Thumper, Hostil, Six Ages, Darkness Rises, Pokemon Quest, Ashi, Rescue the Enchanter, Paperbark, Faraway 3, Dream-Walker
Hi everyone, and welcome back to My Week Unwrapped, where I go into detail about all the iOS games I’ve been playing t over the last seven days. There’s a lot to discuss today, so without wasting any more time, let’s dive in.
Thumper: Pocket Edition
I passed up on Drool’s “rhythm violence game,” Thumper, back when it first released on iOS this year. I thought I wouldn’t enjoy it, especially since it had tilt controls. But they since added alternate controls (I haven’t gotten to that part yet anyway) and the game is on sale for only $2.99, so I decided to take a chance on it. I’ve been enjoying it a lot more than expected and wrote a longer piece about my impressions so far here. Bottom line is that I highly recommend it if you don’t mind a fast-paced challenge. But I would have liked some small changes to make it more accessible. In any case, you can watch my videos below if you’re still not sure whether to grab it.
Hostil
I actually played Eteru Studio’s point-and-click adventure in space, Hostil, last week but forgot to include it in my roundup. I wrote a walkthrough for it here and just made a video walkthrough you can watch below. It’s a very short game, so just be aware of that if you do decide to pick it up. It has gorgeous hand-drawn artwork of an alien planet with an eerie soundtrack to go along with it. I do wish it had been longer and that the puzzles were a bit more interesting, but it’s a nice distraction if you don’t mind spending the money on such a short game. I don’t recommend watching my video if you are planning to play it, because it will just spoil the game for you.
Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind
Six Ages is the latest story-driven strategy game by A Sharp, the makers of the classic King of Dragon Pass. I didn’t play the original game, but it is my understanding that it’s not necessary. So far, I’ve only spent about thirty minutes with it, so I can’t really say much. I’m still learning the ropes, but it does seem like a very deep game with strong writing. I wish it had iCloud sync so I could play at home on my iPad but still take the game with me on my iPhone. Since I can’t, it will take me longer to get through. Anyway, look for more about it in the coming week and check out my video below to see it in action.
Darkness Rises
I wrote a bit about NEXON Mobile’s Darkness Rises last week, but I’ve since spent more time with it and made more gameplay videos. I’m still enjoying it and finding the free-to-play aspects very generous. I also wrote some more thoughts here if you still need convincing.
Pokemon Quest
I admit that I was a little biased towards Pokemon Quest before I even started playing. As much as I like catching Pok╬ô├╢┬ú╬ô├«├ëmon in Pok╬ô├╢┬ú╬ô├«├ëmon Go, the voxel Pok╬ô├╢┬ú╬ô├«├ëmon in this new free-to-play game just didn’t do it for me. On top of that, I was a little dismayed to see that the game mostly plays itself. You choose a starter Pok╬ô├╢┬ú╬ô├«├ëmon and then he roams around on his own, attacking wild Pok╬ô├╢┬ú╬ô├«├ëmon. You can help by activating his skills and then waiting for them to cool down until you can press them again. I guess it’s slightly more exciting when you have three Pok╬ô├╢┬ú╬ô├«├ëmon to “control?” But not really. You can even put the game on auto so you don’t have to do anything. There is management involved, such as attaching stones to the Pok╬ô├╢┬ú╬ô├«├ëmon to give them upgrades. You can also cook to attract to new Pok╬ô├╢┬ú╬ô├«├ëmon. You don’t actually throw pokeballs at them, from what I’ve seen so far. You need to instead figure out the right recipes to attract the Pok╬ô├╢┬ú╬ô├«├ëmon you want. That seems to be the most interesting aspect of the game, but it’s still not enough to get me to stick with it. Anyway, you can watch some gameplay video below or just download it yourself.
Ashi: Lake of Light
Ashi: Lake of Light actually releases on July 6th, but I got an advanced copy and am really enjoying it. It’s a very relaxed puzzler with pretty artwork, in which you have to guide a firefly home. You do so by lighting candles for him to fly around. It took me a little while to understand the mechanics, but once it clicked I really got into it. It feels unique, unlike any other puzzler I’ve played. I plan to stick with it, so keep an eye out for more about from me in the next week or so. You can also watch my gameplay video below and pre-order for free it if you don’t want to miss it when it’s available.
Rescue the Enchanter
I recently wrote a walkthrough for Syntaxity’s point-and-Click adventure, The Enchanted Books, and now I’ve been working on the walkthrough for the sequel, Rescue the Enchanter. Like the first game, you travel between different lands. But this time, you use a blimp to fly there instead of books. This means more backtracking, especially the way the desert is designed. But I’m still enjoying it and will hopefully complete the walkthrough this week.
Paperbark
Not much to say here, as I wrote about Paperbark already last week. But I added more to my walkthrough, if you’ve been waiting for that.
Faraway 3: Arctic Escape
Not much news here, either. I’ve been chipping away at the rest of my Faraway 3walkthrough and made a video for Level 13. I’ll continue to add more until I’ve completed the game.
Dream-Walker
I loved the look of Pocket Playlab’s Dream-Walker and wanted so badly for it to be a puzzler. But it’s actually an auto-runner in which you guide a sleepwalking girl around some tight twists and turns. You basically just tap when she comes to a turn and she automatically turns in the right direction. Unfortunately, it didn’t really hold my attention despite the compelling graphics. Still, check it out for yourself and see if it’s something you’d like, since it’s free.
And that’s everything I’ve been playing this past week! I also saw some movies like Deadpool 2 (without seeing the first one) and Ocean’s 8 just so I could get out of this unbearable heat for a few hours. Anyway, let me know in the comments section what games you’ve been playing (or movies you’ve been watching) and I’ll see you back here next week for more of My Week Unwrapped!
