AverageSizeFish's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:2.8
- Helpful Votes:2,910
- Reviews Submitted:173
- First Review:June 2, 2014
- Most Recent Review:May 1, 2017
- Featured reviews0
Status:
What secrets are hiding in the European countryside?
Overall rating
2
/
5
25 of 28 found this review helpful
Blurry, grainy graphics & a predictable overused story
PostedOctober 1, 2016
AverageSizeFish
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
The most striking thing about this game is the poor graphics. I definitely don't expect blurry graininess in a HOPA game these days, and this "feature" was not appealing.
Other than that, this game is a rehash of every HOPA you've ever played with a "stalwart paranormal investigator" story, a category that competes only with the rescue-the-relative theme for primacy in the HOPA genre.
What is innovative here? Well, instead of buying a bag of peanuts for the squirrel I have to feed and finding a hairpin to pick a lock instead I got to find a bag of peanuts for the squirrel (if clicking on a bag laying in plain sight on the counter of an untended concession stand can be construed as "finding" it) and buy the hairpin. Wow, is this imaginative! What I fail to understand, is why developers continue to be so fascinated with the concept of a squirrel (or any other small furry animal) as a guard that must be bribed before giving up the secret book that just happens to be lying in some random outdoor area. It's a silly idea and seeing it for the 1000th time doesn't make it any less so. This developer loves the feed-the-animal gimmick so much that, in the course of the brief demo, I got to feed not just one animal but three!
The unusual mix of the found peanuts and purchased hairpin was the only deviation from the well-worn path between me and the HOPA ghost busting. Other than that, there is the typical clearing of thick vines, finding of ladders to get into second-floor windows, and all the other overused and underwhelming tasks you've performed in a gazillion other HOPA games. If you've played a HOPA before this game will give you no surprises.
Combined with overly fussy pop-ups that require a click in just the right section of pixels to function and "puzzles" made up of things like eight pieces already arranged in the correct spot, the lack of even a glimmer of imagination or innovation here make this game a no-buy for me.
The easiest way to sum this up is "been there and done that."
I don't recommend this game.
Voyage through a wondrous match-3 adventure as Luna, a recent graduate of the Magic University. Search Varanah for the missing wizard, Ludovic!
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Intrusive story element, forced minigames, laggy cursor - 2.5
PostedSeptember 25, 2016
AverageSizeFish
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
The graphics and sounds are similar to those of previous games in the series, and I liked them.
The game consists of large match 3 boards, most of which have locks at the edges. You cannot open the locks to enter new match 3 areas until you play a hidden object scene, finish a puzzle, or perform some other non-match 3 related task. Interspersed between the match 3 boards and mini-games there is a lot of no-voiceover story displayed on screen sized cards. You need to click through every character's dialogue to dismiss it. This means that if you don't care about the story you have to suffer through it anyway. It also means that if you want to play uninterrupted match 3, you're out of luck.
I thought the set-up of the match 3 boards was good although variety was somewhat lacking. I did not care for the constant interruption of match 3 action to play a HOS or puzzle. I like HOS and puzzles, but I want to choose when I play them. I don't like that the developer forces me to play them to continue playing match 3. I don't understand why every developer feels the need to include every style of game in a single package like this. Pretty soon there will be no match 3 games just like there are no hidden object games anymore. Instead, they will all be this hybrid nonsense that don't allow players to choose what kind of game to play.
I also don't understand why developers feel the need to include some childish story along with the game. I disliked this feature of the game, and if they include it in another I will probably not buy it. A game with no story is better than a game with an enforced story that probably wouldn't keep a five-year-old engaged and I don't buy match 3 games to read (or listen to) a story anyway. I buy them to play match 3.
I also found the game had a tough time running smoothly on my very good computer. The cursor lagged and occasionally jumped. This is very unlike the experience I've had with previous games in this series which all run perfectly.
Without the hokey story and enforced and intrusive minigames I would have given this game a four in spite of the laggy cursor. Instead, I give it a 2.5.
I don't recommend this game.
Mother Nature is no match for the courageous men and women of the Rescue Team!
Overall rating
2
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
What a miserable game
PostedSeptember 24, 2016
AverageSizeFish
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
I enjoyed this game during the demo in spite of pretty uninspiring and outdated looking graphics. I was surprised and displeased with the turn things took after buying it.
The premise is that you direct rescue workers to clear obstacles, repair bridges, and build buildings while saving people/animals stuck in various bad spots following a disaster. It seems like a pretty typical TM game until you hit the levels only available after you purchase the game.
