Reviews for Haunted Hotel: Charles Dexter Ward Collector's Edition

Interesting I am just reading some more of the reviews after posting mine and I am trying to see what is with the reviews on the game scenes been slow to load, as I did the demo I had no problem with anything like that.

So I wonder if the slowness of the scenes been talk about had to do with individual computers and not the game itself.

Like I said I have not problem with the scenes been slow at all, I move around in the game with not delays.

I wonder . . .

I bought it immediately. I loved the graphics and the story.

Not the best of its type but not the worst either. I agree with some of the others that having the Hint take so long to recharge in Casual mode is irritating. I also find that some of the objects remain invisible even after getting a hint so I just have to click in that area. I don't mind things cleverly hidden, but darn near invisible doesn't qualify as cleverly hidden.

A reminder to the people who say "We've seen all this before, why do they have XYZ, that's old hat": not everyone has played as many games as some of us and for those newer people an "old hat" game could be novel. Indeed, except for the slow Hint and some of the objects being invisible this would be an OK game for someone just starting out.

I liked this installment better than the first two. The graphics were okay, although the scenes were a little dark. I played in the expert mode and found the hidden object scenes very easy, the puzzles interesting, yet easy. I completed the demo with 25 minutes left to spare and did not use the strategy guide. This makes me question the length of the game.

Again, we have a relative, in this case a brother, that is missing and we have to save them from the evil "force". I think the reason this game is so easy for me is because it is the same game we have been seeing for the last three years. Same storyline and same games. For someone new, I think it would be challenging. It is still not a bad game, but for me definitely not worth the cost of a CE. Maybe as a DD.

First, I know they're working on it and it has been said to the point of redundancy but I have a problem paying full price for a game I cannot play in full screen. Particularly when the alleged cause is that it's considered graphically more intense than previous versions. I did; hwvr, run the demo because I was intrigued by the prospect of a graphically intense game. This is not graphically intense. The artwork, while obviously skillful and certainly nothing I could accomplish myself (kudos devs), is fairly standard. There's nothing I saw in the demo that was above par by comparison to other games.

I like the story. I like the darker storylines. I'm more than a little twisted that way so they can write and rewrite a hundred times and I'll still be drawn in. I'm just not sure this is worth the CE price without the fix.

Well, not a bad game. I have two of the other Haunted Hotel games and really liked them, but not sure about this one. Graphics not bad, HOGs clear and quite simple, game play nice, hint system nice, games not dificult but take a little time, SG could be a bit more specific (when you are on one side of the property and need to get to the other without a map to see where you are in the first place, it's a bit difficult). Might want to also check the spelling and grammar in the SG...got a few errors.

I think this would have been much better with a little more sound. Half the time there isn't even any music and gets quite boring just running around. Didn't care for the long pause between scenes either.

Had 27 minutes left on my demo time, so not quite sure how long this is, since there is no hint in the SG. All in all, I did like a game, but not love it. It didn't grab my attention. Mostly because it was way to quiet and didn't build you up to the next step. I will put this one in the puddle and think about it a while before deciding if I want to purchase and add it to my pond of games.

Thanks for the reviews.

i tried it, din't like it much. seemed rather boring, and the graphics could have been way better. a column of smoke here and there sufficed for the spook factor, which would maybe have been a good lead in to something more. as it was, we are left hanging. hos were kind of blah. i was left with the impression of mindlessness, and think i will pass on this one. try it for yourself, you may enjoy it. my brain must still be full of Rite of Passage...

Each of these in the series has been different.
I do not use the hint button or guide so I can not comment on either.

Pros:
Awards for completing minis and accomplishing tasks.
No "sparkles" in difficult mode. YAY!!!
Graphics are clear, crisp and fairly standard.
Picture fills my laptop screen in stretch mode.
Music is not intrusive and sound effects are suggestively creepy.
Nice mix of H0S and the basic re-occurring favorites ( slider, tower, number, etc) mini games.
Fairly interesting storyline that was enough to encourage me to buy.

Cons:
Bring an extra pair of tennies. You do a lot of running around.
In the objective box located next to your inventory the text in the bottom line is 1/2 cut off. I only noticed the box in the last few minutes of play so it was not a problem for me.
Very slight delay in screen change.

Since there are only so many variations on the basic theme of ghosts and disappearances this is as interesting as most so it was a buy for me.

Happy gaming

ETA: Finished. Game gets scarier as you go along. Good length and bonus chapter was well done. A very enjoyable afternoon. Money well spent!
Have to add....Lovecraft would not be offended by this at all.

I found this to be very interesting.. I did peek at Guide every so often and puzzles, some were new and some were not.. I don't like so many puzzle's but as I remember now, the other Haunted Hotel's had lots of puzzles. Would not buy it as a CE but might wait for it as a SE.. A nice game for a hot humid Sunday. Give it 3 out of 5 stars..

I enjoyed the demo very much. This game is based, although I don't know how much, on H.P. Lovecraft's "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward," and there are Lovecraftian references all over. I am hopeful that the game will get more intense in the scary division; Lovecraft's stories always start out slow and build up the horror. I normally don't go in for CEs, but between the Lovecraft stuff and the fact that I have the first three Haunted Hotel games, I'm going for it.

