The Emerald Maiden: Symphony of Dreams > iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac & PC Game

Overall rating

5 / 5

65 of 66 found this review helpful

MOST INTERESTING STORYLINE

PostedJanuary 25, 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

SUMMARY: Very different. If you want a straight-forward easy-to-follow story, this isn't it. This game plays a lot like a strange dream: you know the one, all kinds of things are happening, but you don't know how or why or when they will connect - you only know that they will. Easy but fun puzzles and HOS. I would choose the SE (see last para).

STORY: This game has the most interesting storyline ...Show more

SUMMARY: Very different. If you want a straight-forward easy-to-follow story, this isn't it. This game plays a lot like a strange dream: you know the one, all kinds of things are happening, but you don't know how or why or when they will connect - you only know that they will. Easy but fun puzzles and HOS. I would choose the SE (see last para).

STORY: This game has the most interesting storyline I've come across lately. At first, it seemed the usual story - a child given to an orphanage shortly after search, wants to know her history, yada yada. But once she gets her invitation to a dream facility underwater, there are so many twists, turns and discoveries in what appears to be a land of make-believe (i.e., the typical dream), that you can't wait to turn the next corner to see what happens.

GAMEPLAY: So many enjoyable cutscenes, a smattering of easy but fun puzzles, lots of scenes (you get a map) and lots to do, typical list-based HOS (but uncrowded and easy-to-find objects), find the shown object HOS (which are then placed into the scene to complete an object (such as a robot or projector) so it works. Objectives are given periodically. Since magic is supposedly meeting science, the twists and turns and areas to explore are mindshattering and take the same turns as your dreams do. Keeps your mind on its toes.

OTHER STUFF: 3 modes plus a customizable mode to an extent. (There are a few more sophisticated customizations out there, but this is still nice.) Nice unobtrusive music. Graphics are clear and the many types of locations are dramatically different but beautiful. Even though the scenes are so distinctive, they flow together seamlessly. No too much in voice overs, but what there are seems natural.

CE v. SE: Besides the bonus chapter in the CE, it seems the only collectible is 16 roses. The other CE items seem to be the standard fare - wallpapers, character profiles, et al. I don't think the CE has enough these days to warrant a CE price, so the SE seems to be the way to go. Show less

I recommend this game!

+64points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

150 of 171 found this review helpful

Dreams Never Fade!

PostedJanuary 19, 2014

pennmom36

fromHope nobody has a nightmare!

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Skill Level:Expert

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

Current Favorite:

Mystery Case Files®: Fate's Carnival Collector's Edition

(390)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

You were just a baby, abandoned, left on the Orphanage stoop with only a necklace as a clue to find your real mother 25 years later. When you receive an exclusive invitation to board The Emerald Maiden with a promise that you will learn the identity of your parents, you set sail for a voyage only the rich and elite can afford! Aboard the Emerald you discover the Dream Machine, near lucid dreams ...Show more

You were just a baby, abandoned, left on the Orphanage stoop with only a necklace as a clue to find your real mother 25 years later. When you receive an exclusive invitation to board The Emerald Maiden with a promise that you will learn the identity of your parents, you set sail for a voyage only the rich and elite can afford! Aboard the Emerald you discover the Dream Machine, near lucid dreams can be achieved thanks to an ancient artifact found and it's energy harnessed, or has it? I think this Standard Edition is the better value because the CE simply didn't have enough frills to qualify. If you like underwater adventures with mechanical gadgets then you're in for a treat, other than the dream portals you enter, you won't be seeing beautiful floral and fauna. The HOS are slightly interactive list finds and most items are easy to spot. The mini games are mostly puzzles such as discs that form a picture, but when one disc is turned other discs turn as well. None of the mini games are new but they are easy to figure out such as playing the correct piano keys by association for example a picture of a fish matches the piano key with a fish hook. After finding several robot parts you reconstruct Atom a robot with a propeller on top and a key fob in front which allows him to access places you could not (I'm still trying to figure out how he stops the propeller and lays on the keyhole how does he take off, won't the propellers hit the ground?) hmm, Enjoy! Show less

I recommend this game!

+129points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

24 of 25 found this review helpful

Wish I Could Find More of These!

PostedFebruary 18, 2014

Tahkanne

fromWhitehorse, Yukon, Canada

Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object

Current Favorite:

Malice: Two Sisters

(93)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

The Emerald Maiden: Symphony of Dreams is a fantastic game. Beautiful artwork throughout. Music, ambient, and effect sounds that always fit their place in the game, enhancing every step of the way like good sound should. A storyline that is more than believable; it hauls you like a favourite book.

