Now that I've gotten past that bump in the road, I have to say I'm liking this game despite it being somewhat old school. Other than the HOS, it plays a bit like an adventure game. You have to keep a sharp eye and be patient enough to look around for inventory items. I have to admit that I probably wouldn't get far without the Hint feature.
The gameplay is fairly linear, so the little bit of trekking back and forth isn't very troublesome. I recommend it, in particular to anyone who may want to use a coupon code. But be sure to play a few minutes of the demo just to make sure it's your cup of tea. Not anything to compare to the most current IHOGS/HOPAS, but worth the time IMO.