Shrouded Tales: The Shadow Menace Collector's Edition > iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac & PC Game

Overall rating

5 / 5

61 of 74 found this review helpful

EVEN A NEW MAGE CAN SAVE HIS FRIENDS

PostedJanuary 21, 2017

biscuitsmama

fromPlaying a beautiful game while counting those raindrops that keep falling outside my window

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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

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Ah, today is a very special day and it is the day that you will finally be confirmed as a mage. The path hasn’t been easy but it was well worth the effort and now you must face your first real test. Something is not right in Grimsdale and the Arch Mage, Archie, has dispatched Veronica to the scene. No sooner has Veronica passed through the portal than things go terribly awry and Archie is injured ...Show more

Ah, today is a very special day and it is the day that you will finally be confirmed as a mage. The path hasn’t been easy but it was well worth the effort and now you must face your first real test. Something is not right in Grimsdale and the Arch Mage, Archie, has dispatched Veronica to the scene. No sooner has Veronica passed through the portal than things go terribly awry and Archie is injured by the falling debris. Now it is up to you to pass through the portal, save Veronica, and put your newly earned status to the test. Armed with your courage and special spell you must now face the challenges in Grimsdale and learn what has happened so that you can save the day!

Although the graphics might appear cartoonish, they are created with brilliant and gorgeous hand-drawn scenes. At least on my laptop and large monitor, the graphics are crystal clear with no fuzziness at all. As is the case with most new games there is a custom mode of gameplay included so that you can fiddle with the various settings. Your tools include a map and, most importantly, your new bracelet that will hold various spells. Of course nothing is ever easy in HOPA land so you must find the crystal spells first before they can be used.

I love the HOPS in the game that are varied in style with many being interactive and multi-tiered. If you happen to enjoy puzzles, then this third game in the Shrouded Tales series is most likely one that will keep you happy. I found that a few of the puzzles were difficult and some of course that seemed a bit frustrating but still I did manage to get through them by taking my time. IMHO, puzzles add a lot to HOPA games and they break up the monotony of just playing through a story to find lost or broken items. The puzzles in The Shadow Menace are well crafted and most are fairly easy to get through as you save the day in Grimsdale.

If you prefer the CE version of a game then in the Shadow Menace you can collect cards scattered throughout the game. IMHO, the game is what I consider CE-light meaning that there is not a lot of extra content. Of course there is the strategy guide that you might need if you are fairly new to playing HOPA games.

Had I not been “hungry” for a great fantasy game to play, I might have passed on the weak CE version of the Shadow Menace since I don’t think there is enough extra content to warrant the higher cost. However, I do love the Shrouded Tales series and always have found them to be excellent games. Even though you might think the game seems easy because of the cartoonish graphics, there is a lot to do and find as you move from scene to scene. Even with as many HOPA games as I have played, I had to use the hint button more than once to keep me on track. Since I stopped playing to write my review, I am now anxious to jump back in and continue playing this wonderful game. Not everyone likes fantasy type games but if you do, I can recommend the Shrouded Tales series. Happy gaming friends! Show less

I recommend this game!

+48points

61of 74voted this as helpful.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

19 of 21 found this review helpful

A Simple, Attractive Game

PostedJanuary 21, 2017

upsysydaisy

fromOcala, FL

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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, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle, Strategy, Word

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I love games with heavily interactive HOPs and this one didn't disappoint. A couple of puzzles were difficult and I skipped them so I could get on with the game. The free trials seem to go so quickly. The graphics were very colorful and clear. Being a little cartoonish never bothers me as long as the game is fun. The Shadow Menace felt more sophisticated than games I have recently played. That is ...Show more

I love games with heavily interactive HOPs and this one didn't disappoint. A couple of puzzles were difficult and I skipped them so I could get on with the game. The free trials seem to go so quickly. The graphics were very colorful and clear. Being a little cartoonish never bothers me as long as the game is fun. The Shadow Menace felt more sophisticated than games I have recently played. That is a good thing !There were lots of new-fangled gadgets to help in your quest and it had an excellent storyline. I also liked the idea of travelling between 2 different realms to accomplish your goals, it added more depth to the story, I am anxious to see more of the main characters. I really enjoyed the game and even though it played simply in the trial, I think it will become more involved and a little more difficult as the game moves along. Should be suitable for all players.
God Bless.... Show less

I recommend this game!

