Witches' Legacy: Rise of the Ancient > iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac & PC Game

Overall rating

5 / 5

49 of 54 found this review helpful

~~~YOU MUST STOP EZAR, OH ANCIENT ONE!~~~

PostedDecember 24, 2017

skullfun

fromJack and Anabel should be removed from future editions of the Witches' Legacy game series...

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Skill Level:Expert

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

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I love this edition of Witches' Legacy and though the last few Witches’ Legacy games were solid, they were nowhere near the brilliance that this series once was. Witches’ Legacy: Rise of the Ancient brings this dark fantasy series back to its former glory with a thrilling tale about Ezar, a powerful demon who seeks to destroy the world. Jack and Anabel have awoken an ancient, capable witch known as the Ancient One to help them defeat this villain. Will they succeed before the Dark Lord gets to the Tree of Life? The Tree of The Worlds can be accessed with a magic key but don't let Ezar find the key for that would be a disaster. Only one without DARKNESS IN THEIR HEART can wield the magic key. This won't be an easy task because Ezar has the ability to inhabit and enslave the bodies of the characters you encounter in this unique suspenseful adventure game. Witches’ Legacy: Rise of the Ancient is jam-packed with exciting events and action sequences. The utilization of mini-games and conversations to propel the story forward is also surprisingly effective. Not only that, but by choosing to focus on just a few key characters throughout the game, the game is able to make the player feel more involved in its plot. Regardless of the considerably low level of challenge, I found the gameplay of Witches’ Legacy: Rise of the Ancient extremely enjoyable. Yes, we have also seen and performed these tasks countless times before, but rarely have we seen a game executed with this level of precision and sophistication. While there are usually an insanely high number of tasks in each scene, they never feel overwhelming due to their logical interactions and usages. The well-executed gameplay is assisted by a portable potion-mixing lab, which serves as a nice mini-game, and a variety of magic spells you learn along the way. As for the hidden object scenes, they are quite simple, yet enjoyable and can be switched to Mahjong mode. The number of puzzles in this game is intimidatingly high, but there is a satisfying balance between the easier ones and the more complex ones so they never really feel forced and overused. The production in Witches’ Legacy: Rise of the Ancient is astounding. All the locations are drawn and painted with a phenomenal amount of details, all the cut-scenes are breathtakingly surreal, and the animations put some other veteran HOPA developers to shame. Witches’ Legacy: Rise of the Ancient took slightly under four hours to get through. The bonus chapter revolves more around Jack and Anabel, which I personally think is less fascinating than the tale of the Ancient One, but decent nonetheless. Cheers! Show less

I recommend this game!

+44points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

15 of 16 found this review helpful

Fantastic Games

PostedDecember 29, 2017

fish2man

fromEast Sussex, England

Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I don't usually review games as others make a career out of it but this game has got to be up there with the greats. I played the SE because I have grown tired of morphing objects and collectibles. Yes it is the usual good V evil storyline but that is the only regular feature. The graphics are superb and must become the standard by which other games are judged, even the HOs are unusual and ...Show more

I recommend this game!

+14points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

6 of 8 found this review helpful

Witches' Legacy Five Stars Strong!

PostedJanuary 2, 2018

pcpat923

fromJersey Girl, SC

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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Large File, Mahjong

Current Favorite:

Witches' Legacy: The Charleston Curse

(112)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Impressed with game length and well thought out game play. Although the story went into a tale, there was actually a lengthy plot rather than just chasing after the evil entity--who, of course we must conquer.

The 1st Witches' Legacy-- The Charleston Curse was the best and subsequent games paled in comparison. However, Rise of the Ancient came back strong. Puzzles and mini games abound with ...Show more

The 1st Witches' Legacy-- The Charleston Curse was the best and subsequent games paled in comparison. However, Rise of the Ancient came back strong. Puzzles and mini games abound with some too easy and others have appropriate challenge. Keep up the good work. We certainly need more games that these dedicated Developers obviously worked and focused to their best efforts. As a Senior, I still enjoy the fantasy play! Bravo. -Mama Mia- Show less

I recommend this game!

+4points

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Overall rating

3 / 5

20 of 26 found this review helpful

IT'S TIME FOR DARK CREATURES TO RISE!

PostedDecember 28, 2017

pennmom36

from"We can help you, but you must..............loading!

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Skill Level:Expert

Current Favorite:

Phantasmat Collector's Edition

(100)

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I seldom rate the Standard Edition version the same star rating, because I'm a die hard fan of Morphing Objects and the Collectibles that are only offered in the Collector's Edition versions. Lowering my rating for this game to 3 stars (from 4 on the CE) is ONLY because I prefer the CE version which has Morphing Objects.

