Beta Thread

by JustTheFacts Sat Feb 01, 2014 7:52 am

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Post n°41

Re: Beta Thread

by JustTheFacts Sat Feb 01, 2014 7:52 am

by djrum Sat Feb 01, 2014 9:01 am

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Post n°42

Re: Beta Thread

by djrum Sat Feb 01, 2014 9:01 am

Wow, JustTheFacts! How in the world do you find the time to beta, demo, play and write your awesome Reviews?

Thank you for all your hard work! Clap

by JustTheFacts Sat Feb 01, 2014 9:06 am

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Post n°43

Re: Beta Thread

by JustTheFacts Sat Feb 01, 2014 9:06 am

It is my solemn duty to be everywhere at once lol. It keeps me feeling productive, because I am ill and can no longer work, gotta find something to keep my mind occupied and make me feel useful again.

by JustTheFacts Sat Feb 01, 2014 9:08 am

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Post n°44

Re: Beta Thread

by JustTheFacts Sat Feb 01, 2014 9:08 am

If you are interested in a particular, btw, let me know and I'll review it. Not knowing when these first came out means it's a lottery whether I get to the ones about to be released. So I'm keeping track from now on.

by JustTheFacts Sat Feb 01, 2014 1:37 pm

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Post n°45

Re: Beta Thread

by JustTheFacts Sat Feb 01, 2014 1:37 pm

(Mystery Of) Unicorn Castle [2]: (The) Beastmaster

Developer: Meridian 93

Worth The Wait*****

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The evidence suggests it is a sequel to the Mystery Of The Unicorn Castle, (exact name, same developer) which was released 5 years ago. That sure is a long gestation period. But it may well have been worth the wait.

While not an extraordinary game in terms of production values, it does have a unique approach to gameplay that I find very intriguing, and lots of nifty little ways in which it is made more appealing.

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
With a good and engaging intro, this game involves your emotions straightaway. The graphics are good. Clear and well drawn. Nothing to complain about, but they are not outstanding either. I do love, though, the game interface. It is an almost iridescent almost-white blue against a dark background, with the bare minimum of clutter around the (lockable) inventory bar. A neat trick is having you zoom into the close-ups rather than opening a window. And you can choose to turn off this feature if you wish.

The game is narrated by our character, and for most part is very well done, although his intonation seems a bit off from time to time. There is quite a lot of talking involved, so many will be pleased to know that you have the option to switch this off as well. Special effects are good, and there is a variety of ambient sounds, including silence. The music is sinister, yet quiet rather than frightening, and includes voicetracks.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
A young girl has been kidnapped under unusual circumstances and we have come in to investigate a nearby abandoned castle. We catch a glimpse of Sophie and her kidnapper going into it, and we are off in pursuit. Along the way we also meet a ghost who asks us for help, in return for assistance in the matter of the kidnapper. Oh yes, and let's not forget the giant, aggressive, almost human, rats!

GAMEPLAY
This game has some HOPs, but really not many. I think I encountered two in the demo. There are slightly more puzzles. Nothing is actually difficult, and I didn’t even use the directional hint, or skip. You do have a choice of 4 difficulty levels and I was playing on the easiest, but I really don’t see it will make much difference. The interactive jump map gives you active HOP scenes as well as active tasks, visited and unvisited areas. There is a diary that holds your notes and replayable videos.

What’s unusual about this game is that along the way, quite frequently, you will be asked to decide which way to behave. Help the ghost or not? Allegedly it will alter the way the game progresses, and it certainly does change the achievements you win.

CE BLING!
There are both achievements and collectibles. The collectibles are Halloween pumpkins, and there are 50 to be found. They are not all easy to find, either. The other collectibles are fireflies, which instantly recharge your hint meter when you catch them. The achievements have their own Trophy Room in the main menu and are given out for a mix of both story-related (and for once, you may fail to get a story one, depending on your choices), and performance-based. A panel pops up in the game when you receive a trophy, and again, you have to option to switch it off. I know many will like THAT feature!

COMBINED IMPACT
I really enjoyed this game. It was fun from the very beginning and kept my interest all through the demo. Maybe it isn’t a world class performance, but it is very good, and has that indefinable fun factor.

I recommend this game!

Try It Here!

by JustTheFacts Sat Feb 01, 2014 11:48 pm

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Post n°46

Danse Macabre (:The Last Adagio)

by JustTheFacts Sat Feb 01, 2014 11:48 pm

Danse Macabre (:The Last Adagio)

Developer: Eipix

Deadly Romance****

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
I’ve played this demo twice now and still got so caught up in the game that I forgot to takes notes! Wonderful introduction gives you all the backstory you need, and a fair indication of how this story is going to go. No dramatic train crashes or air disasters, but a good old-fashioned love-crazed villain with a taste for fire.

