Finish Your Games Challenge » DEMO REVIEWS

freyasmom · May 8, 2015 9:22 am

Queen's Tales: Sins of the Past

Based on both the CE and SE demos.

I have to admit, the storyline was lost on me. Nothing in the demo really adhered to the title of the game. Also, in the intro, your character is being told your Grandmother's Story .... so then why is everything seemingly being done by you???

Also, at the beginning of the game, a disembodied voice tells you that a thief stole your father's most valuable item .... without saying WHAT that item is. It continues to say that your Elf Doll was your BF but was arrested. No more on this tidbit of info .... as we proceed to 13 years later and the beginning of the game play.

The graphics were very well done, although there was a lot of gold/orange in some of the HOGs. The music was SUPER creepy, especially on the game title page. I mean ..... total EXCELLENCE! I almost purchased the game then and there! The sound fx were also very well done as were the voice overs.

There are 4 difficulty modes: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom. All the modes can seemingly be changed, but when you DO change something you are automatically in the "custom" setting.

You have the option to set the tutorial: Full Tutorial, Features Only and No Tutorial. That's a nice feature, especially for the more experienced of players.

There is a task list, a transportable map (I didn't use it as I only traveled between 2 destinations each time I moved through the game play), and a helper in the form of a phoenix who dissipates the dark force whenever it is nearby. The phoenix is by no means annoying as it sits in it's little corner of the game page .... not making any sounds ..... just waiting to do its little thing. There is no journal/diary.

HOGS (hidden object games) were interactive lists and silhouettes. Mini games, while being fresh, new and innovative, ran the gamut of easy to mind numbing. I usually don't skip a mini game but there was one that had me completely flummoxed.

CE Bling:

I found this area very lacking in substance. There are plenty of the usual items: Strategy Guide, wallpaper, screensavers, music, etc. but I couldn't find a reference to a Bonus Game anywhere. The only additional items are the following:

* 12 Fortune Telling Cards to find - not always the easiest and not in every scene.
* Map Puzzle ... (?)
* Match 3 Game
* Collections ---- this appears to be pieces of a chess board. When you find a chess piece, you will get a bit of chess trivia.

While I felt the "pull" to purchase the game when I heard the creepy music, I'm glad I didn't. The demo was .... confusing. Are we hearing our Grandmother's story or do WE somehow become the story??? Is your Grandmother's story linked to the thief stealing your father's most valuable item? What IS the most valuable item? Are we looking for it or rescuing your father? Or ... is it your Grandmother's father?

As you can tell, IMO, this game is truly confusing as to WHAT is actually going on. It lacks substance and rather than giving enough info during the demo to make me WANT to purchase the game, it only confuses me. For these reasons, and many more, this will not be a purchase for me.

Due to the lack of real CE Bling, I would recommend purchasing the SE, although I probably won't purchase that either.

For those who had a better experience playing the demo ...........

ENJOY!

Overall Impression: Not going to disappoint me NOT to get either the SE or the CE. A definite "pass".

freyasmom · May 10, 2015 10:53 am

House of 1000 Doors: Evil Inside

Based on both the CE and SE versions.

I do have some of the past "House" games but, unfortunately, they are stuck in the Land of Unplayed Games. Sigh.

The game started out well enough with an entertaining storyline.   After a meteor hits the planet Earth, a stranger arrives at your character's (Emily) front door and, with no explanation, whisks you away to a strange place and you both go through a portal. Uh.....no ..... ever hear of "stranger danger"? Nothing good can come of that.

The graphics were AMAZING! Better than home movies. I don't believe I've seen anything on this grand of a scale when it came to making the characters so realistic before. KUDOS to the Devs. The music was great! Not annoying ... although you may want to turn it down a bit ..... but also not creepy. Just good background music. Sound FX were great ..... even dripping water!

There are 4 modes of difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom. You can choose how much of a tutorial you want. I would highly recommend at least going for "Special Features" to learn how to use some of the unique items/powers are used.

