Shadow Wolf Mysteries: Cursed Wedding Collector's Edition
3.8
5
72
72
Very Disappointed!
The Big Bad Wolf is back but this time he should have stayed in the dog house. This next installment from one of my favorite developers leaves me baffeled at how much this game does not meet the standards I expect from a CE game or from these developers. I own all the previous Shadow Wolf Mysteries and naturally my expectations were high. Unfortuately I felt very let down with the entire game, starting with a very weak plot. The story picks up where we left off; our little girl has grown up and is getting married. Unfortunately the wedding gets postponed due to the arrival of Mephistus, the Werewolf who is stalking our bride. Our mission as Detective is to stop him from harming our heroine and uncover his identity. My disappointment begins with the graphics which at times were hazy and dull looking. While some scenes were crisp and sharp, some resembled washed out painted canvases with no life in them. Although voice-overs were well done and in sync; the characters were without much animation. The music was on a loop and there were no environmental sounds to enhance the gameplay. There are three levels of difficulty to choose from and game features include a notebook and a hint/skip button; unfortunately no map so there is alot of back-tracking. Cursed Wedding is your basic HOPA without any of the extras to make it interesting. There are crowded HO scenes that were junk-piled and slightly interactive as well as graphics being a bit blurred. Game-play involved alot of clicking around, collecting inventory objects and solving the odd mini-games that were way too simple to play. After having completed the demo well within the hour, I felt extremely let down. Not only was I unable to emmerse myself into the characters or the story, I felt that the game was just too lacking in any form of challenge to even bother to continue. I expect begginers may enjoy this but to be honest, I think you would be better off to wait for the Standard Edition for this game. Soooo Disappointed with this wolf whose growl is far worse than his bite.
October 18, 2012
More of a puzzler than HO
Mephistus, the warewolf, is seeking revenge on Veronica.
Warning, snarling dog graphics are very well drawn and could startle some.
Options: Music, sound, voice, custom cursor and maintain aspect ratio.
Playmode: Casual, advanced and Hard.
2 Chapter integrated strategy guide in the demo version, a journal, but no map.
Cute feature: You can play with a kitten while you are considering your next move.
I encountered 2 hidden objects scenes of the same area, and a third of a different area during the demo. Items were large and fairly easy to find.
Mini-games were abundant in the demo:
Keep the swallow away from a hawk while you build a nest.
Swap peacock feathers.
Dress the manequins to match a painting.
Swap statue layers to create 3 correct statues.
Move buttons to create logical rows and columns
Place darts to win a dart game.
Slider puzzle (move cars out of parking lot type)
Circular mozaic
None of the games were difficult.
Music was calming and somewhat repetetive.
Overall, I have to agree that the game was good, but a bit hazy in areas. Puzzles were easy, but fun with a few new ones thrown in there. I enjoyed my hour demo, but may wait for the standard edition.
October 18, 2012
Blooming Marvellous!!!
Yes ERS does it again!!! Okay, seems this one is a little easier than the previous Shadow games but that doesn't spoil the great adventure of it all. I did notice the graphics look different, maybe lighter than usual but still ERS standard. Oh and the great fact that the exit screen doesn't pop up every time i go for an inventory item is a bonus!! Well done for listening!....the hint button fills quite quickly even on advanced mode and the HOPA scenes are crisp and clear. The only downside for me was the absence of a map because without it there is a lot of back and forth motion but then the hint will help if you get stuck on where to go next. Fantastic game BF, Thank you :-)
October 18, 2012
Werewolf is back !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Played 30 minutes, casual
- 3 modes, casual, advanced, hard
- Integrated SG, only shows 2 chapters in the sample
- Note book
- No map
- Voice overs
- H0, you interact
- Good mini games
- Hint, tells you there's nothing to do outside H0
- Skip button
- Beautiful graphics
- Music as you can expect in such games.....
Little girl is now a beautiful maid, just about to get married when.... nasty werewolf is back !!!!!!!!! I have all the other Shadow Wolf, and this one is, of course !, a buy for me.
October 18, 2012
ERS Games have done it again! Fantastic sequel to the Shadow Wolf Mysteries!
This is a fabulous new installment in the Shadow Wolf Mysteries.
Veronica goes to Paris to marry her fianc, when she meets a werewolf.....you are called in to help capture werewolf Mephistus.
