It's About the Journey, Not the Destination in Wheels of Aurelia
October 19, 2017 by RSS Feed
Wheels of Aurelia ($3.99) by Santa Ragione is an interactive visual novel that takes you on a journey of self-discovery. If you enjoyed other titles like Old Man's Journey and Artificial Superintelligence, then you'll like what Wheels of Aurelia has to offer.
While I like to think I have an interesting life, I know that it's not the case, as much as I'd like it to be. Fortunately, there's always video games that allow me to live the life I've always dreamed of having, because there's so much variety in what I can achieve in a digital medium. When the news of Wheels of Aurelia hit my inbox, I became intrigued because I've always wanted to go on a road trip, but the opportunity has never really come up for me. Now I can kind of live that life thanks to this interactive novel.
Old Man's Journey
Broken Rules Interactive Media GmbH
Artificial Superintelligence
Grailr LLC
Horizon Chase - World Tour
Aquiris Realidade Virtual LTDA
Visually, Wheels of Aurelia has a kind of modern retro aesthetic to it, similar to Horizon Chase. This means a low-poly world that's both cute and charming, appealing to those who miss the vintage style. Everything is rendered in 3D, and Italy looks as bright and vibrant as ever during the 1970's. The character portraits are drawn in 2D fashion and look incredibly realistic. Each character you end up interacting with has their own unique personality and dialogue. Animations are smooth and fluid, and the dialogue text is easy to read. The game also has a quirky soundtrack that's fun to listen to, and the sound effects are a nice touch.
In Wheels of Aurelia, you play as the bold and spunky Lella as she embarks on a road trip across Italy during the 1970's. Lella has a bit of a checkered background that gets unraveled as you play, meeting many different and unpredictable characters along the way. It's a journey about self-discovery, and this is made abundantly clear as you hit the streets. The dialogue that you choose for Lella to say in response to others affects everyone involved, and there's a total of 16 different endings you can get. Remember — Wheels of Aurelia is all about the journey, not the destination.
The controls in Wheels of Aurelia is simple, though at times it can feel a bit overwhelming since a lot of multitasking can be involved. As Lella drives the car, you can swipe left or right to change lanes or hit stops in the road. Since the road is just one lane both ways, you'll want to go into the opposite lane to pass up slower cars in front of you, but watch out for oncoming traffic. As you drive, Lella has rather engrossing conversations with the people she meets along the way in the car, and you'll want to go through the available dialogue options (swipe vertically) and pick the one you think is best.
Depending on your choices in Wheels of Aurelia, the story for each attempt ranges from short to lengthy. Once a storyline concludes, you get a scene with text that explains what happened to Lella's passenger, as well as what Lella does afterwards with her own past.
After you're done with one attempt, you can choose to play again and try to get a different ending. After all, there are 16 endings you can get. The neat thing is the fact that you can choose what chapter to start from, instead of the beginning each time. On top of that, you can pick a new set of wheels each time, and you can also unlock new cars throughout the story.
As you play Wheels of Aurelia, you'll probably end up hearing about many cultural and political references from characters, as well as places. There's a "Wheelspedia" that you can access at any time to read explanations detailing the significance of these references.
A change of pace game that is about discovering the storyline through road trip choices.
The Good
Wheels of Aurelia is a quirky and endearing interactive novel game. The graphics are a great combination of modern and retro, and the characters have distinctive appearances to them that make them stand out. The storyline is captivating from the get-go, and the setting is a great blast from the past. All of the people you meet are special in their own way, and it brings life to the story. Choosing Lella's dialogue is an easy affair, and the swipe controls for changing lanes is intuitive. Having 16 different endings and the option to choose a starting chapter means you can skip the beginning and get right to the fun stuff.
The Bad
While Wheels of Aurelia is a pretty solid game, I did get a bit overwhelmed with having to keep an eye on the road and choose dialogue at the same time. I know — multitasking is great, but if I'm in a street race, I want to concentrate on that first, and not have a bunch of dialogue on the screen that I can't read. I think the controls could be better optimized for situations like that, or at least have less going on the screen at once.