You are immediately decked out with a journal that has both "notes" and "tasks" tabs. Check this often because there IS usual info in there. There is also a "task" tab ON the Inventory bar. The map is a blue compass below the journal. I was expecting to have to find it. ..... but no, you get it right away. it shows where you are, where objectives are and what area is completed. i like that it shows more than 1 area of objectives -- less handholding. An "Inner Light" power (which becomes a hand near the hint button), and a Siamese cat helper (not annoying ... no meows or dress me up ... just sits there quietly waiting to be moved to wherever you needed it) rpunds you out.

There are 3 portals you will need to go through. In the one portal I played, there were a plethora of things to do and, yes, some doors ................ many doors .................. to unlock and find the hidden "surprises". But, the main focus seemed to be the portals and NOT the doors.

The HOGS (hidden object games) were silhouette, very interactive and the interaction made sense. Find "a", use it to do something to an item, which will give you "b" and you will use that, in turn, to get "c" and so on. No alternative game to play such as match 3, bubble shooter, etc.

Mini Games were extremely varied and ran the gamut from very easy to "uh oh .... patience and perseverance required". I have NO patience so I had to persevere. I did have to skip 1 mini game because the instructions weren't very clear ... to me. i found an equal balance of HOGs to mini games.

CE Bling:

I think this area was a bit lacking. Yes, you are inundated with the usual wallpapers, music, making of, etc. Here are the "extras" I look out for:

*   Find 48 evil faces. I found these terribly difficult to find. But then, I also forgot about them BECAUSE they were not staring me in the face ... so to speak. You must find at least 1 Evil Face or finish the Bonus Game to unlock the Evil Hunt mode. Hmmmm. Also, on the Inventory bar there is a grayish teeny tiny eye (?) which will light up when you've found the Evil Eye in your playing area.

*   No morphing objects, statues, helper's room to decorate or anything like that. See? Extremely lacking.

I really, really thought I was convinced to purchase this game ... CE version and all .... about 10 minutes into the game. I'm glad I waited.

What I liked:

* The amazing graphics (almost worth purchasing it for that).
*   The music (but I never download it)
* That there are 48 Evil Faces to find. I found that I spent quite a bit of time in each area, so 48 faces/areas might mean a lengthy game.

What I disliked:

* The game was too campy. Although it started out very well ... very entertaining ..... it went downhill fast.   You DO a lot in each area. Mega amounts of "do this here, do that there ".... and the basis of the story ..... got lost in all the "doing" that didn't really need to be there. What a shame.

* CE Bling was extremely lacking.

I REALLY wanted to love this game I really wanted to love it. But, when the demo finished (and I used the entire 90 mins.), there was no "wow" factor for me. No "OMGosh I want MORE!" moment. I'm positively NOT going to purchase the CE.   I'm not even sure it's worth an SE coupon. It just ..... lacked .... everything.

For those who want to disinfect the world ...............

ENJOY!

Overall Impression: Not worth a CE price with so much lacking in the CE Bling area. Didn't hit my "wow" button but worth trying the demo.

freyasmom · May 10, 2015 8:57 pm

Myths of the World: The Heart of Desolation

Based on both the SE and CE demos.

The storyline for this addition to the "Myths" series is very unique. It grabbed my interest from the very beginning when the narrator says "Only the greatest myths last through the ages. This myth is from an ancient land and forged in fire".

The graphics are so very well done. The colors are spot on and there was no over-use of the colored crayons. The music was very oriental ... fluid and melodic. I enjoyed listening to it during the demo The voice overs were also extremely well done. Although I wonder why MY character never really spoke. Lots of reading here.

There are 4 levels of difficulty: Casual, Expert, Insane and Custom (where you can change many gaming options). You can choose how much of a tutorial you want - none, fully or specific to new items in the game.

There is no journal but the map LOOKS like a journal. I found this to be very annoying because when I clicked on it, it literally FLEW up into the air and opened with rippling sheets!! i truly thought it WAS a journal with a map inside. Nope. The map shows where you are and where objectives need to be finished. You CANNOT go back to an area unless a new objective is there. It shows only one objective at a time .... which I think is too much handholding. No thought required. You also have a golden heart which recharges when you play a DIFFERENT type of mini game .... NOT the regular mini games.

