Beta Thread

Myths of the World: Fiends and Faeries  is a definite  to buy.

After the disappointing  (to me)  second one,   this one has restored my faith that
they can come up with a storyline that does not have a "been there, done that"
feel.
The music and accents sounded Irish to me.  There were faery feet to be found.....
I think it was faery feet.....I found one by accident.   Anyway,   there was a leprechaun,
a talking pigs head....
Its all good!   

Dumb Question - How does one go about getting beta trials? I kinda want to be in the Cool People's Club too!

Justie can tell you about the rest, but to get started, follow the links in this thread: 
Casual Companies Looking for Beta-testers

lol, pippi, I asked just the same question here, for just the same reason, about 6 mths ago, and genki's wonderful list was the answer she gave me.

So I signed up for everyone's beta program and almost immediately started getting beta games. Then, bfg and their affiliate developers started sending stuff too, even though I had been unable to sign up for anything specifically for them.

BUT, to reallybe in the know, and get all the latest betas, you have to come here lol. I swipe the beta links from a thread at pondfriends, and put them up here. I started keeping a list at the beginning of the thread. But I've been too slack to maintain it. So, if you scroll backwards, you'll find all the more recent links and, if I've done one, a review as well.

Other comments/reviews from these links also welcomed!   

And please, do please let me know if one sneaks past both me and pondfriends and into your email inbox. It happens.   

And if you're as lucky as I was, you'll sign up for a beta program, just before they rewards all their beta testers with a free game. I got Enigmatis: Ghosts of Maple Creek CE for free!

   

Wow, Justie, you got Enigmatis for free?  Lucky you!      That's an excellent game.    

I've had a couple of surveys, after you've already reviewed them, but I've never been lucky enough to get the game for free. 


But here's a survey I just got from BFG. 
The Secret Order:  Ancient Times
http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/25094/the-secret-order-ancient-times-survey/index.html

That's interesting. This game's beta has been out there for a while. I have actually reviewed (and enjoyed) it.

I wonder if it is the same, or revised? Will definitely be taking a look!

Edited to add: Just noticed... Secret Order 2: Masked Intent is the Daily Deal.

I guess BFG's INTENT is not all that MASKED   

Gah I always seem to get betas late.  I DEMANDS AN EARLY BETA.   

Here you go, frodo. This one has only just been released. Do this instead!  

Myths Of The World 4: Of Fiends & Fairies

Also, there's this rerelease. Sure could use another opinion....

Beyond The Unknown: A Matter Of Time

I am running out of finger-capacity, with all these jobs I keep setting myself!   

Hehe, thanks Justie.  I'll give them both a run.   

I tried Beyond The Unknown, and liked it a lot.  Thanks for the link Justie.    

Loved the story about saving your grandparents, when they are young.

Putting the treasure map together was easy though.  Wish they had made us find more treasure map pieces to put together. 

Also, the map didn't seem to work properly.  According to the map icons, '!' is supposed to indicate an area of interest, when I can do a task.  But I never say any '!' on the map screen.   

Okey dokey, it's beta time again, and we've got some beauties!

Lost Souls 2: Timeless Fables BETA#2

Grim Legends 2: Song of the Dark Swan BFG BETA This is the 3rd beta for this game, so I'm thinking it'll be here soon!

Sable Maze 3: Forbidden Garden

Hidden Expedition 7: The Crown of Solomon YAY!!!!  

Dark Parables 7: Ballad of Rapunzel Wow! These guys are really churning them out! I haven't even played DP6 yet!

Ghosts Of The Past: Bones Of Meadows Town
Collector’s Edition

Developer: ERS Games

Interesting Departure From...****

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The ERS norm.

Interesting and a bit creepy. Always like those kind of starts. The coroner is murdered... by a skeleton? It’s all a bit difficult to determine in the excitement, but certainly something supernatural is going on.

Considering this is an ERS game, it is full of surprises. It is quite a dark story, although the graphics are the same beautiful and colour-drenched, they look different somehow when they are in the form of skeletons, ghosts and ghouls! Also, as mooses. Yep, there’s a moose, that’s not a typo. What is the plural for moose anyway? Doesn’t matter, there’s really only one, but he keeps turning up everywhere!

