Nory's Escape is a Bewitchingly Good Time
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
Nory's Escape ($0.99) by Christoph Schnackenberg is an auto-runner game that is perfect for Halloween, or any time of the year really. If you enjoyed games like Dragon Hills 2 or even Canabalt, then you'll like Nory's Escape.
Halloween is definitely one of my favorite times of the year, followed by Christmas ("The Nightmare Before Christmas" is one of my favorite movies). Just something about all of the spooky and eerie stuff gets me excited and happy. Personally, I think this stuff is fitting for the entire year, but I digress. So when I see hauntingly-themed games on the App Store, I can't help but be drawn to them. And today, Nory's Escape is a new favorite to pass the time with.
Dragon Hills 2
Cezary Rajkowski
Canabalt
Last Chance Media, LLC
Visually, Nory's Escape is beautiful with a 2.5D aesthetic that makes things pop. Everything is hand-drawn and it definitely shows. It's a pseudo-3D effect because while the graphics appear rendered in 3D, the game takes place on what appears to be a 2D plane, with blurry backgrounds and sharp foregrounds. The environments in Nory's Escape are gorgeous with the various Halloween-related decor like jack-o-lanterns, spooky vines, giant mushrooms, and more.
The colors in Nory's Escape are bright and vibrant, so it definitely looks eye catching with the contrast. Animations are buttery smooth on my iPhone 8 Plus with no lag or choppiness in frame rate. Plus, the particle effects when you draw your paths are well done. There's a quirky and eerie soundtrack that's perfectly fitting considering the theme, and the sound effects are nicely done.
Even though Nory's Escape is an auto-runner game, it's not infinite as you'd normally expect. Instead, the game is split up into levels, and there are 18 levels to get through. While this does not seem like a lot, the game is fairly difficult, and new game elements get added gradually as you go, so multiple attempts are required on some stages. Don't be fooled — this auto-runner requires fast thinking and reflexes to survive.
So what is Nory's Escape, exactly? Players take the role of Nory, who is our spectacularly average hero — after all, he's just a kid! But a scary witch is chasing after him, and you must help him escape her evil wrath! In order to do this, you'll have to draw magical paths that Nory can run on in his attempt to outrun the witch.
Controls in Nory's Escape are simple and intuitive. To draw a path for Nory, just swipe your finger on the screen where you want the path to be (this is a great use for Apple Pencil). Since Nory automatically runs forward on his own, you don't have to worry about that, just where he's going to end up. The game is clearly designed for touch screens, and it works well. However, each line you draw will only last for a brief amount of time, and once you draw another path, the previous one disappears. Timing is key with the paths, as you'll want to make sure Nory has a seamless path to escape the witch.
Along the way, there are shiny green gems to collect. You'll want to try collecting all of them on each stage if you want to get the three stars. If you don't get them all, you'll only earn a fraction of the maximum stars. So acquiring all stars is a must if you're the perfectionist type. There's also three bonus stages that can be unlocked, given you have good enough skill level to gain access to them.
While the game starts out easy enough, the witch gets trickier as you end up in later levels. In the beginning she will only be chasing after you, but eventually she'll start attacking, such as throwing magical spell balls at you and other tricks. This means you'll need to get Nory away safely while also making sure that he doesn't just run into a projectile launched by the witch.
Nory's Escape is a delightfully charming auto-runner that is perfect for any time of the year.
The Good
Nory's Escape is a nice gem that's fit for the season. I am in love with the cute Halloween-themed hand-drawn art and the music is delightful. The unique gameplay mechanic keeps the auto-runner genre fresh and interesting. And while it seems easy at first, the game proves to be rather difficult and challenging, with even more content to unlock if you're good enough.
The Bad
While Nory's Escape is a good time waster, at the end of the day, it's still just another auto-runner. If you aren't a big fan of auto-runners in general, then this game may not change your mind. Still, if you can get over that fact, then Nory's Escape is a nice gem on the App Store.
