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:
Dark Dimensions: City of Ash
A dark dimension has fallen over Phoenix Hill, turning its residents into volcanic ash. Help them rise from the ashes.
Overall rating
4
/
5
Why does the Mayor's daughter oppose the mine and what really caused the dark dimension that destroyed the town?
PostedAugust 1, 2016
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Dark Dimensions are places suffering from such great emotional torment and anguish that they have psychically altered the landscape. They are caused by dark matter that cannot be seen by the human eye and are difficult to detect. When absorbed into the eye of the dark Dimension, places are displaced from time and space. As a lone survivor of a car crash that killed your entire family, you developed an attunement with the spirit world so you are sensitive to Dark dimensions and you have dedicated your life to finding and eliminating them.
Phoenix Hill, California, 1956 - Audrey Owen was the leader of a protest movement that demanded the closure of the Phoenix Hills Gold Mine that her father, the Mayor, insisted remain open even though there was a danger of a volcano erupting. During a protest rally, it did erupt causing the destruction of the town and killing all the residents including Audrey.
Present Day - After your two previous successes, you have detected a dark dimension in California where a volcano has erupted and destroyed the town of Phoenix Hill and, as you near the town, an ash figure appears in front of your car causing you to crash. Regaining consciousness, the ghost of a young woman tells you that something evil destroyed their town and that you need to stop it before it spreads and then vanishes. You see a newspaper article about Mt. Phoenix erupting because of the mining of the mountain. To reach the main part of town, you need to ride a cable car there and, at the cable station, another ghost appears and tells you that the Mayor got greedy and refused to close the mine. Arriving at the town station, the ghost of the young woman, Audrey, appears again and tells you she can show you where the evil is but a menacing ash figure of a man appears and frightens her away and then blocks your way with fire. You need to follow Audrey's ghost and find out what caused her father to refuse to close the mine, determine who the menacing ash man is and why he is the focus of the dark dimension, stop him and free the town and inhabitants from the dark dimension.
Graphics were well done and the norm for games released in 2013 with attention holding details and animations. Voice acting was sparse but good and music was ok. Most of the story is told through notes and pictures you find along the way with flashbacks. There is a journal for story and clues. With a fair amount of backtracking, the jump map is handy and shows action areas. Locations are covered with an ash cloud until you visit them. Inventory puzzles and minigames were fairly easy and nothing out of the ordinary but did fit into the story nicely. Hidden object scenes were played twice but were of two different types. The first time was a very interactive list while the second time was a silhouette type but with white silhouettes which was somewhat challenging as you have trained your eye to spot objects based on black silhouettes in other games. A fairly well written and presented game that will provide a few hours of diversion for most.
I recommend this game!
Something's driven everyone away from Linden Shades.
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Is the orphanage really haunted or is someone behind it for another reason?
PostedJuly 27, 2016
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
It is Kim's birthday at Linden Shades Orphanage and they are having a party when a red-cloaked boogeyman is seen at the window scaring the children and ruining the party. The orphanage director has been concerned for weeks about drawings made by the children that all show a red ghostly figure and even contacted the local police who were unable to provide any help and, frankly, didn't believe the ghost stories. Some of the staff has decided to leave in fear and the director decided to try and find proof of the sightings so she set up a camera and tried to get a picture. The one picture she was able to get was blurry and only of a robed figure with the face hidden. Local police still refused to do anything so it was decided to close the orphange and find foster homes for all the children. That was in 1969. Today, I, a reporter, was called to my editor's office and he has given me the file on the Linden Shade story that he worked on in 1969 but never was able to investigate as his editor pulled him for another breaking story that turned out to be his career maker. He has always wanted to find out what was happening and wants me to go there and investigate. The orphanage has been abandoned and the taxi drops you off at the old farmhouse located on the orphanage grounds where you meet a neighbor, Bob Walker, who says he owns the farm next door and that he has heard about the ghost stories but doesn't believe them. He leaves in a hurry making you wonder if there is more to him than he is letting on. At the side of the house, you see a young boy looking through the gate who leaves quickly as you approach. As he was dressed similar to Bob you wonder if it is his son. As you explore, you see a red-cloaked figure in the barn but it disappears. Is this place still haunted? You need to get to the main orphanage building across the river but you need to repair the boat first and get it in the water. At the river, you talk to Ricky, Bob's foster son, and learn about an old mine on the property and that he has seen someone dressed in red enter it. You now need to cross the river, explore the main orphanage building, check out the old mine and discover the truth begind the red-cloaked ghosts.
