nextgengranny's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.3
- Helpful Votes:1,479
- Reviews Submitted:129
- First Review:May 1, 2016
- Most Recent Review:October 14, 2018
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Dreamscapes: The Sandman
Be the one to save Laura from her nightmares
Overall rating
4
/
5
GG is still GG. :)
PostedJune 25, 2017
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Just finished replaying this game, & decided to make a few quick comments. :) As the title of this review indicates, even though this game is 4 years old at this point, good game is still good game. Though I failed to note the exact length of time it took me to play it just now, a good guess would be about 3 hours, & that's after having played it enough times in the past that there's nothing for me to "figure out" at this point...so lengthwise, I'd say that's pretty good. The graphics are quite good, & I enjoy the variety of settings you play in. There are no HO scenes; objects you require are simply placed in the various scenes. The selection of mini-games is really good, in my opinion; there's a range of difficulty, & they're not the same old same old. There's a cool little critter ("Benny") who shows up from time to time & performs actions that aid you, though he's not your standard helper; you don't "acquire" him, & you never know where he'll show up. Finally, there are collectibles in the form of bizarre entities known as "beholders", doubtless named so because the one thing they all have in common is a single great large eye. O.O I notice that some reviewers found them creepy, but that's actually what I like about them. You find them not only in the larger areas but in zoom zones as well, & there may be anywhere from 1-7 of them to find in any given spot; thankfully, there's a pull tab on the left that keeps track of how many you've found/have yet to find. About 80% are easy to spot, about 15% are harder to spot, & about 5% make me what to pull my hair out after a while, so there's a variety of difficulty there, as well. One other thing that I saw mentioned by another reviewer that I've never thought to try myself: Apparently if you hold an inventory item over the hint button, it gives you an indication of where/how it's to be used. I can't actually speak to that, but I just thought I'd mention it. In summary, I've gotten a lot of enjoyable play out of this game, so it's definitely proven to be good value for the money for me; & if you play this game & enjoy it, there's a sequel available, as well. I definitely recommend doing the demo on this, & seeing what you think. :)
I recommend this game!
What mysteries are hiding in your family's history?
Overall rating
2
/
5
5 of 7 found this review helpful
Pretty...
PostedJune 25, 2017
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Based on the demo: I demoed this game because it was offered as the "Daily Deal", figuring that at that price, I couldn't possibly go wrong. Unfortunately, the demo was so deadly dull that not even the low, low price of just 2.99 was enough to entice me to purchase. The graphics are mostly gorgeous, but other than that, I find nothing to recommend about this game. The storyline seems kind of hokey, which isn't a deal breaker for me in & of itself, but the gameplay was just so BORING...mostly just back & forth & back & forth, find one object here, use it there, get a piece of an object to combine w/ two others to use over there...& on & on & on. The HO scenes were moderately interactive; the mini-games were all very simple. The game just didn't excel in any way at all except the graphics, & that isn't enough to make it worth playing, particularly when it seems as though the lion's share of your time is going to be spent running back & forth (the map teleports, but it's still endless, mindless back-&-forthing, it's just faster that way). All I can really say is, when a game's practically being given away, I'm hankering for a new game...& I STILL don't want it? Houston, we have a problem.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you defeat the mist and find your lost brother?
Overall rating
2
/
5
3 of 6 found this review helpful
About an hour & a half longer than I ended-up wanting it to be.
PostedJune 22, 2017
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Got this game on sale for 65% off, & I'm sure glad, because I would've been really unhappy if I blew a coupon or a credit on it. It took me about four hours to play, & as the title of this review states, that ended-up being about an hour & a half too long. Too much back-&-forthing, too many things that made no sense whatsoever, & too many junk heaps (all visited twice). I stuck it out to the end because I paid for it, but I can't imagine wanting to play it again.
I don't recommend this game.
What will you do when a fairy tale curse shows up on your doorstep?
Overall rating
3
/
5
8 of 14 found this review helpful
Actual Rating: 2.5 Stars
PostedJune 18, 2017
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Based on the demo: I actually feel a bit sheepish admitting I kind of like this game; I'm a pretty harsh critic at times, & based on my own purported standards, this game definitely falls short in some ways (OOPS!). :D The "mini-games" are so absurdly easy that I finished the demo feeling as though there hadn't been any. The HO scenes, on the other hand, I thought were much better done; there's a fair amount of variety, & items aren't always so easy to spot (sometimes that's because they're tiny, though, so be warned). The graphics vary from being drear & almost "out of focus" in some areas, to spare yet crisp & lovely in others. The storyline is yet another iteration of the timeworn "save a world or two" theme, but I'm okay w/ that; the characters encountered thus far have been interesting, though interaction w/ them has been fairly brief. I think what's actually attracting me to this game is something in the overall flavor of it; it's mostly set in a sort of fairytale world, & thus far, it definitely has that flavor for me, of something so old & otherworldly, it's mostly been forgotten. I suppose it comes down to the fact that I want to see more of what the dev does with this world. :) Going forward, I personally think they'll have to up the level of gameplay & lavish a bit more time & attention if they want this series to be a success, but I'm intrigued enough to take this first step w/ them, & then see how we get on. As always, do the demo, & see what you yourself think...we all have our own tastes, & mine are pretty erratic at times. O.O ;) Happy gaming!
