Nov 30, 2010

Review: Woodville Chronicles


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

Build up a town in this match 3 game.

Gameplay
Play the match 3 games to earn money to build up the town. You have a choice between timed or untimed game. At any time, you can choose between 3 types of gameplay - group, chain or swap. After each game, you can choose to play a bonus game to earn more money or continue on with another match 3 game. The aim of the bonus game is to move the key to the keyhole along a determined path. You cannot move the key directly so the only way to move it is to destory the stones beneath so that the key will drop downwards.


Thoughts
Woodville Chronicles is a bright, cheery game. What is most interesting is that I can select from the three different types of gameplay at any time I wish, even in the middle of a game. Doing so resets the whole board but not the score so I can still continue on with the game. Building up the town is quite boring though. Apart for earning enough money to buy the buildings offered, there is not much else to do.

Verdict ★★★
Store page

Nov 27, 2010

Review: Tulula: Legend of a Volcano


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

You are the chosen one who has to save your tribe from the evil spirit.

Gameplay
Even though this is a hidden object game, it generally does not follow the format of most hidden object games where you are given a list of objects you have to find in the picture.

You are sent to a variety of locations to find pieces of a magical totem. As you move the mouse over the picture, the cursor will change its icon depending on what action is needed. You have to find out what hidden items you are supposed to look for by clicking on a particular object eg. broken statue, which will then display the shapes of the broken pieces that you need to find to complete it. Some of the pieces might be hidden from view and will need addition actions eg. moving away tree branches to display the piece.

Later on in the game, you will encounter optional goals like going to the spirit realm to assist gods. In between locations, you can also used the money earned to build up the village, which was destroyed.


Thoughts
Tulula is a beautiful game with a distinctive visual style right. Each location is unique and beautifully rendered. I like that the tutorials in the beginning of the game goes step-by-step through everything I need to know. It can feel a little long, especially when I'm itching to get out of the cave and get on with the game. But the pretty graphics distracted me and I often marveled that all the little details.


The game feels like a mixture of point and click adventures with some hidden objects and puzzles thrown in. At each location, I am just presented with an empty inventory and no instructions is given, no even a list of items to find. I am supposed to figure out what needs to be done. So I feel a little lost in the beginning until I found out that I have to click on certain objects to get them to display the parts that needs to be found. The hint button, which is in the shape of a lantern, helps me out a lot and refills pretty quickly so I'm never stuck for long. The game follows a lineal path so I need to follow the script and do A then B before I can do C, even though I already figured out how to solve C.

Verdict ★★★★★
Store page

Nov 24, 2010

Review: The Legend of the Golden Tome


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

The Golden Tome of Knowledge contains all the knowledge of the druids and is kept hidden. Guided by an old druid, you the chosen one, has to find the tome.

Gameplay
This is mainly a match 3 game but there is also quite a bit of hidden object games as well. In the story mode, you are guided by an old druid who will act as a narrator. You have to match three or more of the same color. Match four and you will be given extra points while matching five buys you extra time. The goal of each match 3 game varies a little. Sometimes you have to clear all the blocked up areas while sometimes you have to fill up the pots of paints, each representing a particular color. Power ups will appear on the board but you can't use until you have collected them. To collect them, you have to get them to the bottom of the board.

You have to play some hidden object games along the way. In fact when you start up the game, you are presented with a hidden object game before the match 3 game. You will play each background a few times before moving on to a new location.


Thoughts
I really like the old druid that accompanies me throughout the game. In the beginning, he helps me get a hang of the basics. He is helpful and encouraging, praising me after I passed each level. I know that it's all voice acting but it is nice when he sounds like he really means it.

The match 3 boards come in many shapes and sizes. Sometimes I get one big board and it's usually the easiest to play. Other times, I get strangely shaped boards or mini little boards which is harder. That's when the power ups come into use.

The hidden object games are a mixture of easy and hard. It can be easy because the picture is not crowded with other hidden items that is not necessary. Each time only the items that need to be found are hidden in the picture. So sometimes I just need to look for what is new. However, they can also be hard because the items can be hidden behind other objects in the picture and only a small portion can be seen.

Verdict ★★★
Store page

Nov 21, 2010

Review: Robin Hood


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

Follow Robin Hood on his fight against the corrupted sheriff.

Gameplay
The ratio of hidden object games and puzzles are about 50-50. Hidden items are presented on a list. Some of the puzzles are optional and can be skipped. However, solving them will earn you some money. Help is provided by a cute robin in the bottom right corner. Clicking on the bird will caused a circle of feathers to appear on the screen, pointing at the area you should focus your attention.


Thoughts
The game feels rather rough around the edges. Maybe it's the graphics or the execution of the game, but in the end I did not have a lot of fun playing it. The best graphic from the game is what you see at the top of the post. Everything else looks like they are in shades of brown which is a bit dull. It took me a while to figure out that I had to click on the robin for a hint and not the info button below it. Maybe I'm just stupid.

Characters are paper cut out, and I mean that literally. Their posture and expression never change so Robin Hood always has a smile on his face regardless of whether he is fighting Little John or being chased by the guards. Puzzles are fairly easy and never posted a big challenge.

