nerd alert : big fish sampler 2

This past weekend I stayed in and played a bunch of 60 minute Big Fish trials - Yes again. Not only is it free, but its a great way to get really good at telling which games are worth your hard earned dollars.

Let me tell you a little about the three I played this past weekend...


01/
Twisted Lands: Insomniac Collector's Edition

01/ fingerprint shirt $16.00  //  02/ Syringe necklace $16.94  //  03/ frog print $21.00

You wake up strapped to a hospital bed, the doctor tells you he is to perform a lobotomy the next day. Understandably shaken you decide to fidn your way out of the hospital. The vent above your bed provides you a quick escape from your room and you begin your journey, or so you think. There are toad like people at every turn, foiling your attempts at freedom.

Ever wonder what its like to be insane? well look no further! I honestly think I gained some insight into mental illness playing this game, I was just as confused as my unstable leading lady and after the hour was over I still wasnt sure what was going on.

Overall strength of the games story line 4/6
Quality of the graphics, especially in the seek and find elements 6/6
How far through the game did I feel I was after the hour 5/6
Odds that I would buy the full version of this game 4/6


 02/
The Missing : A Search and Rescue Mystery

01/ blue crystal $10.00  //  02/ steam punk gun $30.00  //  03/ tent fire starter $12.00

A group of student researchers are in trouble and you are called in to help. what you find is an island full of mystery (and its own monster to boot). track down the students and get to the bottom of the mysterious monster before its too late.

The hour didnt have me sitting on the edge of my seat, not by a long shot. The plot didnt thicken, and the story fell flat. There is a monster, there is a power hungry team member and there are a lot of puzzles - I'm sorry but there was so much potential and no delivery.

Overall strength of the games story line 2/6
Quality of the graphics, especially in the seek and find elements 6/6
How far through the game did I feel I was after the hour 4/6
Odds that I would buy the full version of this game 3/6


03/
Shiver: Vanishing Hitchhiker Collector's Edition

01/ spooky house print $7.50  //  02/ camera ring $15.50  // 03/ piano key print $25.00

A hitchhiker leaves something in your car, a teddy bear, something you remember from your childhood. Return and try to find her as you piece through the broken history of a town that holds the history of the mysterious hitchhiker.

So am I allowed to tell you this is the scariest Big Fish game I have played to date? It honestly made me jump! Thrilling to say the least. the puzzles were challenging, the environment was vast and the graphics were gorgeous.

Overall strength of the games story line 6/6
Quality of the graphics, especially in the seek and find elements 6/6
How far through the game did I feel I was after the hour 6/6
Odds that I would buy the full version of this game 6/6


So.. which one would I buy? Shiver: Vanishing Hitchhiker Collector's Edition. Between the highly developed layout of the game and the number of times I jumped, it definitely gets an A+

*** Update: Purchased and played Shivers in its entirety. The game took 2 hours and 22 minutes to finish, so I was about half way through it after the hour trial. The storyline was alright, but you never really understand why you knew the girl you were following in the first place, which is a big story gap in my opinion. The scariness kind of fizzled too, and the ending was a bit lacking - hopefully it was a build to a sequel.... all in all it was a great game - but I would advise waiting for the $2.99 coupons that Big Fish is famous for! updated ratings:

Overall strength of the games story line 5/6
Quality of the graphics, especially in the seek and find elements 6/6
How far through the game was I after the hour 4/6 (i was exactly half way through the game)
Odds that I would recommend the full version of this game 5/6 (with a $2.99 coupon code)