The storyline is decent, and I LOVE the fact that Bertha is a no show, and ...Show more

The storyline is decent, and I LOVE the fact that Bertha is a no show, and if I'm being perfectly honest, I'm actually glad Jack was injured and has to leave. (he's not real so I don't think its being insensitive?) Witches' Legacy used to be one of my top 5 favs back in the days of Lynn and Edward, with that adorable little Imp as a helper. I'm really not sure why EleFun Games decided it was time to move on, but in my opinion, that was a huge mistake. If you look at the series listing I have included at the bottom of my review, the average ratings, speak volumes about this abrupt character switch.

The earlier games with Lynn & Edward received average ratings above 4 stars, but once Jack & Anabel with their weaselly friend Bertha arrived, the party was clearly over with average ratings only slightly over the 3 star rating mark! Want more proof? In Rise of the Ancients, Jack briefly makes an appearance, Anabel merely pops in with a portal cameo throughout the game, and Bertha is out doing whatever ferrets do in their spare time, and the Collector's Edition version still received a 4.2 average rating! The proof is in the pudding.

I probably would have given the CE version a 5 star rating, if it weren't for 2 really annoying features. The first feature is more of a dislike, than an annoyance, the fact that after 11 games in the series, the graphics are horrible, and never seem to improve. The graphics are fuzzy, some objects are ill proportioned, and nothing stands out because every scene has shades of blue and hues of green. My final complaint, is with the LOADING scenario, this feature drives me absolutely bonkers! For the life of me, I can't understand why this glitchy problem hasn't been addressed, it's nearly the year 2018! I can't think of a single HOPA game that has to load, in-between each and every scene, and in-between each and every zoom zone. It seems to take an eternity to do it's loading thingy, which in my opinion, takes away from the flow of the game. I can handle a slow transition, but I practically have time to run to the store, come back and bake a batch of Christmas cookies, let them cool off, and dunk them in some milk before.......loading! Here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version, if either is right for you:

There are two Worlds that exists, our World, which consists of witches' and mankind, and the other World, of evil creatures and dark spirits. Centuries ago, the Lord of the other World nearly destroyed our World, if not for the ultimate sacrifice of the Ancient One, who captured the demon Ezar. But prisons never hold forever, and our World has once again been plunged into a dark war of apocalyptic proportions! Anabel has awakened the Ancient One, once again to help save our World from total destruction, but it may already be too late.........loading........can the Ancient One defeat Lord Ezar and save our World.....loading.....before it's too late?

I think the devs at EleFun Games has also been listening to our complaints, and the average rating plunges, ever since they introduced Jack, Anabel and Bertha. Jack and Anabel only make a brief appearance in the demo (although Anabel does make a reference to return without Jack) Personally, I fell in love with this story line which was all about the trials and tribulations of a kind hearted witch named Lynn, whose entire family was destroyed by evil witches, trying to turn her good intentions into an evil agenda. Even her family dog was turned into an Imp. I just couldn't make a connection with Jack and his girlfriend, now wife, Anabel who happens to be a good witch also. To make matters worse, Jack's good friend Bertha, had only one power as a witch, the ability to turn into a ferret, with an annoying voice. With Jack and Anabel pretty much out of the picture, there's no need for Bertha, so it's a win, win situation, for me, and I'm already enjoying the changes! HOWEVER.....loading.....EleFun still has one HUGE feature that still needs to change.....loading......can you figure out what that might be?.......loading........!

The Collector's Edition version has some decent CE bling, but they have changed some features in all of their games that used to include a point system. There used to be points awarded for earning Achievements, finding Morphing Items and Collectibles. I never really paid that much attention to that feature, but I'm kind of saddened that they aren't offered anymore, because it was a feature only offered by this dev, and I had come to expect those features, when playing one of their games. There are no longer hidden Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces to find and assemble pictures as Screensavers, but there are hidden Footprints to find, some of which are within zoom zones, and once you have collected 4 Footprints in each category, you still get to assemble a Jigsaw Puzzle, but with different shaped pieces, and it will give you a small biography of 8 different Monsters. In the CE version, each scene also has a Morphing Object, but unfortunately, they don't provide an option to not have the cursor change when it scans over a collectible or morph.

The Ancient One is a powerful witch that has an Ancient Grimoire Book of spells that contain recipes and various spells. When a spell is needed, the book will open as an indication. New spells first require all ingredients, then requires following the directions in a specific order. The various spells include Restoration Spells, Protection Spells and a Darkness Binder spell to defeat a single monster. You will eventually defeat 8 Monsters using the spell, and of course you must play a Mini Game puzzle to unlock each spell.

