Oct 31, 2010

Review: Secret Diaries: Florence Ashford


Type: Hidden Object, Puzzle
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

With her family facing the danger of financial ruin, Florence Ashford sets off to marry Marquis Henry hoping that he will be able to save her family. However upon arriving at Marquis Henry's estate she finds that he had deceived her family as he will only inherit the wealth upon the birth of his first son. Together with Anthony, the rightful heir, Florence tries to uncover the hidden secrets of the manor.

Gameplay
You progress through the story by finding objects and solving puzzles. You will be told where to go in the story itself or in the info bar at the top. There are also clues in your diary to guide you. If you are stuck, there is a hint button which will recharge itself after a while.


Thoughts
I must confess that I'm a bit of a scaredy cat so it is nice to see that this game takes place in the day and is full of sunshine. Most hidden object games tend to be a little bit spooky and takes place in the night at dark, creepy locations. The graphics are pretty to look at and I enjoyed the golden sunlight that stream in through the open windows. Even the villain of the game is not scary.

The game takes the time to teach you how to play the game and what the various icons mean. It feels like the game is made up of equal parts hidden object and puzzle elements. I can skip the puzzle elements but only if I  cannot solve it after a long, long time. I have not used the skip feature because it takes such a long time to activate and I usually solve the puzzles by trying all possible combinations. But don't worry, the puzzles are not fiendishly difficult.

What I like about the game is that it stops me from going to places where there is no need for me to go. If the clue is in the kitchen and I try to go to the attic, it would tell me that there is no need for me to go to the attic. It saves a lot of wasted time going from place to place, just to look for a particular object.

Verdict ★★★★
Store page

Oct 28, 2010

Review: Amelie's Cafe: Halloween


Type: Time Management
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Amelie's Cafe gets dressed up with a Halloween theme.

Gameplay
As the owner of the cafe, Amelie is in charge of taking orders and serving the food. Each counter in the cafe prepares only one type of food. Some of the counters are staffed by one of Amelie's staff and these types of counters needs the most care and maintenance. You will need to click on the counters to get the staff to start preparing the food. The counters will get dirty while the staff prepares the food so you will need to keep an eye on the cleanliness levels of the counters. Once it gets too dirty, you can't prepare any more food on the counter until you clean it up.


The faster you perform your actions, the more the bonus bar at the bottom gets filled up. To claim the bonus, you have to match three of the same type by clicking away the unwanted ones. The goal of each stage is to earn a certain amount of money displayed in the top right corner. At the end of each stage, you will also be shown whether you have met the optional requirements eg. whether you have served all the customers, kept your counters clean right til the end etc.

Thoughts
This is a time management game, nothing more and nothing less. There are just stages and stages of frantic cooking and serving customers in the cafe, broken up by cut scenes. There are no complex storyline or mini games or trophies. But I think people who like time management games will like this because it is at heart a pretty fun time management game without the unnecessary and perhaps distracting additions.


Playing the game seems easy at first as it is just a matter of clicking here and there. Unlike other time management games like Spa Mania, there is no extra step to do at each station. So the pace of the game can get really fast. There are so many things happening at the same time that it is difficult to keep an eye on everything. I hardly even have time to think!

The game is rather weak in graphics and it looks a little pixelated on my 1920 x 1080 screen. I also think the style isn't cute and looks a little ugly but that's my personal bias. Thankfully the pace of the game is so fast, that I hardly have time to notice the graphics after a while.

Verdict ★★★
Store page

Oct 24, 2010

Review: Ski Resort Mogul


Type: Building Management
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Julia likes Antonio but he only cares for skiing. So Julia decides to help out in Aunt Sue's ski resort, hoping that she will be able to see more of Antonio.

Gameplay
You main source of income in this game is by getting people to pay for rent so you have to build places for them to stay. However, simply having a place to a stay in is not good enough. A house may remain empty if it is not attractive enough so you will also have to build other facilities to attract people. An additional benefit is that some of the facilities can also generate a little income. You can upgrade the buildings to a maximum of three stars to generate more income. There are also other mini games where your memory is tested or where you have to find objects hidden in the pictures.


Thoughts
This is a well made game but like all building management games, there can be dull moments while you wait to earn enough money to buy more building materials so you can continue building or while you wait to earn enough money to meet the goal requirements. The tutorials do a good job of walking you through the game and Aunt Sue will pop up and explain whenever a new element is added to the game.

Verdict ★★★★
Store page

Oct 21, 2010

Review: 2 Tasty


Type: Hidden Object
Platform: PC and Mac
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

After graduating from cooking school, Libby agreed to be the chef at Cole's newly bought shop.

