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roseisa's picture
roseisa

Apr 15, 2013

User review by roseisa

3

I played the SE version - cheapskate that I am and what worked as others have said are the graphics.

The graphics in this game for the characters is some of the cleanest, clearest and sharpest I have ever seen.

The storyline was eh, what was it about? Oh yeah that rights, really kept my attention, ummm right.

Voice overs were over the top and fit most of the characters.

You know I like being the detective in HO mysteries, but sometimes my ability to solve a puzzle, well it is limited by the game play and this game added nothing new to the genre.

Bottom line, ending was awful, replay value none, but those graphics for the characters were outstanding - final grade solid 3, but I cannot recommend a game with the loser ending the SE has.

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Smokey Shadow's picture
Smokey Shadow

Sep 23, 2012

User review by Smokey Shadow

3

This is the second in the Shadow Wolf series and I think I liked the first one better. gobaba has a good review of the story line. There are 3 modes of play, voice-overs & sound effects were OK, but the music did become redundant. There is text for those who would rather not listen to the voice-over, but if you read fast, like I do, you can’t click to continue until the character has finished speaking and that's annoying to me.

The graphics were very good; however, the text in the HO scenes was sometimes difficult to read due to the font that was used - cord with hook looked like cord with book! The Ho scenes, for the most part, were junk piles with some items that didn’t fit the time frame of the story. Hints recharge fairly quickly but the skip button does take quite a while to charge. Mini games are unique in many scenes and make you think.

There is a journal but no map so you do have to backtrack. The game is about 3 hours long and the bonus level in the CE version is about another 30 minutes.

I have to agree with the other reviews that the story ending was less than satisfying since it ended abruptly and the bonus level ending wasn't much better.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
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magfan's picture
magfan

Jan 22, 2012

User review by magfan

3

Like the first Shadow Wolf game, Shadow Wolf: Bane of the Family is one of those games where they seem to have chopped off the real ending of the game and made a bonus game out of it. As with the first game, I'd suggest waiting until Big Fish has a $6.99 sale on CE's.

Bane of the Family does have one improvement over Curse of the Full Moon -- the Hint works outside the HO scenes. But overall I liked the first game better because the story was more interesting. In the first game you have a real mystery to solve, and it isn't obvious until later in the game who is really responsible for the murders. In Bane of the Family you're simply trying to find the ingredients to remove the werewolf curse.

I don't remember there being as high a HO scene to adventure ratio in Curse of the Full Moon as in Bane of the Family. There were certainly more HO's in certain chapters. Also there seemed to be more "tricks" like fog and haze used to obscure objects in the HO scenes in this game. Not that the first game didn't use these "tricks" at all, but they just seemed worse in this second game.

For those who care about sheet music, the CE version of Shadow Wolf: Curse of the Full Moon allowed you to print out sheet music for the soundtrack. Shadow Wolf: Bane of the Family lacks this feature. You have 5 soundtracks to listen to instead of 4, but you can't print out any of the sheet music for them.

Bane of the Family took me 3hr 16min to complete and the bonus lasted another 40min for a total of 3hr 56min. The whole game really should have been an SE. 3.25 stars.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
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friendlybluedeaf's picture
friendlybluedeaf

Jan 20, 2012

User review by friendlybluedeaf

5

I LOVES THE GAMES AND LOOKED COLLECTION IN SHADOW WOLF MYSTERY: BANES OF THE FAMILY.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful
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aitchie's picture
aitchie

Jan 4, 2012

User review by aitchie

5

Just finished playing this game and enjoyed it - possibly not quite 5 stars, but better than 4 stars. I'd only take a little off as I finished the game rather quickly on advanced mode.

It is a nice second part to the first game, but self contained so it doesn't matter if you haven't played the other. It is well drawn and has a fairly distinctive style, but I didn't find it irritating like other posters have said. The objects are all reasonably easy to find, but not so much so that it is boring.

This is an adventure HOG so there is the added elements of working out puzzles and where to use objects which I always enjoy.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful
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jamm's picture
jamm

Jan 4, 2012

User review by jamm

4

Loved the demo!!! I agree with elldee with the positive review.

Loved the graphics and artwork. Hogs were great. I enjoyed the first game of this series hope we get another one soon lol

I purchased this game immediately after the demo.

Happy gaming...

0 out of 4 people found this review helpful
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elldee's picture
elldee

Jan 2, 2012

User review by elldee

4

Onward with a review (based on the demo)--

It's actually kind of fun to wake up each morning and check in with BFG to see what the newest release is, without relying on BFG Mudrock's predictions (although I do miss him).

