Pilot Brothers 2 Review
:: CONFUSINGPrice: $4.99 (to unlock full game)
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Device Reviewed On: iPad 2
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I wasn't a fan of the original Pilot Brothers game last year, but I went into Pilot Brothers 2 with high hopes that things might be different this time round. Unfortunately, it's not to be.
This time round, the two strange brothers are out trying to track down Arsenic, their cat. Don't expect to be too gripped by the story, though. As before, the game is focused on obtuse puzzles, rather than fascinating narrative. It felt like there is slightly more dialogue than the previous game, but not by a huge amount. Puzzles are divided up into scenes, too, creating a somewhat disjointed experience, as players work their way through the levels.
Playing the game is a bit confusing at first. This would be fine if it was in the traditional adventure gaming kind of way, but here, it's more because there's little direction as to what needs to be done to progress. Trial and error plays a major role here. Most frustratingly is during the second scene where a puzzle feels entirely down to randomly tapping things to finally solve it. An eventual logic shines through, but it's hardly intuitive nor welcoming. Things, fortunately, improve a little after this section, but I can see many giving up rather than continuing.
There's a hints button to offer advice as to where can be tapped, as well as a solution video demonstrating what must be done, but these aren't always as clear as one would expect.
The graphics are still quite warm and interesting, invoking the personality of the Russian cartoon that few probably remember. I like the idea of controlling the two brothers, too, but in practice, it doesn't really work. As was the case in the original game, the animations that kick in every time a brother refuses to do something, get irritating, undoing the good will that was there before.
Pilot Brothers 2 might occasionally throw up a moment of quirky humor, but it's not enough. Even those used to the most obtuse puzzles of the 1990s will find themselves frustrated by the quirky brothers' underwhelming adventure.
iPad Screenshots
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