The "hint" button is a stargazer lily. I HAVE to mention that because it's one of my fav flowers so ..... really ..... this game had me at the "hint" button. LOLOLOL!!!!!

The HOGS (hidden object games) were fun interactive lists and silhouettes. There is an alternate Mahjong game if you prefer that. In the CE version, the Morphing Objects are found in the HOGs.

The Mini Games - OM!Gosh!!!! and WOWOWOW!!!!! Talk about new .... innovative ..... fresh ideas! They run the gamut of nice and easy to time and patience (of which I have none - lol).

CE Bling:

The CE extras were hard to get a handle on because everything "is unlocked after the main game" or "Bonus game" "is completed". The usual fare of wallpapers, music, strategy guide, etc., etc. In addition:

* Souvenir Room - unlocks after you finish the Main Game.
* 42 Collectible Bamboo Strips - NOT easily found. There is a tiny bamboo strip near the "hint" button. When you find the bamboo strip in the area you are playing, it lights up.
* Golden Heart puzzles - unlocks after you finish the Main Game. ????
* 17 Morphing Objects - found in the HOGs. When you find one of these a banner comes down from the top of the page and lets you know it's been found.

Anytime there are collectibles and morphing objects I will lean towards purchasing the CE. Add a great storyline and I lean MORE towards that purchase. Add dragons and a stargazer lily "hint' button ..... and there's just no hope for me. I am off to purchase the game. It is so very entertaining and, while there is a lot to do in each area, everything you do is very game specific so you don't get lost in the "doing" and miss the story completely.

I recommend this for all levels of difficulty. It's truly an entertaining game all around with lots of CE extras.

Enjoy![b] [/b]

Overall Impression: Don't pass on this one.

freyasmom · May 11, 2015 9:13 am

Living Legends: Wrath of the Beast

Based on both the SE and CE demos.

This 3rd game in the "Living Legends" series is based loosely on Goldilocks and the 3 Bears. Very loosely. Your character (a male for a change) has been having the same dream/nightmare since the death of his mother (that would be Goldilocks) several years past (she was mauled to death by ...... bears). This game takes place in the 17th Century.

The graphics were done very well. The voice overs were pretty good, too, but I dislike when only the lips move ... no eye movements, etc. Like having an entire cast of characters who've had way too much botox! The music was melodic and hauntingly beautiful, although we have heard it before. Sound fx were great!

Levels of Difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Expert and Custom (although "Custom" seems to be a duplicate of the "casual" mode).

You are equipped with a map that shows 3 sections: Fortress, Forest and Bear Lands. The entire demo was played in the "Fortress" area. It's very basic ..... shows where you are and where your open tasks are. I like that it shows more than 1 task area at a time. You also get a "crystal" that contains the memories of some of the characters in the game. You are to unlock those memories.

The HOGs (hidden object games) were all interactive silhouettes. The Mini Games have some new and innovative things to do, running the gamut of fairly easy to fairly difficult.

CE Bling:
Sadly lacking. VERY sadly lacking. There are the usual plethora of wallpapers, replayable games, music, etc. In addition there are:

* 34 Collectible Runes. I believe they do morph. The "collectibles" area on the Home Page of the game (or the "menu" page) indicates that as you collect a certain number of runes, a story opens. That would be ...... 3, 8, 16, 25 and 34 runes, respectively.

That's it. That's all.

POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT!!!!!

While the village is under attack and someone is knocking at your character's door, you have to go through this and that and that and this JUST to get the key to open the door. While 2 villagers are trying to contain a big, huge bear ...... you, again, have to go here and there and there and back again .... several times .... before you help them. Once again! While your father is battling a HUMONGOUS bear trying to push through the WOODEN gates to your father's farm, off you go in a gazillion directions before you actually help him ... and the bear gets through anyway. Seriously????? A real bear would have been through that gate, run off with your father and eaten him for lunch by the time you got around to helping him! Instead, something happens to you. Karma is a "b****", I guess. LMAO!