This is a fitting sequel to the first "Shadow Wolf Mysteries..." An adopted daughter has inherited a terrible curse, and only the infamous Count can cure her. Now, where the dickens is he? The storyline (so far) is interesting and a bit different--no ghosts, no vampires, just a werewolf that starts out as a cute little cub. The Options Menu has very good choices--music and sound FX sliders, three gameplay modes (I didn't try the toughest one, so I can't speak to "sparklies"), cursor choice, and screen choice (sorry for those to whom this doesn't seem to work). The graphics and animations are indeed a little hazy, but isn't that befitting the theme?

The H0 scenes are cluttered, and I don't agree that a "sun" has to be a tiny, stick-figure engraving on a wall in the corner of the screen--no need for pixel-hunting. The hint system re-ups quickly, but the puzzle Skip button is painstakingly slow. That said, the puzzles range from easy to moderately tough. Well-done voice acting. Not too much traipsing about (unlike "...Raincliff"). There isn't a map (Rats!), but there is a slightly helpful Journal.

I can't guess about gameplay length--just four chapters in the demo SG--maybe someone who's bought the game can attest to the entire SG length. (ERS--take notice--the other CE this week included the entire SG in the demo.).

I'll probably buy this one to start out next month's BFG PunchCard--it looks like a decent follow-up to me! (3.8 stars, but I'll round up to 4).

Regards, elldee

4 out of 6 people found this review helpful
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sy99's picture
sy99

Jan 2, 2012

User review by sy99

3

Did you ever see a baby werewolf ? Here you have the opportunity. Very cute.

But :

Unfortunately I have to agree with the reviewers before. I was very disappointed with this game. Sure, it has the usual beautiful graphics like all ERS games but that isn´t enough. There are much too many HO scenes, the game is very straightforward, what you needed was very near, mostly in the next HO scene. The whole game through I had the impression to miss a lot.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
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gobaba's picture
gobaba

Jan 1, 2012

User review by gobaba

3

Another beautiful but vapid offering from ERS featuring the sequel to Curse of The Full Moon, with sumptuous graphics, a bland, clear story, repetitive music, an annoyingly clanging inventory, and just average adventure challenge. The HO scenes are many and hideous junkpiles, with some interactive bits. The puzzles are mostly easy, a couple slightly intermediate. There are a few voice-overs with mostly amateurish voice-acting.

You're charged with finding the formula that will save Count de la Pere's daughter from becoming a werewolf. There's some mild interference by the werewolf mother, but most of the adventure takes place at de la Pere's crib, a large castle. There's three modes of play, hints refill very slowly in expert, hints only are useful in HO scenes or say There's Nothing To Do Here, and there's no map. HO scenes are re-used frequently. Cutscenes are brief and done well.

Compared to the first Shadow Wolf Mysteries, I would say this is not as good. The main game lasts about 4 hours, the bonus game less than one. Neither has a very satisfying conclusion, and it promises a sequel. Also included in the CE are the SG, wallpapers, music, screensavers, concept art, and link to Big Fish forums. If you're fond of ERS games or this series, I'd say the SE is enough. Otherwise, I'd seriously consider spending your money on a better game. 3.6 stars

8 out of 8 people found this review helpful
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Pumpkin1974's picture
Pumpkin1974

Jan 1, 2012

User review by Pumpkin1974

3

DISCLAIMER: I just played the free demo.

I am usually a HUGE fan of ERS games; they, along with Alawar and Blue Tea, are some of the best and most consistent developers out there. Unfortunately, ERS's efforts with Shadow Wolf Mysteries: Bane of the Family are mediocre, at best.

This is a sequel to the previous game, Shadow Wolf Mysteries: Curse of the Fool Moon. You play a detective who is asked by a distraught mother to contact the Count in hopes of gaining a cure for her daughter's "illness". In so doing, you are drawn into a family's dark curse and a web of intrigue and betrayal.

The graphics, as you would expect of ERS, are quite good. If this were a game by another developer, I'd say that they were excellent. However, though good, they lack the brilliance I've seen in their other games, like the PuppetShow series. The plot is nothing special, either. It is similar to dozens of other games released. The voice acting is OK, but it is TOTALLY out of sink with the animation. The mouths keep moving even after the voice is finished talking. The hidden objects scenes are good, though, the mini-games offer nothing new and aren't all that challenging.

I'm afraid to say that this game felt like the developers got bored with it before they even started on it and just didn't really try. It might be good to someone whose never seen any of their previous work, but to a fan, it's not up to their standards.

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful
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