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
As usual with this developer, the graphics are superb. This is a somewhat darker game than is their usual, but they handle it well and most locations are in fact very well lit. The darkness is more an atmospheric thing. There is a certain glossy shine to the theatre scenes that I find a bit off putting to me. But then I’m not European and am therefore not used to seeing that much gold gilt! All items are easy to see and not small.

The voices are excellent fun, done in pseudo-Italian (?) accents, that fit wholly with the characters and the story. The flautist is my personal favourite. The characters in the location are still, while there is a smaller pic beside the speech box where lips do move. I always like this feature. The music is a little different, though don’t ask me to describe how. But it is low key ominous and quite pleasant. As the game is about ballet, I was a little disappointed not to hear any classical stuff.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
You are meeting your sister after her performance as star of the most popular ballet, written for the love of the composer’s life. It was performed here for the first time 30 years ago, immediately prior to the theatre burning to the ground. Having watched the intro through, we know that the composer burnt the place down in revenge for finding his loved one, the prima ballerina, with another man.

Your sister does not show, and you are outside wondering what to do when the stage manager opens the door. No, he says, the theatre is empty, there’s no one here. But there is a light an upstairs window, and voices. You must get in and find your sister! In keeping with demo tradition, we finish with a cliff hanger, but how we are going to get out of this particular predicament totally escapes me! Can’t wait to find out!

GAMEPLAY
The play is dominated by HOPs. So far, there have been several, either interactive lists or simple silhouettes, which are introduced four at a time only, which requires a slightly different search strategy. What may have been irrelevant before could be needed now. As an alternative, there is a bubble popper game, in which each sparkling bubble you pop removes an item from the list. Again, an somewhat unusual strategy is required.

The puzzles so far are incredibly easy. I hope they get harder later on, because if I think they’re easy, a lot of people will think they are laughable. One puzzle got on my nerves. A simple follow the notes memory game. But if you missed once you had to go right back to the start from one note again.

There is an interactive jump map that shows objectives as well as active tasks and current location. I don’t like how long it took to unfold it each time we use it. Hint is directional. The journal has a diary and objectives. The tutorial is particularly well written.

CE BLING!
There are two types of collectibles. 30 yellow roses for Marie’s bouquet, which are easy to spot and there is a lot of them early (10/30 in the demo), and 12 morphing items which are a lot harder to find. Being the beta, there is no more information yet.

COMBINED IMPACT
I really liked this game. It is not my favourite Eipix. But it is up to their usual excellent standards. My enthusiasm is tempered, I think, by the lack of originality in the story, and all that golden gilt!

I recommend this game!

Try It Here!

by JustTheFacts Sun Feb 02, 2014 4:55 am

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Post n°47

Re: Beta Thread

by JustTheFacts Sun Feb 02, 2014 4:55 am

This game has been released at GameHouse. But 3 attempts to get it to give me the option to play the free trial failed, so I went looking for another version and found this beta.

Dark Clown Mystery

Developer: Intenium

Creepy Clown!***

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The intro to this game is much longer and quieter than most opening cut scenes. But it does allow the situation to be explained without the need for dialogue or narration. And it’s kinda eerie too, suspenseful. I think it is worthy of attention.

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
The visuals are really quite excellent, clear and clean and very well rendered. Of a quality to rival some CE games. The cut scenes in particular are impressive for such a low key (budget?) game. And the glimmering tiger alone is worth the effort of trialling this game. There are great background sounds and the music is okay. No sound effects or voices at this stage, which makes the game seem reeeeally creepy. In broad daylight you feel like you’re walking around in the dark all alone. I assume, though, that the version for release will have at least some sound FX.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
I love that this is told without anyone saying anything. We watch a woman get off a bus and head for the town of Silent Marshes (maybe there won’t be any SFX after all?), meeting up with friends in a diner and they are having a pleasant conversation when a very scary, very crazy looking clown turns up.

All is screams and everyone runs away in different directions, but the clown gets at least one of your friends before you run into him and, faint? When you wake up, you are alone in a crocodile infested swamp with only a pelican and his catch of fish between you and some very nasty teeth.

GAMEPLAY
The gameplay is standard HOPA. The pace is a bit slow, as there does not seem to be much to do in each location.

There are a few slightly tricky puzzles, just enough to throw me off my stride, but probably okay for most. The HOPs are interactive lists that are clear and uncluttered, but where I had real trouble finding some items. They are made more difficult by a cursor that looks very similar in both point and pick up mode.

There is one ‘find multiples of (crocodiles, eeek!)’ in the swamp. The other HOP scenes are visited twice. Hint and skip are both quick in the easiest of 3 difficulty levels. There is no map, but hint is directional. The journal keeps track of the story – which I at least am interested in hearing more about! What grim past has come back to haunt your friends?

