Machinarium
At the time of writing Machinarium won’t run on the Nexus 7 so I’m playing it on an Acer A510. Or rather I should say I’m trying to play it. It’s probably more a reflection of my chronic lack of patience and stupidity, but I found this puzzler extraordinarily difficult and was constantly rummaging about on the web for walkthroughs. But then I guess that’s the point – if the puzzles were easy to solve it would defeat the object.
Clearly this is a case of me being at fault not the game because tens of thousands of people have finished it on Windows, Mac, iPad and Linux. Indeed, her-indoors managed the first three levels in a quarter of time it took me and started to look at me with those same pitying eyes she uses when talking to next door’s hugely stupid labrador. Brain-crushingly tough puzzles aside, the graphics and music are utterly superb and you will certainly get your money’s worth in terms of game time per pound.
Reg Rating 75%
Oscura
There will always be a place in my heart for games that put aesthetics on an equal or even higher footing than the excitement or challenge they offer. Games like Limbo and Journey and now Oscura. Oscura is a platform adventure that sees you run and jump through a darkling world redolent of a 1960’s Czech political cartoon reimagined by Tim Burton. Your mission is to gather together the shards of a crystal the light from which keeps all the nasty things in the world at bay.
Obviously until you accomplish your task, said nasties roam free and need to be avoided. This can be difficult as they move fast, often faster than you do. Other perils include razor sharp spikes sticking out of just about everything and lakes that kill you stone dead the moment you fall into then. The excellent controls, cool slow-time feature and stylised graphics had me from the first level.
Reg Rating 90%
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COMMENTS
Better than all the aforementioned games:
ScummVM and a bunch of old point and clicks. I really don't know why developers aren't making native adventure games for Android already, the ergonomics are ideal for it.
Machinarium
> but I found this puzzler extraordinarily difficult and was constantly rummaging about on the web for walkthroughs
Use the little book icon on the menu. You play a little maze game with the key in order to unlock the book which then gives you useful hints.
Don't be put off by the the fact that the game can be challenging; the music, the art work and the way the story is told is absolutley superb.
Missing a few points.
Some goodies on the list but your review missed massive factors.
Strike fleet omega is a freemium game, impossible to progress after a while because upgrades cost. You have to unlock mega credits (cube like things) and you get maybe 2 or 3 in later levels, if you are quick and good. However you need 40 or so to buy chepaest upgrades (try an artillery ship to level 3, or buy the advanced fighter carriers)
It is only thanks to peer pressure that replaying early levels unlocks 'material' allowing a replay value, otherwise you wouldn't be able to progress or upgrade either. And replaying early leavels actually require you to spend mega credits on the doomsday weapo as a demonstration on how to use it. Seriously bad game if you don't want to spend real money on a suppodesly free game.
Now I support free games, but I worked it out that it would be over 20 quid if you want to be able to upgrade and but enough to get the all the ships.
Radiant HD as well is a must purchase or you will struggle, half those turrets you show in your screen shot are a purchase only affair with unlock packs. Only a quid each or so, but there are 5 or 6 of them.
I thnk the main thing is...
I think the main thing for tablet/phone gaming is that it's something to fill dead time - "I have 40 minutes until my flight boards, what shall I do with this time?"
To that end, IMHO games need to be:
1) quick. I should be able to complete a game or two during that time
2) resumable - when they say "group 4 may now board" I need to be able to shut the game down without losing a great deal of work.
3) absorbing, but not too absorbing: it should entertain me but not keep me from hearing the previously mentioned boarding announcement.
It seems that many of the games in this article meet those requirements, which is good.
And another..
Don't forget 'Great Little War Game' and its follow-ups.
My girlfriend is always complaining that I spend more time playing this than talking to her. But then, pretty much anything is better than talking about fluffy kittens / pretty dresses / celebrities, or whatever the hell else it is that women talk about.
