Reviews related to : Games

Taking you on a trip through Old London, this next title adds a range of features to the familiar Match-3 game play.
Developed by Kool Haus Games, Antique Shop – Lost Gems London is the follow up offering to the similar entitled Antique Shop – Lost Gems Egypt.  Fortunately no knowledge of the earlier title is required to play this latest offering which is based on a cursed historic London City built around this Match–3 offering as you find clues and solve mysteries on your archaeological journey.
Put your skills as a thief to good use as you attempt to thwart a secret cult intent on taking control.
Released as a combined effort from Playrix Games and Shaman Games is the Hidden Object Adventure game entitled Fall of the New Age.  I have been looking at the Collector’s Edition of the game which features a number of bonus items to which you gain access once the main game has been completed.  These bonus items include Concept Art, Wallpaper, Screensaver, Art, Music and Video.
Eden’s Quest: The Hunt for Akua is a treasure hunt dressed up as a puzzle game with just a smidgen of adventure game play to add some extra sparkle.
Eden’s Quest: The Hunt is set on an island that is divided into zones that need to be completed in the appropriate order.  In this game you are cast in the role of Eden Hunt who has recently received a Woman of the Year award for her discovery of a 2300 year old Egyptian tomb. On her return from this mission, Eden discovers that she has been invited to take part in a challenge to join a treasure hunt to find Akua and win the prize of $10,000,000.
Developed by BLAM! Games, Dangerous Game: Illusionist belongs to the Hidden Object Adventure genre. This game is available in Standard and Collector’s Edition versions. My review is based on the latter version which has a number of bonus items.
Dangerous Game: Illusionist’s title screen gives you the option to create profiles for those planning to play the game in your household.  A profile can contain a player’s individual progress plus the volume levels for sound effects, music and voice dialogue.  You can also decide whether to play in full screen mode with or without a custom cursor which changes shape to indicate when different actions are possible.  Four levels of difficulty are available.
Stepping back in time, you can visit 19th century Eastern Europe as you attempt to defeat the plans of an evil being called Mephisto.
While classified as a Hidden Object game, Exorcist does have its fair share of Adventure and Puzzle elements.  Developed by Intenium and Deep Shadow, this game casts you in the role of Garret Ghostfighter who lives up to his name by taking on the task of tackling and defeating ghosts in 19 century Eastern Europe.  In the case of this game, Garret’s main adversary is called Mephisto who appears to control several ghosts and has some hold over out hero.
With a choice of playing methods, this next game presents you with numerous Match-3 grids that need to be completed.
It is time to step into Wizard Land.  Developed by Rumbic Studio, this game belongs to the Match-3 genre with one or two extra items thrown in for good measure as you attempt to restore the status quo in Wizard Land. At one time this enchanted land, home to Wizards, Witches, Fairies and all manner of strange creatures was a happy place where magic rules and the mood of the inhabitants matched that of the gorgeous storybook style scenery.
After withstanding massive storms, the Elven tribe land on a lost island and start to make their new home.
Developed by FIVE-BN Games, Lost Island – Eternal Storm is a point-and-click adventure title with a strong element of puzzle solving and Hidden Object exploration action.  The game opens with a fairly dramatic, story-setting 3D sequence that can be cut short if you are in a hurry to get to the main action which is set in the location of the Lost Island of the product’s title.
Forget the popcorn and fun rides, a visit to the Carnival of this next title is more concerned with a missing mother.
When a lengthy opening animated sequence involves a mother, named Susan Jones, taking her young daughter into a carnival’s House of Horrors, you should have a good idea that any subsequent events will involve a force of evil and numerous problems.
While checking your heritage, you discover you are related to Lady Annabel and decide to investigate further.
Ominous Tales: The Forsaken Isle belongs to the popular genre of Hidden Object Adventure games.  As usual with games of this type, you can create profiles for those willing to accept the challenge of visiting an island some 30 miles off the coast of England.  I should point out that the locals call this location “The Forsaken Isle” and believe it to be the home of wolves, ghosts and other strange creatures.
Entering the world of Harmonia, you are set the task of rescuing family members from the forces of evil.
The Seawise Chronicles – Untamed Legacy is a game that belongs to the popular Hidden Object Adventure genre.  This game is set in the world of Harmonia which is a magical land inhabited by goblins and other bizarre and fascinating characters with some being friendly and others of the unfriendly type.  Your role in the game is that of a rather young looking 16-year old who is set the task of rescuing his sister and grandmother from the forces of evil.
With Kickstarter support, this next title takes you into a community that allows you to body hop between characters.