The verdict
Nory's Escape is an endearing little game that is sure to delight players of all ages. The developer did a fantastic job with the hand-crafted visuals and amazing quirky music. While I'm mostly over the auto-runner genre, I think Nory's Escape does things differently enough to make the genre captivating, and the levels are fairly intense and challenging. I've only made it to level four so far, and I keep dying in the same spot, so it does require a bit of patience and practice to master. And while it has a bit of the Halloween stuff going on, Nory's Escape can be thoroughly enjoyed any time of the year.
I recommend Nory's Escape if you're looking for an exciting and stimulating auto-runner that tests your skills. You can find Nory's Escape on the App Store for just $0.99. There are no in-app purchases.
8.9
OVERALL
Replayability 9
Game Controls 9
Graphics 9
Gameplay 9
Sound/Music 8.5
Nory`s Escape
TEAM Nory, Hampel und Schnackenberg GbR
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Solve A Robot Disappearance In Subsurface Circular
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
In the futuristic world of Subsurface Circular, robots known as “Teks”, have started to go missing, and it’s up to you to get to the bottom of their disappearances. The game lets you play as a detective Tek riding the Subsurface Circular. Your goal is to question fellow passengers to try to garner any clues regarding the disappearances. The twist is that you’re not investigating under an official capacity, and that may hurt you down the line.
Sorcery!
inkle Ltd
Lifeline...
3 Minute Games, LLC
Thomas Was Alone
Bossa Studios Ltd
Subsurface Circular comes from the makers of Thomas Was Alone, and share similar fleshed out characters. Thomas Was Alone crafts distinct personalities into 2D shapes, and Subsurface Circular takes it up a notch with even more well rounded characters even if they’re just various robots. The entirety of the text is presented as conversations from the different Q & As you pursue. It all comes down to unlocking “focus points”, which are used to ask different questions. For example, you can get a focus point of “disappearances”, and then ask that to different Teks to try to glimmer more about that point. Even though the game is text based, there is an ornate 3D subway that acts as the backdrop to the text.
Solve the case of disappearing robots in this intriguing text based adventure.
The Good
Subsurface Circular really shines by merging the text with the cinematic backdrop bringing the story to life. Each robot has a flat metal face, and yet there is a great deal of personality delivered with all of the communication. The Teks have different jobs, work environments, and more that not only define the character, but also flesh out the futuristic world. There are so many subtle details presented in the course of the conversation which continues to build the thoroughly compelling storyline. The text is also presented in short chunks, so you don’t get lost in a page of text, and it makes it quite easy to keep reading. The best part is that you aren’t simply reading a conversation, and are instead solving puzzles in asking the right questions and connecting answers between different Teks.
The Bad
There is so much to enjoy in Subsurface Circular, and it’s one of the games that you will want to stick with through to its completion. The game is a bit slow moving while figuring out the right question balance for a given set of Teks, and there can be some repetition as you try to solve the given dialogue puzzles. It’s all part of the experience in performing an interrogation through a series of seemingly friendly conversations. Each chapter introduces a different cast of characters as well as storyline subject matter. The investigation becomes much larger in scope than a few missing Teks, and the secrets are given at a good pace to keep you moving on through the slow portions of puzzle solving.
The verdict
Subsurface Circular delivers an engaging storyline presented in an ornate package that is a must have iOS experience.
8.5
OVERALL
Graphics 9.5
Gameplay 9
Replayability 8
Game Controls 8
Sound/Music 8
Subsurface Circular
Bithell Games
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New Adventures Await You in Final Fantasy Dimensions II
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
Final Fantasy Dimensions II ($14.99) by Square Enix is a brand new chapter in the Final Fantasy universe. If you're a fan of the franchise or just seeking a great adventure, then FFDII is a worthy addition.
