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Ratings by Niclas

Golden Wake, A


Stars - 30

Rating by Niclas posted on Oct 21, 2014 | edit | delete


I really love Wadjet Eyes games, and I like Grundaslavs Ben Jordan games ( especially the last 3 in the series ). However this games left me disappointed. I was really looking forward to this game, but it did not feel as polished as Wadjet eyes later releases. Puzzles very pretty average and too easy, story was not really interesting, characters were pretty flat, pretty flat pixelated graphics, static Character portraits, and voice acting was not as good as we have been expecting from the voice cast at Wadjet Eye. Overall it would have been a pretty OK game if it was a non commercial release, but being a commercial game it is very average.


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Time Played: 2-5 hours
Difficulty: Very Easy

Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers – 20th Anniversary Edition


Stars - 40

Rating by Niclas posted on Oct 18, 2014 | edit | delete


Same good story, characters, music, and puzzles are here in this remake.  Backgrounds and character portraits looks great, but same horrible 3D character models and movement from Phoenix online as always. Also some added unnecessary extra puzzles that does not fit in to the GK world. Overall I enjoyed playing the game, but that is not thanks to the updated version made by Phoenix, but thanks to the already great source material.
Good:
- great voice acting
- great character portraits and backgrounds
- same great characters, story, puzzle design as the original
Bad:
- horrible character animations ( not OK, feels like a half done job. )
- unnecessary added puzzles
- some story holes that were not in the original

Overall great game because of the already great source material, but considering this is a remake of one of the greatest adventure games ever made, I think Phoenix should have put more effort into it.


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Time Played: 5-10 hours
Difficulty: Just Right

Last Door: Season One, The


Stars - 35

Rating by Niclas posted on Jun 3, 2014 | edit | delete

Memento Mori 2: Guardians of Immortality


Stars - 40

Rating by Niclas posted on Jun 3, 2014 | edit | delete


Interesting story with well integrated and challenging puzzles


I must say that i really liked this game. It feels like a mix between Still Life and Gabriel Knight. The story and atmosphere has its ups and downs, but for the most time it is really good and interesting. What I really loved about this game was its challenging and fun puzzle design. Both inventory and isolated puzzles are really well integrated into the story, and some of them are very original as well. It is in fact one of the best puzzle designs I have encountered in a Adventure Game, especially during the first 3 chapters. There are some very memorable inventory puzzles a la Macgyver (the good thing is that it never felt like I was trying everything on everything, all the inventory combinations made sense when you were supposed to come up with the solution. However still challenging and creative) and some really stand out isolated puzzles during the journey of the game. Favorite isolated puzzles were for instance coming up with a combination for a pretty unique safe, comparing similarities with different paintings to get clues, creating a shadow to get clues,study a painted wall to get clues, combining transparent ship logs pages, etc.  I must also say that some of the puzzles are VERY hard, but very rewarding to solve. There is also some decent voice acting in the game as well, nothing epic, but still very doable.

So now the bad stuff. The localisation is very bad with some really bad voice stand ins. I’m not going to talk to much about this since it has been criticized heavy already by all people. This can/will hopefully be fixed in the future. Even though the majority of the puzzle design is very, very good, there are some really irritating and boring puzzles. For instance the forklift puzzle, some of the forensics puzzles are overly punishing together with difficulties finding hot spots (even when using the hot spot finder), and there are also 1 or 2 trial and error puzzles that are pretty boring. I also thought that the ending felt kind of abrupt and hurried, no real conclusion. The story was a little bit more mystique in the first two thirds of the game, and then it kind of disappeared in the end when all the pieces are falling into place.

Overall a very good game that deserves more praise than it has received. Very good inventory/isolated puzzle design combined with a supernatural thriller story. A good game if you like more adult games like Gabriel Knight and Still Life. I wish more games with well integrated puzzles like this came out in the future.


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Time Played: Over 20 hours
Difficulty: Hard

Face Noir


Stars - 35

Rating by Niclas posted on May 25, 2014 | edit | delete


Lovely noir detective mystery


I must say that I love noir detective mysteries. Face Noir really captures that feel with its rainy environments, music, and great voice acting performance from the main protagonist. Where it falls short from greatness is the average puzzle design. The first half of the game feels more like a fetch quest and the puzzles do not really feel well integrated in the environment and the story. Also the stand alone 3D puzzles are overly complicated to solve because of weird angles. However the puzzles do get better in the second half of the game, plus the story gets more interesting as well. This game could have been so much more if some things would have been executed a little bit better. However I still enjoyed playing this game very much, and I truly recommend it to any detective genre and noir lover. I’m really looking forward to the sequel as this is heavily obvious because of the abrupt ending. I really do hope that more adventure games are made in this noir genre.


