Hi Lily, Hi Anki!   

Sorry to anyone who might have been waiting for the 2 full reviews I promised but I've either been super busy, super sick, or lying in front of 2 fans, not moving, desperately trying not to melt in the heat we had last week!



So, today when I saw that today's TGT released by BFG was a game I'd bought and played on my Android last January 2017, I tried to find my game review but, alas, I couldn't find it.  So I checked to see if GameHouse had it and replayed it so I could review it for you.  It's a fun game so it wasn't a chore to play it again.



One thing to note … BFG only has the SE without any of the extras that both the Android and GameHouse's release have.  Those extras are:

Achievements
Concept Art
Replay 6 HOPs
Replay 6 MGs
Collectibles
  -  20  Morphing Objects (super hard! I only found 12 out of 20!)
  -  10  Trading Cards (easier than the MOs but still tricky, like in the middle of a labyrinth!)

If you really want to play with those extras but don't have a GameHouse FunPass, you can purchase the full game for the following prices:

  -  GameHouse  -  Retail - $9.99  -  Subscribers - $5.99
  -  Android  -  6.99 EUR  (I think also $6.99 but don't quote me)

So, here's a short review.  I will try and get all 3 full game reviews posted but I'm really busy this week with doctors' appointments, etc, but I'll see what I can do.


Faces of Reality: The Twin Phantoms

Developer  -  Moonrise Interactive

Publisher  -  Artifex Mundi  

Released  -  Android  -  21 February 2017
                  -  GameHouse  -  25 August 2017
                  -  BFG  -  4 June 2018

Extras  -  as above  -  only Android and GH release, not BFG

Length  -  good length  -  took me about 5 hours, with no help and playing slowly, as usual for me

HOPs  -  these were harder than the MGs and a mixture  -  all fun  -  lists change

MGs  -  much easier than the HOPs but some were different and all were fun!

Gameplay  -  thinky! 

I was going around and around in circles, trying not to use any hints, and finally found something I hadn't noticed that I had to pick up in one of the zoom scenes!  It was hidden in the shadow under a plate.  Also, you are accompanied for most of the game by the young brother of the woman you're trying to save and sometimes you have to give him something so that he can do something for you, or get him to get something for you that you can't reach.  And there's nothing to tell you when you have to do this.  So a few times, once again I was going around and around, trying to find an area I'd missed - either a HOP or an active area or something else - until I finally, FINALLY! worked out that I needed help from my little friend. 

There's also very little back and forth, looking for things you need to open things, for example.   You just continue forward, maybe taking a few inventory items with you, but most of what you'll need you'll find in each scene.  The scenes are like big minigames, trying to work out what you need, what you can use in the scene, and then working out how to do it.  You need some keys to open things and maybe a couple of amulet things, but there are also some novel ideas about how to open things, like a door.  There are also 2 labyrinths you have to navigate, but you play minigames to get the maps, and then have to navigate the labyrinths using them.  In one you have to overcome some obstacles when you reach a cave and can't keep going.  And don't forget to look out for those Trading Cards!  Both labyrinths have one somewhere along the way.  As to whether they have morphs, I didn't find any, but considering I didn't find 8 of them, who knows?

Nothing's hard - not the gameplay, the HOPs, the MIGs, the collectibles (well, the morphs sure are hard!  I only found 12 out of 20, and that was the only achievement I didn't get) - but you really have to think and there are some out-of-the box solutions to some problems, which make you think and adds some fun. 

Recommendation  -  Yes!

It's a fun game and definitely worth a PCC.  However, if you have a FunPass, it's even more fun trying to find all those collectibles!

It's a definite thumbs up from me!


 

I finished House of 1000 Doors: Serpent's Flame + the bonus game.  A decent game with a long bonus game. 