COMBINED IMPACT
This is not a fancy game, and it is not going to knock your socks off. But it is very atmospheric and immersive. The game play is nothing new, but of a slightly more difficult level than most, and its visuals are way better than most standalone SEs. In all, an enjoyable experience.

I recommend this game!

Try It Here!

by volnole68 Sun Feb 02, 2014 7:00 am

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Post n°48

Re: Beta Thread

by volnole68 Sun Feb 02, 2014 7:00 am

JustTheFacts wrote:It is my solemn duty to be everywhere at once lol. It keeps me feeling productive, because I am ill and can no longer work, gotta find something to keep my mind occupied and make me feel useful again.

I admire you greatly for this Just! You are working very hard to address your personal issues within yourself. What a great example you set for others.

Plus, you are providing us a wonderful service! I now look for your reviews every day. Thank you so very much.

by JustTheFacts Sun Feb 02, 2014 7:05 am

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Post n°49

Re: Beta Thread

by JustTheFacts Sun Feb 02, 2014 7:05 am

Thank you so much for your kind words. My life has definitely taken a turn for the better since genki first asked me if I'd mind her putting one of my reviews here! Happy bounce

Wish I could remember which one it was - I'd frame it. Belly laugh

You can post 100 reviews on the big fish game pages, and never get any feedback at all, and not much more from the forums. Here, I'm talking to real people!!

Also, to people who have a life outside big fish. Was getting a little insular there for a while!

by JustTheFacts Sun Feb 02, 2014 10:11 am

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Post n°50

Re: Beta Thread

by JustTheFacts Sun Feb 02, 2014 10:11 am

In between Shiver 1 and Beta trials, I have had great fun putting together a spreadsheet that not only gives me a neat list of the trials available, but also can list it either alphabetically or by link address. The advantage of link addresses is that *drum roll* they are numbered and can be ordered to show which game survey was issued first!!!!

Seems a reasonable indication, because the few that were on my list that have now been released are all among the oldest numbers.

Which makes this next one look archaic. It goes back more than 2000 web pages before the pack.

by JustTheFacts Sun Feb 02, 2014 10:19 am

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Post n°51

Re: Beta Thread

by JustTheFacts Sun Feb 02, 2014 10:19 am

Mysteries Of The Past (: Shadow Of The Wendigo)

Developer: 3K Studio

Bit Of A Shame Really***

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
This game has a lot going for it, but in the end, just does not have enough life in it to make the difference between immediate release and sitting permanently on the shelf.

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
The opening sequence was good enough to rival any mega game developer for professionalism in both art and voice. The graphics throughout are so natural and realistic, you’d swear the whole thing was photographed, yet with a softness to the images that is much easier on the eyes than the typical pseudo-realism found in games. The game is set in American wood country and looks wonderful, and I can almost feel the fresh crisp air of the forest surrounding us. I loved even the interface, which was neat and tidy, without being dull.

The voiceover was excellent. Accentless, well spoken and clearly intelligent. There are some lovely ambient sounds too. And special atmospheric use of those whining noises that I refuse to call music, lol. The story is about a lost Indian (yes, Native American of course, which was the developer’s first mistake!) tribe, and the much of the music seemed to my uneducated ears as the sort of thing I think I remember from cowboy and Indian (that word again) movies.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
Your professor knows you are researching vanished Native American tribes, so he sends you information about an explorer back in 1687, who seems to have been to one such settlement. So what about that opening scene, huh? How’d we end up in an unfamiliar hut with a headache? Well, I doubt we’ll ever find out, because sadly, this seems unlikely to be released. And not without just cause.

GAMEPLAY
Well, I have been giving you so much good stuff about this game, seems hard to imagine what’s so wrong with it. It’s the pace. We have our standard (static) HOPs with word lists, occurring frequently and visited twice. And there are a few puzzles. Again, all standard stuff. Nothing new here. And while we’re about it, for the record, no map but a decent journal. Hint is directional, but must refill each time you use it even to just change locations.

And that’s where it all falls apart. Because the game is not especially intuitive, and has a lot of toing and froing, so a lot of time is wasted either checking location by empty location (none has very much to do in it) or waiting for hint to recharge. Worse, an object that was not accessible last time you were there may now be.

For example, I note a strange stone covered in moss, but I am unable to use my spatula to clean it off, or my crowbar to remove it. Later, when I need strange stones, I can now use both these items. That is just so infuriating. And it means you must keep checking back on items, if you can remember them, in case, now you can use them.

And a new HOP scene may become active, but you have no way of knowing, and no reason to be going back to that location, unless you just wander around looking for things to do. I got over it, and couldn’t stick to the finish.

COMBINED IMPACT
Such professionalism in the artwork, such sorely deficient gameplay! It’s a shame, alright, but we probably wouldn’t buy this even if it was released. Unless someone injected a huge dose of adrenaline into the game.

