Take an Adventure Through the Desert Oasis in Alto's Odyssey
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
Alto's Odyssey ($4.99) by Team Alto is the highly anticipated sequel to the 2015 hit, Alto's Adventure. If you loved the first game and can't get enough, then Alto's Odyssey is a must. It's also great even if you never touched the first one, as it's a standalone infinite runner experience.
Since the App Store debuted back in 2008, I've grown a love-hate relationship with the endless running genre. I had fallen in love with Canabalt when it first came out, and it remained one of my go-to games when I was bored. Then I saw other runners come out over the years, like Temple Run, Robot Unicorn Attack, and Ski Safari, as well as clones of those as well. At some point, it seemed like every developer was releasing an infinite runner of their own, following tried-and-true formulas like Temple Run's over-the-shoulder or the classic side scrolling view. It all started to feel the same to me, and it got tiresome.
Then Alto's Adventure came along.
When I first saw Alto's Adventure, I was pulled in immediately by the minimalistic, yet gorgeous aesthetic of the visuals, especially the dynamic weather and lighting system. I was still a bit skeptical at first, but once I tried it out, I fell in love with it immediately. It was an elegant infinite runner, combining a trick system that you'd usually find in snowboarding or skateboarding games. It was different at the time.
Alto's Odyssey was first teased in December 2016, and was aiming for 2017 release, but it was delayed. Now it's here, and I must say that it's been well worth the wait.
Alto's Adventure
Snowman
Ski Safari
Defiant Development Pty.Ltd
Ski Safari 2
SLEEPY Z STUDIOS PTY LTD
Visually, Alto's Odyssey retains the same simple and clean look that the first game has, except it now takes place in a desert dune with various biomes and temple ruins rather than a snowy mountainside. With this in mind, Odyssey features a much more lush and detailed world than its predecessor, and it introduces new obstacles that can either help you or hinder you, depending on the situation. The dynamic weather and lighting cycles mean that the backdrop is constantly changing and shifting, and it's still just a sight to behold. Animations are buttery smooth and fluid, and I had no issues with lag or choppy frame rates on my iPhone 8 Plus.
The soundtrack is pretty marvelous as well. While the first game's soundtrack was a bit more whimsical, Odyssey's music feels more ambient, atmospheric, and serene. It reflects the overall tone of a desert oasis, and it's rather immersive. The sound effects are realistic, and it all adds another layer of depth to the game, especially with the weather sounds. Overall, Team Alto has once again knocked it out of the park in terms of visual and audio design.
While the Alto games were never story driven, there's a lot of secrets to discover in Odyssey. It's an infinite sandboarding adventure, and this time, there's a variety of biomes to discover as you explore the endless desert oasis. The biomes range from regular old dunes to canyons and temples. On top of that, players will find hot air balloons that they can bounce off of, and even tornadoes that give them some hang time for more tricks.
The controls remain the same as before. Alto and his friends move forward automatically, but you tap to jump and do a long press while in the air for backflips. Doing backflips over chasms grants a slight boost in momentum, and that can help you get across the gap. You can jump into tornados to get lifted into the air, or jump on top of the hot air balloons to bounce off.
A new mechanic is the wallriding. When you have the Sandboard, you're able to ride along certain walls. When these come up, just tap-and-hold to ride the wall and go up higher. You can use these to propel yourself and jump off to do tricks. Some chasms also require wallriding to get across, but you can't wallride while flipping, so make sure to keep that in mind.
There are coins to collect, which you can spend in the Workshop to get upgrades for power-up items, like the Coin Magnet and Lotus Flower (protects you from crashes). There are also one-time use items that you can purchase, such as the Helmet (saves you from one crash) and Chasm Rescue pickaxes. The Wingsuit makes a return, of course, allowing you to fly once it's charged up from doing tricks. There are also some new items: Mysterious Radio, once bought, will appear randomly and drop something useful when there's someone on the other end. There's also the Sandboard and Compass, but you'll have to find these in the game first before you can purchase them.
