Adventure Gamers - Forums

Okay, just checking. I want to make sure I’m checking out the right one to try.

sarahandus - 24 December 2012 08:49 AM

Regarding Alawar downloading. I downloaded the game, canceled all the extras and tried to install it. Had to cancel all the garbage again but it installed the toolbar in spite of the cancel and tracking cookies to boot.
Maybe it’s just me, but I won’t be touching Alawar’s downloads again.

Hmm…not sure how I got by without the toolbar, but I double checked my program files after you mentioned it, and there’s nothing there.  Either way, Lake House is up at BFG now, if you were interested in demo-ing it there.

I don’t know about Alawar games’ downloads, but BFG information is not in your Registry files. I have a document running around telling how to remove BFG game information from your PC. I’ve had to use it on several occasions when a game re-install failed to work. If you want a copy, send me a PM.

As for the Alawar problem, I did not have a chance to do a Google search on “Remove Alawar Toolbar.” But I’m sure there’s someting out there. It’s hard to think that you two are the only ones who have a problem with an Alawar download, and that somebody hasn’t found a solution to the problem.

As for my conundrum, I did the “Buy one/Get one free” and bought Lake House: Children of Silence plus Mystery Case Files: Shadow Lake. The former is addictive, although the “children of silence” part of the title makes no sense whatsoever. I finished the game today. Will write a review after I’ve played the Bonus Material to see whether it’s worth the CE price if you’re not buying it as a special promo.

As for MCF, I downloaded the CE demo. I thought the first few scenes were rather boring, so I never finished it. But I liked Dire Grove, and this seems like it might be that type of game that you actually must play awhile before the adrenelin starts to flow. So I got it as well.

rtrooney - 24 December 2012 07:45 PM

As for my conundrum, I did the “Buy one/Get one free” and bought Lake House: Children of Silence plus Mystery Case Files: Shadow Lake. The former is addictive, although the “children of silence” part of the title makes no sense whatsoever. I finished the game today. Will write a review after I’ve played the Bonus Material to see whether it’s worth the CE price if you’re not buying it as a special promo.

As for MCF, I downloaded the CE demo. I thought the first few scenes were rather boring, so I never finished it. But I liked Dire Grove, and this seems like it might be that type of game that you actually must play awhile before the adrenelin starts to flow. So I got it as well.

I just finished the main game as well.  The story ended a bit weaker than I was hoping, but maybe I’m expecting too much out of these type of games.  I still really enjoyed it and don’t regret buying it.  Let’s see if the Bonus Chapter helps flesh out the back story enough for me to better appreciate the main adventure.

As for the title, I think it applies in the abstract sense that it refers to the protagonist’s amnesia.  It’s a bit of a stretch, but I think it works.

As for MCF, I downloaded the CE demo. I thought the first few scenes were rather boring, so I never finished it. But I liked Dire Grove, and this seems like it might be that type of game that you actually must play awhile before the adrenelin starts to flow. So I got it as well.

Looks like Shadow Lake just came up for the SE, which I’ll probably pick up with my January game credit.  I just have such a backlog of games right now, I really need to start finishing up some of the ones I have before picking up new ones.  

Chudah -

date=“1356442610
Looks like Shadow Lake just came up for the SE, which I’ll probably pick up with my January game credit.  I just have such a backlog of games right now, I really need to start finishing up some of the ones I have before picking up new ones.

Brink of Consciousness: The Lonely Hearts Murders also came up as an SE, so I picked that up today. Because of my year-end purchasing splurge I got a free game, so this was it. I played the CE demo, and it was definitely on my buy list as a SE.

The game’s graphics are stunning. While you obviously don’t control movement, the character modeling is superb. IMO better than Gray Matter. Voice acting, while a little over the top when trying to do a Cockney accent is the best of any Casual game I’ve played.

Story is well thought out. Granted I’m not close to finishing the game, so that opinion may change. But that would require the whole character of the game to change, which I don’t see happening. If there is a weak spot, it’s the puzzles. So far I’ve seen nothing new in terms of puzzle design.

