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I finished Surface: the Soaring City CE (though not the bonus game) and I’m giving it a resounding “meh”.
Over half the game I was just playing to be finished with it, and towards the end I just started using the Strategy guide to get through the end faster, also because the puzzles got more and more illogical.
Ok, well, I finished the game as well (SE version) and thought I would offer a counterpoint. I agree that the plot is pretty silly (and not of the quality of the other Surface games, which have above-average HOPA plots), but I’m more interested in the gameplay. I do agree that this game is a small step back for Elephant, who in general have been making consistently interesting games lately. I still enjoy the way the HOG scenes in Surface games require using inventory items which you may or may not have at the time you find the scene. And, I, to contrast, enjoyed the puzzles in this game. I usually applaud any developer who can come up with unique puzzles one hasn’t seen before, and there are several in this game. When I play a HOPA, I usually approach every puzzle like it was something I discovered exploring the ages of Myst, ie I never read the instructions for the puzzle. I just experiment and try to discover the purpose of the puzzle, and then I work on solving it. I don’t know, for me this just adds a little bit more challenge and makes the puzzle more interesting for me. So, I thought the puzzles in this game were good. I also thought the pacing of the game was good, and it was an appropriate length. In the end, I agree that it is the weakest Surface game, and not as good as other recent Elephant games. Actually, I thought it played much more like a Mystery Trackers game as opposed to a Surface game insofar as pacing and plot. But, I thought the game got better gameplay-wise as it progressed, so I would give it 3.5/5.
Yes, I realize that but since there are examples of their games on it, it would seem that the Sacra Terras could be added. I used it to pick out some likely games and was not disappointed. But your spreadsheet, your rules.
Again, I would also add that Jackal has done a good job keeping a fairly comprehensive list of games on this very site. For instance, if I wanted to know all the games available from Elephant Games, I would just search for one of their games (like Surface) and then click the hyperlink for Elephant Games on that page, and you will get a list of all their releases. If you give it a try, you will find that it works well.
Yes, I realize that but since there are examples of their games on it, it would seem that the Sacra Terras could be added. I used it to pick out some likely games and was not disappointed. But your spreadsheet, your rules.
The spreadsheet is open source. Anyone can contribute. However, Chudah and I reserve the right to edit. While updating the database today I did add Sacra Terra to the Alawar entry. If you do contibute to the database we request you add the link to your signataure.
For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.
Wow, funny story. Saw a cool looking casual game on iOS that was in Russian. Looked cool, but couldn’t play it. Saw it installed on the iPhone as Poltergeist. Searched everywhere including nevosoft but nothing came up. Then I saw you guys post about Shivers: Poltergeist and lo and behold, happy days! I’m really enjoying this game. I made sure to get the CE edition for the conclusion. So far, the pace is genuinely like an adventure game. It doesn’t rush you into some elaborate masquerade of gameplay mechanics. it takes its time. Can’t wait to dig into it more.
Stuart Bradley Newsom - Naughty Shinobi || Our Game: Shadow Over Isolation
Recently, there was a new Otherworld game that came out, which made me go try the first one Otherworld: Spring of Shadows. I think this game has been mentioned indirectly on the forums (it came up as one of Gamezebo’s top 5 casual games of 2012). It is a phenomenal game, one of the best I’ve played recently. The story involves you buying a home and discovering that the girl who lived there before has been kidnapped by an evil Fae creature. The plot involves several different dark fantasy themes. I found the story to be very involving and enjoyable. The artwork is beautiful, and the soundtrack fits the game perfectly. Together, they definitely create a sinister vibe (not like your typical “creepy” HOG but something more unsettling). The main villian is pretty scary looking (reminding me of something from Pan’s Labyrinth); I had to look around when he showed up to make sure my kids weren’t in the room. The gameplay is very addictive and paced very well. It is packed with minigames/puzzles. There are relatively less HO scenes and even these tend to take the form of finding related objects or finding 10 of one type of item, etc. I think there were only 2 or 3 traditional HO scenes in the whole game (where you have a list of words and find the objects). In fact, when I was playing, the gameplay reminded me a lot of the Awakening series, and then of course I realize it’s the same developer, BoomZap. In fact, overall this game reminded me of a dark version of Awakening, one aimed more at adults vs tween girls for Awakening (no offense - I love Awakening, too). The game has a nice length with tons of interesting locations and characters. Cut scenes are voice acted but the in-game text is not. There are also lots of achievements and hidden items you can find throughout the game. With all of this together, it felt a lot like a CE, though I was playing the SE version. Apparently, there is a CE version but I’m not sure what is added. The story has a definite conclusion in the SE, but does set up the apparent sequel. Anyway, I would highly recommend the game and give it 4.5/5.
Recently, there was a new Otherworld game that came out, which made me go try the first one Otherworld: Spring of Shadows. I think this game has been mentioned indirectly on the forums (it came up as one of Gamezebo’s top 5 casual games of 2012)
Thankis for the heads up. I downloaded the SE demo today, but haven’t had a chance to start it yet.