The verdict
While I'm not usually big into interactive visual novels, Wheels of Aurelia is an exception. I'm loving the visual style of the game, and the music is delightful. Controls are simple enough for everyone to enjoy, and the character development and endings are done well. The game's all about the journey rather than the destination, and I think that's a great outlook on life in general. I may not have been on an actual road trip yet, but this game gives me a sample taste of it.
I recommend giving Wheels of Aurelia a try if you're in the mood for a narrative experience. You can find Wheels of Aurelia on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $3.99.
8.5
OVERALL
Graphics 9
Sound/Music 9
Replayability 8.5
Game Controls 8
Gameplay 8
Wheels of Aurelia
Santa Ragione s.r.l.
Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews
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"PUSH" is a Puzzle Game All About Pushing Your Buttons
October 18, 2017 by RSS Feed
"PUSH" ($0.99) by Maciej Targoni is a zen-like puzzle game about pushing buttons. If you enjoyed other recent puzzle games like Lynk and Linelight, then you're bound to enjoy PUSH.
Let's face it — life gets stressful, and we all have different ways to de-stress. My preferred way is to kick back with some video games, preferably puzzles as I find them relaxing yet stimulating, and a great way to pass the time. While I feel like I've tried pretty much every puzzle game there is on the App Store, I can't help but keep an eye out for new ones as they release. So when I heard of "PUSH" a few weeks ago, I had to check it out. It's another great game from the minds behind Klocki, Zenge, and Art of Gravity.
Lynk.
Michael Le
Linelight
Brett Taylor
"klocki"
Maciej Targoni
Zenge
Michal Pawlowski
Art Of Gravity
Michal Pawlowski
Visually, PUSH is gorgeous with a minimal art style that's simple and pleasing at the same time. Like the other games from the developer, it's fully rendered in 3D, with a dash of optical illusion magic going on. While it's not a perspective puzzle like Monument Valley, the angle at which you view things in PUSH depend on how the object is rotated. PUSH makes use of a no-frills color palette that consists of soft pastels and various shades of white, gray, and black. The subtle glows of the buttons as you push them or successfully complete a puzzle are soothing.
Animations are subtle, smooth, and fluid with no lag on my iPhone 8 Plus. PUSH also has a tranquil atmospheric soundtrack that plays in the background, which I found delightful. The clicking sound effects are also a nice touch. Overall, the developer did an excellent job with PUSH's visual and audio design.
Like many other puzzle games before it, PUSH is level-based. Players must complete the puzzle that they're currently on before they can move on to the next one. The goal is easy and straightforward: push the buttons and figure out the correct sequence so that all buttons are pressed. There are no move restrictions, time limits, points, or stars to worry about, so you can play the game at your own pace.
Controls in PUSH are effortless and intuitive. To push a button on the object, just tap on it. Of course, things get much more complicated as you progress. Eventually, you'll have to figure out the correct sequence to push the buttons in, otherwise, previously pushed buttons are depressed, so you lose progress! Some stages involve large objects with multiple sides, so you have to rotate to see all of the buttons. Once all of the buttons are pushed and stay down, then you've successfully solved the puzzle.
While this all sounds easy, it's not. You'll begin to find buttons that are appear to have a numbered order to them, but you still have to figure out if they're supposed to be pushed in ascending or descending order. Then there are buttons with directional arrows on them, cubes to push around on the stage, and much more. The beginning is easy, but once new tiles are added, PUSH gets tricky.
PUSH is another gem of a puzzle game from Maciej Targoni that does not disappoint.
PUSH is another gem of a puzzle game from Maciej Targoni that does not disappoint. The game looks stunning with a simple and clean aesthetic, and the music is definitely helpful in easing your mind and soul after a long day. While there are no tutorials or guides to help you understand, I found everything to be rather straightforward and easy to pick up on your own. Controls are simple enough, and the difficulty curve is gradual.
There's a lot of good stuff going on with PUSH, but this is not a game for everyone. If you don't like puzzle games that make the gears in your head turn, then this game isn't for you. This is a game that is relaxing and stimulating, so if you're in the mood for something with more action, then PUSH is not what you're looking for. But if you do want a challenging puzzle that doesn't put much pressure on you, then PUSH is worth a purchase.