While the Final Fantasy franchise has been around for a long time (30 years this December), I joined the party a bit late. I didn't get really into the series until I was in high school, when I got more invested into video games in general. My first Final Fantasy game was the Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls bundle on the Game Boy Advance, and from that moment forward, I knew I fell in love. Japanese RPGs (JRPGs) became a big part of my life since then, as I was intrigued by plenty of new titles and poured dozens to hundreds of hours into them when I could.
While many of the older Final Fantasy games have been ported to iOS in the past few years, I didn't feel the need to get them since I had most of them on other consoles. But I was excited for FFDII, as it's a game that hasn't been released before. I had to get my hands on it.
FINAL FANTASY II
SQUARE ENIX Co., Ltd.
FINAL FANTASY VII
SQUARE ENIX Co., Ltd.
FINAL FANTASY V
SQUARE ENIX Co., Ltd.
FINAL FANTASY Ⅸ
SQUARE ENIX Co., Ltd.
Visually, FFDII is gorgeous and a faithful rendition of what you'd expect from a Final Fantasy game on iOS. Those who have played older titles will feel right at home with the 16-bit pixelated character sprites and lush environments. Character portraits for dialogue boxes is beautifully drawn, and the blue text boxes are familiar. The colors in FFDII are a nice range of bold and vibrant hues to dark and muted tones. Animations are smooth and fluid on my iPhone 8 Plus, with no lag or choppiness whatsoever. The game also has the typical Final Fantasy music and retro sound effects, so old-school gamers get a sense of nostalgia when playing this.
Unlike traditional Final Fantasy games with an over-world map, you're not able to freely walk around and explore in FFDII. I was disappointed when I discovered this, but I suppose that's to be expected from a Final Fantasy game designed for mobile devices. Instead, players get a world map with points of interest marked as destinations, and multiple stages in each. These levels consist of waves of enemies, where players engage in turn-based battles with them. You'll earn rewards and experience points for your party members for successfully completing these stages. And with no towns and inns to rest in, all party members' HP and MP are restored after every level.
The combat system is turn-based like the old-school Final Fantasy games. On the left side of the screen is a gauge that shows you the turn order between your party members and enemies. On the right, you'll see the menu of actions that your currently selected party member can do. This consists of the basic "Attack" with their equipped weapon, "Ability," and "Summon."
The abilities that each party member has varies, and they can learn new ones as they level up with their Signet Stones. These stones are earned by defeating Eidolons, who are bosses that you must face off against in trials that test whether you're worthy. Using abilities costs MP to use, with more potent skills costing more. However, they can do much more damage than a regular physical attack, so make sure to take advantage of them when you can, especially since your HP and MP get refilled after battle.
Summon allows party members to summon powerful creatures onto the battlefield to help you out. But like previous Final Fantasy titles, you must find and earn these summons by defeating the creatures in battle first. They'll be tough foes to face, but owning their power to use at your command is well worth it.
The cast of characters in FFDII are completely new and span across different races and eras. Eventually, you'll find items to equip, and can spend the gil you earn to buy more gear for battle. The storyline is your standard Final Fantasy fare, where a great disaster is caused by human error and destroys everything as we know it. Then it's up to you, as a young boy who seeks adventure, to save the world by traveling back and forth between the past, present, future, and even beyond.
The latest Final Fantasy addition to the App Store.
The Good
FFDII is a nice, streamlined Final Fantasy adventure for mobile devices. The art style is true to the older games with the pixel art sprites and settings. The music and sound is a fantastic throwback to the classic games too, and gave me a bit of nostalgia when I hear it. The turn-based combat is simple and intuitive, so even Final Fantasy newbies won't have issues with it, especially with the tutorial in the beginning. The game has plenty of content to go through, so this is one that will take up some time.
The Bad
Even though it can be quite a lengthy adventure, this is still a watered-down version of Final Fantasy. There are no towns to check out, you can't interact with other NPCs, and you can't explore the world freely. If you're used to this from older Final Fantasy games and come in expecting this, you'll be disappointed.