I don’t recommend this game!

Try It Here!

by JustTheFacts Mon Feb 03, 2014 4:20 am

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Post n°52

Re: Beta Thread

by JustTheFacts Mon Feb 03, 2014 4:20 am

Bluebeard’s Castle [2] (: Son Of The Heartless)

Developer: Fanda Games

Delightful If Unexpected Sequel****

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
I remember having a lot of fun with the first Bluebeard’s Castle, but I don’t think it was ever a big hit and I certainly didn’t expect a sequel. But then, who would have guessed Bluebeard would keep a bride alive long enough to have an heir?

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
This game is somewhat different in looks, but it is still clearly Bluebeard’s Castle that we arrive at, even if it is totally dilapidated. The intro shows us a marvellously clear image of ourselves, the unfortunate son of Bluebeard. This is followed by the complete backstory of Bluebeard and his curse, told in an almost graphic novel style. The graphics for the rest of the game are fantasy graphics – bold and colourful, surreal and a bit cartoony. It is not a bad choice, though I suppose many will criticise. But to me it was similar to the fantasy graphics in Nightmare Realm. In any case, they are clear and very high quality, whatever you think of the style.

The music in the intro is dramatic and arresting, but in the rest of the game so far, is eerie and non-intrusive, and in keeping with the first game, there are no voiceovers. One thing I do miss from the original is the rhyming hints. They added a little something different.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
You are having nightmares in which you are a monster, stealing the lives of innocent women. Your aunt is forced to tell you the truth about your father, and how she defeated him and saved your mother’s soul. (This is the character we played last time.) This has brought a curse down on the castle and on the heirs, who are all doomed to dying young. You must find the “dark heart”, which is the demon force of the curse, to save not only yourself, but also the castle inhabitants and the town below.

GAMEPLAY
There are more puzzles than HOPs so far in the demo. The puzzles are easy, with the exception of a couple with unhelpful instructions. But this is the beta, so hopefully they will be fixed. The HOPs are interactive lists, with a fair amount of interaction. You can click on an item in the list and see a silhouette of it on the side. The scenes are not animated, except for a specific item on the list which must be caught on the move. This fun and not hard. There are a lot of fun animated graphics outside the scenes to make up for their absence here.

Adventure gameplay is not too difficult, the journal is useful. The hint shows you what item you need next and where it is, but you must go to the map if you want to jump. And the map does not indicate active tasks, so the two must be used in tandem. The game moves a little slowly at this point, but the exploration of the old castle holds many little quests.

Surprisingly, there are only sparkles on HOPs and puzzles, but there is also no difficulty choice.

There is a game timer, and achievements based on the statistics collected. These are all based on the time it takes to complete puzzles, including HOPs. Each achievement is awarded on a different time range, so you get awards of one sort for doing a puzzle under 1 min, and another for under 3 mins. Etc.

COMBINED IMPACT
I really enjoyed myself, despite the somewhat old-fashioned style of the game, and it’s slightly cartoony feel. I hope to see this one released.

I recommend this game!

Try It Here!

by JustTheFacts Mon Feb 03, 2014 8:35 am

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Post n°53

Re: Beta Thread

by JustTheFacts Mon Feb 03, 2014 8:35 am

Bad Omen

Developer: Big Fish Games? Unknown.

Terrifying Beginnings****

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
This game starts off very differently. So far, there are no credits, the game just opens on the start page. (Even in the options, which shows a credits button, no credit is given.) This is followed by a full 2 minutes, yes I timed it, of intro video, very creepy, and undeniably attention-getting. Then we manage about 3 interactions before signing in and choosing one of three difficulty levels. Then another one full minute of video (which in this case is too long), before starting the game proper.

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
I am not entirely confident this game will live up to the brilliantly creepy opening moments. The problem is that in parts, like the first HOP scene, the colours are aggressively bright and at odds with the gloomy decrepit house we are exploring. For the most part though, those nasty little surprises keep on happening, you know, the ones that mean you have to leave the lights on. The quality of the graphics could have been better.

There are no voiceovers, and in this case I think that’s good. Voice would just be talking to ourselves in any case, and this way the atmosphere remains solitary and threatening. The music covers a wide variety of appropriate tracks and doesn’t get boring, which is an achievement. And of course, there are other noises in keeping with the mood .

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
That wonderful opening in the asylum is not what it appears to be – yet. But we do receive a strange letter from our sister, who disappeared 10 years ago, shortly after our mother died. When we go to the address given, it is a clearly abandoned house, which has obviously been left to rot years ago. Yet, someone gave this address as your sister’s, left out your sister’s doll, and lit candles. With a bit of effort, even the lights still work. And then there’s that very scary girl who keeps turning up. Is she a ghost? And there is some connection to both your sister and the asylum – you keep finding evidence of both all over the house! And who is Dahlia?