The goals have made a comeback as well, with a total of 180 to strive for. They come in sets of three, and you'll have to complete all three before you level up and gain access to the next set of objectives. Once you've done all three, you earn the stars and level up. When you level up, you'll gain access to Alto's friends, who you can then play as. Each one has their own set of strengths and weaknesses, which you'll have to discover as you unlock them.
One character is better at backflips than others, while another has longer invincibility frames, another is faster, and someone else is better at jumping. Each character is good for achieving something that isn't possible with another.
If you don't feel like stressing out over goals, then just hop into the Zen Mode. Here, you don't have goals, points, coins, or power-ups to worry about. It's just you and the desert, and if you crash, you just pick your board up and keep going. Alto's Odyssey also has the Photo Mode, accessible from the Pause menu, where you can capture stunning moments from your desert adventure to share with others.
Alto and his friends have moved from snowboarding mountains to sandboarding dunes.
The Good
Alto's Odyssey may have taken about three years to make, but honestly, it's been well worth the wait. The game is absolutely gorgeous with the desert landscape and dynamic weather and lighting effects. The new biomes give the game even more variety as far as what you see, and they're quite stunning to look at. And the new mechanics, like the tornados and hot air balloons, made a great game even better, as it just improved upon the original template.
The goals system keeps the game interesting, and if the last one proved anything, it's the fact that you'll always come back and try to complete them all for the other characters. The game has high replay value, and it's just a joy to play.
The Bad
The only negative is that some of the goals are super hard to complete, and you may be stuck at one level for a long time. But that just means that the game is challenging, and you'll have a reason to keep playing.
The verdict
Alto's Odyssey is an improvement on an already great, classic iOS game. I never thought that you could improve on perfection, but Team Alto has done it. The graphics in Odyssey look even better than the first, and those were already great. The music is soothing and immersive, the new mechanics just add another layer of depth to everything, and there's high replay value. I mean, honestly, what more do you want? Plus, it's a premium game with zero in-app purchases, which is a rarity these days.
This game took three years to land in our hands, but Team Alto proved it was worth the wait. The desert has never looked so good before.
9.7
OVERALL
Game Controls 10
Graphics 10
Sound/Music 10
Replayability 9.5
Gameplay 9
Alto's Odyssey
Snowman
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Unravel Abstract Designs and Colors in Dissembler
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
Dissembler ($2.99) by Ian MacLarty is a minimalistic puzzle game about unraveling bold, abstract designs, one color at a time. It's like a match-three game, except for the fact that no more tiles come to replace the ones you clear out. If you enjoyed recent titles like Stack & Crack, Invert, and Crystal Cove, then you'll like what Dissembler has to offer.
Though most of my time is taken up by Monster Hunter: World these days, I still love my puzzle games. In fact, I still prefer them when I just want to do nothing but relax, as it definitely helps take my mind off of the more stressful things going on right now. And while it feels like I've gone through most of the different types of puzzle games on the App Store, I can't help but keep an eye out for more, as I can't get enough. When I saw Dissembler on the App Store, I knew it was another one that I needed in my collection, and when I saw it was by the guy who made Boson X, it just confirmed it.
Stack & Crack
Jambav, Inc
Invert - Tile Flipping Puzzles
Noodlecake Studios Inc
Crystal Cove
Andrey Spencer
Boson X
Ian MacLarty
Visually, Dissembler is pretty simple and clean. On the surface, it looks just like a 2D game, but with the shadow effects and how the tiles flip, there's more layers of depth to it than meets the eye. The creamy beige backdrop provides great contrast for the colored tiles that you're matching, and the tiles are bright and vibrant. Animations are smooth and fluid on my iPhone 8 Plus, and the game features an ambient soundtrack that helps with relaxing your mind. If you're colorblind, the default colors may be a bit hard to see, so fortunately, the developer implemented a colorblind mode as well. The clicking sound effects are fun to listen to, at least for me, and remind me of wind-up toys. Overall, the developer did an excellent job with the visual and audio design for Dissembler.
Dissembler has three game modes: Puzzle (Default), Daily, and Infinite. In Puzzle, players go through a series of various designs, figuring out the correct sequence to make the matches (at least three or more) of tiles in order to clear them all out and have a clean slate. Daily has a new set of puzzles for each day, meaning something new to look forward to. The puzzles in these two modes start out simple enough, but become more intricate and complex as you go, requiring some thought and planning to make sure no tile gets left behind.