There is a LOT of dialog. And while it can be skipped, I chose not to. It doesn’t help you much in terms of solving anything, but it does add to an understanding of what is going on. While it may have been the developer’s way of extending gameplay, I think it well worth your while to go through all the dialogs. (Unless you are pressed for you 60 minutes of demo time.)

Another minor quibble is the mapping feature. The game has one. It tells you where you are in relation to other sites. It tells you which sites have an un-done task. But, like the previously reviewed Children of Silence, it is not interactive. I wonder why developers go tp the trouble of creating a mapping feature, then fail to take full advantage of it. Yes, it requires some additional coding. but little more than is required to create a hot-link in one of our messges.

Anyway, I have 30 days to solve the mystery. The demo, if I recall, ended after day one. I’m at the end of day four. It may be a while before I write a review.

FINALLY! If I didn’t say it before, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone who has made this thread what it is…the “Go To” spot for up-to-date Casual Game information.

If not before, I will see you next year. And hope we will enjoy more of the same.

Tim

rtrooney - 25 December 2012 07:05 PM

Another minor quibble is the mapping feature. The game has one. It tells you where you are in relation to other sites. It tells you which sites have an un-done task. But, like the previously reviewed Children of Silence, it is not interactive. I wonder why developers go tp the trouble of creating a mapping feature, then fail to take full advantage of it. Yes, it requires some additional coding. but little more than is required to create a hot-link in one of our messges.

I find it interesting that I prefer to not have interactive map navigation in my games, and actually won’t use it if it’s present.  It makes the world feel so much smaller when I’m porting from place to place and not moving through the game world normally.

rtrooney - 25 December 2012 07:05 PM

FINALLY! If I didn’t say it before, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone who has made this thread what it is…the “Go To” spot for up-to-date Casual Game information.

If not before, I will see you next year. And hope we will enjoy more of the same.

Merry Christmas to all the thread-goers as well!!

I finished Brink of Consciousness: The Lonely Hearts Murders and I can heartily recommend it. Although I will admit that the dialog, which I loved the first time I played the game became cumbersome on a second pass. Dialog, while thouroughly entertaining, is there to extend gameplay. My first play through the game, listening to every piece of dialog, took about six hours.

Second time through, skipping dialog whenever possible, I’m on pace to complete it in under three hours, if not less.

I was unaware that this game was part of a series. The predecessor Brink of Consciousness: Dorian Gray Syndrome was higlighted at the game’s conclusion. Although, in hindsight, I think I might have played the demo and did not like it very much. I’ll look into that and report back.

And, if you watch the conclusion to Lonely Hearts, there is another one coming.

rtrooney - 28 December 2012 07:03 PM

I was unaware that this game was part of a series. The predecessor Brink of Consciousness: Dorian Gray Syndrome was higlighted at the game’s conclusion. Although, in hindsight, I think I might have played the demo and did not like it very much. I’ll look into that and report back.

And, if you watch the conclusion to Lonely Hearts, there is another one coming.

I remember playing the demo for Dorian Gray and not being overly impressed with it, but liked the graphics enough to pick it up on sale should it ever come up.  I was lucky enough to snag the CE for $4.99 at BFG (which I’ve never seen them list any CE that low since).  The beginning is a bit slow, but the game really grew on me the more I played.  And it’s one of the biggest IHOGs I’ve ever played, with dozens and dozens of rooms to explore.  I wrote up a full review at BFG, let me post it here:

I wasn’t particularly intrigued with Brink of Consciousness after playing through the demo, but I was drawn in enough by the graphics and atmosphere that I resolved to buy the SE if it ever went up for the Daily Deal. When the CE came up on sale for $4.99 not long after, I simply couldn’t pass on the opportunity. Despite a silly premise, I was captivated by the gorgeous graphics and strong adventure game elements. Thankfully, the more I played, the more I became enveloped in the story, even though I didn’t quite care for it in the beginning.

