Several days ago, this game wasn’t even on my radar. Now, having played the absolutely delightful demo, I’m ready to predict this European adventure will be one of the best we’ll experience in 2009. Indeed, see Adventure-Archiv for very positive German reviews.
Has it really been nine years? My, we’ve missed you, Alice. One of my favorite games after the turn of this new century was American McGee’s Alice. His bizzare interpretation of the classic tale was colorful, inventive and frightening! I still have a little Alice doll, with cat “friend,” sometimes used to scare the grandkids. One of the key lines from McGee’s Alice: “How do you know I’m mad?,” was felt by some to be …
Dorothy, you’re really not in Kansas now! Dave Gilbert is one of our most intelligent and creative independent game developers. His work includes Shivah, which brought him instant recognition, as well as Blackwell Legacy and Blackwell Unbound, both reviewed here. His themes are often dark, yet also include satisfying humor. Dave’s mysteries emphasize story, writing, and character development. Puzzles are logical and driven by the context. So, it’s with delight that we not only see the …
Dream Chronicles, Ghost In The Sheet, East Side Story and more for “free!” I was planning on trading for Ghost, when the prospective tradee indicated she had loaned out the game. Instead, she helpfully suggested, why don’t you check out MostFun.com, an interesting site with over 300 games in its catalogue. There you can download and play FULL versions of games for FREE. The catch – ads. During the brief download, preceeding each game and …
Here are the highlights from the Sunday ads, GoGamer and GameStop for this week: BEST BUY – Age of Conan (PC) – $19.99; Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Maria (PC) – $19.99; Saint’s Row 2 (XBox 360 & PS3) – $34.99; Silent Hill: Homecoming (XBox 360 & PS3) – $39.99 GAMESTOP PRICE DROPS – Two Worlds Epic Edition (PC) – $14.99; Sinking Island (PC) – $19.99; Nostradamus: The Last Prophecy (PC) – $19.99; Word Jong …
This was a fine year for Adventure games, with these five titles being, in order, the best of the two dozen I’ve owned and played: The Colour of Murder Diamonds In The Rough Professor Layton and the Curious Village The Lost Crown Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches Check below for comments and the complete listing.
Review by Old Rooster Everlight: Of Magic And Power Developer: The Games Company Publisher: The Adventure Company Released: October, 2008 Available for: Windows XP/Vista (System Specs Below) Verdict: 4/5 Thumbs Up “Grandpa, What Is A ‘Dom-i-na-trix’?” My 3rd grade grandson has great reading skills, including an interest in new words to embellish his rich vocabulary. Unfortunately, one day he happened to be looking over my shoulder at the gorgeous fairy tale setting presented in Everlight …
Review by Old Rooster Murder In The Abbey Developer: Crimson Cow Publisher: The Adventure Company Released: August, 2008 Available for: Windows (System Specs Below) Verdict: 4/5 Thumbs Up Murder In The Abbey (aka The Abbey in Europe) proves to be a delightful, pleasantly surprising medieval mystery featuring colorful graphics, stiring music and excellent voice acting. Only a few rough edges and some discordancy between cartoonish visuals and serious storyline keep it from our coveted …
Review by Old Rooster The Colour Of Murder Developer: MDNA Games Publisher: Merscom Released: October 29, 2008 Available for Windows (System Specs Below) Verdict: 5/5 Gold Star! “The fifth Carol Reed mystery continues the unusual, intricate and suspenseful story telling of one of our finest independent adventure game developers. Moreover, this time the Nyqvists have also incorporated one of the best progressive hint systems yet seen. We’re pleased to award a Gold Star to this …
Review by Old Rooster Outcry Developer: Phantomery Studios Publisher: The Adventure Company Released: September, 2008 Available for Windows (System Specifications Below) Verdict : 3/5 Middlin’ “With intriguing visuals and lovely musical score, Outcry will involve you in its mysterious and, ultimately, psychological storyline. Unfortunately, excessive verbiage as well as the insertion of odd and often difficult puzzles for their own sake brings the final score of this short game down to a 60% range.”
Review by Old Rooster Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches Developer: Arberth Studios Publisher: Got Game Entertainment Released: October, 2008 Available for Windows (System Specs Below) Verdict: 4/5 Thumbs Up “I Am 15 Years Old. Will I See 16?” – Rhiannon’s Diary Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches is an unusual, beautifully written game that offers an entertaining, challenging visit to the folklore and legends of Wales. With only a few rough edges, Arberth …
Review by Old Rooster Developer White Birds Productions Publisher Got Game Entertainment Released October 2008 Available for Windows (system specs below) Verdict:3/5 Middlin’ “Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals is a disappointing adventure game adaptation of the works of Enki Bilal, famed French graphic novelist. Stunningly detailed graphics and atmosphere do not compensate for the obscure, linear storyline cluttered with Rhem-like puzzles. At under 10 hours playing time, this strange game earns only a “masks” rating, …
“Revenge Beyond Death; Truth Beyond Legend” Welsh development company, Aberth Studios, offers an impressive first effort with a “haunted farmhouse” traditional point-and-click adventure. Although there are some rough edges, the solid story and interesting puzzles make this visit to Wales worthy of your consideration.
Review by Old Rooster Diamonds in the Rough Developer Atropos Studios Publisher Atropos Studios Released March 2008 Available for Windows Verdict: 5/5 Gold Star “Wow! On at least three occasions during the course of playing Diamonds in the Rough, I uttered this expletive. Really. Seriously. And you will too. That’s a promise.”
Review by Old Rooster The Experiment (AKA Experience 112) Developer Lexis Numerique Publisher The Adventure Company Released February 2008 Available for Windows Verdict: 4/5 Thumbs Up “The Experiment lives up to its name by offering a very different, shall we say, “experimental,” twist on how to play and progress in a game. Managing a primary character from a control room by turning on lights and flipping switches is unique. But is it effective and fun?”