I'm a lover of the Eipix games, so I've been waiting for this one to come out, because the beta was amazing. The storyline is amazing. It's based on true historical events. A pirate became hanged, because a baron is jealus of him. He found out, that his wife once belonged to the pirate. Now he thinks, that this relationsship isn't over and kidnapps a little Boy. You have to find the treasure now, where the baron hopes to find love letters from the pirate and his wife. You gather a cruel crew, which doesn't want that the baron gets the treasure of the hanged pirate, but you get a helpful hand to escape the ship. But then the adventure just started... The graphics are perfect. They have many details and are not as dark as you would expect it. The atmosphere is great done, especially at the ship. There are drawn characters and voice overs. The voice overs are clear and fit into the game. One of the pirats has a nice voice, like you know it from a pirate in a movie. The Music is good too. A bit maritime and adventure mixed. Great done! The level of challenge is good. The gameplay is good and easy. Sometimes you Need to think a bit, but I didn't get stuck while playing. The puzzles are great like in all the other Eipix games, but they are nearly the same puzzles again like in the other titles. There should be new puzzles in the next game. The Hidden Object Scenes are challenging, especially because there is a little object scene in a hidden object scene. For example a bunch of roses where you have to find some objects. After that the bunch of roses is found an dissapeares from the hidden objects list. So there's a challenge here. The game has many achievements that you can earn, and it's not easy to get them all. You have to collect paper pieces while you play. The CE has the normal Eipix extras. So afterall this is another masterpiece for me and nearly the perfect game. Only the puzzles should get an update in the next Eipix game. But it's worth the money and for me a five star ga

These all seeing developers have done it again, a game that is thrilling and entertaining at the same time. A Pirate adventure that takes you out to sea in search of a lost pirate treasure in exchange for the life of a boy held hostage by a wicked baron. As always the visuals and sounds are first rate with outstanding graphics, clear cut animation scenes and well acted voice-overs. The music could have been less intrusive but again it does set the mood during gameplay. With three options of difficulty, you begin your adventure equiped with a map that will allow you to travel and indicate progress and a journal that will outline your tasks and hold your clues. This game is filled with puzzles to solve and inovative Hidden Object Scenes that are not only interactive, but also have silohette puzzles to solve within each scene making it difficult to meet some of the achievements that are listed. You also have to option to switch over to Match 3 game which really earned extra brownie points from me. Puzzles are relatively easy to solve and some of the mini-games required a bit more patience which is far better than just whizzing through them. There are collectables, pages with symbols strewn in every scene that unlock a coded diary located in your achievement room. Kudos to the developers for a game that not only is visually brilliant but a gameplay that is fun. I could have used a bit more challenge but then I will play hard-core mode for that. Unfortunately I cannot tell you how long it is, the SG only offers two chapters. I definitely recommend this game and look forward to set sail on the high seas in search of pirate treasure. There is more than meets the eye and that Baron seems to know more than he is letting on.

Sea of Lies begins with a cutscene as a famous pirate is about to be hanged but before he departs this world he taunts the crowd with his treasure. His last act is to throw his pendant to the crowd telling them that it is a clue to his treasure. A young boy grabs the necklace and brings it to you, and this is where the adventure begins. You soon find out that the game?s bad guy (a wealthy baron) has kidnapped your young friend and you must now find the treasure in order to save him. Of course the story is one of love, jealousy, greed, and revenge ? all of the things that make Sea of Lies a game you will want to play. The game has great graphics with a mix of computer generated and the beautiful hand drawn artwork that I prefer in game. The overall sound package in Sea of Lies is excellent. The music is very lively and brings to mind the swashbuckling theme of the game. Many times I found myself tapping my feet in time to the rhythm and felt like I should be up dancing a jig. The voiceovers are very good, particularly those of the scoundrels in the game whose voices were so realistic and believable that sometimes I just wanted to reach out and smack the creeps. The HOPs as they are designated in this game are very interactive and clever. They are a combination of silhouette and list and are sometimes HOPs within HOPs. I really like the way they are done in this game because it keeps everything very interesting and lots of fun. Another thing I like about Sea of Lies is that some of the puzzles are not quite as common as those we regularly see in HOPA games and that just adds to the enjoyment and challenge. Although they are a bit different, I didn?t find any of them to be too difficult. You have a journal that keeps track of your progress in the game and it has a separate tab for your objectives. There is also an interactive map that will indicate areas of interest. If you select the ?Insane? mode of gameplay, these areas will not be indicated on the map. Throughout the game you need

