Beta Thread

The latest Beta:

14/2 Didn't even have to snitch this one! Came directly to me!   

Dark Strokes: The Legend Of The Snow Kingdom Beta
http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/26094/dark-strokes-legend-snow-kingdom-survey/index.html

Another Dark Strokes?? Yay, can't wait!!

I played it, will review it soon. Not feeling in the mood for reviews right now. It's a nice game, at least as good as the other one, but it is more a fantasy styled one. And bloody snowy again! I'm over snowy games, and I haven't even seen a single snowflake in my life, let alone gone through all the nasty winter stuff those in the northern hemisphere have!

Dark Strokes [2](:The Legend Of The Snow Kingdom)
Collector’s Edition

Release Date:  2014
Developer: Alawar - Friday’s Games

Not Like The Last Dark Strokes****

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
This game is not even remotely like the first Dark Strokes game. I am having a hard time imagining any excuse for releasing it under this series title. It is nevertheless a well-made and enjoyable game, which at least is that much it has in common with the first game. The opening is excellent; exciting, intriguing, and the graphics are fantastic. This is a somewhat dark fantasy, with enough of the unusual about it to make it stand out among lesser games.

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
The graphics are great. Clear and detailed, with strong colours and excellent artwork. It is fairly dark for much of the demo, perhaps a little too much so for some. The animated cut-scenes are a delight, and the little touches are fun. Clicking around at anything interesting provided me with lots of gratuitous fun, as owls turned their heads, butterflies flew away, and rabbits escaped down their holes. The story is told in many ways – shadow plays, scrolls, and mini-games, all of which adds variety to the visual experience.

The sounds are turned up way too loud at first, and I felt assaulted by it before I could get to the options to turn it down. Even then, it is necessary to turn both the music and the effects tracks right down almost to mute to get it quiet enough to be comfortable. This a flaw I sincerely hope NOT to see in the final game when it is released. The voiceovers vary. The narrator’s voice is wonderful. I am of two minds about the heavy Southern US (?) accent of one of the other characters.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
You are a forester who rescues a beautiful young maiden from a seriously scary attacker with unknown intent, but black magic at his finger tips. She stays with you, brightening your life, until a hot air balloon drops a gift on the porch. Upon opening, the package freezes absolutely everything in your cabin, and assaults your girl – I’ll leave you to find out the results of that. In any case, it is clear you must follow the balloon to the city to find out how to undo what has been done, and to discover the mystery of the young girl’s past.

GAMEPLAY
The gameplay is a little different than your standard HOPA. Although it is primarily puzzles and HOPs, both of them are unusual in style. The 3 HOPs in the demo are an interactive search for pieces of an item you must assemble, a multiples of (musical instruments), again interactive, and a more traditional interactive word list. The mini-games/puzzles are unusual too. They include more than one panorama-style game, each of a different nature, a game in which you must choose the right path, on the go, to avoid obstacles. Another is one where you choose the way, hoping to avoid unseen obstacles. Many involve small amounts of easy assembly or construction work. As well, items in inventory can be combined, or changed by extra clicks. Sometimes they have other items inside them.

The hint is directional. The interactive jump map indications where actions are available, and you can choose from 3 difficulty levels. There is a shadow box that stays above hint and gives back story when the slides for it are found. And there are potions that stay with us and grant special powers.

There is a helper, and it is cute, also very useful. As well, there is a fair amount of interaction with other animals along the way. I really had a hard time with the other 'help' we got from the girl we saved - her inane assistance was driving me batty! It all fits into this story, but seems strange to have so much cute in a Dark Strokes game. Many who enjoyed the first game will probably be very disappointed with this one.

CE BLING!
Achievements and collectibles – 12 scrolls, 35 dreadfully easy to see snowflakes, and 10 ‘magic’ (morphing) items found in the HOPs. The rest, not given in the beta.

COMBINED IMPACT
This is a fine game, and I really enjoyed playing it – for what it is. Which is a darkish fantasy game with some unusual touches. Linking it with the first Dark Strokes, though, seems almost like false advertising.

I recommend this game!

Brilliant review, JustTheFacts.  Thanks for taking the time to write it.   

