Machinarium will humble you in the way that Where the Wild Things Are did as a kid (and still does now). Visuals to kill and brain twisters to intrigue, go grab a taste of the demo and then download the full flavour.
Read the full review below.
Point and click games usually remind me of crosswords – slow, semi-interactive, filled with trial and error and usually used as a time-waster on your nana’s stuttering fossil of a PC. OK, a little harsh – but no p’n'c-er has come close to capturing my time and attention the way that Machinarium has.
A gem to look at, Machinarium feels more like an interactive installation, then a game. The illustrations that make up the game are packed with details to make you smile in surprise. There is more then a touch of curious children’s storytelling, sneaking out of the seams. It’s a perfect story to work through with someone watching and scratching their head alongside you.
The pause-filled pace is actually something you’ll appreciate. The game is not hand-eye coordination based, and you don’t need to know your way around a keyboard or gamepad to work your way through the 30-odd predicaments you’ll find yourself in. Each time you move your curiously-clumsy hero from one side of a room to the other, its a smile-inducing sight to watch. The carefully subtle detail of every rung he climbs on a ladder or the way he slurps up a roll of twine like spaghetti – saving it for later, inside his belly.
The way the story is told will throw you right back to the way you fumbled your way to understanding as a kid. Not with the knowlage of language or mastery of senses, but through curious investigation. Through the discovery that comes from genuinely wanting to soak up everything each screen has to offer.
Value for money on Machinarium is exceptional. Not only do you get the game for both Windows and Mac, but the soundtrack – which is undeniably good in its own right – all in the one US$20 package.
Machinarium will humble you in the way that Where the Wild Things Are did to you as a kid (and still does now). Visuals to kill, soundtrack that will make the rest of the world float away and brain twisters to intrigue your socks off, go grab a taste of the demo and then download the full flavour. You won’t regret a minute of it!
Available Now.
$20 – Window-Mac-Soundtrack
This entry was written by , posted on October 19, 2009 at 9:54 pm, filed under game, tech. and tagged Art, des, game, point and click, robots, style. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.
Dude this is soo cool!