Infinite is slightly different than the other two modes. Instead of dealing with single-colored squares, you'll have squares with three rings of color to them, all arranged neatly in a square grid. There's the outer, middle, and inner rings, which are all different colors. You'll be matching the outer ring color first, and then the middle ring expands to fill the outer layer, the inner ring becomes the middle, and a new color shows up in the center. You'll make matches until there are no more possible moves. Infinite also has Relaxed and Hard modes, so you can pick the flavor that best suits the mood you're in.
Controls in Dissembler are easy enough for anyone to understand, and it's pretty intuitively designed for touch screens. Honestly, it would be hard to play something like Dissembler with physical button controls, so this is the perfect platform for it. To swap a colored tile with an adjacent one, just swipe on it in the direction you want to swap it with. If it's a viable move, then the two become a single piece and "flip" over. Otherwise, they just return to their original position.
Remove all of the colored tiles by flipping tiles to make matches.
The Good
Dissembler is a unique matching puzzle that is not your typical match-three. It demands strategizing and planning to figure out the correct sequence to make your matches in, almost like a brain teaser. And while it's proper to go through the puzzles in order, there is an option to Unlock All, so you can play them in any order that you want, which is nice for those who get stuck easily.
The Infinite mode is the most fun, though. I like that it offers this, because I usually just prefer to play endless games and just try to best my own scores. Having the personal challenge keeps me motivated to play.
On top of it all, Dissembler has some great minimal aesthetics and charming sound and music. Like the developers other games, this is another one that's well designed.
The Bad
Honestly, it's hard to find anything negative about Dissembler. But if I had to pick out a flaw, it's the fact that a game about colors doesn't let players change the color theme. There's only the default option and colorblind mode. I would like to see a variety of color palettes added in the future, which could spice up the game to suit everyone's favorite hues.
The verdict
As a big puzzle lover, Dissembler may be my new favorite for the time being. I love the simple and clean graphics, the music is charming, and the gameplay is fun and challenging. I also like the fact that there are no in-app purchases, and the game even lets you unlock all of the puzzles so you can go through them all at your own pace. I just hope to see more color palettes added in future updates, just to add some variety.
9.2
OVERALL
Game Controls 10
Replayability 9
Graphics 9
Sound/Music 9
Gameplay 9
Dissembler
Ian MacLarty
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Experience the Highs and Lows of First Love in Florence
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
Florence ($2.99) by Annapurna Interactive is an interactive storybook that details the highs and lows of a young woman's first love. If you like games that are more about the storytelling and experience, such as Life Is Strange, then you will be charmed by Florence.
Ah, first love — we've all had one, or are still in a relationship with one. I remember when I had my first boyfriend at the age of 16, and I thought that it would last forever. Nope. It's a learning experience, and one that I'm quite thankful for. So when I saw Florence on the App Store, I was drawn in by how relatable this experience seemed to be. I had to check it out for myself, and this is definitely one that pulls at your heartstrings.
Life Is Strange
SQUARE ENIX Ltd
Visually speaking, Florence is beautiful, though I suppose that's to be expected from the lead designer of Monument Valley. The game is entirely hand drawn in a simple art style that evokes the "slice of life" aesthetic. The color palette in Florence features a nice mix of soft pastels and brighter hues, along with darker, gloomier shades. Each kind of color conveys a different meaning and emotion in Florence, so the variety that it offers is nice. Animations are smooth and fluid, so I had no issues on my iPhone 8 Plus. The soundtrack to Florence is also pretty whimsical and emotional, as it helps convey the sentiment that you're supposed to feel during particular scenes.
Since Florence is an interactive storybook experience, the "game" is broken up into a handful of different acts, and there could be one to three chapters per act. The chapters are simply titled with one or two words, but they're enough to tell you what scenario is going to happen next. The titles are also relatable to our real lives as well, which is what I love about the game.