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
I did enjoy the ERS graphics in this much-more-modern and disturbing environment. GPS and walkie talkie? Yup, 21st Century has arrived. There is archaic stuff, but only as appropriate to the story.

The background noises are so wonderful! So creepy. Whispers, thunder, torrential rain, screams, hysterical laughter – pure Bedlam Asylum. Some are stretched out so long... The music is quite different, and can also add its share of eeriness.

The voiceovers. Our character, excellent. The cute companion (well, he’s a freckle faced deputy really – unless you prefer the moose) is okay in a pinch but could be much better, the bad guy – nup, don’t like it. The bad ghost – she’s okay. All are lip synched very well.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
We are the new sheriff and we’ve arrived just in time, because the old one has disappeared, there’s been two murders, and a devastating storm has emptied the town, except for your delightfully young and impressionable deputy (who is disappointingly helpless, in the way of most male companions in games), the bad guy – whoever he turns out to be, and possibly some ghosts. And a few animals, both helpful and helpless.

Meadows Town is a Viking-built town, with its own proud history of the great explorers who settled there. There is Viking stuff everywhere. But the problem is the ghost of the founder, a woman called Valkiris. She has been disturbed in her grave and she is the one responsible for the storm. She has also made it very clear we’re not welcome. There’s lots of history here, and intrigue, and as yet no real answers. The bad guy, who is staying just ahead of us at the moment, seems to be trying to scare us, rather than harm us. But about him we have no clue. The moose is another mystery.

GAMEPLAY
Lots to do. Adventure and HOPs dominate over easy puzzles. The HOPs are progressive silhouettes, multiples and matching pairs so far... And a couple of entirely new design.

There is a Spirit Detector to help us find, well, spirits of course. You must play a unravel-the-strings game to use it. There are runes (30) to find, which are used to decipher the ancient Viking prophesies, which should help us find out how to placate that spirit that keeps turning up. They also play a part in the CE extras.

Our journal keeps the cut-scenes as evidence and our notes, which are written up in a funny new way. Whenever something relevant happens, the screen goes to black and white and becomes a still, our hand is seen with a pencil and writes the notes we are speaking out loud. Odd. Maybe the developers want to make a greater point of what is in the journal? It slows down the action significantly. As well as notes and case evidence, we also have the information we accumulate about the Viking legends of Valkiris.

There is a directional hint, and an interactive jump map. The map identifies locations that have objectives and those that are complete, NOT where there are available tasks. Do wish the “no pain, no game” crowd would keep it down – used to be able to rely on ERS at least to make things easy for me!

CE BLING!
The runes we have gathered provide a dual function. Firstly, they translate the prophecies that will help in the game. Then, when we have collected all 30 (they are not difficult to find), we are ready for a bonus game of bingo! With our faithful companions the deputy and the moose. I know it sounds weird – it is weird! But, there they are waiting for me to find the rest of the runes.

There are no other true collectibles, but there are achievements, a couple only of story and the rest performance based. They are nicely displayed in our office.

For the rest, we must wait for the CE itself.

COMBINED IMPACT
I liked this a great deal, primarily because it is something a bit out of the usual for ERS. I love their games, but lately they just haven’t seemed to be able to make things click. Their various CE extras ideas have failed to move me, and I still love critters, but I’m no longer wowed by them. This game is supernatural, and modern, and away from all the fantasy stuff we’ve had lately. So...

I recommend this game!

Try It Here!

Ancient Tales: The Roots Of Evil
Collector’s Edition

Release Date: 2014
Developer: Play Favorite Games

Beautiful, Needs Work***

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
It is hard to pin down what it is that this game lacks that makes me feel so uninspired by it. The graphics are lovely. Really. The HOP scenes are a delight. And the voiceovers are good. The music is light and pleasant, made up of tones like a wind chime.

The story needs work, that’s true. It comes across as somewhat simplistic and childish. But it is mostly, I think, the way it is told. We’ve happily enjoyed similar many times.

Daughter (teenage) weeps beneath the front yard’s apple tree, because Dad can’t make it home for her birthday. A single teardrop and the tree blooms with wondrous magic apples. Mum runs out in a panic, the tree has bloomed, now the witch can find us, we must run! And indeed the witch does immediately find us with her magical mirror, and she sends her minions out to get the pair.

