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Very good!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 23 / 26
Date: March 13, 2008
Author: Amazon User

= PREFACE =

If you have played DarkFall I: The Journal, or DarkFall II: Lights out, then you don't need to read this review, you have probably bought the game immediately anyway. Yes, the entire game is one mans' job, Jonathan Boakes', and its not just acceptable; it is magnificent!

= SCENARIO =

You are Nigel Danvers and you find yourself limited to an interesting treasure hunt session in a somewhat isolated town called Saxton. Very soon some weird things will begin to happen. Will you survive these horrible events? Will you find your way in hunting down the hidden treasure? You are abount to find out SOON!

= GRAPHICS =

This time it is a 3rd person view, better in my opinion. It is almost full screen, with some space down for inventory (i 'd like titles in inventory items) , and some space up for the "Control Panel" Icon (The author *could* put there some option to quick save/load/quit) The graphics are mostly gray/screen, something that enhances the games mystery
theme, with a few nice drawn color additions. The ghost drawing an animation is very good, PLUS, almost all screens include some very very nice animation. Especially nice is the movement with the night vision of a camera on. Thumbs up and the best animation I 've seen!

P.S. You will be looking for some items in the forest at some point of the game, do not assume that all these items are colored.

= SOUND =

Being a professional musicologist, I have to judge that section stricly, and sound in this game is really good. Mysterious, ghastly and evil sound effects and music will compose a great atmosphere. However I (almost) missed what it hit me in The Journal and Lights Out: The sound isn't actually a part of the game action, it is there for a nice background - you can get the same pleasure by turning the sound off, something that would ruin the Darkfall's atmosphere.
Voices are good and clear.

= CONTROL =

No keyboard. Yes, I don't like that. Everything is mouse-driven, and, although you have a map, you can' move with the map, you have to walk to the locations manually. Also, it is not clear the fact that you don't have entire access to the town at certain points of the game (for example, in night 1, you can't go to a specific location but you don't get a warning message).
Subtitles are provided :)
Go top left and you have a menu which opens Save/Load etc. Only 8 saves ! :(

= ATMOSPHERE =

When a game is a masterpiece, reviewers are cruel. The game's atmosphere is very very good, but I still think that DarkFall I and II (and Darkness Within) is better in that section. There is nothing wrong with Lost Crown, but .... how should I tell? DFs were more evil, more frightening, whereas Lost Crown is more like a mystery than a horror game. This is not bad at all; but when you have played the DFs, you are somewhat expecting to be terrified even more!
It seems that Nigel finds the entire adventure more exciting than frightening... Well perhaps I will change my mind after I replay it a few times, but If I knew that the place I wondered around was haunted and there were evil ghosts everywhere kidnapping cats, I 'd get my a$$ outta there ASAP, not stay and even sleep in it!

= PLOT and RIDDLES =

This is the area in which the battle between this game and DarkFall I and II ends. DFs were very good, but relatively short. This game has a big plot scene (and I MEAN big) and lots of (inventory based, with one or two exceptions) puzzles. Also, because the game limits your access, you don't have to consider wandering around the entire town if you are stuck, so this effectively reduces your frustration. There are no tough puzzles, just a common sense of logic. Yes, this is my small complain, DFs were a lot tougher to finish - but also a lot quicker to finish.

= Vote For =

* Big plot
* Animation in almost all screens
* Great graphics and sounds
* Will run even in lower-end PCs
* No bugs/crashes (Well, don't try to use the walkie talkie at the night after you have used it previously in the day, or suddently the sun will appear again !)
* Subtitles allowed

= Vote Against =

* Not scary. No match for DarkFall I, II, Darkness within, Shadow of the comet etc... Perhaps not being scary is an advantage, but I miss it nevertheless.
* Only 8 saves (No comments...)
* No method to bypass the text - very annoying when you make the mistake of asking something that you have already asked. This thing would prevent me to play the game again.
* I don't like the way that Nigel reacts to horror events; For example, I wouldn't be that 'cool' to simulate a call to the spirit as he is in first night; It seems to me that he was already aware to what would happen.
* No keyboard; yes I don't like the mouse. Especially when you have to click some times to save your game. At least, double click works :)

= OVERALL =

A piece of excellence. Get it, its really worth your $. It is a masterpiece, perhaps lacking the actual horror element, but a very fine job nevertheless.

==== [SPOILER] ====

I didn't like the ending. I don't know why, but I never like the endings in most games. Can't anyone ever create a magnificent ending like that in Monkey Island 2 or Laura Bow 1 ?

A must for ghost hunter enthusiasts

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: April 16, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This game was on my want list for awhile after I saw news of it on-line. After getting it, I'm highly pleased at the outcome. If you are, like me, a paranormal investigator (when time and people allow that is), then "The Lost Crown" is a must-own for your collection of books, games and videos. I've played through "Dark Fall: The Journal", "Barrow Hill" and most of "Scratches" (still haven't completed that one yet. The cellar music alone will freak you out for quite awhile. Perfect for any Halloween haunted house setup), but "Lost Crown" is the best in the subject of history, characters, locations, imagery, music, sound effects and, most importantly, spectral phenomena (be it EVP, photo or video).

