[b]Note:[/b] A wonderful friend gifted me a copy of this game. ^^
[h1]The mystery continues... :o[/h1]
[h2]Introduction[/h2]
[i]Welcome to Primrose Lake 3[/i] is a time management game developed by SQRT3 and published by Next Game. It is the third game in the [i]Primrose Lake[/i] series. (Please click [url=https://steamcommunity.com/id/skyeraye/recommended/2647840?snr=1_5_9__402]here[/url] for my review of the second game.) As usual, you take on the roles of various inhabitants of Primrose Lake, such as Jenny, the newcomer who looks like an identical sister of one of the residents, and Peggy, the local sheriff. The story continues from the events of the previous game, so it's probably a good idea to have played or read a review of it before going into this one. A lot is going on here, from Jenny and her fiance reigniting that romantic spark to the town getting out of control with drunks to the handyman at the resort going after Jenny and/or Jessica. While some events get resolved, others leave off on a cliffhanger. (Before anyone wonders, there is [i]Welcome to Primrose Lake 4[/i], which I plan on playing and reviewing. XD) Also, a very important newcomer enters Jessica's life while a long-time resident ends up [spoiler]passing away[/spoiler].
Since I might be in danger of revealing too many story spoilers, I'll jump into the gameplay. :o There are a total of 70 levels, and you can choose from among the three usual difficulty levels: easy, normal, or hard. (For review purposes, I chose to play on normal mode.) Most of the levels have a brief story, and then you can jump into the gameplay. Basically, you serve customers, fulfilling their orders, and depending on how quickly you finish serving customers, you can earn up to 3 diamonds. An additional diamond is for finding the raccoon (the equivalent of the mouse easter egg famously known in the [i]Delicious[/i] series), and one more diamond is for completing the additional task, which can be anywhere from keeping certain characters at bay to serving particular items. Diamonds are used to purchase park renovations.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3470665478
Also, there are a few puzzle-type mini-games, such as placing gears in the correct spots to make the entire mechanism operate correctly. Of course, plenty of Steam achievements/in-game trophies are available although they won't count towards a user's global total until the game is out of "Steam is learning about this game".
[h2]Review[/h2]
I always enjoy a fun time management game, especially if it has a good story. Also, I've been a fan of the [i]Primrose Lake[/i] series after having played the first one. Although it definitely took a while, I'm happy to see that the rest of the games have finally made their way onto Steam. ^^
With the story, it can be a bit confusing to follow if you're a newcomer to the series. That's why it's a good idea to have played (or at least, have read reviews of) the first two games before going into this one. Basically, what you need to know is that Jessica, a longtime resident of Primrose Lake, is at the center of some crazy family history and then there's Jenny, Jessica's doppelganger who ran away from home to escape getting married. This third installment follows the stories of these characters as well as the other residents of Primrose Lake. There's plenty of drama and emotional moments as well as a few comedical ones. Despite that a major tragedy occurs towards the end, like the previous games, it leaves off on a cliffhanger. This might get tiresome for those who just want a conclusion to the series or would rather not have a series, but personally, I can't help getting excited for the next game.
Regarding the gameplay, it's just as much fun as in the previous games. However, there is a bug with level 63 that takes place in the resort. Based on this version published by Next Game, it isn't possible to complete the additional task, making it undoable to earn a maximum of 5 diamonds for the level. [spoiler]However, if you install and play another version under a different publisher, then it is possible.[/spoiler] Hopefully, the publisher will update the game with the correct version to fix this bug. Anyway, I was able to earn all of the achievements as well as unlock all the park renovations. I should note that a few achievements might require you to replay levels.
The art is lovely as always. It retains that cartoony style that is a staple in these kinds of time management games, and the colors are bright and colorful. Since this is the third game in the series, all of the backgrounds and sprites are reused from previous games. The only new aspects are the cutscenes.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3470665255
In regards to the music, the tracks are the same as in the other games. As far as I could tell, there are no new tracks. Even though I think it's fine since the current tracks fit well with the seemingly relaxed, laidback atmosphere of Primrose Lake, I'm hoping that final two games will have a couple of new ones.
[h2]Conclusion[/h2]
Would I recommend [i]Welcome to Primrose Lake 3[/i]? If you enjoy time management games and are especially a fan of the first two games in the series, this third one is definitely worth your time. There's plenty of story as well as fun (albeit, slightly buggy) gameplay. For the asking price, I'd say that it's about worth it, as it took me over 8.5 hours to 100% complete the game. However, you can wait for a sale, and I'll be playing the rest of the games in the series to finish it up. ^^
[quote]For more detailed, fully complete, high quality reviews like this, please follow [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44702020/]The Introverted Gamer[/url], prioritizing heart and soul always. ^^[/quote]
