Issues

Everlight is a rather new game which generated a bit of interest and curiosity here over the past few weeks. I will take a look at it beginning with the mechanics. There appears to be some issues both in trying to install the game and after install where people complain about difficulty in getting it to run. Also someone raised the issue of a possible trojan included in the install. A few thoughts on these issues beginning with the install. I had no problem installing the game and from reading the GLITCHES, BUGS & PATCHES forum here I suspect it is related to the AVG anti virus program that may regard the Game.Exe file as a virus or trojan. As I do not use AVG I cannot confirm or deny this suspicion. My anti virus program had no difficulty with the install process. Where it did have a problem was in the actual running of the game. I will include my response here that I posted in the GLITCHES, BUGS & PATCHES forum.

I am not sure what is going on with this but I get some weirdness with Everlight as well. Installed on xp with dual core processor and an upscale video card. After install including game added updates of dx9 when I click on the execute icon placed on the desktop I get this error box pop up. "Runtime Error R6034. Program c:\Programfiles\Jowood\Everlight\Bin\game.exe Application has made attempt to load the C runtime loader incorrectly. Please consult the applications support team for more information." I click ok to close the box it closes and reopens with a second box reporting the same message. I click ok and it goes back to desktop. I click the execute icon a second time and my firewall pops up with a question, "Do you want game.exe to access the internet?" I click deny just for laughs questioning why this puppy wants to phone home. The firewall box closes and then magically the game fires up. Hmmm? Tried it three or four times and each time the bloody error message appears twice and on a second attempt the firewall ask for the same permission which is denied, no phoning home here. Each time the game starts up I have played into it a few scenes without any further issues. So perhaps being persistent and not taking no for an answer is the key. Don't know but it is working.

As for the trojan issue this is only a guess but I suspect it is not a trojan but simply a tracking program of some sort. My firewall ask for permission for game.exe to connect to the internet each time I activate the game. Each time I denied access and each time the game started without issue. Finally I instructed my firewall to block access and the question went away. You don't need permission to play the game and there appears to be no limitations to installation or game play etc.

THE GAME

Graphics are well done and movement from location to location is assisted by a map. This eliminates the need to do a lot of time consuming walking around. Voice acting is quite good with several interesting characters. I do not have a count of save slots. I used only fifteen which was sufficient for my experience and there seemed to be no limitations. The game is rendered in cartoon format along the lines of The Abby. The characters movement and appearance is quite stiff but not a serious issue at least for me. There is good resolution but the character animation could have been better. Point and click is the rule here with the additional advantage of the H key which shows you the hot spots they stay highlighted as long as you hold the key down. The G key reveals items only and the E key shows the exits. Inventory is hidden until you move the mouse to the bottom of the screen which makes it visible. In addition to your map which hides in the inventory you have the ability to change the scene from day to night and back again at will. This is very important as much of the game depends upon you doing things at night. No combat, no timed puzzles and no danger of your character getting killed. Gameplay is primarily linear but some areas only open up after someone points you to it. The puzzles are almost 100 percent inventory based where you mix and match to make something else or apply a single item to an object or person in the game.

It is a fairly well done story but there are some plot holes though minor which I won't detail here. A fairly long game, shorter than TLJ but longer than The Abby. As Melvin, a modern teen aged boy you are sent back to a fantasy world where you are given a fairy side kick named Fiona. She is your guide, mentor and wise cracking partner, Fiona is actually well done. Your task is to rid the town of a curse that affects the townspeople at night. Their personalities change completely and during the day they don't remember what they had done the night before. This is why you must switch from night to day to accomplish your task. Melvin and Fiona are immune to this curse. There is considerable sarcastic humor and some off color stuff as well. There are several references to modern day life unheard of in the land of magic. BE WARNED! one character, an elderly woman at night turns into a dominatrix. There are some sexually suggestive gestures and language in scenes with this character and many will likely find this rather unsettling. Nothing too overt is shown or said. I raise this issue because the suggestions posed in these scenes may offend some of you. Though it is a small part of the game I would hesitate exposing kids to it. You can use Becky's walk through to note what you need from Daphne. In that way you can run in and run out limiting your exposure to the scenes in question. This kind of thing normally does not raise an issue for me but I never expected to encounter this in an adventure game. I found it rather crude and out of place. I do not wish to beat on a small part of the game but I feel it must be pointed out so you can decide. This game utilizes a fairy tale theme where instead of a wicked witch we get a pervert. A sad commentary of our times I suppose. At one point where our hero is tasked to learn about character flaws of an adversary I expected to learn the guy was a cross dresser but no they did not go there.

I tend to avoid too much opinion in these reviews and try to provide the nuts and bolts of the game so you can decide. As I said before everybody has their own ideas of what kind of game they like. The long and the short of it is this I thought it was a pretty good game with a decent story, interesting characters and puzzles that won't cause a strain.

Thank you, now I know what I'm in for

Thanks for the review old mariner, now I know I won't be getting this one. I'm one of the fussy types and don't like all that crude language. I certainly hear more than enough from my neighbors. I've guit more than one game because of it.

Hi Old Mariner -- thanks for the review! I didn't have any problems with installation or error messages. I don't offhand remember if I had to "okay" any files with my anti-virus program (in my case this is Kaspersky AV). Having to "okay" files as they are installed is very common with Kaspersky, so if it happened, it didn't stand out in particular to me.

I enjoyed Everlight a lot, but I do agree with you about the Daphne issue. That (and some language during a quarrel with her neighbor) makes this a game that children can't play, and that I would hesitate to recommend to teenagers. I'm not quite sure what the developers were thinking, except perhaps that they wanted to "push the envelope" enough that the game would not seem like a children's game.

It's a brief portion of the game -- I'm going to be updating the walkhrough within the next few days and I'll try to separate out Daphne at night so people can spend the minimimum time there if they choose.

Sounds good Old Mariner, my copy is winging it's way here as I type. Can't wait.

Beyond the Daphnie thing this was a pretty good game. I brought it up because I felt many would be offended and may wish to avoid it. I will point out it is a very small part of the game, however, you can't completely avoid it because there are items you get which are required to advance in the game.

The giving permissions were a pain but you can block access via your firewall to prevent game.exe from connecting. The permissions do not reappear and the game will load. This is in regard to the firewall not the the anti virus. I did run a scan with two anti spyware programs and the file, game.exe is reported as clean. My guess is it acts like a tracking cookie not a trojan.

If the sexual innuendo is not an issue for you the game is a fun play. I have no idea what the developers were thinking but we could have done without it.

Thanks, Old marina

I had no issues with install & the game plays beautiful for me..
I am not easily offended with game play language as long as its not the main thing in a game...I do feel tho that it really isn't necessary to use such language..

I do have to admit I cracked up when I entered the area of the two neighbors fighting

I am enjoying the game alot

Oldmariner, there was a section of Al Emmo with a similar theme--I think it's just reflective of the times we live in

I agree ,L4L

Al Emmo didn't bother me at all..

Thanks for an interesting review old mariner & the installation & running info - I'm looking forward to playing this when it turns up. I'm not easily offended so the part you referred to in the game won't bother me although I may find it unnecessary!

Daphne just wanted to give you a massage, just shows what a curse can do to you

I found this about Runtime error R6034
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms235560(VS.80).aspx

It appears they're "pushing the envelope" with what they can get away with in their programming as well as with their bad language.

I have this in my to play pile - and I use AVG so will turn it off when installing, thanks for the warning.
Looking forward to playing the game, it sounds fun!

Thank you for the review old mariner! Very usefull.

Hi oldmariner

Thanks for your review - much appreciated as always

Everlight is another tottering on my unstable "yet to be played" stack

Cheers.

Mad

Thank you, oldmariner for the review of the game and issues.

I get a better idea of the game with the info

thanks for the comments I hope this was useful. All in all I found it a fairly good game with an interesting story.In my opinion the low price range is where it belongs. I certainly would not regard it worthy of a premium price. I am sure you will be able to get a used copy here and other places in the near future.

I'm so disappointed. I can't install the game. I get a message that it can't be installed. "Fatal Error". No specific error...just "Fatal". Teddo

You should post your problem in the Glitches section, Teddo; someone may be able to help you.

Teddo, there are several threads in Glitches about Everlight. You don't use AVG as a Virus Program do you?

I use AVG and had no problems with installation. I did get the runtime error window but when I hit close the window popped up again. I hit close again and the game loaded and plays fine.
I hate this game. I have been playing it for 2 days now and decided it is not for me. I find everything about it annoying. Way too much dialogue, so far hardly no game play. Just talk talk talk. Its getting on my nerves & getting uninstalled and sold on ebay. Thumbs down, way down.

JohnBoy, sorry to hear you didn't enjoy it. What is next for you?

Just started Book Of Unwritten Tales, really liking it a lot!