Gamespot's review is way off. The game is quirkily charming, the puzzles are easy/medium and well explained.
The charming art direction of the game is self evident from the screenshots and need no explanation. But what I found surprisingly good was the creepy atmosphere. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that the music, the art, elements in the story and the directing created a quirky, comedic, strange and creepy atmosphere that I personally found very enjoyable.
The puzzle is the meat of the game, and where the GS reviewer is way off, so let's get into it.
He says that some of them can be challenging. Having finished the game, I disagree with it. Most puzzles in this game were easy, some might even find them too easy. There were may be 3 that were harder, but I cannot consider them challenging.
"You frequently have to experiment to determine what you're supposed to be doing" this cannot be more untrue. The puzzles are adequately explained and the solution is often clear. The reviewer probably had a lot of reviews and work to get through, so he didn't play this puzzle game properly. He has a deadline, we don't. We can take the time to play the puzzles and read properly.
"Even the hints accessed... often do little but muddy the waters" This is probably untrue. In my game, I didn't have to use hints most of the time, but those that I did get helped solve the puzzle. Sometimes it even helps too much. Again, this is probably the case that the reviewer has a deadline so he can't properly read and think things through.
That, or perhaps the reviewer is dumb. But I think it is more likely the deadline. For the rest of us, this game provides a very enjoyable experience. A solid 8.5 from me.