate part of the country, you, Jacob, Exorcist, receive an urgent message from a local priest, Pastor Hoff, concerning evil spirits escaping from an ancient estate nearby. They have taken over his church and possessed his niece. After clearing the church and saving the niece, you learn that the estate is that of your former mentor, Garret Ghostfighter. You now have to find out what has happened to the exorcist that trained you and remove the cause of the demons. On arrival at the estate, you are told by the caretaker, Barrymore, that you are not welcomed. Now you have to find out why.
An older game of adventure and HOS with a fairly strong religious theme concerning demons, possession and exorcism. The graphics and sound effects are appropriate for the theme and voiceovers are nicely done. There is a journal that keeps track of important details like codes and such but there is no map. This is not that much of a problem as you usually only have a few locations available at a time. There is a fast recharging hint button that provides a direction in which to travel next or points to an area of interest.
There is a lot of dialogue that provide the background story and some can be quite long. It can be skipped through, however. HOS are fairly easy to do but there are some items some people may not be familiar with unless you are Catholic or a student of religion. The items are easy to see and some are basic interactive such as a brush to clean something or light a candle. Tasks that require needed items to solve are fairly easy, although, I did find a problem with an item needed in one part where a screwdriver was indicated but actually turned out to needing a wrench to solve it. Some items you had to find were fairly close together so they could be missed if you did not sweep the entire area and click to make sure there was only one spot there. There are some puzzles/minigames that were fairly easy and fun.
I enjoyed the first and third in the series and found this one ok.
An older game of adventure and HOS with a fairly strong religious theme concerning demons, possession and exorcism. The graphics and sound effects are appropriate for the theme and voiceovers are nicely done. There is a journal that keeps track of important details like codes and such but there is no map. This is not that much of a problem as you usually only have a few locations available at a time. There is a fast recharging hint button that provides a direction in which to travel next or points to an area of interest.
There is a lot of dialogue that provide the background story and some can be quite long. It can be skipped through, however. HOS are fairly easy to do but there are some items some people may not be familiar with unless you are Catholic or a student of religion. The items are easy to see and some are basic interactive such as a brush to clean something or light a candle. Tasks that require needed items to solve are fairly easy, although, I did find a problem with an item needed in one part where a screwdriver was indicated but actually turned out to needing a wrench to solve it. Some items you had to find were fairly close together so they could be missed if you did not sweep the entire area and click to make sure there was only one spot there. There are some puzzles/minigames that were fairly easy and fun.
I enjoyed the first and third in the series and found this one ok.
I recommend this game!
Something wicked has taken over Fate’s Carnival!
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Completed it and still don't know what the goal of the game was, if there was a goal
PostedMay 11, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Mahjong, Card & Board
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I have enjoyed previous games in this series but this one let me down. This was one very long, frustrating game that seemed to have no direction other then to have you work one puzzle after another and travel to locations so many times that it became tedious even with a jump map. There were times that the map had action indicators in almost all locations and I did see that several action markers remained even after completing the action required. That made it even more confusing and frustrating. There was no flow to follow so it became a "do something here, get an item, click on the map to see if you can figure out where to go next, close map, hit hint button, go there, repeat." It became very boring and I kept hoping it would end soon. But no, turned out to be one of the longest games I have ever played.
There are special puzzles throughout the game that were extremely challenging containing multiple parts that had to be solved to complete the main part of the puzzle. Some call them super puzzles while others refer to them as chain puzzles. They have no directions and contain subtle hints scattered throughout the board that you have to figure out what part of the puzzle they related to and thus solve that part. This often opens something or gives you an iten used in another part of the puzzle. Some can be fairly easy to figure out such as a feather to tickle a nose to cause the mouth to crack a nut while others are so non-logical they make no sense such as placing a berry on a trap to cause it to spring. You wind up clicking on the in-puzzle hint button just to find out what to do next.
Another thing I disliked was a ghost cat given to you as a companion that apparently was there to retrieve items you could not. Sometimes the dialogue would hint at that, other times you just had to guess.
When you finish the main game you get to play the bonus chapter. Thinking it would make some sense of what I just finished, I discover it is no better then what I just finished. No logic to the movement between locations and the constant jumping back and forth between locations continued with few answers to why are we here.
