ninja226's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.1
- Helpful Votes:1,277
- Reviews Submitted:359
- First Review:July 23, 2016
- Most Recent Review:April 26, 2021
- Featured reviews0
Status:
An unexpected invitation sends you to research mythical standing stones in Brittany.
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Must Buy Game
PostedJuly 30, 2017
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
No need for a CE version, this is a SE with CE features.
There are achievements, 70 white holly branches to find (hidden in scenes and HOS, sometimes 1, sometimes 2 or more), and 40 mosaic pieces to find that form the pieces for a tanagram puzzle that opens up a passage later in the game.
The story is quite elaborate, but makes sense, and has a logical progression in the search to the conclusion.
The graphics are crystal clear, sharp, and high def, including the video cut scenes, which is a nice touch. So many HO games offer high def static scenes, but the video cut scenes are done in low resolution and look FUZZY.Ugh! This is a huge pet peeve of mine in age of HD1080.
The story is about Druids, which is an unusual theme for HO genre, and there are influences from Lord of the Rings saga. As much as I liked the clearness of the graphics, the human characters do look a bit humanoid and not as authentic as I would like. It's not a pretty-girly type of fairy tale settings, but also not a horror house gloomy type of game either, more foggy mystery but not scary.
This is quite a long game to play. The mini games have just the right amount of challenge, most games being reasonable, and a few that frustrated me too much so I skipped. You can get Hint & Skip even in expert mode, and there are helpful messages, in all modes of play. Believe me, some of the HO objects can be difficult, even if it's the usual find fragments of objects from silhouettes.
If there are any flaws to the game, it's that there is no teleport map. There is a map, but it doesn't teleport. The other thing I didn't like was the mini games do not have a Reset button, which is really helpful when you get stuck. You can cheat, as there is a BF walkthrough. Finally, the ending is quite abrupt, and I wish the devs had given the option to go back to find all the white holly branches. If you don't find them all, you have to play game again.
Overall, this is definitely one of the better HO games out there that has not been serialized, and is a real gem of a game, having a well written and well thought out mystery adventure that is both fun and challenging to navigate while holding your interest as to what will happen next.
Two thumbs up.
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
3
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Overrated
PostedJuly 29, 2017
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This is one of the few HOS games with an Oriental/Chinese theme, so if you are into East Asia, this game is for you.
I found it disappointing as a CE, as the bonus features are so-so. There are 41 cranes to find in each scene, mostly easy to find, and the only challenge is to remember to look for the crane before departing the scene. There are 3 extra HO games to play after completing main game and bonus game. There is also a cute video regarding how the game came to fruition--it's whimsical and sardonic, but fairly brief. The bonus chapter is decent, but not terribly long. And then there are the usual wallpaper, art, replayable HO/mini games etc, which is just a re-hash of the main game, and do not represent a "bonus" IMO.
There are no morphing objects. The video cut scenes are blurry and 480 resolution instead of high definition. The plot is OK, but not memorable.
The game flow is good, and makes for an enjoyable game.
Given the shortcomings listed above, it's a better value as an SE purchase.
Given the shortcomings listed above, it's a better value as an SE purchase.
I recommend this game!
You've been called to investigate a strange purple tide. And that's when the mermaid shows up...
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
The little mermaid goes no where
PostedJuly 27, 2017
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I gave this game a high rating because the artwork is gorgeous, but the game has shortcomings in almost all areas:
1- the video cut scenes are not high definition, and BLURRY
2- the narrative is boring, choppy, and hard to follow. You get snippets of the background story as you meander among the many rooms and putting it all together is irregular, depending on when you find the hidden objects.
3- the story is formulaic
4- several of the mini games are repeated, so those who enjoy variety will be disappointed
5- Map feature and Hint buttons aren't always that helpful or accurate
6- voice of the mermaid reminds me of those pesky Pokemon characters on TV, and does not match the appearance of the character
1- the video cut scenes are not high definition, and BLURRY
2- the narrative is boring, choppy, and hard to follow. You get snippets of the background story as you meander among the many rooms and putting it all together is irregular, depending on when you find the hidden objects.
