Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe's The Gold Bug Collector's Edition > iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac & PC Game

Overall rating

5 / 5

98 of 107 found this review helpful

The Golden Bug Is Creepy, Crawly Fun!

PostedJanuary 10, 2013

FlaMommy2

fromParkland, Fl

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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Puzzle

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

ERS has put out another great game. As with previous Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe, Dupin as called for your skills as an inspector to help his friend who is obsessed with finding the treasure of Capt. Kidd. But, as to be expected, there are dangers along the way in the form of a masked man and a woman who always wears a veil. There is a mix of HO and placing items where they belong. The mini games ...Show more

ERS has put out another great game. As with previous Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe, Dupin as called for your skills as an inspector to help his friend who is obsessed with finding the treasure of Capt. Kidd. But, as to be expected, there are dangers along the way in the form of a masked man and a woman who always wears a veil. There is a mix of HO and placing items where they belong. The mini games were fun-not too challenging. The graphics were clean. The VO were well done. Even the bugs were nice to look at. And of course your new helper, a Newfoundland, is adorable. This is a great game and one well worth playing. So go a little "buggy" and give it a try. Show less

I recommend this game!

+89points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

44 of 48 found this review helpful

REVIEW OF COMPLETED GAME

PostedJanuary 11, 2013

Sheerija

fromEdinburgh, Scotland

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Skill Level:Expert

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

Current Favorite:

Forbidden Secrets: Alien Town Collector's Edition

(117)

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

2 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I loved playing this game. The entertainment/fun factor is through the roof right from the start and it stays there all the way through. Dupin the beautiful is back and on top form. The graphics, as always with ERS, are top notch. There are just the right amount of iHOS, some lists, some silhouettes and the latter are highly interactive. Very well done and great fun. Only criticism I have is that ...Show more

I loved playing this game. The entertainment/fun factor is through the roof right from the start and it stays there all the way through. Dupin the beautiful is back and on top form. The graphics, as always with ERS, are top notch. There are just the right amount of iHOS, some lists, some silhouettes and the latter are highly interactive. Very well done and great fun. Only criticism I have is that a couple of them are repeated, and rather too soon after the first one. But only a couple, so the game loses no points for that, it's minor.

The music is the traditional French accordian music. Good to listen to and a nice change from the usual dirges. As always, ERS puzzles are easy peasy, but that did not detract at all, for me. The v/os and cut scenes are excellent - they flow and are clickable.

Then there is Arthur, who is great. Arthur is a huge black curly-haired hound lent to Dupin by LeGrand to help him and he travels along throughout the game. When a paw print appears over and inventory item, that item is placed on Arthur and he bounds into the game and uncovers something helpful for Dupin. Clever and endearing, that's Arthur. There are no spiders, snakes nor supernatural/occult themes in this. Again, a really nice change. In one scene I clicked on something hanging from the roof and Dupin himself stepped into the game and hooked it with his cane. It was startling because I have not seen this done before with people, only animals. I hoped for more of the same, but it was only a one off, unfortunately.

Many will not buy this CE because it has no collectibles, achievements, map or wide screen, although you can do away with the black bars by adjusting your screen resolution to the 2nd from the top. What you get for the extra money is a SG and a BC. I cannot disagree with them that these things should be included, but it is ERS we are talking about and they simply just do not give us these things. Personally I could not care less. I only mention them for the newbies and folks who may not be familiar with these devs and are wondering if the game is worth the price. Up to the individual.

The main game took me 4 hrs and ended as it should. So the SE will be quite adequate. The BC took 1 hr and I liked it. It took the story in a slightly different direction and kept up the standard of the main game.

In the Extras you can replay puzzles and iHOS, there are 4 music tracks, although French music and I have only a passing acquaintance so they all sounded pretty much the same to me. Also, the usual wallpapers, art etc.

5 hrs of my life spent on this great game. Time well spent. An excellent addition to the series. May they never end. Thank you ERS, you just keep getting better. Show less

I recommend this game!

+40points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

51 of 58 found this review helpful

Dupin is back and so are you !

PostedJanuary 10, 2013

Poutoule

fromPoitiers, France

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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File

Current Favorite:

Cursed Fates: The Headless Horseman Collector's Edition

(117)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

Amazing ! Played 45 minutes of the demo when my average time is 20 !! Played Casual.

- ERS :P

- 3 modes, casual, advanced, real detective mode, you can change from one to another while playing

- Integrated SG which only shows 2 chapters

- Voice overs

- Notebook

- Shortly after starting the game, you get a dog, Arthur, he will help you through the game

- H0 are quite interesting, in some you ...Show more

Amazing ! Played 45 minutes of the demo when my average time is 20 !! Played Casual.

