Last time publisher Nordic Games was releasing information on their upcoming point-and-click adventure The Raven – Legacy of a Master Thief, it was in the form of a free graphic novel, while this time they have a full trailer featuring in-game graphics and commentary. The commentary is thanks to Executive Producer Marco Rosenberg of developer KING Art Games, and covers the influences and some of the features of their biggest adventure game ever.
Drawing from both Agatha Christie stories and 60’s – 70’s gangster films, The Raven – Legacy of a Master Thief is set to provide upwards of 20 hours of gameplay (depending on optional puzzles), with the developers also working to ensure that all the puzzles would feel realistic and logical within the game. Even more interesting is that the game will offer two different viewpoints as players will control the investigators and then the gangsters.
Players wanting to check out the trailer and commentary for themselves can find it embedded below. The Raven – Legacy of a Master Thief will feature 3 chapters with the first chapter releasing July 23rd, 2013 for XBLA, PSN, PC, Mac, and Linux.
Overview
While the backstory for indiePub’s newest game may not be the most original, their goal of tying several unique mechanics together while sharing an overarching narrative is a lofty goal. How does Capsizedhold up? Does it rock the boat or should you save the life raft for something else? Let’s find out.
Story
As your ship was making its way through space, something hit it, causing it to come crashing down on a nearby planet. In a quick bid for survival, you jumped into a life pod and jettisoned your way from the burning craft. Once you came to, you noticed that, amidst all the wreckage, several of your fellow crewmates were missing. Alone on a foreign world, you set out to gather the survivors back together and devise a way to get off this hostile, unknown planet.
Gameplay
At its core, Capsized is two-dimensional platforming game, but there are so many layers wrapped around it, you could never separate them. Your basic maneuvers are fairly similar to any other platformer: run, jump, and shoot. As a space traveler on a distant planet, though, you’ve packed a few additional tools in your escape pod to help out.
Most notably of your unique tools is an energy grappling hook. This lets you pick up rocks or other environmental objects and use them as cover or toss them to take out enemies, trigger traps, or activate a pressure plate – all physics based. It’s also fun to use on creatures themselves. You can throw them into walls or at other enemies for an entertaining way to eradicate pests.
In most platformers, you’ll be able to shoot up, down, or in front. Capsized takes that to the next level by using the right analog stick to control the direction you’re aiming. This allows for some deft maneuvering in intense firefights, which can be welcome when you’re surrounded on all sides. The unfortunate side effect is that it makes the game feel as though it was intended for a mouse and keyboard. It’s still a fantastic mechanic, but it can actually feel a little too accurate at times, so you may overcompensate.
Thoughtfully, the developers thought aim overcompensation may be an issue, so they gave you a button to simply target an enemy within your line of site. This is wonderfully helpful, to the extent that it may be the single most useful button in the game. It doesn’t muck up the difficulty in the process though. The game still provides a great challenge with the help.
Combat has a great flow to it. This is especially true when you’ve got a lot of foes and some room to maneuver. Mow ’em all down if you want! Can’t do that? Activate your jet pack and fly around, dodging and returning fire. It’s a satisfying engagement every time.
The game isn’t terribly long. They advertise that it’s “more than a dozen levels,” which is as accurate as they can get in marketing lingo. From start to end, the campaign will take no more than 4-5 hours to finish. In this case, that doesn’t feel too short. It manages to tell a full narrative arc and keep players engaged in the gameplay without wearing out your welcome.
Levels are well-designed affairs. Each one has its own unique objectives and mission layout that help keep things interesting. There are also several hidden areas in each mission that are worth your time to find. Many come with extra lives or ammunition for rare weapons.
The weapons in the game also have a great variety to them. There are over half a dozen different guns and on top of that, every gun (sans your primary blaster) have alternate fire modes that can really help out in a pinch. It’s fun to play around with everything and the game throws enough at you that you’ll have to experience multiple weapons to survive.
The enemies in the game are also wonderfully varied and, at times, downright vicious. Tribal aliens with bows or magic, alien wolves that charge, parasitic flying creatures, and poison gas are only a glimpse at the dangers you’ll face in Capsized.