Finally finished, you decide to look at the bonus content and see something called the secret door or room or some such title and what you have here are all of the chin puzzles and HOS from the game wrapped up in a neat package where you find 4 of something each circus performer wants. Unfortunately, there is no skip button this time for the chain puzzles. Also, unless you happened to see them during game play, you discover that there were dolls, money and cards to be found. No way I was going to play it again to find those.
If you like very long games with many puzzles with little direction and don't mind traveling constantly between many locations, then this is for you.
There are special puzzles throughout the game that were extremely challenging containing multiple parts that had to be solved to complete the main part of the puzzle. Some call them super puzzles while others refer to them as chain puzzles. They have no directions and contain subtle hints scattered throughout the board that you have to figure out what part of the puzzle they related to and thus solve that part. This often opens something or gives you an iten used in another part of the puzzle. Some can be fairly easy to figure out such as a feather to tickle a nose to cause the mouth to crack a nut while others are so non-logical they make no sense such as placing a berry on a trap to cause it to spring. You wind up clicking on the in-puzzle hint button just to find out what to do next.
Another thing I disliked was a ghost cat given to you as a companion that apparently was there to retrieve items you could not. Sometimes the dialogue would hint at that, other times you just had to guess.
When you finish the main game you get to play the bonus chapter. Thinking it would make some sense of what I just finished, I discover it is no better then what I just finished. No logic to the movement between locations and the constant jumping back and forth between locations continued with few answers to why are we here.
Finally finished, you decide to look at the bonus content and see something called the secret door or room or some such title and what you have here are all of the chin puzzles and HOS from the game wrapped up in a neat package where you find 4 of something each circus performer wants. Unfortunately, there is no skip button this time for the chain puzzles. Also, unless you happened to see them during game play, you discover that there were dolls, money and cards to be found. No way I was going to play it again to find those.
If you like very long games with many puzzles with little direction and don't mind traveling constantly between many locations, then this is for you.
I don't recommend this game.
Investigate a military hospital that hosted a variety of terrifying experiments in The Agency of Anomalies: Mystic Hospital!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Not as good as Cinderstone Orphanage but was not bad
PostedMay 11, 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
OK, you know the drill - a disaster is about to happen (Dimensional Vortex) that you have to stop using a secret device (Nexus) that has to be charged by accumulating and storing paranormal energy from anomalies created by a secret army project that tried to create a super soldier. Of course it created monsters instead. You must find them in an old military hospital. This is an adventure/HOS game with more puzzles to solve then actual HOS.
Graphics fit the story being desolate, shabby and run down. Music was ok changing periodically and sounds in the background were creepy and contributed nicely to the atmosphere except for the bird (duck? or geese?) that became annoying. There are some nicely done voiceovers . Cutscenes were old school stills with limited animation.
There was no map, but fortunately, there are not so many locations that you can get lost if you pay attention to landmarks. The hint system was a little different in that if there was a place requiring action in the location you were in, it would show you what item was needed for that action. It did not tell you where the item was, however. If no action was needed in that location, it would say there is no abnormal activity here even though there may be a task that you need to perform which was somewhat misleading. Some items found while exploring may be carried for a long time before being used.
Puzzles did not include anything new and most were fairly easy although several were somewhat challenging. HOS were basically two types - the usual "find from a list" and "reverse or place items back into the scene." Each HOS was visited at least three times and some items were new or had names from other cultures that some may not be familiar with so you may learn some new words. Also, after finding all the items on a list, there is usually one more item to be found that becomes an item to be used somewhere to solve a task.
Some people did not like the ending but I thought it fit the goal of the game.
Graphics fit the story being desolate, shabby and run down. Music was ok changing periodically and sounds in the background were creepy and contributed nicely to the atmosphere except for the bird (duck? or geese?) that became annoying. There are some nicely done voiceovers . Cutscenes were old school stills with limited animation.
There was no map, but fortunately, there are not so many locations that you can get lost if you pay attention to landmarks. The hint system was a little different in that if there was a place requiring action in the location you were in, it would show you what item was needed for that action. It did not tell you where the item was, however. If no action was needed in that location, it would say there is no abnormal activity here even though there may be a task that you need to perform which was somewhat misleading. Some items found while exploring may be carried for a long time before being used.