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Time Played: 5-10 hours
Difficulty: Just Right

Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure


Stars - 40

Rating by Niclas posted on May 13, 2014 | edit | delete


A good Tex adventure


Overall, I’m very happy with the game. It feels like seeing an old friend again playing as Tex. Some good story, acting, music, puzzles, and interesting locations make this a very likable Tex Adventure experience. The only thing that I did not like was that the inventory/detective puzzles were way to easy. They were actually pretty well done and integrated into the environment, but you are given way too many hints on how to solve them, even when playing Gamer mode. Tex basically spells out the solution for you most of the times, which takes away all the fun and thought process that could have been. I was OK that Tex gave a proper explanation and guidelines for the Stand Alone/Isolated puzzles in the game. That is totally OK with me, since I’m not a big fan of guessing the logic for these kind of puzzles. There were also too many hidden object hunts that did not make sense and felt forced. A few of them would have been OK, but not for 6 instances (collecting 9 cards, 7 symbols, 7 letters, 7 puzzle pieces, 5 ladder pieces, etc). Some of them were actually fun, since it lets you explore the beautiful environment while doing some detective work (I loved walking around with the flashlight in the dark), but most of them feel forced and only exist to make the gaming experience longer. The last puzzle is also timed. Why??!! I thought we were over stuff like that these days of Adventure Games. I’m debating if I should give it 4 or 4.5 stars, but it will be 4 stars, solely based on the puzzles being too easy to solve from to much hints from Tex (even on Gamer mode), a little too many hidden object hunts, and a timed puzzle in the end. However from a gameplay and story perspective, Tesla Effect is on par with Pandora Directive and Overseer, which I rate as 5 and a 4.5 in my previous reviews.

Overall great story that will keep you coming for more, “good” hammie acting, interesting locations to explore, well integrated inventory puzzles (most of the time). In other words a awesome Tex game. Keep em coming.


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Time Played: 10-20 hours
Difficulty: Just Right

Blackwell Convergence, The


Stars - 35

Rating by Niclas posted on Apr 30, 2014 | edit | delete


I really like Wadjet Eye’s games and the Blackwell series. The third part is where the story starts to be really interesting. Each game in the series just keep getting better and better. However this game has a pretty interesting story, but there are no real interesting puzzles in this game, and the feature of cross referencing notes are not available in this part, which makes the game even easier. It feels more like a good interactive novel, instead of a adventure game with puzzles and detective work. However it is a great part in the BW universe, and it prepares you for the best parts in the series to come with episode 4 and 5 which are the peaks of the series with heavier story and better puzzles. Overall you will definitely not be disappointed with this game if you like the Blackwell series so far.


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Time Played: 2-5 hours
Difficulty: Very Easy

Blackwell Epiphany, The


Stars - 45

Rating by Niclas posted on Apr 25, 2014 | edit | delete


The final and best installment in the series


I have said it before, I’m a big fan of the Wadjet Eye games, and especially the Blackwell games. The first 3 are decent, but the fourth in the series is where it really picks up. The fifth and last installment is definitely the best part. Great story, music, environments,characters, and lovely pixelated graphics. It is also longer than the fourth one (which takes between 5 or 6 hours on a first time playthrough). I think the 5th installment took me 8 hours on my first playthrough. The puzzles are also a little bit harder this time around, not hard, but still a little bit more challenging and more satisfying. I really like the Blackwell puzzles as they feel kind of “logical” where a lot of them are based on investigation, conversations, cross referencing notes, and doing research via your cellphone. Favorite puzzles in the fifth installment are for instance comparing handwriting to track someone down, breaking into a secret office in a brothel, and hacking a computer to spy on a certain person, etc. This time around there is also A LOT of locations to visit which is pretty cool. However this can also be pretty confusing at times, and it would actually have been better with fewer locations with more rooms to explore. Also it helps and improves the experience to replay the 4th installment before playing the 5th. I did a reply just before starting playing this one. It really helped to connect the dots. Overall, my favorite installment together with episode 4, a great ending to a epic series. This is among the best new release adventure gaming together with BS5, I have done in a very long time. A must play for any Blackwell fan.


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Time Played: 5-10 hours
Difficulty: Just Right

Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse


Stars - 45

Rating by Niclas posted on Dec 5, 2013 | edit | delete


Lovely old school feeling


What a great new instalment in the BS franchise.
Revolution have really captured what was great with the first BS games. Everything from the music, story, graphics style, funny characters, sound effects, and “logic” puzzles. It was like seeing an old friend again seeing George and Nico on the screen. I’m not giving it a full score, like I did with BS1, the reason for that is is simple. It is pretty hard to live up that first game.