I also think that the price for FFDII is a bit high, considering it doesn't play like a true Final Fantasy game. For almost the same price (give or take a few bucks), you can get other classic Final Fantasy titles like FFV, FFVII, FFIX, and more. Personally, for this kind of money, the real games are a better pick.
The verdict
Overall, I'm liking Final Fantasy Dimensions II, but not sure if it's worth the high price tag compared to other Final Fantasy games on iOS. The art style is lovely, the music and sound brings back memories, and the turn-based battle system is easy to follow. I'm a bit annoyed that it takes away the free-roaming exploration aspect of the long-established franchise, as that was one of my favorite elements. The game itself is good, but I'm not sure if it's worth $15. Perhaps if this was a bit lower, considering that it's a watered-down Final Fantasy.
Final Fantasy Dimensions II is available on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for $14.99. There are no in-app purchases.
8.6
OVERALL
Game Controls 9
Graphics 9
Replayability 8.5
Sound/Music 8.5
Gameplay 8
FINAL FANTASY DIMENSIONS II
SQUARE ENIX
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Million Onion Hotel is a Weird and Wacky Action Puzzle Game
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
Million Onion Hotel ($3.99) by ONION GAMES is a unique action puzzle game that's truly unlike anything you've played before. Yes, we know that this is a claim made by many, but this is one game that will really make you go "WTF?" after your first round. It's weird, wacky, and special, kind of like Grapple Gum.
Ever since I've been here at AppAdvice covering mobile games, I feel like I've gone through everything (at least most) that the App Store could offer me. While I love finding new games in my favorite genres, I can't help but feel that everything's been done twice over. So when there are games out there that strive to be completely unique and never done before, I'm definitely interested. When I came across Million Onion Hotel, I knew that this was something special.
Grapple Gum
Ali Mehrez
Visually, Million Onion Hotel has a retro pixel art style that is absolutely lovely. As someone who grew up in the golden age of gaming with 8-bit and 16-bit graphics, I appreciate any game that pulls it off well. Everything in Million Onion Hotel is rendered in 2D, but there's a bit of depth to everything thanks to the dynamic lighting effects that take place. Despite the pixel art, Million Onion Hotel still has fairly detailed textures in the environments and character sprites. The colors in the game are a nice mix of dark and gloomy shades with bright, earthy tones, which contrast nicely. Animations are smooth and fluid with no lag on my iPhone 8 Plus. The soundtrack is a quirky jazz track, and the sound effects are delightful. For their first release on the App Store, the developers did an excellent job with the game's visual and audio design.
There's only one game mode in Million Onion Hotel, but there's a lot of content to unlock in the form of cards. These cards dictate what show up during your game, and each one of these unique characters are worth a different amount of points, which affect your final score.
In the Million Onion Hotel, the specialty is a "magical onion soup," though no one who's had it can describe its flavor to anyone else. The soup has a hidden power, obviously, which makes it magical. But one night, some highly-esteemed hotel guests having the soup find themselves sucked away into a far-off galaxy. Is it a result of drinking too much of that magical onion soup? No one knows, but one thing's for sure: you need more magic onions to make more magical soup.
The gameplay in Million Onion Hotel is fast-paced and challenging. Players get a 5x5 grid, and there are onions sprouting up from the ground in the board. You'll have to get as many onions as you can before time runs out.
As soon as the onions are ripe and ready to be picked, they'll come up from the ground. Some onions give you more time. To collect them, just tap on them — the space they occupied becomes red after to make it more clear. Once you make a line vertically, horizontally, or even diagonally, you'll advance a level. You can make single or even double lines, which are worth more points. When you move on to the next level, things pop up faster, and more character cards get introduced as well. These other characters include bells, paintbrushes, and more, and they require more than one tap to get rid of.
