Reviews related to : Games

As part of the BlackLime games series of titles, The Great Unknown Houdini's Castle belongs to the Hidden Object genre.  The game is rated at being suitable for those aged 7 and older.  It is based on the efforts of an apprentice of the Great Houdini called Alan Whitehead who is trying to contact the world famous magician and escapologist.  Houdini had died 50 years earlier.  The reason for this unusual action will become clearer later in this review.

e-Funsoft has taken its Match-3 game offering, dusted it down with a selection of different tiles and background scenes, before placing it in a new story line environment.  The result of this make-over is this next game entitled Murder by Moonlight - Call of the Wolf.  Using the Match-3 game play as its central element, the game casts you in the role of a young woman named Carol.

Do you fancy ruling the world?  If so then you might be interested in the Spear of Destiny,  Regarded as the most powerful artefact in the world according to ancient legend, it is stated that whoever has possession of the Spear of Destiny can rule the world.  To help you understand the power of this device, Brave Giant Games have developed the Spear of Destiny - The Final Journey.

Published by Zariba Ltd., Bubble Zoo 2 has been categorised as a Match-3 game but I prefer to think of this title belonging to the Shooter genre.  By that I mean the type of game where you shoot objects at a travelling chain to reduce its size or even remove it completely.  You can achieve this by making sure the colour of the fired projectile is the same as that of the area it hits.

First the Table Top Bowling Game that does not need a huge amount of flat space to play it. It is 1.2metres long and 23cm wide and weights 294 grams. The flat laminated sheet is supplied rolled up in a box with the weighted pins and balls there are two weighted magnetic strips that go at either end of the sheet to keep it flat. The six pins are each 7cm centimeters tall with a small weight to help keep then standing.

Artifacts of the Past - Ancient Mysteries belongs to the Hidden Object genre of games.  This title, developed by Kranx, was originally published by Big Fish Games and is now available as part of the BlackLime catalogue of titles. Profiles ca be created so that different players can participate in solving the ancient mysteries on which this game is based.  You also have the usual options regarding the game's playing environment.

I have been looking at the Collector's Edition of Otherworld - Shades of Fall, a Boomzap developed game.  As usual with Collector's Edition offerings, this game comes with a number of bonus items to justify its status.  While features such as wallpaper, sound tracks, concept art and a Strategy Guide are available immediately; offerings to replay cut-scenes, replay mini games and an Epilogue are only available once encountered in the main game or when the game is completed.

Somewhere, maybe over the rainbow or not, is a kingdom envisaged by Shaman Games.  This kingdom, which is only accessible with the use of an airship, was inhabited by peaceful and happy residents.  Included among the residents was Sarah, a young girl at the opening of our story, and her father, the royal mechanic.  However the peaceful tranquillity of the kingdom was broken by the arrival of an invading force lead by the evil Lord Marcus.

While conducting one of my infrequent tidying up operation, I came across a hard drive which I had completely forgotten about.  This was an old external Seagate unit which I had used in the past to store games that I had become bored with at the time.  It certainly brought back memories in a few cases while several titles failed to stir even a glimmer of remembrance.

This game brings together elements of Match 3 game play, bartering, puzzle solving and spell casting.  These elements can all be required as you attempt to thwart the dastardly plans of an evil sorcerer.  You d need to be aware that this is a game that I first played over five years ago and I was returning for a second look at his challenge. The game, which can be played in either Adventure or Time Trial mode involves a limited variety of challenges.

 When Dark Omens make an appearance it is probably time to make a visit to the mystical world of Lumina.  Once there, in the company of two brave magicians named Tenebria and Alrik, you will need to make your way along a winding path as you attempt to restore the balance between light and shadow or good and evil.  This is the situation you are faced in Mystika 4 - Dark Omens when an invasion of evil creatures is looming and a power-hungry dragon approaches.

While you may be familiar with the story of Sleeping Beauty, this next tale relates a completely different set of events with its own slumbering lady.  In this case the sleeping character, who is the Princess Sophia, awakens after a century length repose in the comfort of her castle, she discovers that she is the only human around.  All the other humans seem to have disappeared.

Without any connection to the more recent removals of monuments, the VAST Studios developed Shattered Minds: Encore casts you in the role of a detective sent to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a series of famous monuments.  These landmarks included the Statute of Liberty, Coliseum and the Pyramids.

It all began when you received a letter from an old friend called Agatha.  In this letter she reveals that she is worried after discovering another of your old friends, called Hans, who you both though was dead, was in fact alive.  Feeling that the other residents of her home town of Mittenwald did not believe her, she was calling on you for help.  As Agatha and Hans were your two oldest friends, you set out to visit Mittenwald and see if you can help.

Last year I reviewed Witch Island 2.  As the "2" part of the game's title indicated, this was the follow-up offering to Witch Island.  Now there is a third title in this series.  Adopting the Star Wars concept of delivering prequels and sequels is an out-of-order sequence, this third release is entitled Witch Island Origin indicating it is set prior to the first two offerings. Developed by Itera Labs, Witch Island Origin is a  Hidden Object Adventure game.

No doubt you are probably familiar with the story of Goldilocks and her early encounters with members of the ursine family.  You might even have imagined what this inquisitive young lady could have got up to next and how the rest of her life was intertwined with those of the big brown family of bears.  Whether you have or not taken this route, this next game will reveal how 4 Friends Game have perceived "What Goldilocks did next" with their Hidden Object Adventure title.

Bringing the Weird Park saga to a conclusion is the appropriately entitled The Final Show.  Like the earlier offerings, this title is a Hidden Object Adventure game and is entirely self-contained so missing out on the first two parts of this trilogy should not spoil your enjoyment of this adventure game. Rather than just offer the player the challenge of the main game, Weird Park - The Final Show comes with a number of bonus items that could well appeal to you.

Developed by Iteria Laboratories, Detective Agency 3 - Ghost Painting is one of those titles that keeps drawing you back for another session of activity yet, when you finally get to its ending to solve its mystery, if one ever existed, you find yourself scratching your head and wondering what it was all about.  There is a story in there somewhere but, I have to confess, it left me confused and certainly bemused.