The introduction cutscene contained live actors that did a fairly good job but the rest of the game featured animated character models that looked liked the live actors. It was nicely done so did not detract from the game. Voice acting was pretty good. Locations are well done and detailed and fit the theme. Music added to the suspense and did not feel repetitive. There is a jump map with action areas indicated. Throughout the game you find cassette tapes made by the orphanage director that tells the story up to the closure of the orphanage. Inventory puzzles and minigames were fairly simple and easy to complete. Items are used fairly quickly and backtracking is kept to a few locations. There are a lot of hidden object scenes that are short, simple and of the standard interactive list type with a lot of interactions including some minipuzzles. A straightforward classic hidden object game wrapped around a basic story of greed that will provide several hours of diversion.
I recommend this game!
Namariel Legends: Iron Lord
Escape prison, defeat an army of mechanical soldiers and destroy the Iron Lord’s dark power!
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
Who is behind the Iron Lord and why has he invaded your kingdom?
PostedJuly 20, 2016
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Eighteen years ago, our kingdom was invaded by a horde of mechanical soldiers that destroyed our way of life. King George and Queen Elsa had a child, Princess Emily, just before the invader, the Iron Lord, struck. As he breached the castle and dethroned them, Princess Emily was rescued by an unknown person in a flying machine and disappeared. Since the invasion, you have lived with your uncle in a secluded home and workshop where you have not been bothered by the Iron lord. You never knew your parents as he saved you as he fled the city when the Iron Lord attacked. Your pet, Aira, a cat-squirrel has been your companion for some time and lives in a tree near the house. Uncle Davincino is an inventor and mechanic who lost his leg to pirates and replaced it with a mechanical leg. He invented and built a small robot named Jim seventeen years ago as a gift for the Princess. It has now arrived but is damaged. Once repaired, it shows Uncle a message from King George asking him to take you to Prophet Nostramus. Suddenly, mechanical soldiers break into the house and stuns both of you. When you awake, you are locked in a prison cell and your uncle is being taken away to the Iron Lord. You will need to escape from the prison cell, find and rescue your uncle, find Prophet Nostramus and learn how to defeat the Iron Lord.
This game will take you on a journey through a steam-punk world with robots and mechanical devices that provides an interesting presentation to the familiar concept of saving the family and the kingdom. Graphics were ok and full of mechanical contrivances with plenty of mechanical sound effects that were very repetitive and became annoying especially if you remain in a scene for very long. Voice acting, while good, was often rushed to complete the dialog making characters less than interesting. Music was ok but didn't always fit the theme. Scenes have a loading time and there is some backtracking but there is no jump map but the game is broken into sections so travel is usually only a few screens away but frequent. Some hotspots are small or close to other spots so some may be missed if the scene is not search thoroughly. there is a mechanical recording device that is the diary for the story and also has an Encyclopedia tab that records information about characters in the game. The robot that was repaired becomes a helper to get things out of reach. A gadget invented by your uncle that you use during the game is the Mindscope, a mind reading device used to determine what different creatures and characters are thinking and really want to solve the inventory puzzle they are presenting so you can continue. This is not a hidden object scene so the closest thing that come to a hidden object scene is to find multiples of an object in a scene that is used later in a puzzle. The game is a puzzle adventure with a lot of creative and entertaining puzzles many similar to each other but slightly changed to make them feel different. Light on instructions, most are fairly easy and can be finished quickly but a few are frustratingly time consuming and more trial and error than skill related. A fairly long game with a pseudo-SciFi feel but really more a mechanical romp that will provide a few hours of diversion.
I recommend this game!
Solve the mystery of a seaside town as you uncover your lost memories.
