Fishdom: Harvest Splash

Posted by Ruff on November 2nd, 2009
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Fishdom: Harvest SplashAfter the release of Spooky Splash a few weeks back, Playrix once again releases a sequel to its award-winning Fishdom game. Fishdom: Harvest Splash features a farm-themed Fishdom game with all the things you enjoy about Fishdom in it. And yes, I did write Fishdom five times in this opening paragraph alone, so I guess let’s get on with the review before the count goes to six.

Fishdom goes way back since the first game without any story to back up any reason for you to create a fish tank from scratch. After starting the game, you will receive a welcoming screen that will introduce you to the theme of the game. And after creating your profile, you’re off to create an award-winning fish tank of your own.

If you played the original or Spooky Splash, Fishdom: Harvest Splash follows the same concept and gameplay that you don’t even need to go through the tutorial anymore and just dive straight into playing. However for others, basically the concept is to start your own aquarium and fill it with fishes, ornaments and comfort pieces to keep your marine organisms happy and content. In order to do this, you’ll need money, and that’s where the match 3 gaming comes into play.

Fishdom: Harvest SplashThe roots of the game is in match 3, and the points awarded to you after each puzzle corresponds to the amount of money you can use to purchase tank fillers. To clear each puzzle, just break all the tiles in the board by matching objects above them. As you can see, it’s a straightforward match 3, and all graphics and sounds are familiar from the past Fishdom games, so veterans of the series will still be comfortable with the gameplay and controls.

As always in the match 3 game, you’ll encounter the very same challenges of chained tiles you need to match until all chains are destroyed. Another challenge would be to maneuver through the different patterns of the game board, and many of the patterns are very amusing too, adding enjoyment while you play. And to offset this, you’ll also have in your arsenal the same power-ups seen for Spooky Splash. Try to use them wisely in the game especially the lighting that clears all same objects in the board.

Still, there are new things you can explore with Fishdom: Harvest Splash, and most of these are featured in the aquarium decorating part of the game. There are new fishes, new decors and of course new designs in aquarium equipment that goes with the farm theme of the game. Most of the special fishes are very expensive though, so meaning longer hours of playing time if you really want to make your aquarium specially designed.

What I enjoy most in the Fishdom series of games is the additional feature to make your tank a part of your computer screen saver through the screen saver function in the main menu. Aside from this, you can also take pictures of your tank as you progress through the game. This is something real-life avid tank keepers do, and you can do the same yourself, but with the extra farm theme featured for Fishdom: Harvest Splash.

Frankly, I suggest that if you’re still exploring Spooky Splash, it’s still not worth it to transfer to Harvest Splash for another round of the same gameplay routine. Don’t get me wrong though, it’s really worth the try, but if you’re thinking of value for money, it’s advisable to just stick to one Fishdom game and enjoy as much as you can.

Much the same, if you’re new to Fishdom, it’s much better to start with this one and savor every fun moment from it before switching to another Fishdom series of your choice.

Fishdom: Harvest Splash Download

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Elementals: The Magic Key

Posted by Ruff on October 18th, 2009
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (4 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Elementals: The Magic Key DownloadElementals: The Magic Key is a hidden object – adventure game that blends both puzzle and action into one casual game experience. Set in the fantasy world of Eiron, you play as a young wizard off to save his sister from the bad guys. And even with magic and wit by your side, it’s going to be one tough ride.

Albert is the name of the wizard in training and his trusty sidekick Fellian the Familiar is always there to give him advice. After his sister Lilian was kidnapped by the evil Sibelius, and the Key of Eiron shards scattered all around the world during the process, it’s now Albert’s task to gather all the shards back in order to prevent it falling into the hands of evil. Using magic, he has to crack witty puzzles and battle dangerous villains and of course, meet other friendly creatures along the way.

The main gameplay of Elementals: The Magic Key is hidden object, that is to say, you have to find what Albert instructs you to in order to move on with the story. There are no random objects though, since all items you need to find will be needed to crack puzzles and other hindrances throughout your adventure. And if you find yourself stuck, Fellian’s hint button will help you find those items without any trouble at all.