Thank you and you're welcome frodo   

Great Review !!!!  I will def have to check this one out.  I loved loved loved the first Dark Strokes.  I see you say it's nothing like it.  Hmmm wonder why they release games like that, same series title, totally different game.  But worth a trial.  Thanks as always

(Lost Lands:) Dark Overlord
Collector’s Edition

Release Date:  2014
Developer: 5-BN (no Alawar)

Doesn’t Quite Have What It Takes***

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The intro to this game, while realistic, is a bit lacklustre I think. I would have added extra drama up front. The game is a bit that way in general. I can’t put my finger on it, but it somehow doesn’t seem to involve or intrigue. It has the right ingredients, just no pizzazz, maybe?

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
The cut-scenes are well done, even if a little boring, and the graphics in general are good. A bit too dark, I would say. Nothing here to complain about though. The art is not bad, but not inspired. I do like the gnomes. Some of the animations are shoddy. At one stage we dig for something, and the movements of the shovelsful of dirt – terrible. The voiceovers are good, the music totally forgettable. And I don’t remember much in the way of ambient sound either. Which is a shame, perfect place for it – murky creepy swamp.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
A strange tree grabs your son Timmy when your back is turned, and drags him inside itself. You do the only thing you can, you let the tree swallow you up as well. You land, unharmed, in a totally unfamiliar place, and some shadow? is making off with your boy. You cannot immediately follow, because the bridge is broken, and in your efforts to solve that dilemma you save an owl being bullied by crows, and meet a helpful and knowledgeable gnome. Together the three of you must appease the Spirit of the Lake – something of a surprise there – in order to get out of the swamp.

GAMEPLAY
A couple of the nicer touches in this game first up. Something I’ve not seen before and wholeheartedly recommend to other developers, a fixed back arrow in the middle top of the inventory bar, so from anywhere or anything, backing out is simple. A splendid innovation! And a solution to all those games that frustrate us with the awkwardness of the back arrow. Another nice one, the dagger we get when we first arrive in the strange land we get to keep. And use frequently.

The game also has those other things we’d like to be able to take for granted. Lockable inventory bar, 3 levels of difficulty in which you can toggle specific features on/off, directional hint and interactive jump map that shows available tasks. If you wish, the map will also show you where the collectibles are, or you can toggle it to be indicated with the cursor within the game. A useful journal and a task list.

There are plenty of puzzles, all of them easy even for me, so very easy. None of them take very long and do not slow down the pace of play. There are only 2 HOPs in the demo – a progressive silhouettes game and a replace the items game. There is a reasonable amount of to and fro, and the adventure play is a large component of the game. It too is very easy, fairly obvious at all times.

CE BLING!
The presence of collectibles (8 or 9 each of snails, pine cones, skulls and gold chains) and a mention of achievements suggests this is a CE. I don’t think it cuts it as a CE myself. The graphics just aren’t that good, the gameplay just isn’t quite that interesting, the story isn’t all that involving. Personally, I would certainly be waiting for the SE before I bought.

I don’t recommend this game, if it is a CE!


Try It Here!

(Tales Untold:) The Curse Of Port Bridge
Collector’s Edition?

Release Date: 2014?
Developer: Unknown

Wonderful As An SE****

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Excellent intro with superb cinematic cut scenes and quality narration. I really liked how this game began. But from the start the story just doesn’t connect properly. Everything is just a little off somehow.

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
The graphics, particularly the cut scenes, are beautifully crafted and a delight to the eye, although perhaps a bit dark in places. There is plenty of life and colour, all the same, and the detail is good. HOP scenes are crystal clear, and surprisingly uncluttered. The voiceovers are good, The narrator’s at the beginning of the game is excellent. An attempt at lip sync works well enough. The music is nondescript. It’s not really music at all, just isolated, very gentle unobtrusive bars. It like it. The game could use some more distinctive ambient sounds.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
This is the game’s failing. While superficially, it is fairly straightforward, the story is a collection of disconnected parts that have at this time only the merest of hopes to be tied together. We are returning to our island home after an absence that has lasted since we were sent away to boarding school aged 5! Not for the usual reasons – dead and/or missing parents, but because the storms on the island made it unsafe to live there. But our parents continued to do so until your father’s recent disappearance. Now your mother wants you to come home. Now? When it is clearly MORE dangerous?

Then there is the story of your father’s previous adventures, the sole survivor of a ship that disappeared. The tugboat that brought in a deserted ship covered in salt. The salt that seems to be alive and taking over everything and everyone except you. The business with the magic shells. It’s all obviously connected somehow, but it is not until the very end of the demo that you get a glimpse of how that might be so.