At that point, the game switches from challenging to severely annoying as the developers clamp down on ways a level can be won. Instead of planning a strategy you run through what is essentially a rat maze with the developer dictating the only correct move every single step of the way. Since you aren't psychic, this will take so many attempts that it gets boring doing the same opening steps over and over for every level. Further, some of the things you must do are not intuitive at all. For example, some levels require you to build a bank on just about every build spot. In what world do rescue teams build banks to save people?
What is particularly aggravating is that it seems the developers are aware that people don't like these "rat maze" style TM games so they don't reveal that this is one until you have paid for it. Instead of tricking people, why don't they just fix the problem and make the entire game as fun as the demo is?
I feel like I wasted my money purchasing this game, and I don't recommend it.
I don't recommend this game.
Return to a mesmerizing match-three wonderland with this remaster of Jewel Match 2!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Classic high-quality match 3
PostedSeptember 22, 2016
AverageSizeFish
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
This is a classic style match 3 game without any storyline to get in the way of the game. Gameplay consists of rounds of match 3 boards (timed, limited moves, or relaxed modes) interspersed with trips to a scene where you can use the gold and amulets you earned in the rounds to purchase pieces of a castle. Once a castle is complete you move to a different scene with a new castle. You can also use your gold to buy plus ups in the shop.
The soundtrack is ethereal ambient music that goes well with the attractive appearance of the jewel boards. When you cause many jewels to tumble at once, they make a tinkling sound like a multitude of wind chimes. All the sound effects share the theme of lightness and calm. It's very relaxing.
You can choose to break from the match 3 rounds and play optional minigames including (timed) mahjong, hidden object scenes, and a construct the item puzzle. I liked that these are voluntary rather than compulsory as in some mixed style games. I would have enjoyed a few more hidden object scenes/puzzles to choose from as there aren't many.
I agree with others who have pointed out minor glitches, and that gameplay doesn't change much as you advance through the levels. Greater attention to adding some variety to the match 3's would be welcome. I also would have liked it if the game rules allowed me to use the plus ups I purchased more frequently. It's easy to buy them at the shop but, once in the match, there aren't many opportunities to use them.
Overall, the game is very fun and well-made. I was glad to find a match 3 of this high quality that doesn't include popups, cut scenes, compulsory mini-games, story narration, or other intrusive gimmicks. If I wanted all that nonsense, I would play a HOPA. I highly recommend Jewel Match 2: Reloaded for those who enjoy a quality match 3 game that focuses on match 3.
I recommend this game!
The murders are escalating in the city! Follow the clues to crack the cases and arrest the killers!
Overall rating
2
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Too easy after the demo
PostedSeptember 21, 2016
AverageSizeFish
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
During the demo, there were a couple of really tough levels that made me think this game would provide hours of enjoyment. Those required some serious thought to complete, although they could be done without guessing. After the demo, the puzzles change to become so simple a two-year-old could complete them. I got so bored I could not complete the game after purchasing it.
As some other reviewers noted many of the colors used in a level are so similar it's difficult to tell them apart, the pictures you end up with are just random arrangements of colored squares (no definite item made), the sounds the game makes are abysmal, once a square is filled it no longer takes a number when you draw out rows or columns of tiles beginning with it (which means you have to add one to all the numbers that appear counting the tiles you've selected-more aggravating than it sounds), and you're forced to choose a player name with multiple letters whether you want multiple letters or not.
Overall, I'm very disappointed with this purchase, and I suggest others don't make the same mistake I did.
I don't recommend this game.
Track down an incredible jewel in Jewel Quest – The Sleepless Star! Help Percy Park on an epic quest through two continents!
Overall rating
2
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Old, slow, and irritating
PostedSeptember 20, 2016
AverageSizeFish
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
The graphics are dated and mildly grainy. The music, such as it is, is ok but nothing to write home about. The noise the jewels make as they tumble is mechanical and unpleasant.
The game is very slow, in part due to ponderous sequences of pop-ups, pop-up words flashing, and other uninteresting things that you cannot dismiss by clicking. The jewel boards are not particularly appealing, and you cannot make matches while the jewels are falling from the match you just made. If you make a match that results in a lot of jewels tumbling you have to sit there waiting while this mechanical gem falling-noise grinds repetitively against your ears. You will spend more time watching pop-ups and jewels cascading then you will playing the game. This is especially galling as the game is timed but you can't affect your score by making matches quickly (which is sort of the point of match 3 games so this "feature" makes no sense).
The custom cursor is quite clumsy and doesn't respond to mouse movements well, which may be due to the game's age and inability to run well on newer computers. Unfortunately, the game is so old-fashioned they apparently hadn't heard of giving the player the option of using the system cursor, so you're stuck with their clunky one.