(Sorry frodo, there’s no way to break it to you gently) The minions are dragons and they are the only ugly thing in this game, I mean, even the evil goblins look better. An ice dragon makes off with Daughter just as we, Dad (now there’s a twist!), turn up to help Mum. No good. Now Mum and tree are both swiped as well, and you are left with your mighty manliness and a broken amulet with which to save the day.

GAMEPLAY
There are a lot of HOPs (nicely done art, very clear), the puzzles a half a step more difficult than the standard versions of the same thing. Like, repeat the sequence, where there are over a dozen fireflies that could light up. The HOPs are fragmented object, progressive silhouette, and interactive word list. With a mini-puzzle thrown in occasionally. There are also ‘plus’ items in inventory. Adventure is pretty straightforward and hint is a teleport, as is the map. Which gives you only where objectives are, if you want to at least try to use your wits a little before giving in.

In place of a journal is a stained glass artifact that you need to find pieces for to get the backstory. There is also an owlet that we rescue and get to keep. He helps out with high things. We need to find crystals to charge our amulet which will protect us from or destroy certain forms of evil magic.

CE BLING!
We have the usual gallery items, wallpaper, concept art, music. Plus collectible morphing objects (20) and achievements. A place for the 20 magic animals you can find, and a display of the morphing objects.

COMBINED IMPACT
Has possibilities. Was sure pretty enough and had all you’d normally expect. I think it is the telling of the story is where some improvements should be made, and then perhaps just one thing that is really different to set it apart from others.

Try It Here!

Mayan Prophesies 3: Blood Moon
Collector’s Edition

Release Date: 2014
Developer: Elefun Games

Mayan Magic*****

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
For the 3rd time I am unexpectedly seduced by Mayan myths of Moon Goddesses & Jaguar Gods. Each episode in this series is as captivating and exciting as the ones before, as well as having fresh approaches to the games.

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
The graphics are excellent, the locations interesting and beautiful, the HOPs clear and detailed and exquisitely drawn. We’ve got some really gorgeous puss cats, superbly done, but you may want to be far away before you call any of them cute. I love these magnificent creatures, but I am hoping the animation will be improved. It currently looks a little awkward. And awkward cats? Nah!

Also excellent is the voice acting, particularly the narrator. The music is fine, interesting. With only hints of cultural influences.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
In the previous two games we, as a Coast Guard officer, captured a smuggler, who ran us a merry chase when we crashed into a derelict ship full of Mayan artifacts. After escaping the sinking ship, we land on a deserted island, find and recapture the crook, save the day and leave in an airplane we fixed. Only to have the fiend escape us again by jumping out of the plane! Boy must our faces have been red when we got back to the office!

It is 2 years later, and our partner is at the door begging to be let in. Apparently, jaguars have been let loose in the city, and some of them are after Gregory. During our escape, we’ve lost him, but our search for him takes us underwater – I always enjoy that – and over to the other side of town where we witness Gregory being turned into a jaguar! Setting him free turns out to be a bit of a mistake, but we meet a priestess of the Goddess Cheila who helps us out. She seems to know what she’s doing, so we team up with her. Together, we press ahead to stop the Jaguar God from destroying the town.

GAMEPLAY
There is a nice balance of puzzles (20) and HOPs (22) to this game. Among the puzzles are some completely new fresh and intelligent ones. Some locks use a combination of puzzle and diorama to tell the Jaguar God myth. Normally, I might call 22 HOPs a bit too much, but with the choice of playing mahjong instead and at least a couple of types of HOP (interactive word list, silhouettes), I think there’s sufficient variety. There are also plus items which must been combined or solved within the inventory.

The adventure aspect of the game is all that difficult but does maintain your interest. A little into the game we get an interactive jump map with indicators of available actions. However, there are 3 difficulty levels and a custom one for more expert players. Hint is directional. Journal contains story as we go only.

Our partner, Gregory, provides specialist help, once we find him. There is also a scroll-like document to the right of the (lockable) inventory bar, whose purpose is as yet unknown.