I did finish Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Gold Bug. I’ll give it a solid 3.5/5. If you liked the earlier Rue Morgue and Black Cat games, you will probably like this game. I did and I did. Far fewer HOG scenes than a typical ERS game. But the puzzles were extraordinarily easy. If you played the first two games, you will recognize the music immediately. And while the voice acting isn’t bad, it’s almost unneccessary. (One potential problem: I did play this game twice. The first time I completed it without a hitch. The second time I played the game regularly crashed. I did reinstall both the game and the BFG Game Manager, and from that point on the game ran fine.)
I also played Fairly Twisted Tales: The Price of a Rose, that was recommended here. I enjoyed it. I had not played a game from this publisher, Big Top Games before. I hope they do more of the same. I would give it a 4/5.
And I completed Nightmare Realm - In the End. I did play the SE version. Comments elsewhere suggest that the CE version offered sufficient extra information to justify the extra cost. Unless it led to a different conclusion I’m not sure how that could be the case. Nevertheless, the SE was thorougly entertaining. My only complaint with the game is that the puzzle instructions were quite unhelpful. Still, I’ll give the SE 4/5.
For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.
I’ve been playing Eternal Journey: New Atlantis CE and wanted to post my recommendation. It takes place mostly on a space station/spaceship with a small episode underwater on earth at the beginning. Very good gameplay on casual and I’d immagine even better on the harder setting. Clever twists to some puzzles and object use and some double manipulation (or is it tripple?) in the reasonable amount of HOGs. A strong 4/5 for me.
In the extra episode you get to play as the male lead.
I played the Otherworld: Spring of Shadows SE demo that Interplay recommended. Let’s just say it was so good that I immediately purchased the game. While it is not a HOG as we typically think of one, it is still pretty much a hidden object game. However, instead of trying to find unrelated items in a junk pile, you are often looking for related items. An Example is finding 15 pieces of a wagon wheel. Concept is the same, but the implementation is different.
One of the “Achiecements” said I finished the game in under six hours. It sure seemed longer than that. Perhaps because I didn’t play it in any type of marathon session, but rather in a lot of shorter sessions over four days.
The graphics are absoultely stunning. There is once scene where you are trying to find 11 pieces of a pedastal in a small pond. The water is shimmering. Fish are darting beneath the surface. The fish move out of the way when you put your hand into the water. It was realistic to the nth degree. Similar examples abound.
The background music and sound effects are similarly top notch. Everything is totally appropriate to the scene presented. While I’m sure there was a fair amount of repetition, I didn’t notice it.
With a few exceptions I would rate the puzzles farly easy, but occasionally tedious. The exceptions result from you not being provided the type of information you need to solve them. There is a “Wall” puzzle towards the end of the game where you have to put various elements in the correct order. The two places where you can observe the solution are your Journal and a book on the altar in front of the wall. Both were so dark and small that I found the puzzle unsolvable.
Fortunately there is a SKIP button. Because of the above mentioned problem, I used it twice. Be aware that the SKIP button resets if you leave a puzzle. And, I would guess that only half, if that, of the puzzles have a reset button. So going back to ground zero is not always an option. Ergo, if you find yourself stuck, you may just have to use the SKIP button.
The voice acting is quite good. I could easily believe that the actors were speaking as they would if you met them on the street.
There is one mini-game inside the game. There are 60 pixies/fairies to be found throughout the game. It’s something you wouldn’t know about unless you played the tutorial. I didn’t, and as a result only found 24 of them. I don’t know if you get anything if you find them all.
This game gets a strong 4/5. The only think keeping it from a 4.5 are the puzzle problems. There is a new episode available on BFG, Otherworld: Omens of Summer. I’ve downloaded the demo of it. I hope it’s as good as this game.
For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.
I played an hour or so of Otherworld: Omens of Summer because Shadows had gotten such good reviews and was disappointed. I should have played the demo first. It had an unfinished feel to it and there was no photorealism I could detect, though the screens were brightly colored. Not only that but I couldn’t finish because one of five items I needed to proceed was suddenly missing when I needed to use it. Backtracking was fruitless and I didn’t care for the game enough to replay it.
I’ll play Shadows on the recommendations here, at least the demo, and hope for a better experience.
Wow! That’s kind of disappointing. I was hoping the new game would be more of the same. I’m still going to play the downloaded demo, but, based on your experience we will see whether it make its way to my buy list.
I will also download your Eternal Journey: New Atlantis recommendation as a demo.
For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.
I played the Otherworld - Omens of Summer CE demo. I can’t say for sure whether I like the game. I know I don’t care for it as much as Otherworld - Spring of Shadows. What I can say is that I won’t be purchasing the CE version regardless of the quality of the bonus gameplay. The mechanics are just plain cumbersome.
Most games place the Strategy Guide somewhere near the menu controls, leaving the Hint controls intact. It appears that the Strategy Guide in this game actually replaces the Hint button. Others may like this. I find the interface cumbersome. If nothing else, it assumes the player will play the game in the exact sequence laid out in the Strategy Guide. That is not always the case. Nor, in the case of this game, even necessary in order to complete objectives.