Gameplay
In 2 Tasty, you cook dishes by finding the ingredients hidden around the messy kitchen. At later stages, you will have to look more than one area for the ingredients you need. A list of ingredients will appear beside each customer's orders. Each dish needs different ingredients and different cooking equipment. The amount you earn is based on how fast you can find the ingredients, so don't take too long! The money earned can be used to purchase better equipment to help you in your cooking.


Thoughts
Having customers' orders to fulfill makes this feels different from other hidden object games. I enjoy finding the ingredients and seeing them turning into delicious-looking dishes. There is also a help button to press when I have trouble finding the ingredient I need. The game will then find one of the ingredient on the list for me but everything always happened so fast that I didn't know where the ingredient was located. Interestingly, as I progress past the stages, I get to unlock real recipes to try. However 2 Tasty isn't the only game which provides real recipes. Hell's Kitchen is another game with real recipes.

There is a little romantic story in the game between the shy Cole and the oblivious Libby. It is amusing to see how the story develops. The two characters are likable and the general atmosphere is cheery. There is no villain in the game, just how these two friends achieve success and maybe, love.

However, despite all its charms, the game feels a little buggy. There are also slight grammar mistakes and some of the pictures during the cut scenes are too low-res.

Verdict ★★★
Store page (PC and Mac)

Oct 19, 2010

Review: Great Migrations


Type: Strategy
Platform: PC and Mac
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

This National Geographic branded is based on the great migrations of animals.

Gameplay
Migrating creatures will appear in the lower left corner of the screen. You have to maneuver them past obstacles and predators to their goal in upper right corner of the screen. Clicking on a creature will caused it to change color. For example, clicking on a Monarch Butterfly will turn it golden. This golden butterfly is now the leader and other butterflies around it will start to follow it. Click and drag on the leader to create a path. Depending on how you draw the path, sections of it may turn red, indicating that the creatures will take a longer time to travel through that area. You can also apply power ups to increase the speed or slow down the predators. The effects of the power ups are limited to a small area.


Thoughts
This game teaches about the migration of creatures and shows the different terrains and dangers they face. It is educational but not very fun. The creatures appeared one by one and keeps moving so I have to spend quite a bit of time making the leader move back and fro around the lower left corner to pick up new recruits until I get a big enough group. Despite successfully guiding the butterflies to their goal, I did not feel any satisfaction. Graphics are more towards the realistic and there are photos of the creatures on the title screen. However, the photos are not hi-res and appear pixelated on my 1920 x 1080 screen when the game ran in fullscreen.

Verdict
Store page (PC and Mac)

Oct 17, 2010

Review: Incredible Adventures of my Mom


Type: Hidden Object
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Worried about her detective son, Sammy, Mrs Burley goes off to help Sammy solve a case.

Gameplay
As you travel throughout Italy, you will be given a list of items which you need to find in a particular area. Some of the items will be kept in your inventory for use at a later time. Sometimes prior interaction is needed before you can get the item, eg. opening the cupboard door, getting a ladder to climb up to the balcony. Click too many times on the wrong objects and shots will be fired as a warning. There will also be short puzzles throughout the game which you need to solve to move on. Luckily they can be skipped if you do not want to solve them.


Thoughts
This game has an amusing story about a mother who somehow manages to stay one step ahead of the police. She cleans and tidies up every mess she comes across, even the crime scene! Generally the game is not fiendishly difficult even though you might have to go to various locations to find the items on the list. There is a helpful hint button which refills fairly fast and I can skip puzzles I am not interested in solving. One main frustration for me is that sometimes the game is very strict about where I can click. Like the time I need to use the key to open the door. I can only click on a specific spot on the door and clicking on other parts of the door, would not register. But it's not always easy to tell where should I click on. If I want to tie apples to the end of a pole that was attached to a donkey, wouldn't it make more sense to click on the pole rather than the donkey?

Verdict ★★★
Store page

Oct 14, 2010

Review: Paradise Quest


Type: Match 3
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Dr Evan Finch is tasked to restore the wildlife of the Isabela island in Galapagos archipelago following drastic climate changes.

Gameplay
To restore the island, you have to collect resources by matching relevant items in a match 3 game. In each match 3 level, you have to break the seals surrounding artifacts to end the level. You can obtain power ups by clearing the sandy areas. After each match 3 level, the artifacts will turn into parts of a jigsaw puzzle showing an area on the island. Complete the jigsaw to open a new habitat and the opportunity to photo returning animals. Once you have gathered enough resources, you can choose to buy or upgrade certain areas, which in turn will attract the wildlife back to the island.