My only disappointment was that it was not more challenging. The mini-games and hidden object scenes ...Show more

The Emerald Maiden: Symphony of Dreams is a fantastic game. Beautiful artwork throughout. Music, ambient, and effect sounds that always fit their place in the game, enhancing every step of the way like good sound should. A storyline that is more than believable; it hauls you like a favourite book.

My only disappointment was that it was not more challenging. The mini-games and hidden object scenes were all quite simple though this didn't bother me, or detract from the game; the plot's strong enough that this just didn't matter.

The scenes are beautifully sparse with the objects you acquire always having a very direct relationship to the tasks at hand.

I loved finding myself immersed in the virtual world the game creators made for us, and will be definitely searching out the rest of this developers games. I wish there were more of of this kind of game.

I highly recommend The Emerald Maiden: Symphony of Dreams. Show less

I recommend this game!

+23points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

10 of 12 found this review helpful

Better than the usual Hidden Object

PostedJanuary 23, 2015

lovemybook

fromTampa, FL

Skill Level:Expert

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

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I really liked this one. It isn't one of the higher end developers, but I always like what they turn out, and it had what SO many of the major games lack - a coherent, interesting story. Yes, it does entail a supernatural spirit, but less of the evil, ghoulish horror story that most of these HOGs have and more of a suspense story. I found it interesting and a fun change, and a little lighter. I'm ...Show more

I really liked this one. It isn't one of the higher end developers, but I always like what they turn out, and it had what SO many of the major games lack - a coherent, interesting story. Yes, it does entail a supernatural spirit, but less of the evil, ghoulish horror story that most of these HOGs have and more of a suspense story. I found it interesting and a fun change, and a little lighter. I'm SO tired of dark horrific monsters from other worlds breaking through and stealing children and killing everyone with some poor burdened hysterical mom chasing after them! This actually had a storyline. I recommend! Show less

I recommend this game!

+8points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

6 of 7 found this review helpful

Finally forced away from my games to add my two cents...

PostedJanuary 26, 2015

Idiot_Savant

fromSlug Gulch Road, Sierra foothills

Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Puzzle

Current Favorite:

Cadenza: Music, Betrayal and Death Collector's Edition

(237)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

To defend the honor of this daringly different game and encourage others to take advantage of today's steal, the puzzles ARE refreshingly different and was even forced to pull out pen and pencil to reason out two of them- haven't had to do that for at least a hundred games and ain't no dummy so can't help suspecting those who claimed them unchallenging must have skipped these ones. Found the cut ...Show more

To defend the honor of this daringly different game and encourage others to take advantage of today's steal, the puzzles ARE refreshingly different and was even forced to pull out pen and pencil to reason out two of them- haven't had to do that for at least a hundred games and ain't no dummy so can't help suspecting those who claimed them unchallenging must have skipped these ones. Found the cut scenes and voice overs, and delineation of characters so movie worthy I was completely pulled into this unique adventure which is just what I look for in a game, not the prettily wrought do this and get this to do this and get this and get a hog to get this, etc. cookie cutter games pouring out of the assembly line lately. Loved the brilliant Mother, the endearing Lobster dude, didn't find the kittens "annoying" just made me frantic to rescue them... and was near tears at the end when my character callously left the loyal robot behind to impending doom despite the shocked griefstricken expression on his adorable face! Though our many helpful and vigilant reviewers to whom we owe much gratitude declared the CE unworthy, if it rescues HIM I'm getting it ASAP. Don't care about ESNB games #eye-strain-no-brain, what I call hogs- get Where's Waldo and Hidden Word Search puzzles if that's your goal, notice how hogs have been quickly evolving into far more elaborate activities#. And my nearly becoming a 'morphiend' was gratefully curtailed by one of the last two hogs in Smithsonian after I stubbornly stared at a swampy scene for an hour til reading in the forum a lovely member revealing that hog came in three segments the 'morphing' object coming later... and don't care about "achievements" #though I did get one for spending more than ten minutes on a hog in that case! ;# since their emphasis is on hog accomplishments, no hints, speed, etc. and not on the true brain testing puzzles... don't like collectibles much either. All these frillies to me just detract from what I'm there for- to fully immerse myself in a well told story and worlds I've never dreamed of, and this game does just that! Show less

I recommend this game!

