Hope Lake  –  Demo Review


Publisher:                             Mystery Tag
 
Developer:                           Far Mills

Date of Demo Review:       22 May 2014  (demo played 21 May 2014)

Genre:                                  HOPA  –  straight SE

Availability:                           BFG


Story:

The Hope Lake Boarding School was abandoned long ago when one of its teachers drowned by accident and the school was closed. Today, all of the girls who attended Hope Lake have gone missing. Who's taking these girls and was the teacher's death really an accident?

As a detective, you must investigate the strange events which took place on the shore of the lake and within the walls of the boarding school. Emily Lynch was the last girl to go missing – this isn't much of a lead, but something is better than nothing. Visit the abandoned and ill-boding boarding school to uncover the truth about these mysteries. Unraveling the intricacies of this difficult case is going to be hard work. Are you up for the challenge!
                                                                             
    *    48 beautiful detailed locations
    *    18 hidden object scenes and 26 unique minigames
    *    An interactive map to help your investigation
    *    6 hours of gameplay!
 
 
Main Menu:
 
    *    Play
    *    Settings
    *    Credits
    *    Quit
 
 
Settings:
 
    *    Music
    *    Effects
    *    Full screen
    *    System Cursor
 
 
Gameplay:
 
Companion:    None
Diary:    Journal with objective list and notes
Evidence Briefcase:    Next to diary
Gameplay:    Usual HOPA
Graphics:    Basic 2D but okay – very little colour and dull – looks like a bushfire has just passed through
Hint:    Directional – but so fast within a scene that if you blink you’ll miss it – walkie-talkie on right
Inventory:    Bottom as usual
Modes:    2 – Casual, Expert – no Custom
Map:    Jump map – compass below the hint walkie-talkie
Morphing Objects:    No
Music:    Okay but very repetitive – the same music string over and over
Quality:    So so
Sparkles:    Yes – active zones and HOSs – glints even in Expert Mode!
Strategy Guide:    No
Tutorial:    Yes – in Casual Mode  –  No – in Expert Mode
Voiceovers:    Yes, good – doesn’t match text exactly
 
Modes:
 
Casual  –  Hint button fills up quickly (in just one minute) and all active areas are highlighted.
Expert  –  Hint button fills up slowly (in 2 mins) and all active areas are not highlighted.

Difficulty:
 
This game, as far I managed to play, is super easy as you’re told step by step what to do, even in Expert Mode!!!!  I, personally, couldn’t stand it.
 
For example (Spoilers):

    *    You’re told you need a pump to pump up the tyre.
    *    When you find the pump you’re told you need a handle.
    *    When you find the handle and attach it you’re told that now you can pump up the tyre.
    *    When you pump up the tyre you’re told that now you can fill up the car with petrol.   

Grrrrrrrrrr.   And you don’t even do any of it!  You just click. 
 
The only difficulty in the HOSs was finding things in the dark scenes as all that I came across were very dark and not very clear.
 
The one puzzle I finally found was difficult – not to do but I wasn’t sure where all the animals were supposed to go.  I found it confusing.

Black Bar Tips:
 
The BBTs tell you not only what you have to do but also what you need to do it.  For example:
 
“I need to inflate the tire. I could use a pump.”
 
“This is the crime scene. I have to be very careful not to miss any evidence.”  Well, duh!
 
HOSs:     18
 
In the first HOS I did there were glints to show you items, especially the couple of interactive objects, and that was in Expert Mode!  It was also very dark with a blue palette but it did have a bit of animation as the animals moved.

Minigames/Puzzles:    26

As stated under “Difficulty”, I only came across one puzzle and it wasn’t difficult to do, I just didn’t know where the animals should go.  Thus it would be easy to do but would take a bit of time, swapping the animals around until you got the correct placement, as I thought that some of the animals could have gone in several positions as you had extra spots that weren’t used.
 
Diary:
 
The diary has a journal that contains your object list, and notes, which are very good and contain lots of information re what you find.  All you have to do is hover the cursor over the diary to see the objective list; you don’t have to open it.
 
Evidence Briefcase:
 
You have an evidence briefcase, which is located next to the diary, where you’ll find all the evidence you find.  I only found one piece of evidence in the time I played, and I don’t know what, if anything, you do with all the evidence you collect.

Map:
 
The map is a jump map.  It’s a compass below the hint walkie-talkie.  It consists of lots of small, rectangular thumbnails of scenes, all lined up in rows and columns, with small arrows showing you how they’re linked.  It shows you your current location and where there are available actions.
                                   
Length:
 
They state that it’s 6 hours. 
                         
Miscellaneous things I liked:
 
Torch  –  You find a torch that’s added next to the hint and you can use it when you need light.  I liked having it there whenever you needed it.  Left click on the torch turns the light on, right click turns it off.

Zoom-in boxes  –  I loved the interlocked arms that form the boxes around a scene when you zoom in.
 
Cursor  –  I really liked the game cursor which was a hand.  However, as it was always a hand I kept on clicking on things, thinking it was the cursor when you can pick something up.  When you could pick something up the hand turned into a grasping hand.  I’m sure I would have gotten used to it had I kept on playing.
 
Miscellaneous things I didn’t like:
 
Scene changes  –  are super slow!  The next scene gradually lightens until you can see it.  Then, once the scene has loaded, you have to wait yet again until you can interact with it.  And that happened every single time, whether using the arrows to move to the next scene or the jump map.  I found that really annoying.
 
Cursor  –  When the game first started and I was on the main menu page, the cursor was very sluggish so I changed to the system cursor.  This wasn’t a problem when I started playing until the cursor went over an active area and, instead of the system cursor changing to something, I got the game cursor hand – as well - to pick something up!  I really didn’t like having 2 cursors.  So I changed back to the game cursor and it worked fine in the game; there was only a problem on the main menu page.
 

My Recommendation:    No
 
I can’t recommend this game as there were just too many things I didn’t like – the graphics, the repetitive music, the slow scene changes – but they would have all been fine had the black bar tips not told me step by step what to do.  I like black bar comments, telling me things like that something’s rusty, or tied too tight, or missing something.  But I hate BBTs that tell me what I need to do as well as what I need to do it, as in this game.  For example, you're told that, “I need to inflate the tire. I could use a pump.”  All you needed was a comment to say that the tyre was flat.  I think you could work out that you needed to pump it up and that you'd need a pump to do it. 
 
I did, however, like the story and would have liked to have seen what you did with the evidence briefcase.
 