+17points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

100 of 162 found this review helpful

NOT A SHADOW OF A DOUBT THIS GAME IS A MAGICAL ADVENTURE

PostedJanuary 21, 2017

sunnyglow

fromNickelodeon needs to locate the location of the Shadow Realm. It is a great place to mine green slime!

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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

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

5 CHAPTERS PLUS A BONUS CHAPTER – REVIEW BASED ON THE DEMO

OVERVIEW: Congratulations Leon! Now that you have completed your mage training, you can celebrate by saving the world in this 5-star plus game! Shadows from the Shadow Realm have invaded your world and are sending dark energy to destroy it. Being injured during one of these attacks, Master Mage Archie has sent you on a quest into the ...Show more

5 CHAPTERS PLUS A BONUS CHAPTER – REVIEW BASED ON THE DEMO

OVERVIEW: Congratulations Leon! Now that you have completed your mage training, you can celebrate by saving the world in this 5-star plus game! Shadows from the Shadow Realm have invaded your world and are sending dark energy to destroy it. Being injured during one of these attacks, Master Mage Archie has sent you on a quest into the Shadow Realm to investigate and to rescue fellow mage, Veronica.

Travel back-and-forth exploring the alternate universes of the real world and the shadow world. This game will appeal to an intermediate or expert gamer or those who like games dealing with wizards, alternate worlds, or magic! The story is well-written and the pace is excellent with a variety of activities. The graphics are cartoon-like and colorful. There are an equal amount of HOP scenes and puzzles. Your helper in this game is a bracelet which contains five spells to use within the game. The only collectibles are cards with crystals on them.

HOP SCENES: Most of the HOP scenes in the demo are lists of items. There is a rather creative one in which you must choose replacement parts to put in your bracelet. The first HOP scene is a multiple step one in which you first locate the items and then interact with them within the scene.

PUZZLES: Exquisite! They are the best part of this game! The puzzles are varied in difficulty. There are three which I found somewhat challenging. In one physics-based puzzle you need to manipulate the rate of flow of water in 5 test tubes so that the water reaches the top of each tube at the same time. Another difficult puzzle involves rotating four dials so that you recreate a given image. In a third difficult puzzle, you move tiles up-down, right-left, until you produce an image of a Celtic Trinity Knot. Remaining puzzles in the demo include one in which you create paths for three colored lights to link up with their mates; a switch puzzle to create symbols, and a maze puzzle in which you rotate cylinders to connect lines in a smooth path. There are two storybook puzzles as well.

LEVELS: Rookie, Apprentice, Baron, Custom
Hints and Skips – 15 to 90 seconds

EXTRAS:
Map is given to you as you play the game.
Collect 5 spells for your bracelet including a light spell and memory spell.
12 Achievements
Collect 37 cards
Strategy Guide – 33 Pages
8 Wallpapers, 8 Sketches, Music

HERE ARE THE DETAILS (SPOILERS) FOR THOSE WANT MORE INFORMATION ON THE HOP SCENES AND MINI-PUZZLES IN SEQUENTIAL ORDER:

HOP SCENES:
A. Multiple step. (1) List of items to locate (2) After locating ALL the items within the scene, they return and you must interact with the items within the scene
B. List of items to locate
C. Matching pairs of similar items
D. Search and replace. Search for items to return to a bracelet.
E. List of items to locate
F. List of items to locate. Re-used scene in the game
G. List of items to locate