GAMEPLAY
This is a fairly standard HOPA, though very light on puzzles. Bit light on HOPs too, thinking about it. The HOPs are interactive lists with three colours of type. Black means the item is visible, red that some interaction must take place to get it, and grey if it is in one of the close up HOPs within the main scene. For added assistance, the colour changes from grey to black and back depending on where you are. Because I played this beta twice, I found out that the item list is random.

The couple of puzzles have been very easy, even by my standards. The game is really about the story. So wandering around the huge house with its many interlocking rooms is how you spend most of your time. You have a journal, nicely presented with story on the left page and the clues you find on the right. And there are a lot of clues. Although it’s still all very cryptic at the end of the demo.

The hint is directional, and the map, when you get it, is an interactive jump map and very handy. With so many rooms and so many things to do, finding active areas is a big help. There are 43 locations filled with all this busy work, and the end of the demo announces that we have played only 10% of it. Which I find a delightful idea!

COMBINED IMPACT
Despite its flaws, and even allowing that it may not be as scary as the opening scene suggests, I am really hoping they make this one. It’s story driven and that is my favourite kind of game.

I recommend this game!

Try It Here!

by Frodo Mon Feb 03, 2014 2:14 pm

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Post n°54

Re: Beta Thread

by Frodo Mon Feb 03, 2014 2:14 pm

Wonderful review JustTheFacts. Thanks for taking the time to write it. Smile

I also hope it gets made. It starts out very creepy (just how I like them Elk grin

), and I hope it continues like that.

by JustTheFacts Wed Feb 05, 2014 1:06 am

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Post n°55

Re: Beta Thread

by JustTheFacts Wed Feb 05, 2014 1:06 am

(Dark Romance: ) Vampire In Love
Collector’s Edition

Developer: Domini

Slow-Paced***

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
A wonderful narrative voice, stern and imposing, tells us the story of Dracula’s son, and his decision to become a part of the world of humans, and how he love in love. A winner already, for the many vampire fans out there.

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
The graphics are okay. The figures are very well drawn, as well as the HOPs, but there is a slightly cartoonish feel to it, and the definition is a little off somehow. The colours are dark in places, with a dominant grey and pink for the interface, softer than the reds normally associated with vampire games. But there is never any difficulty seeing.

The music is very appropriate to a vampire game. It has a brooding quality to it, with some interesting crescendos. The background sounds are both excellent at times and sometimes annoying. The narrator’s voice is perfect for the part, and the voice of the young girl you’ll meet is beautiful.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
The story opens with Emily in the crypt of Dracula’s castle, with a note revealing that Dracula intends to turn her into a vampire so that Enron will return to his family. Time to get out, before the sun sets! In her attempts to leave she is aided by a mysterious ghost-like figure of a young girl, Brenda, whose story we do not yet know.

Meanwhile, Enron is in Emily’s house, assessing the evidence of Emily’s kidnap and rightly reaching the conclusion that his father is to blame. He then heads off to the castle himself.

GAMEPLAY
You play both Emily and Enron, and you must switch from one to the other to progress. The adventure part of the game is very simple and is aided by directional hints and an interactive jump map that gives you available tasks. The diary keeps very good records of both the story and needed clues.

There are a lot of HOPs in this game. I spotted 6 in the demo, and they are visited twice. They are of the interactive list sort, and tend to have more items needing extra steps than most. If you prefer, you can switch to a simple Match-3 game. The items can be tricky to find and the interactions are not always obvious.

There are some great puzzles in this game. New ones. Some are of the kind that simply take a long time to complete, without being difficult. Some I couldn’t do at all. There are 3 levels of difficulty plus a custom option, in the easiest mode, skip is quick.

CE BLING!
Unlike most betas, this one actually lets you know what to expect from the extras section. There 15 wallpapers, mostly screenshots, 15 concept art, replayable HOPs and Puzzles. There are also quite a few achievements based on both skill and story, and 3 types of collectibles. Garlic is collected for buying improvements in the interface. I didn’t like these because they interfered with the HOP scenes. Hopefully, that will be fixed before release.

The second set of collectibles are bat statues. There are lots of them, and they are used for improvements on your castle. The final collectible there is only 15 of and can best be described as totems significant to vampire culture. They are things like bats and ravens, but also things like silver that is said to combat vampires. It will be interesting to see all of them.

COMBINED IMPACT
I like this game overall, but it is slow. There seems to be plenty to do, but it seems to take a lot of time to do it. For instance, we must find 3 pieces of gargoyle statues to cross the bridge. But a good 30 minutes after I picked up the first piece, I have not found a second. HOPs, too, seem to take longer than usual.

Assuming this is not fixed before release, I reluctantly give it only a 3. It really interferes with the enjoyment of the game, but not enough to ruin it.

Try It Here!