The verdict
Overall, PUSH is a great puzzle game to add to your iOS game collection. The graphics are eye appealing and the sound is charming. While it explains nothing, you're able to pick up on the game mechanics as you tinker around, so it's friendly enough for everyone. I do wish that the game provided some different color theme options, just to spice things up a bit, but it's not a big deal. It's unclear how many levels there are, because you have to go through them in linear fashion. But from what I see, there's plenty of content for the price.
I recommend giving "PUSH" a try if you're a fan of sequence puzzle games. You can find "PUSH" on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $0.99. There are no in-app purchases.
9.1
OVERALL
Game Controls 10
Graphics 9.5
Sound/Music 9
Gameplay 9
Replayability 8
"PUSH"
Maciej Targoni
Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews
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Get a Little Romantic in Our Ways, a Challenging Puzzle Game
October 16, 2017 by RSS Feed
Our Ways ($1.99) by Rolling Pig Studio is a challenging puzzle game that explores the philosophies behind relationships. If you enjoyed games like Sally's Law and Kalimba, then you'll get a kick out of Our Ways.
When life gets stressful, I like to sit back and unwind with video games, preferably on my iOS devices or Nintendo Switch these days. I also prefer spending time with my boyfriend to help me relax, because I just feel better when he's around. So naturally, when I saw Our Ways on the App Store, I was intrigued. This is a puzzle game (one of my favorite genres) that's about relationships, so how could I resist as a hopeless romantic?
Sally's Law
Nanali Inc.
Kalimba™
Flashbulb ApS
Visually, Our Ways features a simple and clean minimalistic art style that looks great on the eyes. Anyone who likes minimalism is sure to appreciate the visuals in Our Ways. Everything is rendered in 2D and the animations are smooth and fluid on my iPhone 8 Plus. Our Ways makes use of a wide color palette that features both soft pastels and more bright and vibrant hues. To top things off, Our Ways has an ambient and atmospheric piano soundtrack in the background that's sure to get you in the mood to solve the puzzles ahead of you.
In Our Ways, there's a total of 64 levels spread out across eight different themes. These themes are all related to relationships in the real world, so there's actual meaning behind everything. The goal in Our Ways is to help two colored dots meet each other, but like real life, this can be harder than you think. There will always be obstacles in your path, and you must make it to each other without hitting any hazards.
Controls in Our Ways are simple, but do take some practice to master. The game can be played with one or two players. To move one of the dots, just place your thumb in the colored section (that the dot isn't in) that corresponds to the dot you want to move. Drag your thumb around and the dot moves according to your thumb's movements. If you hit the wall or some other obstacle, that means you've failed and have to try again.
As each dot moves, they'll leave behind footsteps. These are supposed to represent the paths that each of us take to establish our relationships with others. They show us how we overcome the difficulties that are ahead of us, and each result ends up being unique to us. The complete result will vary depending on how many "steps" each dot took — sometimes one ends up more than the other.
There are multiple ways to complete the puzzles in Our Ways, so you can play it at your own leisure. There's no right or wrong way to play.
If you're colorblind, don't worry — there's a colorblind setting that you can toggle. This gets rid of all of the color and replaces it all with grayscale.
A romantic platformer in which you try to move two colored dots to meet each other.
The Good
Our Ways is a great little puzzle game with a straightforward meaning behind it all. The minimal graphics are sure to appeal to those who believe "less is more," and the music puts your soul at ease. The controls are simple but take time and practice to master. And since there's no time limits or restrictions, everyone can play this at their own pace, and all solutions end up being distinctive. It's relaxing and helps us visualize how we can overcome obstacles for our real life relationships.
The Bad
While Our Ways is an excellent puzzle game, I do wish that it was a bit easier to control the dots. When doing single player, it seems incredibly easy to have one dot go off course and run into a wall. I think the sensitivity could be better optimized to prevent this, so hopefully the developer considers it in a future update.
