Your Comments and Reviews for Mystery Case Files ®: 13th Skull ™ Collector's Edition

Hey fishies,

Just a quick reminder to keep this thread about reviews of Mystery Case Files ®: 13th Skull ™ Collector's Edition.

If you'd like to start a new discussion comparing this installment to the rest of the series, you're very welcome to create a new thread in the game forum!

Happy gaming!

bfgImbrium

sandybottom wrote:Gulp.... I bought game today because it's a MCF, but reading the forum before playing is causing me concern. I expected huge, overwhelming applause, kudos to BFG. On the other hand, I'm intrigued that live actors give clues, that hidden object scenes are stockpiled (challenging) and a banner across the bottom assists with gameplay. I so want my DH to experience a game with me and this sounds like it could be just the game for his introduction. I'm sure the actors vs the characters will appeal to his interest. BFG may have opened a door to a new wave of gamers !!

I love your attitide sandybottom! Yes, it's different...change is difficult for some fishes...I say - take the ride!

First thing I did this am when I got up was download this game. Of course, I had to start playing. I like the interaction with the "real" characters. I have only just started and so far I like it. Anyway my only concrete contribution is that it downloaded quickly and installed fine. Unfortunately I had to go to work and don't know since I am cooking tomorrow if I will get back to it today - so sad. Happy turkey day to all

mayb e a bit too moderator there...anyway, to the game

I like it. I can always use a little hand holding and love romping from room to room.I keep finding and losing the strategy book..keeps appearing and disappearing when needed..but I'll try not to need it.
Loved the lazy susan in the kitchen..I'm sure later I'll hate it, but development=wise, it's pretty sweet.
-The actors are fine, thought it would be a problem after some of these reviews, but they are pretty good, and fit into their background well.
-sounds-eeeps, howling wind. Last thing I want to hear since it is doing the same outside for real and my power will likely disappear before Thankggiving Day. But that's a personal problem. The music is nice, I'm originally from the south the like the blues harp and blues guitar.
-the southern accent of the maid was terrible. Sorry, no one says "jawlin", especially when your working in the Missus' house.
-sounds in closet sound like Darth Vader---inhale, exhale...I cracked up. Don't think that was the intention.
-the map should havve been jig-sawed since you had to find the pieces anyway. Love jigsaw puzzles inthese games. they are a sit back and relax time. But this one soled itself and even taped itself whole...wah.
-like the "calm down" and ivy when the clicking was too much..cute
so, after a sort of hour..this was a really nicely done game. I didn't come in to it with expectations since games contantly change and evolve.
You might want to check out one at Lamehouse called Circus..and moderator, please ask your boss to grab that one...everyone in here will buy it.
Chris

OK, I had a bad, bad night. The forums went down for Maintenance, and I think my cable internet was having problems at the same time - I tried refreshing, opening new windows, etc. and all I ever got was the Felix in the hardhat, saying they'd be back soon.

I finally gave up nearly an hour after game launch, and when I woke up this morning everything worked fine - and I realized that the forums were back up and running soon after they went down, everybody else still had fun on the Speculations forum and Picman's Entertainment thread, and I MISSED IT.

BTW, Picman, I've got a few half-frozen tomatoes out in the garden that I never got around to clearing up. They've got your name on them for the "red herring."

I played the trial version just to make sure I had no issues (I didn't) and my computer has been downloading the full version for the last HOUR, and I'm at 38%. Since I'm also having issues with my email loading, I think the slow download can be blamed on Comcast.

So far, this is one of the best games I've ever played, and it looks like we will certainly get our money's worth in play time. I'm thinking that the slow dowload is actually a blessing, because I need to get a LOT of cooking done today, and this is forcing me to start on that instead of getting sidetracked on 13th Skull. As soon as I've played a couple of hours, I'll post a bit more on the game, but for now I want to say I really like the options menu, the videos are a huge improvement over the usual cardboard cutouts with the speach bubbles or the comic strip panels, and I can't wait to find Posey.

Thank you Big Fish. I wait every year for these games. Downloaded it this morning with no problems. Took about 20 minutes. You just keep getting better and better. Keep up the awesome job. Off to the store to buy Thanksgiving goodies and then off to work. I will be playing as soon as I get home. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

I agree with CasualGran. You guys have raised the bar on hidden object games. This game is a screaming deal at the price of $13.99. Awesome graphics, a story line that grabs you from the beginning and real people to interact with. Move over play station and xbox. Big Fish has got you beat.

I got very disappointed I was soooo looking forward to the release. I didn´t like it at all, the music was bad and I didn´t like the actors. I want a game to be game...
The HOG scenes were to much junk style.
Obviously it´s a No Buy for me (besides I´m an OS fishie )

RTR was the best.

Just played the demo and I LOVED it. Now I have a dilemma...do I buy the CE or not. As a rule I don't usually buy CE's but I made an exception for Dire Grove and I may just make an exception for this one.

As for the game...graphics were stunning. All of the attention to detail was amazing (the turning of the lazy susan for example...just those little touches add so much to the game). The sounds/soundtrack could be annoying but I rarely pay attention to the soundtrack anyway and I can manage to tune it out.

The speaking to real live people was a little weird at first, but you get used to it. I think it could have been done just as well without the live characters, but I didn't mind it. For those who say you can't turn off the dialogue...yes you can. All you have to do is click anywhere on the scene and the character will stop talking. You can even choose which topics you want to hear about or not. But be aware there is an achievement tied to the character's dialogue.

The HOG scenes were yes, typical junk pile but what do you expect in some run down mansion in Louisiana? It kept the searches challenging for me.