- ERS :P

- 3 modes, casual, advanced, real detective mode, you can change from one to another while playing

- Integrated SG which only shows 2 chapters

- Voice overs

- Notebook

- Shortly after starting the game, you get a dog, Arthur, he will help you through the game

- H0 are quite interesting, in some you have to find silhouettes and ...to find the objects you have to play mini mini games, quite fun. Some of them are regular H0 where you interact.

- Good mini games

- Hint button

- Skip button

- Very good graphics

I have all the other Dark Tales (shame, the sale is of no use to me :S ) and I really loved this one. Dupin is such a smart guy !! A straight buy for me... Show less

I recommend this game!

+44points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

16 of 17 found this review helpful

Excellent as a Standard Edition

PostedJanuary 11, 2013

biomix

fromOntario, Canada

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Skill Level:Intermediate

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

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

Excellent game but not as a CE. The Bonus game play was only an hour long. And as others have mentioned there were no 'morphing objects, no achievements, nothing to collect', etc., things I have come to expect in a CE. I could kick myself for not waiting. I usually do. But other than that, this game is AWESOME. I totally recommend you buy the SE version. The Hidden object scenes are so fun and so ...Show more

Excellent game but not as a CE. The Bonus game play was only an hour long. And as others have mentioned there were no 'morphing objects, no achievements, nothing to collect', etc., things I have come to expect in a CE. I could kick myself for not waiting. I usually do. But other than that, this game is AWESOME. I totally recommend you buy the SE version. The Hidden object scenes are so fun and so are the puzzles. Great game!!!! Show less

I recommend this game!

+15points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

10 of 11 found this review helpful

ERS keeps getting better and better!

PostedFebruary 2, 2013

Snowfoxx

fromChipley, FL

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Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

ERS Game Studios just keeps cranking out great hidden object mysteries, and it is amazing to see how far they have come since Azada, which is still a favourite of mine. The animations have gotten smoother over the years, and with the wealth of classic literature to choose from, they will be in business for a long time. This game focuses on one of Edgar Allen Poe's less macabre stories, which is ...Show more

ERS Game Studios just keeps cranking out great hidden object mysteries, and it is amazing to see how far they have come since Azada, which is still a favourite of mine. The animations have gotten smoother over the years, and with the wealth of classic literature to choose from, they will be in business for a long time. This game focuses on one of Edgar Allen Poe's less macabre stories, which is still just as mysterious, and if you like looking for lost relics, then The Gold Bug is just the mystery you enjoy, because this involves the search for Captain Kidd's treasure.

We meet up with Detective Daphin, the dapper man with a taste for the unknown and great fashion sense, for the mid-1840s, and he is the one constant in all of these ERS Poe games, and it is a pleasure to be working with him again as a mystery-solving partner. This story takes us out of France and to Sullivan Island, South Carolina where we meet with William LeGrand, a colleague of Daphin's that has discovered two amazing things. A golden beetle with a death's head markings on its wings, somewhat like the Death's Head moths from The Silence of the Lambs, has lead him to another even more startling discovery. A a very old parchment that seems to be blank until our characters accidentally get it to close to the fire, and this reveals a mishmash of dingbat characters. This is written in invisible ink, and the dingbats are a code which gives a clue to the location of the pirate treasure.

I was a bit disappointed that some of the elements of the story were left out, like Legrand's African manservant, Jupiter, and the fact that we broke the code in this game by playing a mah jongg game. When I read the story as a kid, I broke the code using the clues in the story before I bother to flip a couple of pages further along to see what it was. This should have been added to the game. Even though some of the base elements from the story were left out, it did move the game along. It also leaves out the fact that LeGrand has gone insane after losing his fortune. No wonder he is desperate for treasure. There is also a mysterious figure that is attempting to thwart our efforts.

The game uses the basic HOM formulae, find this thing, hope it works in that thing, and hope it works in this lock, and so on. Ive really gotten to liking the Poe games, and with ERS Game developers improving the quality with each one, I look forward to more, so long as it stays away from The Tell-Tale Heart and The Cask of Amontillado. Show less

I recommend this game!

+9points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

8 of 9 found this review helpful

Good game, but there's room for improvement!!!