The Hidden Object Scenes are just okay, neither good nor bad, and certainly nothing new. There is an alternate Matching game to opt for instead of the HOP's. In the demo, there are Interactive List finds, slightly Interactive Silhouetted Shape Finds, and a ton of Keywords in sentence finds. There are also the famous zoom zone smaller HOP's found in all EleFun Games, where you are tasked with finding several Fragments that are located all around the scene while still zoomed in to zoom zone object. There are a total of 24 Hidden Object Scenes throughout the main game.

The Mini Games are fairly creative, some more difficult than others, and there are a total of 32 Mini Games to solve. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:

1) Move figurines to the correct slots by moving them along the tracks to their outlined slots.
2) Light all spheres by selecting the right arrow to move the spheres 1 space to the right or the left arrow to move the spheres 2 spaces to the left.
3) Rotate the rings of a disk to complete the image.
4) Use the Grimoire Spell Book to strike each monster in the head, when they appear. (which btw, required me to use a ladder to reach the room, but I was able to reach the train without any help, on a bridge taller than the rooms window.)
5) Find all hidden fragments and return them to the scene by interacting with the scene.
6) Swap figurines to their correct spaces.
7) Throw the hook when the green crosshairs when they intersect over the bag.
8) Assemble the torn fragments to restore the photos.
9) Swap sides of the real world tokens and our world tokens, without allowing opposing tokens to occupy neighboring spaces.
10) Arrange the inner and outer orbs to match the center symbols using arrow buttons to rotate the orbs.
11) Draw the symbols that appear on the flying objects that appear.

WITCHES' LEGACY GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating

1-The Charleston Curse (January 19-2012) 4.3 (Lynn original)
2-Lair of the Witch Queen (June 27-2013) 4.3 (Lynn original)
3-Hunter and the Hunted (January 9-2014) 3.9 (Lynn original)
4-The Ties That Bind (August 16-2014) 3.8 (Lynn original)
5-Slumbering Darkness (February 26-2015) 4.4 (Lynn original)
6-The Dark Throne (July 2-2015) 4.3 (Lynn original)
7-Awakening Darkness (December 24-2015) 4.0 (Lynn original)
8-Dark Days To Come (July 30-2016) 3.9 (Jack spinoff)
9-The City That Isn't There (January 7-2017) 3.4 (Jack spinoff)
10-Covered By The Night (July 13-2017) 3.6 (Jack spinoff)
11-Rise of the Ancient (December 9-2017) 4.2 (Jack spinoff)
by: EleFun Games

The Collector's Edition version has 9 Wallpapers, 11 Concept Art pictures, 3 Screensavers, 3 Music Soundtracks, 12 Achievements to earn, 31 Morphing Objects, 32 Monster Footprints (to assemble 8 Jigsaw Puzzles with 8 monster bios) a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy! Show less

I recommend this game!

+14points

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Overall rating

3 / 5

8 of 10 found this review helpful

Elefun is now Elegloom – Extras and Bonus

PostedFebruary 9, 2018

spythere

fromIf Elefun is now heading down the path of darkish mediocrity, I probably will stay at home and play their older games

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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object

Current Favorite:

Witches' Legacy: Awakening Darkness Collector's Edition

(44)

Fun Factor

2 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

3 / 5

We are so old that we don't even have a name and are simply called the Ancient One. At first I was thrilled by not having to play as sleeping pill Jack. But soon I discovered that this game is much more depressing than the Jack figure. No humour, zilch, it is completely free of playfulness. Merely a shadow of Elefun's former hilarity, and literally a shadow: dark, darker, darkest. I had to force myself to play it a second time in order to write this review. It's probably the most bland game ever from this dev. Stripped from all surprises, from poetic allusions, from colours, from anything funny, it's just a mirthless drag through admittedly beautiful but dreary scenery under a veil of darkness. Elefun should re-name themselves Elegloom.
But wait, the fun-censors overlooked two reanimated skeletons, a jumping fish, a fang (in a HOP) which hangs at a location where chaste girls don't take a look, and the one or other amusing sound effect. Maybe not everything is lost yet ;)

They slightly upgraded the puzzles, not all are insultingly easy anymore. Some HOPs open only after we solved a mini game, nice idea. HOPs are, albeit gloomy, eclecticly and interestingly created with voices and interactions.
But we still have to endure the loading pic - that is, now three different pics: a footprint in snow, a stone medallion and a glowing book. A bit variety, but still an irritating interruption.
I also wonder why Ezar must look like a peeled alligator, a lump of raw flesh whose ugliness can hardly be excelled. Somebody presumably mistook disgust for dread.