I recommend this game!

by JustTheFacts Wed Feb 05, 2014 12:58 pm

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Post n°56

Re: Beta Thread

by JustTheFacts Wed Feb 05, 2014 12:58 pm

Shiver 4: Siren
Collector’s Edition

Developer: Artogon

A Fresh Case Of The Shivers*****

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
At first it seems as if we are going to be something a little different for a Shiver game – female, and a victim. But no, we go on to become the man who rescues the victim and takes charge of solving the mystery.

The Shiver series has a reputation for genuinely chilling stories presented in a way that lends drama and eeriness in the game’s looks and feel. The demo of Siren seems to lose a little of that, and many fans of the series are likely to be disappointed. But it is an excellent game on its merits and we can hope the scariness increases in the main part of the game. Which it might, the siren herself is surely no Miss Congeniality.

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
The opening sequence bugs me. It should be quite dramatic, young girl chased by monster through the streets of town, but somehow it isn’t. The graphics are distracting because they seem of a lesser quality than I expected. Perhaps it is just the figure of the girl and her red hair that doesn’t feel right. In any case, thereafter the graphics, both in the cut scenes and in locations and close ups, are very well done, convincing, and suitably dreary.

The music is excellent. I love the piano. It has a vaguely ominous feel most of the time, with some very exciting and suspenseful moments. Some of it includes those no-words voices I never know what to call. The voiceovers are excellent. I especially like the officious nurse’s. Ambient noise is appropriate. And for the beginning at least, it is not actually raining. Although, everything looks wet and muddy outside.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
Young girls with red hair are being snatched by a monster in a town that used to have a problem with a siren they believed was carefully contained. Not anymore. The story opens with a girl running for her life against an unseen attacker, but switches quickly to the lead character, a newly fledged doctor just arrived in town for his first placement. Once he’s got his diary and map, he heads out of his appallingly dilapidated housing into the street.

Where he immediately sees the unconscious body of our girl and races her off to the hospital. There, he gets her a shot of adrenaline to bring her round, and she tells him that she must get to her childhood home immediately and that she will be safe there. So we vow to take her. Getting out of town is just the first hurdle.

GAMEPLAY
This is mostly a HOP adventure, but there are more puzzles than I remember from previous games in the series. The HOPs are interactive lists, with a progressive component and a mini-puzzle, so quite a bit interesting. There are also simple silhouettes. The puzzles are really good. And this coming from a person who normally barely tolerates them. There are, for example, two different and new to at least me, key-in-lock puzzles, and I could figure out both! And the others in the demo all had a new quality to them as well.

The puzzles have a new element, you can now choose to have the instructions open automatically or only of clicking the question mark. That should please the no pain no gain crowd. The journal is useful, the interactive jump map shows active tasks, and the hint is directional. In the easiest of 2 modes of difficulty (also available is a custom mode), skip takes 30 seconds.

There are nice touches too. Like, very early in the game, you have a choice of 3 doors, only one has what you need, but it doesn’t matter which door you choose first, it is always the same response. And for second and third. Cute little trick that makes the game more interesting than it would be if you happened to get the “right” door first.

Another new aspect in this game is the talking options. When interacting with the nurse and others, we are given a choice of responses, and the dialogue does change significantly depending on your choices. Enough for there to be an achievement relating to it.

CE BLING!
There is the usual range of CE extras. The achievements are performance and story based, as well as some unexpected and humorous ones. My favourite is the one you get for skipping the tutorial. Check it out for yourself. There are collectible pearls which can be used to improve that woebegone house you have been given, and it surely does need it. There are also aquarium supplies, which when clicked go immediately to your aquarium inside said house.

COMBINED IMPACT
With this game, the Shiver series gets a new fresh feel that’s a little less scary than previous games. (So far. I don’t like this home we’re taking her to though). Puzzles and gameplay are different, and the look is more lively than any of the other Shiver games. I think they may have gone too far with the flowers on the interface though. They should be something aquatic anyway, and there’s nothing at all creepy about them.

I recommend this game!

Try It Here!

Last edited by JustTheFacts on Wed Feb 05, 2014 3:47 pm; edited 2 times in total

by JustTheFacts Wed Feb 05, 2014 3:10 pm

JustTheFacts

JustTheFacts: Posts : 5142
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Post n°57

Re: Beta Thread

by JustTheFacts Wed Feb 05, 2014 3:10 pm

Dark Parables [6]: (Jack & The) Sky Kingdom
Collector’s Edition

Expected Release Date: Feb 2014
Developer: Blue Tea Games

If they’d just fix the graphics...****

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
At the start, my reaction was, “I’m through buying Dark Parable games, forgiving the low definition graphics because of the art and the story”. I mean, there really is no excuse. These are quality games in every way, with astonishingly beautiful art, how can they continue to justify this poor quality in their visuals? Well, I surely don’t know.