Haunted Manor: Painted Beauties - CE


Publisher/Developer:         Top Evidence Studios

Date of Demo Review:       24 May 2014  (demo played 24 May 2014)

Genre:                                  HOPA

Availability:                           BFG – 25 May 2014


Story:

A peaceful day at the park becomes a journey into the surreal in Haunted Manor: Painted Beauty! You thought it would be fun to have your portrait painted by handsome young artist Stephan Black. But you didn't realize you were about to be transported into the dark world of his painting. You soon discover that the mysterious artist has been filling his gothic manor with souls to fulfill the terms of a deal he made with Death. Now you must find your way out of the portrait before Death comes to collect you in this thrilling Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!
 
The Collector’s Edition includes:

    *    More adventure in the bonus chapter!
    *    Unlockable achievements
    *    Find all the morphing objects!
    *    Wallpapers, concept art, soundtrack, and screensaver       
 
 
Main Menu:
 
    *    Play
    *    Options
    *    Extras
    *    Achievements
    *    Strategy Guide
    *    Credits
    *    Bonus Content  (locked painting)

 
Options:
 
    *    Sound volume
    *    Music volume
    *    Wide Screen
    *    Full Screen
    *    Custom Cursor
 
 
CE Extras:
 
The extras are locked until you purchase the game but they list:
 
    *    Bonus chapter  
    *    Achievements
    *    Morphing objects
    *    Concept art
    *    Strategy guide
    *    Soundtrack
    *    Wallpapers
    *    Screensaver
 
 
Game Series:
 
Haunted Manor: Lord of Mirrors CE  –  released BFG 25 March 2010
Haunted Manor: Queen of Death CE  –  released BFG 20 November 2011
Haunted Manor: Painted Beauties CE  –  released BFG 25 May 2014
 
 
Gameplay:
 
Collectibles:    Pseudo collectibles – you collect things as part of the gameplay, so not real collectibles
Companion:    None
Cursor:    A big arrow – mine was a tad sluggish but I could use it and didn’t change it
Cutscenes:    Very clear graphics, not blurry
Diary:    Notebook with Notes, Tasks, Strategy Guide – located top right of the screen
Gameplay:    Usual HOPA
Graphics:    Good – good animation with everything moving in the wind, etc, when you’re outside
Hint:    Directional
Inventory:    Right click returns items to inventory
Modes:    3 – Casual, Advanced, Expert – no Custom – only Expert has no glints
Map:    Jump map – does not indicate where you are or where there are available items
Morphing Objects:    Yes – 30 – not easy to spot – only click when you see them – cursor doesn’t change
Music:    Good but in the beginning just the same beat and short music over and over again - annoying
Quality:    Good
Scene Changes:    A bit slow, some slower than others, but not a deal breaker, imho
Sparkles:    Yes – active zones and HOSs – even glints in HOPs and scenes in Advanced mode!
Strategy Guide:    Yes – only Chaps 1–3 shown in demo
Tutorial:    Yes – optional
Voiceovers:    Good – good lip sync – good facial movement, etc., as well
 
Screen:
 
Down the right side of the screen from the top are the notebook, then map, then SG.  It’s weird as their names are written sideways.  Different.  Bottom right is the hint, which is a cute little girl angel who never stops moving, unless she’s sleeping whilst recovering from helping you in a scene.  There’s also a palette there but I’m not sure what, if anything, that’s there for.
 
Bottom left of the screen has the menu button, which has a skull above with a glowing green light coming out of the eyes, and the task list button is in between the two, which I found odd and I accidentally clicked on Menu when I wanted to check out the Tasks.

Difficulty:
 
The game didn’t seem to be too easy in the bit of the demo I played.  I played 3 HOPs – 2 by list, 1 by object – which were very clear but dark and junkpile, which made them challenging, especially if you want to get the achievements for finding 3 objects in less than 1 second (I was sure I did that but didn’t get the award), the one for finding 5 objects in less than 3 seconds, and the one for finishing 3 HOPs in less than 30 secs each.  I LOL when I read those!  I’m still chuckling as I’m typing this as I can’t see that being possible unless the HOPs change later on in the game.  I think you’d have to play with different profiles, practicing the same HOP over and over again until you could do it in your sleep, for you to have a chance of getting those achievements.
 
I only came across one minigame/puzzle in the demo, which was of easy-medium difficulty.  It was one I really liked and is easy to do but requires a bit of thought.
 
The map not showing where there are any available actions – in all three modes – makes the game a tad more challenging as you can’t just look at the map when you’re stuck and then jump to wherever there’s an available action.  You actually have to think and remember what you need where, or rely on the hint button. 

Black Bar Tips:
 
The BBTs sometimes tell you exactly what you need to do and need, and sometimes they’re only suggestions, like when you talk to yourself as the main character.  However, I was never told exactly what I needed to do, exactly what I needed, and where I could find it.  So they’re not too bad.  However, you can’t turn them off.
 
I used a wrong item on something and the comment I got told me why it wouldn’t work rather than something sarcastic.  But then the next time I got one of the usual comments.
 
Sparkles:
 
There are big, sparkly ones on the HOPs, even in Advanced Mode!  And in Advanced Mode you even get glints in the HOPs!  The only way to play without glints is to play in Expert Mode, but then you get a very slow Hint and Skip recharge.
 
Hint:    directional
 
The hint is a cute little girl angel who can’t sit still!  She does nothing if the hint takes you to another screen.  However, if the hint shows you something to do in the scene you’re in, or in a HOP, the little angel flies to wherever the available action is and uses a paintbrush to show you.  She then flies back down to the bottom and lies down to have a little nap to recharge.  When the hint has recharged, she sits up and giggles.  I’ve read a few reviews by people who found this so annoying that they couldn’t stand it and won’t buy the game, no matter how good it is.  I found it cute and not annoying at all.
 
HOPs:  
 
I played three HOPs in the time that I played.  Two were lists with 2 or 3 very slightly interactive objects – for example, open a curtain.  One had small pictures of the objects below and the glowing green ones were either hidden or needed other items to find them.  All three were clear with nice artwork, but were junkpiles (but not too bad) and dark, making them difficult to see.
 
There’s no alternative minigame that I saw.

Minigames/Puzzles:   

You aren’t automatically given the instructions.  You click on a ‘?’ to get them.  Thus you can try to do any minigames/puzzles yourself before getting the instructions.

I only came across one but I really liked it.  It wasn’t difficult but required a bit of thought as I had to first work out which ones went together and then move them around to group them.  Moving them wasn’t difficult – but I really like ones like that – but it wasn’t so obvious which 4 of the 16 went together into the 4 groups.
 
Map:
 
Small thumbnails of each scene are added to the map as you come across them.  A larger picture of the scene you’re in and its name are located bottom left of the map.
 
Note:  It is a jump map but there is no indication of locations with available actions, in all three modes.
 