CE BLING!
The collectibles are very appealing in this game. There are 26 morphing objects to collect, and 25 hummingbirds. In order to find the birds, you must find totems, which release the birds, who will fly around until you stop them. There are achievements, but as yet there is not a display for them.

COMBINED IMPACT
Love it! Even more than the early games I think. Partly it’s the jaguars, partly it’s the fondness I have developed for this character, mostly for the perfect combination of gameplay components.

I recommend this game!

Try It Here!

Dreampath: The Two Kingdoms

Release Date:  2014
Developer: Boolat Games

Wonderful Dragon Fable****

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
An interesting and dramatic beginning has a king seeking “all the treasure of the temple”. His efforts, well, the results are unexpected. The opening into the game proper is less theatrical, but invites involvement.

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
Enjoyed the graphics. Not always the highest quality but always beautiful and colourful and clear. The music was unobtrusive. The voiceovers are excellent. But I may get fed up with that cat.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
Our sister the queen is dying and the only cure is in another kingdom where we may get the info we need, if we can find the knowledgeable dragon. We travel there through a mirror (yeah, I know, not exactly original), and are immediately caught up in the problems of the kingdom we are now in. We rescue a talking cat, who turns out to be some sort of butler, and is very helpful with hard to reach items. He is also the source of info on the history of the dragons, and the two kingdoms, which is presented in a cartoon/diorama style as required.

GAMEPLAY
The HOPs are varied. There are interactive word lists, and silhouettes, and multiples of. The puzzles are mixed, but for the most part not too difficult. The adventure makes sense without being overly linear. There is a directional hint, interactive jump map (with available actions), journal game notes and clues, and lockable inventory. There are plus items in inventory.

There are many collectible gold and silver coins to collect, purpose unknown.

COMBINED IMPACT
Had a really good time playing this, more than I can easily explain by game analysis. Not too hard, fun story, varied HOPs. Just the right balance somehow. Or maybe it's just the talking cat.

I recommend this game!

Try It Here!

Now I'm really excited!         

A dark & eerie Eipix game!!! Can't wait to demo it!

Dead Reckoning: Silvermoon Isle

Dead Reckoning: Silvermoon Isle
Collector’s Edition

Release Date:  2014
Developer: Eipix

Whodunit The Eipix Way*****

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Opening scenes are good, exciting and mysterious, and done in the very best of whodunit film making. But I am tired of the art deco motif. I love the interface, its colours and crisp lines, but it is sooo déjà vu, at first it almost seemed a part of the Final Cut series. Yes, Eipix, it looks beautiful, but it also looks far too familiar.

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
As mentioned, lose the art deco, or alter it to some other aspect of the era. Apart from that, the art is splendid. The cut scenes are an improvement of some of Eipix’s recent games, and they have done some fun things with point of view. The lip synching is direct in this game, and well done. The actors are good. The music is fine. Ambient noise & special effects also good.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
Famous actress (who happened to work for our favourite film makers) fell/jumped/was pushed off a lighthouse on the night of her birthday party. Island sealed off when you, the detective, arrive to investigate. Although, as player, you know it’s murder, but don’t know by whom. You have a partner you apparently worked with before, sweet voice, very mild. Your boat dies just as you arrive on the island, so he sticks by the boat while we meet the suspects and snoop around. Already, everyone you meet is behaving suspiciously.

GAMEPLAY
Less HOPs and puzzles in this game makes way for a new style of play, almost entirely unseen before. Have a “deduction dialogue” magnifying glass that gives a hint at something you may want to question when you are talking to suspects. For instance, the maid says she has been crying all night. The magnifier has written under it “Crying all night?” A quick look and click at her eyes and handkerchief show she’s lying and she is forced to revise her story. And so on with her jewellery etc. At other times, it may be an object sketched that you should ask about.

This unique puzzler is combined with a suspect list and an ‘evidence’ board. The list gives detailed information on the history and details you bring out on each subject. The evidence board has items that must first be found and put together, like an incriminating photograph. Later, another way of viewing objects as clues and evidence occurs at the murder scene, where successively highlighted objects give you information about what happened.