The puzzles are overall pretty good, but there are one or two puzzles in the game that does not really fit the BS vibe. I actually did not mind the already infamous cockroach puzzle, but I was more disappointed with the puzzle where George has to dress up like Henri to fool his drunk widow to get a certain object. The puzzle itself was pretty ok, but it did not really fit into the BS universe, it was just a little bit too comical.  There is also one puzzle that requires interaction with a character that George met in BS1. That character feels very out of place and too random to appear in that certain location to be believable. Pure fan service done wrong, but no biggie that will ruin the game. Also some puzzles get a little bit too easy, since all objects required for the problem solving can be collected in the same scene. This approach is more “realistic”, but it can make the game a little bit too easy if no back tracking is required.

On my first play though I managed to finish the game in one sitting. It took me around 6 to 7 hours. I just recently did a second play through, and it took me a little bit over 3 hours to complete it when knowing exactly which dialog lines to use and how to solve every puzzle. Pretty decent length for the first episode. 

Other then a few minor issues with puzzle design,  this is an EXCELLENT addition to the Broken Sword universe. A must play.

NOTE after playing episode 2.

Episode 2 has some much more complex and interesting puzzles, that are well integrated in the environment and the story. The story is also much stronger than Episode 1. There is only one puzzle I could I have lived without , and that is the music based puzzles. (this puzzle also feels a little bit out of place, similar to the dress up puzzle in Ep 1) I used a walk through for that since I just find it boring and time consuming. Overall Ep 2 is true to the BS universe, and I loved almost every bit of it.

Episode 1: 4 out of 5
Episode 2: 4.5 out of 5


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Time Played: 10-20 hours
Difficulty: Just Right

Shivah, The


Stars - 45

Rating by Niclas posted on Nov 22, 2013 | edit | delete


I have played both the old and updated version of the Shivah. I just recently played the updated version on my iPad. What a lovely game with a New York Noir theme. I love the pixelated graphics in the updated version. Truly beautiful to look at. The story, vibe, music voice casting, and puzzles are also great. The only downside is that the game is pretty short, you can easily beat the game in 2 to 3 hours in your first play through. This is a must play for fans of pixelated adventure games, and Wadjet Eye fans in general.


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Time Played: 1-2 hours
Difficulty: Just Right

Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller - Episode 4: The Cain Killer


Stars - 35

Rating by Niclas posted on Sep 20, 2013 | edit | delete


Not as good as the previous episodes, but still OK.  Puzzles are not as interesting either. Still a good ending to a fun series.


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Time Played: 2-5 hours

Walking Dead: Episode Three - Long Road Ahead, The


Stars - 35

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 26, 2013 | edit | delete

Walking Dead: Episode Two - Starved for Help, The


Stars - 45

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 26, 2013 | edit | delete

Walking Dead: Episode Four - Around Every Corner, The


Stars - 40

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 26, 2013 | edit | delete

Walking Dead: Episode One - A New Day, The


Stars - 45

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 26, 2013 | edit | delete

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations


Stars - 45

Rating by Niclas posted on Jul 12, 2013 | edit | delete

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney


Stars - 40

Rating by Niclas posted on May 20, 2013 | edit | delete

Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller - Episode 3: The Oracle


Stars - 45

Rating by Niclas posted on May 18, 2013 | edit | delete


I must say that I really liked the first 2 episodes of Cognition (they both scored 4 out of 5 by me), however I must say that I LOVED the third instalment. It is actually the best adventure gaming I have done in a very long time when playing a newly released adventure game. The developers almost nailed everything with this game and took the good parts from the past episodes and made them even better. Really fun and fair puzzles to solve in this in this episode, and what I particularly liked was that you play as 2 different characters both in the present and past, which is a really nice way to solve puzzles with help from Erica’s cognition powers. This episode alone is worth waiting for even if you did not like the first 2 episodes. Also the story and the character development are both awesome. 2 thumbs up Phoenix Online, you just became one of my favourite contemporary adventure game studios. Smile


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Time Played: 5-10 hours
Difficulty: Just Right

Testament of Sherlock Holmes, The


Stars - 35

Rating by Niclas posted on May 12, 2013 | edit | delete


An interesting story with some nice environments to explore. What I particularly enjoyed about this game is the deduction board where Holmes recreates the crime scene. It really forces the player to think in a creative way by analysing all given clues. Definelty a fresh approach to solving puzzles. What I did not like about this game is the stand alone puzzles, which there are tons of. Too many if you ask me. There are lots of slider puzzles, and few jig saw puzzles, and there is even a maze in the and a timed puzzle in the end. Also which was pretty irritating is that these stand alone puzzles felt so out of place most of the time. They were not really well integrated into the environment, and felt very forced. However there are still some enjoyable puzzles of this type that feels right, but not many. Overall a good game, but not as great as it could have been. I would have given this game a much better score if it was not for the annoying puzzle design.