Is this a story about Goldilocks? Attacking bears and why would they attack anyway? Magic bears? Or is this story about what happens to YOUR character???? Or is it all 3??? Ergo .... confusing.

This game is a standalone game so you do not need to have played the previous games in the series. Although I do recommend that you try the demo, the CE will not be a purchase for me. I like collectibles, morphing objects ..... STUFF ........... and am not really into the wallpapers, etc. I MAY get the SE. I just didn't get my personal "wow" factor when the demo ended. That "OMG I HAVE to have this game!" factor. Just wasn't there. So, I'm on the fence on the SE but it isn't worth a CE coupon, bogo sale or whatever.

For those who really got into this "tale of a bear" ......

Enjoy!

Overall Impression: A real sleeper. Definitely NOT worth a CE purchase.

Last edited by freyasmom (May 11, 2015 9:25 am)

freyasmom · May 15, 2015 6:29 pm

Ominous Objects: Phantom Reflection

Based on both the SE and CE demos.

An antique mirror, formerly owned by Albert Mort, has been auctioned off and disaster strikes the Buyer.    Your character, Leia Godford (sp?), is a Detective specializing in Ominous Objects and investigating what happened.

Difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom (where I can manipulate the "hint" and "Skip" buttons down to ........ 1 second!).

The graphics were very well done, although not as great as some games that have come out recently. The music suited each room/scene perfectly. Voice overs were done very well. Each character had a very specific tone and style of speaking and your character talks/narrates the entire time so ... not a ton of reading necessary. What I disliked ... quite a lot actually ..... was that the .................. lips ............................ never moved. Nor did any other part of the face. YOU try talking without moving anything on your face. I couldn't do it ...... I tried.    HOGs (hidden object games) were list type with AND without interaction, as well as silhouettes. You can play an alternate Match 3 game instead. The mini games were a breath of fresh air.

Yes, there is a helper. Your character's cat ..... Mr. Jenkins, gets into areas that your character can't.   Actually, in some "iffy" places I wouldn't send MY cat ..... if I owned one. There is a diary, of sorts, that has

tabs for "Task" and "Kitty Playroom". The SE has a "movie" tab that wasn't on the CE. Hmmmm. Special Goggles, which allow you to see "distortions" in several colors. This was, at times, very frustrating. You choose a color of lens, then move the "shadow" inside the lens to land on the "real" parts. Then, the everything snaps into place and, voila! You have a task to perform! The map is very basic and transportable. As is the "hint" button.

CE Bling:

Other than the usual fare, I really didn't find anything to make this CE worthy in my book.

*   Game - Dots (?)
*   Developer's Diary (basically showing 17 pics of them working)
*   Cat Room - find coins during the game and use them to decorate Mr. Jenkins' room.

No collectibles (except the coins), no Morphing Objects, nothing to make this CE special.

I have to admit to falling asleep a few times. That could either indicate I was very tired (at 9 am) OR the story didn't grab my attention. In fact, I really was bored at times. I would recommend this for any experience level because "custom" does allow for some "finagling" of what you can/can't do. If I DO purchase this game, it will be the SE. IMO, this game is sadly lacking in "CE Bling".

For those who are brave enough to get close to this exploding mirrors .....................

ENJOY!

Overall Impression: Very lacking in the CE department. I would wait for the SE if you just HAVE to have the game.

freyasmom · May 20, 2015 4:50 pm

I Know a Tale
OMGosh! Where did this game come from .... and WHO really expects us to purchase it?

An older scene ... depicted by the model of the car ..... with 2 people appearing to go antiquing. Nope. They are interested in ........... robbery. Ok. They demand, at gunpoint, that the proprietor of this store "open the safe". He does, a blinding light appears and .............. ....... .....

Your character is the town's Sheriff, sent out to investigate the robbery gone wrong.

The graphics ..... awful. Some black/white scenes, mostly very sepia-toned. Very one-dimensional, even with the use of live actors. I hope they got paid well. Voice overs .... awful. Clearly the lip syncing did NOT match the mouth movements. Music and Sound fx .... awful. Hmmmm. I detect a pattern here.