The HOPs so far include an interactive word list that is followed by a fragmented object that must be put together once you get it into inventory. Then another mini-HOP of silhouettes, uniquely presented, accompanied by a multiples of. Both types can be swapped for a bubble shooter game I had so much fun with I didn’t notice I had finished with the list and was now “finding” fragmented parts!

Puzzles also include odd little differences, all fun and not difficult. There is no journal, only the evidence board. But there is directional hint and an interactive jump map. And the partner – not that he’s been much use so far.

CE BLING!
49 collectible stars. Achievements.

COMBINED IMPACT
Will I love this game? Of course, it is Eipix, and they seem unable to serve up anything but irresistible fare for me. This is not going to be my favourite, I imagine, however. The whole “detective from the era” thing somehow escapes my interest. But I love what they’ve done with the deduction dialogue and crime scene evidence, it is fresh and new.

I recommend this game!

Try It Here!

Haunted Manor 3: Painted Beauties

Release Date: 2014
Developer: Top Evidence Studio?

Magical Paintings – My Favourite! ****

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Excellent beginning, not at all like the norm, and extremely intriguing. Looks good, and Stephan’s pact with Death already has me hooked – particularly because she’s a woman!

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
Much better than the previous games in series – well, it should be, it’s been 4 years! Has same peculiar flat-finish look about it, but now we have vibrant colour it looks quite lovely. (The earlier games had nothing but greys and browns *yuck*) And the artists have captured the eyes of Stephan Black brilliantly – they look alive and glow with intensity. Hint is a cherubic child with a fit of the giggles. A variation on cute I’ve not seen before!

After the opening, there is not much in the way of voice, but it is all good. Done without attempt at lip synch. Ambient noise is wonderful – creepy voices, creaking floorboards (or was that a door?), wind blowing through the gaps in walls. Great stuff. Music also good. Sometimes, after an important find, it wells up triumphantly. Other times, it sits quietly in the background murmuring about things that crawl in the dark.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
A brilliant artist has made a pact with Death in order to save his wife and son. Now, he paints beautiful women, and they disappear. You are his latest victim. You are transported to his gloomy mansion, where you discover that your portrait is the means of your salvation. You must locate the 15 pieces of it to get home.

You are ‘at large’ only as long as it takes Stephan Black to paint a ‘painted prison’ for you, as he has done to the others. You must find and rescue them from their various cages into the ‘soul vial’ so that they can be returned to their own lives. To do this you must travel into the worlds of the paintings. One thing I like a lot about this game is that there are lots of paintings, not just 2 or 3, that we unlock and visit, even if just for a HOP.

GAMEPLAY
As well as collecting pieces of your portrait, and souls of other victims, you will also need to collect 33 beads for the rosary a priest has given you in order to protect yourself from Death – anyone smell ‘big finale’ in that?

The adventure is easy but interesting. There are a smallish number of rooms in the mansion so far but plenty of paintings – at least half a dozen navigable ones so far... There is a directional hint which is more use than I like, because there is no indicators at all on the jump map. Hint and skip fill very quickly on lowest of 3 levels of difficulty. The mini-games are easy, and numerous, the HOPs are fewer. They are interactive lists by word or image.

One final unusual thing about this game – the map and the journal with your story notes are in the top righthand corner, while the task list is in the left bottom and the cherub is on the right bottom. I found it quite comfortable. A solution, perhaps, for those games that have just too many gadgets to keep organised when all down with the inventory interface.

CE BLING!
Despite the collectibles, which I think are essential to the game, no sign of any achievements or other CE Bling! I suspect it will find its way into the game before release, though.

COMBINED IMPACT
I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed this. The first of this series , Lord Of Mirrors, was an excellent HOG, even though the graphics were dismal. The 2nd game, Queen Of Death, was awful. The colours had me wanting to slash my wrists, and unfortunately the gameplay didn’t compensate this time.

This game is good on both fronts, and has an interesting story as well! While not one of the mega games, this is one I am looking forward to finishing some day. One last thing has me curious – there was an awful little girl in both the prequels, but I can’t see her showing up here... I just gotta know if she’s involved.

I recommend this game!

Try It Here! 

LADIES & GENTLEMEN (If we have any out there)

I have updated the list at the top of this thread and now do solemnly swear to keep it up to date   

Am also on a mission to get to the point where game releases don't catch me unprepared   , so expect lots of reviews here over the coming weeks. There are still 22 open betas on my list!