Add in the annoying intrusion of compulsory tutorials showing you the most basic elements of a match 3 and silly story cards winking at the edge of the screen (and your peripheral vision) and the fun factor just sinks to zero. It felt like work churning through the demo period. I'd rather rake the leaves or shovel snow then play this irritatingly slow and noisy game. Match 3 games have come a long way since this old thing - thank goodness.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you save your world from darkness in time?
Overall rating
1
/
5
32 of 38 found this review helpful
Rescue your relative and save the world
PostedSeptember 12, 2016
AverageSizeFish
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
This game is another cookie-cutter rescue-the-relative HOPA to add to the enormous list of almost identical games that just doesn't seem to stop growing no matter how much some of us wish it would.
Somewhat grainy graphics, somewhat stilted voiceovers, and somewhat clumsy game controls are the insults added to the injury of yet another game that has absolutely nothing innovative or even mildly entertaining to recommend it.
If you've ever played a HOPA game, you have already played this one, and chances are the one you played looked nicer and had smoother gameplay.
If using necklaces to open boxes, escaping a burning building only after performing a string of silly exercises, and dealing with a magic orb helper are your thing, and you haven't gotten enough from the last 500 or so games churned out in this genre that are just like it, then this game is for you. Otherwise, I recommend giving it a miss.
I don't recommend this game.
Defeat the King of Demons and find a way to get out the Cursed House once again, banishing evil spirits, ghosts and demons from the house!
Overall rating
5
/
5
Great match 3 game
PostedSeptember 12, 2016
AverageSizeFish
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
The visual and sound quality are excellent. Each door you open leads to a level with a set of match three games of the same kind each more difficult than the last. When you finish the hardest one you go through another door and on to a new set of match 3's that are of a new type. Each of the sets is different from all the others giving this game a large variety of match three games to play.
You get plus-ups, but I found it more fun to play without using them. If a level gets too frustrating, you always have them to fall back on although they're pretty much a sure win if you use them.
The variety of match three games, the smoothness with which the game works, and the pretty appearance all combine to make this a really fun game with great replayability.
I recommend this game!
The castle needs a hero – protect the castle from hordes of trolls! Build towers, save money, learn spells and keep the enemy away!
Overall rating
2
/
5
Built-in repetition = frustrating & boring
PostedAugust 19, 2016
AverageSizeFish
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
The visual and sound quality are acceptable but not particularly stellar. If amazing graphics and sound effects are important to you, then you will not like this game.
Gameplay consists of setting your weaponry along a twisting path before a horde of various evil-doers start running toward your tower. If even one individual hits your tower, you lose gold. You get money for "kills" and you use that to buy increasingly powerful guns during the level. You also get gems, and those are used between levels at a "store" where you can purchase upgrades for your guns.
Seems like too simple a concept to screw up but this developer manages to do so with apparent ease. The problem is that any given round within a level never provides the opportunity to earn enough money and gems to prepare your road sufficiently to survive the next unless you play that round over and over and over. No matter how carefully you plan, you will run into a round that cannot be beaten unless you upgrade your guns. You cannot upgrade your guns even though you got through the previous levels without having your tower hit because getting through those levels didn't pay enough to get the upgrade you need. The only solution is to go back and replay them to get more gems. Ugh.
This repetitious play is built into the game and has nothing to do with any given player's skills or cleverness. Until you figure this key point out, you sit there frustrated and annoyed because you just keep losing. Once you do figure it out, you realize that what the developer plans for you to do is play a given round within a level many, many times to accumulate the money/gems needed to buy the gun upgrade necessary to win the next round in gold.
I don't mind playing a game that is strategically challenging to the point where I have to repeat a level a few times to beat it. I do mind a developer dictating that I will have to repeat a round, not only once or twice but many times, because there isn't enough money available any other way. Repeating a level should only be necessary if the player hasn't figured out the strategy. In this game, there is no strategy. You win by shopping for gun upgrades, and you can't shop until you play the same money-poor levels over and over to slowly and painfully accumulate the gems needed for the vital upgrade. This process just isn't fun. This is a very good example of a tedious and poorly conceived game. I wish I hadn't bought it.
I don't recommend this game.
Queen Aerin saves her kingdom from a new menace – evil Duke von Gross.
Overall rating
2
/
5
19 of 20 found this review helpful
Waiting and waiting on resources
PostedJuly 27, 2016
AverageSizeFish
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
This game consists of having your character remove an obstacle from the road, waiting for the one resourcing-bearing structure you have can access to generate a resource so you can remove the next obstacle, waiting again for another resource from the structure, clearing, waiting, clearing, waiting.
There is just far too much standing around doing nothing built into this game. It makes gameplay annoyingly slow and tedious. I have no idea what this dev was thinking but it wasn't something good. It's a shame because the game looks nice and the mechanics are good. I just couldn't get past all the waiting.
I don't recommend this game.