Anki...Thanks so much for mentioning Phantasmat: Town of Lost Hope.  After being so disappointed with Phantasmat: Mournful Loch because of it having no story and wasn't a fun game to play.  I was hesitant to try another Phantasmat game until you mentioned how much you liked Phantasmat: Town of Lost Hope.  I gave it a shot and absolutely loved it.
 

I actually played a game this week!   

An Adventure/Simulation/Horror game that I bought in the GOG sale that's on at the moment.

And I HIGHLY recommend it!  And there's even a demo so you can try it first!


Stories Untold


Released on GOG:    27 February 2017

Current price in the GOG sale (until 18 June 2018):    2.49 euro  -  around $3?  (which is -75%)

Developer:    No Code Studios

Publisher:    Devolver Digital


Gameplay:

It's really difficult to describe the gameplay in this game as each episode is totally different and it's unlike any game I've ever played before.

Half the game is played by typing things, either like the old games when you typed to play - eg, "Look around yard", "Use key" - or typing instructions into equipment - eg. when you're carrying out an experiment.  You also have to use a microfiche machine, just like using a real one, which really brought back memories for me.  Episode 1 is totally text driven, where you type instructions as to what you should do, and then the story is typed above.

The other half of the game is wandering around in FPP, trying to work out what the heck's going on.  Eg, in the second half of Episode 2, you wander around outside in a blizzard in Greenland, and in Episode 4, you wander around a deserted hospital. 

You wander around using your mouse and arrow keys at the same time and, for anyone who has problems with FPP games like me, ie. feeling sick, I managed this game without any problems, unlike every other FPP game I've tried.


Story:

Sorry, but the whole point of this game is that you have absolutely no idea what's going on!  All for episodes are totally different.  And I mean totally different!  You have no idea what's going on until the last episode, when it all suddenly falls into place.  I loved not knowing what was going on or why the heck I was doing something. 

It's a horror game and in the first episode, which is entirely set in an abandoned holiday house belonging to your parents, it's entirely text-driven with you entering instructions.  It's really creepy - well, it is a horror game - and you don't know what's going on, especially as every time you do something again, it changes.  For example, every time you click on the note your dad left for you it changes, eventually becoming illegible as it drips blood.

And you're alone for the entire game, never seeing a single other person or living thing.  However, you do communicate with people over loud speakers, etc.

However, I didn't read a single review where someone liked the ending.  The ending is done well but no one liked the way the story ended, including me.  But don't let that put you off; the rest of the game more than makes up for it and I will definitely replay this game, even knowing how it ends.  I'd love to hear what everyone else thinks, should anyone play it.


Difficulty:

Difficult to know what to do but not difficult to actually do it once you've worked it out (but there's a written walkthrough on Steam and there are lots of video walkthroughs on YouTube, so it's really playable no matter what level player you are). 

You'll also need pen and paper - ah, remember the good old days? - as there is absolutely no hand holding and you'll have to write everything down so that you can use it later.

For example, you have to type instructions into various machines.  One example:

Rot.x [x]
Actuate.y [y]
Point.1 [z]

where you have to work out what x, y and z are from clues you're given, clues that are to be found in something you've already done.


Length:

Episode 1  -  about 40 minutes
Episode 2  -  about 1 hour
Episode 3  -  about 1 hr 45 mins
Episode 4  -  about 1 hour 30 mins


Recommendation:  YES, YES YES!

I absolutely LOVED this game, even though I had no idea what on earth I was doing most of the time.  Well, I knew what I was doing but had absolutely no idea why, as each episode is so different in both story and gameplay.  

This game is like nothing I've ever played before and, if anyone wants something totally out of the box, this is it!  I didn't find it scary (although some reviewers said that they did), just eerie and confusing as to what the heck was going on.  The sound effects created a very atmospheric/creepy atmosphere and really added to the story.

And for the current sale price you can't go wrong.

But there's a demo so you can try it before you buy it.  Just remember that the bit you play in the demo - Episode 1 - is totally different to the rest of the game, which comprises doing things like experiments and wandering around in FPP.