+5points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

3 of 3 found this review helpful

An Intriguing Story & Addictive Game Play

PostedJanuary 25, 2015

CyndiLouWho2

fromUnlike others, I will never ruin the story for you

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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, Time Management, Puzzle

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I won't give away any parts of the game as others do. This is just a quick mention for an engaging game that I played non-stop until I was finished.

The story line is beautifully woven and ties up neatly at the end, which is so important to me. I'm not sure why someone would say the plot was hard to follow, but then I'm geared to this genre of game.

Graphics were excellent, as were the voice ...Show more

I won't give away any parts of the game as others do. This is just a quick mention for an engaging game that I played non-stop until I was finished.

The story line is beautifully woven and ties up neatly at the end, which is so important to me. I'm not sure why someone would say the plot was hard to follow, but then I'm geared to this genre of game.

Graphics were excellent, as were the voice overs. The puzzles were entertaining although fairly easy. Hidden object scenes were nothing new but items were clear to identify and scenes were easy to breeze through. The hint button recharged quickly.

I hope you'll give this game a try -- I heartily recommend it! Show less

I recommend this game!

+3points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

9 of 15 found this review helpful

Was very Good

PostedMarch 2, 2014

lilyboo2u

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

Good game, lasted super long, nice story line. Recommend.

I recommend this game!

+3points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

0 of 1 found this review helpful

Beautifully designed world, engaging storyline

PostedSeptember 17, 2016

narrowsaurus

fromSan Francisco, CA

Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I really enjoyed this one and would love to see a sequel!

I recommend this game!

-1point

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Overall rating

4 / 5

36 of 37 found this review helpful

Nightmares are dreams too!!

PostedJanuary 20, 2014

Little_Selkie

fromGermany

Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Large File, Time Management, Puzzle

Current Favorite:

Lost in the City: Post Scriptum

(30)

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

So many dreams…so little time! Review of the CE and SE version.

This game was objectively very well done and had a few new puzzles that haven't been overdone and had a good length of game play. However it will frustrate some gamers because it is deceptively mechanic and hardware themed.... Yes yes, I knew it would be sic-fi but the name 'Emerald Maiden' evoked a rather Victorian feel for me. I am ...Show more

So many dreams…so little time! Review of the CE and SE version.

This game was objectively very well done and had a few new puzzles that haven't been overdone and had a good length of game play. However it will frustrate some gamers because it is deceptively mechanic and hardware themed.... Yes yes, I knew it would be sic-fi but the name 'Emerald Maiden' evoked a rather Victorian feel for me. I am the type of person that loves to do cooking puzzles and sneak around castles, so putting together ray guns, and machinery after new tech machinery was rather boring and eye-glazing. It reminded me of the 'Abyss: Wraiths of Eden' game that also had a good storyline but so much grey metal scenes that it lost it for a fairytale adventurer like myself.

Overall the length of the game was great about 5 and a half hours on 2nd mode, with three modes to play on. For those thinking of the CE version, don't. The length of the bonus game was abysmal…maybe 25 minutes with no hints and the main game had such minimal collectables (16 roses) and no notable achievements. Not worth it.

The graphics were somewhat washed out, and the characters were very realistic from far away but startlingly cartoonish up close, which threw me off the emontional bond I like to create with the cast. The plot was easy to unravel after the first 30 minutes, and the ending was an obvious ploy for a sequel but still wrapped things up in a satisfying way. BIGGEST PEEVE: the dreams were at most one or two scenes…max. Which was sad to me. I thought the majority of the game would be in different worlds when in fact maybe an 1/8th of game time was bouncing quickly to a jungle setting. Boo…

I would recommend this game SE version to anyone who is a big fan of the nitty gritty sci-fi tools and doesn't mind tinkering with radios and rockets, or for those of you who really want a change from the fanciful games out there. Worth the time it takes to play for the SE price or a free game credit. It had a few good tidbits, nothing wowed me but I didn't stop playing it either.

Happy gaming, Big Fishies! Show less

I recommend this game!

+35points

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Overall rating

4 / 5

29 of 30 found this review helpful

Mixed feelings, to say the least!! 3 1/2 stars...