Collectibles:     
 
I didn’t notice any collectibles, however, there are pseudo collectibles.  That is, you collect parts of things as part of the game.  For example, you have to collect parts of a canvas – 15 – right from the start, and these pieces can be added to the canvas, if you want to go right back to the beginning, without having to wait until you’ve collected them all.
 
You also come across little pearls – 33 – that you can’t pick up until you’ve found a string to put them all on.  Once you’ve got the string, and find out that they’re rosary beads, you can use the hint to go and find all the ones you’ve already come across.  They’re then strung across the bottom of the screen, always visible, so you can see how many you’ve found.  The inventory pops up above them.
 
Achievements:     16

The achievements are nothing new – all the usual performance-based HOP/minigame ones.  They are displayed in Achievements found on the main menu page.
 
However, I had to LOL when I read three of them as they’re for:
 
    *    finding 3 objects in a HOP in less than 1 second;
    *    finding 5 objects in a HOP in less than 3 seconds;
    *    finishing 3 HOPs in less than 30 seconds each.
 
Considering how dark the HOPs are and that they’re junkpiles, and the objects aren’t all that easy to find even though they’re very clear, I think it would be a real challenge to get those three.
 
Bonus Chapter:
 
There is one but I know nothing about it.    
                                   
Length:
 
I’m sure it has length but no idea how long it is. 
                           
Miscellaneous:
 
You go into paintings!  I really liked that, even though I only got to go into one.  I think you just enter the actual painting; the paintings aren’t portals into other worlds.
 
One door you come across right at the beginning has 8 locks!  But there are 8 women missing and you have to release their souls so I imagine that you get 1 key per woman and then can open the door when you’ve found them all.  But that’s only a supposition on my part.
 
I came across one zoom-in area half hidden behind the little girl angel hint button and palette and I thought that was a bit sneaky!
 
I came across two grammar mistakes in the bit that I played but, as neither affected the gameplay (ie. they weren’t misnamed objects in a HOP), they didn’t bother me:
 
“It would take to long to trim these.”
“Is he trying to keep my distracted?”
 
 
My Recommendation:    SE – not CE as it only has a 20-min bonus chapter!
 
I liked the bit that I played of the demo.  I really liked the storyline and the idea of the paintings and I really want to find out more.  I also didn’t find it super easy and I liked the one puzzle that I played, even though it was fairly easy, as it took some thought and was fun.  I wasn’t a big fan of the HOPs, and I normally love HOPs as long as there aren’t too many of them too close together, but in this game I just wanted them over.  I think there was just nothing special about them or anything very interesting, with only very minimal interactions.  So I recommend the SE.
 
However, given that the extras aren’t available in the demo and that no one has yet reviewed the bonus chapter, I reserve judgement as to the CE.  I liked the morphing objects as they weren’t easy to spot – I didn’t waste time looking for them but was shown the first one in the tutorial and didn’t spot any more in the demo.  But I really liked the fact that you can only click on them when they’re in morph mode, not otherwise, and that your cursor doesn’t change when it goes over one.  A lot of games aren’t like that and so spoil the morphing objects for me.  In this game you actually have to find them, not just find a cursor hand, and so I’m really hoping the extras and bonus chapter live up to CE status.

ETA:    After reading Belamba's review on the main game page at BFG I've decided to stick with the SE.  A 20-min bonus chapter?  No thanks.  The following is an extract from the full review:

Belamba wrote:

Don't think I've played any game before with so much back and forth. After a while it got a bit tedious, but I was determined to play game to the end.
The main game had a good 6 hours of game play, but the bonus chapter was over in 20 minutes. Hardly value for double the price, and seemed like more HOPs in that 20 minutes than in the entire game!
The graphics were excellent, the music a bit annoying at times but ok.
Morphing objects, but not that easy to find and I gave up looking for them after a while. Mainly due to the fact that the morphing things disappeared for far too long, which meant you had to watch a scene for what seemed like forever before spotting it. 

Last edited by stusue (May 24, 2014 12:44 pm)

Tales of Terror: House on the Hill – CE – Demo Review

 
Developer:                         Deep Shadows

Date of Demo Review:     25 May 2014  (demo played 24 May 2014)

Genre:                                HOPA

Availability:                         BFG – 18 May 2014


Story:

When you signed up for a ghost tour at an old estate, you were just hoping to spend some time with your sister, who loves the paranormal. But the brochure never mentioned the real danger you would encounter the second the doors close behind you. Walls shift and corridors expand, creating a terrifying maze that separates you from your sister. Now you must outwit dangerous traps and find a way out before the house claims another victim. Summon your courage and get ready for thrills in this Hidden Object Adventure game!
 
The Collector’s Edition includes:

    *    Play the bonus game to rescue the remaining survivors!
    *    Available comprehensive Strategy Guide
    *    Collect hidden heart medallions in every scene
    *    Concept art, wallpapers, and a soundtrack
 
 
Main Menu:
 
    *    Play
    *    Options
    *    Extras
    *    Exit
    *    More Games
            -  Haunted Train: Spirits of Charon CE
            -  Tales of Terror: Crimson Dawn
 
 
Options:
 
    *    Music Volume
    *    SFX Volume
    *    Mute All
    *    Full-screen
    *    Custom Cursor
    *    Change Game Difficulty
    *    Credits
 
 
Screen:
 
    *    Strategy Guide  –  top left
    *    Menu  –  bottom left
    *    Hint  –  bottom right  (it’s a haunted house)
    *    Map  –  bottom right next to Hint once you’ve found it  (folded-up map)
    *    Inventory  –  Just the word down the bottom – no huge inventory bar showing
 
 
CE Extras:
 
    *    Bonus chapter  
    *    Story  –  collect 12 statues that give you some backstory
    *    Collectibles  –  46 hearts  –  no reason to collect them
    *    Music  –  6  –  can be saved
    *    Wallpapers  –  4
    *    Concepts (concept art)  –  7  –  cannot be saved, not very interesting
    *    Achievements  –  15  –  the usual  + 1 for finishing in Professional Mode
    *    Strategy Guide
 
 
Game Series:
 
Tales of Terror: Crimson Dawn  –  released BFG – 22 September 2012
Tales of Terror: House on the Hill CE  –  released BFG – 18 May 2014
 
 
Gameplay:
 
Collectibles 1:    Yes – 46 hearts – all different (yay!), no reason to collect them, though
Collectibles 2:    Yes – 12 statues – get them when you meet a new character – give some backstory
Companion:    None
Cutscenes:    Blurry – real people – very good with good lip-syncing
Diary:    Just notes, for example the story as it unfolds
Gameplay:    Usual HOPA
Graphics:    Good, although not crystal clear – very yellow
Hint:    Directional
Inventory:    Can only see very narrow bar at bottom with word ‘Inventory’, no huge inventory bar
Modes:    3 – Casual, Expert, Professional – no Custom
Map:    Jump map – you find it – shows your location and objectives
Morphing Objects:    None
Music:    Good
Quality:    Good
Strategy Guide:    Yes – 6 chapters, bonus chapter, collectibles – only Chaps 1–2 shown in demo
Tutorial:    ?
Voiceovers:    Yes – you find a diary and the author reads it to you – you can watch the animated drawings contained within instead
                               
Play:
 
After you click on PLAY you have the choice of “Main Story” or “Bonus Chapter”.  So you can replay the bonus chapter separately – YAY!  It also shows you your % game progress underneath.
 