Can you find the Flower of Life, before the Dragon Clan does?
Overall rating
2
/
5
14 of 25 found this review helpful
Pass.
PostedJune 17, 2017
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Based on the demo: This game looks to be one that proceeds at a fairly plodding pace. The graphics are okay, but the graphics in the HO scenes are a downgrade from the graphics overall, which never pleases me; I like my eye candy, & nice graphics in HO scenes significantly increase my pleasure in playing them. The scenes themselves were okay in other regards, w/ varying degrees of interaction. Of the three mini-games I recall, one was very simple, another had a degree of challenge I think most folks would find agreeable, & one I found flat annoying. As regards that third one, it's one in which you have to connect each end of four cables to the correct symbol; the reason I found it so annoying is because the cables dangle down in front of the symbols, obscuring your view of them to the point where many of them are impossible to make out without moving the cables out of the way. This sort of device is something I positively loathe in mini-games, as the mini-game itself isn't inherently challenging, the dev has simply created a visual barrier to make it so. Also, I saw no way of resetting any of the mini-games (something I made a point of looking for, as that's the case in the one game in this series I've purchased to date). As regards the storyline, thus far, it's been fairly predictable; I did find it odd, however, that "mom", who's a scientist, couldn't figure out how to get someone out of the water who's only floating about three feet from shore. Activities thus far have related to the story, as opposed to being randomly thrown in, so that's a plus. Collectibles in this game are varied, include morphs, & range from being easy to somewhat difficult to spot; the "little helper" hasn't been used much thus far, so it's difficult to know whether it will prove annoying or not, but my guess would be probably not. As always, do the demo, & see what you think; for myself, having done so, I'll pass.
Search the Siberian forests for your missing husband.
Overall rating
3
/
5
11 of 14 found this review helpful
Possibly.
PostedJune 11, 2017
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Based on the demo: I'm on the fence w/ this game, but I'll ultimately probably decide to blow a coupon on it, & give it a go. On the one hand, the graphics are okay, some of the mini-games thus far have been entertaining, & I appreciate the setting; on the other hand, the HO scenes thus far have been uninspired, & there's been a LOT of cut scenes, etc. I fear this may be a short game in terms of actual gameplay, but it's only a coupon, I've no other prospects right now, & I might be pleasantly surprised...hope springs eternal, yes? ;) As always, I recommend doing the demo, & seeing what you yourself think...& since SEs seldom garner near as many reviews as CEs, I'd suggest checking out the reviews on the CE page, as well. Happy gaming, all. :)
The flutist returns to Hamelin, but he’s back for revenge!
Overall rating
2
/
5
33 of 44 found this review helpful
Another "maybe-as-an-SE-with-a-coupon" game. :(
PostedJune 8, 2017
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Based on the demo: So, I have every game in this series thus far, & even though I thought the last one showed a decline in overall quality, I was still excited to see this offered today; even more so once I began playing & learned that the "little helper" was optional. Unfortunately, this game fell completely flat for me where the mini-games are concerned. The graphics are okay, though not as good, imo, as they used to be from this dev; the storyline is kind of neither here nor there, as it doesn't look to be very fresh or creative, but that's not necessarily a deal breaker for me (I do have to say, though, that for having trotted around 7 different areas by the conclusion of the demo, I didn't feel as though I'd accomplished much, as most of it was spent chasing down bits & bobs to place here & there to open this & that). Two of the HO scenes were quite fun, & I will be hoping to see reviews submitted by folks who have completed the game, indicating whether the quality of the HO scenes is maintained throughout. It's also perhaps worth noting that the demo only took me 45 minutes to complete, & that the collectibles are quite easy to spot (a plus or a minus, depending on how you see it). Overall, the full HO scenes (as opposed to the windows, where you find 5 pieces of something) were the high point of this game for me, thus far; & I absolutely salute the dev for making the helper optional. Unfortunately, the lack of fun, stimulating mini-games, coupled w/ the possibility of a fairly short game, precludes this as a CE choice for me. Because I believe there are many who will enjoy this game, I won't go so far as to not recommend it, but unless you're indifferent to or don't care for mini-games, I can't strongly recommend it, either. As always, the best bet is to do the demo, & see what you think.
Explore the four corners of Oz in this thrilling fantasy game!