Overall rating
4
/
5
Who is Marcus and what is his connection to Aquapolis, what is Dolores to him, and why is Vasco, his best friend, trying to kill him?
PostedJuly 20, 2016
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Someone that looks familiar throws you into the water as he tells you that you have lost and that she is his. You sink to the bottom and blackout. Next thing you know is that you are climbing out of the water on the shore of an island with a locket in your hand that contains a picture of a woman but you don't remember who she is. When you examine the locket, you have a flashback of being thrown in the water but you don't know where you are, who you are, or remember anything except that your head hurts. Looking around, you see something on another island - a town perhaps? You need to find a way there and discover a strange whistle that, when you blow it, a dolphin appears and motions for you to hitch a ride. Entering the water, you hold on to the dolphin and ride him to the other island. Climbing out of the water, you see your reflection and have another flashback that makes you wonder if you have been here before. You need to look for more clues to help regain your memory and there is an old fisherman sitting on the dock that calls you by name and seems to know you. He calls you Marcus and tells you that Dolores, his niece, has been worried about you and wondering what happened to you. Further towards town you see a woman and man standing on the street and, as you approach them, the man seems surprised to see you remarking as to why you were not dead and that Dolores was his and he grabs her and drags her into a nearby building. You see a news article about fishermen being attacked by Sea People riding dolphins that causes more memories about an underwater city but you don't know what it has to do with you. You realize that the girl in the locket is the one dragged away and you have to help her and maybe she can help you remember. And what is this undersea city have to do with you? And why is that man trying to kill you?
For the most part, the graphics were very well done with some beautiful and detailed aquatic scenes but I did notice that character models seem to change periodically and I am not sure if that was suppose to be the "looking through watre effect" or the "hazy memory effect" but it was just weird. Music was good and voice acting was done well with only an occasional stiffness. There is a journal for the story and some videos are replayable from there. There is a lot of backtracking so the inclusion of a jump map that shows action areas was welcomed. Inventory puzzles and minigames ranged from easy to medium difficulty with some new variations that were entertaining. Hidden Object scenes were nicely done keeping with the aquatic theme and were not overly cluttered. They included interactive list type and silhouettes. The aquatic theme is present throughout the game as you move through various locations, many of them underwater, with aquatic themed collectibles that include turtles-some morphing, seashells used to buy things in the store to decorate an aquarium or buy toys for a dolphin pool to play with the dolphin, and sea creatures that go into an aquatic encyclopedia.
Marcus, Vasco and Dolores were the best of friends but Dolores loved Marcus and Vasco became jealous and he tried to kill Marcus to have Dolores for himself. After multiple attempts to kill Marcus, the game shifts to an undersea civilization where Marcus was apparently saved by the Sea People and he became one of them and was given the ability to breathe underwater and that is why Vasco could never drown him. Toward the end of the game, Vasco discovers the undersea city and decides to find the one object, a trident, needed to control both the undersea and onshore civilizations and the rest involves preventing that plot. In the bonus chapter, all has been forgiven and you play as Dolores who has to find a way to defeat a huge octopus that was released by Vasco when he was being evil and tried to steal a crown on a statue that was keeping the octopus locked away. He helps her with his submarine and it takes place in the underwater city and surrounding area and was ok with the three of them being friends again.
I have played a lot of games with a lot of twisting and convoluted plots but nothing quite like this one. At times, it is very hard to follow and then it becomes simple again so that you really have to pay attention to the dialogue and action to understand how various "out of the blue" occurrences happen and how they are related to the story. Some scenes are presented out of sequence on purpose which clouds the plot even more and only towards the end do they fall into place. Those that don't like having to keep track of events and rearranging them in a logical order will find this one frustrating and won't like it.
I recommend this game!
The Queen has chosen your sister as her successor.
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Why is the Queen making popsicles out of the fairest of them all?