I've seen many state that this is a "very boring game". It all depends on your style of gaming. Sure, "Lost Crown" is slow in pace, but I like that. This isn't a shooter, it's an investigative journey filled with tons of fascinating data about the real town of Saxon. The three games I mentioned before weren't fast-paced either, but that did not make them bad. On the contrary, a slower pace creates more tension in the story. Granted, I would like to have been able to make Nigel run, but the double-click feature of quick jumping to the next location while moving is very handy.

Graphically, the game is beautifully done. Even though the views are all in black and white, with sparse coloring of objects here and there, this adds a film noir kind of look to the places. The use of real photography makes the environments much more realistic and enjoyable to experience. I've made a bunch of great desktop wallpapers from some locations (taking Nigel out of the images, of course). Would have been nice to see more 3D insects and animal life additions to the scenes though. There are some here and there, like the seagulls and cats in town or the ravens of Northfield church or the horses of the Ager's homestead, but more would have been better.

Character wise, the third-person perspective of everyone is another well-done addition. Normally you spend the whole game in first-person POV with titles like this. You do have segments of this style in "Lost Crown", but it is mainly used for when you look at objects. A slightly negative point for me concerns the moving of the 3D characters. Sure, this isn't a title that has had thousands of dollars spent on its creation, but everyone could have been less robotic their movements. Other games with characters of less detail have moved more smoothly and swiftly than those in "Lost Crown". It shouldn't have been all that hard to do give them accurate turning and walking fluidity.

Another con concerns the maps. You obtain two in the game - one of the town and the other for the countryside (from a photo taken in the museum). Most games that I have played over the years normally gave you the ability to click on a map location and instantly jump there. That isn't the case with "Lost Crown". Nigel must travel everywhere on foot, no short cuts (except for a few location skips later in the game, but they are involuntary). This makes it slow going when you want to get somewhere quickly. It's not a nasty negative, just slightly annoying.

On the subject of sound, the game makes really good use of it. The music isn't irritating and fits every scene it is used perfectly. As Michail mentioned in his review, turning the music off doesn't take away from the spooky atmosphere of the locations since the sound effects fill in the gap nicely. Now, my one big complaint concerns the voice acting. It's not bad, but it isn't good either. Most of the time, you feel like they are trying to read the subtitles slowly while talking. I keep wanting to yell like a director and say "Talk faster! Put more realism in your voice!" Tonal inflections of emotions during conversations are not always done well. I wonder if the Darkling Room creators just had office personal do the characters. Again, the voice acting isn't awful, but it sure needs some energy put into it.

Now I come to the part that grabbed my interest in the game from the start. Ghosts. Yes, this title does them justice and in realistic ways. The spirit photography taken at locations looks amazingly accurate, the EVPs are really, really good (I should know, since that is my speciality and have hundreds of personally recorded, crystal-clear examples in my collection) and the Night-Shot Infrared Camera POV is spot-on accurate (expect for the scan line, but that's supposed to be something Haddon Industries did to enhance the camera). There are some definite creepy segments while out ghost hunting, like the dark spirit attack on the train rails and when the spirit walks out of the locked room in the museum after viewing the video of the town. Other games only use sound effects and moving objects to startle you. "Lost Crown" brings both of those and excellent ghost effects as well. Now, I don't agree with Michail when it comes to Nigel's enthusiasm on searching out the spectral places of the town and countryside. The character reminds me a lot of myself, for I am like that. :) Michail says, "If I knew that the place I wondered around was haunted and there were evil ghosts everywhere kidnapping cats, I 'd get my a$$ outta there ASAP, not stay and even sleep in it!" Well, that's your viewpoint, definitely not mine. If a place is haunted, that just makes me even more excited to check it out, even if a sleep over is needed. Not alone, of course. You should also have a partner or more with you when doing an investigation, for safety, in case of an accident and help with various equipment.

Though the ghostly aspects of the game were the real draw for me, I have found learning about the history of Saxon and other knowledge obtained about it very, very interesting. Until I played "The Lost Crown", I wasn't aware that nearly every location in it was a real place. This really makes the game special, like a virtual trip to a city you might never get a chance to visit. Another reason why virtual city games like "Driver3" (yes, it was poorly done, but the cities were accurate and fun to drive/walk around in), "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and San Andreas" (more so GTA4) and other titles of similar style are fun to explore. But, in the case of "The Lost Crown", you are learning and visiting a real place that is graphically displayed in accurate details.

In conclusion, "The Lost Crown" is a very enjoyable game that is leaps ahead of other titles with similar stories of paranormal activity and exploration. The length of it is also a plus in my book. Whereas the three games I mentioned before were fun, they were also very short. If you like a slow paced ghost investigation game with real history intertwined throughout the story as you explore real locations, then "The Lost Crown" is for you.