The game has fantastically detailed graphics with a lot going on in each scene, good voice overs, 3 play modes, fun HOG's and mini puzzles.
The hint button recharges relatively slowly in advanced mode.
Good strategy guide.
As usual with this dev, the game beautifully spreads across a labyrinth of scenes/rooms/situations with an enormous amount of detailing, making it a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
October 18, 2012
Perfect for beginners
ERS is very faithfull to all the previous games - they make nice graphics, nice HO's and a gameplay that is very easy to follow. ERS games must be all beginners favourite.
The HO's are easy, the mini-games are easy - like dressing 4 gines, where the clothes only fits the right place.
There is a lot of handholdning in what to use where...... like when you are told that a hammer would be nice - and even the back of a gun can be used.
Beginners might love it, but more experienced players will have to look very hard to find the expected challenge.
Compared to the many great games that have come out lately, it's lacking:
- map
- challenge in HO's (interactivity and variation)
- challenge in minigames
- challence in the use of items
It seems as if ERS wants to aim on the beginners-group, and if so - they do it very well.
There is nothing new under the sun - and I am really beginning to believe, that ERS is happy with things the way they are. Meaning.. they don't change or devellope anything at all.
I finnished the demo in 40 mins without skipping any minigames, cut-scenes or dialouge, and I only touched the hintbutton once to check out that it did as always in ERS-games = telling me when there is nothing to do in areas.
Am curious to hear from others how long this game is.
Considering, that this is a very good beginners game, I have given this game a 3-star rating.
I'll recommend this game to beginners, but experienced players should wait for a DD or a sale, and play it as a rainy afternoon cheer-up game.
October 18, 2012
Hours of bonus play? Really?
I played the game and the bonus play in about 3 hours. What a joke. Great illustrated game, loved how they use the town and stores to go into, I've always loved that about these games. I had fun but it was a bit too easy and super short. I would recommend the SE.
October 19, 2012
Very Entertaining Sequel
Having purchased the other two Shadow Wolf Mysteries games, I was thrilled to see a third one. The art was well done and where some of the scenes were more watercolor style others were crisp and clear, yet all fit with the aura of Paris. There were three games modes and as usual I played casual. The mini games were not difficult and the hos were clear and the objects were easy to find. Since I normally turn down the sound and voices to a softer level, the music did not annoy, but was repetitive. The storyline was very good, yet I was a little surprised that her parents were not around for the wedding. I did not need to use the hint button, but when I tried to hit the skip button on one of the games I could not get it to work. Also found that the traveling icon started rather far up on the screen, and kept appearing when I was trying to examine an item. The voice overs were well done. I also checked the strategy guide out once, but did not use it so I'm not sure how it keeps up with the game. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed the game and will purchase it at the beginning of November.
October 18, 2012
A disappointing sequel
Can't decide whether to give this game 3 or 4 stars - really would like to give it 3 1/2 stars.
Whilst this game had gorgeous graphics and cut-scenes, and was very well done, it still left me feeling somewhat disappointed for a whole bunch of reasons.
Firstly the game was very short. I am sure the other Shadow Wolf instalments took me a lot longer to play.
Even on 'hard' playing option, there were still annoying sparkles for hidden object scenes.
The hidden object scenes were very easy, and only slightly interactive. Puzzles likewise were exceedingly easy. No challenge.
I only used the hint once the whole game - and that was to find a hidden "spike' that turned out to be a walking crutch. Huh? For CE games, errors like this are not on.
There was also a Journal, but mine stopped updating half way through the game.
There were no achievements or hidden bonus items to find (something I love in games - the more the better).
The storyline wasn't brilliant, and was also flawed. Veronica moves to Paris to start fresh, where one of the locals says "Mephistus is back" - how can he be 'back' to a new place.
The bonus chapter followed on from the main story, and whilst not essential to it, if you like your games finishing neatly, then you'll need the bonus chapter as well.
Maybe I just set my expectations to high for this game - all in all it was still a lovely game to play.
October 22, 2012
Brilliant game!
I enjoyed this game, it is a good mix of hidden object and puzzles. Difficult enough to be fun but not so hard it was frustrating. A great balance. Only bad thing - it ended too soon!
October 18, 2012