At some point, you'll get the cutscene that shows the hotel guests whisked away to a completely different dimension. After this point, you'll eventually reach boss fights, which can be rather difficult and a welcome challenge. The boss fights show their health bar at the top, and you'll have to quickly collect onions and other characters to dish out damage. If you can't defeat the boss in the remaining time, then it's game over.
An action puzzle game mixed with a strange storyline.
The Good
Million Onion Hotel is definitely a game that's unlike any other action puzzle that you've played before. It gets high marks for its uniqueness, and the gameplay is downright fun and addictive, even though the boss fights are fairly challenging. The pixel art graphics are top notch, and the music and sound is done incredibly well. This game is packed full of charm and even though it may have you going "what the heck is going on?" after the first round, it's hard to put down once you get going.
The Bad
While Million Onion Hotel has a lot of good stuff going for it, there's a flaw as well. The game can get a bit repetitive, at least until you unlock the other character cards. Still, it can be a bit repetitive since you're just tapping quickly on the screen to collect onions and other things before facing off against a boss. But this is standard with high score chasers, so you should know what you're getting yourself into ahead of time.
The verdict
When I first saw Million Onion Hotel, I was intrigued by the screenshots, but didn't know what to expect from it in terms of gameplay. Now that I've spent my morning playing the game, I have to say that I'm impressed. As someone who grew up with classic pixel art games, the visuals bring back a sense of nostalgia with me, and the sounds are rather satisfying. After my first round in the game, I seriously said "what is going on in this game?" out loud. Not many games make me say that, so kudos. But I still find myself returning, because it's just fun. This is one of those games that I'll be returning to time and time again, for sure.
I recommend giving Million Onion Hotel a try if you are looking for a bizarre but fun and challenging action puzzle game. Million Onion Hotel is available on the App Store as a universal download for $3.99. There are no in-app purchases.
9.2
OVERALL
Replayability 9.5
Game Controls 9
Graphics 9.5
Sound/Music 9
Gameplay 9
Million Onion Hotel
ONION GAMES, K.K.
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Be a Champion Dwarf in the Hack-n-Slash Action of Runic Rampage
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
Runic Rampage ($3.99) by Crescent Moon Games is an over-the-top action adventure game featuring angry dwarfs who are ready to kick some butt. If you enjoyed games like ICEY and Kick Ass Commandos, then Runic Rampage is a good fit for you.
When life gets stressful and frustrating, I take my anger out in video games. I mean, causing mayhem and destruction in a digital world is much better than doing so in reality, right? I usually prefer relaxing games, but sometimes I just have to start bashing stuff in with a giant hammer. When I saw Runic Rampage on the App Store, I was intrigued, as it has a top-down dungeon crawler feel to it (think Diablo III, which I put in way too many hours for), so I had to check it out. If you feel the same way as I do, then Runic Rampage is definitely a fun way to pass the time.
ICEY
X.D. Network Inc.
Kick Ass Commandos
Anarchy Enterprises
Visually, Runic Rampage has a rough-and-gruff aesthetic to it, which is fitting considering you're smashing things up as a big, tough dwarf. The game is rendered in 3D with some fairly detailed graphics that remind me a bit of older computer games. Runic Rampage has a top-down perspective that's similar to games like Diablo III, so players can see a big area at once, and prepare for incoming waves of enemies. The character models for your dwarf and the various monsters you'll encounter are distinctive and full of detail. The environments range from dry and dusty deserts to lush forests to frosty tundras, and the color palette matches the themes well.
Animations in Runic Rampage are smooth and fluid on my iPhone 8 Plus, so there's no issues with lag or choppiness. However, sometimes I feel the game moves a bit slowly, with the way your dwarf moves and attacks. But this may be due to the fact that I'm used to much faster-paced games like Diablo III, so I digress. The original soundtrack is just as medieval as you'd expect for an action adventure game involving dwarves and monsters, and the sound effects are fun to hear. The best part about Runic Rampage though, is the over-the-top comical violence. We're talking about fake cartoon blood splashing all over the place while you smash your foes in with a hammer.
