I took a bit of a break from gaming for awhile. I found myself getting burned out. When I decided it was time to return, I found Mystery Legends: Sleepy Hollow waiting for me. The tale of Sleepy Hollow is one of my favorite stories so I was excited to see how a video game revolving around it would be. Luckily for me, it was pretty darn good. In the story mode, you try to solve the disappearances of a variety of townspeople. Clues that you find by searching through their houses and other areas will help you determine how they died. As I played the game, it wasn't too difficult yet it was challenging enough to keep my interest. Yes, there are some objects hidden in dark areas in the room but I think that will be the norm in these types of games now. Either way, if you like Sleepy Hollow, I think you'll enjoy this.
Game review: Westward III: Gold Rush
Last year, I played Westward II. Since I enjoyed it, I decided to give Westward III: Gold Rush a try. For some reason, this storyline didn't seem to progress as quickly as the second one did. It took a long time to get through the tutorial, much longer than it did before, and then the game seemed to just dump you. I spent a lot of time wandering around the borders trying to figure out where I was supposed to go next. (Well, 'next' in the storyline after the tutorial. The game sticks you in a new area and leaves you there.)
However, there were some interesting changes. Instead of just finding food laying around, you now have to hunt for it. You don't have to aim your gun like you did in Oregon Trail but it's still requires a bit more interaction from the player than just finding a bundle of food. Sadly, I did not make it far in the demo of the game. There is a possibility that it gets better later on but it's difficult to see how it will.
Game review: Scrapbook Paige
At first, Scrapbook Paige looked like a game that I could play with my daughter. Unfortunately, it is just a little bit too difficult for her. You play Paige, a woman that makes scrapbooks for other people. Your job is to find all of the little pieces that might be needed for the next scrapbook. Then you need to match stickers to their shapes in order to create the actual scrapbook. The scrapbook section of the game is pretty easy. It's the hidden object part that can be difficult. In each location, there are a number of drawers that hold various things that scrapbookers use - stamps, jewelry pieces, etc. You need to find the list of objects within those drawers and each location has one piece that needs a riddle to be solved before it can be found. It is an interesting concept but it was just a little too much.
Game review: Build-a-lot 3: Passport to Europe
A little over a year ago, I played my first Build-a-lot game and I absolutely loved it. In May of this year, I played the sequel and it was still extremely awesome. Recently, the second sequel, Build-a-lot 3: Passport to Europe debuted. And it is just as amazing as its predecessors. This time around, you are sent into Europe to help fix up a couple of communities in different countries. I don't know if I can remember all of the countries but I know you go to England, Italy and I think Portugal. The fun gameplay is still the same. There are a couple of new building types and upgrades for you. I do have to admit that some of the levels are very difficult but the game is so fun that it's more of a challenge to get past those levels as opposed to being frustrating. Even if you find yourself getting frustrated, if you walk away from the game for a little while, you can come back knowing that you'll figure out the puzzle eventually. I love these games!
Game review: Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst
The Mystery Case Files series is probably the best known hidden object game. A new MCF game has appeared - Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst. You return to the scene of the original game in order to solve more mysteries. While the hidden object aspect of the game hasn't changed any, there are new additions. This time, you carry certain objects in your inventory so you can use them to open puzzles in other locations. For example, in order to get a key out from under a cat, you need to find some cheese to give to a mouse so you can capture the mouse to give to the cat. In some ways, it can be fun. However, a lot of the puzzles are extremely difficult. I had a such a difficult time trying to open the sun/moon puzzle that I was unable to complete it before my trial period ran out. Since there was no way to skip that particular puzzle, it was frustrating. I liked trying to find the various objects needed to obtain other objects but some of the puzzles were just too difficult. If you can put up with those pieces, I think you'll enjoy the game a lot.
Game review: Cinema Tycoon 2: Movie Mania
A long time ago, I played the first Cinema Tycoon game. I tend to have a weakness for Tycoon games but this one was fairly boring. Basically, you are given a movie theater and you need to run it. You pick what movies will play, how much tickets cost, the type of advertising you'll use and even what you'll sell at the concession stand. The problem is that once the day started running, there wasn't anything for you to do. So you spent a lot of the time fast-forwarding through the day. Cinema Tycoon 2: Movie Mania isn't much different. You seem to spend a lot of time just picking out what movies to show and restocking the concession stand. The rest of the options don't seem particularly necessary. Definitely a boring game.
Game review: Road to Riches
Wanting to try something a bit different, I downloaded Road to Riches. You play John, a trucker who has been fired from his job. Instead of getting down in the dumps, he decides to open his own delivery company. Unfortunately, this is not a good time management game. It is difficult to figure out which shipments you need to pick up and which ones you should turn down. If you try to pick up all of them, you will frequently go into "overtime" and be penalized. It would be nice if there was a way to color the important deliveries one color and the unimportant ones a separate color. So, while this should be a fun game to play, it is not. It is just frustrating.
Game review: Cooking Dash
Everyone's favorite waitress, Flo, is back for yet another Dash game. This time it's Cooking Dash. At Flo's order, her chef has left the restaurant to further his career, leaving Flo and her grandmother to handle the shop. Grandmother handles making the sandwiches while Flo cooks food and serves the customers. This was a ton easier than the Diner Dash: Seasonal Snack Pack. As a matter of fact, this version is a lot like the original Diner Dash game but with better graphics. However, instead of just handling customers' orders, Flo also has to handle the grill and the fryer. Adding these jobs to her waitress job doesn't make completing her tasks impossible though. It's just another trip around the kitchen. If you like the Diner Dash series, I think you'd really like Cooking Dash as well.
Game review: Yard Sale Hidden Treasures: Sunnyville
Yard Sale Hidden Treasures: Sunnyville is an interesting hidden object game. Your character recently bought a new house and is in the process of fixing it up. In order to make it beautiful enough to feature on the cover of a magazine, you hit up the local yard sales to find a variety of treasures. While the hidden object parts of the game are pretty standard, the in-between pieces are where the game shines. At times, you will find broken but gorgeous pieces at a yard sale. You put these broken treasures back together in these in-between games. Everything from fixing a broken lamp to painting a chair can be found here. A great way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon.
Game review: The Great Chocolate Chase
About a year ago, I played a game called Chocolatier. While I didn't have fun at first, I quickly grew to enjoy the game. So I tried one of the sequels, The Great Chocolate Chase. Unfortunately, everything that was fun about the game was removed. Instead of flying around the world trying to find new chocolate recipes for your company, you are waiting on customers much like a Diner Dash game. (Though the visuals are more like Cake Mania.) From the first level, the game is way too difficult. It is almost impossible to keep up with the number of customers they throw at you. And since each order takes about three steps to make, it's difficult to make the chocolate the existing customers want while getting menus for new customers. Overall, it's a terrible game that isn't worth the time to try.