Puzzles did not include anything new and most were fairly easy although several were somewhat challenging. HOS were basically two types - the usual "find from a list" and "reverse or place items back into the scene." Each HOS was visited at least three times and some items were new or had names from other cultures that some may not be familiar with so you may learn some new words. Also, after finding all the items on a list, there is usually one more item to be found that becomes an item to be used somewhere to solve a task.
Some people did not like the ending but I thought it fit the goal of the game.
I recommend this game!
Guide a mother who pursues a terrifying apparition into a twisted reality to save her daughter.
Overall rating
5
/
5
An excellent sequel to the original Dollhouse Story
PostedApril 27, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Your husband, Brian, has disappeared some months ago (not sure why) and you, Rose and your daughter, Julie, are celebrating her birthday. Julie makes a birthday wish for her father to return and you suddenly receive a message from Brian on the television screen. Julie has been having dreams and recognizes the location where Brian is so the two of you decide to go there and find him. Driving into the night, you come to the location, an abandoned motel, and find the room Brian was in. While searching the room, the closet door opens and a figure comes out and leads Julie into the closet and they both disappear. It looked like Brian. A doll in the room then animates and begins talking to you telling you it wants to help you find Brian and Julie. In the room you find a dollhouse that will provide the background story to a big secret from Brian's childhood and now you have to learn what it is to save both him and Julie. This is done as you find collectable dolls in your search.
I enjoyed the HOS which included several types - find from a list, move items to find objects, collect all of a specific type of item, zoom in screens and lots of interactive items. Also, I liked the fact that you received multiple items when completing them. Those that were there and did something just for the entertainment were a nice addition. Characters met in the game each seemed to have their own story that developed during the game. Added a nice touch to the storyline. You do receive a map that can be very helpful.
Its unique features, creepy atmosphere and a well told story makes it one not to miss. There are more puzzles then HOS but all are well done and move the game along. Graphics and sound are superb with excellent voiceovers. The evil clown is back and has to be defeated giving one of the best endings I have seen in a long time.
I enjoyed the HOS which included several types - find from a list, move items to find objects, collect all of a specific type of item, zoom in screens and lots of interactive items. Also, I liked the fact that you received multiple items when completing them. Those that were there and did something just for the entertainment were a nice addition. Characters met in the game each seemed to have their own story that developed during the game. Added a nice touch to the storyline. You do receive a map that can be very helpful.
Its unique features, creepy atmosphere and a well told story makes it one not to miss. There are more puzzles then HOS but all are well done and move the game along. Graphics and sound are superb with excellent voiceovers. The evil clown is back and has to be defeated giving one of the best endings I have seen in a long time.
I recommend this game!
Find your missing fiancé in the deepest parts of the ocean. Discover the forgotten underwater city hiding many spine-chilling secrets.
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Hit the mark - underwater adventure in a hidden city dealing with the tyranny of a police state
PostedApril 24, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Your fiance, Robert Marceau, disappears while on a dive in the ocean exploring a mysterious wreck. You decide to try and find him by diving down to the wreck and see if you can find him. After entering the wreck, you discover it is a vessel from a secret, hidden society based in an underwater city named Eden. Your movements inside the wreck causes it to shift and plunge into a deep ravine causing you to lose consciousness. When you awake, you see a humanoid creature with glowing eyes and dressed in long flowing robes heading into the underwater city of Eden. After entering the city and riding the airlock elevator to the upper main landing, tremors wrecks the elevator trapping you in the city. You find evidence of Robert being here and that the city is under quarantine for some reason. Posters and other debris indicates that something has happened to place the city in a police state patrolled by these humanoid creatures called Legates. It seems a resistance movement has also started against this oppressive group. You must find Robert and save him but to do so means dealing with the Legates and the resistance.
The graphics were very well done providing just the right ambience for this underwater adventure. Sounds and voices were excellent and made the game so much more enjoyable. Music was varied and non-intrusive and was very plesant throughout the game.