 

Silent Nights 2: Children’s Orchestra

Release Date:  2014
Developer: Dark Blue Games

Good Music Oriented Game****

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Excellent intro with brilliant music I loved immediately. Not the children’s orchestra – the intro music. Great vid of the concert hall on fire, and the crowd panicking. Exceptional!

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
Graphics are fine. Nothing truly exciting, but nothing you could object to. The music is great, the voices good, and ambient noise is everywhere and again nicely atmospheric. In fact, though you couldn’t really call it a creepy game, it does have a touch of the D&E.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
You are an extremely gifted singer of the operatic kind, and you have two somewhat mysterious daughters, both of whom are, still school age, virtuosos in their instruments. You are watching them perform with the Children’s Orchestra when a fire breaks out. While you are trying to get to the stage through the fire, smoke and panicked people, a masked man leads your daughters away via a back exit.

When you finally get to where they exited, they are across an alley in another building. You go immediately into the Head mistress of the music school’s office, and find her comatose on the floor. Revived she assures you she’ll call the police, and shoos you off to find the children. But over the course of several meetings, you must conclude there is something off about her behaviour, but what?

Meantime, masked man has taken the girls to a mansion-like building, and is conducting some form of electro-chemical process on the kids. We know, from secret files we’ve decoded, that what he is doing is draining the children of all their musical talent, using it to create a massive healing power – to what end we don’t know. But you do know you will stop at nothing to get them outa there! And, just when you think it can’t get any worse, a familiar cloaked and hooded figure from the first Silent Nights game shows up!

GAMEPLAY
I like that this game uses slightly different objects to solve problems. It’s not new, but it is still not the norm. Like a coin as a screwdriver, and tuning forks for a wrench. I can’t say the puzzles impressed upon me much of any kind of reaction. I had to go back into the game and play awhile to remember them. They were all reasonably easy, but I had to skip a couple.

Nice variety on the HOPs. There are interactive word lists, progressive silhouettes with mini-puzzles inside as well, and misplaced items. Again, nothing too difficult. The adventure part of the game does have a way of sending you back and forth, and there are already quite a number of locations and things to be done. The interactive jump map gives you active objectives, you have a directional hint, and a task list. There is no journal.

There are a couple of innovative game play tools. We gain a music transcriber, with which we can write down the notes we hear in the environment. These notes will be needed to open various caches around the place. We need a new piece of blank music paper for each tune. As well, the masked man dropped a folio of files. These are encrypted, but can be decoded with special decryption figurines you find as you progress. These are 5 sets of different dragon figurines, with 3 or so in each set. Once a set is complete, you can open the file for useful backstory.

CE BLING!
Nothing except achievements (24), performance based, but with ones like “finish the villager puzzle in less than 3 minutes”. And the various decryption figures, that are part of the game proper.

COMBINED IMPACT
All up, a solid game, with just enough different about it to make it an excellent stand alone SE.

I recommend this game!

Try it here!

Great Review !!!!!  TY       I don't remember Silent Nights I.   I shall have to go back and see if I tried it or not.  As always, ty for your great reviews and the betas.   

Rites Of Passage 3: Hide & Seek
Collector’s Edition

Release Date:  2014
Developer: Mad Head Games

Another Top Ten Game!*****

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The 2nd Rites Of Passage game, “Child of the Forest” is on my top 10 ever list, and this one will be joining it, if this trial is a good guide. Once again, the developers have astonished me with more imaginative variations on both HOPs and mini-games. Add breathtaking art and an instantly involving story, and wow!

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
The intro scenes, both before and after the menu page, are excellently put together, and are immediately intriguing. The art is beautiful in every way, the acting is very good, the ambient sounds exceptional. The music is perfect, especially a delightfully delicate piano and wind instruments tune. In truth, it is difficult to describe how well these elements combine for such a charming atmosphere, not totally dark and scary, but foreboding and just a little eerie.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
Right from the beginning, there are unexpected twists in this story. Twenty years ago, playing hide and seek as a child, you were tricked into reading a curse and the entire group of children with you disappeared! Including your little brother. Your Dad was lost in the fog, presumed dead, trying to find him. You and your mother moved away and started a new life. Now, your mother has died, and you discover that your father is alive and still searching for your brother. Of course, you must go find him, even though it is clear, this whole fiction about him being dead is to keep you away from your old town.