PostedJuly 18, 2016
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
A beautiful woman has been invited to the palace and offered an apple by the Queen which she accepts and bites into and is transformed into ice and her youth stolen. When their mother disappeared, two small girls were left to raise themselves. You, as the older sister of 6, took care of your younger sister, Elizabeth, promising never to abandon her. It has been sixteen years and the Queen consults her mirror asking to be shown the fairest in the land. Three days later, Elizabeth receives a notice that she has been chosen as the Queen's successor and is to come to the palace. Elizabeth is so excited and thanks you for taking care of her all these years and wants to repay you by asking you to go with her. The notice also says that she must prove her worth by finding a way to the castle. At a bridge on the way, a ghost named Snow appears and warns you to leave this place and beware of any of the Queen's gifts or suffer her fate. The Queen suddenly appears and gives Elizabeth a comb which she begins to use and is turned into ice. The Queen then teleports the iced Elizabeth and herself to the other side of the bridge collapsing the bridge and you fall into the canyon below. Miracle of miracles, you are not killed and when you revive, the ghost of Snow White is there to tell you "I told you so. " and again tells you you should leave before it is too late. Of course you tell her that you can't leave your sister so ghost Snow tells you that if you can free her she can help you defeat the Queen. She uses apples from a special tree that, when consumed, turns the biter to ice and steals their youth giving it to the Queen and that this has been going on for a long time and needs to stop. You need to get into the castle, free Snow White's ghost, return your sister to human form, destroy the apple tree and defeat the Queen. Simple as apple pie.
Graphics were well done with some good voice acting and animations. The music was good but not memorable. There is a journal for the story and videos are replayable from there. There is a fair amount of backtracking but that is aided by a jump map that indicates action areas. However, the map is divided into four sections with only one section being displayed at a time so be sure to check the other sections if there is nothing indicated on the section displayed. Inventory puzzles and minigames are well done with a few new variations that were interesting with all being tied to the story. Hidden object scenes were of the standard interactive list type and silhouette scenes where you find objects and place them in the scene to find other objects. During the game, you find a squirrel that helps you in various ways and coins that can be used to buy things for your squirrel's house. You find another squirrel that becomes a companion for your pet near the end of the game. I liked this one as everything is well connected giving it the feel of a more complete story. With some sinister and twisted turns, the game will provide several hours of diversion.
I recommend this game!
The Emperor's son has a mysterious illness. As legendary healer Daiyu, you're called to the palace to save him, but you end up having to save yourself!
Overall rating
4
/
5
"Mystic, how do I become ruler?" "Defeat the Emperor." "How do I defeat the Emperor?" "Strike at the Emperor's heart, his son."
PostedJuly 14, 2016
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The aging Emperor had two sons, Lei and Yang Hao and named his youngest son, Yang Hao as his successor. As the new Emperor, he had a son, Jin Hai, and even though the older brother, Lei, who became court magician, resented his younger brother becoming Emperor, he agreed to help tutor Jin Hai. As a Dai Yu, a healer, you have been summoned to the palace by Lei because his nephew, the young Prince, has become ill. He has provided a ship but the winds are not favorable and you have perform a ritual to summon the wind. Once you arrive at the city, you meet a friend of the Prince, Bo, who offers to help you as she knows how to sneak around the palace. She gives you a potion she found that may be important. At the palace, you examine the Prince and suspect he has been poisoned so, using your healer's kit, you compare a sample from the bowl of soup nearby with the potion Bo found and confirm that it is poison and had been added to the soup. Lei refuses to believe he was poisoned and is acting suspicious. You must make an antidote for the poison. After collecting the ingredients, you make the antidote and give it to the Prince that causes him to turn to stone. Lei appears and tells you that you have fallen into his trap and will be blamed for this and that his brother's heart will be broken and that he, Lei, will become the new Emperor. He then disappears as the guards arrive to arrest you. The Emperor suspected a traitor and sent a trusted servant to help you escape on a ship and tells you to seek out the Wise One, the Blue Dragon, to figure out how to save the Prince.