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Time Played: 10-20 hours
Difficulty: Hard

Still Life


Stars - 35

Rating by Niclas posted on Apr 28, 2013 | edit | delete


First I must say that there are so many things that I love about this game. The story, the atmosphere, the music, the environments. The game actually got so much of what I like to have in an Adventure Game. There are actually some puzzles that were quite fun, BUT there are so many boring stand alone puzzles in the game that drove me nuts. For instance there are several slider puzzles, one annoying lock picking puzzle, one maze,  one cookie baking puzzle where you have to rely on outside game world information, and one major irritating timed puzzle were you control a robot through a laser field. C’mon!!!!! These type of puzzles are what I hate in adventure games. It is a shame with a game with this kind of epic story and atmosphere. However there are also some fun and challenging puzzles beside the ones mentioned above. I would have easily given this game a 4.5 if it wasn’t for the irritating puzzles that I mentioned above.


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Time Played: 10-20 hours
Difficulty: Just Right

Gray Matter


Stars - 35

Rating by Niclas posted on Apr 21, 2013 | edit | delete

Another Code


Stars - 40

Rating by Niclas posted on Mar 5, 2013 | edit | delete

Tex Murphy: Overseer


Stars - 45

Rating by Niclas posted on Feb 16, 2013 | edit | delete


Amazing Game!!!


I finally got Overseer to work on my computer after 6 months of trial and error, and I finished the game yesterday. I played it straight for 15 hours per day over the weekend. Man, this is a good game. I’m a big fan of the previous UAKM and Pandora Directive, and I was a little bit worried that this part would not live up to those games sine I read a few reviews that said it was not as good. I can tell you this; I really loved this game as well. Story and acting is as always good, the plot might not be as good as Pandora Directive, but still VERY good. What Overseer actually did better than Pandora is the stand-alone puzzles and inventory puzzles. Just the right amount of stand alone puzzles (I’m usually not a big fan of too many of these per game, and when playing Pandora I was a little bit overwhelmed since there were so many of them, and I got a little bit bored in the end.). In Overseer there is a great pace of a mix of inventory puzzles and isolated puzzles. Also noted that many of the stand alone/isolated puzzles are more interesting this time around since they require the player to gather pieces of information in the environment to solve it, instead of just relying for instance on solving a jigsaw or a slider puzzle. Of course there are unfortunately puzzles like that, but still less. Examples of stand alone puzzles that I enjoyed was figuring out the combination to a safe by understanding time zone differences in different cities by referring to a map and another clue, or using bible references to solve a hidden message, or figure out another safe combination by referring to the letters on the buttons on a phone. I find these kinds of isolated puzzles more interesting rather than just randomly push buttons until you see a pattern (those kind of puzzles are just tiresome and time consuming, and rely to much on trial and error, and I almost always end up consulting a walkthrough to save the time)

The inventory puzzles are also very fun and clever (something I really missed from UAKM, where the gameplay was focused on these kind of puzzles instead of stand alones).  2 parts of Overseer that I especially enjoyed playing was when Tex breaks into a hitman’s hotel room while the guy is taking a shower. This part requires Tex to search the hotel room, while hiding from time to time in different locations like in the wardrobe and shower to avoid getting caught. Another one was when Tex is searching a cabin for evidence while being under attack. Both these parts of the game had some really fun and clever inventory puzzles that Tex had to do to avoid being killed/caught. It really got me involved in the solutions to the problem in a different way that no other adventure game had done before.

The reason that it is not as good as Pandora Directive and not getting a full 5 score is that the environments in the game does not feel 100% Tex Murphy, the game is more of a pure Film Noir (which is definitely not bad at all, but it is not the Tex universe that I got to know), rather like UAKM and Pandora being a combination of different elements like Film Noir/Blade Runner/Indiana Jones.

Overall great game with fun inventory and stand alone puzzles which are well integrated into the environment, solid story, and great acting (most of the time). Play it


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Time Played: Over 20 hours
Difficulty: Hard

Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller - Episode 2: The Wise Monkey


Stars - 40

Rating by Niclas posted on Feb 13, 2013 | edit | delete


Another great episode of Cognition. Although a little bit short compared to the first episode. I really enjoyed the puzzles and story of episode 2, although the character development is very weak in this instalment. Some of the puzzles are completed in a very smart way by using Erica’s different powers. More of that please. I’m looking forward to the third instalment of Cognition.


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Time Played: 2-5 hours
Difficulty: Just Right

New Beginning, A


Stars - 20

Rating by Niclas posted on Jan 30, 2013 | edit | delete

Primordia


Stars - 40

Rating by Niclas posted on Dec 15, 2012 | edit | delete


First of all I must say that this game has the most beautiful pixelated graphics ever. Also that production values are extremely high. Voice acting is top notch as alway from the regulars of the Wadjet Eye crew. The story is quiet average, but the fun and satisfying puzzle design and interesting main characters keep the game interesting. The only reason why I am not giving this game a higher score is that the story is quiet average and it starts out quiet slow. Don’t take me wrong it is not bad, it’s just that it is nothing particularly epic. The puzzles are pretty fun, and some of them are quiet challenging, however they are always logical to the game world. I only had big problems with one puzzle that was a little bit too far fetched and consisted of finding the right word patterns in a data engine search. I must admit that I had to look in a walkthrough for this puzzle. Overall this is an awesome game that every Adventure Gamers must own and play. If you are a fan of high production retro graphics Adventure Games, this is a must play.