The story of Florence goes like this: Florence is a 25-year-old woman who has a daily routine, like we all do. Get up, get ready for work, commute and check social media, work, talk to mom on the phone, go home, eat dinner, sleep, rinse and repeat. It's a rut that we all feel stuck in sometimes. Then Florence meets a cello player named Krish, and they begin dating. Krish is responsible for changing how Florence sees the world and herself.
Like any relationship, there are the ups and the downs. Each chapter represents a different experience in Florence and Krish's relationship. As you explore their connection to each other, you'll get to play various mini-games vignettes. You'll be there when they flirt with each other on their first date, to witnessing their first heated argument, and then helping each other follow their dreams and passions. But eventually they grow apart, like most of us do with our first love.
One thing that I love about the mini-games is the fact that they resemble actual, real-life experiences when it comes to dating someone.
For example, as Florence and Krish first start talking to each other, the puzzle pieces that resemble their chat bubbles are six pieces. It symbolizes how hard it can be to come up with conversation topics on the first date. As they grow closer with one another and know more about each other, their chat bubble puzzles only have three pieces.
There are only 20 chapters total in Florence, and it's easy to get through them all rather quickly. Still, it's a roller coaster of emotion, and by the end of it, you feel closer to Florence than you ever did, and you may even know exactly what she's been through.
An interactive storybook that is filled with mini games, and follows the story for a first love.
The Good
Florence is an excellent storytelling experience with the slice of life plot. It's the story of your first love, which we've all been through at some point, and it hits close to home. It highlights all of the good and the bad of a relationship, and provides valuable life lessons. Plus, the visual style and music evoke even more emotion from you. It's hard to not tear up just a bit while playing this.
The Bad
The only negative to Florence is the length. Again, it's only 20 chapters long, and it's easy to get through them all (or at least most) in less than an hour. For the amount of money, some may not think it's worth it. However, if you appreciate a good story, then Florence's tale is worth it.
The verdict
Once I started Florence, it was hard to stop. I went from knowing nothing about Florence to knowing everything about her daily life and then about her and Krish. It reminded me of my relationships, and I'll admit it — I got quite emotional. I love slice of life experiences, and Florence is definitely one you don't want to miss.
Florence is on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for $2.99.
8.5
OVERALL
Game Controls 10
Sound/Music 10
Graphics 9.5
Gameplay 8
Replayability 5
Florence
Annapurna Interactive
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Take a Journey Through Gaming History in Evoland 2
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
Evoland 2 ($6.99) by Playdigious is the ultimate homage to classic RPGs that most of us grew up with in our childhood years. If you were a fan of the first Evoland, then you don't want to miss the sequel.
I grew up with consoles like the NES and Sega Genesis when I was a kid. Back then, there were plenty of great games, especially RPGs, that provided adventure and challenged players at the same time. As time went on, RPGs grew and matured, becoming much more detailed than their original counterparts and even blossoming in glorious 3D. If you're the type of person to get a bit nostalgic over gaming history, and also enjoy a ton of references, then Evoland 2 is a perfect match.
Evoland
Playdigious
Graphically speaking, Evoland 2, like its predecessor, is rather impressive. The game provides an excellent visual timeline of the capabilities of gaming throughout the years, going from 2D and 8-bit pixels to more complex, 3D modeling systems. Still, even when you go through the 8-bit part of the game, everything is still quite detailed, so you can still make things out and it's not too plain looking. The colors in Evoland 2 are a nice, lush mix of vibrant brights and more muted, earthy tones. Animations are smooth and fluid, with no issues of laggy or choppy frame rates on my iPhone 8 Plus. The soundtrack is also a nice tribute to the classic RPGs that you've played in the past, and the game even pokes some humor into that from the very beginning.
In typical RPG fashion, players will find a storyline that is jam-packed with plenty of JRPG tropes and clichés, but done in a way that is supposed to be humorous and entertaining. You have the protagonist who doesn't remember who they are and what happened to them before the start of the game. You're in a village with various NPCs who all have their own quirks and charms. The silent hero gets sent out of the village to do some errands for someone, but you need a sword first! Help the daughter of the man who rescued you from the forest from a bunch of monsters and witness a catastrophic event that changes the world as we know it.