 

I've just finished playing a HOPA CE!   
And it was one of the best CEs I've ever played!   
Pity it only had one of the things that are so important to me in a HOPA.   
Which just goes to show what a great game it was!   

So, here's my usual quick review.  I'll try and post a full review in my review thread while I'm watching the F1.


Darkarta - A Broken Heart's Quest CE

Developer:    TuttiFrutti Interactive  (India)


Of the 5 things that are super important to me and that are the deciding factors as to whether I buy a game or not - touch, icon changes, helpful messages, plus-item indicators, task box - the only thing this game offered was to be able to turn off the helpful messages.  Normally, I wouldn't have played this game.  However, as I buy so few HOPAs now because of the 5 criteria above, I looked at GameHouse to see if there was a recent BFG game that I could play to review for you, and I noticed that Darkarta had been released by both.  I almost stopped playing as soon as I realised that I would have to play using the mouse (I won't even demo games that I can't play using touch) but decided to persevere for a while longer and I'm glad I did as it's a wonderful game and I recommend it for everyone!

It has gorgeous graphics, where every single scene would be a fantastic wallpaper.  It has morphing objects as well as collectible memories (which can be anything and are really touching when you look at them in the extras).  However, you can't go back to collect any you missed and I somehow missed one single memory.

It is also very original - minigames, HOPs, location (India) and gameplay.  Everything flows really smoothly and at no point did I feel Been There Done That.  Even minigames that you've done countless times before have a twist.  For example, in the bonus game, there's a minigame that has 3x3 squares and you have to put flowers into the 9 squares so that the number of flowers in every row, column and diagonal add up to 15.  How many times have we come across that in a game?  However, in this game, the flowers are found in groups of various numbers of flowers, from 1 single flower up.  And each of the 9 squares have little green lights showing how many groups of flowers were to be in each square. So, not only do you have to work out how many flowers you need (easy) but you have to work out which groups of flowers you need in each square to make up the required number (harder).  It was easy to do as you start with flowers in some of the squares, but it was different when I had to then swap around groups of flowers to get the required number of groups in each square.

HOPs:    The HOPs are varied (but you get more simple lists the further into the game you get, but even with them, once you've finished the listed objects another list pops up) and the HOPs that aren't straight lists aren't all that easy - and they're fun!  Even the ones with straight lists have some very well hidden objects!

Minigames:   You're given very few instructions and often have to work them out through trial and error, adding some difficulty.  Some are multi-level and in one I got halfway through then had to go away and only return to finish it once I'd found whatever it was I needed for the next level.  They range from easy peasy to huh?  One of the minigames even contained one of the morphing objects!  I was lucky I noticed it as it was very faint right in the front of the screen and I can't believe I actually saw it!

Length:    The main game is looooooooooooong!  Almost 8 hours for me!  Although the in-game timer said 9:18 hours (I must have taken some breaks while the game kept timing me).  There's a time achievement - the first level is playing the game in under 10 hours - the second level is playing the main game in under 4 hours - obviously neither of which I got.

Bonus Game:    The bonus game continues on directly from the end of the main game, completing the story.  You play as another character and bring the character you play in the main game back to the land of the living.  However, it's very short (for me, playing slowly, only about 50 mins), which was a shock after the super long main game and thus, even though the main game ends abruptly and sadly, I don't recommend the CE to complete the game.  You can guess what the bonus game must be by the ending of the main game.  There are only one HOP and a few minigames and the collectibles don't continue into the bonus game.  

Recommendation:    SE definitely  -  CE only if you want the collectibles and extras - bonus game way too short!


 

Hi stuesue. Yes, it was me.I Beta  tested from the very beginning to the very end. You didn't mention the comic book. There are some scenes where you can't return once you finish. That might have been where you missed the memory object.. tuttifrutti is a relatively new developer. Now that BFG FINALLY accepted the game they want to port it to Mac and translate to German. And a bunch of other languages.