ROYAL TROUBLE

by ORCHID GAMES; BIGFISH

Jud’s Game Rating:

Graphics *****  Player participation (PP) *****  Satisfaction Factor (SF) *****

Frustration Factor (FF) *  Fair Play (FP) *****

There is one word for this Game – EXCELLENT!!!  And another word is FUNNY!  And a third word is INGENIOUS!  The Game Designers have done a brilliant job in all facets of the Game – the cleverness is evident.

The Graphics are gorgeous, delineated, clear, like recent animated Disney Movies, detailed, colourful and believeable.  They lend the Fantasy world authenticity, yet you are clearly participating in a Game.  You play as alternate imprisoned characters – the Princess, then the Prince, back and forth then sometimes working together to overcome obstacles until they are both free.  The story has a humorous voice-over narration with a variety of relevant mood-music behind it, from harpsichord to drums.  And the Designers left the story-ending open for future Episodes.

The Options is Basic, as is the Main Menu, but within the Game you have access to Hints which take the form of a step-by-step walkthrough, that you only have to look at as much or as little as you want to know.  If you are having trouble with a particular scene, click on Hints, and it will give you line by line hints, which you can only see if you click on them, for that particular problem.  You don’t have to scroll through a whole book of pages and chapters to get to what you want.  It’s very well done.

There are the usual unusual puzzles (lol) to open the usual locked doors, cupboards, trapdoors etc.  There are no real Hidden object sites – except for gathering of potion ingredients, and then it’s just a matter of gathering them from the shelves in the Storeroom.  So this is really more an Adventure Game than a Hidden Object Game.  Mostly you pick up odd items to use as you progress through the castle towers, or you gain them from others who you help along the way.

The Puzzles do have a Skip button which is needed occasionally so you don’t get bogged down and frustrated.  I only used it a couple of times – I couldn’t mix the last potion together – the instructions were vague, and the tubes didn’t seem to want to connect. FF  Maybe you will have more luck with that.  I was tired and didn’t want to be held up so close to the end.  I might do better next time.

This Game gets my highest Ratings – there are few that do – excellent PP, SF, FP and G.  I recommend it for ALL ages.  My final word is IMPRESSIVE!!

(C) Copyright Jud House 8/10/2011

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