Great Game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: March 17, 2008
Author: Amazon User

When I first heard about this game, I was so excited ~ a mystery/adventure/ghost hunting game with REAL equipment? What a great concept. And Mr. Boakes really pulled it off. You really do get to use the cameras and EMF detector and the recorder. What fun!

Others have given great descriptions of this game, so please check those out.

If you can only afford to buy one adeventure game this year, this is the one you should get. It was well worth the extra wait (was originally due in November - I don't know what caused delay, but this ran smoothly on my computer).

So for sheer entertainment, I give it 5 stars.
For ease of use, 5 stars.
For overall quality of production, including atmosphere (WOW), 5 stars.
For plot, and progression of game, 5 stars.

Overall, a great game, and I really wish more computer software companies would make the effort to put out more awesome games like this one.

I will definately be buying anything else Mr Boakes comes up with!

So boring and incredibly dull ....

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 9 / 19
Date: April 10, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This has got to be one of the most boring pc games I have ever played. It's really tough to keep your attention up in order to keep playing it. This was so not what I expected this game to be like.

It's a typical third person point and click where you click an arrow for your character to slowly move from one area to another, unless you double click the arrow. The characters are cartoony-like with not much detail to them at all and their movements are very, very robotic and slow. The main character also acts like nothing scares him at all. He just seems intrigued by everything. There are also several conversations where you must select from a list of things to talk about and these conversations could easily lull you to sleep.

This game is incredibly slow paced. I mean really slow paced. And, the worst part of it all is that the game is really not scary. The bad third person character animations, the long dull conversations, the main character's reactions to everything, the incredibly slow pace, the bad voice acting of the other characters, and the complete lack of a scare factor all add up to one not very enjoyable gaming experience. If you want a truly scary adventure pc game, try Darkness Within or Penumbra Black Plague instead.

You Don't Want to Miss this One!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: March 16, 2008
Author: Amazon User

All I can say is, I want to go back to Saxton! I loved the game and everything about it. I don't need to go into details..someone already did that. But, this game is definitely a keeper. I want more!

Pretty cool game but needs to be scarier.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: March 17, 2008
Author: Amazon User

The town of Saxton is interesting and well laid out. The ghosts and mysteries are both sad and interesting and I like the main story. But for a horror game it needs a few more moments that make you jump a bit. Somehow Dark Fall 1 which was a much smaller and somewhat simpiler game had more atmosphere. probably the sound track. That said its well worth playing, with solid programming and only one minor bug so far.

Best addictive ghost hunting game ever!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: June 14, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I got this game in January, and was instantly addicted to it. It is almost like a good book or movie, it draws you into it as if you were there, it is that good.

I played it every night for hours and still it took nearly 3 weeks to complete it. The puzzles in it are not bad at all, everything you need is intuitive and somewhere within reach of the particular scene you are in. If you haven't found everything you needed, Nigel will say, "I am not yet finished here." or something like that. He will not go where he doesn't need to be so you won't be running about wasting your time in the wrong places. Places open up as you progress through the game.

This game has it all I think. You have the ghost hunting equipment like a tape recorder, a hand video camera, and a remote video setup for the haunted house Nigel lives in. There are many scenes to explore, with all the best elements besides the ghosts, caves, swamps, a seance, crystal ball, lonely railway walk in the night, dark walk through a tomb and a graveyard.

I really liked the black and white scenes with a few objects in full color thoughout the scenes. It gave it a 50's style haunted movie sense to it. Some scenes are in near full color, like the visits to the old lady, but in a faded color sort of way.

I highly recommend this game. I plan play it again after the memory of the details fade a bit so it will be like viewing a favorite movie or a good book again. It is so hard to find a good haunted ghost game out there. This is the best I have played since Phantasmagoria I.

Another note about this game, just when you thought it was over, there was still more! Just like a good horror movie, there is more when you thought you were done with it. This game is the type you won't mind playing again.

The Lost Crown: A Ghosthunting Adventure

Couldn't get game to work on Vista

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: May 22, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Because the game didn't work the first time, we sent it back to Amazon and they sent a replacement immediately. Unfortunately, we couldn't get that one to work, either, on our Vista operating system of our pc. Wrote to the company that put out the game to see if they had a suggestion, but they never responded. We are very disappointed overall, as this title looks quite interesting. We can't recommend this game for any pc owners using the Vista operating system. Would have been nice to have gotten some communication from the game manufacturer. It's not like it's difficult to answer email, people! Poor customer service from the manufacturer, but at least Amazon tried.

Tech Support Unresponsive

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 3 / 8
Date: June 03, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Despite the fact that my system exceeds all the stated requirement, the game would not load properly. The manual gives an email address for tech support however repeated emails never rendered a response.

Decent Story and not much else:

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 4
Date: March 27, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I agree with the guy who said that the game is boring and not scary. I also played Darkness Within last month and finished the game. My thoughts are that if you want a creepy - scary game play it instead. If you want a decent story with heavy British accents play Lost Crown. I however perfer DW over this title that is not the least bit scary nor exciting.

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