Mystery of the Ancients: Three Guardians > iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac & PC Game

Overall rating

5 / 5

171 of 193 found this review helpful

Still The Best Game Of The Year!

PostedFebruary 28, 2014

pennmom36

fromUnfortunately Elena, I don't think he's planning to pop the question!

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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle

Current Favorite:

Mystery of the Ancients: Three Guardians Collector's Edition

(104)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

That's my story and I'm sticking to it! BEWARE! There are all kinds of crazed red eyed evil crows flying all over this town and if you're afraid of a flock of crows, give it a few minutes because they're going to converge into one giant evil entity! Quality, pure and simply, quality. That's the first thing you're going to notice folks the quality and professionalism of the leading trailer, quality ...Show more

That's my story and I'm sticking to it! BEWARE! There are all kinds of crazed red eyed evil crows flying all over this town and if you're afraid of a flock of crows, give it a few minutes because they're going to converge into one giant evil entity! Quality, pure and simply, quality. That's the first thing you're going to notice folks the quality and professionalism of the leading trailer, quality and realism of the characters voices, and quality of the graphics, the HOS and mini games. The story is told that Greta entered the forest when she was told not to and she encountered a great evil. Out of nowhere, a glowing fox appeared, one of the Guardians of the Forest, to protect her from this evil. The hidden object scenes are progressive silhouetted shape finds where you find the first item that matches the silhouetted shape and then use that item in the scene in order to find the next item. Every HOS has a mini game inside such as matching two alike tiles or arranging metals so that each line has 4 different metals both horizontally and vertically. You will also need to find pieces of the Owls ancient Guardian Amulet that was broken during a fight with one of those evil crows. I will admit I liked the CE better because I loved looking for those hidden squirrels. I Love the story and this is one of my favorite genres and aren't you curious to find out who the Guardians actually are? Enjoy! Show less

I recommend this game!

+149points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

45 of 47 found this review helpful

"THE BIRDS" HAVE NOTHING ON THIS

PostedMarch 3, 2014

rosekaufmann

fromLos Angeles

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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object

Current Favorite:

Surface: Mystery of Another World

(224)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" is one of my favorite movies, but it has nothing on this game. The ravens cause all kinds of havoc in Green Hills. People are missing; the sheriff's station is locked. No one seems to be around except for a character cloaked in feathers, of course. There seem to be several mysteries to solve - the little girl who disappeared from the car as you watch, someone is in ...Show more

Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" is one of my favorite movies, but it has nothing on this game. The ravens cause all kinds of havoc in Green Hills. People are missing; the sheriff's station is locked. No one seems to be around except for a character cloaked in feathers, of course. There seem to be several mysteries to solve - the little girl who disappeared from the car as you watch, someone is in the house with your niece whom you hear scream but can't get access to her house, your niece's boyfriend has disappeared, the train has crashed - there's no ending in sight.

The interactive HOS are terrific and the graphics and use of color are very good. The town is abandoned but not so drab as to make everything blend into everything. Interactive map with outstanding activities shown. 3 modes of play (I play casual). The developers did a fantastic job of keeping your interest throughout. Lots of adventure. Puzzles are varied and interesting. Although there is back and forth, you're not going through a lot of screens to use items you find - and you do have the interactive map if in a real hurry.

SUMMARY: Very good production values; beautifully conceived and intriguing intertwining stories; carefully crafted environments. Mainly adventure with a well-balanced amount of puzzles and HOS. Well worth a try. Show less

I recommend this game!

+43points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

111 of 129 found this review helpful

WOW!! You're gonna LOVE Three Guardians!!

PostedFebruary 28, 2014

sfr8rfan

fromThere's no mystery here: This game is GREAT!!

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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle

Current Favorite:

Angelica Weaver: Catch Me When You Can Collector’s Edition

(99)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I played this game from start to finish on a Mac Book Pro, latest OS. It took me maybe 10 hours over a few days.

I’m NOT a fast player at all. I like it that, honestly. I like to take my time with a game and enjoy it as much as possible rather than race to the finish. (Not that I have any other choice…but this is the type of game that makes me appreciate my own pokey play).

Overall, this is an ...Show more

I played this game from start to finish on a Mac Book Pro, latest OS. It took me maybe 10 hours over a few days.