I enjoyed the nicely detailed, oriental-themed graphics and settings that takes place in China which is rarely used as a backdrop for these games. The music was oriental flavored and very well done and fit the scenes very well. Voice acting accents were not oriental but were well done. To aid you in your investigation is a Healer's Kit that is used to mix herbal potions used during the game. It involved playing a simple minigame. The game is broken into various sections with some backtracking that is aided by an interactive jump map with action areas indicated. Inventory puzzles and minigames did not present anything new and ranged from easy to medium in difficulty. Hidden object scenes consisted of the usual interactive list type and silhouettes and most objects are easily found. You can play a Chinese Mahjong game instead. For the first in a new series, this is a fairly easy game with a few predictable twists that will provide a few hours of fun and beauty.
I recommend this game!
Uncover the true murderer as you investigate a haunted house!
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
How are the Necklace of Precious Rings and the Book of Wishes, Vox, connected and how is the dwarf involved?
PostedJuly 12, 2016
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
A dwarf breaks into the manor making a noise that is heard by the famous collector, Ariman Filler, who takes a lamp to investigate but is then fatally struck from behind with a candleabra by someone. The dwarf sneaks into a room and steals a book and leaves. Some one tries to use the book but the spell is misread causing unrest and the sudden appearance of ancestrial ghosts in the manor. You, a detective, received a letter three days ago from Sylvia Filler, sister of the deceased, asking you to investigate the strange occurrences as the police have been useless. Arriving at the estate, you see a ghost that seems to want you to follow him but you enter the manor and talk to Sylvia. She tells you that besides her brother's death, his most prized possession, The Book of Wishes, Vox, was stolen, and since then, strange things have been happening, especially the appearance of these ghosts. She wants you to find out what is going on and to find the book. As you investigate, you see the dwarf who escapes through a window and meet several other ghosts that ask for your help to set them free. One ghost tells you that to lift the erronously read spell causing the unrest, you need to find the Necklace of Precious Rings that belonged to the Filler family. The power of the book scattered the rings all over the manor and you will need to find them and reconstruct the necklace and then place the necklace on the ashes of the book. You find the dwarf and he tells you he was hired to steal the book but did not kill Ariman and that he wants to be left alone. You need to discover who hired the dwarf,determine what Sylvia has to do with this whole mess, find all of the ri ngs and perform the ritual to set the ghosts free.
The graphics were good with plenty of non-interactive window dressing which kind of makes the locations somewhat lifeless. Characters and animations were good with acceptable voice acting. Music was ok and there were a lot of background sounds. Dialog was non-imspiring and the screen text needed some work. There is a diary for clues and story and a jump map which was very handy as there were a lot locations and movement all over the area. A special item you gain early in the game is the Necklace of Precious Rings that is used to open new areas by using the symbols on the rings in a specific order, usually several times, to remove a blockage instead of always finding a key. You have to find the rings with the necessary symbols first though. Inventory puzzles and other minigames were on the easy side and nothing new. Hidden Object scenes were well done and included standard interactive list-type, find and use objects to find more object silhouettes and finding a number of objects type. None were very challenging. The iconic dwarf is back again and has a larger role in this fourth release but his involvement is confusing at times and you wind up being torn between deciding if he is evil or good as he is key to finally restoring order. I was disappointed in the ending which consisted of a flash of light and poof - The End. No epilog. Probably in the bonus chapter for those buying the Collector's edition. A weak storyline that could have been better presented but will offer a few hours of diversion.
I recommend this game!
Play as both Ellie and Ian, two scientists stranded on Botanica. Can you save your friends and find your way home?