Difficulty:
 
The game didn’t seem to be either too easy or overly challenging.
 
I only came across 1 HOP – contained a  mini-puzzle and objects that require interaction aren’t highlighted, which adds slightly to the difficulty – and 1 puzzle – which I didn’t find easy and as it was so time-consuming I skipped it in the demo. 
 
LunaNik said, “Since the rooms morph and the hooded figure sets traps for you, things are constantly changing, and that presents a new challenge for adventure mode. Just when you think you can move on…boom! Something new to figure out.”
 
Black Bar Tips:
 
At least at the beginning of the game, the BBTs are great.  There’s a chair with a stitched-up seat and instead of being told that you need a knife to find out what’s hidden inside, the BBT is, “Why would someone bother to sew up this chair?”  If you keep clicking you get several different comments.
 
HOPs:  
 
I played 1 HOP in the time that I played.  It was a list HOP but you couldn’t tell which objects required some sort of interaction as interactive objects weren’t highlighted, making it much more fun.  The cursor also doesn’t change to a hand so you’re really not sure which objects need interactions.  There was a mini-puzzle in the HOP – you have to collect x number of something to form something but the cursor, unfortunately, changed to a hand when it passed over one of the things you had to find – but they weren’t easy!  There was movement in the HOP, for example, something swayed and the owl’s eyes blinked.
 
sportygal2009 said, after having completed the entire game, that all the HOPs were word lists with some slight interaction, that each scene was visited twice, and that there was 1 scene where you have to find matching pairs.
 
There’s no alternative minigame that I saw.

Minigames/Puzzles:   

I only came across one in the demo.  I didn’t find it easy and I didn’t want to waste time on it as it was very time-consuming so I skipped it. 
 
LunaNik said, “The HO scenes are interactive and the puzzles, at least thus far, are unique.”
               
Map:
 
The map is a jump map.  You find it early on in the game and it’s added to the screen next to the Hint.  It’s a concertinaed map.  It shows your location and objectives.
 
It has little hand-drawn, rough, very colourful sketches of each scene as you come across them, and you are a little, green, almost stick figure.
                               
Inventory:
 
Inventory items you find go straight into Inventory!  Hallelujah!  There’s no window and so you don’t have to click on anything to get rid of it.
 
Collectibles:     12 statues  –  46 hearts
 
12 Statues  –  Every time you come across a new character a small window pops out from the right of the screen.  It shows a small picture of the statue and gives you a little bit of information about the character.  You can find them in Extras under Story.
 
46 Hearts – You collect 46 hearts (one per scene) but there’s no reason for you to collect them.  There’s a little red heart to the left of Hint and if you hover your cursor over it it tells you how many you’ve found – for example, 1/46.  The hearts, in the demo, got harder and harder to spot.  They’re all different – location, size, shape, colour, form, etc. – which I loved as I love it when the collectibles are all different – either different objects or in different forms/locations.
 
Achievements:     15

There are only 15 and the achievements are nothing new and not very interesting – the usual performance-based HOP/minigame ones – speed/not skipping – plus one for finishing in Professional Mode.  There’s one for taking more than 10 minutes to finish a HOP – great time to take a coffee break.  LOL. 
               
 
Bonus Chapter:
 
sportygal said that the bonus wasn’t needed, that the main game ends conclusively, that it’s very short and doesn’t add anything, that it had a very abrupt ending, and was only half an hour (and not fast player).
                               
 
Length:
 
sportygal said that the main game took 3½ hours and the bonus ½ hour, using no skips, hints, map or SG.
               
 
Miscellaneous:
 
There’s a gate that’s covered in creepy, crawly spiders right at the beginning if you have a spider phobia.
 
 
Statistics on BFG game page as of 24 May 2014:
 
    *    34 reviews  –  average 3.7 stars
    *    11/34 gave 5 stars 
    *    63% recommended the game  –  19/30
    *    Fun Factor  –  3.8
    *    Visual/Sound Quality  –  4
    *    Level of Challenge  –  3.9
    *    Storyline  –  3.9
 
 
Excerpt from All About Casual Game’s Review:
                                  
“The characters in the game are very forgettable, although live actors that portray them are probably the very best we have seen in this industry.

…
 
The gameplay is average, straightforward and not very challenging. Tales of Terror 2 plays like a typical HOPA, there are no special features or real creativity. The Hidden Object scenes are mostly standards with a couple of interactive items. The puzzles are the usual run of the mill, many are very simple and not very entertaining.

Just to make this Collector's Edition more disappointing, Tales of Terror: House on the Hill is a very short game. The length of the main game is barely three and a half hour for fast players and the bonus chapter, which is absolutely unnecessary is roughly  half an hour. The extra content is thin also; a strategy guide, concept art, wallpapers, achievements, collectibles and soundtracks.

Tales of Terror: House on the Hill is a humdrum time-passer and is certainly does not worth the CE status. The game is a total waste of awesome live actors due to its dull gameplay, short length and the lack of extras.

Graphics: 3.5/5 Stars
Sound: 4/5 Stars
Story: 3.5/5 Stars
Originality: 3.5/5 Stars
Gameplay: 3/5 Stars
Puzzles: 3/5 Stars
Control and Navigation: 4/5 Stars
Fun Factor: 3/5 Stars
Extras: 2.5/5 Stars”
 
Overall rating  –  3 Stars

Read more: http://www.allaboutcasualgame.com/2014/05/tales-of-terror-house-on-hill-review.html#ixzz32jcKaWEu
 
 
My Recommendation:    SE
                                                                                                                                                               
I really liked the demo.  I found the story interesting, as was the gameplay.  I also liked the way the house changed and morphed.  I also loved the different heart collectibles, although there’s no reason to collect them, other than they’re there.  So I recommend the SE.  Unfortunately, with only a 30-minute bonus I can’t recommend the CE.
 