The verdict
Overall, Our Ways is a great little gem to have on your iOS device. The puzzles look easy enough, but they're much more challenging than you think at first glance. The minimalistic art style is well done and looks excellent on Retina screens, and the colorblind option is nice to have. There's plenty of content for the price, and this is a nice game for two people to play at once.
I recommend checking out Our Ways if you're in the mood for a relaxing puzzle game that explores relationships. You can get Our Ways on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for $1.99. There are no in-app purchases.
8.1
OVERALL
Replayability 8
Game Controls 8
Graphics 8
Sound/Music 8
Gameplay 8.5
Our Ways
Rolling Pig Studio
Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews
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Lively Is a Great Way to Video Chat with Like-Minded People
October 16, 2017 by RSS Feed
Reviewed by Sarah Hanlon
Connecting with people is incredibly easy thanks to apps. It wasn’t too long ago when you’d have to actually go places to meet new people; now you can hang out and chat with like-minded individuals who share your interests.
Lively is a well-designed and easy-to-use app that makes chatting with and meeting new people fun and exciting.
Unlike traditional apps where you have to rely on text, Lively uses video chatting so you can talk to each other face to face.
Concept and Functionality: 
Signing up for Lively, a free app by Zoosk, Inc., is incredibly easy – all you need is to connect the app to Facebook. From there, you can choose your interest categories such as sports, tv shows, politics, and so much more.
As far as the actual chatting experience, I like the fact that Lively covers new ground by moving users away from texting each other.
It seems like a strange concept at first, but there’s a handy app feature that I’ll talk about in a bit which makes everything much, much more comfortable.
One of the things I really like about Lively is that it’s easy to get adjusted to the app. You’re not grilled with personality questions so you can be matched with the “perfect” chat partner; just pick a topic you feel like talking about at that particular moment and wait to be connected with someone who wants to discuss the same thing.
Features:
Lively – Meet New People iPhone App
As I mentioned above, Lively has a really neat feature that even the shyest of chatters will appreciate – the blur. This feature automatically blurs each users screen when a video chat is started.
As you chat with your partner, the blur gradually fades. You always have the option to keep the blur enabled for privacy purposes, but this is a really cool way to let you get comfortable with chatting.
If you happen to chat with someone and you really enjoy their company, you can add them to your friend list.
Lively is an especially great app for college students because you have the option of choosing your campus (if it’s listed) when you first sign up.
Value:
Lively is available to download for free from the App Store. There are no ads or in-app purchases, which makes this a completely free app to use and enjoy. No subscription fees, no paid extras, and no nonsense.
Overall, I highly recommend Lively if you’re looking to video chat with new people and talk about things you have in common.
It’s a great app that definitely has privacy in mind, and I definitely believe it’s destined to be a top social networking app!
Lively – Meet New People requires iOS 9.0 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Source link:http://www.theiphoneappreview.com/2017/10/lively-iphone-app/
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Ancient History and Technology Merge in The Talos Principle
October 13, 2017 by RSS Feed
The Talos Principle ($4.99) by Croteam and published by Devolver Digital is the mobile port of the original game released in 2014. If you enjoyed other recent games like The Witness and classics like Portal, then you'll like The Talos Principle.
These days, thanks to the computing power of the devices in our pockets, we're able to have more console games as mobile ports. We've been getting some great ones lately, including The Witness, Thimbleweed Park, OXENFREE, Danmaku Unlimited 3, Steredenn, The Binding of Isaac, Geometry Wars 3, and more. The trend doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon either, and I'm grateful. There are plenty of games that I haven't been able to try, because I'd prefer having them on my iPhone or even Nintendo Switch. And now that I have The Talos Principle on-the-go, I'm not disappointed.
The Witness
Thekla, inc.
Thimbleweed Park
Terrible Toybox, Inc.
OXENFREE
Night School Studio, LLC
Danmaku Unlimited 3
Sunny Tam
Steredenn
Pixelnest Studio
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
Nicalis, Inc.
Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved
Activision Publishing, Inc.