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Time Played: 5-10 hours
Difficulty: Just Right

Lost Chronicles of Zerzura


Stars - 40

Rating by Niclas posted on Dec 8, 2012 | edit | delete


A good old adventure


I really enjoyed Zerzura. I am a big sucker for adventures that are about finding a lost city or civilisation. The story is pretty interesting, but never gets really epic. What is interesting about the game is the locations you visit and characters in the game. The voice acting is also pretty good. The puzzles are also OK, but I actually liked the puzzles and story more in Black Mirror 2 and 3. The only big downside is that the game gets quiet slow somewhere in the middle, but it picks up again towards the end. It is a shame that this was Cranberry Production’s last game. My personal opinion is that their games are more mature with better inventory puzzles than other German studios like Daedalic. Final note,this is definitely a game to recommend for all Adventure Gamers out there.


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Time Played: 10-20 hours
Difficulty: Just Right

Ben Jordan: Paranormal Investigator - Case 8: Relics of the Past


Stars - 40

Rating by Niclas posted on Nov 8, 2012 | edit | delete


This is the best instalment in the series, together with episode 7. It is sad that the series have come to an end.


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Time Played: 2-5 hours
Difficulty: Easy

Ben Jordan: Paranormal Investigator - Case 7: The Cardinal Sins


Stars - 40

Rating by Niclas posted on Nov 6, 2012 | edit | delete


This is the best instalment in the series, together with episode 8. It also leaves with a big time cliffhanger that will keep you wanting more.


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Time Played: 2-5 hours
Difficulty: Easy

Ben Jordan: Paranormal Investigator - Case 4: Horror at Number 50


Stars - 30

Rating by Niclas posted on Nov 3, 2012 | edit | delete

Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller - Episode 1: The Hangman


Stars - 40

Rating by Niclas posted on Nov 2, 2012 | edit | delete


The first 2 hours of gameplay was just awesome. So much energy and awesomeness. If the game would have stayed like that the whole time, I would have easily given a higher score. Excellent graphics, music, and voice acting. The only downside is that the middle of the game gets quiets slow and uninteresting, however the story picks up in the end again and will leave you with a cliffhanger so you will hunger for more. Overall the puzzles are quiet fun, and some of them are quiet challenging, but never feel unfair. However there are some of the puzzles that feel a little bit out of place and stupid, however not hard to figure out, just does not make sense. (Giving food to the bum and breaking into your boss office, if you have played the game you know what I mean) Overall, great start to a series with a lot of potential.  I am looking forward to episode 2.


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Time Played: 5-10 hours
Difficulty: Just Right

Ben Jordan: Paranormal Investigator - Case 3: The Sorceress of Smailholm


Stars - 25

Rating by Niclas posted on Oct 31, 2012 | edit | delete

Ben Jordan: Paranormal Investigator - Case 2: The Lost Galleon of the Salton Sea


Stars - 35

Rating by Niclas posted on Oct 29, 2012 | edit | delete

Gemini Rue


Stars - 40

Rating by Niclas posted on Oct 27, 2012 | edit | delete


First of all I must say that this game has extremely beautiful pixelated graphics, I am a big sucker for that. Also the production values are extremely high. Voice acting is top notch as alway from the regulars of the Wadjet Eye crew.  The puzzles are pretty fun, but only a handfull are considered hard. I would probably have given this game a higher score if both side stories were equally interesting. (One story is played on a planet, while the other is situated on a space station prison). I found the latter story less atmospheric and less interesting. However the 2 stories are connected to each other, so both of them are equally important.  Overall this is an excellent game that every Adventure Gamers must own and play. If you are a fan of high production retro graphics Adventure Games, this is definitely a must play.


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Time Played: 5-10 hours
Difficulty: Just Right

Ben Jordan: Paranormal Investigator - Case 1: In Search of the Skunk Ape


Stars - 25

Rating by Niclas posted on Oct 27, 2012 | edit | delete

Whispered World, The


Stars - 30

Rating by Niclas posted on Sep 26, 2012 | edit | delete

L.A. Noire


Stars - 40

Rating by Niclas posted on Sep 20, 2012 | edit | delete

Heavy Rain


Stars - 45

Rating by Niclas posted on Sep 20, 2012 | edit | delete

Blackwell Unbound


Stars - 30

Rating by Niclas posted on Sep 20, 2012 | edit | delete

Adventures of Willy Beamish, The


Stars - 25

Rating by Niclas posted on Sep 20, 2012 | edit | delete

Discworld Noir


Stars - 35

Rating by Niclas posted on Sep 20, 2012 | edit | delete

CYPHER: Cyberpunk Text Adventure


Stars - 20

Rating by Niclas posted on Sep 15, 2012 | edit | delete

Secrets of Atlantis, The


Stars - 20

Rating by Niclas posted on Sep 15, 2012 | edit | delete

Resonance


Stars - 45

Rating by Niclas posted on Sep 15, 2012 | edit | delete


Polished old school style graphics with extremely high production values.