Last edited by stusue (May 26, 2014 2:44 am)

Awakening 6: The Redleaf Forest – CE – Demo Review


Publisher/Developer:        Boomzap

Date of Demo Review:       5 June 2014  (demo played 5 June 2014)

Genre:                                  HOPA

Availability:                           BFG – 31 May 2014


Story:

Brought to you by Boomzap Games, the creators of the Awakening series, Dana Knightstone, Otherworld, and Botanica series.

Queen Sophia embarks on one final journey to rescue her parents and to defeat Dreadmyre once and for all. Her search has led her to the Redleaf Forest where she is to find the centaur who can help her forge the Blade of Courage. Will Sophia finally defeat the evil which has shadowed over her journey and be able to reunite with her parents?
 
The Collector’s Edition includes:

    *    Strategy Guide
    *    Hidden collectibles and Achievements
    *    Replayable cutscenes, music, wallpaper and concept art
    *    Bonus Game: Create seeds and grow unique flowers
    *    Bonus chapter: Meet the Skyward Kingdom's littlest princess!         
 
 
Main Menu:
 
    *    Play
    *    Settings
    *    Bonus Chapter
    *    Garden
    *    Bonus Content
    *    More games
    *    Achievements
    *    Trailer
 
 
Settings:
 
    *    Credits
    *    Full screen
    *    Use system cursor
    *    Achievement Notifications  –  well, that’s a first for me! 
    *    Sound Effects Volume
    *    Music Volume
    *    Voice-Over Volume
 
 
More Games:
 
    *    Awakening Series
    *    Otherworld Series
    *    Antique Road Trip Series
    *    Dana Knightstone’s Novel Series
    *    Botanica Series
    *    Emberwing
    *    Other –
              *    Passport to Paradise
              *    Frogs in Love
              *    Jewels of Cleopatra
              *    Zen Fashion
 
 
CE Extras:
 
    *    Bonus chapter  
    *    Collectibles  –  45
    *    Achievements  –  you start with 8 and more are added as you earn them
    *    Cutscenes  –  no idea how many  (only available in Full Version)
    *    Wallpapers  –  12  (only available in Full Version)
    *    Strategy Guide
    *    Concept Art  –  no idea how many  –  can be saved  (only available in Full Version)
    *    Soundtrack  –  12  –  can be saved  (only available in Full Version – can’t even listen to them!)
    *    Screensaver  –  None
    *    Morphing objects  –  None
 
 
Awakening Series:
 
Awakening 1: The Dreamless Castle  –  released BFG – 13 February 2010
Awakening 2: Moonfell Wood  –  released BFG – 25 December 2010
Awakening 3: The Goblin Kingdom CE  –  released BFG – 25 August 2011
Awakening 4: The Skyward Castle CE  –  released BFG – 23 August 2012
Awakening 5: The Sunhook Spire CE  –  released BFG 20 – 17 August 2013
Awakening Kingdoms  –  FTP  –  released BFG – 11 December 2013
Awakening 6: The Redleaf Forest CE  –  released BFG – 31 May 2014
 
 
Gameplay:
 
Black Bar Tips:    Very helpful  –  sometimes a little too helpful
Collectibles:    Yes  –  45
Companions:    Yes  –  3   –  owl, dragon and Princess Sophia
Diary:    None
Gameplay:    Usual HOPA
Graphics:    Good  –  but garish bright colours on dark background - dragon not so well drawn
Hint:    Jump hint  –  you can choose to be taken there or go there yourself
Modes:    3  –  Relaxed, Normal, Dreadmyre  –  no Custom
Map:    Jump map  –  shows where there are task to be done
Morphing Objects:    None
Music:    Good
Objectives:    Come up on screen whenever you get a new one
Quality:    Very good      
Strategy Guide:    Yes  –  7 chapters, bonus, collectibles, garden  –  only Chaps 1–2 in demo
Tutorial:    Yes  –  optional
Voiceovers:    Okay  –  no lip syncing  
 
Difficulty:
 
I only played Chapter 1 but it didn’t seem to be too easy, the usual running back and forth with inventory items being needed everywhere. 
 
I only came across 2 HOPs, which were both challenging.  One was a list with 12 objects, 7 of which were yellow, which meant they needed extra interactions – for example, finding all the pages of a diary, untying heaps of knots, cutting a photo to put in a frame – some of which were hidden behind other objects.  Once finished you could click on some of the things you’d put together – for example, a diary, a locket – and look at them again.  The second was a progressive silhouette which contained some little mini-puzzles. 
 
I also only played 2 minigames, both of which were easy.  The challenge was working out what the instructions meant as they weren’t very clear.  Once I’d worked out what you had to do both were very easy and took no time at all.
 
There is an achievement for not using hints and not skipping any of the 64 minigames – 21 HOP minigames – 43 Non-HOP minigames!  That in itself shows that the HOPs contain little minigames.
                                                                       
HOPs:    21
 
They’re called Hidden Object Minigames and are much more fun and challenging than normal with minigames in them.  See Difficulty directly above for details.
 
Minigames/Puzzles:    43
 
They’re called Non-Hidden Object Minigames.  See Difficulty directly above for details.

Black Bar Tips:
 
The BBTs were very helpful, as sometimes it wasn’t obvious what was needed, but sometimes they were too helpful.
 
Map:
 
The map is pretty boring and unimaginative with little circles with tiny pictures of the scenes.  If you hover the cursor over the top of one of the small circles a larger picture of that scene is shown to the right.  The cursor turns into a large arrow and you can click to jump to that scene.
               
It shows the location of the player, where there are tasks to be done, and blocked.
 
Collectibles:     45
 
You collect what looks like small stones with a sketch of a flower on them.  I found one in each scene and they were pretty easy to spot.  However, it says that there are also gold ones that are harder to spot and thus worth more (I think you use them in the bonus in the garden).

dancemom1 wrote:  The only collectibles I found were the rune looking stone flowers (some areas have more than one, so be on the lookout). Some are quite small and difficult to see, or blend very well into the background. Not as easy to spot at you may think. You are suppose to spend them in the garden and buy things, but I haven't found that yet. Also said there were "special" golden collectibles, but I guess they are too hard to see, as I haven't found any at all.
 
The Garden:
 
This is what JustTheFacts said about the Garden:
 
The Garden looks pretty cool. Enough for me to buy the CE for the first time with this series. You must buy seeds with your flower stones, collect them with a Match 3-like mini-game, and then combine and plant them in order to create the lilies from recipes. They are fun ones like “laughing lilies. (I didn’t get this from the demo, it was available in the beta) I enjoyed this unusual twist.
 