I would classify Dorian Gray as more of an adventure game than HOG as there aren’t many hidden object scenes, but that suited me just fine as I’m more of an adventure gamer than anything else. There is quite a bit of backtracking and exploration, and a large number of items find their way into your inventory, all of which I know many HOG gamers are not fond of, but I thoroughly enjoyed those elements of the game as they get me exploring and help immerse me into the game world.

My play through took about 8 hours (both main game and bonus chapter). I played on Expert with minimal hint usage and only consulted the strategy guide a couple of times. I generally take my time and try to stay away from the Hint/Skip button unless I’m completely stuck. This not only helps immerse me in the game world, but stretches out the playtime giving me more bang for my buck.

Pros
- Gorgeously detailed graphics and locations
- Nice unobtrusive music (although somewhat unmemorable)
- Sound effects are very good, especially the room specific noises that add greatly to the atmosphere
- Hidden Object Scenes are clean and organized with items that make sense to the locations
- Hidden Object Scene color schemes are somewhat muted making the searches easier on your eyes
- A huge number of areas to explore, one of the largest IHOGs I’ve played
- Map (thank goodness) that updates as you play
- Toggleable grain filter is a nice touch and helps add to the game’s atmosphere

Cons
- Puzzles are easy, most of which require very little thought (and are often just repetitive tasks once you figure out the method)
- Voice acting can be melodramatic, although admittedly better than most other HOGs
- Oscar shows up and is heard a bit too much which often pulled me out of my “adventure gamer” mode, but this is a personal gripe and others may have no problem with it
- Storyline is a bit hokey

CE/SE Comparison
One of my biggest gripes is when devs cut off the last chapter in the SE requiring you to pick up the CE to get a satisfying conclusion to the story. That is not the case here. The main game sufficiently wraps up the plot and completely stands up on its own. The bonus chapter picks up a few months later and doesn’t add much more to the overall storyline. I preferred the main game’s ending personally, as the bonus ending seemed silly and implausible to me. That said, the new locations and gameplay were of the same high quality and worth playing through, but not required to fully enjoy the main game’s storyline. Adding only another hour of gameplay, maybe two if you’re playing on Expert without using hints, those on a budget should feel safe picking up the SE as you’re not missing out on very much of the story at all.

The rest of the bonus materials is where the real value of the CE lies, however. The full soundtrack is included with the ability to download to your desktop in OGG format (something more CE’s need to start doing). The concept art, wallpapers and Oscar “cartoons” are also nice additions, but it’s the interview with developers that I enjoyed the most. This is one of the few CE’s that I really felt like I was getting my full money’s worth.

Bottom Line - Beautiful game that’s a bit too easy, but gameplay and scope make it worth the journey.

sarahandus - 29 December 2012 08:20 AM

I’m working on The Brink of Consciousness: Dorian Gray Syndrome, finding it relatively easy, but I’m getting a bit squeamish about those life pictures, they make my skin crawl.
There is a lot of back tracking, requiring you to remember where you saw that puzzle you just got the key to.

I don’t think this game will be one I will want to replay.

Although I didn’t realize it until I was halfway through the game, the map will update and show you points of interest.  So if you’re unsure where you need to go next, I’d check the map.  I think I only used the Strategy Guide maybe once, and smacked myself in the head after I did because it should’ve been obvious.

Just a heads up, BFG has 60 games on sale through Jan. 3, all “award winners” of the year for $4.99 each (SE only).  There are some really good ones listed.  I’ll probably pick up a few after the new year so they’ll go towards next month’s punch card.

Mystery Case Files: Shadow Lake
Mystery Trackers: Four Aces
Mystery Trackers: Black Isle
Witch Hunters: Stolen Beauty

I’m sorta undecided on the Mystery Trackers games.  I played The Void and really wasn’t too impressed with it, but maybe the series gets better. I’ll probably demo these over the weekend and see what I think.  If I don’t get those two, I’ll probably pick up another game or two.  There are a lot I’ve been considering and just haven’t decided on yet.  Dangit!!