There is a journal that provides a nice summary of the story with notes and an objectives list. The hint button works well and you do receive a map after a bit into the game that shows locations requiring action but is not interactive so you wind up back tracking a bit. The map does show a thumbnail of each location when cursored over. The graphics are so nice that you don't really mind the traveling. There are plenty of HOS and puzzles to do and items found are usually used within a few screens. Puzzles were fairly easy and fit the objective requirements. HOS were list type and included interactive items in each scene including some just for fun. For those who didn't want to do the HOS, there was an option to switch to a domino game instead. As I like HOS, I did not play any dominos so not sure just how it was played. There are also some achievements to earn such as not using hint, no skip of puzzles, etc. And a very well done bonus chapter that provides a beginning story on what led up to the current situation. When you finish the game and return to the start screen, be sure to click on bonus chapter to play it as it does not start automatically.
The graphics were very well done providing just the right ambience for this underwater adventure. Sounds and voices were excellent and made the game so much more enjoyable. Music was varied and non-intrusive and was very plesant throughout the game.
There is a journal that provides a nice summary of the story with notes and an objectives list. The hint button works well and you do receive a map after a bit into the game that shows locations requiring action but is not interactive so you wind up back tracking a bit. The map does show a thumbnail of each location when cursored over. The graphics are so nice that you don't really mind the traveling. There are plenty of HOS and puzzles to do and items found are usually used within a few screens. Puzzles were fairly easy and fit the objective requirements. HOS were list type and included interactive items in each scene including some just for fun. For those who didn't want to do the HOS, there was an option to switch to a domino game instead. As I like HOS, I did not play any dominos so not sure just how it was played. There are also some achievements to earn such as not using hint, no skip of puzzles, etc. And a very well done bonus chapter that provides a beginning story on what led up to the current situation. When you finish the game and return to the start screen, be sure to click on bonus chapter to play it as it does not start automatically.
I recommend this game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 6 found this review helpful
A lot of potential but fell short
PostedApril 24, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
You and your daughter are on a road trip and on a lonely stretch of highway, someone places spikes on the road causing you to have a blowout and crash the car. When you wake up, your daughter is gone. As you search the area, you come across an abandoned house that was once occupied by parents with a sick child. The parents were both Army doctors stationed at an old Army base that was doing secret experiments as part of Operation Fog. Some of the work included the extraction of souls from the dead and containing them in a device until they could be placed in another body. Something went wrong and a mysterious fog rises from the base causing it to be abandoned. Your daughter is somewhere in the base and you have to find her. Once you get out of the car you come upon a house that a military family use to live and while searching for your daughter you learn about the project the father was working on called The Fog and all the strange happenings and here your journey begins.
A basic adventure game with some HOS thrown in and puzzles to figure out to gain access to basically three areas, each with lots of locations. There is a map but it was not interactive so you had to back track some. I did find the map somewhet confusing in how the areas were labeled and the travel path between locations. It was crudely drawn but did show a marker in locations requiring some action but was otherwise basically useless.
Graphics fit the scenes of run-down, dirty, cluttered, abandoned buildings, music and background sounds were ok but got old after a while. There were no voiceovers. There was a basic journal but I found it of little help. You do find an item they called a case file that was basically a box with compartments that could only be opened with special items discovered on your searches of the locations. Each compartment usually contained an item you needed in that location. I liked that you received multiple items from completing an HOS. It is something that seems logical and yet not done enough to help get through location after location.
I did find several things that were annoying:
When you had to find multiples of certain items, they would go into your inventory but it was hard to tell how many you had collected unless you held your cursor over a specific item in the inventory.
Another was that as a tool was used to do multiple things like remove screws, it would return to inventory after each screw.
And how can a sick man be left for years unattended in a coma and then you have to make some medicine and help him.
I did not find the game as enjoyable as it could have been and was was glad when it was finally over. It had potential but became less of a game and more of a chore to finish.
A basic adventure game with some HOS thrown in and puzzles to figure out to gain access to basically three areas, each with lots of locations. There is a map but it was not interactive so you had to back track some. I did find the map somewhet confusing in how the areas were labeled and the travel path between locations. It was crudely drawn but did show a marker in locations requiring some action but was otherwise basically useless.