Morphing Objects:    None
 
Strategy Guide:
 
Chapter 1  –  The Centaur Forest  (7 pages – no page numbers)
Chapter 2  –  The Forest Fork  (5 pages)
Chapter 3  –  The Forest Patch
Chapter 4  –  The Castle Entrance
Chapter 5  –  The Golem Room
Chapter 6  –  The Cure
Chapter 7  –  The Stairs Room
Bonus Chapter
Collectibles and the Garden
 
Achievements:     ?  –  you start with 8 but more are added as you earn them

You start with:
 
The Seeker  –  Find the Boomzap logo
The Enduring  –  No Hints and no Skips in all minigames  (64)
The Patient  –  No Hints in Hidden Object Minigames  (21)
The Diligent  –  No Skips in Non-Hidden Object Minigames  (43)
The Resilient  –  Finish the game in Dreadmyre Mode
The Ambitious  –  Collect all Collectibles  (45)
The Intuitive  –  Get all lilies  (15)
The Creative  –  Finish all germination minigames  (15)

At the end of the first chapter I got:

The Brave  –  Chase after the Ogre

One reviewer said that she had 18 achievements at the end of the main game but didn't know how many there were in the bonus.  Maybe the 8 you start with are all the performance-based achievements and the ones you get during the game are the story-based ones.

Bonus Chapter:
 
Excerpts from the reviews below:
 
    *    one of the best bonus chapters I have EVER played!
    *    is very adorable and also nostalgic.
    *    the bonus chapter is very interesting … is definitely something new.
    *    the best of the game is in the bonus content with the garden and its puzzles!and yet i found
              them too easy!
    *    it was cute and managed to give information about what happened to almost all the characters
              after the event from the main game.
                               
Length:
 
    *    JustTheFacts took 45 mins to do the demo, which is the first 2 chapters
    *    MSBAM100 took 75 mins to do the demo
    *    One reviewer said short – main game only 3 hours
    *    Another reviewer said it seemed shorter than the other Awakening games
               

Miscellaneous:
 
    *    This is apparently Princess Sophia’s final journey
    *    There’s a lot to do in each scene
    *    The game seemed to move along really slowly without much excitement
 
 
Statistics on BFG game page as of 5 June 2014:
 
    *    46 reviews  –  average 4.2 stars
    *    25 gave 5 stars  –  10 gave 4 stars  –  7 gave 3 stars  –  2 gave 2 stars  –  2 gave 1 star
    *    83% recommended the game  –  35/42
    *    Fun Factor  –  4.2
    *    Visual/Sound Quality  –  4.4
    *    Level of Challenge  –  4
    *    Storyline  –  4.2
 
 
Excerpt from All About Casual Game’s Review:    5 stars
 
The story in this final Awakening game continues smoothly from the ending of the previous chapter.    ...     It is not a problem if you are new to the franchise, the start cleverly summarizes all the important events you need to know in just a short, concise cutscene.

The visual aspects of all of the games from Boomzap are as we know, top-notch. Awakening: The Redleaf Forest is no exception, it actually takes the already splendid visuals a couple of steps further. The Redleaf Forest is definitely stunning, each scene is carefully crafted, filled with gorgeous details and amazing colors; the whole visual experience is just wonderful. The cutscenes have also improved compared to previous games from Boomzap; actions are more exciting and animations are smoother. Moreover, the music is absolutely charming - accompanied by high-quality voice overs.

The Awakening series has never meant to be overly-challenging as the developer intends to provide players with relaxing, enjoyable experience. Nonetheless, Awakening: The Redleaf Forest is more challenging that we expected. The basic principals of the game remain the same; our two adorable animal helpers are also back, the pocket dragon and the wise owl. What really stands out in Awakening: The Redleaf Forest is the creativity illustrated in the game's hidden object scenes and mini-games. The Hidden Object scenes come in various styles and every single one of them is highly interactive; Boomzap has really taken hidden object scenes to a new level. The mini-games are mostly on the easy side, but there are a few of them which we found difficult. Each mini-games ties in with the storyline very smartly and some of them are actually quite unique. However, instructions to these mini-games can be a little vague.

As Awakening: The Redleaf Forest is the end of Sophia's journey to find her parents, the ending of this final game is very satisfying. It sums up everything without loose ends and it is certainly worth the six games we have played. One point though, the length of the game could be longer - as a fast player, we completed the game in just about three hours on the easiest mode.

Still, we recommend getting the Collector's Edition because the Bonus Chapter is terrific. In the one hour long bonus chapter, you take on the role of the nanny of little Andreia, Sophia's little daughter that seems to be just as fearless as her mom. It is like a trip down the memory lane, surely a must play final chapter for the fans of the franchise. Most of the extras are the norm apart from the Garden. in the Garden, you trade your collectibles into flower seeds; grow them, or even cross-breed them - an excellent addition to the Collector's Edition.

Awakening: The Redleaf Forest is the most beautiful, most challenging, most creative and most fabulous Awakening game. It is not flawless, but it is one of the best HOPA games we could have asked for. For now, we have to say farewell to Queen Sophia and all of our friends in the exquisite world of Awakening...until we meet again.

Graphics: 5/5 Stars
Sound: 5/5 Stars
Story: 4.5/5 Stars
Originality: 4.5/5 Stars
Gameplay: 4.5/5 Stars
Puzzles: 4.5/5 Stars
Control and Navigation: 5/5 Stars
Fun Factor: 5/5 Stars
Extras: 5/5 Stars

Read more: http://www.allaboutcasualgame.com/2014/06/awakening-redleaf-forest-review.html#ixzz33mJQi0zI
 
 
My Recommendation:    SE and, if you want the end of the saga and the bonus garden, the CE
 
When the game started I thought wow, what a beautiful game.  It had the most amazing, rich colours that looked like they’d been painted on a black background, which I love.  But then, by the end of the first chapter, I thought the colours looked garish as they’re so bright on a very dark background.
 
I wasn’t thrilled by the game – but I must say that I much prefer really dark games and not fantasy games – but I really loved the 2 HOMGs (Hidden Object Minigames as they call them) that I played and so would get the SE for that reason alone.  I also found the gameplay not overly simplistic, which I also liked.  The NHOMGs (Non-Hidden Object Minigames) really needed clearer instructions.  However, once I’d worked out what they meant the 2 minigames that I played were very easy and very short – although original and fun.
 
SE or CE?
 
ThelmaBG wrote:    5 stars – completed game
 
Outstanding! Tops them all!
 
