5 stars (Fantastic!) - If you're looking for a game to really make you think, Dark Fall is for you. It is delightfully creepy (the designer, if I remember correctly, is a former ghost-hunter, and the knowledge gained there is evident here) and has above-average graphics.
The game can occasionally be frustrating when you realize that the clue you need is going to make you backtrack, but for the most part, the puzzles are tough but solvable--a few require an extra leap of logic, which only makes it all the more satisfying when you figure it out.
And, finally, I highly recommend playing this game with another person. Not only does that make it more fun--you *will* get swept up into the plot, and it's great to have someone to talk about it with--but having two perspectives on a lot of the puzzles makes it a bit easier. I played through it with my boyfriend, and we're still wondering what happened with a few of the characters...
1 stars (Old School) - This game was so boring! I love adventure games and I was terribly disappointed with this one. I did not find this game to be scary in the slightest, in fact at some points I found the ghosts' voices to be annoying and humorous. All through the game I kept wondering what the relevance was in what the ghosts were saying and should I write down everything that I was reading...this game has a lot to read.
The graphics are not great, nothing spectacular. And the constant mouse swirl started to hurt my wrist! I love point and click games, but this was a tad obnoxious. Even the most obscure object/wall/door/etc. may be a clue and you just can't know until you click over it. I guess I prefer games that are a lot more straight forward and logical. I don't want to spend hours just swirling my mouse aimlessly around a particular scene in hopes of finding something.
I am a true adventure gamer and I have played a bunch of really amazing games. A few of my favorites are: Still Life (excellent!), Syberia 1 and 2, The Longest Journey, and Black Mirror. I think that those games have a lot more to offer. This game seemed old fashioned almost in the way that it was meant to be played. In my opinion this game is redundant and boring.
I also totally agree with what reviewer's Shannon and BJ"bbigham" had to say, and I wish that I had read their reviews before I bought this game.
2 stars (For really patient players only) - There are few games that are either good or bad -- whether you like a game will depend on your own personal preferences and personality.
I am NOT a patient person and therefore I like faster paced games that don't require wandering around for hours "painting the walls" with your cursor to look for hotspots.
And I don't like having to collect a bunch of cryptic clues in order to figure out the combination to a safe. That's why this game just didn't work for me.
And also, at my age (a bit older than most computer gamesters, I must admit) it takes more than eerie voices and ghost stories to create a truly spooky atmosphere. Okay, and I'll also admit that with my eyesight, games where everything is dark don't appeal to me at all!
I found the navigation a bit clunky, as well, with the worse "save" game system I've ever encountered.
All this doesn't mean it's a bad game or that you won't enjoy it. It obviously is a great game for those who like the slower paced, more cerebral puzzlers. But if you're like me and prefer to get on with the story (and interact with other characters -- besides disembodied voices), a game like Syberia or The Longest Journey might be more to your liking .....
"Granny Gamer" |