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Ellie finds her father, another portal has been found, Ian misses his daughter and a volcano is about to errupt and Kassandra helps evacuate a village
PostedJuly 6, 2016
hermitcave
fromGig Harbor, Wa
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
You, Ellie, and Ian have found the blossom portal in a cave and are about to use it when Queen Kassandra arrives and stops you. Suddenly, Gustav appears and tells Queen Kassandra that she does not deserve to have the portal and that he wants it for himself and shoots her wounding her in the arm. The bullet ricochets and hits the bloosom portal activating it and sending everyone to another place but still in Botanica. Ian has been injured and you revive him and the two of you explore the area where you find a wrecked tanker on the shore and you see Gustav jump into a small boat and row toward an island with a volcano. On the tanker, you find a video feed showing your father is alive and apparently inside a cave on the volcano and there is a blossom portal plant there. As you leave the tanker by boat, Ian falls through a portal and lands in another part of Botanica and you are now playing as him. You, Ian, are now at an ancient temple where you see Kassandra on a pedestal surrounded by two tigers. You find a way to rescue her and the two of you find and repair a submarine and leave the temple but are then swallowed by a whale. The game switches again and you are now playing as Ellie again and the boat has crashed and you have washed up on the shore of the temple area where you find an old man with an injured bird. After treating the bird, the old man lets you use the bird to fly toward the volcano. The game switches again and you are back to Ian inside the submarine inside the whale and the submarine was damaged and needs repair. After repairing the submarine, you make it to the shore of the island with the volcano where Kassandra collapses as she is injured worse than you thought. A native woman tells you she is a nurse and can help Kassandra but you need to make a potion. After she is cured, you leave her there to help evacuate the village and you find a diving suit and enter the water. Guess what? The game switches again back to Ellie who rides the bird to the island with the volcano where Gustav tries to shoot you but misses. Landing on the island, you find Ian in a cave as he emerges from the water in the diving suit. Back together again, you must find Ellie's father, save him from Gustav who blames him for his father's death, and decide who will use the portal to return to Earth. There is one more switch at the end of the game where the decision is made on who uses the portal.
The graphics in the first episode were much better and depicted a much prettier Botanica. I found them less appealing and darker with scenes more cluttered. I did not find it as enjoyable to play as the first game. Animations felt less active and engaging with videos appearing at odd times giving it a feel that the developers decided that something was needed in that spot and put one there giving it a disjointed feel. You play from the perspective of the two main characters, Ellie and Ian, switching back and forth with each having their own things to do and inventory to use with each finally reaching the final locations toward the end to finish the game. The story flow in the first game kept you interested but this one had a lot, and I mean a lot, of inventory puzzles and minigames that slowed the story down so much that I lost interest in it and found it hard to keep track of what the two characters were doing each time they switched. The journal is more a picture album than a journal as there is no text recorded at all. There is an objectives tab and the Encyclopedia Botanica from the first game that gives details about plants and animal life encountered. There is a jump map with action areas indicated. Voice acting was good with unmemorable music. As mentioned above, there are a lot of inventory puzzles and minigames, even in the hidden object scenes, so you are doing something every step of the way almost on the verge of annoyance. Most have been seen before but presented to fit the story setting and were of medium difficulty. In this game, as you play two different characters, a botanist and a chemist, you use two kits, one for each, you play minigames to make potions and medicine needed to help various characters met along the way. The hidden object scenes were the highlight for me and were well done and enjoyable. Almost every object to be found required some sort of interaction from silhouettes, find pieces and combine, find objects corresponding to words in phrases, many with mini puzzles inside them, as well as the usual move this to find that kind. Some were fairly challenging. Not as good as the first in the series but will give most a few hours of diversion.
I recommend this game!
Become the fabled detective and rescue the Final Cinderella from the evil Godmother's clutches!
Overall rating
5
/
5
What drives a Fairy Godmother to become evil and want to kill the Final Cinderella?
PostedJune 30, 2016
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
Fear. It drives people to do many things including burning someone at the stake as they fear his puppets and his wife becomes very angry and vows to bring Geppetto back from the dead. She convinces her son, Pinocchio, that he is the cause for his father's death and so he helps her with her plan. In order to perform the ritual, the one pure-hearted maiden, the Final Cinderella, is required to be sacrificed. Amelia, the mother of Pinocchio, was chosen by the Maiden Goddess 1000 years ago to be the Godmother and is given the Magic Glass Wand to use to help Cinderellas during her search for them. On her travels, she met and fell in love with Geppetto and they married and he created their son, Pinocchio, and they had a happy life. However, when she returned from one of her many trips, she discovered her husband had been killed. Now she is on a rampage to find the Final Cinderella turning non-cinderellas to glass and you, a detective, have been called to find and protect the Final Cinderella and defeat the Godmother. Unfortunately, the Godmother has a magic mirror that she uses to travel to the Mirror World where she had become corrupted by the Forbidden Grove located there and you will need to find some way to travel there and stop her by getting the Magic Glass Wand.