I’m NOT a fast player at all. I like it that, honestly. I like to take my time with a game and enjoy it as much as possible rather than race to the finish. (Not that I have any other choice…but this is the type of game that makes me appreciate my own pokey play).

Overall, this is an exceptional game worthy of your consideration. It is jam-packed with fun. I think it’s a 5-star game with one particular deficiency that I’ll discuss in a bit.

Rather than follow my normal script in a review I want to do things a little differently: I’m going to point out some spectacular features which I think make this game stand head and shoulders above the rest (and, unfortunately, a couple of deficiencies which keep this game from uncontested greatness.

What is GREAT?:
a. This game is absolutely the very definition of HIGH DEF. It is crystal clear. It's like looking at a perfect photograph of an object.

b. The developers didn’t short cut the fun, even when you choose the wrong object to use in a certain situation, there was, what I will call, “follow through.” An example (not from the game, so as not to spoil it for you): Imagine you pick the wrong key open a door. Typically the key would just fall back into your inventory and you’d get a message “I guess that's not quite right.” In this game even the wrong key would slip into the door and an effort would be made to turn the key. Only then would you discover that it doesn’t work. In other words, there’s MYSTERY and DISCOVERY along the way.

c. Every character, “human” or animal has depth of personality. This creates humor (in one particular instance I’m thinking of)…but much more than that, for the first time in a game, I felt like I had a relationship with the characters. It’s a very interesting perspective with a game of fantasy…and I enjoyed it immensely.

The best way to create personality is through the use of the voice over. In this game they are the best, incomparable, IMO.

e. There is A LOT OF back and forth. Usually this is a big pain. Not so here. It was all productive movement and, typically, along the way you still picked up something of use. This indicated to me that the developers are sensitive to the problems of "back and forth" and did something to remedy the monotony.

f. The HOGs, were a great challenge. The regular list-pick HOGs were good. The silhouette-progressive usage HOGs were unbelievably good,

And now, the NOT SO GREAT parts of the game:

a. The mini-games were absolutely a huge disappointment. Unfortunately, the worst of them (an “outline by numbers” game that you’ll recognize immediately) was repeated 5 times. Sadly, I cannot think of one, good, challenging game.

b. Another disappointment: One of the achievements was for solving puzzles/mini-game without instructions. Well, that's no achievement in this game. It would be almost embarrassing having to admit needing directions for many of the games.

One note: When the original CE was introduced, many reviewers mentioned that the majority of mini-games are within HOS. That's not true. At the beginning there are several mini-games as part of HOS but that is by no means the only place you find them. There were many, many games (as bad as they were) that were completely independent of HOS... the majority, in fact.

c. There is one exception to the great voice over artistry. I wonder if you’ll notice it!?!? OMG. It is the single most annoying voice I've ever heard in a game. I wanted to muzzle the character. (I’ll post this review in the forums. Please send me a PM and let me know if you recognize the character I’m referencing here!!)

SO: The only major disappointment for me is the quality (or lack thereof) of the mini-games. Aside from that Three Guardians is an overwhelming hit in my opinion.

Unfortunately, the sorry nature of the games cannot be overlooked, no matter how good everything else was.

Some have referred to this as the game of the year. I think that’s a bit premature…especially because of the mini-games.

In my opinion, when the awards go out for game of the year 2014, what's going to stand in the way of Three Guardians and a trophy is the inadequate challenge presented by the mini-games. Given the general excellence of this game, I think that’s a real shame.

Of course I still strongly recommend this game. I will guess that a year from now I'll look back on this and it will be in my top 10 for the year...top 5 maybe. But it will not be number one. And you know why.

There is a choice to be made between the CE and SE. I don't think you can go wrong either way. The CE is a great value. The SE, because of the quality of the game is a SUPERB value. I heartily recommend both. Show less

I recommend this game!

+93points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

39 of 42 found this review helpful

AWESOME!! Wonderful and LONG Adventure!