This game is a gem. Polished old school style graphics with extremely high production values. The story is pretty average but still keeps things interesting with turn of events later in the game, smart puzzles that are well integrated into the environment, and the use of long term and short term memory system that makes dialog puzzles interesting and fun. I loved the puzzle design. The puzzles were challenging but still made sense and they never felt unforgivingly hard, and they were very satisfying for once. There are only one or two puzzles that were a little bit hard, but never unfair. Also great voice acting as usual from games from Wadjet Eye. I would probably have given this game a higher score if the beginning of the game was not so slow, and if the story would have been a little bit more interesting. However, this is a game that every true Adventure Gamer should own and play. One of the best Adventure Games of 2012.


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Time Played: 5-10 hours
Difficulty: Just Right

Longest Journey, The


Stars - 45

Rating by Niclas posted on Sep 9, 2012 | edit | delete

Syberia II


Stars - 35

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 30, 2012 | edit | delete

Syberia


Stars - 35

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 30, 2012 | edit | delete

Curse of Monkey Island, The


Stars - 40

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete

Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, The


Stars - 40

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete

Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge - Special Edition


Stars - 45

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete

Escape From Monkey Island


Stars - 30

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete

Full Throttle


Stars - 35

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete

Grim Fandango


Stars - 45

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete

Day of the Tentacle


Stars - 40

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete

Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned


Stars - 40

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete

Back to the Future: The Game


Stars - 30

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete

Dracula 3: The Path of the Dragon


Stars - 30

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete


Interesting Adventure with eery atmosphere


I really wanted to love this game. The atmosphere, graphics, and the characters are just great. However I have realised that I don’t have patience for overly complicated puzzles that requires hours of reading and comparing documents. Don’t get me wrong I like a solid puzzle here and there, but not ALL the time. I like to mix it up with classical inventory puzzles. The puzzles in this game requieres way to much reading, as I played the game I was kind of understanding what I should do, but i never had the patience to sit for hours to figure out the puzzles, I ended up looking in a walkthrough way to many times. If you like games that requiere a lot of reading and too many overly complicated puzzles, this game might just be for you. If you like traditional inventory puzzles, this is definitely not for you.


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Time Played: Over 20 hours
Difficulty: Very Hard

Next BIG Thing, The


Stars - 30

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete


Gorgeous HD graphics with a thin story and silly puzzles


Gorgeous HD graphics with a thin story and silly puzzles . Dont’ get me wrong, I actually love Pendulo Studios games. This one does not really reach as high as the Runaway series. This game is a little bit too much comedy for my taste and the jokes gets tiresome after a while. The puzzles are also quiet stupid, and does not really make sense most of the times. However I will still give this game a 3, just because of the high production values.


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Time Played: 10-20 hours
Difficulty: Easy

Runaway: A Twist of Fate


Stars - 40

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete

Runaway: A Road Adventure


Stars - 40

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete

Runaway 2: The Dream of the Turtle


Stars - 30

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete

Blackwell Deception, The


Stars - 40

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete


I really like Wadjet Eye’s games. This is the best part in the Blackwell series. The other games are OK, but not great. Blackwell Deception has by far the most involving script and story in the series so far. Very likeable main characters that you do care for, great story, excellent music, awesome voice acting, cool noir environments,  and lovely retro graphics. The only downside of this game is that the puzzles are pretty easy and there are not that many at all.  However the puzzles and investigations that you do are still pretty satisfying, as they are well integrated into the story and also pretty logical. Favorite puzzles are tracking down a lost cell phone, breaking in to a dorm room to gather several clues about someone, and two puzzles where you need to be creative in using different sources of light. If you like retro graphic adventure games with a great story and logical puzzles, then you should definitely pick this one up. Best enjoyed late at night with some good coffee. You won’t regret it.