Graphics fit the scenes of run-down, dirty, cluttered, abandoned buildings, music and background sounds were ok but got old after a while. There were no voiceovers. There was a basic journal but I found it of little help. You do find an item they called a case file that was basically a box with compartments that could only be opened with special items discovered on your searches of the locations. Each compartment usually contained an item you needed in that location. I liked that you received multiple items from completing an HOS. It is something that seems logical and yet not done enough to help get through location after location.
I did find several things that were annoying:
When you had to find multiples of certain items, they would go into your inventory but it was hard to tell how many you had collected unless you held your cursor over a specific item in the inventory.
Another was that as a tool was used to do multiple things like remove screws, it would return to inventory after each screw.
And how can a sick man be left for years unattended in a coma and then you have to make some medicine and help him.
I did not find the game as enjoyable as it could have been and was was glad when it was finally over. It had potential but became less of a game and more of a chore to finish.
I recommend this game!
End a centuries-old war between the Guardians and the Clan of the Nine in 9: The Dark Side!
Overall rating
3
/
5
Was not the game I was expecting
PostedApril 18, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I have recently played the 9 Clues series of games and bought this game thinking it was another of that type but quickly discovered that it was not. That tainted my feelings about the game but as it was my fault for not realizing that the word "CLUES" was not in the title, I felt I should play it and see how it goes. It was an OK game with a usual storyline of something evil wanting to take over the world (or at least Prague) and you as a "last descendant" has to save the world. The evil was apparently released during a war between the Guardians (which you are the last descendant of) and the Clan of 9 (which released the dark side and killed both warring sides and is spreading).
It is more adventure than HOS as there are far more puzzles to solve many of which are fairly hard or at least tedious to solve such as using the entire maze to get from one side to the other. Many people like this type of puzzle but if it takes more than 10 minutes to solve, I don't see the benefit other than making the game seem longer. The few HOS you encounter are well done, not cluttered junk piles with some items well hidden or superimposed on others increasing the difficulty. Each is a new, separate non-repeating screen.
I enjoyed the adventure part of the game and would have been happy with that without so many puzzles to get through it. They took some of the fun out of it for me because of the inordinate amount of time and moves required to solve them. It made me lose interest and use the skip button more than usual.
If you get to a point that you are not sure what to do, the hint button will give specific hints as to your next step which can become confusing if you have not kept track of your location as there is NO MAP. Some people commented that it was not needed as there was little traveling back and forth. Not sure if we were playing the same game as i needed to travel as many as 8 screens back on several occasions. A map, even one just showing current location and other locations would have been nice.
Another negative for me was the insults given when you tried something and it was not right. It does not add a fun factor no matter how "thick-skinned" you may think you are. Not sure why games feel they have to insult the player with such comments. It does not motivate. I do recommend this game, but only if you like drawn-out puzzles to fill your time.
It is more adventure than HOS as there are far more puzzles to solve many of which are fairly hard or at least tedious to solve such as using the entire maze to get from one side to the other. Many people like this type of puzzle but if it takes more than 10 minutes to solve, I don't see the benefit other than making the game seem longer. The few HOS you encounter are well done, not cluttered junk piles with some items well hidden or superimposed on others increasing the difficulty. Each is a new, separate non-repeating screen.
I enjoyed the adventure part of the game and would have been happy with that without so many puzzles to get through it. They took some of the fun out of it for me because of the inordinate amount of time and moves required to solve them. It made me lose interest and use the skip button more than usual.
If you get to a point that you are not sure what to do, the hint button will give specific hints as to your next step which can become confusing if you have not kept track of your location as there is NO MAP. Some people commented that it was not needed as there was little traveling back and forth. Not sure if we were playing the same game as i needed to travel as many as 8 screens back on several occasions. A map, even one just showing current location and other locations would have been nice.
Another negative for me was the insults given when you tried something and it was not right. It does not add a fun factor no matter how "thick-skinned" you may think you are. Not sure why games feel they have to insult the player with such comments. It does not motivate. I do recommend this game, but only if you like drawn-out puzzles to fill your time.
I recommend this game!
Explore the vastness of a ship lost in time, what mysteries will you uncover amidst its Mayan idols, menacing sea creatures, and exotic treasures? Find out in this exciting new Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game on the open seas!