Yup, that sounds about right, doesn't it? Evoland 2 has the standard JRPG fare, but does it in a tongue-in-cheek way that is pretty meta and breaks the fourth wall. It makes jokes about mechanics from other games, such as The Legend of Zelda (cutting up shrubs), and there are a ton of references to look for if you've played any major RPG or adventure type game.
Since it's an RPG, players do have to go through the game in a chronological series of events, but there is the ability to grind for experience and level up. You know, when you want to be so overpowered that you can decimate anything in your way.
Evoland 2 expands on the previous game by adding in new game mechanics and elements. Instead of just the regular old adventure RPG game, Evoland 2 implements different mechanics that get introduced in games, such as shooters, card games, platformers, and more. It adds more variety than the original Evoland, and it keeps things fresh and interesting. With all of the different genre mashups involved, it's guaranteed that you'll never be bored by what Evoland 2 has to offer.
There are two ways to play the game: through the default touch screen controls, or by using a MFi controller. The touch controls, while they work, are a bit wonky in my experience. The bottom left has the non-fixed joystick for movement, and the bottom right has a fixed-position button for attacking.
While the controls do work, I found it to feel clunky at times. This is because the movement joystick freely moves around to where your thumb is, but it doesn't seem as responsive as I'd like it to be. I often found myself trying to turn and not, resulting in my attacking in the wrong spot. Or I would just run into an enemy instead. I hope that the controls get better optimized in the future, or at least allow for some customization, as there's currently no options.
On top of it all, Evoland 2 has three ways to play the game: Adventure, Good Old Arcade, or Hardcore Challenge. There's plenty of diversity offered with the different types of gameplay, and the challenge mode is great for those who want a real test of skill.
An RPG game that mixes many classic together in an all new story.
The Good
Evoland 2 is a great mashup and homage of RPGs through the years. The visuals look fantastic and are nicely detailed, even when it's supposed to be "less" detail for the old graphics. The music is excellent as well, as it serves up typical adventure fantasy fare. The different style of gameplay mechanics and elements that are introduced provide a huge variety, and it's a great way to go through gaming's history. And last but not least, the humor with the dialogue and references is top notch.
The Bad
Evoland 2 is great, but I wish that the touch controls were a bit better. It's hard to move quickly and aim your attacks properly, as it gets unresponsive and sticky at times. Hopefully the control optimization gets tweaked in future updates. For now, if you have a MFi controller, it may be the better way to play.
The verdict
As a fan of RPGs in general, I am liking Evoland 2 so far. I believe I had the original game, but didn't get around to playing it for whatever reason (this happens more often than not). The cheeky humor and references bring a smile to my face, and I love how the world transitions to different graphical styles. The soundtrack reminds me of older RPGs that I used to play too, so the nostalgia is nice. I just hope the controls get better in due time. It may just take some practice to get used to.
Evoland 2 is on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for $6.99. There are no in-app purchases. It's also available on Steam (PC and Mac) starting at $19.99.
8.4
OVERALL
Graphics 9
Sound/Music 9
Gameplay 9
Replayability 8
Game Controls 7
Evoland 2
Playdigious
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Impale Penguin Vikings and Hipster Ice Giants in Lichtspeer
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
Lichtspeer ($3.99) by Lichthund and published by Noodlecake Studios is an action game that's packed full of retro neon lights, futuristic yet ancient German mythology, and plenty of lightspear-throwing fun. If you like physics-based action games, kind of like Dandara, then you'll get a kick out of Lichtspeer.
Ever since the rise (and fall) of Angry Birds, there was an upsurge in physics-based games that utilize the slingshot aiming method that the franchise made popular. While there haven't been as many of these games out lately compared to years ago, they're still fun, especially when you have something like Bowmasters. I tried Bowmasters for a while, but the constant ad shoving in your face bothered me. I had also seen Lichtspeer on the Nintendo Switch eShop several months ago, and while I didn't buy it on the platform, I found it incredibly intriguing. Now that it's on iOS, I had no excuse to not check it out. Boy, this one does not disappoint.