Verdict ★★
Store page

Nov 19, 2010

Review : Deepica


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

Clear the living coral to reach the sunken treasure.

Gameplay
The colorful corals are clustered around a pendant-like object in the center of the screen. You can shoot a coral from the bar at the bottom of the screen to make matches of three and above. You can also bounce the coral off the top of the screen. However the coral you shoot out has a very short time limit. If it doesn't make a match of three and above in the first few seconds, it will become inert and won't create any reaction. You win the level when you have cleared all the corals.

Thoughts
The living corals are quite cute and looked similar to Chuzzle from PopCap Games and I can't shake the feeling that I've played similar games before. What was unique was that the corals are not fixed in position but move when they are hit by another object. Sometimes I hit them so hard that the force caused them to break off from the rest and rotate around the center for a while before reattaching themselves back.

There is not much of a storyline and no cut scenes in between stages. After a while it can get repetitive as I am just doing the same thing over and over again. Even though there are slight variations in each level, it does not quite get rid of the repetitious feeling.

Verdict ★★★
Store page

Nov 16, 2010

Review: Mystery Age: The Dark Priests


Type: Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 for the game and USD 6.99 for the strategy guide

The story takes places 30 years after The Imperial Staff. Both of Amber's parents have passed away and she is called back to her village. Upon arriving at her village, she discovers that the villages have turned to stone and some dark priests are lurking around.

Gameplay
There are some slight differences to the first game but the main gameplay is still the same. You have to find objects shown at the bottom of the screen. Each group of objects will either help you obtain a part of another group of objects or become an item take appears in your inventory. You can also find items to add to your inventory when you explore the different areas. Each item in the inventory has a specific use and will disappear after you use it.


Thoughts
The production quality of the game remains pretty good with beautiful graphics and sound effects. I found this game to be harder than The Imperial Staff mainly because I have to keep moving back and fro between locations to look for items to add to my inventory, hidden object games or to check whether the newly added item to my inventory can be used. Sometimes it is pretty obvious but sometimes it is a matter of trial and error. Every time I obtain a new item in my inventory, I would go through all the locations to see if it works somewhere. Certain tasks, like fixing a boat so I can cross the river, will require a few steps to complete them. The puzzles also feels are bit harder but thankfully there is a skip button if you cannot solve it after some time.

Verdict ★★★★★
Store page

Nov 15, 2010

Review: Mystery Age: The Imperial Staff


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

Amber's father left the village to find a way to stop the black rain. Fearing for his safety, Amber and her mother leaves the village to search for him.

Gameplay
You are given a list of pictures at the bottom of the screen showing the object you have to find. The picture shows the whole object, but you have to find the pieces instead. Each object is in two or more pieces and as you find a piece, it gets shaded out. Some parts are hidden and can only be revealed when you used an item to interact with something at the location. Quite often you will need to move back and fro between different locations to find all the pieces before you can move on in the chapter.


Thoughts
It isn't hard to find the hidden objects or to solve the puzzles. Although there is some difficulty on finding pieces of the object rather that the whole object. It is hard for me to focus on searching for a piece rather than a whole item. Luckily the hint button refills rather quickly and I can speed it up by finding eye marks in the locations. Sometimes I have to use trial and error to figure out where to use the items in my inventory but generally, it is not a frustrating experience.

Verdict ★★★★
Store page

Nov 13, 2010

Review: Unlikely Suspects


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

Solve cases using the clues you've found to determine which is the murder weapon and who is the murderer. Once you are confident of your answer, go ahead and make your accusation!

Gameplay
In each chapter, you are presented with a murder victim. Search the crime scene, murder victim's home and places where the murder victim has been to obtain clues to help you crack the case. Each country will have two locations for you to search but not all the countries available as needed to solve the case. You will need to select the correct country based on the clues you have obtained.


At each location, you have to find all the objects on the list to get a clue to the murder weapon or identity of the murderer, but not all locations will hold useful clues. Using the clues, you have obtained, you can narrow down the choices and marked likely weapons or suspects with a "!". Once you have obtained three clues to the killer's identity, you have the option to search the suspects' homes to gather clues and match their DNA.

Thoughts
I really enjoyed playing this game. There is a feeling that I am actively running the murder investigation by making correct deductions. I also get a sense of the satisfaction from successfully solving the case. It's always the same suspects but a different victim and murderer each time. Each location is beautifully rendered with moving objects in the background or foreground. There is also a play of light e.g. sunlight shining through the trees, although it can get irritating when it distracts you. But overall, each location feels alive instead of being just a static picture.


The objects are well hidden but by clicking on the name, I get to see the shape of the object, which is a big help in finding them. There is a help section in the main menu which you can flip though for detailed instructions on how to play the game, but it's perfectly fine to jump right into the game and figure out as you go along.

Some people might be disappointed by the lack of a real story. Like the Cluedo game, no reason is given for the murder. You are just told that someone is murdered and your job is to find out the how and who, not why.

Verdict ★★★★
Store page

Nov 11, 2010

Review: Angelo


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

Angelo is an angel in training whose job is to ferry baby angels from one cloud to another.