Thoughts
I found this to be a fun and educational game. There are beautiful pictures of Isabela and each animal has a short writeup which can be accessed anything in the journal. One thing I find really cool is that the pictures of the animals in the journal are using the photos that I have taken instead of just a generic picture of the animal. I am also shown various types of plants and what animals the plant would attract if I restore it. There is also a bit of story where Dr Finch finds strange pieces of artifacts during his task to restore the island.

I can chose between having a timed or untimed game. It is good that the developers included this option for people who like to play it at a more relaxed pace. But I found the time limit to be quite generous. The main goal of each level is to obtain the artifacts but there are also optional targets which I can meet to earn more points.


The game is mainly a match 3 game with some additional elements that keeps it fun. Unlike many match 3 games, only a portion of the board is shown and I move along the board by matching items in the direction I want to go. If I want to go up, I will have to match items in top portion of the screen. Each match will move the board a little. There are also other challenges like a board that is shrouded in darkness and as I move along, I have to keep lighting lamps to unveil the board. All this challenges adds a little bit of difficulty to the game but none is too frustrating.

Verdict ★★★★★
Store page

Oct 13, 2010

Review: Burger Battle


Type: Match 3
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Follow the blue-eyed burger cook as he defeats rivals and save the princess.

Gameplay
Strictly speaking, this isn't a match 3 game as you have to match at least four of the same color. Unlike many of the match 3 games where you click on two different colors to swap them, you have to highlight connecting colors. The connecting color can be either above, below, left, right or diagonal. Every time you get four of the same colors, you get an ingredient that corresponds to the color. For example, matching brown would give you one meat while matching orange would give you an egg. To defeat an opponent, you have to feed him with burgers made from the ingredients you have gathered until he topples over from too much food. There is a bar beside the characters which acts like a life bar except in this case, it shows how much more you have to go before you faint from overeating.


Thoughts
This game has big cute graphics and is suitable for young children as well. Everything is cute, from the opponents to the colors you have to match. There is no violence in this game as you don't fight your opponents, you overfeed them instead! You will see your opponents getting fatter and fatter until they finally topple over.

I find that this game lacks a bit of polish although none is serious enough to break the game. There are some slight grammatical errors and the tutorial is a bit boring as you have to do a lot of reading before you can start to play the game. You are not introduced to the shop function until you actually click on the shop button which is easily missed by someone (like me) who just wants to get on with the game.

Verdict ★★★
Store page

Oct 10, 2010

Review: Paradise Beach 2: Around the World



Type: Building Management
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

This time you will follow Mr Gates as he goes around the world purchasing and building up resorts.


Gameplay
You build facilities according to your customers needs. These facilities are your main cash earners and have to be upgraded or maintained to keep your customers happy. Each stage has certain objectives that must be met in order to progress to the next one.


Thoughts
This game feels like the first game with a different setting. People who have played the first game will find themselves right at home but it also mean that there is nothing much to differentiate the two games. The facilities and items I can add to my resort are similar to the first game. Even though this game added some story elements, it didn't make a big difference to the game. Gameplay reminds mostly the same. But if you enjoyed the first game, it is a guarantee that you will like this as well.

Verdict ★★★★

Oct 8, 2010

Review: Puzzle Quest 2



Type: Match 3
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Puzzle Quest 2 takes the winning formula of the first Puzzle Quest game and improves on it. The hero has to travel into the depths on a tower buried in the ice to investigate an ancient evil.

Gameplay
Choose from 4 hero types - Assassin, Barbarian, Sorcerer and Templar. Each Hero type has a male and female version. As far as I can tell, it is only the appearance that are different, there are no differences in the stats between male and female. Each hero class has their own strengths and limitations eg. Barbarian can wield the strongest two-handed weapons while Assassins can use the strongest poisons. What you choose will depend on your playing style.

Your characters walks around the Verloren village near the tower and accepts quests. You can also buy, sell and upgrade equipment in Verloren. There is an overview map of whole level in the bottom-right corner. Each level is divided in to rooms or areas, to exit a room or go to a different area, you have to click on the arrows on the ground. Most areas have a few enemies which block your way or are guarding a treasure chest. You will have to fight them to progress on, you can't avoid them.

Fighting is done in match 3 style. You and your opponent take turns to match a gem on the board. Matched colored gems contributed to your mana for your to cast spells. Hands represent action points which are for using the items equipped in your hero's hands. Match skulls and you will cause damage to your opponent.

Thoughts
Puzzle Quest 2 takes place in a smaller area. Instead of a whole country to explore, the only civilization is the village of Verloren which is located near an ancient tower buried underneath the ice. These are the only two accessible areas in the game. Instead of exploring horizontally across a huge map in Puzzle Quest, I am now exploring vertically into the depths of the tower. There are many levels in the tower, housing a variety of creatures so there is always something at each level. I met a lot of enemies and some friends while exploring the tower, and not all of them are human.