3- the story is formulaic
4- several of the mini games are repeated, so those who enjoy variety will be disappointed
5- Map feature and Hint buttons aren't always that helpful or accurate
6- voice of the mermaid reminds me of those pesky Pokemon characters on TV, and does not match the appearance of the character
On the plus side:
1- the visuals for this game is better than average for the series, but would have been so much better if they had used HD1080 instead of 480 resolution
2- There are 20 morphing objects to find, which link to parables (background stories of the characters), but the parables are boring (pages of reading, no animation, HOS, etc)
3- this is a long game with many rooms and scenes to explore
1- the visuals for this game is better than average for the series, but would have been so much better if they had used HD1080 instead of 480 resolution
2- There are 20 morphing objects to find, which link to parables (background stories of the characters), but the parables are boring (pages of reading, no animation, HOS, etc)
3- this is a long game with many rooms and scenes to explore
If you enjoy this series, this game is a worthwhile addition, but I hope the devs take note of the above criticisms, because the quality is seriously going downhill without having to.
I recommend this game!
Find the cure to save your brother from the Others.
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Jane and Jace sitting in a tree
PostedJuly 25, 2017
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This is the 4th game I've played in the series, and it ranks 3rd in my list of favorites.
1st place--Escape from Oz
2nd place--Alice in Shadowland
The artwork for this game is not as good as the other 2, being fuzzy compared to the above two. The voiceovers are OK, but on the slow side, and the characters do speak in rhymes, if you like that kind of stuff.
The story is just so-so, but the devs have worked hard to make it unique.
The quality of the game varies, being excellent in some parts and just average in others.
I was spoiled by the exceptional quality of the other 2 games, so this one was a bit of a spoiler. On its own, it remains a good game, just not outstanding and dazzling.
1st place--Escape from Oz
2nd place--Alice in Shadowland
The artwork for this game is not as good as the other 2, being fuzzy compared to the above two. The voiceovers are OK, but on the slow side, and the characters do speak in rhymes, if you like that kind of stuff.
The story is just so-so, but the devs have worked hard to make it unique.
The quality of the game varies, being excellent in some parts and just average in others.
I was spoiled by the exceptional quality of the other 2 games, so this one was a bit of a spoiler. On its own, it remains a good game, just not outstanding and dazzling.
I recommend this game!
Stop the evil Princess of Hearts and discover your true destiny!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
The dark side of little Alice
PostedJuly 24, 2017
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is a tribute of sorts to Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, albeit a dark tribute.
The artwork is fantastic, there are many creative touches throughout, a lot to see and do. The mini games are mostly easy, with a few that may take a little more effort.
There is a huge surprise ending, but not sure I liked the twist because it leaves the ending a bit abrupt as a segue to the bonus chapter, which I can't access as this is not a CE.
Anyway, it is an excellent game that will be as good 5 yrs from now as it is today.
I highly recommend this game.
The artwork is fantastic, there are many creative touches throughout, a lot to see and do. The mini games are mostly easy, with a few that may take a little more effort.
There is a huge surprise ending, but not sure I liked the twist because it leaves the ending a bit abrupt as a segue to the bonus chapter, which I can't access as this is not a CE.
Anyway, it is an excellent game that will be as good 5 yrs from now as it is today.
I highly recommend this game.
I recommend this game!
A magical egg is about to turn one girl's world upside-down.
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Heavy on puzzles, few HOS
PostedJuly 22, 2017
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is a nice adventure game with excellent voiceovers, animation and beautiful, crystal clear artwork.
It's heavy on puzzles, and light on HOS. There are no junk piles in which to find objects. Instead, the HOS are comprised of a scene, silhouettes of items to find in the scene, with each item found being used with a particular item in scene, which gets you another object in the silhouette, and so on, until all items are found.