And I think the strategy guide is a plus for this type of game where it's inevitable that you will get lost. And, yes, it is an in-depth strategy guide. When you first open the guide all you have are your basic objectives (i.e....collect the maid's cleaning supplies). YOu then have to click on that objective to get the step-by-step of how to do it.

What else can I say other than I loved it and I'm going to really think hard about getting the CE. For those who hated it immediately just a little advice (take it or leave it). I also hated the last Hidden Expedition immediately b/c it was so different than the others. But I gave it a chance and played it and wound up loving it. So anyway, take that for what you will. Sometimes different doesn't always mean worse.

Well, I have to admit, I was a bit leary of the live actor scenes, after reading about it and watching the preview. That's the reason I didn't like Dire Grove as well as RTR. Although I will make an exception for the MCF series (since this seems to be their new 'thing') if this was any other game, I wouldn't buy it. For some reason, I just plain don't like it!! BUT this game blew me away!!! Doesn't make sense to me either and I can't explain why.
Maybe because-
Graphics are stunning. I love the dark and eerie games. Rain, dripping spanish moss, poking around in an old, creepy estate. Sound effects are great. When I found things on the hidden object list, it sounded like a beating heart. I opened the fridge and was greeted by an icy, cold wind sound!! I really like the attention paid to small detail!!
From what I've played, I didn't encounter many hidden object scenes yet and it was totally by surprise when I did run into one. I would open a drawer or a door and there's the sparkles. I thought the hidden object scenes I did play were good- some hard, some easy. I had a heck of a time in the fridge!
The actor video in combination with game play is original, flawless and didn't in any way, interrupt the game flow for me (as I thought it would). It seems there's alot of places to remember and to further investigate later on, so it'll be closer to the 15 hour mark for me to complete.
Different-most definitely!! But in a good way!
I can't play at the present time because I have to make some pies. But will hopefully get to purchase and play later on.

eta: loved the music!!

D/L this morning and couldn't wait to play. I got to play for about 45 minutes before I have to head out the door. So far, I've enjoyed it. It is a bit different from the other MCF games, but I like what I've seen. Can't wait to get back to it Madame Fate is still my fav tho.

Review for Mystery Case Files (I played the 1 hour trialtime and the betatest):

If you prefer the newer Mcf games (Dire Groove and Return to Ravenhearst) this game is maybe nothing for you, because its much easier. The puzzles I have solved in my trialtime are simple, you get directly instructions what to do, the "searchingfield" is not so big like in RTR. The other point some people maybe dislike are the real people in the game. The third point might people annoy, is that you can skip a dialogue, but don`t make them speak faster (either you hear the hole often very, very long dialogue or you skip the hole thing).

The graphic is really great - the best I have ever seen. The storyline is also a great point and I want to find out "the true". The hogparts are also good, but much easier then in Dire Groove and RTR. I had no technical problems with the game - in the betatest I was only play this game in window mode (I have a very big screen -over 1920), they have worked on it and I can now play in full screen mode!

For me this is the best game in the Mcf-series, because I was never able to solve all the hard puzzles in older games, especially the hard ones in RTR. I like that this game is much easier. I like also the real people, the graphic and the story. I will buy as a Collectors Edition next week because I think I will need definete the integrated walkthrough (I was already stuck sometimes in my trialtime lol). (I hope Bigfishgames has solved then the VAT-problem).

Played the demo for a full hour and since I'm slow, didn't get as
far as most people did. It's a good game, I like it. What I was
hoping to say was: It's a great game, I love it.

For me, real actors are a bit off-putting (is that a word?) but if
they're going to be there, why all the extra clicks to get them to
finish talking?

Was still looking for cleaning supplies when my demo ended but
not "gripped" by the story at this point, so not a problem to wait
the 4 or 5 weeks to demo the SE. With it being a MCF, I'll
probably buy it.

Did enjoy Dire Grove, but for me, RTR is still the best of the
best.

Just played the demo and I wasn't sure if I was playing a game or watching a 'Hoarders' episode. (Especially the refrigerator....it's one thing for an abandoned house but one people are living in??!!) Good game and I'll buy it, but so far not the best MCF I've ever played and not worth the hype that's surrounded it. Maybe that's our fault for expecting another Madame Fate but with lasers! I also just read there are no morphing items. That's right, NO morphing items. Huge disappointment. Please bring back the morphing items! Pirate Crowns be darned.

I love MCF so didn't hesitate to buy this game, even without trying the demo...

:Wow! I really like this game the graphics are great. It looks like the story line is very good. The hint button recharges fairly fast. It was well worth the wait. Five thumbs up

I am downloading now, downloading rather fast. cant wait to play. I have 5 days
off work to play.
hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving.
Enjoy the game, I know I will

I read the posts, bought the game without trying it first, because I know how awesome Big Fish Games Customer Support is, and I am SO HAPPY!! I have only played a half-hour, and really am enjoying the game.

Thank you again Big Fish Games, Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!

Still in the process of playing the game. After a few mishaps in the wee hours of the morning, the game loaded and everything is great. I love this game so far; the interaction between live characters and gameplay is great. Can't wait to finish the game. On the quest to find Posey!!!!

To the rest of the fishies from our other forum. I became a Starfish!!!! YAY!

Congratulations, mouldmom! I've been playing for about 1-1/2 hours and still haven't found Posey, so it looks like we will get a lot of gameplay out of this one.

For those of you who didn't visit the Speculations thread for this game, Posey is the name we gave to the Captain ghost before we found out his real name. We liked Posey better, so it stuck.