Overall rating
5
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Ghost Spanish Galleon carrying plundered Mayan treasure and an ancient Mayan curse = good game
PostedApril 11, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
You and your partner (apparently Coast Guard Officers) have captured a poacher and are on your way by boat back to base. A mysterious fog looms up ,and while engulfed, you are hit by an antique Spanish Galleon sinking your boat and separating you from your partner and the poacher. Your only option is to get aboard the galleon and hopefully find your partner and the poacher.
As you explore the vastness of the ship, you discover the ship is carrying some ancient Mayan relics that apparently were plundered by the ship's crew. In your search, you discover others aboard that require your help and it appears the ship is sinking so you have to work fast.
The graphics are excellent with fantastic visual and sound effects. There are a lot of locations and that makes the interactive map a must to move between them and the map also shows indicators if something needs to be done in a location. The journal keeps track of what happens and, during your travels, you find pieces of an artifact that gives some back story on the ship and its crew and the relics. There is also the Mayan Calender which requires you to find all the missing pieces in order to free trapped souls.
A mixture of adventure with puzzles and HOS with an option to play Mahjong tiles instead of playing the HO scenes. HOS are interactive found by word list. There are special items in each HOS that reveals a humming bird? when clicked on so there must be a count somewhere for them. Enjoyed the game very much and plan to play others in the series.
As you explore the vastness of the ship, you discover the ship is carrying some ancient Mayan relics that apparently were plundered by the ship's crew. In your search, you discover others aboard that require your help and it appears the ship is sinking so you have to work fast.
The graphics are excellent with fantastic visual and sound effects. There are a lot of locations and that makes the interactive map a must to move between them and the map also shows indicators if something needs to be done in a location. The journal keeps track of what happens and, during your travels, you find pieces of an artifact that gives some back story on the ship and its crew and the relics. There is also the Mayan Calender which requires you to find all the missing pieces in order to free trapped souls.
A mixture of adventure with puzzles and HOS with an option to play Mahjong tiles instead of playing the HO scenes. HOS are interactive found by word list. There are special items in each HOS that reveals a humming bird? when clicked on so there must be a count somewhere for them. Enjoyed the game very much and plan to play others in the series.
I recommend this game!
Unlock the secret rooms in the Howard’s mansion and restore a precious antique collection hidden there.
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Not earth shattering but an OK game
PostedApril 9, 2015
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
As an antique expert and auctioneer you are commissioned to locate and auction an antique collection for the estate of a wealthy Texas oil baron who has died. Before his death, he became obsessed with building secret rooms and hiding his collection throughout the estate. You need to find the secret rooms and the antiques. The groundskeeper, Seymour, acts suspicious telling you not to investigate and just find the antiques.
This basically a HOS with some puzzles thrown in. HOS have some really small and/or blended objects. To play the HOS, you first have to find the highlighted scroll list so you know what to look for in the scene. Some are a little hard to see. Some objects turn out to be some of the antiques you want to find. You also have to find keys to unlock secret rooms. After unlocking the secret room, you can then auction them to upgrade the museum. This is not required to finish the game and I did not do the auctions. The mini games were good and I especially liked the upside down room and the western painting.
There is a journal that lists objectives, a hint button, and an interactive map showing where you are, where unlocked secret rooms are, and where you still have things to do.
I did not care for the gnomes that showed up occasionally and other then implying they were the cause for him to build the secret rooms and hide the antiques, they were silly.
This basically a HOS with some puzzles thrown in. HOS have some really small and/or blended objects. To play the HOS, you first have to find the highlighted scroll list so you know what to look for in the scene. Some are a little hard to see. Some objects turn out to be some of the antiques you want to find. You also have to find keys to unlock secret rooms. After unlocking the secret room, you can then auction them to upgrade the museum. This is not required to finish the game and I did not do the auctions. The mini games were good and I especially liked the upside down room and the western painting.
There is a journal that lists objectives, a hint button, and an interactive map showing where you are, where unlocked secret rooms are, and where you still have things to do.
I did not care for the gnomes that showed up occasionally and other then implying they were the cause for him to build the secret rooms and hide the antiques, they were silly.
I recommend this game!