5 stars for the return of Elf, but otherwise a big Meh
Do you have friends that are drama divas, so that every time you meet them, you come away exhausted because everything is a gigantic big deal to them...even if it's a teensy weeny hangnail or they bought something not on sale?
That's this game in a nutshell. Great graphics, voice overs, interesting storyline and normal puzzles are swamped by too much melodrama.
I started this game and bought it with high hopes because I love the series and I really love Elf the dog. But it just kept going on at full steam, sucking all the energy in the room, with too much too much (the music, the voices, just everything hitting all the senses all the time) that I just hit overload. Now...I can't wait to finish and be done.
So, it's a good game, I guess...all the fundamentals are there. But I wish it had been less in your face all the time. A little subtlety, a little calm before the storm is nice. So. 3.25 stars. A cautious buy recommendation.