In each scene, you have to speak with other fantasy characters, interact with the surroundings using your gathered tools and cast spells. Many times, you’ll come across mind-numbing puzzles in order to move on with the adventure. This will engage a pop-up window where you will play the mini-game. Some of the puzzles are quite hard, so if you find yourself wanting to quit, just wait for the door-like icon to activate and skip the puzzle behind.

Elementals: The Magic Key DownloadThere’s a second gameplay involved in Elementals: The Magic Key – the battle mode against the enemies you encounter along the way. This involves a unique turn-based system set on a chess-like board with various elementals for you to move. The objective is to eliminate all of your enemy’s elementals by using your own elementals against them.

This part of the game needs great planning and strategy in order to clear since in later levels, your enemy will also gain the power-ups that you also use, which is really quite frustrating if you don’t think before you act. Just remember the basic mechanics – 3 of the same level and kind of elementals can combine to form a stronger one when lined up together. Stronger elementals have more life and greater destructive power, so try to make them as soon as possible.

Power-ups for the battle mode are gained by helping characters in the adventure mode. They are very helpful whenever in a pinch, so use them whenever possible to clear as many enemy elementals as you can. Power-ups are activated through elemental fusions you make, therefore involving more strategy in order for you to win each encounter.

Elementals: The Magic Key is made beautifully with all animation, backgrounds and design made as flawless as possible. Sounds and visuals join together to form a fantasy world you’ll enjoy playing in, making the game very hard to put down once you already start playing. And there are full of surprises and twists in the story too, comparable to the most popular casual adventure games in the market today.

The gameplay is very unique and the storyline drives the adventure unlike most hidden object games that involve random item hunting. The unique battle mode and puzzle mini-games are enjoyable to play and are repeatable through the Bonus feature in the main menu. All of these making Elementals: The Magic Key one of the best adventures I’ve seen this year.

Elementals: The Magic Key Download

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Fishdom: Spooky Splash

Posted by Ruff on October 11th, 2009
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Fishdom: Spooky Splash DownloadAfter I played the original game, Fishdom, I really knew that this aquarium simulation game should have a sequel that revolves around the gameplay elements of its predecessor. Now, with Fishdom: Spooky Splash, I get to experience firsthand how Fishdom evolved and what new things (if there are any) it can offer all of us puzzle gaming fans.

The simplicity of the objective is still there since all you got to do in this game is to build and design your own aquarium by filling it with fishes, decorations and other peripherals to make your fishes happy and comfortable. However, just as the name Fishdom: Spooky Splash suggests, you have to make your aquarium as spooky as it can get. Well, that’s one easy task since all of the decorations, aquarium fixtures and even some of the fishes are hair-raising enough to help you with your objective.

Still, the base gameplay of Fishdom: Spooky Splash is traditional match-3 puzzle action. Swap 3 or more pieces to eliminate them from the board, and earn points (converted to game money) in the process. Destroy all of the tiles by matching the pieces on them just like what was adapted by the original game, Fishdom. And yes, there are still chained pieces too, just to make the whole experience more challenging.

As for power-ups, there are a plenty, triggered by matching 5 or more pieces within one swap. The number of pieces you successfully match corresponds to the explosiveness of your power-up. 5 matches give you a Depth Bomb, 6 matches for Dynamite and 7 matches for a devastating Warhead. Other power-ups include the puny Firecracker and the most powerful of them all – Lightning, triggered by using 7 explosives within a game level.

Fishdom: Spooky Splash DownloadThe power-ups are not in any way making the game imbalanced. As a matter of fact in later levels, you are more likely doomed if you won’t be using them as wisely as possible. More challenging levels await you as you try to fill your tank more of those grueling decors. And as always, it’s a greater chance for you to earn money enough to purchase the most hideous fishes available for your tank.

Fishdom: Spooky Splash entirely feels like playing the original Fishdom game, which isn’t a bad thing, but not that good either. Honestly, I expected more – something that may be able to surprise me as a seasoned player of casual games. For this game, it came only after hours of playing, after buying the Spooky Fish and getting some of those frightening décor sets available on the last parts of the Beauty tab.

