laranna2's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.4
- Helpful Votes:15
- Reviews Submitted:5
- First Review:May 27, 2022
- Most Recent Review:July 24, 2022
- Featured reviews0
laranna2's Review History
In this remastered classic, reawaken in that mysterious castle, and solve perplexing puzzles to escape!
Overall rating
5
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
Beautifully flawless
PostedJuly 24, 2022
laranna2
fromUK
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I played this game when it first came out and still thoroughly enjoyed playing again. All the new games trying to get by with flashy visuals need to take note, this type of game is exactly what brought most of us to this game genre. Challenging HOPS with combos of mini games & interactivity mixed into them, chef's kiss. Games that were challenging without frustrating the player to the skip button. Everything was relevent to the time period of the game. Collectables were fun to find without straining my optic nerves. Every scene was beautiful, the art was astounding.
1 scene had 7 mini games in total, amazing, and don't get me started on my Mahjong love.
I enjoyed this game more than most ive played in years and there wasn't even a villian to defeat, just had to break the enchantment on the castle.
The closest to this type of game ive played recently are the the older Dark Parables & the superb Five BN Lostlands games and their other series are also good too. Domini need to pay attention.
I would recomment this game all day every day, and anyone reading, please note all the 1star reviews are based on technical issies, not the game itself.
I still have the whole series of Awakening and will now be replaying the entire series.
My only downs were the Harp game was quite hard with such long sequences to remember & in the bonus chapter, the statue date game was impossible unless you'd done the Heritage pic game first, but it still alllowed you to try it.
1 scene had 7 mini games in total, amazing, and don't get me started on my Mahjong love.
I enjoyed this game more than most ive played in years and there wasn't even a villian to defeat, just had to break the enchantment on the castle.
The closest to this type of game ive played recently are the the older Dark Parables & the superb Five BN Lostlands games and their other series are also good too. Domini need to pay attention.
I would recomment this game all day every day, and anyone reading, please note all the 1star reviews are based on technical issies, not the game itself.
I still have the whole series of Awakening and will now be replaying the entire series.
My only downs were the Harp game was quite hard with such long sequences to remember & in the bonus chapter, the statue date game was impossible unless you'd done the Heritage pic game first, but it still alllowed you to try it.
Nostalgia that is worth it completely.
I recommend this game!
Bring an end to the Swamp Witch’s terror!
Overall rating
3
/
5
7 of 8 found this review helpful
Nice Story but plagued with quite a few bugs
PostedJuly 23, 2022
laranna2
fromUK
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I enjoyed the storyline and visuals, although the ending on the SE was VERY abrupt, yet again punishing those who can't afford to pay double for CE, yet we're still customers.
I hate generic cliche problems, and this had 3 broken key scenario's, i mean come on, i know it's a fantasy game but utterly unrealistic. Oh and at least two statues as hammers & I didn;t even play the Bonus.
Several mini games & HOPS had bugs or fatal flaws.
The painting mini game was so faded it was for me to discern the colours needed.
The swamp maze mini game was good once i knew what to do, but the description was poor.
The wall HOP in the cell had a compass rose listed as a star & a lantern listed as the sun, huh? had to use hint twice as i was baffled.
the carriage mini game was too sensitive, registering a hit when the screen didn't
Greenhouse HOP, spot the differnce wouldn't register anything on the upper half of the screen.
The painting mini game was so faded it was for me to discern the colours needed.
The swamp maze mini game was good once i knew what to do, but the description was poor.
The wall HOP in the cell had a compass rose listed as a star & a lantern listed as the sun, huh? had to use hint twice as i was baffled.
the carriage mini game was too sensitive, registering a hit when the screen didn't
Greenhouse HOP, spot the differnce wouldn't register anything on the upper half of the screen.
Things i like alot; making potions/tea and the HOP with the chopping, very satisfying. Multi q's with characters. When i saw the hut walk away, i chuckled at the thought of the writer having recently watched the Witcher season 2.
I do think they missed an opportunity for a spell mini game when entering the basement in Martha's house.
The bugs took me out of the story & i beleive i would have rated this 4star if not for them. i'd recomend getting as a SE as i don't think a glitched game deserves CE price even for more content, tho i do really wonder what im missing with th ebonus chapter, was a good storyline.
I recommend this game!
A sinister revenge plot is tearing a kingdom apart!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Beautiful graphics & art but disappointing ending
PostedJuly 23, 2022
laranna2
fromUK
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Strategy
Current Favorite:
Lost Lands: Dark Overlord
(36)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I enjoyed the game overall and the visuals were beautiful. I only played the SE so no bonus chapter or collectables.
I love fantasy but still like realsim in situations, such as fussing about digging with your hands during an emergency, or just smashing the glass instead of hoping for a random diamond ring. I also cant believe anyone would treat tools such as crowbars, knives, etc as once use only objects, so that bugs me. And why oh why is an antidote bpx locked?!