The bonus chapter is not necessary for the story - although it's interestingly not a sequel, but tells what happens with Jack and Anabel, whilst the Ancient One fights Ezar. If you want to know the details, read my review of the CE.
I would recommend other games of this series, like Slumbering Darkness, Awakening Darkness, Dark Days to Come. Especially the latter is exceedingly fun. Show less

I don't recommend this game.

+6points

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Overall rating

3 / 5

5 of 5 found this review helpful

I miss the ferret and the colors and the fun fantasy!

PostedJanuary 15, 2018

BooksandGameFan

fromJacksonville, Florida

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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, Arcade & Action, Brain Teaser, Card & Board, Family, Hidden Object, Large File, Word

Current Favorite:

Dreampath: Curse of the Swamps

(33)

Fun Factor

3 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

This game is not really my cup of tea. We are playing as a new character an ancient that we have awaken to save the worlds.
So no Jack, no ferret, no anybody from previous games.
I know the last few games became more fantastical and colorful plus they had the ferret helper and I loved those unlike many here on BF. This game lacks almost all color except a few brief times here and there the whole game is done in a dark and grayish hue. Doesn't put me in a happy frame of mind which is why I play these games.
The game itself is well made, the scenes although dark gray are still well rendered, the games and hidden object scenes are good not great. Just nothing in this game that wowed me. Show less

I recommend this game!

+5points

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Overall rating

3 / 5

1 of 1 found this review helpful

Very Disappointing

PostedAugust 23, 2018

moonladydi

fromEssex, United Kingdom

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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):Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3

Current Favorite:

Detectives United: Origins Collector's Edition

(65)

Fun Factor

3 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

3 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

After trialing the CE Demo, I purchased the SE version to complete the series as the Extras (morphing objects, puzzle pieces, etc) were too easy and not worth the higher cost to me. Sadly we cannot trial the Bonus chapter, so check the reviews of those players who have completed it if you want to compare values.

The graphics were not bad, but Jack looks so much older than Anabel even though he ...Show more

The graphics were not bad, but Jack looks so much older than Anabel even though he is her Husband. Must be all those attacks and curses he has suffered in the games.

The music and sound effects were no better or worse than usual, and I was glad of the option to turn them off. The voice-overs were well done, and the gravelly, scary voice of the demon was appropriate.

I found the pace slow, with a lot of delays when loading the next puzzle or HO scene. The HO's were mainly find the pictures to match the words in a book, with occasional "find fragments" to complete a zoom in zone.

The strategy puzzles were incredibly easy, but the physical ones were awful for an elderly person like me. Shooting targets, or rapid and constant clicking to fill a meter are not my idea of fun, and I found myself skipping many of this type. I did enjoy the Maze puzzles, although I prefer the ones that stay lit up after you pass a section so you know where you've been when you have to backtrack.

By the end of the game you know there is another sequel planned, and it's doubtful I will purchase it. I'm getting very bored with this particular family after three generations, but loyal fans will probably disagree. Show less

I don't recommend this game.

+1point

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Overall rating

3 / 5

2 of 4 found this review helpful

Demo Review

PostedDecember 31, 2017

Lucylulu82

fromEngland

Fun Factor

3 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

2 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

I've just completed the demo, although slightly confused as I still had 18 mins left but it said "thanks for playing". I don't know if it's over or what but I'm sure there were more spells in the grimoire to do. However, I did defeat Erza or whatever his name is.

The storyline started out strong but diminished a bit as the characters changed. I never got back to the original characters. ...Show more

The storyline started out strong but diminished a bit as the characters changed. I never got back to the original characters.

The challenges and navigating around was easy, however, I was playing on casual mode, so that could be why.

It's left me wondering what just happened. All in all I didn't enjoy it. Show less

I don't recommend this game.

0points

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Overall rating

2 / 5

I Finally Just Gave Up

PostedDecember 5, 2021

yowzasma

fromCOWTOWN (Ft. Worth),TX

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Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object

Current Favorite:

Vacation Adventures: Park Ranger 12 Collector's Edition

(200)

Fun Factor

1 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

2 / 5

Level of Challenge

2 / 5

Storyline

2 / 5

I bought "Witches' Legacy: Rise of the Ancient" about 3 years ago after reading the positive reviews and "played at it " on and off between other games but always quit & I finally deleted it from my " Un- Played Folder" .
I have a few of the other in the series but simply could not get into mixing potions and the cloudy graphics.
I put this one in my "no-like" list/folder, sorry.

I don't recommend this game.

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