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Time Played: 5-10 hours
Difficulty: Easy

Blackwell Legacy, The


Stars - 30

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete

Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav, The


Stars - 30

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete

Secret Files 2: Puritas Cordis


Stars - 35

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete

Secret Files: Tunguska


Stars - 30

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete

Lost Horizon


Stars - 45

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete


A wonderful classic Adventure


This Adventure game turned out to be on of my favourites that I have played in a long time. It’s got that great and classic matiné movie feel to it, think Indiana Jones. The game is long, got absolutely gorgeous graphics, excellent atmosphere and environments. I would have totally given this game a higher rating if the end was not totally lame with that unnecessary “boss” battle , and if the puzzles were just a little bit harder (it gets a little bit easy sometimes). I really hope that we can see a sequel to this great game.


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Time Played: 10-20 hours
Difficulty: Easy

Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis


Stars - 50

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete

Yesterday


Stars - 30

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete

Broken Sword: The Angel of Death


Stars - 35

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete

Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon


Stars - 40

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete


I actually just recently replayed this title to freshen up my memory before the release of BS5.

Many people talk about BS3 lost track of it’s roots with this title. However, I must say that this game is still definelty top notch in Adventure Games standards and perspective. If you compare this game to other games in the genre, it still holds up extremely well.

I have said this before about Broken Sword 1, but even in this episode, the story is top notch. It can easily rival famous conspiracy/adventure/thriller authors like Dan Brown, Clive Cussler, and Steve Berry.

However there are some issues with this game that stops it from being a master piece. First of all the game engine that is fully in 3D. I am actually not that disturbed by the graphics and the game engine being in 3D, it is more about the controls. If this game would have been controlled by mouse with an easy point and click interface, instead of being controlled by a keyboard or a joystick, things would have been much better. The control scheme just makes navigating extremely difficult and it feels very unnatural.

Second of all there are some story elements that get a little bit too supernatural (one really over the top ending scene amongst others) that does not really fit into the Broken Sword universe, but it i definitely not a big deal breaker.

Third, there are a little bit too many “pushing objects/boxes” puzzles. A few of them would have been OK, but not this many.

Overall great game with solid story, interesting characters, beautiful music, fun puzzles, that we have come to expect from the Broken Sword series.


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Time Played: 10-20 hours
Difficulty: Just Right

Broken Sword II: The Smoking Mirror


Stars - 30

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete

Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars


Stars - 50

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete


This is how an Adventure Game should be made


This is how an Adventure Game should be made. If all Adventure Games followed this concept, the world would be a better place. Smile

First of all the story is top notch. It can easily rival famous conspiracy/adventure/thriller authors like Dan Brown, Clive Cussler, and Steve Berry. If not even better!

Second of all is that the puzzle design is perfectly integrated into the environment and gaming world. Most of the puzzles are inventory based, but most of the definitely make sense, and makes you think.

Character development, voice acting, and art work, is also perfectly done. You actually care about the characters and the gaming world.

This game rivals the Gabriel Knight series of being one of the best Adventure Games of all time. 

This is a must play adventure game, and should be on every Adventure Gamers list of Must plays.


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Time Played: 10-20 hours
Difficulty: Just Right

Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers


Stars - 50

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete


This is how an Adventure Game should be made.

First of all the story is top notch. It can easily rival famous conspiracy/adventure/thriller authors like Dan Brown, Clive Cussler, and Steve Berry. If not even better!

Second of all is that the puzzle design is perfectly integrated into the environment and gaming world. Most of the puzzles are inventory based, but most of the definitely make sense, and makes you think. There are just 1 or 2 puzzles that does not really make sense or are way to hard to figure out by yourself, but that is totally fine.

Some people have complained about the slightly complex interface. Separate tools for “open”, “pick up”, “operate” & “move”, etc. I actually like it this way, since this actually forces the player to think, and fully understand what they are doing, and not just pushing one single “action” button.

Character development, is also perfectly done. You actually care about the characters and the gaming world.

This game rivals the Broken Sword series of being one of the best Adventure Games of all time.

This is a must play adventure game, and should be on every Adventure Gamers list of Must plays.


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Time Played: 10-20 hours
Difficulty: Just Right

Gabriel Knight: The Beast Within


Stars - 50

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete


I must say that I missed to play this game when it was released in the 90’s. I only played GK1 and GK3. I just skipped all of the FMV titles out there. I just recently finished the Beast within and I must say it is one of the BEST adventure games that I have played. (and I have played a lot of them) Great atmosphere, great story, great puzzles, and I actually loved the tacky graphics. Smile


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Time Played: 10-20 hours
Difficulty: Just Right

Black Mirror III


Stars - 40

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete


Black Mirror 3 is one of the best adventure games that have come out in recent years. Just when I thought that games like Broken Sword and Gabriel Knight could not be made anymore, I picked up Black Mirror 2 and I loved it, and then I picked up the Final, which is Black Mirror 3. Black Mirror 3 could easily be judged as a stand alone game, but it definitely helps to have played BM2 first. In my opinion BM2 and BM3 should be played together, and they are equally good.