I had so much fun with this game that time just flew by. And it was stress-free fun! WHAT YOU GET: Journal with objectives Automatic widescreen 3 volume levels Very well done voice overs Realistic sounds 3 levels of difficulty Match 3 instead of HOS Jaunty music added to the atmosphere Interactive map showing objectives (and locations with available actions if playing casual), which can be changed during gameplay GAMEPLAY: The graphics were hand-drawn and beautiful. Lots of attention to detail in the environments. Story took place when pirates roamed the earth and the interaction between the characters keep your interest throughout. There seemed to be quite a bit of underlying humor in the drawings and dialogues. The HOS were incredibly fun. Everything was easy to find, but within each HOS was a silhouette mini-HOS. I think it was the mix of the two HOS types that contributed to the enjoyment. You could play Match 3 if you wanted, but I was having such a good time playing the HOS that I didn't even bother to try the Match 3s. I don't recall when I had such fun playing HOS. Puzzles seemed to be in an equal ratio to the HOS. They were easy but were also a lot of fun. Objects sometimes had to be combined to get a needed item to progress the game. There wasn't any wandering around trying to figure out what to do next. Very logical gameplay. CE extras include achievements, movies, making of, bonus play, pictures, HOS, puzzles, and music. The enjoyment and entertaining value of this game makes it a definite buy for me.

BASED ON DEMO FIRST IMPRESSIONS There are so many of these lately, they practically constitute their own sub-genre! Not that I?m complaining, I love them all. This one starts off very low key, only becoming truly exciting ?after the hanging?. But all the signs are there of another Eipix sensation. SIGHTS & SOUNDS Graphics are superb, although the cut scenes look kinda weird in texture, but I suspect that the inadequacy is in my graphics software rather than the game. There is plenty of rich colour and variety, and the incorporation of live actors (which I now recognise as Eipix team members!) into the visuals is exceptionally well done. The music is delightful. Nautical and cheerful, very Caribbean. The voiceovers are nearly synced and chosen well. Ambient sounds, wonderful. Sound can really make a game an experience, so I appreciate the effort Eipix puts into them. WHAT?S HAPPENING We are a lady detective in an era when, in reality, that would not have been possible, but it is still fun. A pirate is hanged, throwing a necklace into the crowd and challenging them to find his treasure. The young boy who grabs it brings it to you. Before we?ve had a chance to decipher its significance, we are summoned to the baron?s manor, where he hires us to find the treasure for him. To ensure our cooperation, he holds the young boy hostage. So we are off on a voyage that MUST succeed. The proceedings are complicated by the history of the baron, his wife and the pirate, so don?t expect smooth sailing! MAKING PROGRESS Mainly HO puzzles, with interactive lists, and a zoom-in HO scene with silhouettes inside each one. You can choose to play a Match 3 game instead - it is colourful and fun too. The few mini-games are easy and fun. The adventure tasks are helped by an interactive jump map, a directional hint that will transport you the next location if you are too far off base, a detailed journal and an objective list. Again, nothing too hard, but fun. BLING!

Based on the demo. As a pirate is hanged, he throws his medallion to the crowd challenging them to find his treasure. But there is more to this pirate than meets the eye and soon an intriguing tale develops. You are forced by the baron to find the treasure or "the boy gets it". As a CE, this has all you could want: * achievements (though one is "complete the tutorial" which is unfair if you are an experienced player) * collectibles * bonus chapter * jumpable map * regular CE features eg replays of puzzles and HOSs, pictures, movies, music and 'making of' 3 modes of play: regular/experienced/insane Music is good, if a bit 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and so loud it had to be turned down to hear the voices. Graphics well drawn with real actors for VOs, but I did struggle with the brightness/contrast and had to keep tilting my screen :-( HOSs are very interactive with a silhouette game inside each as the third level of interaction. All the same though :-( You can play match 3 instead. There are inventory objects to be combined and, on finding elements of the medallion, a part of "12 Labours of Hercules" is revealed. (Not sure why yet). A great game to have on a holiday sale weekend. Try it. You will love it.

