The Backstory
Sentenced to an eternity in suspended animation for a heinous crime he may or may not have committed, the man known as “Dangerous” is woken up a century later and unceremoniously tossed back into the fray. Actions performed and choices made will help determine the war criminal’s ultimate fate. Where he goes and who he becomes is largely up to the player, but savior or super-villain, there’s bound to be lots and lots of shooting and exploration.

The Gameplay
Dangerous features a massive universe to explore with plenty of star systems – each with their own denizens, commodities, resident dangers, and missions spanning through each of them. Navigation and combat can be handled via manual tilt/virtual stick controls, but things are at their best when using the contextual button commands. Orders can be issued with a tap or two, and most variables (i.e. distance to target) can be adjusted using a simple slider. Experience can be used to purchase and upgrade a variety of useful skills, and any spoils can be re-appropriated or sold in order to purchase better ships, gear, or modifications.

How does it Compare?
While Dangerous may have its roots firmly planted in the space adventure sims of old, the rest of it is very much reaching for the now. The steady pacing, wealth of customizations by way of skills and equipment, huge environment to explore, and especially the almost hands-free approach to performing actions are very reminiscent of the “cult hit” MMO juggernaut EVE Online. In fact, the only things missing – aside from the super-pretty textures – are the other human players and the wacky economy. For all intents and purposes, Dangerous is indeed a single-player EVE Online, and personally I’m inclined to believe that’s a very good thing.

Dangerous did go through some growing pains. The interface, while still not all that pretty, was a horrific mess after the initial release and most of the menus were nearly impossible to read on an iPhone due to size and formatting issues. However, all of the major gripes that have had a noticeable effect on the gameplay have since been addressed. Now Dangerous is every bit the giant space sim it was meant to be, and every bit a Console-Quality iOS Game.

*NOTE: “Console-quality” refers to the quality of the experience, not just the graphics. This is about the depth of gameplay, content, and in some cases how accurately it portrays the ideals of its console counterpart.*

$4.99

Dangerous

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-12-21 :: Category: Games

At first glance it’s easy to think that the various Choice of Games on the App Store are just touch-centric choose-your-own-adventure stories. In a way they kind of are, but there’s just enough going on in the background (i.e. character-building choices) to make each playthrough feel special. Now the developer has spread their choice-driven expertise to zombies.

Don’t be fooled by the walls of text, Choice of Zombies is a full-fledged adventure game. Players have a surprising amount of freedom in deciding what to do with their game, be it trying to band together with other survivors for safety or simply going out and slaughtering the undead horde. Various player stats are tracked throughout a session, and it’s completely impossible to experience everything in one (or even several) playthrough. If past games are any indication, this is going to be a fun (albeit bloody) romp through Zombie Town.

Choice of Zombies is available on the App Store right now for $2.99. It might seem a little daunting at first, but remember that with many iOS titles we get what we pay for.

$2.99

Choice of Zombies

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-04-13 :: Category: Games

Pocket God is still going strong, blasting right through update number forty-three (43!). The newest episode, “Killing Time,” deals with the kind of stuff that turned Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Deloreans and use of the word “paradox” into national phenomena. In other words, it has to do with futzing around with time. Like time, time. Not wasting a few minutes at the bus stop, time. Players will be able to visit the new Apocalypse Island, home of a multi-roomed temple that includes a time-shifting chamber. It also houses a creepy Aztec calendar that’s counting down to 11:11am, December 21st, 2012.

This is just the first of many apocalypse-themed updates, according to Bolt. Each of the temple’s many rooms features some sort of Armageddon-like power, each to be opened with future updates, but at the moment no other specifics have been revealed. Bolt will be continuing to release more doomsday content over the course of the next 10 months. Hopefully they’ll be able to move on to a new theme after that, assuming the world still exists.

Pocket God in all its dark-humored glory can, as usual, be downloaded from the App Store for $0.99. The other 95% of iOS users who already own it can simply update it like they normally would to get the new stuff.

[Via VerticalWire]

$0.99

Pocket God

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-01-09 :: Category: Entertainment

It’s a series that may not be as insanely popular as other Capcom franchises, but it’s certainly no less loved by its fans. The Ace Attorney series is about to get its fifth title – only in Japan thus far and no confirmed platform, no other details are available at present – but it seems like the developer is also interested in giving the series’ roots some love. Andriasang has reported that they’ve also announced Ace Attorney 123HD, an HD remake of the first three Ace Attorney games (back when they were called Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney) for iOS and other platforms.