PostedJanuary 16, 2013

SolarEclipse

Skill Level:Expert

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

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I liked the game and the idea of a treasure hunt. But the locations and the graphics kind of sucked all of the life out of the concept. Unfortunately, I played “The Gold Bug” after having played other ERS games like “Spirits of Mystery: The Dark Minotaur,” “Reality Show: Fatal Shot,” and “Phantasmat: Crucible Peak.” And honestly, it just seems like ERS got tired when it came to “The Gold Bug” and ...Show more

I liked the game and the idea of a treasure hunt. But the locations and the graphics kind of sucked all of the life out of the concept. Unfortunately, I played “The Gold Bug” after having played other ERS games like “Spirits of Mystery: The Dark Minotaur,” “Reality Show: Fatal Shot,” and “Phantasmat: Crucible Peak.” And honestly, it just seems like ERS got tired when it came to “The Gold Bug” and wanted to work on their other games. I’m not sure where this game was in their overall development process, but it definitely didn’t get the star treatment that the others did. It just seems like they were more excited and into the other games that I played prior to this one.

I liked the character LeGrand, he was comical. And Dupin was great, but I actually think he needs his own game. I like the idea of him as a detective and I think he would flourish if ERS took the character and did an original mystery or detective story with him. I think it’s difficult when you’re adapting a literary work because the characters are somewhat limited by the original text. And I loved the dog Arthur and how he would bark and sniff out objects that you gave to him. However, I sense there is more potential. It would be nice to take Dupin and make LeGrand his partner and keep Arthur as their assistant and just give them their own unique landscape and game to explore. Dupin is just so dazzling and distinguished. I could see Dupin and LeGrand paired in sort of a Sherlock Holmes and Watson kind of way plus the dog. I’m not sure if this concept is in any of Poe’s writings. If not, it would be at least worth tossing the idea around.

The hidden objects scenes were good and clear. And there were a few of ERS’s newer kind included. But it just didn’t quite feel like a treasure hunt. It kind of lacked that real diehard adventure that people kind of associate with the concept. The idea of finding a pirate treasure is always interesting, but the premise was kind of trapped in a typical “Dark Tales” fashion. The game just lacked the “Wow!” that some of their others had. But it was good for what it was. Overall, I liked it and it was worth playing. But it didn’t have the urgency or immediacy that the other games that I mentioned did. But if you’ve played the other “Dark Tales” games, then it’s at least worth solving one more mystery with Dupin. Show less

I recommend this game!

+7points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

9 of 12 found this review helpful

Best of the Dark Tales

PostedJanuary 11, 2013

biscuitsmama

fromSacramento, CA

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Skill Level:Expert

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

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

I really think this is the best of the Dark Tales games to date. This developer does an awesome job with entertaining us and providing us with some of the best games available.

IMHO, no other developer does animals quite as well and the wonderful "Newfie" won my heart very early on.

In this game we have many IHO (interactive hidden object) scenes, some are the standard look for objects but many ...Show more

I really think this is the best of the Dark Tales games to date. This developer does an awesome job with entertaining us and providing us with some of the best games available.

IMHO, no other developer does animals quite as well and the wonderful "Newfie" won my heart very early on.

In this game we have many IHO (interactive hidden object) scenes, some are the standard look for objects but many are the silhouette type. We have been given some great puzzles as well. I really like that some mahjong and matching type puzzles have been included in the mix. Some of the puzzles are not as easy as they look. I like that even a few of the IHOS have mini puzzles included that must be solved before moving on.

All in all, we have been given a very entertaining game with very nice graphics and excellent voice-overs. IMHO this developer designs very realistic characters who move well and don't seem choppy, which IMHO add to the quality of the game.

Thanks ERS and BFG for a very nice game that I highly recommend. Show less

I recommend this game!

+6points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

4 of 4 found this review helpful

Fun Hidden Object Game

PostedFebruary 6, 2013

katyann

fromLubbock Texas

Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Puzzle

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I really enjoyed this game. The right amount of hidden objent and puzzle's. Story line kept me interested. I have gotten so tired of demon based games will not by any more. found this just right. please more of these.

I recommend this game!

+4points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

4 of 4 found this review helpful

Fun HO game

PostedJanuary 15, 2013

mephistopholes

fromWicklow, Ireland

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Skill Level:Intermediate

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

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

This game from the ERS stable provided me with several hours of entertainment.I played in casual mode. There are two types of HO scenes, traditional list and outline-logic. Mini games aren't too difficult and can be skipped if the brain is on strike. Music not intrusive and voiceovers and cutscenes worth a look.

I recommend this game!

+4points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

3 of 3 found this review helpful

GREAT GAME!!!

PostedJanuary 28, 2013

bloom2diaspro

fromSydney, AU

Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management

Current Favorite:

Nightmare Realm: In the End... Collector's Edition

(99)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I really enjoyed this game it's a really fun (and a bit creepy) but still i liked it. great HOG game but still it gets a little bit boring at the end but i still recommend this game!!

I recommend this game!

+3points

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Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe's The Gold Bug Collector's Edition

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