This is a great new game, not part of any series. It opens with a hanging of a pirate, who throws out a necklace and a challenge to find his treasure. Your neighbor's son, Jimmy, brings you the necklace and so the adventure begins. You are Madame Adams, with a reputation as an investigator. You are summoned by Baron Le Fay (with a sophisticated, snooty voiceover and animation). He wants you to find the treasure, or else poor Jimmy will suffer. Turns out the Baron's wife used to be with the pirate, and the Baron hanged him out of jealousy! There is a reference to the twelve labors of Hercules in the demo, with the lion and the hydra ones called out first. Somehow, I think you will be doing these, or something similar. The HOS are wonderful -- best I've seen. Each one starts as a list, but one item on the list opens out into another HOS with a silhouette list to find. Plus each HOS has a few interactive objects that automatically delete themselves when the interaction is finished - nice touch! The mini-games are unique but not too hard. The scenery is bright and beautiful and the the voiceover actors are very good. You can play a Match-3 game instead of the HOS if desired. Additionally, there is a hidden scroll in every scene that represents a code for the alphabet that I assume you will have to crack to read something. There is a jounal with your diary and your objectives. And the map is interactive, and gorgeous. The hint button is a bit slow to fill during the HOS, but during the game opens to a picture of where you need to go, or what objects need to assembled. Of course there are achievements to easily view via an icon on the main screen. And a Strategy Guide and Bonus. I can't wait to see what's next!

Based on demo. Another game from Eipix---their staff must work lots of overtime. This is a lighthearted and fun take on the pirate genre. Nasty Barons, wives with murky pasts, little boy hostages, treasure to find, the beautiful Caribbean, and pirates! What more could you want from an adventure? This is a CE that has all the bells and whistles I expect from a CE. Tons of achievements to earn. Hidden papers to find in each scene. The artwork and graphics are topnotch. The HOSs each have a close-up silhouette HOS hidden within. The HOSs are also interactive which I like; they are more than simple lists of items to find. And if you don't care for HOSs you can play Match-3 games. Different levels of difficulty available. Some inventory items have to be combined with other inventory items in order to use them. I like this feature. Makes for more interesting game play. The puzzles are of medium difficulty. The music is very "pirate" appropriate. The cut scenes and VOs are also very good. The dialogue has a nice sense of humor to it that just increases the fun. The pirates are really rather sweet and made me smile. The devs have struck just the right note with this game: humor, fun, and adventure. What a great game!

I love the original storyline of Sea of Lies: Mutiny of the Heart ... IMO, we don't get enough "Based on a True Story" games, and the same goes for Pirate stories! As far as I know, this IS based on a true story, but only because the Devs say it is... I'm not up on my pirate history. But that's ok, even if the claim isn't true, it makes no difference to me, because it makes for a great storyline! This review is based on the demo only: Just a few facts.... the game gives you the choice of 3 modes to play: Regular, Expert, and Insane. The difficulty can be changed mid-game. I always play demos on the easiest setting - so I didn't give a rating for Level of Challenge. I found the difficulty to be fairly easy, as areas of interest all have glints; however, I'm happy to report these aren't so bright as to be intrusive, nor are they given right away. Also, if there's an area for which you need to first go to another screen, find an item, then return to that previous screen to use the item, the 1st screen doesn't have a glint until one has returned to it and can use the item found. The graphics are clear and well executed; this game is especially colorful. I found the HOS to be very detailed, but the items aren't so tiny as to be near-impossible to find. There's an area in each HOS that shows as an item that needs further discovery/action before it will be marked as found, that once you find it, another "mini-HOS" blows up to a "normal" size. Then, there are items shown in silhouette, that one needs to locate in that mini-screen, before the item is marked as found, back on that original HOS. Confused? Sorry - but if you play the game, maybe you'll think of a better way to describe- I'm at a loss! If you like more Adventure and less HOS, you might be a wee bit disappointed, as so far, almost every new scene contains one. On the bright side however, during the Demo, there's been no return to the same HOS - a BIG plus in my book! And, I wouldn't consider these wh

This is a fantastic game. From outstanding graphics to a very intriguing story. Heck you can practically smell the salty air from the ocean. It is so real. Eipix is slowly becoming my favorite devs. Superb realistic map, the ocean so clear even on the map that helps you find objectives. Collectables of course, achievements, HOS within HOS. New fun minigames. There is a lot to do and a few characters seem familiar from previous Eipix games. Nice treat. I love the story, based on true events. This game is simply stunning. Cannot comment on bonus. I have not finished it yet, but I am absorbing every scene taking my time. Much to do within the game, just what I like. One of the best IMO for the year so far.