The puzzles are those seen elsewhere, but modified for the theme of the game. Most puzzles are reasonable, but there are a few challenging ones. One thing I did not like, is there are NO reset buttons for the puzzles. One puzzle in particular I knew how to solve, but could not move one particular disk to solve, and ultimately had to skip.
You get hint & skip even in hardest mode, which is nice. Had to use the Hint many times because there is no map indicator on hard mode, but helpful messages remain.
The story is good. Loved the artwork, except the characters do not look natural and very artificial, as in robotic like humanoids. The only cute character was the green elf Anabel, but her appearance is too brief.
The game covers a lot of territory in a world with many other worlds to explore. The ending is a bit anticlimactic, but ends satisfactorily.
It's heavy on puzzles, and light on HOS. There are no junk piles in which to find objects. Instead, the HOS are comprised of a scene, silhouettes of items to find in the scene, with each item found being used with a particular item in scene, which gets you another object in the silhouette, and so on, until all items are found.
The puzzles are those seen elsewhere, but modified for the theme of the game. Most puzzles are reasonable, but there are a few challenging ones. One thing I did not like, is there are NO reset buttons for the puzzles. One puzzle in particular I knew how to solve, but could not move one particular disk to solve, and ultimately had to skip.
You get hint & skip even in hardest mode, which is nice. Had to use the Hint many times because there is no map indicator on hard mode, but helpful messages remain.
The story is good. Loved the artwork, except the characters do not look natural and very artificial, as in robotic like humanoids. The only cute character was the green elf Anabel, but her appearance is too brief.
The game covers a lot of territory in a world with many other worlds to explore. The ending is a bit anticlimactic, but ends satisfactorily.
I recommend this game!
Castle: Never Judge a Book by Its Cover
Solving murder has never been so much fun!
Overall rating
4
/
5
Clever mystery plot with many twists
PostedJuly 22, 2017
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Could also be titled, "Never judge a game by poor ratings".
This game will be enjoyed by people who enjoy HO junk pile scenes and distinguishing junk from finds to progress in the game; people who enjoy reading; people who appreciate well written, clever mysteries with many twists and turns.
The characters are attractive and easy on the eye, but no voiceovers.
The map icon blinks telling you of a location to visit for next task and has a badge indicating active task, and it teleports, and it provides a seamless way to link the many loose threads in the investigation.
The phone also flashes telling you someone trying to reach you and transitions to a new location or task to attend to.
The Evidence board summarizes your evidence and suspects.
The music is so-so.
I love the interior scenes of where the characters live. It's very well done, so if you enjoy interior decorating, this game has that, too.
It's a very well done game, with many details culled from classic works of literature and actual textbooks, and a well written mystery that Agatha Christie could have penned.
Warning: the mini puzzles are HARD. I skipped at least half of them. However, instructions for the puzzle are detailed, unlike so many other games.
If it had voiceovers, video cut scenes, and answers to the puzzles, it would have made for a more enjoyable experience and bump up to 5 stars.
It's a shame there aren't more in this series, because it's a gem of a game.
This game will be enjoyed by people who enjoy HO junk pile scenes and distinguishing junk from finds to progress in the game; people who enjoy reading; people who appreciate well written, clever mysteries with many twists and turns.
The characters are attractive and easy on the eye, but no voiceovers.
The map icon blinks telling you of a location to visit for next task and has a badge indicating active task, and it teleports, and it provides a seamless way to link the many loose threads in the investigation.
The phone also flashes telling you someone trying to reach you and transitions to a new location or task to attend to.
The Evidence board summarizes your evidence and suspects.
The music is so-so.
I love the interior scenes of where the characters live. It's very well done, so if you enjoy interior decorating, this game has that, too.
It's a very well done game, with many details culled from classic works of literature and actual textbooks, and a well written mystery that Agatha Christie could have penned.