Other goals such as getting bronze, silver and gold trophies for your aquarium keep you from losing interest in getting through the levels. It’s much fun to see your fish tank get filled up with so many decorations but do keep in mind that you get the same empty aquarium look if you manage to buy a new one for $2000. So, what I suggest is to save game money and only buy those fishes and decorations that really pack a spooky punch.

Fishdom: Spooky Splash also introduces a screensaver feature you can activate and enjoy whenever your computer gets idle. And when you wish to document your aquarium progress, take pictures of your tank during the whole course of your adventure. These are the best features I enjoy most, just what I would expect from a Playrix game.

Fishdom: Spooky Splash is still an enjoyable ride just like its predecessor. If you enjoyed the original, you’ll definitely enjoy this one too. And with the added spooky elements, you have enough game time to even have your ideal tank ready for the coming Halloween.

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Fishdom: Spooky Splash Preview

Posted by Ruff on September 27th, 2009
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Fishdom has been very successful as a puzzle game over the years since Playrix first released the original. And through its sequel Fishdom H2O, it still retained the familiar action pace of match 3 and the excitement of building your own fish tanks from scratch. Now, what can Fishdom: Spooky Splash offer that goes beyond the last release? Well, by the end of September, we’re set to find that out for ourselves.

Build up your spooky Fishdom! Earn cash as you complete addictive tile-swapping levels and spend it to fix up your spooktacular tank. Create the eerie atmosphere of an underwater haunted house with witches, vampires and ghosts in your aquarium. Have fun taking care of quirky tropical fishies and adding boo-tiful accessories to the virtual aquarium of your dreams! Win trophies as you polish your aquarium design skills in this brrrilliant match-3 sequel to Fishdom™! Get splashed with Fishdom fun!

Features:

  • Spooky match-3 fun
  • Almost 200 boo-tiful fishies and accessories
  • Unlimited number of tanks to create and design
  • Endless replay value
  • Set up your aquarium as a screensaver
  • A spooktacular sequel to Fishdom™!

Screenshots:

Fishdom: Spooky Splash

Fishdom: Spooky Splash

Fishdom: Spooky Splash

Fishdom: Spooky Splash

Fishdom: Spooky Splash

Fishdom: Spooky Splash

Check it out soon at Playrix.

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Scratches Director’s Cut and Murder in the Abbey Preview

Posted by Ruff on September 21st, 2009
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scratches-directors-cutThere are two new digital downloads from Legacy Interactive and both of them has the term “eerie” in mind. Scratches Director’s Cut and Murder in the Abbey are two adventure games in the suspense department that are set to put shivers down your spine during play. Both are already available through retail in the past, and are now offered as digital downloads with added bonuses too.

Anyway, if you’re not familiar with the games yet, the following previews shows a highlight of what each game can offer for your gaming satisfaction.

Scratches Director’s Cut

An alternate ending and two additional hours of game play are included in this new chapter to the popular atmospheric mystery adventure game for the PC.  Brimming with eerie twists and terrifying surprises, the game is set in and around a solitary Victorian mansion that conceals a terrible secret…a long since forgotten story from the past emerges to haunt the present. The careful combination of inventory-based and deductive-style puzzles are integrated with a riveting storyline, non-linear game play, intricately detailed graphics, and an entrancing soundtrack that immerse the player in a haunting Gothic atmosphere.

murder-in-the-abbeyMurder in the Abbey

This game has monks, murder, and above all, suspense. An old abbey is the scene of a series of mysterious murders, and only one man can put a stop to the slaughter. Former Grand Inquisitor Leonardo and his assistant Bruno are sent by the Vatican to the isolated abbey to investigate the strange goings-on surrounding a carefully guarded secret. Yet, they’ve hardly arrived when their quest is overshadowed by an attempt on their lives.

Murder in the Abbey is a mystery of cinematic proportions whose suspense goes far beyond that of a conventional adventure game!

But don’t let these selling pitches dictate what you think of the game though. What I really suggest is to check it out at Legacy Games and see all screenshots and player reviews for more in-depth information.

Legacy Games

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