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games with Steve Wollaston [Sunday Mercury (England)](Sunday Mercury (England) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) The Wolf Among Us (iPhone/iPad) FROM the team that brought mobile gamers the incredible Walking Dead episodic comic-book adventure experience, The Wolf Among Us has some big shoes to fill. Telltale games has found an interesting niche bringing graphic novels to life through the exploration adventure genre. Here a host of nods to traditional fairytales are interwoven to spark a detective story drenched in atmospheric 80s nostalgia and displaying glimpses of the same gameplay gems that made Walking Dead such a winner. That did take a few episodes to warm up, though, so let's assume that this can only get better. And with cracking characters, voice acting and a fresh take on the now familiar puzzle premise, the future looks bright for the wild-eyed wolf and co. RATING: 3/5 Scribblenauts Unlimited (Wii U) SCRIBBLENAUTS Unlimited sits somewhere comfortably between game and software demonstration, holding a vast vocabulary in its back-end that players can draw upon to conjure almost any object or person their brain can come up with. These are used to solve puzzles throughout, such as calling upon a bone to help a hungry dog. Things get a lot trickier than that, as Maxwell and Lily's adventure continues, and it's the more bizarre suggestions that you throw at the game which will bring the most enjoyment. Delivered in crisp HD graphics simultaneously on the Wii U's Gamepad and your TV, Scribblenauts Unlimited is the kind of game you'd show a non-gamer to prove just how clever computers are. RATING: 3/5 Icycle On Thin Ice (iPhone/iPad) iOS platformers don't get any more engaging than this. You control Dennis, a chap stranded in a series of sub-zero environments with only his trusty two- wheeler to help him escape, the dynamically changing landscapes will challenge even those with the quickest digit dexterity. It's beautifully presented, incredibly moreish, and even after your first play-through you'll want to go back and complete the challenges you might have missed when you were more concerned about avoiding the whopping block of ice about to land on your head. Boosts and upgrades, earned by collecting ice on each level, add variety to gameplay and, aside from a few niggles here and there, it's a wonderfully unique experience in a very well-worn genre. From bleak cityscapes to underwater adventures, you'll never know where Dennis will take you next - but you'll be willing to go along for the ride. RATING: 3/5 (c) 2014 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |