Critical Praise
Critical Praise of the story of Lifestream:
"A surprisingly moody piece about esoteric organizations and human nature that never
takes itself too seriously."
- Kirk Latimer, official AdventureGamers.com reviewer
“[the story was] bittersweet and poignant"
- Jenny100, official Gameboomers.com reviewer
"This would have made a good book."
- Robert Washburne, official JustAdventure.com
reviewer
"One of the most shocking endings I have ever seen in a game."
- Eric McConnell, Hidden
Sanctum Games
"The 6th Sense of adventures games!"
- R. David Speller, gamer
"For an indie game it is amazingly professional. [...] If one sums up all factors,
the bottom line is this is an atmospheric adventure game with exciting story with
scarcely anything to criticize. With Lifestream, Christopher M. Brendel has found
his very own style and created an absolutely convincing adventure."
- André, official
AdventureArchiv.com reviewer
“The story is a strong point. There aren't many games in which you get to play a
member of the cloth [...] and that adds an interesting dimension. There are aspects
of faith and related matters that are touched upon, and Father Randolph as a character
is very much a product of his beliefs. This lifts the story above being one simply
about a disappearance and a mystery involving secret societies through the ages.
Its telling is also well done, bouncing as it does between the two characters you
play. [...] Then there is the ending, which I didn't see coming. Too many games
finish weakly, but not Lifestream. I have no intention of telling you about it, except
to say that whatever Father Randolph might think, I think his faith took a battering.”
-
Steve Ramsey, official Metzomagic.com reviewer
Critical Praise of the story of Shady Brook:
"Original adult-themed story with a definite dark flavor. [...] Shady Brook's dark,
quirky characters, twisty story, and large menu of bonus features create an engaging
game experience."
- Laura MacDonald, official AdventureGamers.com reviewer
"Shady Brook succeeds to create a unique atmosphere, partially due to the really
unusual, moving and creepy story."
- André, official AdventureArchiv.com reviewer
"Shady Brook still stands out as a personal favorite of mine and remains one of the
few games to authentically make me openly cry."
- Brian Smith, gamer
"As the story unfolded in Shady Brook, I began to realize that this was more than
just a mystery game. [...] The shock of events at game’s end really shook me up."
-
Becky, official Gameboomers.com reviewer
"If this were a standard game, then the town has either A) Been taken over by the
Aliens as the first step towards world domination or B) They are all guarding the
Magic Dingus which has the power to start Armageddon. But this is Unimatrix Productions,
so surely the story will not be anything so cliché. There will be layers and depth
and a devilish twist at the end."
- Robert Washburne, JustAdventure.com reviewer
"The strange atmosphere Brendel conjures is in many ways the strongest element of
Shady Brook. What draws the player through to the ending is the consistent ‘oddness’
Brendel injects into almost every scene."
- Scout, official FourFatChicks.com reviewer
"Shady Brook is not a happy tale by any means. The whole game is clouded in mystery and ends up being quite sad in places. There was one particular part of the game towards the end that had me slightly devastated. Near the end, you start to get an idea of what the finale will be like, but you won’t be sure of why or how. [...] In conclusion, the high points of Shady Brook are the immersive and dark storyline, interesting characters, good music and worthy cut scenes." - Wendy Nellius, official Adventure Lantern Magazine reviewer
“Games that simply peter out with flat and predictable endings are not something
Mr. Brendel can be accused of making. To the contrary, his endings are worth getting
to.”
- Steve Ramsey, official Metzomagic.com reviewer
“Good enough to be on par with some of the better commercial adventures.”
- Adventure
Point reviewer