Well I hadn't read the book so thanks for that.

I've finished Fantasy Mosaics 15: Ancient Land and Mystery Case Files: Shadow Lake Collector's Edition.

Shadow Lake wasn't the worst game I've ever played.  It isn't even the worst CE I've ever played.  But it's hardly worthy of the name Mystery Case Files.

On the technical side, the display area was surrounded by a black picture frame.  Losing so much playing area made the hidden objects, especially the ones in the pop up/zoom in areas, very tiny and difficult to find.  The predominately gray/green color palette added to the problem.

What really gets me angry about this game is the arrogance of the programmers.  Although people complained about the lack of a bonus chapter in Escape from Ravenhearst, once again 'bonus content' was integrated into the main game.  And 2 hidden object scenes (you earn a gold master detective badge, which is displayed by your journal), 1 puzzle, and 50 morphing objects to find (but you must play the bonus content to unlock them)  along with a strategy guide that can't be perused isn't worth paying double.

Another thing people didn't like about EFR was the bonus content circles that had to be aligned in the scenes.  Yet a similar feature (those psychic reading drawings)  makes up much of the game play of Shadow Lake, along with solving numerous living jigsaw puzzles. 

Maybe they should have hired less well-known actors instead of Lea Thompson (nothing wrong with the caliber of people they had for 13 Skulls and Dire Grove) and used the money to pay people to create better and more varied puzzles.

Game was short, but certainly not sweet.  Whatever Elephant Games came up with for Fate's Carnival has got to be better than this.

Tirama -- Wow.  Now I'll have to decide if I want to skip SHADOW LAKE.  That's sounding like a good idea right now.  But it'll be a long time before I get to it.  I'll have to at least give it a try.

The programmers obviously thought like the ones who worked for BoomZap - they wanted to make a game that they wanted to play, rather than provide what the old lady customers wanted.  There was nothing in it that related to prior MFC games, other than a hint that the next game would involve Madam Fate's carnival.  So if you want to, skip this one and play it when and if one of the subsequent games makes a reference to it.

 

Last edited by TiramaSue (June 19, 2016 3:03 pm)

sunshinej wrote:

What is the code for getting games at Gamehouse at a reduced price?

 FAVORITE

It's available from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Agatha-Christie-Murders-Online-Game/dp/B01H00KTBW/ref=sr_1_6?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1466375359&sr=1-6&keywords=the+abc+murders