{Click images to enlarge}I've grown to expect crisp, clear graphics in my casual PC games, and Fashion Craze does NOT dissappoint! In fact, so much went into the graphics on this game, that there are several different options for display while you play. See the screenshot below.
You'll notice that there are the (sometimes) standard screen resolution setting. I say "sometimes" because not all games are concerned with the graphics enough to offer optomized resolution settings. You'll also notice the normal "Full Screen" option, and the *new to me* option for wide screen. I'm assuming that the wide screen option is there for the gamers that have wide screen monitors or displays. I don't, so I used the 800x600 non full screen option.
Note about screen resolutions: Now, this may just be an issue I'm having with my PC, but I noticed that this game, like others I play with optimized graphics... I notice that there is sometimes a lag between your mouse movements. The game screen just freezes, the mouse won't move and the action in the game stops. Eventually, after only a few seconds, it seems like the graphics catch up with themselves, and everything continues on as normal. Like I said, this may be an issue with my PC, you may not experience this. If you do find this is happening to you, my suggestion is to experiment with different resolution options. Full screen vs. windowed, 800x600 vs. 1024x768, etc. I've found that you are able to find a setting that will work... sometimes. (I haven't yet found a setting that will eliminate this problem for me all together.)
Despite the quirks, the game does offer some of the crispest graphics I've seen to date. It's nice to see a game utilize the latest graphics technology. Here's a peek at the opening sequence to illustrate my point.
Music & Sound
As you can see from the screenshot above, I've set the Music and Sound to play during the game. After level two, however, the music stopped. The sound effects continued as normal, just the music stopped. I'm fine with that, because the music usually ends up irritating me anyway, but if you enjoy music throughout your game play, you'll miss it. I didn't find the sound effects annoying at all, in fact, some where helpful.
Gameplay
The first level consists of a tutorial that walks you through the steps of gameplay. Seat your customer, wait for them to browse the catalog, bring the fabric for their order to the seamstress, etc. Much like Belle's Beauty Boutique, Diner Dash, and similar games, this one has shop upgrades and other surprises waiting for you as you make progress through the levels.
Maria's Room
One of the first "surprises" you encounter, is Maria's room. You get to choose her clothing before every new level. As you get further in the game, more colors become available for you to choose from. If you're not a budding "fashionista", and have no desire to change Maria's clothing, you may choose to set it to randomize her outfits each level.
Tips and hints
There are some tips included in the game. As you progress through the first few levels, hint boxes will pop up telling you the "secrets".
Keep your customers happy by giving them coffee, or gifts. Children are kept happy with toys found on the counter once you bring them to them.
Some customers will become happier if seated next to the right person. This is easy to tell because of the smiley faces that will appear above their "happiness meters" when you drag them close to one another. Some customers will not like sitting next to certain others, so keep your eye out for those smiley faces. If it's frowning, try to seat them somewhere else!
There are also some helpful "secrets" that the game doesn't tell you! These are the ones I've discovered so far:
You can grab more than one fabric at a time. You will only be able to grab the fabrics that you need, but if your customers are backing up on you, remember to grab more than one fabric at a time!
You can "stack" the garments at the seamstress station. If you have two customers wanting pants, you can drop off two pieces of the appropriate fabric, even though she's still sewing the first one's garment. This is a great time saver, and comes in handy on the later screens.
Once you pick up your fabrics, the garment indicators on the seamstress stations will light up. This is helpful when you get so busy that you forget what was for who! LOL See the screen shot below for an example of the lit up station.
More to come...
Linear Mode