Our home town, when we arrive, is in the grip of a strange dark fog, which torments the townspeople and leaves peculiar patches of ice where it’s been. We find our father after a bit of toing and froing, only to have him ripped from our grasp by a collapsing wall. I love that the ensuing combined HOP and mini-games so much resemble searching through rubble. Wonderful idea!

GAMEPLAY
Again, using new puzzles and processes, combining the known with the very original, these developers create a wholly different style of HOP. They involve, variously, interactive word lists, matching pairs, mini-puzzles, coin slots, inventory + items and much more. The mini-games are various, again, many originals, and most were not too difficult for me. They are nicely imbedded in the game. There is an interactive jump map, showing active areas, although you have to work out for yourself what the symbols are for.

You also have a choice of responses in some of the interactions with other characters, and your choices affect your “karma”, and therefore the results of certain actions and the conclusion of the game. You can check on your karmic health in the journal. It also contains the story, codes etc., achievements and a game timer. There is also a task list. Hint is directional. There are 3 difficulty levels, and a customization option.

There are some special skills you can use as you progress. There is a scar on your hand from childhood, and now it starts glowing. You soon come to realise that you can use it to melt the strange ice left by the fog. Later, you can also use it to translate clues in an ancient spirit language. I don’t know if there’ll be others. The back story is told in different ways, for instance with a picture story-like puzzle that has you correctly placing misplaced objects. We have, at least temporarily, a cute and very cuddly companion, who brings surprising skills to the investigation.

CE BLING!
Achievements for just about everything it seemed. I felt I got a lot of them, both story and performance. There are collectible hand prints, with an indicator in each location.

COMBINED IMPACT
I loved it! These developers remind me, every time I release a game, that not all my favourite developers have names starting with E. It’s an absolute must!

I recommend this game!

Try It Here!

Ominous Objects: Family Portrait
Collector’s Edition

Release Date: 2014
Developer: Daily Magic

Deadly Paintings****

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
From the makers of Dark Dimensions comes a nicely dark magical painting game. Not to be confused with the other game I recently reviewed, Haunted Manor 3: Painted Beauty. It is another fine example of how a fertile imagination and artistic talent can create gems for our entertainment.

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
The excellent intro features clear and lifelike cut scenes with a narrative voiceover that sounds just perfect for the part, even if the intonation is a bit odd at times. I can forgive anything, though, in a character that uses irony! The locations are gorgeous, a huge castle filled with glorious colourful objects and lavish furnishings. The mix of light tinkling music and subtle ambient sound is so sweet, it lulls you. But don’t get too comfortable, there is evil afoot and as is so often the case, it’s noisy! No attempt has been made to lip synch, the characters remain still. The voiceover does some responses to certain actions.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
You arrive home after months abroad to find your family in direst emergency. Your wife explains that 3 of your 4 children have just suddenly disappeared, and your oldest girl has locked herself in her room and won’t come out. Suddenly, a ferocious Doberman, pictured in the painting nearby, materialises and threatens your wife. It will take a little deduction to find out how to deal with him, and with the other dangerous creatures that seem to spring out at every turn.

Eventually your daughter tells you what happened. They were in the library and the younger daughter wanted a new book to read. Reaching up for one activated a secret passage behind the bookcase. There they saw a portrait of a stern-faced man, and as they looked, he became dark scary smoke, that wrapped itself around the children and drew them into the portrait.

The ghostly presence must be that of the original owner, a skilful artist from centuries past, who when painting his family portrait lost his whole family into it. He was tried for their murders and burned at the stake! Is it he whose malevolent presence has taken off with our children, and is setting the paintings’ inhabitants upon us?

GAMEPLAY
Another excellent game of varied gameplay. The HOPs are mixed, a mini-puzzle in an interactive word list, where the final object must be pieced together from the fragments exposed when you take away the items on the list. Others include misplaced items and progressive silhouettes. One, at least, is visited twice.

