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Tag: Graphical adventure »

Girl With a Heart of - Fear the Light

Posted by Rob Rich on October 23rd, 2011

Girl With a Heart of (that's the full title, best make peace with it) tells the story of Raven, a young girl living in the dark city of Underfoot. A young girl with an artificial heart. When Underfoot is attacked by the Light's army, Raven will have to make use of her special "condition" to play a vital role in this war. What that means is a mystery (for now). How it all ends will depend on the player.

The concept behind Girl With a Heart of's world is what really caught my attention. I find the idea of a world where the presumed roles of light and darkness are reversed to be fascinating. I also enjoy a good interactive narrative, and I'm curious to see some of these choices and experience some of these "life-altering consequences" for myself. But to do that, I have to wait.

Girl With a Heart of is due out in the App Store next month (November 17th) and will carry a $2.99 price tag.

HECTOR: Ep3 – Beyond Reasonable Doom Review

iPhone App - Designed for iPhone, compatible with iPad
By Rob Rich on October 6th, 2011
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: FINISH IT
Hector's back, one final time, to save Clappers Wreake from a horrific fate.
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Another World Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Rob Rich on September 22nd, 2011
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: OUT OF THIS WORLD
Eric Chahi's 1991 magnum opus gets a 20th anniversary port to iOS, and it's glorious!
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Another World Turns 20, Gets an iOS Port

Posted by Rob Rich on September 9th, 2011

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.

Amanita Design Bringing Machinarium to the iPad Soon

Posted by Rob Rich on July 28th, 2011

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]
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dream:scape Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Rob Rich on June 20th, 2011
Our rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar :: HAUNTING
dream:scape isn't so much a game as an interactive narrative. One that may be familiar and simple, but will also tug pretty hard on those heartstrings.
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Gamebook Adventures 6: The Wizard from Tarnath Tor Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Rob Rich on May 18th, 2011
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: KEEP READING
The sixth volume of the Gamebook Adventure series may not innovate, but it sure as heck entertains.
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Broken Sword HD In-Depth Review

By Chris Kirby on June 25th, 2010
Revolution Studios reinvigorates a 14 year old game for the iPad, and it's still fun to play after all this time.
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