thank goodness for a great hint button and a good map, elephant games strikes again - they just never seem to disappoint. knowing where to go and what to do was challenging but the hint button worked quite well and the map was fabulous. also, loved the helpful owl, those are always fun in my opinion, I definitely recommend this game. I don't use sound so can't rate that but everything else was great. I did skip a lot of games but even the skip button charged quickly.

Length: about 5 hours for main game of this polished, flawlessly executed and beautifully detailed productions on casual mode. I was sorry to see it end. EXTREMELY HELPFUL HINT SYSTEM: the most helpful that I?ve ever encountered. Hint will tell you what inventory item is waiting to be used at what location and, better yet, it tells you where an inventory item can be found (which I seem to have just overlooked more than once). BEST INVENTORY TRAY: How many times have you needed a crowbar or oil for a location and you saw one of them in the HOS you just played but didn?t get? How many times have you used a screwdriver and a couple screens later need to acquire another one? Well, here you keep inventory items that you will use again! Sometimes 3 or 4 different locations! Stress relief! You also acquire an owl near the beginning that will help you retrieve items that are too high for you to reach ? no more searching for or fixing ladders! And you get to keep him in inventory throughout the game. MAP: In 2D (or maybe it?s 3D) and instant travel. There are 2 types: in the upper left is a schematic of the library. In the center is a 2D of the rest of the game, which is in two parts. Click the arrow at the top and you will be given the blueprints for the additional locations. Locations with tasks pending are marked. Cursing over the exclamation point will tell you what location it is and what cumulative tasks are to be done (cumulative because you may have done some). MUSIC: several tracks. VOICE OVERS: reverberate while the characters are still caught in the books. TASK LIST: checked off as done. HOS: not too many; put objects where they belong; you?ll get one as a prize. STORYLINE: change the books? storyline to a happy ending so 3 missing teens can return to the real world. FINAL ENDING: as expected. The culprit is alive, so I hope there?s a sequel. CE: 4 volume controls, concept art, bonus play and wallpapers.

Let us rewrite Romeo and Juliet to get a happy ending. We get to visit Verona and change the plot for the better. Cure Mercutio so that he does not die. Convince Lord Capulet not to marry Juliet to Paris. Switch the bottles so that Romeo falls asleep instead of dying, then awaken Romeo. In the meantime you keep meeting the creepy library owner his frightlful puppet, a flying book with teeth and a lot of eyes, a fire knight who tears up a wall, an Arcimboldo reader, with a nod to the Emperor's Nightingale, and Hamlet looking for Yoric's skull, plus and evil furnace that devours books. The challenge is OK, but the best part is following the story, and seeing what else they are going to thorw at us. The Reinassance Italy settings are gorgeous, but then, this is Elephant Games that we are talking about.

There is nothing standard about this SE! If you like HOPA games by this developer, you will not be disappointed. The storyline is engaging, and the visuals and sound are extraordinary. The gameplay provides a good balance of adventure, HOS and puzzles. Three students go to the library and disappear into a book - Romeo and Juliet. Not spooky, in spite of game title. Interactive HOS where you place items into the scene. Interesting puzzles. Not too easy or too hard. Both HOS and puzzle content are relevant to game. Excellent graphics, with gorgeous and colourful artwork. Great transporter map with task markers and a task list for each site, so travelling does not become a chore. Hint is useful outside of HOS. Since gameplay covers a large area, the extra help comes in handy for those of us without perfect memories. You will not likely miss the SG. Music is varied and appropriate to moment. Cutscenes and dialogue are not too long or intrusive. Both enhance the adventure experience. I can?t comment on how the story ends or how it differs from the CE as I have not yet finished it. Based on the demo and my enjoyment of the CE, I highly recommend that you give it a try and see for yourself!

Just could not wait for the SE release and had to purchase the CE? Elephant games did it again! Detailed graphics, very good story: We have to stop the villain with his evil jester puppet transfering live souls into Shakespeare?s book of Romeo and Juliet... 3 playmodes to choose from - can be changed during the game. 4 chapters offering +/- 4 hrs. gameplay. Good amount of not too challenging minigames and hidden object scenes. Hidden object scenes are different to the ones we used to know: You place items shown in your inventory into the scene. That is a lot of fun and not that easy as you might think... HOS/ graphics are similar to "Detective Quest: The Crystal Slipper"... We have an interactive map with tasklist. Hintsystem is very good, telling you what to do next. (Therefore the strategy-guide offered in the CE is not really neccesary). Together with the inventory we soon get a cude and helpful owl! And as there were no CE extras such as collectables or achievements, this SE is high recommendable!!!! (Even though I loved playing the bonus-chapter?. Spoiler alert!!! Where our teenage charakters meet ? Dorian Gray!!... oops:))

Beautiful graphics & very good story Must play it

Good story: you have to go inside one of the most famous of the bard's plays and change the story in order to rescue three lost teenagers. Check out the creepy librarian and his puppet who has set up this little drama. VOS Great characters Dorian Gray makes an appearance, too Transport map HOS are all put backs Diary Nice music Cute owlet helper Good length: 5 hours casual Great series, looking forward to more

Do yourself a favor & PLAY this game A hidden gem The storyline...the visuals- you are lost in a time warp I wish there were MANY more like this I loved the 'reverse' HO's (uhoh- spoiler?- play anyway) This gets 4 big worms from me- actually 4 1/2 ~~~~bubblin Cookyvish

What an interesting storyline - you go into the play "Romeo and Juliet" and the modern world to try to save your friends. You have to go back and forth and try to remember where you need to go next. It is a challenge. The game is a lot of fun to play and very well drawn. You pick up a helper or two along the way. In the games you put things where they belong and some of them are a little hard. I think you will really enjoy this game as much as I have.

This game tops them with game play, catches you off guard, Well done as far as graphics, and storyline, I can't wait to finish it.