I plan on playing the SE demo when it comes out. Perhaps it will change my opinion.
For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.
Based on the review that appeared yesterday, I decided to give Reality Show: Fatal Shot a try. I had a game credit taking up space, so what the heck!?
I’ll try not to duplicate what the reviewer has already stated. Although it should be mentioned that this is not a new game. It was released late 2012, and is available in both CE and SE versions on BFG.
The graphics are up to ERS standards. Yes it is an ERS game. But in this case the graphics are better than what we’ve become accustomed to. I say that becasue the graphic style is consistent from beginning to end. In most ERS games the graphics may be stunning, but consist of a hodgepodge of styles. Not here.
The review says the puzzles are relatively easy. That is an understatement. I finished the 60-minute SE demo in 39 minutes. Because of puzzle ease the review states that the game is “a bit on the short side.” I agree. The total game, including the 39 minutes for the demo, clocked in at just a bit over three hours. Not a whole lot of gameplay.
While easy, the puzzles can be quite time consuming. There was one puzzle involving crates mentioned in the review. To be specific, you are presented with a grid. On the grid are eight crates and s series of barracades. Using arrow keys you must guide a miniature forklift and place the eight crates into a loading dock. Finishing the puzzle took about eight minutes of continuous mouse clicks. When I was done, I had to take a timeout to give my right wrist a break. Meanwhile, the SKIP button lights up after about 45 seconds. I’m sure you can see the temptation.
There are no hidden object scenes. It’s all inventory and puzzle in the mode of Azada and Penumbra Motel.
I think the game, itself, was quite enjoyable. But, because of the shortness of the game plus the tedious nature of fairly easy puzzles I can only give it 2.5/5.
For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.
It’s been mentioned before, but I just played though Witch’s Legacy: Charleston Curse. I had high hopes after I first started it, because the artwork is great and the story was interesting. Also, it seemed very similar to Mayan Prophecies, a game by the same developers that I liked. Long story short, the game was a disappointment. It’s a pretty short game, and there is not a good variety of locations. But the worst is that there is a TON of backtracking. This is a game where the items you need are mostly gotten from HO scenes. So, any time you make any progress in the game, you pretty much have to go back through every previous screen and pixel hunt for a repeated HO scene to find the item you need. I played on hard mode where there are no sparkles, so this was incredibly tedious. To add insult to injury, there is no map (which I normally don’t use but would have been a godsend in this game). It ended up being the first casual game I’ve played in awhile where I was relieved when it was over. Another positive side note: during the game you collect scraps of a child’s drawings. When you get enough scraps, the pieces reassemble themselves into the drawing and then the drawing animates itself, giving you a crudely (purposefully so) animated little movie. These were great and really beautiful. Too bad the gameplay was blah. I give it 2.5/5 (great technical qualities, bad gameplay).
I just finished Rite of Passage: The Perfect Show.
The story—children have gone missing in the little town of Everlake. When you are late returning home to teach a piano lesson, your pupil is kidnapped as she waits for you in the nearby playground. Realizing that the detective on the case is incompetent, you decide to solve the mystery yourself.
Everlake is a disquieting place—partly because little memorials to the missing children are everywhere. But also because of the oppressive atmosphere: buildings with peeling paint stand at quirky angles, and purple, threatening clouds cross the sky. Even the garden gnome in your flower bed looks nervous.
The challenges in this game include inventory item placement, hidden object screens (each presented twice) and mini-games. There’s also a theatrical mask icon to find in most locations – I collected all but one. The game gives you significant territory to explore (part of the inventory puzzle challenge is remembering where the active hotspots are). The HO screens have one or two “interactive” objects, though often it’s just a matter of moving something to uncover items hidden behind it. The mini-games are noteworthy, not because the mechanics are anything special, but because the presentation is colorful and unusual.
Rite of Passage has surprising thematic depth. It touches on feelings of guilt, the consequences of career ambition, and the dangers of wish fulfillment. The backstory is told through journal entries and – memorably—through a series of short, interactive paper puppet shows.
The SE ending is reasonable, but the story really gets interesting in the Bonus Chapter, which takes you back in time. In fact, the “Rite of Passage” refers to something that happens in the Bonus Chapter. In this case, the Rite of Passage is more entertaining and definitive than the commencement of the Perfect Show, as what the Perfect Show was supposed to accomplish is ambiguous.
For me, the ending leaves a question in the air – is it more effective to orchestrate a way to make events change, or to try instead to make people change?
I just finished Rite of Passage: The Perfect Show.
The SE ending is reasonable, but the story really gets interesting in the Bonus Chapter, which takes you back in time.
Probably a foolish question, because I’m certain I know the answer, which is “No!”
Because you have purchsed the CE, and because the bonus material gives you valuable information you could use when playing the base, (SE portion,) of the game, does the game allow you to play the bonus material prior to starting the game?
For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.
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