Visually, The Talos Principle is gorgeous and stunning, especially on the Retina HD screen of my iPhone 8 Plus. It reminds me of the graphics in The Witness, except it's much more realistic and less dreamlike. The game's fully rendered in 3D and it's incredibly immersive, pulling you into the tranquil island life. It shifts between first-person and third-person perspective, depending on the puzzle you're solving. The entire world is full of fine details and textures, giving everything a bit of life. Honestly, it's rather impressive that this is just on my iPhone.
As far as music and sound goes, The Talos Principle nails it as well. There's an ambient, atmospheric soundtrack that helps you relax and focus on solving the puzzles on the island. As far as sound effects go, it's rather sensible, with the calming sounds of nature and your own robotic footsteps. The sound design is the other layer of the game that truly draws you into the game world, as it's so well done.
In The Talos Principle, players wake up from a deep sleep and find themselves on an island that's filled with ancient ruins and technology. It's a bit similar to The Witness, but you're a robot here, rather than a human, though you have a human-like consciousness. There's a voice that speaks to you as you wander around, providing guidance, but the question remains: who are you and what is your purpose? The answers to these questions reveal themselves as you make progress on the island by solving puzzles.
The controls in The Talos Principle on mobile are simple and intuitive, though it does take time to get used to. Just tap where you want to move to, and you'll walk over. Swiping your finger horizontally lets you pan the camera around so you can view the surroundings. A two-finger swipe lets you strafe in that direction (left, right, or backward). You can also double tap a spot to run towards it, rather than walk.
When there are objects in the environment that you can interact with, there's an indicator on the screen — just tap it and you interact with it. The game contains over 100 puzzles all across the island, and they involve multiple interactions. These range from picking up portable jammer units to disable turrets and walls, to diverting drones and manipulating laser beams. The puzzles are all different and range from simple to complex. The game also gives players the freedom to complete puzzles in their own way, as it's non-linear.
As you complete puzzles, you'll earn a "sigil" at the end of each one. These sigils are shaped like tetrominos and are the key to unlocking security gates (also puzzles themselves) in order to move on to the next area. There's also some exploration that you can do in the open environments to uncover more puzzles and narrative.
For the most part, the touch screen controls work well enough. However, if you have a MFi controller, The Talos Principle fully supports them. This means a more console-like experience if you have a controller, but it's still playable without.
A beautiful 3D puzzle adventure reminiscent of The Witness.
The Good
The Talos Principle is an excellent open-world puzzle adventure that is just jaw-dropping beautiful on your iOS device. If you have a newer device, you'll be glad to know that this game utilizes the power of the Metal API and Serious Engine. The sounds are realistic and immersive, making you feel like you're really there.
Even if you've never played The Talos Principle on other platforms, the game does a bit of handholding in the beginning to help newbies. The tutorial explains the intuitive controls so you don't feel lost, and interacting with the environment is a simple affair. Having support for MFi controllers is just a bonus.
For what it's worth, The Talos Principle is an excellent value on iOS. The game is only $5 and provides at least 20 hours of gameplay (the console versions run about $40). The puzzles are challenging and make you think. And the narrative is excellent, as it explores various aspects of humanity, technology, and civilization.
The Bad
While The Talos Principle looks fantastic on my iPhone 8 Plus, I did experience some frame rate issues while playing. When I'm trying to pan the camera around quickly or run, there would be some stuttering in the frame rate. It's not a huge dealbreaker, but it is noticeable.
And while the touch controls work alright for the most part, they can get a bit clunky when dealing with time-critical puzzles. A bit more optimization could be used.
It should be noted that the recent update has caused some issues for people, as reflected in the iTunes reviews. Aside from some visual stuttering, I haven't had crashing issues as others are reporting.
The verdict
As someone who's never played The Talos Principle before, I'm in love with the game. It looks amazing and has great sound design. The controls work okay, but could be better optimized, but at least there is controller support. The story is intriguing from the get-go, and I do love a good existential crisis kind of plot. The puzzles are challenging and there's just a ton of content for the money.
I recommend giving The Talos Principle a try if you've never played it before and enjoy open-world puzzle adventures. The Talos Principle is available on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $4.99.
9.0
OVERALL
Sound/Music 10
Graphics 9.5
Gameplay 9
Replayability 8.5
Game Controls 8
The Talos Principle
Devolver Digital
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