I love fantasy but still like realsim in situations, such as fussing about digging with your hands during an emergency, or just smashing the glass instead of hoping for a random diamond ring. I also cant believe anyone would treat tools such as crowbars, knives, etc as once use only objects, so that bugs me. And why oh why is an antidote bpx locked?!
there were a lot of unimaginative scenarios such as the glass/diamond, fan for smoke, statues as hammers, squirrels/nuts. HOWEVER there were a few nice surprises; skull to dig, glove made of leaves, honeydipper to collect resin & melting resin off something.
the mini games were enjoyable & i played almost all on hardmode. A few were broken; Bestiary game 3, the lining up must be perfect lest it resets the game, the harp mini game had multiple right answers yet it would only accept one, with no way to know which one, so i had to skip in the end (not happy as my only deliberate skip) Bestiary 5 i had to switch to easy as wouldn't register the answer as complete on hard mode. the archery game skipped by mistake as the targeting button went behind the skip button, big error Domini, i was enjoying that & can't redo as i was on SE not CE.
the HOP's based on sillohettes need to make the clue clearer, as i was looking for a either a teacup or top hat, when it was actually a plantpot
Overall a good game but with several gameplay flaws that annoyed, surely this is what beta testers are for. I was disappointed in the total lack of ending unless it was continues in the CE bonus chapter, so it felt like a punishment for being on SE. SE players are still customers.
I recommend this game!
You won’t need to call her three times… She’s already here!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Enjoyable when the game doesn't glitch out
PostedJuly 23, 2022
laranna2
fromUK
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Lost Lands: Dark Overlord
(36)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is my 1st in depth review so i made notes as i played,
I love this type of game but hate the repeated trope of soltions & unrealism to real life scenarios, who cares if you get dusty or dirty, you dont have time to find a duster when someone's dying, just smash the glass case, don't hope for a diamond ring. i also dislike items that don't belong in oler time periods and everyday tools treated as one use items, like knives, screwdrivers, etc. if i'm on an adventure, im keeping hold of these things.
This game had generic signet ring opens briefcase, metal items in water not rusty, every fountain/drain tap broken. everyday objects buried/hidden in safes as if they were Spanish treasure. almost every statue was a hammer & i lost count of how many latches were solved with a magnet.
I love this type of game but hate the repeated trope of soltions & unrealism to real life scenarios, who cares if you get dusty or dirty, you dont have time to find a duster when someone's dying, just smash the glass case, don't hope for a diamond ring. i also dislike items that don't belong in oler time periods and everyday tools treated as one use items, like knives, screwdrivers, etc. if i'm on an adventure, im keeping hold of these things.
This game had generic signet ring opens briefcase, metal items in water not rusty, every fountain/drain tap broken. everyday objects buried/hidden in safes as if they were Spanish treasure. almost every statue was a hammer & i lost count of how many latches were solved with a magnet.
BIG WARNING, DO NOT ABANDON THE RITUAL IN MARY'S HOUSE, you will not be able to return to it & will have to redo the game.
The mini games were pretty decent, i played them all on hard mode & found them enjoyable, but most were easy, with a few challenging exceptions. The 1st one in the mirror world which had annoying timing & I almost skipped that one.
Some cool alternative solutions i liked ; shoehorn trowel, tightening screws instead of removing, special flower crushed to wake a person, cup & seal as a morter & pestle, large leaf as paper, nutcracker as a wrench. plaster instead of tape for wires, suction cup to open drawer, mirror to burn a symbol, fountain pen as a knife & shrinkwrap to fix wires.
Things i loved; the optional side quests that were added. The occasional warnings that I wouldn't be able to go back before doing certain tasks, wish that happened at the end of every chapter so we can make sure we have all collectables, i missed one due to this.
Things I disliked; the story was good but felt less and less to do with Bloody Mary as it went on. Would have prefered more within the mirror realm. Main character using phone while driving (not on handsfree), pedantic I know, but hated it anyway. Having to find objects to make birds fly away, tools being single use.
Bugs; as i said before, beware the ritual in Mary's house, i had to restart the game again. some items in HOP's not registering when clicked, then hint buttons shows it was correct, very frustrating. Items misnamed in HOPS, a brush isn't a comb, a twig with leaves was described a feather, which left me clicking futily on an actual feather, hint had to be used when this was preventable. Items in the main game misnamed as well, such as a sapphire callled a ruby, a door handle called a metal pen, etc. One HOP in the Bonus chapter had so many text errors, it was anyone's guess what we were ment to click. what were your beta testers doing missing these things?
Really dislike the change to the collectable taskbar in the game itself & the inability to find them via the extras section once game complete.
Really dislike the change to the collectable taskbar in the game itself & the inability to find them via the extras section once game complete.
I would still recommend the game, and the bonus chapter was quite good & not too short, making the CE worth it, even if the collectables didn't live up to much. I do wish we got more about Mary & the mirror realm, missed opportunity there. maybe the Bonus chapter could have been her learning to live within it.
I recommend this game!
A mysterious abduction and a strange hospital lead to a terrible secret!
Overall rating
1
/
5
Not value for money
PostedMay 27, 2022
laranna2
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
this was one of the quickest games i've played in a very long time. Disappointing to say the least. There was little to no storyline, and the main story was barely any longer than the bonus chapter, which itself was a slightly short rehash of the same main story & locations. Really wish Big Fish offered refunds as even if i'd taken the free trial first it would not let me know just how short the game was.
I don't recommend this game.