There are 2 difficulty levels - casual and hard. YAY! Not. A tutorial, journal that contains notes, clues, etc., a "fingerprint scanner" that doubles as a videotape machine but looks more like a more modern-ish video camera and a crystal. No idea what this crystal does. No map ... No transportable hint button.

You, apparently, will locate a number of videotapes that will help your investigation. During the entire demo, I went back and forth, and forth and back, and back and forth... well .... lots and lots of times ..... in/out of 3 rooms. I mean, seriously????

You find a little girl in one of the rooms and give her the crystal. Then, she is ..... ignored. A frightened LITTLE GIRL!!!! dGiven a crystal that people had DIED over .... and then ignore her. Yeah. Like that.

The HOGs were list type only. One HOG indicated that you needed to "locate the items to fill up the crystal". No list appeared. Guess what???? You're looking for ..... morphing objects! Glad I figured THAT one out. Mini games? Um.....boring. One mini game will definitely be difficult for those with arthritis or hand problems ...... it was long .... longer ..... yeah. I thought it would never end and finally, my hand gave out and I "skipped".

Right off the bat I can tell you this is NOT going to be a purchase for me. Boring, boring, boring .... no entertainment value, boring (did I say that already?). The storyline made no sense and there was no cohesion between the storyline and all this backtracking through 3 rooms and the items you found, etc.

I do not recommend this game for anyone. Oh, but I DO recommend BFG empty their vault of older games such as this one and have a .... BONFIRE! Bet you thought I was going to say a yard sale,

Don't waste your time trying the demo. There is absolutely NO reason someone should use an hour of their time with this. Go to a movie, read a book, play with your pet or kids, take a nap. ALL these would be an infiitely better way to spend this hour.

freyasmom · May 21, 2015 6:49 pm

PuppetShow: The Price of Immortality

Based on both the SE and CE demos.

Normally I don't purchase the "PuppetShow" series. I think I have the one before this ..... but THIS.............. um ...... WOW!!!!!
The storyline is very well done .... it hooks you in right from the very beginning. From the creepy narrator telling us how people don't appreciate the older things in life .... like puppets, to your character getting a "cry-for-help" letter from his/her bestie .... Enrique.

The reason I denote "his/her" above is because when you set up your profile ..... you get to choose between a male or female character AND there are 3 different characters to choose from - how COOL is THAT!!!!!

The graphics are very well done. Maybe TOO well done!?!?!?   Definitely a game with a bit of a creep value. The voice overs were beyond excellent. Somehow, this Dev was able to make a tiny doll's voice sound either innocent or devilish. The music is spot on. Sound fx couldn't get any better.

There are 4 difficulty modes: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom.

You are equipped with a rather unusual map. It shows all the customary "I'm here. Here's an open task, etc." I found it a bit tricky to maneuver ... but that was just me. There is a "task" tab .... just in case you forget ...... but no journal/diary. There is a helper ..... a VERY lovely doll/puppet who cannot only go into small places but dark places as well. Pretty darn handy.

CE Bling:
The usual wallpapers, music, etc. I did not see a reference to a Strategy Guide OR a Bonus Game .... but I DID read 2 reviews. One referenced both the Bonus Game AND the Strategy Guide while the other mentioned the Bonus Game was a necessary evil ....... because THAT'S where the game actually ended. When I read that, I was a little perturbed because I felt obligated to purchase the CE. Who wants to play an unfinished game? But, to my great surprise, when I played the SE demo, I missed all the extra dolls I found in the CE! Go figure.
So, in the CE there are also:* 11 dolls to locate throughout the game. I read elsewhere we can upgrade them.
*   Tokens/coins to find throughout the game. I read that these are used to upgrade the found dolls/puppets.
*   A Doll House. You got it! That's where our dolls go to live.

As mentioned above, I played both the SE and the CE demos. I DEFINITELY got my personal "wow" factor when the SE ended. The "WHAT????? I want MORE! I HAVE to buy it NOW!" factor. lol. Also, I played the SE AFTER the CE and I missed all the little doll features in the CE which really surprised me.