The original has already been brought to iOS, but it was pretty much a straight port. Once this Turnabout HD is released (sorry, couldn’t resist) anyone who owns this port can upgrade to the HD version. For everyone else, they can download the first two episodes/turnabouts for free then unlock more via in-app purchases. The prospect of digging into HD renditions of some of my favorite Nintendo DS games (all conveniently located in one place no less) has me very, very excited.

There’s no confirmed release date yet, but Capcom says Ace Attorney 123HD should be available “shortly.” Gotta love that intentionally obscure information.

[Via: Andriasang]

Rob like-a-the point-and-click adventure games. He’s also rather fond of hyphens. Only one of those things is on SkyGoblin‘s agenda right now, but it’s the more important of the two by far.

The Journey Down is (surprise, surprise) an adventure game that looks like it would fit right in with any of those classic Lucasarts titles. Seriously, Bwana there looks like he’d fit right in with the likes of Guybrush Threepwood and Manny Calavera. In fact, the use of African masks as artistic inspiration (coupled with the use of some reggae and jazz music) isn’t all that different from Grim Fandango‘s incorporation of the Dia de los Muertos motif.

Episode one, which is slated for a Q1 2012 release, sees Bwana and his sidekick Kito getting torn from the drudgery of their down-and-out gas station and thrust into a web of intrigue and corruption. No word yet on pricing or a more solid date (or high resolution in-game footage), but The Journey Down definitely seems like a game worth looking out for.

There’s always been something magical about text-based adventure games. I attribute it to the lack of graphics forcing us to use our imaginations, coupled with the absolute freedom the lack of visuals provides. As someone who used to mess around with my fair share of interactive reading, it’s refreshing to see that people are still making stuff like The Things That Go Bump in the Night.

Players assume the role of a night shift security guard, wandering through the “compound” without a care until things take a turn. The usually quiet but still very active building has become completely still. No radio chatter. No people. Then it’s time to fight monsters and solve puzzles in a desperate bid for survival. Things That Go Bump in the Night utilizes the Quest text adventure creation software, which allows for an input-less interface (i.e. clicking on “links” instead of typing) in addition to the ability to easily create custom games.

The Things That Go Bump in the Night is on the App Store right now and it won’t cost a thing. Incidentally the software used to create it is also free, just in case anyone reading this is feeling particularly adventurous.

FREE!

The Things That Go Bump In The Night

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-12-05 :: Category: Games

In just a few short days, Telltale Games’ second “adventure game that’s practically a sequel for the movie it’s based on” will be unleashed. On less mobile devices, anyway. The iPad 2 version is set to follow soon after the November 15th release date, but nothing specific has been stated as of yet. That’s okay though, because we have these new morsels of information to tide us over.

Jurassic Park: The Game takes us back to Isla Nublar shortly after the events of the first film, following a new cast of characters simply trying to escape the island with their lives intact. However, it’s not just about the new faces: this time around we’re going to be seeing more of the park itself. Sure there will be familiar areas (i.e. Dennis Nedry’s “ditched” vehicle), but we’ve also learned of some new locations players will get to explore that weren’t covered in the movie.

Locations such as the still under-construction Bone Shaker Roller Coaster, the Geothermal Power Plant, Dr. Laura Sorkin’s Field Lab used for observational studies (as well as some unsanctioned and dangerous experiments, the North Docks which are a stone’s throw away from the iconic Visitor’s Center, and finally the Marine Facility (video featured below), which I’m personally terrified to experience. Wait until the end of the clip to see what I mean.

iPad 2 owners, keep an eye on that App Store after the 15th. There might not be an official release date for the iOS version, but I’d imagine it might only be a week or two longer. Heck, since the 15th is a Tuesday it’s also not out of the question to consider it might be available on the 17th (Thursday). So… Anyone have an iPad 2 they don’t want anymore..?

In my youth, back when I was still in a school that ranked students’ progress through the educational system with numbers and our “top of the line” computer was a 256 color Macintosh (not Mac, a Macintosh), I played a lot of adventure games. Mostly because they were all that was available for our non-PC machine, but also because I really enjoyed them. A good many of them were old Sierra titles but I also dabbled quite a bit in text-based games. I still fondly remember getting my hands on a boxed collection of a lot of these things, including titles like Zork and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I never beat any of them, but I would sit there and try for hours.