PostedJanuary 25, 2014

ThisBrevity

fromPacific Northwest

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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):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Time Management, Puzzle

Current Favorite:

Surface: The Noise She Couldn`t Make Collector`s Edition

(190)

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

Wow, I don't think I've ever felt so torn about a game. Creative and surreal story, TONS of potential, but poor execution (in some aspects, at least#. I Beta-tested this game, and I thought it was interesting enough to buy as an SE, although I wasn't willing to splurge for the CE. I will not wax on about the details of the story since you probably want to find that out yourself; I will get right ...Show more

Wow, I don't think I've ever felt so torn about a game. Creative and surreal story, TONS of potential, but poor execution (in some aspects, at least#. I Beta-tested this game, and I thought it was interesting enough to buy as an SE, although I wasn't willing to splurge for the CE. I will not wax on about the details of the story since you probably want to find that out yourself; I will get right to what I liked and didn't like #without giving anything away, of course#.

THE GOOD:
-Impressive visuals. I disagree that the mechanical-ish theme detracted from gameplay, for me personally, unless you *only* like fairytale type games. I do not prefer mechanical or sci-fi games, yet I enjoyed the visuals and setting of this game. The colors were bright and the scenes were clean and aesthetically pleasing. I didn't think any of it was visually dull, except for maybe a couple of scenes out of many.
-Creative storyline, in my opinion. It is different than most of what we see in HOPA, which I liked.
-Interesting, creative side characters. I was impressed by the novelty of the couple of side characters you get to interact with, who were both funny and endearing.
-Cuteness factor. No, this isn't a "am I playing a child's game?" kind of frilly stuff that detracts from your gameplay. But who can resist adorable meowing kittens that you need to rescue and reunite with their mommy, and an equally adorable flying robot? I mean, this wouldn't be enough to affect my rating, but it did improve my enjoyment because they added lightness #along with those side characters# to an otherwise fairly serious game.
-Music was appropriate and better than average at setting the right atmosphere without being annoying.
-Emphasis overall is on the Adventure aspect, which I liked.

THE AVERAGE:
-HOS and mini-games were just ok...not bad, but just okay. I love mini-games, and I felt a LOT more effort could have been put into the mini-games in particular. At least it wasn't overloaded with too many HOS with tons of items #not my cup of tea#.
-I personally like cut-scenes because they *usually* mean a more thought-out, in-depth, and engaging storyline. The problem with the "minute movies" that you encounter is that they don't always seem to be in the right order #e.g., it is possible to find the last one before you are really supposed to be watching it#. This made for a more disjointed storyline, which was a shame.

THE BAD:
-Disjointedness overall. I was saddened that a game with so much potential left so many holes and didn't try to clean up the game to make sure the parts were told in the correct order or fleshed out enough. I mean, I knew what was generally going on, but some things just weren't explained well throughout the game.
-I did not like some aspects of the ending. I suppose saying that doesn't help you since I can't say anything about it, but...I guess I cared about the game enough to actually be upset about the fates of some of the characters, and the game left me WORRIED rather than satisfied with the closure. Normally, some emotional investment in the game on my part would be a compliment to the developers, except that I don't think they handled the ending well. They went to the trouble of creating some characters that we liked and then didn't seem to care about them themselves! NOTE that I'm not necessarily saying it has a sad ending - any game has the right to do that, and kudos to those that go against the grain in that way - that's not what I'm saying. I just didn't think they ended it well.
-Glitches - minor but annoying ones - like zoom-in shots that didn't close when you were finished with them and that could still be zoomed into. I understand that this is normal for shots with notes in them, but there was more than one for which that was not the case. Sometimes you could still zoom in on it, despite it being completed, and sometimes you couldn't. That lack of consistency detracted from the gameplay for me. There were a couple of other glitches of this sort. It just seemed like they were on a deadline to finish this at the end and didn't check it thoroughly enough. That makes me sad since I was a Beta tester for it, and I didn't really run into those types of glitches during the portion that was Beta-tested; the errors were almost exclusively in the remainder of the game. I expected the remainder to be as smooth as the first part, especially considering that it was the only part I was technically paying for #having played the first part already in Beta#.

I was split between 3 and 4 stars for this one...3 1/2 would be right. I think it is worth playing, but I really hope that the Devs read this review and give the result of their creative abilities the attention it needs to be a more cohesive and satisfying game, the next time around. Show less

I recommend this game!

+28points

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	, share your thoughts about this game! The Emerald Maiden: Symphony of Dreams Experience a world of dreams in this hidden object thriller! Heres what your review will look like once it’s posted. Click Submit if you’re happy. Your review should appear soon. To make changes, use the Edit or Cancel buttons. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about this game! You’ve already shared your thoughts about this game. Thanks for submitting the review below.