But soon into the game, I was again hooked by the story. The developer has a knack for combining elements of several different fairy tales or fables into one delightful adventure. So now, I’m thinking of relenting. Again.

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
Well, you’ve heard my rant against the graphics, which, it is important to note, remain as bad in the HOPs as everywhere else. There isn’t even a wide screen option, so everything is stretched and distorted. The music, on the other hand, is lovely and in keeping with the mood of the game. The voiceovers are excellent.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
As Fairy Tale Detective, you are once again called upon to investigate trouble in a fable-related context. The legendary Sky Kingdom has become visible, there have been bits of its island falling to earth, people are getting hurt. And there seems to be some kind of war going on. You hook up with Jack (move over Indiana Jones, this guy could be your stunt double), an adventurer who has actually been to the Sky Kingdom. In one of those touches I love about this series, Jack’s cottage contains reminders of all the previous Dark Parable games, and there’s a familiar face there.

GAMEPLAY
This is a FROG (fragmented hidden object game) that follows the formula of the earlier games. There are some great puzzles, and the adventure side of the game is very good – a little challenging, but not a struggle. But it is those FROG scenes that are famous. Beautifully crafted objets d’art are broken up and scattered throughout a scene, and you must put them back together. Again, better graphics would be so wonderful in these scenes.

There is a directional hint, and an interactive map, that does not allow you to jump. I don’t particularly like the map, which gives both objectives and areas of interest, because most of the time there are no areas of interest indicated on it. Yet obviously there is something somewhere that needs doing. So. I stick to hint. There is no journal.

There are 3 modes of difficulty, or you can choose to simply turn off sparkles on either HOPs or active areas.

CE BLING!
As with other Dark Parables games, the collectibles take the form of objects in the locations that make up a part of one of the fables used to construct the story. There are 4 per parable, and I think there are 5 parables. Other extras have not yet been indicated.

COMBINED IMPACT
It’s a good game. It could have been a great game. Still, for those who are playing on a laptop, this game will look magical!

I recommend this game!

by jessmom01 Wed Feb 05, 2014 3:59 pm

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Post n°58

Re: Beta Thread

by jessmom01 Wed Feb 05, 2014 3:59 pm

JTF, great review on the Shiver:Siren beta! Okay

by JustTheFacts Wed Feb 05, 2014 4:44 pm

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Post n°59

Re: Beta Thread

by JustTheFacts Wed Feb 05, 2014 4:44 pm

Thanks jess!

by JustTheFacts Thu Feb 06, 2014 11:46 am

JustTheFacts

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Post n°60

Re: Beta Thread

by JustTheFacts Thu Feb 06, 2014 11:46 am

Europe (an Mystery) [2]: (The) Face Of Envy
Collector’s Edition

Release Date: Feb 2014

Developer: Blam!

A One-Man Crime Wave****

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Delightful & unusual start to this game. Delightful for its excellent cut scene graphics. Unusual because it starts with a renaissance man preening before a mirror – hardly stirring stuff? No, but then things go downhill fast!

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
Lovely hand painted graphics. Excellent colour palette ranging from bold to subtle, light to dark. Everything clearly lit and wonderfully detailed. The music is awesome, authentic (to my uneducated ears) and melodic. The voiceovers are very good, but there is no lip sync.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
After your last case in Paris, you gained some notoriety, so it is not long before you hear from another policeman in need of your skills. Off to Rome for another mysterious series of crimes. This time someone is robbing nobles blind – literally, in one case. Not only does he rob his victims, he also leaves them suffering inexplicable ailments. Your investigation starts with the jeweler who has made all the pieces stolen so far. But you arrive too late to question him... and the masked villain gets away.

GAMEPLAY
This game has an interesting modification to some of its HOPs, which are mostly interactive lists. In the modified ones, every item listed is interactive! That’ll keep you busy! There are also at least one multiples HOP. I barely noticed the puzzles. There are not a lot of them, and those in the demo are easy enough for me to feel comfortable. There is a directional hint, notebook and interactive jump map. You can toggle the indicators for the map in the options menu, and choose from 3 modes of difficulty.

Signature feature. Like the first European Mystery, Scent Of Desire, this game has a unique mixing kit. In this case, it is a jewelry creation box. You must find certain ores or gems, collect and charge (with rays of sunlight) powerful crystals, then follow a blueprint to compose the item you wish to create. Actually more fun even than the alchemy box in Scent Of Desire.

Something to note. The inventory bar can be locked by clicking on the lion face in its centre. It had me believing there was no lock for a while.

CE BLING!
There are the sunlight rays mentioned to collect, along with 35 hidden masks, and a collection of journal notes. All 3 have related achievements. There is also an achievement for using a helper. This seems to be a beautiful ermine, but it’s possibly more than one. It’s not clear. There is no further information about the CE extras in this edition.

