The Agency of Anomalies: The Last Performance Collector's Edition
4.5
5
61
61
An enjoyable game
There are so many of these sorts of games out at the moment that some are starting to blur into others - and unfortunately this is one of them. They are fun to play, but once finished it gets somewhat forgotten.
Graphics are well done and caters for widescreen.
Standard hidden object games, plus a few silhouette ones as well. I had no trouble finding any objects.
Basic achievements earned along the way, and bonus 'record' to find in each scene.
Strategy guide was easy to use, but I only needed it a couple of times. I never used the hint button.
Puzzle games were generally easy, although rather than each one being different, they were done in sets which was a little repetitious.
Storyline could have done with an overhaul. I was confused at the beginning as to what was going on, but still had no trouble working out who the 'bad-guy' was. Left me slightly disinterested.
Bonus game followed on from main storyline, but wasnt essential to it.
Both main and bonus games were passable lengths.
If it came to CE versus SE, I think i would still get the CE - more for the strategy guide than the bonus chapter.
October 3, 2012
Best in the series!
I've played all of the Agency of Anomalies games, and this one by far is my favorite, though they are all good. I got this on a deal (all Orneon games were half-off) and was thoroughly pleased with my purchase.
In this story you are again an agent trying to help some theater performers, and as always with this series you will be able to gain some abilities as you go. I really liked the story and felt the game flowed quite nicely. Of the 3 levels offered I went with the middle choice as there is no chance I'll play without a hint system though I didn't really use it much. Still, it's nice to know that it's there even though as a CE the SG is always available :)
The visuals were pretty good and sound was good. There were VO, which I liked, especially since the voice actors weren't too bad. Not the best, but definitely not bad. I really liked that the HOS varied. In some you might get a list, others silhouettes, and still others you would have to place objects where they belong. None of the HOS were horribly difficult, but they were not so easy as to be boring.
There were a lot of games.....a lot. I remember using the SG for a couple, but I didn't skip any. As with most CE you can earn achievements throughout the game. My favorite was collecting the 31 records. I personally think that adding objectives like that to a game only makes it better. I've played these games for so long that it's hard to see originality anymore, but embarking on a secondary quest to collect things throughout the game adds another layer of play for me.
This was a fairly long game. I think I got about 7 or 8 hours of play, so you do get your money's worth.
Now for what I didn't like and what you may not like. There is no map, just a journal. That didn't really bother me, but I know many players like maps, so I'm just giving the heads up. There is a lot of backtracking, which again didn't really bother me because that's how most of these games are, but a lot of players don't like that. The one thing I really didn't care for ironically was the bonus features. In the bonus game I couldn't really follow the story too much because I had to keep repeating the same puzzle...over....and over...and over. It got old to the say the least. You'd solve a puzzle, only to find out that you had to go collect some more stuff so you could solve it a 2nd time. In some cases there was a 3rd time. I'm not sure what the devs were thinking, but that was just overkill if you ask me. I still think the game deserves 5 stars because if this had been a SE there would have no bonus features to aggravate anyone lol.
I'm definitely recommending this game because it was really well done and has replay value!!
October 2, 2012
TOO MUCH JUMPING FROM LOCATION TO LOCATION
Along with the previous Anomalies game, Mystic Hospital, this one was no better. Cinderstone Orphanage was the best of the three. Again, in this case, the sequels are not always as good as the original. The storyline was about the paranormal which is a subject I enjoy. The VOs were good but it lacked in animation. Going from location to location was tedious. The hint button, which refilled quickly, was my guide to getting from place to place. HOs were repeated to look for different items. Mini games and puzzles were also tedious and difficult so I skipped them. Was happy when the game finally ended.
September 27, 2012
A Good Play!
Despite not really enjoying previous AoA games, I really liked this one.
Good Parts:
Favourite part of the game would have to be the Hidden Object Scenes. I really liked these, they were a great challenge and fun to play.
At first I didn't really get the storyline, but after a while I really enjoyed it.
Great graphics, they are very clear and well designed, almost realistic.
The hint and skip buttons recharged very fast.
Built in strategy guide was included, but I prefered to use the hint.
I did like the use of an amulet in this game.
OK Parts:
There was a bit of going back and forth in the game, but I didn't mind.
At times I was stuck in the game.
Bad Parts:
The puzzles are stupid. I didn't like them at all. They were too hard and a waste of time.
That was pretty much the one and only bad thing in this game. I thouroughly enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone!
October 10, 2012
Another hit!
I enjoyed this game as much as the other two games in this series. The only complaint I have is that the HO scenes are very cluttered. Aside from that, I like games that allow me to earn awards and find secret items. Five stars for me!
September 14, 2012
Makes you think to solve puzzles!
Well, darn, what a great offer today...I already have the other two Anomalies games and really liked them. This one did not disappoint either. I was drawn in from the very beginning.
Excellent graphics, music and game play. Nice SG, interesting and fun games. Nice HOGs. I really like the fact that the chapters are all listed, so you can get an idea of how long the game may be. I had 14 minutes left on my demo when the game ended, so I know I have a few more hours of play. Looks to be a nice long game. Definite buy for me, which I already did.
Thanks for the reviews.
September 13, 2012
Way too much walking back and forth
I took a break from gaming and now I know why.It is all this walking to and fro that makes the game longer and not the gameplay itself.Why can't you find what you need in one area,complete it, and then move on to a new sceen..I simply cannot give it a better rating because of this.The graphics are well done but not worth my time.Sorry I bought this one.
March 17, 2013
One of the best games!
The only con to this game is having to go back and forth so many times, but on the whole a very enjoyable game. Glad I purchased this one. I purchase many games because I don't have time to finish a game in one sitting. This way I can play when I have a half hour or so to play. Anyway, don't hesitate to get this one, you won't be disappointed at all. The ho's and other puzzles were not horribly difficult but enough of a challenge to make them fun.
March 11, 2013
Great but hated bonus game puzzles...
I loved everything about this game and had planned on a 5 star rating due to the originality of the puzzles and just the game in general, HOWEVER the bonus game was so terrible in my opinion that I never finished that aspect of the game. I had played with no skips or hints which I always do with a strategy guide because if you get stuck there's help and in the bonus game it stayed the same HOWEVER the bonus game puzzles were all the same like doing the same concept over and over and over. And the game it was, was impossible to do even with a strategy guide because it was so tedious that I decided to not finish it completely which is fine because there is an actual ending in the game itself. SOO long story short, 5 stars for the standard, 4 for the CE because of the bonus game.
I love the fact this developer has the items to put back in the scene, my only wish would be to add those kinds of scenes to the bonus game as well. Kudos.
December 9, 2012
Excellent !!!
This game was excellent. I wish there were more like this available for Mac. Great length. Loved it!!
September 25, 2012