Warning: the mini puzzles are HARD. I skipped at least half of them. However, instructions for the puzzle are detailed, unlike so many other games.
If it had voiceovers, video cut scenes, and answers to the puzzles, it would have made for a more enjoyable experience and bump up to 5 stars.
It's a shame there aren't more in this series, because it's a gem of a game.
I recommend this game!
Can you save the children of the town in time?
Overall rating
5
/
5
13 of 13 found this review helpful
Deception, betrayal, Justice!
PostedJuly 21, 2017
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Not sure why the lukewarm ratings on this game. I thought it was excellent and well done.
This is tale of deception, betrayal, and justice and explains the legend behind the chimeras--the iconic animal of the series--that actually makes sense.
It has more puzzles than games, and I was able to solve all puzzles without difficulty, so I feel positively brilliant, LOL.
It's a fairly decent length game. The artwork is nicely done with attractive characters to feel sympathy for.
I don't think you will regret the purchase of this game.
This is tale of deception, betrayal, and justice and explains the legend behind the chimeras--the iconic animal of the series--that actually makes sense.
It has more puzzles than games, and I was able to solve all puzzles without difficulty, so I feel positively brilliant, LOL.
It's a fairly decent length game. The artwork is nicely done with attractive characters to feel sympathy for.
I don't think you will regret the purchase of this game.
I recommend this game!
Explore the four corners of Oz in this thrilling fantasy game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
8 of 8 found this review helpful
A beautiful, imaginative and fantastic take on OZ
PostedJuly 20, 2017
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This takes the legend of Oz and takes it to a new level that could be a legend of its own.
The story is well thought out, taking its cue from the original tale of Oz, but adds its own imaginative touches that should please a more contemporary audience. Add to that fantastic, beautiful artwork, high definition images, movie style cut scenes, innovative HOS (analogous to connect the dots logical sequence of object & interaction to object), reasonable mini puzzles, and you have a fantabulous game that is long, without being boring, and a surprising twist at the end.
This is a game destined to be a classic and will be as good today as it will be 5 yrs from now.
Has a nice, conclusive ending without a dangler to entice you to buy the CE, which I tried, but did not seem to have enough extra content to justify the extra cost, but has some nice touches for true devotees of the Oz tale.
This is a game I wholeheartedly recommend.
About the only flaw I can think of is the voice overs for some of the characters were way slower than pace of a regular reader for the close captioned dialogue.
Another thing I like about the game is you can play on Expert mode and still get Hint, Skip, helpful messages, and plus indicators, but no indicators on the map. I played on Expert mode and rarely had to use Hint, and puzzles were challenging enough, without being so hard that I never had to skip.
Two thumbs up!
I recommend this game!
Someone – or something – is stealing the children of Blake’s Mountain!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
A happy ending for all
PostedJuly 20, 2017
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Best part of this game is the artwork, which is outstandingly clear, vivid, and sharp. Setting is imaginative. This is a fairytale style story of good vs evil. Loved the fact that actions are logical and easy to figure out. It's more puzzles than HOS, for people who detest junk pile HOS. The HOS are standard variety, but the puzzles are logically connected with objects and actions to find. A lot of times the action and object to find are illogical or ambiguous. Your job as detective is more enjoyable as a result.
The story itself is formulaic, but narrated with well done movie style cut scenes.
The ending is conclusive and not frustrating to accomplish. If you appreciate imaginative, beautiful artwork, this game is a joy to wander among the settings. All in all, a nicely packaged adventure HO game with happy ending and non-gloomy journey among an enchanted forest.
The story itself is formulaic, but narrated with well done movie style cut scenes.
The ending is conclusive and not frustrating to accomplish. If you appreciate imaginative, beautiful artwork, this game is a joy to wander among the settings. All in all, a nicely packaged adventure HO game with happy ending and non-gloomy journey among an enchanted forest.
I recommend this game!