My In-Depth SHA Review

[disneygirl12]

Nice review! I like a lot of the things you said. I'm pleasantly surprised by the high scores for the graphics and music; they are both great. I think SHA has some of the most realistic-looking graphics in terms of both locations and characters. I never really noticed the accuracy of the vegetable puzzle's designs but now that you mention it, they are pretty accurate! It's nice that HeR put so much detail into this game.

Overall I really like your review! You make great points all throughout and I found myself agreeing with a lot of it, too. :D I also like how you organized it into sections and colored the text depending on if it was information or opinion, that was nice as well.

[Shannipoo37]

Plot:
Bess & George's Aunt & Uncle, Bet & Ed Rawley, invite their nieces and Nancy to Shadow Ranch for a vacation in Arizona. Shortly before Nancy arrives, a "phantom horse" is seen galloping past the ranch and immediately after, Uncle Ed is bitten by a rattlesnake and rushed to the hospital. The horse is said to have belonged to Dirk Valentine, an outlaw from the 1800's. Rumor has it, he left a treasure behind for his love, who used to live at Shadow Ranch, before he was hanged by her father. Strange things continue to happen around the ranch & to make matters worse, Bess and George's plane gets delayed. You must get to the bottom of things before more people are harmed (and maybe find the so-called 'treasure' while you're at it.
This is one game that I have played over and over. I love that there were 2 important plots in this game. Both the "phantom horse" and the treasure. I wish we would've gotten to me the Rawleys at least and that Bess and George would've been interactive when they finally arrived.
Score: 8/10

Characters:
Dave Gregory: A foreman for the Rawleys. He has a very cute and shy personality, but doesn't have much to say. He just makes sure that he's doing his job to the best of his ability. Is he quiet because he doesn't want to let on all that he knows?
Tex Britten: The wrangler for the Rawleys. Not friendly whatsoever. Underestimates the city-slicker skills that Nancy possesses. He makes you prove yourself before you ride and before he gives you a lasso. Frequently withholds the truth. Could he be lying more than you realize?
Shorty Thurmond. The cook for the Rawleys. A big gossiper. Shorty has chores waiting for you daily before you ride. Interested in treasure and local mineral maps. How far would he go to get rich quickly?
Mary Yazzie: A local store-owner. She is interested in buying property from the Rawleys even though they haven't always been on good terms. She is very knowledgeable about Arizona and it's past. Could she be holding a grudge against the Rawleys for their past encounters?
I love the characters (especially Dave). All are so different, yet they mesh together perfectly. If I owned a ranch, this is how I'd imagine the staff. I wish Dave had talked more and Mary left a little to be desired in character development.
Score: 9/10

Graphics:
Excellent graphics. I believe they used real photos of Arizona when horseback riding through the desert. Very impressed with the realistic quality of the vegetables in the garden. Everything else was just as you would imagine Arizona to be. Even the backgrounds had a great amount of detail put into them.
Score: 10/10


Puzzles:
I thought the puzzles for the most part were excellent; they were not hard enough to need a cheat, but they were not no-brainers. The only one I really struggled with was the Zebra Rock puzzle. The daily chores were time consuming, but I liked how they differed slightly each time. The cake was difficult because it had a guessing element to it. The final puzzle was very difficult.
Score: 8/10

Music:
The music fit PERFECTLY with every element of the game.
Score: 10/10

Ending:
I was very surprised by the culprit. The ending was very difficult from the beginning of the final puzzle to catching the culprit. I feel as though there was a random element that was tossed in at the last moment that I didn't get. Once the culprit was revealed, the final few moments were very fast paced so you have to think quickly.
Score: 7.5/10

Overall Score: 52.5/60 = 8.75/10