PostedFebruary 28, 2014

truman99

fromIllinois

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Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object

Current Favorite:

League of Light: Dark Omens Collector's Edition

(87)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Based on COMPLETED GAME and BONUS chapter:

I played the Collector's Edition of this game and it was AWESOME! Others have already mentioned the beautiful graphics, so I'll just add that the PRINT-SIZE and object size is large enough to be seen even by older eyes like mine. Which is great, because this is a long and fantastic game. Absolutely loved the hidden object scenes, and most of the puzzles. ...Show more

Based on COMPLETED GAME and BONUS chapter:

I played the Collector's Edition of this game and it was AWESOME! Others have already mentioned the beautiful graphics, so I'll just add that the PRINT-SIZE and object size is large enough to be seen even by older eyes like mine. Which is great, because this is a long and fantastic game. Absolutely loved the hidden object scenes, and most of the puzzles. I'm not very good at puzzles, but I was able to do a lot of them and they were FUN! The storyline is exceptional and there is tons to do. ENJOY!! Show less

I recommend this game!

+36points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

27 of 28 found this review helpful

Long and engrossing!

PostedMarch 2, 2014

elvygames

fromMonroe, NY

Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3

Current Favorite:

Mystery of the Ancients: Three Guardians

(54)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this game. It remains interesting and challenging throughout. The story line is particularly interesting, especially in the manor in which it is told. I found the art work stunning as well.
The variety of puzzles and tasks kept my interest and was a pleasant change from games that are repetitive. I played the Casual mode and found that by using ...Show more

I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this game. It remains interesting and challenging throughout. The story line is particularly interesting, especially in the manor in which it is told. I found the art work stunning as well.
The variety of puzzles and tasks kept my interest and was a pleasant change from games that are repetitive. I played the Casual mode and found that by using the MAP feature I rarely needed the HINT button at all. There is a great deal of back and forth, but it is not tiresome when using the map.
Some of the puzzles were a bit simple, like connect the dots, but it was fun to go back to my childhood and do them. Even those puzzles were varied. The only puzzle I skipped was the Chess puzzle.
One of the best features of this game was it's length. It is the first SE game I've played in a long time that felt long enough and very satisfying.
Although the story line is fantasy/fairy tale/adventure, there is little dark material and no spooky or violent features. I recommend this highly. Show less

I recommend this game!

+26points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

26 of 28 found this review helpful

Really Enjoyed This Game

PostedMay 11, 2014

JustTheFacts

fromRural Western Australia

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This "Key Contributor" plays, rates, and reviews a lot of games. We think you'll trust their thoughts and opinions about games.
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Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

BASED ON COMPLETED GAME

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
I haven’t enjoyed sitting down and playing a pleasant and involving game like this in what feels like ages. It is not in the same league as the overwhelming games of the Hope Diamond, Cadenza or Haunted Hotel kind. It is a fairly mild game with little in the way of a challenge, but it does everything it does so well! And the overall effect is one of ...Show more

BASED ON COMPLETED GAME

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
I haven’t enjoyed sitting down and playing a pleasant and involving game like this in what feels like ages. It is not in the same league as the overwhelming games of the Hope Diamond, Cadenza or Haunted Hotel kind. It is a fairly mild game with little in the way of a challenge, but it does everything it does so well! And the overall effect is one of pleasure.

SIGHTS & SOUNDS
The graphics are really wonderful, particularly some of the cut scenes. The first movies played as the intro to the game are amazing. It starts with a tense and exciting event clearly depicted in the best of 3D animation, the train wreck is, wow! The best I’ve ever seen. And despite its fairly dark theme, the game itself is well lit and colourful throughout.

The voices are excellent. They suit the character they belong to. No attempt has been made at lip synch, but the acting is good enough that it is not really noticeable. I admit, the music and ambient sound made no particular impression on me.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
Long ago two mages helped rule the world and keep all in balance. Their bond was strong and never wavered. There came a time when an evil intruder threatened their world, a lot of bad stuff happened, and in the end, a group of 3 surviving guardians of magic were left with the task of restraining she who had once been their leader and benefactor, but who now, possessed by evil, was a devastating threat to the world.

All of this we learn upon coming to the rescue of our niece and her fiancé. Her fiancé, along with other townsfolk, has been kidnapped, others have simply disappeared. There is a plague of ravens attacking people in the town, and black magic prevents your progress at every turn. BUT, you have the remains of a powerful amulet, which protects you from the dark magic and helps you to clear it. It becomes your mission to repair the amulet and use it to defeat the evil that is trying to escape the castle.