GAMEPLAY
The game’s primary component is its adventure action. There is a lot of running around looking for lock parts, putting out fires, that sort of thing. All fun enough, but not integrated into the story. The puzzles are easy, says she who normally skips a lot, and there are a fair few of them too. Certainly more than the HOPs, which in the demo consist of one progressively interactive word list (find & use) and one standard interactive list, which is visited twice.

There is a journal I barely noticed, an interactive jump map that unfortunately only tells you where there is ‘something important’, i.e. unfinished objectives, not necessarily available for solving yet. The hint is directional, and often more help. We also have movie reels, done in the black and white silent style of newsreels of the time (1922). The inventory bar locks. There is (in the beta at least) NO choice of difficulty.

There is one unique feature, a collection of 4 magic shells, each of which gives you a special “water power”. So far, that has been the ability to evaporate water and the ability to freeze it.

CE BLING!
There are extras, achievements and collectibles, not specified at the moment, but one collectible is 25 posters (beachside posters of the era).

COMBINED IMPACT
Without a choice of difficulty levels, this game cannot qualify as a CE. I would also like to see the story tightened up before I’d want to hand over my money. Again, ... I can’t recommend it as is if it is a CE, but it is a fine SE.

I recommend this game!

Played the beta of Haunted Camp.  OK low budget game, but definitely is creepy.  Reminded me of that Sable Maze game with the summer camp.  Played with the lights out and I was creeped out  despite the pretty low quality of the game.  I liked it     The spooky storyline gets me every time.   

Cool! Must get to that one - still got over 30 betas to get through lol

Thank you so much for posting the links to the betas.  Sometimes I just need an hour or so of a game, not to delve into an entire game.  It's much appreciated.   

Thank you so much for these reviews Just.  They are so detailed and complete.  I also love the beta links as I, too, like to sometimes just play for awhile and be done with the game.

Glad to be of service, ma'am  

Here's the latest beta release, can't wait to check it out!

22/2

New York Mysteries: Secrets of the Mafia BETA
http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/26193/new-york-mysteries-secrets-of-mafia-survey/index.html

Dark Dimensions [4]: Somber Song
Collector’s Edition

Release Date: 2014
Developer: Daily Magic Games

Music Themed Delight*****

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Wonderful game. From the opening moments it is clear that this is going to be a first class sequel to the previously excellent 3 Dark Dimension games. There is drama and eeriness from the outset, and the intro looks so good! My only objection, it’s another freezing cold game! Hey devs, have pity on all those poor souls suffering an insufferable winter! I live in Australia, where we are having a drought, and even I’m sick of the sight of snow!

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
Gorgeous. The snow makes everything look so clean and bright! And the graphics are excellent. HOPs clear as a bell. What more can I say? The game is visually wonderful. The soundtracks are equally good. The voices in the cinematic cut-scenes are excellent. There are some great special effects (both sound and visual). The music ranges from ominous to scary. And there are a lot of frightening moments.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
A fire in the town’s music school took the lives of 7 children last year. Now, on the anniversary of the tragedy, there appears some mystical and deadly smoke throughout the town. A little girl comes to your hotel room for help, but the smoke grabs her and drags her away, her body flying through the air on seemingly nothing but smoke. Yes, this is the evidence we need to accept that another Dark Dimension has formed, this time around the small, musically inclined town of Seven Oaks.

GAMEPLAY
As with the previous Dark Dimension games, many of the puzzles in this game are too difficult for me, an intermediate player whose weakest point is puzzles. Still, there is more adventure action than puzzles, and so I love the game anyway. There are not a lot of HOPs, and each is a progressive word list. So, you must find an item, use it to find another, and so on until you get the inventory item. Each of the HOP scenes are visited twice, using the same search method.

There is a directional hint, and a video journal (no notes, just replayable videos from the game, some of which have useful information on them). The journal also has a tab for flashbacks. These are music sheet pages (10) that you must collect, in fragments (3 each), and they tell part of the backstory with simple cartoon drawings. The interactive jump map is good, and tells you where action is required. There are 3 levels of difficulty.

CE BLING!
The bling! doesn’t overly impress me so far. Just the ‘flashbacks’ and a button on the menu for trophies. We’ll see what’s on offer when the game is released.

