Them: The Summoning
2.5
5
4
4
Good for lovers of hidden objects
Them The Summoning is the 1st of a planned trilogy from Gamatic & AV Technology; I played the full hour demo & it was all H0 scenes & there was a mini-game of spot the difference.
The graphics were very crisp & bright; the artwork a little too colourful for my taste (sort of like a TV that has the colour turned up too high). The music changed depending on what scene you were in & suited the game.
There are an easy & standard mode of gameplay & you can also choose to play as male or female; I tried both & found no difference at all so it is just cosmetic. The game plays as widescreen, the hint recharges very quickly.
There is no voiceover & you can click through or skip the dialogue if you wish. After the second H0 scene you will get an inventory & a map (not interactive). There is a misclick penalty but you have to click very fast for it to come into play. You should click around the scene as items such as drawers, cushions will move to reveal hidden objects.
Some of the items are very small but as the graphic are so clear I was able to find all the objects. In each scene; there are 10 bonus items to collect to unlock the ?extras? & you are then able to replay unlocked H0 or mini games.
I did not buy as I prefer more adventure in my hidden object games but if you love your H0?s then this is a good one to play.
December 11, 2011
A Really Tough HO Game
Every aspect of this game is very professional. It's imaginative, original, fascinating. The ultimate HO challenge.
The artwork is exceptional, difficult and original. I can't believe it's possible to have such beautifully realistic HO scenes, clean and uncluttered (well, for a poor housekeeper it is), and yet be totally unable to find anything. The designers must have known what a challenge they were creating, because there's lots of (much needed) help, with a feature where a cursor hover moves obstacle like cushions out of the way, unpunished clicking, and a quick recharge on the hints. As well, if you wait long enough, unrequested hints will highlight items. Watch out for those hidden compartments and drawers though, you'll only find them when you click them.
The transition effects are cool, and there are a lot of scenes, but there is a lot of little loads. Near invisible 'Bonus' items in each scene unlock 'extras' reached from the main menu, but I'm not sure what to do with them.
The story is very good, but gets lost for most of the game because you are focussed so much on getting through each HO scene. There is very little adventure activity, and few puzzles. This is mostly a HO game.
Replay: This is essential for your self esteem. Never have I used the hint feature so much or felt so out of control, and I played the "easy' game! This is the reason I don't give it a 5. This game is not for the fainthearted. But if you enjoy a challenge, the fact that you know the story is not going to interfere with your repeatedly trying to better your performance.
Tips: Set aside some time for this one, once you start you won't want to stop - and bring your magnifier.
December 11, 2011
Not good
Unlike previous reviewers, I was not impressed with the graphics. Way too many objects crammed into HO scenes; some items are very, very small and that, combined with the grain-like quality and garrish colours, sent me to the hint button a little too often.
Sorry I can't comment much on the storyline because I don't pay too much attention to ANY storyline, and as for the music, I'm not much help there. By far, the best option of any game is the ability to turn off music and voices.
Mini-games were so-so, but nothing to get excited about - pretty common fare.
At best, the game is a time-waster until something better comes along.
April 7, 2012
Terrible game!
The game wants to be big game like x-box game or playstation 3 with drama story and confused style. Designer should make choice - hidden object game or big game. The style is very corny and gameplay badly designed. I do not recommend!
January 26, 2012