COMBINED IMPACT
I had a wonderful time playing this game. It is reasonably easy, so the expert crowd won’t like it, but for most of us, this is a great way to be entertained.

I recommend this game!

by JustTheFacts Fri Feb 07, 2014 1:59 pm

JustTheFacts

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Post n°61

Re: Beta Thread

by JustTheFacts Fri Feb 07, 2014 1:59 pm

Here are 3 F2P Betas if anyone is interested. I don't have the patience for them, so I won't be reviewing them myself.

Super City

Governor Of Poker: Texas Tycoon

Archie: Riverdale Rescue

Have fun!

by JustTheFacts Fri Feb 07, 2014 2:01 pm

JustTheFacts

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Post n°62

Re: Beta Thread

by JustTheFacts Fri Feb 07, 2014 2:01 pm

And 2 new additions to the 'front page' beta list

07/02

Mad Head Games

Cadenza: Death by Jazz BETA
www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/26063/cadenza-death-by-jazz-survey/index.html

Boomzap

Awakening: The Redleaf Forest BETA
www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/26064/awakening-redleaf-forest-survey/index.html

by JustTheFacts Sat Feb 08, 2014 12:21 pm

JustTheFacts

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Post n°63

Re: Beta Thread

by JustTheFacts Sat Feb 08, 2014 12:21 pm

Royal [2](Detective): Queen Of Shadows

Release Date: 2014
Developer: Elephant Games

Become The New Lord Of Statues!*****

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
It’s a good opening. Young girl running through the dark woods. Stops, stares, ”Mother!”, reaches for the woman she has been searching for for 5 years... and she is snatched away. This sequel to the fabulous Lord Of Statues promises to be as least as good.

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
I have run out of words to describe the awe-inspiring artwork we are seeing these days, especially from this developer. So I won’t try to say more than it is truly magnificent, as you’d expect, and there is no down side. The music is also breathtakingly lovely. In particular, one particular track with a piano lead that sounds like a love song waiting for lyrics. The background sounds are wonderful too. Voiceovers, superb.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
You don’t have to have played the first game of the Royal Detective series, Lord Of Statues, but the game assumes you have. You have received a cry for help from Princess, who you last saw in that game, then aged maybe 7 or 8 years old. It is 5 years later, and the teenager has finally found her mother, who has now been kidnapped. You meet her at a strange and magical city, and are greeted by a skull. He is the spirit of the city’s keeper, and your new hint.

Princess herself has a good grasp of magic these days, and a fair idea where her mother might have been taken, so you follow her lead. Then some.. thing... attacks her in the forest. This is shaping up to be a dangerous case. It is also a much darker story, where skeletons and war and evil magic abound.

Back story is delivered in mini-game format. The first requires you to paint (by code) an image. The second is a panorama-style game where you must get your hero from home to the castle past many obstacles. The third has you playing a series of align the parts of the image game – usually used to define star constellations. Each time you progress, another piece of the story is revealed.

GAMEPLAY
The gameplay is the familiar: HOPs searched by interactive list, and an array of puzzles both known and unknown, varying degrees of difficulty. There is no journal but there is an interactive jump map that gives you active tasks, and a hint system that tells you your next move and takes you there.

There are also some differences. For example, we get a fire dagger early on, which so far we’ve been able to keep. Likewise, we receive a magic book, and a magic gauntlet, both of which will be used many times during the game. (I believe, based on the evidence). We receive magic items that can gather hidden objects within the locations that have been previously indicated (I feel a ghostly presence here), but invisible. These mini-collections are small, 5-7 objects, and the vessel disappears once it’s been used. There is a significant amount of this sort of activity.

There are also 25 collectible “little dragons”. Other CE BLING! is not available in this version.

COMBINED IMPACT
Wonderful! Magical! Loved it! A worthy successor to Lord Of Statues.

I recommend this game!

Try It Here!

by Frodo Sat Feb 08, 2014 1:19 pm

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Post n°64

Re: Beta Thread

by Frodo Sat Feb 08, 2014 1:19 pm

Excited about this one. Big smile

Loved the first Lord Of Statues, and was looking forward to a sequel, to find out what happens next to little Princess. Smile

And the collectable dragons just adds so much more appeal! (for me, anyway, cos I like dragons Laugh

)

Thanks for review, JustTheFacts. I'm downloading the beta now. Okay

by RenaissanceMom Sat Feb 08, 2014 3:14 pm

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Post n°65

Re: Beta Thread

by RenaissanceMom Sat Feb 08, 2014 3:14 pm

Thanks for all these links!!! Often I prefer betas to whole games anyway (especially if they're full of HOs) and I will definitely try some of them. Happy bounce

Last edited by RenaissanceMom on Sat Feb 08, 2014 6:06 pm; edited 1 time in total

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