User Reviews (21 - 31 of 36)

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Does not have 360 degree turn...

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 2 / 5
Date: November 07, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I've played Myst games and Scratches, and although the first 2 Myst games were without the 360degrees turn, Myst 3 and 4 had 360 degree turn in the game. The reason the first 2 Myst games did not have 360 turn was that they came out in the early 1990's. This game did not have that, and I was expecting it to have it, mainly because its a recently new game that probably came out last year or so. Another thing is I just didn't care for this so I returned it for a refund. Sorry to be the only one here who didn't pick up interest in this one.

Could've Been DARK FALL3

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: May 26, 2007
Author: Amazon User

For those of you who are, like myself, anxiously awaiting Dark Fall 3, get Barrow Hill! Could've been titled ( with all due respect to Mr. Clark and his team) "Prepare for What Happens After 'Lights Out': Barrow Hill." The atmosphere is familiar and even some of the sounds from Lights Out are in here (Jonathan Boakes is involved, of course). Looks great and user friendly. Highly recommend.

Spookily Fun!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: October 26, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I've played many of the adventure games (Syberia, Orient Express, etc) and this one was absolutely the most FUN. "Fun" is the keyword here. None of the puzzles required a degree in abstract philosophy... there are clues everywhere (take lots'a notes and print out the map). And the clues don't generally come up in sequence... so don't worry about finding things in the proper order. And there are distractions; they can be fun too. Though the graphics are minimally animated, they are very good... and "creepy" might describe them best. The music and the sound effects are perfect and kept me "looking over my shoulder". And... it is possible to get killed... although the game will simply start you back up just prior to your death.

The endings (both- good and bad) were pretty anti-climactic, but the journey was worth the destination. All in all, this is, to date, the most FUN adventure quest I've ever played!

Very Impressive with Great Attention to Detail

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: October 29, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is one of the best "point 'n click" adventures I have played in a long time, for MANY reasons.

-great atmosphere, super spooky lighting and shadows with creepy
unsettling sounds and music track. Eerie footsteps and breathing sounds follow you wherever you go.

-Logical puzzles that are not randomly put in. Basically, all the puzzles have a why along with the how. They use more realistic ways of putting in "puzzles" like having to use a GPS system or metal detector to find important items instead of having to solve some silly puzzle to open a secret door to get to the loot (heck, in this game sometimes you can just go for the practical "prying open" solution to a locked object).

-VERY accurate details regarding Cornish history and legends (they even went out of their way to record real Cornish crickets for the background sounds).

-VERY accurate info on Wiccan and Pagan practices and philosophies. I actually am Wiccan/Pagan and a lot of their info was spot on in regards to what we actually practice.

-They included a bunch of information regarding the game and things portrayed in the game on the disc. So, even when you've finished the game, you can go find out about the real "Barrow Hill" and some general stuff about Paganism.

Some might not care, but being a Pagan myself it was very refreshing to see such an accurate (at least when it comes to the information provided), positive approach to a spooky story involving Pagan practices. It shows the Pagan ideas and beliefs as forgotten and misunderstood instead of the typical picture of us as wild, Satan-worshiping, human-sacrificing heathens. So many suspense or horror stories involving Pagans are so inaccurate, as if we need to be shown as monsters to have the story be frightening. This story accomplishes BOTH, scaring the pants off of you while still using accurate information (except for the super fantastical elements in the story. Once you play, you will know what I mean...)

There were, however, some shortcomings, but they were so small I didn't think they really called for a subtraction of stars from my review (maybe a half a star, but since I can't give it 4 1/2 stars I've given it 5).

-It was short. Yep, really short. I finished it in about 2 days of on and off playing (I had to take breaks it would creep me out so much). I only payed about 5 bucks for my copy, so it being so short really didn't bug me (except that I wanted to keep playing it!)

-It was a little low budget, but not as much as I would expect from a smaller company. The scenes were beautiful and and the atmosphere was great, but you could tell they were trying to save money whenever you had to talk to someone...they just had a lot of still pics instead of a movie of the person talking to you. This really didn't take away from the game though.