The HOS have good, clear graphics. The hint button is slower than I would like, but outside of HOS it does let you know what to do. I found the graphics on par with Shiver: Poltergeist, but neither game (have only played demo on HH) has quite the spooky factor as Shiver: Vanishing Hitchhiker. However, I have high hopes for HH, given the glimpses shown at the end of the demo. The music wasn't intrusive or repetitive to me. I liked the way they did custom cursor. I didn't have any problems with slow loading between locations the way some people appeared to have. Can't comment on the SG since I didn't use it; the hint button gave me enough information when I got stuck.

I've been downloading the game since before starting my review. It is a huge file; 775 MB! I hope that is a good sign!

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Finished the game and the game is better as you go along. I am absolutely surprised at the negativity with this game. This game is SO MUCH BETTER than what we have been offered this past week. Really? You really think this game is that bad? It took me 6 hours and I could not hardly stop playing. For those who are abject to occult games, this is definitely not for you. You actually have to prepare potions. So.... I disagree and I actually think that playing the demo does not do this game justice! Nuf said!

Well, played the demo with 11 minutes left, and that after one mistake so I started over. I had little wait time between scenes, not enough to bug me.

I liked it; nothing at all like the previous games. Totally different storyline. Only thing in common is a hotel. Nice graphics; pretty easy HOG scenes (I like them). Not sure if I'll buy or wait for SE (probably).

One big gripe is not knowing what the bonuses are. I really prefer to see them ahead of time, and know something of the bonus game.

Celticcoco

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Well, I bought the SE - see my review over there, and I really liked it.

Whew! I finally finished it, after much head scratching and copious help from the SG. Not my kind of game, really, but I am an absolute sucker for CEs and always buy them, even if I don't like them. I know, I know, but some of us are weird.

Terrible lagging, cursor freezing, faded graphics, painfully slow hint/skip button, and too many locations to count on all 20 digits. I found it very confusing and sometimes just flat out baffling.

To be fair, I guess I have to say it is a clever game, from some intelligent minds. But the fun factor was not there for me. The BC served no purpose, to my mind, as the goal it was set up to achieve was not completed. This obviously paves the way for another sequel, but it rankled.

I think these devs have talent and are very good at what they do, but they are just not my style.

And they really have to sort out that navigation and cursor sticking. I probably could have been more positive if I had not been so irritated and frustrated with the constant black screens.

I rate it 6/10.

I finished the game and found it a great and long game. Nice HOS and a lot of puzzles.

Thanks BF and devs.

Completely agree with the positive reviews of this game. The demo ended far too quickly for me (47 mins) which is always a good sign. I had no lagging between scenes, used the system cursor so no problem with that, graphics were nice and crisp (not grainy on my monitor), didn't use the hint button so can't comment on recharge length, puzzles so far not too difficult and overall an enjoyable demo. And it looks to be a good length with plenty of places to explore.

Only slight niggle was the occasional sparkle to show an object/place to explore even though I played in expert mode but that wasn't enough to put me off the game. And the stretch option didn't make any difference; still had black bars down either side but I've got used to that now.

A definite buy for me when I'm able to afford it!

this is the best of all Haunted Hotel games (4). we will get the SE game.----------------------------doug & lisa

(Based on the demo)

I don't know any of the previous HH games, but I DO know The Case Charles Dexter Ward - so I was looking forward to the trial.

Obviously, the developers have inhaled their Lovecraft; the storyline seems to be well done as far as the original is concerned.
Everything else is a huge disappointment for me

I just can't stand the graphics! The whole place looks like a very cheap film set that tries to imitate suburbs in Eastern Europe twenty years ago (and had no money left for adequate filth and debris). Too clean and too poor to be atmospheric. It's just not... convincing?! The devs should have a little look at Gravely Silent or City of Fog, maybe.
The sound felt quite likeable at first but turned tedious and repetetive after a short while.
The mini games are ridiculous - I don't mind if they're not really innovative, but "too easy" would be an understatement (or the nicest thing I'd have to say).
Spend your money on The Haunted Village with Vincent Price if you want to enjoy the C. D. Ward story, fishies.

I have now finished the game. It took me 3 hours for the main game, and an hour for the bonus game.

I really enjoyed the main game. Liked all the puzzles (don't like it when they are too hard), and the HOS are nicely spaced and there aren't that many.

The bonus game was OK. Didn't care for having to do one puzzle after another, especially since most of them were not my kind of puzzles, i.e. I didn't have any fun doing them, and needed to skip quite a few.

Looks like we are going to see a follow-up game. Not sure if peeps when they buy the SE will be happy. The beginning of the bonus game was the continuation of the end of the main game...

I had no trouble with crashes or freezes during the demo, but this game doesn't grab me and say "BUY!" The HOGs aren't particularly difficult, but they do seem faded. That's the best way I can describe it. I would love to be able to increase the contrast. I know there's a way to do that on my computer, but I don't like to do it just for a game.

I'll skip the CE and if I can get the SE later on a DD, it could be a maybe for me.

ETA: I found more puzzles than HOGs in the demo. I usually skip puzzles, so that's another negative for me.