While Runic Rampage is an action adventure game, everything is level-based and also procedurally generated. With Runic Rampage, players take on the role of Grimbard, who is the last champion of dwarfs. He must embark on a quest to find the missing rune stone fragments. Once the fragments are put together, you'll uncover the truth behind the kingdom's downfall and Grimbard has the power to change the destiny of his nation.
When you start the game, there's a tutorial stage that shows you all of the basics behind the game, including controls and how to find your objective. The goal in each stage varies, but it usually involves objectives such as defeating all enemies, getting to the treasure chest at the end, or defeat challenging bosses. The game also has a bit of exploration involved, with secret areas to find and discover on your own. Depending on your performance, up to three medals can be earned on each stage.
Controls in Runic Rampage are simple enough, but take some time and practice to get used to and master. In the bottom left is your virtual, fixed joystick for movement. This allows Grimbard to move freely on the screen. The compass at the bottom indicates where your objective is, so it's best that you follow it (unless you don't mind exploring every nook and cranny). The buttons in the bottom right allow you to dash and attack.
The magic behind Runic Rampage are in the combo of buttons to perform various types of attacks. For example, if you tap on the hammer and then the dash button, you'll do an uppercut. Tapping the hammer button twice and then the dash does a spin attack. You can also long-press the hammer to do a charged heavy attack that dishes out much more damage, but leaves you vulnerable for a brief amount of time.
Eventually, some enemies can drop certain runes that you can use to add elements to your attacks. For example, I found the fire element from the tall red goblins in the beginning of the game. To activate these spells, just tap on the button above the hammer, and then that elemental spell gets added to your melee weapon. These only last for a short amount of time, though, so you'll want to save them for worthwhile battles if possible.
In the top left corner will be your health bar. If this is fully depleted, then it's game over and you'll have to try the stage again. Below the red health bar is your orange experience bar, which tells you how much experience is needed to reach the next level. Each time you level up, you gain a skill point that can be spent to upgrade your attack (damage), defense, agility, or greed (money drops). Like typical RPGs, experience points are earned by defeating enemies, and money can be acquired from fallen foes and breakable objects in the environment.
The money you earn can be spent on various upgrades for Grimbard. These include new weapons, weapon upgrades to make them more potent, spell upgrades, and more. In typical fashion, the stronger the upgrade, the more expensive it will be. But earning money in the game is not too hard, just a tad grindy.
A hack 'n' slash RPG with over the top action combat.
The Good
Runic Rampage is packed with a lot of good stuff that should satisfy anyone seeking an action adventure dungeon crawling game. The visuals look good and have a lot of fine details and textures, while the soundtrack is original, fun, and fitting for the theme. The controls work out well enough, and the button combos can lead up to some awesome and powerful attacks. The different objectives and bosses add variety to the game, and with plenty of upgrades for Grimbard, there's a lot of reason to keep coming back to this game.
The Bad
My only issue with Runic Rampage is the fact that it feels like the movement and action can be a tad slower than I'd like, when compared with games like Diablo III. They may not be the same thing, but that's just what I'm used to with top-down dungeon crawlers. It would also be nice if the controls were customizable, in case players prefer certain spots for button touch zones. Also, the joystick is fixed, and it won't follow your thumb around, so you're stuck in that spot for movement. Hopefully these can be fixed in the future.
The verdict
Runic Rampage is an excellent little hack-n-slash dungeon crawler experience that's worth picking up if you're a fan. The graphics are a tad rougher than I would like, but it works out well enough. The music is fun, controls work decently enough, and the gameplay is challenging with a lot of upgrades to unlock. I just hope to see the addition of customizable controls in the future, as I think that would help out a lot of players.
You can find Runic Rampage on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $3.99. There are no in-app purchases.
8.3
OVERALL
Replayability 9
Game Controls 8
Sound/Music 8.5
Gameplay 8.5
Graphics 7.5
Runic Rampage
Crescent Moon Games
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