There are many rooms on each level of the tower so even with the mini map, it is not always easy to figure out where to go. Luckily, the developers have made it easy by having arrows to guide me to my active quest. I really like this feature because I don't not have waste time wandering around. Portals at various locations allows speedy teleportation back to the village or other parts of the tower so I don't have to trek all the way back up the tower just to go back to the village to sell/buy equipment.

I find that the RPG elements are more tightly integrated into the game this time. I love the improvements the developers had done to the graphics and sound effects. The characters look better and the backgrounds are more detailed. There are also voices for various characters and most of the time they sounded like they should. I always get a chuckle whenever I hear the grunting sounds made by an orc. The only voice I didn't quite like was the narrator's voice which sounded like an old, old man.

Overall, Puzzle Quest 2 is a very addictive game, perhaps even more than its predecessor because I find the game more enjoyable this time round.

Verdict ★★★★★

Oct 3, 2010

Review: Paradise Beach


Type: Building Management
Platform: PC and Mac
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games for PC and Mac

The rich Mr Gates is looking for someone to look after the management of his beach resorts.

Gameplay
In Paradise Beach, you build facilities to keep the customers happy, These facilities are your main cash earners and have to be maintained to keep earning money. The facilities can also be upgraded. There are also many other decorative items you can add to the beach. You can also hire employees to assist you in keeping the resort in tiptop shape. Increase the rating of your beach resort to unlock new items. Each stage also has certain objectives which must be met before you can progress on.


Thoughts
This game is for those who like to build and decorate. There are no designated plots of land for building. I love the freedom to be able to place things wherever I want. Unfortunately I can't rotate anything so all the items are facing the same direction. There are many types of decorative items available for me to decorate my beach resort to my heart's content, if I'm that kind of gamer. Unfortunately I'm not. But if you are, you can choose to keep playing after the objectives are made and continue to build your beach resort.

Despite not being much of a decorator, I found this game fun to play. A problem with most building games is that after I have built everything and met all the objectives except for one, it is just a matter waiting for the game to meet that one objective so I can pass the stage. It get boring while waiting for that one objective to be met. But in this game, the more I build, the more people visit and the more people visit, the more things they demand. The visitors will also ask for your help periodically in finding their lost items or saving them from drowning. Some of these requests usually have a time limit so it a good thing that the game pops up an alert.

The tutorials are pretty clear and teaches the basics of the game. It doesn't teach everything though and I have to explore some of the more advance functions myself. But no fear, Mr Gates or his granddaughter will frequently pop up to explain when I click on something for the first time. The maps are frequently bigger than what is shown on the screen so I have to keep scrolling. Despite the game saying that I have to hold my left mouse button and drag to scroll, I find that I can scroll simply by placing my mouse at the edge of the screen.

Verdict ★★★★
Store page (PC and Mac)

Oct 1, 2010

Review: Hospital Haste


Type: Time Management
Platform: PC and Mac
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games for PC and Mac

Sally graduated from nursing school. Her dream is start her own hospital to treat people but first, she has to work at various hospitals to earn her certificates.

Gameplay
In Hospital Haste, patients with various illness will arrive at the hospital and it's your job to assign them to their rooms and make sure that they get their medicine and treatment. Sally has a trolley which she wheels around and collects items to bring to the patients. Chaining the same actions together will net you a bigger bonus.

Later in the game, you will encounter different people representing different illnesses. Sometimes the same illness may need different amounts of medicine and time needed to recover. Patients will also start arriving from different entrances. After each stage, you can use the money earned to buy upgrades which makes things easier while playing the game. You can also use the hearts earned from happy patients to purchase equipment for Sally's hospital.


Thoughts
Playing Hospital Haste reminds me of another game as the gameplay is very similar. I have to move between different floors to deliver items and collect dirty laundry to bring to the washing machine. The first few stages are tutorials where they will run through the basic gameplay. Almost every stage has some new addition to the game but everything is explained clearly so I don't feel lost.


This is not a serious game despite dealing with diseases and illness. I enjoy the strange and funny diseases that the patient suffers from, like having bunny ears and slowly turning into rabbits. Sadly, quirky illlnesses such as this does not appear often and most of the time it's mundane illnesses like coughs and dizzy spells. It is satisfying to see happy patients and to see the empty hospital fill up with equipment I bought. So it's kind of letdown that when I move on to the next hospital, I lose all the upgrades I have bought previously and have to start from the beginning again.

Verdict ★★★★
Store page (PC and Mac)
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