GAMEPLAY
The amulet is badly damaged. You will need to find pieces of 3 large crystals and 12 small discs to complete it. However, you can have limited use of it straight away, but it must be charged. To charge it, you must complete 3 mini-games of the rotate-and-align-stars kind, where the image created will be relevant to the point of the story you have reached.

There are HOPs of the progressive silhouette kind and interactive lists. Some have mini-puzzles within them. Deeper into the game an occasional scene is revisited, but it is rare. The mini-games were not too difficult for me, so, that means too easy for most. There is a directional hint, an interactive map and a notebook that shows only the cut scenes for replaying or character cards. These last are filled in as you find information about them in the game. There are 3 difficulty levels.

One definite plus is that inventory items often return to be used again and again. I do like this approach. The backstory is presented in a variety of ways, some of it interactive. I also prefer to find out the history this way.

COMBINED IMPACT
I had a delightful time playing this game. It is definitely the best of the Mysteries Of The Ancients series, with excellent graphics, a good story and fun gameplay. Show less

I recommend this game!

+24points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

13 of 14 found this review helpful

AWESOME GAME ALL AROUND

PostedMarch 1, 2014

Fuphyter

fromEastern Long Island, NY

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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle

Current Favorite:

Cursery: The Crooked Man and the Crooked Cat Collector's Edition

(186)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Hi gamers, I have just played for a couple of hours and am still far from the end of the game. I played on hardcore (I think that is what it was) you know what I mean. I LOVE it. Graphics, story line, mini games and HO's are all great. A different take on a couple of the HO's which is nice to see. I can't wait to start playing again tomorrow. Midnight here so I'm off to sleep..that pumpkin curfew ...Show more

Hi gamers, I have just played for a couple of hours and am still far from the end of the game. I played on hardcore (I think that is what it was) you know what I mean. I LOVE it. Graphics, story line, mini games and HO's are all great. A different take on a couple of the HO's which is nice to see. I can't wait to start playing again tomorrow. Midnight here so I'm off to sleep..that pumpkin curfew thing :) Definately worth the buy! Enjoy Addy Show less

I recommend this game!

+12points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

13 of 16 found this review helpful

Mystery of Ancients-great game

PostedMarch 4, 2014

confused9988

fromClover SC

Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Brain Teaser

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

This was really well done. Graphics were great, sound good. Loved the mini-games. I actually played them all because they weren't annoying. Good story. This was like a good book. Great job!

+10points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

12 of 15 found this review helpful

Dark and Eerie Hidden Object Adventure Game

PostedMarch 3, 2014

BlackWaterRules

fromNew Orleans, USA

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This "Key Contributor" plays, rates, and reviews a lot of games. We think you'll trust their thoughts and opinions about games.
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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Time Management

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

This game has it all: a great sound track, great music, and great voiceovers. The graphics and special effects are beautiful and very detailed.

The storyline is interesting and intriguing. Your niece's fiancee disappears while they are in the woods. There is a bright pink light that coincides with his disappearance. She calls you to help her. On your way there (by train) the train crashes. When ...Show more

This game has it all: a great sound track, great music, and great voiceovers. The graphics and special effects are beautiful and very detailed.

The storyline is interesting and intriguing. Your niece's fiancee disappears while they are in the woods. There is a bright pink light that coincides with his disappearance. She calls you to help her. On your way there (by train) the train crashes. When you finally arrive you realize that there have been many disappearances in that area and it appears that there is a sinister and scary over abundance of crows.

The hidden object games are challenging and fun, some of them shadow pictures, some interactive, all engaging. The mini puzzles are challenging and fun and the directions are clear and easy to understand. There is a skip button and reset button.

You get a journal, a strategy guide, a map, and an ancient amulet to assist you.

This game has a lot going for it , well worth the SE price. Show less

I recommend this game!

+9points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

12 of 16 found this review helpful

Great game. Super long and seamless.

PostedMarch 2, 2014

Lime_Cordial

fromCanada

Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I loved this game. There were so many different scenes and games, and the graphics were crisp. I loved that it was so long. Also really enjoyed the variety of HOGs and (different types).

I recommend this game!

+8points

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