Thimbleweed Park is a mystery point-and-click adventure game.  This game has been developed by a team led by a trio of ex-Lucasfilm Games employees.  No doubt gamers of a certain age will have fond memories of titles such as Monkey Island, Manic Mansions and Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade featuring the work of Ron Gilbert, Gary Winnick and David Fox.  Now we have the latest offering to emerge from this hotbed of creative talent.
Reveries: Soul Collector belongs to the popular Hidden Object Adventure game genre
Developed by ERS Game Studios, Reveries: Soul Collector places you in the role of a princess who is shortly to be married to King Richard of Misty Island.  However before the marriage can take place, your fiancée is kidnapped by the Chaos Order.  It is up to you to set out on the task of rescuing the King so the marriage can take place.  This task will involve solving puzzles and playing an assortment of mini games and Hidden Object challenges.
You better watch out when ghosts come out to play as some are not particularly friendly.
Developed by GameMill Entertainment in conjunction with Sony Pictures and Scholastic is a game based on R. L. Stine's infamous Goosebumps book series.  In this game, which can be described as an adventure within an adventure, you are cast in the role of one of the schoolchildren living in a neighbourhood that has been overrun by monsters, such as werewolves and gnomes and the like (plus a white rabbit who likes to wear a top hat) who roam the environment threatening the local inhabitants.
As I was downloading the game of Gem Legend from the Gamehouse.com web site, I was expecting another session of Match-3 game play but I was in for a surprise.
Although the game of Gem Legend is classified as Match-3 on the host web site, it was based on a concept unlike those formats that I have come used to over many playing sessions.  Instead Gem Legend had more of a puzzle feel to it although it is based around a series of grids housing different coloured tiles which the program refers to as chips.
How are your horticultural skills? I ask merely to ascertain your suitability for the required role of the main character in the game of Jewel Match: Royale. As you might suppose from the game’s title, this particular offering from Suricate Software combines Match-3 game play with a royal theme that might be currently relevant as it involves a romantic encounter between a member of the established royal family and a commoner.
Your role in this game is that of the commoner, Matthew, the son of a gardener working for the Queen Meredith of Nerinia.  While growing up as a child, you are allowed to play with the Queen’s young daughter, Sofia.  As you grow into adolescence, the friendship between Matthew and Sofia grows into love but Matthew knew in his present circumstance that the Queen would never countenance a marriage with Sofia.
Developed by Lazy Turtle, The Far Kingdoms is a Hidden Object Adventure game set in a fairy tale type land with strange creatures and magic.
Your role in this game is that of Princess Arianna.  On your return from a long journey, that appears to have been unaccompanied and carried out on horseback, you find that you hardly recognise your kingdom as the Dark Witch Morgana has enslaved everybody under an evil spell.  Everybody, that is apart from your pet bird, Corvus, who takes on the task of acting as your chronicler as you set about saving your people in the game of The Far Kingdoms.
Glimmer is a Match-3 adventure game set in the land of Elithium. Developed by Gamestudio Ludomo, this offering takes an approach that is different from the many other types of Match-3 game play that I have encountered.
In this game of Glimmer, which includes options to turn off background music and sound effects by clicking on icons tucked away in the lower right corner of the title screen, gives you the option of taking on the role of either Myrana or Khar who are from the same small village and are childhood sweethearts.  As far as I could tell there appears to be no difference in the ability of the two characters other than in their appearance.
The arrival of a comet starts you off on an adventure to defeat an evil demon who threatens to take over the world.
In ancient times a dreadful demon came to our world and began to wreck havoc.  Druids, who had mastered the power of Avalon, tried to defeat the demon but with no success and many died.  Eventually the ArchDruid cast a dark spell to entomb the Demon in a cavern.  Here the demon would be forced to stay until a comet hid behind the moon and thus cause the sky to turn purple.  This state of affairs would result in the demon being set free thus allowing it to take over the world.
When deciding which environment to site a computer game, a house, especially one with numerous rooms in which different elements can be based, might seem to be an ideal location. However some care does need to be taken as the house might have plans of its own that could increase the level of difficulty. Take, for instance, the building at the centre of this next game entitled Cursed House.
While giving the outward appearance of being an old-fashioned but attractive historic dwelling, the central character of the game certainly earned its reputation of being cursed.  Ancient spirits had taken possession of the dwelling many years ago and settled in the establishments ten rooms.  Since this evil invasion, nobody had dared to enter the house.
Some mirrors return a reflection but then some attempt to draw you into a world where evil rules.
Following the success of Mirror Mysteries, GoGii has developed a follow up offering entitled Mirror Mysteries 2: Forgotten Kingdoms.  As with the original game, and obvious from its title, mirror do play a major part in this battle between good and evil which is conducted in a Hidden Object Adventure environment spread over worlds connected via portals. You are cast in the role of an investigator who has been hired to investigate the disappearance of Tommy Bryant.