This week’s games include some stealthy office work, a sci-fi mystery, vehicular warfare, chickens, and a familiar cave…
LEVEL 22
Gary is you. Gary is me. Gary is everyone who’s ever been late for work and tried to sneak their way to their cubicle without being noticed. Except, in Gary’s case, that means ascending 22 floors with perfect stealth. And things get unexpectedly exciting along the way…
Don’t let that big blocky head deter you: Gary is a ninja. You’ll be creeping along walls, hiding behind furniture, setting traps, distracting guards…and uncovering secrets. Everything is not as it seems in this building, and as you make your way through the basement and beyond, you’ll find yourself in all sorts of ridiculous and entertaining situations.
LEVEL 22 is a fine combination of humour and strategy. It’s not easy, but it is rewarding, and the incredible artwork and animations make it a joy to explore and try new things in the game just to see what will happen. No IAP to worry about either, so take a look—highly recommended!
The Cave
Among the most celebrated game designers in the industry is Ron Gilbert, whose new studio Double Fine is continuing the legacy of superb adventure games that began with the Monkey Island series so long ago. The Cave was a critical darling when it launched on consoles, and now that it’s finally available on iOS, we take it with us wherever we go!
If you’ve never tried it before, The Cave is a clever game with an intriguing setup: you choose two adventurers (from a possible 7) to venture into the cave, and as you play you’ll discover the personalities, quirks, abilities, and problems of each of them. No combination provides the same play through experience, so there’s a tremendous amount of replay value offered just by virtue of the setup.
Controls are the only letdown in an otherwise perfect port; they aren’t bad, but they’re noticeably less responsive than their console counterparts, and you’ll be aware at all times that the game was not designed for touch. Nevertheless, it remains perfectly playable, and the game itself is so charming that you’ll be having far too much fun to notice any issues. The Cave remains a sterling example of adventure gaming innovation, and should be experienced by everyone with an iPhone!
Price: $4.99
Developer: SEGA / Double Fine Productions
Download: App Store
Chickens Can’t Fly
Chickens Can’t Fly is a game about falling. You’ll play as a graceless bird, plummeting through a variety of unlikely locales in a fight for survival.
Made for mobile, Chickens Can’t Fly features dead-simple tilt controls and a simple goal: don’t die. Each level has its own themed hazards, and you’ll be presented with more than 30 power-ups that can adapt your abilities and keep your falls thrilling.
Achievements, leaderboards, and weekly challenges keep the fun rolling after you’re through the main game, and an endless Survival mode is the perfect place to practise your skills whenever you like. Chickens Can’t Fly is an uncomplicated and amusing way to spend some downtime on your phone.
Price: $1.99
Developer: Amused Sloth
Download: App Store
Gunner Z
Things have been pretty quiet over at BitMonster since the release of their cinematic beauty, Lili. They’re back with a vengeance now, and Gunner Z is a grungy departure from the beautiful environments of Lili.
You play as a gunner in a heavily armoured custom truck called an ‘AC-HMV’. You’ll change weapons, upgrade armour, and augment the sensors on your ride as you make your way through a world overrun by an undead military force. The game’s night-vision look is dark and unique, rendered in incredible fidelity and featuring dynamic weather alongside other presentation perks.
The freemium model is expected for a title like this, but it’s still unfortunate that the developers didn’t find a better balance as it feels a bit pushy right now. That said, it’s a fantastic game from one of the platform’s most ambitious developers, so being able to jump in for free is a wonderful thing.
Price: Free
Developer: BitMonster, Inc.
Download: App Store
Lost Echo
Some of my favourite gaming experiences have come from slow-burning mysterious titles that exercise patience in presenting their true colours. Lost Echo, from KickBack, is exactly this kind of game.
You’re basically getting into a missing-girlfriend mystery adventure, set in what must be among the most spectacular game worlds ever presented (visually, that is) on an iOS device. The story itself is far from groundbreaking, and the writing trips over itself a few times, but it’s something that you’ll probably forgive in light of how strangely it all comes together. It’s a touch-and go kind of control scheme that doesn’t excite, but also doesn’t get in the way.
Lost Echo is ultimately a difficult game to categorize: it aspires to greatness and very nearly achieves it throughout, and while it isn’t a perfect execution of the premise, the idea itself is cool enough to earn it a recommendation.
What Have You Been Playing?
Enjoy your time with these games, and leave us a comment if you have any suggestions of your own. If you happen to be up in Canada, then we wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving!
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