Overall rating
2
/
5
12 of 15 found this review helpful
Maybe as an SE, if I'm starting to get "twitchy". ;
PostedJune 2, 2017
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Based on the demo only: Just no challenge at all to this game so far. No, I don't play hard core, & I don't intend to start; I'm an "intermediate level" gamer, & I'm happy that way. I have no desire whatsoever to give up my quick hint & skip options so that I feel more challenged. What I DO want is at least a FEW mini-games that require me to activate my grey matter for longer than five seconds. The HO scenes in this game are mainly of the interactive list sort, & seem fine; the graphics, I'm not a fan of, but they're not a deal breaker; the collectibles are too limited to even be a factor for me. I'm not crazy about "helpers", but this one really isn't bad; the mini-game associated w/ the gadget, on the other hand (spot the differences), I'm not a fan of at all. As for the storyline, I know from experience w/ this dev (& this series in particular) to expect clever, quirky characters, which adds to the enjoyment in my book; so, as long as the story doesn't go too wide, it will probably prove enjoyable in that regard. Unfortunately, I fear it may be on the short side (I was able to complete the demo twice in the allotted time), so that's another reason I'm not willing to purchase this as a CE. As always, do the demo, & see what you think; as for me, I'll bide a wee. ;)
Journey to the mythical Nine Worlds to save the Earth!
Overall rating
2
/
5
7 of 16 found this review helpful
Not an impressive debut.
PostedMay 31, 2017
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Most of what there is to say about this game has already been said by other reviewers...I mainly just want to submit that my low opinion of it is based on playing the main game through twice & the bonus chapter once, as opposed to just the demo. The storyline in the main game, which I thought started out okay, lost cohesion about midway through; the first time I played it, I got to point where I was referring to the map every time I turned around to see where I should be headed next, as the storyline more often than not didn't make that clear, in & of itself. I was hoping that since we have collectible tiles in this game, we might be rewarded w/ a mosaic to assemble, but no such luck. There's not that many morphs to find (about 10 or so) in the HO scenes, & the third group of collectibles I spaced off altogether, so I tried to collect them through the extras menu, but was unable to do so, due to a glitch. There's one HO scene that's innovative, the rest are mostly standard stock; some of the mini-games were new to me, but there weren't that many I really enjoyed, & the directions on some were just flat bad (there's one I still don't get, & all the SG shows is the solution, so I guess I never will). The graphics ranged in quality from excellent to mediocre, & there were certain elements (SPOILER ALERT) such as the elevator (in Asgard, of all places) that were just too ludicrous for words. I bought this game w/o a proper demo (started it & walked away "for a minute", & you can probably guess the rest), & in retrospect, I wish I'd waited to demo the SE first. The reviews are pretty split on this one, so I guess as usual I'll recommend doing the demo, & seeing what you think; but unless "Volume II" is a considerable improvement, I doubt this is a series I'll continue to invest in. I will say that a more cohesive storyline & more consistent graphics would have made a world of difference to this game.
I don't recommend this game.
Open a puzzle box to unlock four extraordinary worlds!
Overall rating
4
/
5
42 of 60 found this review helpful
Finally! :D
PostedFebruary 18, 2017
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based on the demo: I've been waiting for the next installment in this series since the first one ("Subliminal Realms") came out, one & a half years ago. It's been so long, I thought perhaps Boolat had decided not to pursue it as a series, after all...so you can imagine how tickled I was to see this come up as today's game in the forum! :D Two of the things I love about this dev is the care they take in crafting their games, & the creativity they show in creating fantastical worlds; & what I've seen thus far hasn't disappointed in either regard. This dev really has their own unique way of combining whimsy w/ oddity, to the point where I think most folks will react to it strongly, one way or another. In my case, as much as I also enjoy "reality-based" graphics, games like this one are the kind that unfailingly make me laugh out loud. The HO scenes I've encountered thus far have been multi-layered, w/ generally some manner of wee puzzle included, & have varied in their presentation; mini-games have been plentiful, but unfortunately, while enjoyable, they haven't been very challenging, which is why I rated this game 4 stars instead of 5. (This dev usually does include at least a few more challenging mini-games, so I'm still hopeful in that regard.) Collectibles consist of two kinds of crystals, as well as morphing masks. The masks morph quickly, but they only appear for a moment, so some attention is called for in that regard; most of the crystals haven't been too difficult to spot thus far, but the number per scene varies, & some have been quite inconspicuous, so there is a bit of challenge there. The storyline has only been "sketched" to this point, but our nemesis, whom we encounter only briefly in the demo, is the deliciously evil sort, so I'm genuinely sparked to see what happens next. I really can't afford to buy a CE right now, so I'm exerting my will not to hit the "buy" button, just yet...only time will tell if I succeed or not. ;) As for everyone else, unless you're an absolute, hardcore "real-world-ist", I very much recommend doing the demo, & seeing what you think. Happy gaming!
I recommend this game!