Now, I know there are some text-based adventure games and collections of text-based adventures games on the App Store already, but WibbleQuest is something different. It does allow users to partake in plenty of interactive reading, but it’s real purpose is to create said experiences using a pre-constructed framework. Designed by Orta Therox, a developer with perhaps the most awesome name in existence, it’s meant to be a pain-free (relatively speaking) tool for adventure manufacturing.

Users can craft their own tales with the aid of a couple of pre-built examples, and eventually work their way up to more extensive endeavors. They probably won’t be creating a masterpiece right out of the gate, but with some practice (and some handy tutorials) they could presumably make a piece of interactive fiction about anything. As a former adventure-hound, this both pleases and excites me.

WibbleQuest isn’t an app in the technical (or literal) sense, however. It’s a prefab framework meant to be used on a computer. Games can be transferred to an iOS device for testing or just plain playing, but the actual creation takes place on either a laptop or desktop. Not an unexpected way of doing things, as I can only imagine how irritating it would be to try programming with a given device’s keyboard.

The curious, anxious or even bored can check out WibbleQuest on its official website for free.

It’s amazing to think that it’s been almost 20 years since gamers were first tossed into the supremely unfortunate shoes of Lester Knight Chaykin. The brilliant young scientist went and got himself stranded in what might very well be the most hostile alien world ever, and boy was it ever tough to get him to relative safety. Learn from Lester, kids: Don’t mess around with nuclear energy.

For those unfamiliar with the title, Another World (a.k.a Out of the World to US folks) was one heck of a tough adventure game. In fact, it was entirely possible to die (horribly) within seconds of gaining control of the main character. And it didn’t let up much until the credits finally rolled. Poor old Lester seemed to be on everyone and everything’s list.

This month, iOS users will finally be able to experience one of the most beloved (and bemoaned) trial-and-error adventures ever thanks to DotEmu and BulkyPix. However, this isn’t just a straight port. Even long-time fans would do well to check this out once it’s released as there have been a number of interesting additions.

First, there’s the at this point by-the-numbers HD upgrade. Worry not, purists, the visuals can be changed back to their original look at any time. Second, a new “intuitive” touch control system has been developed, but a digital pad option is also available. Third, the music and sound effects have been totally remastered. A bullet point in the press release that admittedly has me a little nervous. Achievements make an appearance as well, naturally. Lastly, and most importantly, there are now three difficulty settings: Normal, Difficult and Hardcore. Difficult is what we old-timers experienced “back in the day,” while Normal is a bit easier and Hardcore is even harder somehow. As someone who has to this day never been able to fight my way to those credits, I’m anxious to try out this so-called Normal mode. Hardcore not so much.

Another World is set to release September 22nd (9/22) for $4.99. That’s $5 I’ll gladly toss into the ether for the chance to play this classic whenever and wherever I want.

Perhaps best known for their quirky flash game Samorost, Amanita Design has since gone on to make a real name for themselves with their first full-length title, Machinarium. The minimalist adventure of an adorable little robot created somewhat of a stir on the Mac and PC, and now it’s ready to make another group of unaware consumers into rabid fans. I am, of course, referring to iPad owners.

In a statement issued to Pocket Gamer, the developer’s founder Jakub Dvorský mentioned that the iPad version has not only been in the works, but that it’s also nearing completion: “It’s almost finished, but we still need to fix a lot of small bugs and test it properly. It should be ready during the next month…hopefully.”

We can’t do much but speculate on how the Flash title will handle the port, but I think it’ll do just fine. The PC controls are as simple as it gets, with single left mouse clicks as the only required interface. The inventory is almost never larger than a handful of items and it’s in an unobtrusive drop-down menu. There aren’t even other action icons to select (as is usually the custom in other adventure games); instead the game uses context sensitive icons that change depending on what the cursor is hovering over. Controls like that should translate to a touch screen quite easily, I would think.

This is a rather big deal for adventure game fans, even if they’ve never played the PC version (pictured). Machinarium is one of the most beautiful, stylish and clever games of its kind. From the amazing artwork to the incredible soundtrack, not to mention the clever puzzle design, it’s a downright treat to play. Between this version and Machinarium‘s impending release on the PlayStation 3, I think it’s safe to say that the folks at Amanita Design are doing quite well.

iPad users, keep an eye out for this one. I promise it’ll be worth it.

[via Pocket Gamer]