PUZZLES: PUZZLES: Puzzle Rating: (1) Extremely easy: (2) Easy: (3) A little difficult or time consuming: (4) Moderately difficult: (5) - Difficult
A. Switch puzzle. Switch gold tokens so they link up with the stone beneath them. Rating: 2
B. Physics puzzle. Calculate and adjust the rate of the flow of water through five tubes so that the water in each tube reaches the top of the tube at the same time. Rating: 4
C. Moving tiles puzzle. Rotate four dials so that geometric figures in three columns match those on a diagram. Figures light up when they are correctly placed. Rating: 4
D. Storybook puzzle. Locate 3 of an item listed in BOLD letters within a sentence. 5X Rating: 1
E. Storybook puzzle. Locate 3 items out of place and place them into the correct location. 5X Rating: 1
F. Spot-the-difference. Locate the symbol which does not belong with the rest. 3X Rating: 1
G. Moving tiles puzzle. Using arrows, move tiles up-down, and right-left to create a recreate a Celtic Trinity Knot. Rating: 4
H. Maze/moving tiles puzzle. Switch and rotate five cylinders to create a link between 3 colored lights and their mates at the end of the path. Rating: 2 Show less

I recommend this game!

+38points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

16 of 25 found this review helpful

AN EXCELLENT TALE!

PostedJanuary 21, 2017

1955raven

fromPelzer SC

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Skill Level:Expert

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

Current Favorite:

Witches' Legacy: The City That Isn't There Collector's Edition

(34)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

THE SHADOW MENACE IS A VERY INTERESTING FUN GAME! LOVE ALL THE HIDDEN OBJECT SCENES! A FIVE STAR GAME!

I recommend this game!

+7points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

3 of 4 found this review helpful

Shrouded Tales: The Shadow Menace Collectors Edition

PostedJanuary 25, 2017

jazzytia

fromWilliamsport, Pa

Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object

Current Favorite:

Dark Parables: Rise of the Snow Queen

(138)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Actually a fun, relaxing game. Not one that I have to be on edge to find the next segment. I really enjoyed it.

I recommend this game!

+2points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

23 of 42 found this review helpful

Good game.!!!

PostedJanuary 21, 2017

grapeleaves

fromMorristown Tn.

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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

When you give me hidden objects a lot it will be a purchase for me. It's a good game try it. Not much else to say it's worth a look see.

I recommend this game!

+4points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

1 of 1 found this review helpful

Use your magic skills and travel through portals and worlds

PostedFebruary 2, 2017

fiewi1

fromon my puffy cloud...

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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Match 3, Puzzle

Current Favorite:

The Tiny Bang Story

(175)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

With a, more than good, satisfactory gaming duration, this HOG title is both atmospheric and full of surprises. You get to collect magic spell, as well as put them in good use. Plus, you get to change between "worlds" and scenery. So a laboratory can have both a normal "mode" and also a devious one, in which you can find extra stuff and influence the other world's reality.
Cohesive, with a strong ...Show more

With a, more than good, satisfactory gaming duration, this HOG title is both atmospheric and full of surprises. You get to collect magic spell, as well as put them in good use. Plus, you get to change between "worlds" and scenery. So a laboratory can have both a normal "mode" and also a devious one, in which you can find extra stuff and influence the other world's reality.
Cohesive, with a strong ambient music. it has a beautiful main game and a bonus chapter, too. I've experienced some minor technical issues, like with the items bar, which -when hovered above an item- didn't at first show the description of that particular item. But overall, a solid, worth-playing game! Show less

I recommend this game!

+1point

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Overall rating

5 / 5

1 of 2 found this review helpful

Great Game

PostedMarch 19, 2017

CheyenneStar

fromNewport, DE

Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle, Time Management, Word

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

Lots of stuff to do, hidden objects, find collections & puzzles. Graphics are great & sound is great. Found some of the puzzles a bit difficult so I skipped a few since I was playing the hour preview. Wouldn't have skipped them otherwise.