Dandara
Raw Fury AB
Bowmasters - Multiplayer Game
Playgendary GmbH
Alto's Adventure
Snowman
Alto's Odyssey
Snowman
Lichtspeer's graphics are visually impressive as a whole. The game features a minimalistic aesthetic with the 2D, low-poly art style. The various environments also feature unique backdrops that look great, and have a kind of Alto's Odyssey look and feel to them. Despite the low-poly style, the character models for your warrior and various enemies, including the Hipster Ice Giants, are detailed and can be easily separated from the rest. The colors in Lichtspeer range from bold and vibrant brights to muted, earthier tones, and then there are the bright neon lights of your lichtspear weapon and pyramid lasers. Animations are smooth and fluid, with no issues of lag on my iPhone 8 Plus.
The game's music is just as unique as the game itself. Players will find an upbeat and quirky EDM soundtrack that plays in the background, and the sound effects are nicely done. So whether you hit your target or miss, the game wants to make sure you know.
Lichtspeer has several different areas on the world map, and each one has a handful of levels to get through. But on top of it all, each level is broken up into several stages, and you must clear one stage to move on to the next part. Once you finish them all, then your total score gets tallied up as LSD, which stands for Lichtspeer Standard Denomination. You'll have to complete the first world to get access to the shop, where you can purchase and upgrade your Lichtpowers.
With the scoring system, Lichtspeer follows an arcade formula. You get points based on the number of enemies you killed, but you earn bonuses for headshots, consecutive hit and kill combos for multipliers, and not using up a continue. Plus, there are set goals for each level that you'll want to strive for, so it keeps things fresh.
The goal in Lichtspeer is simple: you're a lone warrior who holds the Lichtspeer, and must use it to clear out the waves of enemies coming at you. Defeat them all, and then you can move on. There are also boss battles that present a true challenge, and are not for the faint-of-heart. Despite the simple premise, Lichtspeer is a hard game. Prepare to die — a lot.
The controls are simple and seem made for touch screens, though I have yet to play it on the Switch. To aim your Lichtspeer, just drag your finger on the right side of the screen. You'll see the trajectory line for your Lichtspeer. Release your finger to throw it, and hope you aimed well. Then rinse and repeat for every enemy on the battlefield.
Your starting Lichtpower is the Trispear, which splits your single spear into three when you tap the screen with two fingers (left and right side). You may want to spend your LSD earned from each level (all stages) to upgrade it to become more effective (eventually splitting into five spears) and reduce the cooldown timer. Other powers may be purchased as well, such as the Licht Hammer, Lichtray, Das Shield, and more. There's a total of 10 powers that you can have, and they prove to be quite useful in battle. Getting enough LSD for all of them, on the other hand, may take some time.
Toss spears at all kinds of crazy creatures in ancient Germanic future.
The Good
Lichtspeer is an amazing physics-based arcade game that everyone should play. The visual style is unique and looks fantastic on Retina screens, and the sound is top notch. The controls work out well enough, so it's pretty simple and intuitive overall. There's a lot of variety in terms of environments and enemy types (Hipster Ice Giants and Penguin Vikings, hello?), so you'll never not have a good time here. The humor is excellently done too, and the Lichtpowers kick things up a notch.
The Bad
The game can be a bit unforgiving, because if you even let one enemy get through to you, then you've failed. When this happens, you have to start that section over from the beginning, which can get pretty tedious if you died a good way through the wave. I wish that there was a life system instead, making it a tad easier, but I suppose that would defeat the purpose of the game, which is to be challenging. After all, it is a simulator where you're a warrior facing off against hordes of enemies.
The verdict
While I'm still fairly early on in Lichtspeer (it's pretty hard, alright), I'm enjoying it a lot and find it hard to put down once you get the hang of things. I've died plenty of times now, but if you pay attention to the attack patterns of the waves, you'll notice when and who you should strike first. It takes some time and practice, but it gets easier once you recognize the sequences. Plus the graphics are beautiful, the music and sound is quirky and delightful, and the controls feel natural. It's a bit unforgiving, but pushes you to get better.
Lichtspeer is available on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for $3.99. There are no in-app purchases.
9.5
OVERALL
Graphics 10
Sound/Music 10
Replayability 9
Game Controls 9.5
Gameplay 9
Lichtspeer
Noodlecake
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