Anyway, the pros far outweigh the cons and I would DEFINITELY recommend this to:
-Wiccans or Pagans (or those interested in Paganism or "Witchcraft")
-Suspense or Psychological Thriller fans
-Beginning players or players that don't have a lot of time to obsess over a game

However, I would NOT recommend this game to:
-People who have a hard time with Witchcraft or Paganism being shown as a positive thing
-Horror fans who like gore (this game has none...)
-People who have a lot of free time and want a game they can really sink their teeth into for a long while...

Absolutely GREAT game!

Good Game For Straight RPers

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: December 13, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game is cute and fun. It's easy to immerse yourself in it and become the unnamed main character. It involves some problem solving techniques, though nothing over complicated or too hard. I solved it in about two hours without a walkthrough. There is only one enemy and it will only kill you if you go on the wrong path before the required clues are collected and you don't have to even run from it then, just turn around. And even if you do die, nothing happens. There is no experience to lose, no levels to raise. You are basically in a scavenger hunt for items and clues in a very small playing field. You can set your own pace, but there really is not any point in delaying because unless you are going to the next clue, nothing will happen. The controls are stiff compared to modern controls, you basically click on the four sides of the screen to move with very little finesse, but at least you can cover huge areas with a single click. The sounds are moody and believable, the atmosphere is not scary but somehow compelling, a little creepy and a little... well almost peaceful. It is a horror mystery, but it feels familiar, like an old well worn nightmare you know by heart. There are a couple of gruesome images, a fried slag heap that used to be a kid with twisted glasses, a single sneaker, and scattered coloring crayons, toys, and books and the on-phone killing of a dog, but it is mild enough to be kid safe.

If you are looking for a horror shooter, this isn't it. Get the Silent Hill Games.
If you are looking for something scary, this isn't it. Get the Fatal Frame Games.
If you want challenging puzzles and mind benders or obscure clues, this isn't it. Try Killing Ground for that.

If you want a fun diversion to remind you of simpler times, buy Barrow Hill and enjoy it.

Spooky Fun

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: December 01, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game uses the ancient stone monuments in Cornwall as a pretext for a very good point and click adventure. SOMETHING has been awakened! The graphics are detailed and interesting, the atmosphere is suitably spooky, and you will probably not have to consult a walkthrough every 15 minutes. I played this game on a Windows ME system and it never crashed and performed smoothly throughout. The only downside to this game is that you may find yourself playing it when you have other, more important, things you should be doing. No action, no mazes, no sliders - just spooky fun.

Pretty Good Bang For The Buck

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: December 27, 2006
Author: Amazon User

If you like the decidedly low-budget DarkFall series, you'll love this game. It's not flashy, but it oozes a creepy, unsettling atmosphere. The ambient music is great, and really adds to the game. It's certainly not going to win awards for detailed, innovative graphics, but for a few hours with the lights turned low and the sound turned up, you should enjoy some spooky fun.

Excellent adventure game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: December 29, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I received this game for Christmas and was hooked until I beat it. It only took me about nine hours of game time to beat, which was the downside, but it was a very interesting game nonetheless. The puzzles are just hard enough to keep you going, but not so hard that you give up and go find a walkthrough. I'd recommend the game for anyone interested in adventure gaming.

some gaming site reviews overly harsh

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: January 22, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I thought this was a good game. These days, any adventure game with reasonable puzzles and appropriate length automatically deserve praise in my book. There is nothing worse than a long game with ill designed puzzles/fights to turn this player off (are you there Call of Chthulu?). Barrow has decent graphics, a spooky atmosphere, well designed locations and a gripping plot. The ending may have been better but this one still stands above the crowd (also recommended: scratches). Looking forward to play Boakes' games next, also on the pad: the black mirror and its follow-up nibirus. Hopefully they will be as good as the Barrow.

Amazing

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: April 03, 2007
Author: Amazon User

You see yourself inside a city with no exit. You can't get out and everybody is gone. You have to solve the mistery of the Curse to get out. I liked it. It was fun. You read very little information and have to figure out the puzzles almost by yourself. But it's not difficult and you have clues all over the place. I really enjoyed the story and it's not an action game. It's plain mistery up to the last minute. You have an idea what's going on by reading some information but the doubt is on your mind all the time. It's not a long game, but it's fun.

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