It's all been covered before in previous reviews, so do not feel the need to add anything. I just couldn't pass the opportunity to rate this game its well-deserved 5 stars as this game is simply outstanding in every sense of the word. If you are a fan of the series you will absolutely love this one as the developer takes it to a whole other level with an endless variety of puzzles, HOS, action, brilliant story, and characters, stunning graphics, and one of the best bonus chapters I have EVER played!
                                                                                                       
Truly, this game has spoiled me for anything else now as there simply isn't anything that can compare. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED IT!
 
anda91panda wrote (excerpt):    5 stars – completed game
 
And about the bonus chapter, it was cute and managed to give information about what happened to almost all the characters after the event from the main game.
                                                                                
However is it just me or did they use one of the scenes from the Awakening kingdom game( the 3rd sub-location in Mystic Copse) in the tree house in the bonus game?
 
Anyway, it was a good ending for the series, but it did not live up to the previous games.
 
dentry1012 wrote:    5 stars – completed game
 
Thank you BFG and Boomzap!
 
I have played all of the Awakening games ever since Dreamless Castle and finale did not disappoint. In fact, it was beyond my expectations! As usual the graphics were beautiful and the music was great. Hidden object scenes and puzzles were very creative and blended well in the story. The ending to this amazing series was wonderfully made and is definitely a treat for fans like me. The CE is worth it, especially with the garden that you unlock after the main game and the bonus chapter which is very adorable and also nostalgic. I recommend this game to everyone and thank BFG and the people of Boomzap for giving us such an unforgettable series.
 
thakildis wrote:    5 stars – completed game
 
Bit shorter than the rest?
 
What can I say? I am speechless! As expected from a developer like Boomzap, this game is wonderful, exciting and one of the best I've ever played. The art and graphics were all beautiful. The voiceovers are very well done. We finally hear what Sophia's voice sounds like. The hidden object scenes and puzzles are very creative. The music matches the whole atmosphere of the game. It is a very fitting finale to such an amazing series. The ending almost made me shed tears of joy, and the bonus chapter is very interesting (not going to spoil anyone!) The bonus game is definitely something new. All in all, this is worth the CE. I can't believe we have reached the end of the Awakening series, but I look forward to more beautiful games from this developer. Never fails to deliver!
 
Judeejuju wrote:    4 stars – completed game
 
Bit shorter than the rest?
 
Was so looking forward to playing this as have loved all of the others in the series! It was good, but I don't remember so much back tracking in the other games, and the puzzles were a bit boring IMO.
That said I did enjoy playing this final chapter in the series and will miss my dragon helper..lol.
 
Sirikite wrote:    3 stars – completed game
 
Hidden object game
 
I bought this as I have the set as expected fabulous backgrounds from Boom Zap was not certain that this was a good game I thought they had thrown everything they had at the game a bit of a cobbled together feeling about it there was a lot of Ho to get through a bit over powering all together not a bad game but I prefer the other games in the series
 

Last edited by stusue (June 5, 2014 10:26 am)

Myths of the World: Of Fiends and Fairies – CE – Demo Review


Publisher/Developer:        Eipix

Date of Demo Review:       9 June 2014  (demo played 8 June 2014)

Genre:                                  HOPA

Availability:                           BFG – 8 June 2014


MAJOR GLITCH !

There's a major glitch with a signet ring that a lot, if not everyone, is experiencing.  You'll find a way around it in the forums here (only a few posts down):

http://forums.bigfishgames.com/posts/list/283654.page


Story:

From Eipix, the makers of the successful series Final Cut, Off the Record, and Sea of Lies, comes more Myths of the World.

The rat catcher's after more than rats this time. He’s kidnapping fairy folk! Where did these pixies come from, and what do they have to do with your grandfather's fairy tales?

Play both traditional and silhouette hidden-object puzzles in this dark fairy tale game. A unique new Q&A puzzle helps you discover your grandfather's tie to the fairy realm.
 
The Collector’s Edition includes:

    *    Help Magrat rescue his children in the bonus game
    *    Unlock challenging achievements
    *    Scour locations for hidden collectibles
    *    Enjoy concept art, wallpapers, and more!
    *    Available Strategy Guide         
 
 
Main Menu:
 
    *    Play
    *    Profile
    *    Options
    *    Achievements
    *    Extras
    *    More Games    (14)
    *    Exit
 
 
Options:
 
    *    Full-screen 
    *    Custom Icons    (large custom versus smaller system cursors – same cursors – yay!)
    *    Music Volume
    *    SFX Volume
    *    Voice Volume
    *    Credits
    *    Automatic Wide-screen 
 

CE Extras:
 
    *    Everything is locked until you’ve finished the game
    *    Titania’s Crown is unlocked once you’ve finished the bonus chapter
 
    *    Play bonus game
    *    Play puzzles  –  36 !!!!  
    *    Play HOPs  –  21  –  there’s an achievement for getting golden wings from them all
    *    Pictures  –  8 x Wallpapers (4 x res.)  –  8 x snapshots (photos taken of people for game)
    *    Music  –  ? 
    *    Movies  –  24    (locked – available one by one when you’ve seen them in the game)
    *    Making of  
    *    Titania’s Crown  –  an achievement for completing (?)
    *    Fairy Shoes  –  36  –  collectible fairy shoes
    *    Bubbleshooter  –  this is the HOP alternative minigame  –  an achievement for solving one in extras
    *    Screensaver  –  none
    *    Cutscenes  –  none 
    *    Strategy Guide
 
 
Myths of the World Series:
 
All stand-alone games so they can be played in any order.
 
Myths of the World 1: Chinese Healer CE  –  released BFG – 29 June 2013
Myths of the World 2: Stolen Spring CE  –  released BFG – 7 November 2013
Myths of the World 3: Spirit Wolf CE  –  released BFG – 5 February 2014
Myths of the World 4: Of Fiends and Fairies CE  –  released BFG – 8 June 2014 
 
Wow, 4 in less than 12 months!
 

Gameplay:
 
Black Bar Tips:    You can choose not to have them – in Chronicler or Custom Modes
Collectibles:    Yes  –  36  –  fairy shoes  –  in each scene  –  not too easy to find
Companions:    No  –  I didn’t come across any
Cutscenes:    Good
Diary:    Notebook  –  just objectives  – also shows time played bottom right in the notebook
Gameplay:    Usual HOPA  –  but with a monocle you use to see what things are really like
Graphics:    Normal Eipix  –  very good and crystal clear
Hint:    Directional  –  it’s the fairy bottom right of screen
Inventory:    Can be locked  –  with Plus Items  –  inventory items open in window – must click to close
Modes:    4  –  Scribe, Archivist, Chronicler  –  Custom  –  you can change during the game in ‘Menu’
Map:    Jump  –  very small compass bottom right of screen
Morphing Objects:    None  –  again!
Music:    ?  –  as I have no sound I can’t comment on the music
Objectives:    Come up on screen as you get them and then they’re put in the notebook
Quality:    Good      
Strategy Guide:    Yes  –  only first 2 chapters shown
Tutorial:    Yes  –  optional
Voiceovers:    ?  –  no idea as I have no sound  –  with lip syncing!  –  click to fast forward or skip  
 
Difficulty:
 
Just the usual difficulty, neither too difficult nor too easy, just the usual running back and forth to get inventory items, use inventory items, or play HOPs and minigames.  However, having the option to not have BBTs would certainly add to the difficulty, especially if you turn off the contextual pointers as well in Custom Mode.
 