COMBINED IMPACT
Excellent game. (It is the first beta I have played where I had nothing to suggest for improvements. Tough old bird, aren’t I?) It is really beautiful as well as fun.

I recommend this game!

Dark Dimensions 4: Somber Song
http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/25003/dark-dimensions-somber-song-survey/index.html

Riddles Of Fate: Into Oblivion
http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/25038/riddles-of-fate-into-oblivion-survey 


The 7 deadly sins are taking control of the townspeople, bringing the town to it's knees.  And it's up to you to save everyone. 

 

Latest beta:

Reflections of Life: Tree of Dreams BETA
www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/26248/reflections-of-life-tree-of-dreams-survey/index.html

A must try, and TY Just The Facts for the Beta link :  Nightmare Visions :  Dream Eater.  I think it needs a map that shows you where you still have tasks because if they don't put one in, there will be a lot of running back and forth and all over.  But, this one is creepy in its own way     Has a little creature who shows up who looks like the guy in the movie Leprechaun. I really enjoyed it. So ty again.  I got my fill of creepy today  

Isn't it funny. I had a brief look at that one and another one that turned out to be the same game, different name, and didn't like either, which is why I haven't got around to doing the review for it...

I just couldn't like that creepy critter or his victim. And that snake! I have no objections to snakes, seeing I am phobic about them, they seem the obvious choice to make my skin crawl - which is the purpose of D&E games, obviously. But that one didn't just creep me out, it made me feel positively ill, lol.

But I bet when I finally play it through the whole demo, I will like it. I don't know if I'm weird or that's the way of these kinds of things..

Glad you enjoyed.

The snake was positively gruesome.  I think they could have made the little creepy guy ... well, creepier?  He actually made me laugh basically because he looked like a little aggravated leprechaun.   Perhaps they'll fix him up a bit.    And yes, I do enjoy these brief stints into the trials.  So ty  

Not much new here - seems like everyone is putting the finishing touches on the games we first found. But:

Coming Soon:

Tales of Terror:House on the Hill

Hidden Object Adventure

Has that nasty F2P taste in the title though.

Stranger Than Fiction (: Ghosts Of Seattle)


Release Date:  2014?
Developer: Play Favorite Games

Great Potential, But The Pet Care!****

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Good start to this game. Exciting. Scary. Top quality production. And quickly we are caught up in the story.

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
The graphics are excellent, especially the cut-scenes, which are dramatic and volatile. The drawing of the many characters we meet is very good. The voiceovers are good, the music is a delight, it reminded me of the better lounge acts in casinos, relaxing and soothing without being zen. I did get sick of the rain, though. Of course, the game is set in Seattle, and I’m told that that’s what the weather is always like there. No wonder you can all give your total attention to game production at Big Fish, if that’s the way it is outside!

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
At first, I was terrified for the young woman attacked in the forest. Was that a Doberman leaping toward her throat?! The reality is not much comfort, but at least no one has actually been eaten – so far. The young lady has just inherited half of a very large estate, with the other half going to her sister. But not only has something awful happened to her, but her sister cannot be found either. Their aunt has called you in to find the girls and unravel the mystery of the ghost dog that has been terrorising the city. An equally intimidating humanoid ghost follows us about as well. But... something is just not what it seems here...

GAMEPLAY
This is a very busy game. There is much of all sorts of activities to do in every location. The HOPs are interactive lists, progressive silhouettes and FROGs (fragmented objects) so far. They are not repeated. The puzzles are a good mix, with some interesting new ones. Played on the easiest of 3 difficulty levels, skip is quick, and hint is almost instant. The hint outside HOP scenes offers a teleport to the next needed action. The interactive jump map keeps track of current objectives (not available actions), plus indicates completed scenes.

The journal is more of an evidence file. As well as listing objectives, certain inventory items are inserted and arranged according to the information they provide – victim, motive etc. These items when clicked will replay relevant videos.  

CUTE COMPANION GAMEPLAY
This new category of gameplay is necessary because the cute companion (yes, sorry, it really is very cute) and it activities are almost a second game running parallel to the ‘real’ game. Not only do we rescue this little fella, we name it, and then proceed to become its slave.