I recommend this for all levels of difficulty. In case you haven't figured it out., this is a DEFINITE purchase for me. Come with me to the Theatre of Emotions ................. if you dare!

ENJOY!

WendyDarling · May 22, 2015 1:36 am

I had given up on Puppetshow a game or two ago but played the demo of this one and really liked it, too. I just have the SE version as the coins and dolls didn't appeal to me much.

sunshinej · May 22, 2015 7:07 am

Oh wow, I feel like I want to play Puppetshow: The Price of Immortality as my next game.

Yeah, I didn't think I Know a Tale was going to go over big when I saw the video. The girl actor looks familar though. I know I seen here somewhere else, Maybe I was thinking Fright, but the girl there has dark hair.

freyasmom · May 23, 2015 1:36 pm

Reveries Soul Collector

Based on both the CE and SE demos.

While receiving wonderful wedding gifts from your future husband, he is whisked through a portal (of course! Yet another portal ) and off you go to rescue him. Sigh. Ah, true love. Why? Because HIS pure heart is needed to open the Gate of Chaos ..... plunging the world into ..... I'll let you figure out what is going to happen.

The graphics were done very well. No over-usage of crayons. The voice overs, while done very well, stop and start willy-nilly once you go through the portal. Hmmm. Music was quite lovely ..... violin dominant. Sound fx - OMGosh .... ghostly moans , birds cawing, strange noises. Yep ... creepy. (hugging on for dear life)
Difficulty: Casual, Advanced, Hard and Custom.

HOGs (hidden object games) are slightly interactive lists and riddles. I saw a creepy shadow moving across one HOG. Creepy!. There is an alternate jigsaw puzzle game if you prefer.

Mini Games: IMO these outweigh the HOGs by number. Fresh, innovative, new and not entirely difficult.

Helper: Yes. Quite different .... and I found it somewhat ..... creepy. (shiver) Do I detect a pattern here?

CE Bling:

Besides the usual music, wallpaper, replayable games, there are:
* collectible feathers - extremely easy to find as they are right there ..... under your proverbial nose .... when you look/find something else entirely.

That''s it. Collectible feathers used to create a giant wing. Sad. Very, very sad. And some of the feathers are in the Bonus Game. So, it seems if you want to complete the huge wing using all the feathers.....you are OBLIGATED to purchase the CE. Sneaky much? I've played the beta. I've played the CE. Now, I've played the SE and read some great reviews (in regards to how helpful they were). This is, apparently, a very short game with a bonus game lasting less than an hour. Maybe 3 hours tops all together. Hmmm.

I'm torn. I like the story. I like the mini games. I think this is a fun and cute little game. NOT worthy of using cash to purchase. Definitely use a free coupon or bogo sale.
My opinion has changed since playing the CE but I don't know how likely I am to even use a PCC on such a short game. I'd definitely recommend it for Easy or Beginners to this game genre. Experts, I feel, will be bored.

For those who like the "Snow White" inspired game (check out one of the mini games to 'get' this reference), I hope you .......

ENJOY!

Overall Impression: Sigh. I really don't have one.

Index
» Archives
» DEMO REVIEWS - 2015

May 8, 2015 9:22 am #41

Re: DEMO REVIEWS - 2015

May 10, 2015 10:53 am #42

Re: DEMO REVIEWS - 2015

May 10, 2015 8:57 pm #43

Re: DEMO REVIEWS - 2015

May 11, 2015 9:13 am #44

Re: DEMO REVIEWS - 2015

May 15, 2015 6:29 pm #45

Re: DEMO REVIEWS - 2015

May 20, 2015 4:50 pm #46

Re: DEMO REVIEWS - 2015

May 21, 2015 6:49 pm #47

Re: DEMO REVIEWS - 2015

May 22, 2015 1:36 am #48

Re: DEMO REVIEWS - 2015

May 22, 2015 7:07 am #49

Re: DEMO REVIEWS - 2015

May 23, 2015 1:36 pm #50

Re: DEMO REVIEWS - 2015

Index
» Archives
» DEMO REVIEWS - 2015

Board footera