I recommend this game!

0points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

Last game of this series

PostedMay 22, 2022

tesamoine

fromJersey Girl

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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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Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Wow another great Shrouded Tales. Friendly Cactus did a great job with this trilogy of a series. It was so much fun to play and kept my attention the entire time. Mini games were fun and HOS were great. Storyline was amazing. It's so nice to have a story line instead of just disipating smoke and finding keys the entire game. I highly recommend.

I recommend this game!

0points

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Overall rating

4 / 5

110 of 125 found this review helpful

It Really Does Exist

PostedJanuary 21, 2017

pennmom36

from:)

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This "Top Reviewer" is one of our most frequent game reviewers. We think you'll trust what they have to say and find their reviews helpful and informative.
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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

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

Today is the last day of your training as a mage, what could possible go wrong? Well, just about everything! Your mentor Archie, opened the portal to Grimsdale, but no sooner did Veronica enter the world of Grimsdale, when a huge explosion occurred and cut off all communications with her. Something terrible must have happened, and it's up to you to find Veronica and help the good people of ...Show more

Today is the last day of your training as a mage, what could possible go wrong? Well, just about everything! Your mentor Archie, opened the portal to Grimsdale, but no sooner did Veronica enter the world of Grimsdale, when a huge explosion occurred and cut off all communications with her. Something terrible must have happened, and it's up to you to find Veronica and help the good people of Grimsdale. Once on the other side you quickly learn that the citizens of Grimsdale have had their fair share of magic, their mage apparently isn't very good at his job. In his attempts to prove his skills to the people, Aedan hasn't fared too well, his last feat accidentally caught the town square on fire, but this time Aeden may have gone too far. It would seem that he has found a way to open a portal, a portal to the Shadow World, and the Shadows aren't just a Menace, they're deadly!

Archie has equipped you with the latest and greatest magical Bracelet which will allow you to communicate with Archie as well as hold a few magical spells you find along the way. You will eventually get five spells, but in the demo you will only have two different spells, the Light spell which is basically a candle to light up the dark, and a Restore spell which allows you turn back the hands of time to view destroyed items in their original state. There are also Collectible Magic cards located in each scene in Grimsdale, and in the Shadow Realm. The portal allows you to travel back and forth, from the present to the past, performing tasks in one time period that will affect the other. It does become a bit monotonous after a while because of the constant and tedious back and forthing, which get to be a little annoying at times.

The Hidden Object Scenes aren't very impressive, the scenes are repeated which is a feature I find very boring. The Interactive List finds have extremely large print, the largest print I've ever seen, and I've played a lot of HOPA games, and the items themselves are very large. There is one scene in a lake or pond, that has a bunch of random junk floating in the water, large vases, a brush, utensils, mirrors, kettles etc. all that was missing was a few car tires to make it the worlds most polluted lake! There are also HOS that require you to find pairs of similar items, but for the most part they are all simple, slightly interactive list finds.

The Mini Games are decent, but nothing new really. The following are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:

1) Assemble the gold plates so that they align with the patterns on the rune stones by swapping and rotating.

2) Adjust the speed of each tube so that all the tubes reach full capacity at the same time.

3) Put the shapes in the correct positions bases on the clues you found, using arrow buttons to rotate the surrounding shapes.

4) Find three of each item that match the highlighted keywords within a story, one paragraph at a time.

5) Find misplaced items within a storybook and place them correctly.

6) Select the symbols that don't match the others shown.

7) Restore the picture image by selecting arrows to move each section up, down, right or left.

8) Connect matching colored bulbs with a line of the same color, by selecting a prism to change the image, and buttons located on the bottom to swap the prisms.

This Collector's Image has 12 Achievements to earn, Music Soundtracks, 8 Wallpapers, 8 Concept Art sketches, 37 Collectible Magic Cards, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Adventure, enjoy! Show less

I recommend this game!

+95points

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