Other puzzles are somewhat more familiar, but nicely done and well integrated. There is a variety of difficulty amongst them. The adventure side is even more than usually sensible, and there is not too much to and fro. Three levels of difficulty. A teleporting hint, and an interactive jump map. There is no journal, just a task list, and our achievements, and our pet’s playroom. Yes, there is a cute companion, a fluffy cat who is most helpful, and for whom we can purchase stuff.

CE BLING!
The cat has many items of furniture and entertainment that you can purchase with the coins you find as you play. I detected no other collectibles. The achievements cover both performance and story.

COMBINED IMPACT
Well, I love a good magic painting game, and this one is fine. Not a world-beater, but lovely graphics for spectacular locations, interesting HOPs, and an engaging story, and I’m a push over.


I recommend this game!

Try it here!

Shadow Wolf Mysteries 4: Under The Crimson Moon
Collector’s Edition

Release Date:  2014
Developer: ERS Games

Good Solid Addition To A Solid Series****

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Excellent start. The cut scene animations are great. The pace exciting, and the mood much darker than the previous Shadow Wolf games.

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
The early video clips are really something special, using both 2D and 3D art to create realistically savage wolves, who then bow down to an even more terrifying werewolf designed to give you nightmares. I’m impressed. The fire wolves are beautiful, but this is no sweet little ‘rabbit’ game. The music fits in well with the scenes, but I do hear a hint of the old ERS tunes sneaking back in. Don’t do it guys! The voices are well done and intonation is excellent. The screams and howls and other ambient sounds from dogs and cats and nasty old owls are all good too.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
A detective who by now must be the most experienced wolf investigator ever, you are called in on another case involving wolves and suspected werewolves. The issue doesn’t stay cloudy for long. On arrival, you are greeted by above mentioned savage wolves, who immediately cower and slink away when a huge werewolf appears on the roof. There are many threatening creatures around you, more dark than most ERS games, but I like that there are moments where the game simply laughs at its dire pretensions.

The story is a little confusing. At the moment, I seem to be suspecting everyone of being a werewolf, and all of them as victims. You are definitely going to need those detective skills of yours to solve this case. Luckily, you’ve brought the latest in cutting edge technology (1897-style) with you to field test it.

GAMEPLAY
What are you testing? An analyser that identifies unknown substances. When you receive some unknown ‘stuff’ into inventory, open the analyser and put the muck in it. Ask a few simple if stupid questions about the substance, and get your answer. You’ll then discover that is exactly what you needed most!

There is another new technique we use in this case. On greeting each new character, we keenly observe them using our magnifier, and find pieces of evidence – blood-stains on clothes, missing jewellery items, etc. While we are doing this, the character is held in stasis in sepia tones – I guess that symbolises time standing still.

The puzzle component seems to be more HOPs than others, and they are of several sorts. There are find multiple related items (such as metal), progressive silhouettes and replace items. You visit them twice each. As an alternative you can play a matching game which resembles mahjong but is actually a style of game I’ve never seen before. Personally, I found it a bit fiddly and preferred the HOP.

Adventure side is fairly straightforward, I had no real use for the directional hint, although I did use the interactive jump map a few times as a kick starter for my brain. You have a notebook that holds story notes and details of your investigation. There are 3 modes of difficulty. No black bar tips in the hardest. Some of the puzzles have a casual/harder toggle for them. I saw nothing outrageously different, but not boring either.

CE BLING!
The collectibles are simply pieces of evidence – a torn page, a posy of herbal flowers – that take up residence in a nicely displayed section. Each relates to werewolves folklore, and there is info given on it. The achievements are fun. They are the standard, but you have to crack open the rocking shield in front of those you’ve won, discover the figurine underneath, and then look up the creature in the bestiary (book with a paw print on it), where you get a description of its supposed character, strengths and weaknesses.

COMBINED IMPACT
I enjoyed it. Will certainly buy it. But I’m not over the moon (groan). And I find the way certan concepts seem to coalesce in the minds of a few developers at the same time weird. I’ve just finished a review of an ERS game, Dead Reckoning, which uses almost the same technique of collecting ‘evidence’ from the person under suspicion. How the heck does that happen?

I recommend this game!

Try it here!