Gameplay
You control Angelo and has to ferry wingless baby angels to different clouds. Depending on the options you have set, the clouds may be labelled "1, 2, 3..." or by the flags of different countries. The babies will alert you when they want to move to another cloud by holding up their hand and a bubble with their destination will appear over their heads. You can pick up to three babies at one time and when you drop off more than one baby at the same time, you get a bonus. In the later stages, you will encounter challenges like fat babies who can only be ferried one at a time.

Thoughts
I find this game boring and repetitive. There seem to be little point in the game except moving the babies from one cloud to another and to another and to another. Angelo can level up but I don't think there is any difference apart from the clothes changing color. The graphics are not very pretty and there is very little animation, mostly static pictures. At times it feels like a bunch of clipart moving around the screen.

Verdict
Store page

Nov 9, 2010

Review: Cursed House


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

Charge an ancient amulet to clear a house of evil spirits.

Gameplay
Each stage of the game has its own goal eg. getting a key to fall from the top to open a chest, breaking runes or killing bug-like demons by getting them to fall into the fire.All these are achieved by matching three or more of the same type on the board. Match four of the same type and you will fill up the magic bonus while five of the same type will fill up the super bonus. The magic bonus will destroy what is on the board while the super bonus will deal directly with the goals. There will also be obstacles like blocks of ice or stone which you will need to break.


Thoughts
Don't be fooled by the name, this is not a spooky or scary game. Although this game will make you keeping doing the same thing i.e. match three or more of the same type, the many different goals keeps the game interesting. I find that I have to apply slightly different strategies when I am trying to kill the bug-like demons in comparison to destroying the runes. The game quality is good but there's no story or explanation about the house or why the amulet is the solution, so it can feel a bit dull and repetitive.

Verdict ★★★★
Store page

Nov 5, 2010

Review: Cooking Dash 3: Thrills and Spills


Type: Time Management
Platform: PC and Mac
Price: USD 6.99 for the game or USD 13.99 for the Collector's Edition from Big Fish Games

The latest installment of the popular Cooking Dash/Diner Dash series starts with grandma and Flo visiting Mr Big's theme park. It reminds grandma of the time when a teenage Flo worked at the rundown theme park restaurants. The Collector's Edition includes an exclusive venue, a strategy guide, wallpapers and screensaver. The Collector's Edition is available for PC and Mac.

Gameplay
You sit the customers in the restaurant by dragging them to the tables. If you manage match the customers with the same color seat, you will get an additional bonus. The customers will then take a few seconds to read the menu before deciding on what to he/she wants to order. It is then up to Flo to cook and/or serve the dishes to the customers before the hearts run out. Some of the dishes are ready-to-serve while others will need you to cook them first.

Cooking dishes takes at least two steps. You have to bring the raw ingredients to the stove or grill or fryer, depending on the type of restaurant. Then halfway through the cooking process, you have to click on the stove again to flip the dish that is cooking. Although this action is optional, as in the dish will still be cooked regardless of whether you remember to flip, there are benefits if you remember to do it so you should try to flip the food if you can.

Before each stage, you can play a mini game. How well you do in the mini game will determine how many of a certain type of dish you have that is ready to serve at the start of the game.


Thoughts
This game is the latest in the Cooking Dash series, so it is nice to see that the developers have improved the graphics in the game. The visual style is still there but the lines look cleaner and neater. It's all just subtle differences but it's nice when you notice it. Each restaurant has its own theme look, theme song and theme dishes. It keeps the game interesting even though I am still doing more or less the same actions.


This game is still as addictive and fast paced as ever. My main problem with Cooking Dash games is that at some point, it will become too hard for me to continue on playing. This game is as difficult or as easy, depending on your skill level, as other games in the series. I still have to handle a lot of things at the same time and it's rather overwhelming in the later stages. It didn't help that most of the dishes cannot be prepared beforehand as they will get burnt or lose their freshness.

Verdict ★★★★★
Store page (PC and Mac)

Nov 2, 2010

Review: Letters from Nowhere


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

Audrey has to find her missing husband with help from mysterious letters from an unknown sender.

Gameplay
At each chapter of the game, you are given a few locations to choose from. Each location is a hidden object game where you have to find items on the list. There will be at least one item which requires an additional action to complete eg. putting bread in the toaster to make toast. One of the locations will contained one of the mysterious letter which will open a a new location. The new location will contain a puzzle and an artifact. To help you in the search, you can purchase four types of power ups from the points you have earned.


Thoughts
I like the beautiful graphics and the intriguing plot. Even though evil is in the air, it is not a terribly spooky game. It is not easy to find the hidden items because some of the items are covered so that only part of it can be seen. The items are also clearly hidden and sometimes instead of telling me what to look for, the game only gives me a clue eg. head cover or 2+3.

The puzzles are pretty simple and won't cause anyone to tear their hair out. There is a helpful "Solve Puzzle" button which will activate after a few minutes, unlike another game which took such a long time to activate the button that you would have better luck solving it yourself.

Verdict ★★★★★
Store page (PC and Mac)
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