Modes:    3 plus Custom
 
    *    Scribe  –  Archivist  –  Chronicler  –  finally some interesting mode names!  –  and Custom
    *    You can change modes in the game in ‘Menu’
    *    You can also choose to have no BBTs if you play in Chronicler Mode or choose Custom Mode
 
Custom Mode –
 
You can turn on/off:
 
    *    Tutorial
    *    Objectives on map
    *    Areas of interest on map
    *    Sparkles on HOPs
    *    Contextual pointers
    *    Helpful messages
 
You can turn on/off  –  with sliders if ON
 
    *    HOP error penalty  –  easy, medium, hard
    *    Glitter on active areas  –  1-10 secs
    *    Hint recharge  – 10-120 secs
    *    Skip charge  –  10-400 secs

HOPs:    21    (number in the extras)
 
I only played one HOP in the demo.  It was definitely different.  First there was a straight list with only 6 or so items, some of which were highlighted and slightly interactive.  Then, once I’d found those, another list came up with more items and more interactions.  Then, once I’d found all those, a few very simple silhouette frag objects came up, and these had to be found by moving objects in the HOP.  Once they’d all been found, the frag pieces went into the Inventory, becoming a Plus item.  The fragments then became a very simple minigame in the Inventory, with only 5 or 6 large pieces.  Then, once the object was together again, you then had to do one more thing before finding the final inventory object inside that object.  Definitely original and fun, albeit not difficult.
 
There’s an optional bubble-shooting game if you don’t want to play the HOPs, which you can also play in Extras.  I thought that was a really nice touch and something that’s not always done.  I didn’t try it as I only came across one HOP so I don’t know what it’s like or how easy/difficult it is, or whether it’s something you’d even want to play again once you’ve finished the game.  However, if it is a fun game then I like being able to play it once I’ve finished and can just play all the HOPs in the game.
 
Minigames/Puzzles:    36    (number in the extras)
 
Sorry, but I can’t remember playing any minigames, other than the Plus items in Inventory, and didn’t make note of any.  Also, as they’re all locked in Extras I couldn’t see what they were.

Monocle:
 
Just like in Shadow Wolf Mysteries: Under the Crimson Moon, where you used a magnifying glass and analyzer, in Of Fiends and Fairies there’s a monocle.  I used this twice in the demo.  The first time I used it to play a little minigame on a door to get through.  The second time I used it to see what an object really looked like.
  
Collectibles:     36
 
    *    There’s a fairy shoe in each scene. 
    *    They’re not all that easy to spot as they’re small and hidden.
    *    They’re accessible from the screen, as are the achievements.
  
Morphing Objects:    None
 
Yet another CE without morphing objects.  They seem to be a thing of the past.  A real pity as I love morphing objects.
 
Achievements:     17  –  at least you start with 17  –  accessible from the screen

Easy Does It  –  Complete a HOP in under 5 minutes
Good Listener  –  Listen to the intro and voice-overs in the demo    ( so no demo = no achievement? )
Going for the Gold  –  Get golden wings from every HOP in the extras menu 
Perfection  –  Complete a HOP without a hint in under 45 seconds   ( ! not if they’re all like the first one )
Smooth Sailor  –  Use the hint button 20 times
Quick Mind  –  Complete a puzzle in under 2 minutes
Independence  –  Complete 3 HOPs without a hint
Bubbleshooter  –  Solve one bubbleshooter level from extras
Super Eye  –  Find 3 objects in 5 seconds
Supreme Seeker  –  Find 100 objects
Titania’s Crown  –  Find all of Titania’s jewels in the night sky
Puzzler  –  Solve 3 puzzles without a skip
Precision  –  Complete a HOP without mistakes    ( hard with the clicking problems I had )
Bubble Master  –  Solve a HOP with a bubbleshooter
Art of the Game  –  Watch the entire credits
Bounceaboute  –  Use fast travel on the map once    ( thank heavens only once as I don’t like using it )
Shoes  –  Find all the fairy shoes throughout the game


Bonus Chapter:
 
No idea.  I don’t think there are any reviews of the completed game and All About Casual Game hasn’t posted a review yet with any info.
 
                               
Length:
 
No idea.  Once again, no reviews of the completed game.
           

Miscellaneous:
 
    *    It played really, really, really slowly on my computer.
    *    I had to choose system cursors as custom cursors too sluggish (both the same, just smaller)
    *    Sometimes I had to click 2 or 3 times until it registered  –  in a HOP and to zoom into a scene 
 

Statistics on BFG game page as at 9 June 2014:
 
    *    8 reviews  –  average 4.5 stars
    *    5 stars  –  5
    *    4 stars  –  2
    *    3 stars  –  1
    *    2 stars  –  0
    *    1 star    –  0
    *    100% recommended the game  –  8/8
    *    Fun Factor  –  4.4
    *    Visual/Sound Quality  –  4.6
    *    Level of Challenge  –  4.4
    *    Storyline  –  4.5
 
 
Excerpt from All About Casual Game’s Review:
 
No review yet.
 
 
My Recommendation:    SE if you like the demo  –  no news yet on the CE but it looks promising
 
Unlike the last game in this series, which I didn’t like enough to even get with a PCC, I liked what I played of the demo.  I really liked the HOP with the different levels, although whether that continues I don’t know as there’s hardly anything posted of any value in the reviews and I don’t think there’s a single review by someone who’s actually finished the game.   So, if you like the demo and don’t mind fairies, then I recommend the SE.
 
SE or CE?
 
As for whether the SE or CE, that I can’t yet say as there have been no reviews by anyone who’s actually finished the game.  However, there seem to be quite a few extras.  There are replayable HOPs, and there’s an achievement for getting golden wings from each HOP in the extras.  There are also replayable minigames and the HOP alternative bubble-shooter minigame.
 
There are also two extras I know nothing about are:
 
    *    Fairy  Shoes – but I assume this is just the collectibles
    *    Titania’s Crown – there’s an achievement for this so maybe it’s a minigame
  
So, from the limited information available at this stage I can’t recommend the CE but that’s what I’m tending towards getting.
 

Last edited by stusue (June 9, 2014 5:33 am)