We have a mood indicator which kindly informs us when the little beast wants to eat, drink, play, rest or bathe. We must accumulate cash and gems to pay for all this entertainment from collecting morphing coin purses, and using this wealth to buy appropriate objects from the shop. The mood indicator will only improve as long as we manage to do this regularly.

Then, when we have a suitably happy lemur, we can train it to do tricks, to be performed in the circus. Where it earns its own money, to buy more circus equipment, props and outfits, and more essentials. Our lemur is an ambitious sort, so we are going to be supporting it on its journey to “Circus Star”!

CE BLING!
There are plenty of achievements, plus the usual gallery items, bonus chapter, SG, and those collectible morphing purses. But the reality is, the Bling! is in the Companion Game.

COMBINED IMPACT
I don’t mind cute companions, although I think we could use a break from them for a while. But this may be overkill, even for me. Unless we can treat it as a parallel game, I think it interferes far too much into the main story. This game has all the potential: good story, looks good - I love the dog!!! - sounds good, gameplay is varied and coherent. I look forward to the final product.

Try It Here!

Bridge To Another World: Burnt Dreams


Release Date: ? 2014
Developer: 4 Friends Games

Dark Fantasy – Imaginative Critter Sightings!***

BASED ON BETA

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
From the start this game pulls at the heart strings. Our adorably cute little brother is sketching fairies, when an evil mist grabs him and takes him away. The intro graphics are great, and the tension and sense of adventure is immediate. You also get a good taste, even in those few minutes, of what the game will be like. There are large dollops of both cute and creepy right from the start.

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
The graphics are excellent. Darkish, but still easily seen, nice artwork, and imaginative rendering of the many critters and creations in the world of the mist. The sounds are also good. I enjoyed the early voiceovers, but they do not extend much past the introduction. They crop up again near the end of the demo. For cinematic effect. The ambient noise is good too, although dominated by the ceaseless rain. I also liked the music.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
It’s 20 years since Bro was dragged into the mist, and you now work on solving inexplicable phenomena, while you await your chance to enter the mist. Yes, it was long ago, but if you can just find a way in, maybe you can save him from whatever fate has kept him away for so long. The time comes, the omens and augers or whatever say that now is the time to enter the mist’s world. With the help of a fairy and a scientist, you finally get inside. There you meet many cute critters, and a lot of not-so-cute creatures. There are also 21 more critters hiding (morphing) in the mist, if you can find them.

In the mist world, ‘drawings burnt in the mist become real’. And it is for his artistic talent that your brother has been imprisoned and enslaved in this world. Obviously, you must rescue him. But how?

GAMEPLAY
There is a good mix of HOPs, puzzles and adventure gameplay. The HOPs are interactive lists, or progressive silhouettes. The puzzles are original and charming, and not really difficult. There is also a journal with objectives, notes and replayable movies with any clues on them.
I had no problems getting around and figuring out what to do next, but I did have the benefit of an interactive jump map that indicates available tasks (on lowest of 3 difficulty levels plus a custom level). The map shows 5 localities, and the demo covered only the first, which is a promising indicator of a long game – hopefully!

An added feature is a cardboard-like picture tube where rolled up pictures are carried. You find pieces of the drawings that make up the world around you, and piece them together using jigsaw-like puzzles. At which point you can burn them to replace the twisted image/creation with the original. A feature I kinda like, just for the info it provides, is a game timer. Not a timed game, you understand, just a keeping track of how long it takes to play the game.

CE BLING!
As mentioned, there are 21 morphing creatures hiding in the mist. There are also a large number of achievements, both performance and story based. The rest is unknown so far.

COMBINED IMPACT
Quite a pleasant game. Dark, combined with so much cuteness, may not appeal to everyone. And I don’t think it’s an award-winning production, but it is an enjoyable and involving game – and I love the critters!

Try It Here!

12/3

The Other Side: Tower of Souls BETA - www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/26339/the-other-side-tower-of-souls-survey/index.html

Lost Fables 2: Enchanted Books BETA - www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/26340/lost-fables-enchanted-books-survey/index.html

Phenomenon 3: Outcome BETA - www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/26341/phenomenon-outcome-survey/index.html

Secrets of the Dark 4: The Flower of Shadow BETA - www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/26344/secrets-of-the-dark-4-survey/index.html


Boy! We have some beauties there! Can't wait to see the final episode of Phenomenon! And LOVED Enchanted Paintings.