The thrilling story is excellent combined with well integrated and logical inventory puzzles that don’t feel out of place. There are also quiet a lot of stand alone puzzles, like sliding puzzles that could have been removed from the game. Otherwise a perfect Adventure Game.

Good voice acting and gorgeous graphics really helps to set the mood.

This game is highly recommended to any Adventure Gamer.


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Time Played: 10-20 hours
Difficulty: Just Right

Black Mirror II


Stars - 40

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete


Black Mirror 2 is one of the best adventure games that have come out in recent years. Just when I thought that games like Broken Sword and Gabriel Knight could not be made anymore, I picked up Black Mirror 2 and I loved it. It is not necessary to have played Black Mirror 1 prior to this game, since it is a different story arc.

The thrilling story is excellent combined with well integrated and logical inventory puzzles that don’t feel out of place. There are also quiet a lot of stand alone puzzles, like sliding puzzles that could have been removed from the game. Otherwise a perfect Adventure Game.

Good voice acting and gorgeous graphics really helps to set the mood.

Also this game is long, very long, it will take you at least 15 to 20 hours to complete.

This game is highly recommended to any Adventure Gamer.


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Time Played: 10-20 hours
Difficulty: Just Right

Tex Murphy: Under a Killing Moon


Stars - 45

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete


One of the most charming Adventure Games out there


Man, was I in for a surprise when I picked up the Tex Murphy games awhile back! I never paid attention to the FMV games in the mid 90’s. I could not care less. But I am happy that I decided to play the Tex Murphy games. I started with Under a Killing moon, and I really loved it. I fell in love with the characters, the environment, the music, you name name it. Killing Moon is not as good as the near perfected sequel Pandora Directive, but it definitely stands by it’s own, as one of the finest Adventure Games ever made. This game is definelty recommended.


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Time Played: 10-20 hours
Difficulty: Just Right

Tex Murphy: The Pandora Directive


Stars - 50

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete


One of the finest Adventures ever created!


Man, was I in for a surprise when I picked up the Tex Murphy games a while back!!!!! I started off with Under a killing moon, and I really loved it. Then I started playing Pandora Directive straight after that, Oh my Holy, freaking BEST game I have ever played!!!! I gets everything right form story, characters, puzzles, music, mood, you name it. The only concern that I have is that the puzzles can get a little bit hard sometimes, and will tempt even the most experienced Adventure Gamer to look at a walkthrough. How could I have missed such a classic in the mid 90s??!!! And did I mention that it is long, very long. This game will take you over 25 to 30 hours. The graphics still look good with today’s standards, it gives you a great nostalgic feel, and actually suits the gameplay. The only bad thing I have to say about this game are a few annoying timed puzzles (hate those), and one irritating puzzle where you steer a wireless robot through a tunnel maze, that does not have any “map”, and you are not given any specific directions. According to me mazes and timed puzzles are the enemy of a good Adventure Game, but just this time I am willing to look away, since there are so many other good puzzles in this game. Smile If you have missed this title, definitely pick it up. It is definitely worth it, you won’t regret it.

NEW NOTE AFTER SECOND REPLAY (25 FEB 2013):
I actually enjoyed the game even more when doing a replay, I could focus more on the story, plus I was more used to how to play and how to think when playing a Tex Murphy game. I did this replay just after I finished with Overseer.
Once thing still remains, I really got annoyed by the puzzle design of Malloy’s puzzle boxes. I really hated them. I’m so fed up with slider puzzles (it’s just a waste of time with having 10 plus of them in a game), period. However I really liked the idea of the map puzzle box where you were supposed to connect dots between different locations. However the execution of the puzzle is just horrible. Also I really liked the idea of one of the last puzzle boxes where Tex was supposed to link dates between the Mayan and a traditional calendar. However this puzzle is still way to hard for me to figure out by myself. I even had to consult a walkthrough on the second playthrough.


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Time Played: Over 20 hours
Difficulty: Very Hard

Yoomurjak's Ring


Stars - 35

Rating by Niclas posted on Aug 23, 2012 | edit | delete


A surprisingly good adventure


I actually loved this game. I especially loved the story, atmosphere, the actors, the music, etc. It is also a pretty long game that will span over 20 hours. I have just realised that I am a big sucker for FMV games (if done the right way) I would probably have given this game a much higher score (4 or 4.5) if the puzzles made a little bit more sense/were a little bit “easier”. Most of the puzzles get extremely hard/leaves too much guess work for the player, without offering any proper hints at all. I like my adventure games hard, but sometimes it can get a little bit too much. Don’t get me wrong, the puzzles are actually quiet good, but a little bit too far fetched with the lack of hints. Also there are sometimes a few pixel hunts that doesn’t really fit the realistic game world. Some objects does not really seem fit to pick up for no special reason.  Overall great game, and I am hoping for a sequel.


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Time Played: 10-20 hours
Difficulty: Very Hard
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