Graphics are bright, colorful, and beautiful with superbly detailed scenes and excellent animations and cutscenes. Voice acting and music were well done and the music was not repetitive. As in previous games in the series, there is no journal so the background story is presented with parables you unlock about the Maiden Goddess and her handmaidens, the Evil Godmother, Geppetto and Pinocchio, and the four previous Cinderellas giving you a twisted version of a classic fairytale. The four previous Cinderellas each have a wardrobe that you have to find the parts of to progress by dressing their dolls. There are also 20 morphing objects to find that refills the hint button more quickly. There is a fair amount of backtracking and there is a map that shows action areas but it is not a jump map. It does have a small map window in the lower right corner that was somewhat helpful but a jump map would have been better. Inventory puzzles and minigames were interesting and entertaining with medium difficulty. Hidden object scenes were mostly well-made Fragmented-object scenes where pieces are combined and the three completed parts form a single object that goes to inventory. A rather long game with ten chapters, this fifth in the series remains entertaining throughout that fans of the series will like and those new to the series will enjoy the presentation, story telling, and fragmented object scenes.
I recommend this game!
In order to save your life, your twin sister traded her soul to a witch. Now you must race through the looking glass to rescue her!
Overall rating
3
/
5
0 of 1 found this review helpful
A magic rabbit, cute trolls, likeable little creature helpers, a handsome young Prince and an evil witch - yes this is a fairytale
PostedJune 27, 2016
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
When I, Anna Smith, was diagnosed with Stage 2 Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia became bedridden three years ago, my twin sister, Monica Smith, came to visit me a week ago and bought a mirror from an antique store as a gift. Standing by my bed crying, she remarks that she would do anything to save me. Out of nowhere came a voice asking, "Really?" and the mirror begins to shimmer and something oozes out of the mirror and forms into an old woman. She tells Monica that she can save me but that she has to give her youth and soul to her. Monica agrees and the old woman absorbs her youth becoming young while Monica turns old. Then the woman engulfs Monica and returns to the mirror leaving behind a crystal. In a few minutes I am fully recovered but I can't rest until I get her back after she sacrificed herself. Seeing the crystal left behind, I picked it up and found that it fit into a slot in the top of the mirror and a portal opened to another world. Stepping through the portal, I found myself in the strange and beautiful world of Dreamland but the portal closed and there seems to be no way back. I learn that the witch, Sybil, who took my sister, has been causing havoc in this world. I meet a handsome young man who turns out to be Prince Addris who welcomes me to the kingdom and explains that he has been expecting me as he had heard about my sister being abducted. He tells me to be cautious about Sybil and gives me an Amulet of Elements with five slots for stones that will give it five different powers when the stones are placed in it. The first stone is in place and will help protect me from poisonous smoke. Along the way I met various characters that gave me stones that will help protect me from fire, to defrost things, to move heavy objects and to pass through water. A magic rabbit I met along the road told me that the Prince and my sister were being held in a dungeon at the castle so I need to find a way there, rescue them, defeat Sybil, and restore my sister's youth.
Graphics depict a brightly colored and beautiful fairytale setting of colorful plants and scenery with magical characters and creatures of various types including various helper critters, that fortunately you don't need to name, with each only used a few times. Voice acting was pretty good although I felt the magic rabbit was overdone. There is a journal with a jump map that had action areas indicated. Inventory puzzles and minigames were good but didn't offer anything new. Some items used to obtain inventory items were stretched to the limit such as a fan to remove bees, an anchor with rope to retrieve a shovel, and a spider web as fishing line. Hidden object scenes were a mixture including riddles, collect a certain number of objects, finding pairs, silhouettes, and interactive lists. All were well done and fun with some challenge. Scenes were repeated, however, but with different objects to find. At the end, you need to decide which sister will get the Prince for that fairytale ending. Not a bad game but seems to be aimed at a younger audience but those interested in fairytales may like it.
I recommend this game!