Visuals & Audio Capsized is a wonderful looking game. From the hand-drawn storytelling scenes to level and creature design, nothing feels like it lacked attention. Characters and particle effects pop and draw attention constantly.
Though the world is mostly blues and greens, stages have enough variety to keep your eyes satisfied. Seeing the in-game physics help cement the world around you, too.
There isn’t a wide variety in the soundtrack, but what they’ve got works quite well for the mood of the game. It never feels out of place and helps drive the pace of the gameplay forward. Weapons fire a great sense of satisfaction thanks to great sound design as well.
Overall
Overall, Capsized is quite an enjoyable experience that delivers its payload without wearing out its welcome. Great visual design and sound help draw you into the world on this mysterious planet. Varied levels and mission structures keep things interesting, while a fluid, satisfying combat system gives you a good sense of control in the heat of combat. The controls may take a short while to sort out, but once you’re used to them, an exciting sci-fiadventure awaits you.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
The Garden of Words Studios:CoMix Wave Films Publisher:Sentai Filmworks Format: Blu-Ray Release Date: August 6th, 2013 Price: $34.98 – Available Here
Overview
Makoto Shinkai first appeared on the anime scene with the amazing Voices of a Distant Star and in the time since continued to wow viewers with his movies. From interesting settings, to unique situations, to characters that viewers can’t help but feel for, Makoto has a way about creating a perfectly complete story in an OVA length animation. His latest, The Garden of Words, is now upon us, so it is time we find out if his spark for creating stories and visuals can still match his previous works, or if this is a miss lost in the crowd.
Story
At first glance, the premise of The Garden of Words may seem like it could be overly generic or predictable. The story of a young high school boy that starts developing a relationship with an older woman, is certainly something that could go in ways we’ve seen or heard about before, but the method of the story is so much more removed than that. The boy, Takao Akizuki, lives in his own world hoping to become a handmade shoemaker, while the woman, Yukari Yukino, is far more mysterious both to him and the viewer as neither knows who she is or what she does.
The relationship that the two develop starts from a chance encounter on a rainy day in the park, where Takao goes to avoid his first few periods of class and work on shoe designs. Here at the start of the rainy season, he meets a strange lady drinking beer and eating chocolate that he continues to see each rainy morning he returns to the park. The great boon of the movie is that it knows when to focus on something and when not to, as it is the start of the rainy season these encounters occur frequently, but much of it is covered in montage. While others might spend more time on this initial build up to pad out the time, here it focuses on only the most important parts of this relationship and allows viewers to form their own opinions on them warming up to each other.
Their relationship builds until they both find themselves wishing for rain to see the other, but when the end of the rainy season comes they find themselves separated. Takao busy with summer work, the story then focuses on Yukino and sheds light on why she has been going to the park. Because of the nature of these revelations, and how some aspects are left to viewer opinion, I’ll refrain from spoiling these, but with these revelations the story begins to build up. Ignited by an even more chance encounter, both characters are forced to face who they are in one of the most emotional scenes in a long time, capped off by a song suited perfectly to the themes of rain and loneliness.
Visuals
The animation quality of The Garden of Words is by far astounding. The attention to detail is immense as well as the realism, the surroundings refract onto the characters making them feel as if they are actually there, when many animation looks much like characters overlaid the much more detailed backgrounds. Blu-Ray is definitely the ideal because of this level of detail and how real some parts look, as on of the opening shots it was difficult to tell it was drawn.
Another interesting aspect of the visuals is the imagery, as Takao has aspersions of becoming a shoemaker there does end up being a lot of shots focused towards feet or shoes. Not really a big deal, and befitting the character, but the amount of these shots can be slightly staggering to the point of seeming fetishistic. Has a whole they have their place and definitely fit, so this is simply a heads up to keep those from getting caught off guard by this.
Audio The Garden of Words maintains its realism with its use of music, as its use it mainly limited to montages and the ending credits. The montages capture the atomosphere through the wonderful piano music that overlaps them, while the ending theme, “Rain” performed by Motohiro Hata, captures the essence of not only the rain so prevalent throughout the movie, but of a man meeting a woman in the rain and not wanting her to go. Outside of these songs the background noise is mainly the sound of the rain, but also other white noise from people talking to faint traffic. This is another small detail that helps to catch the realism and brings it to life.
The voice acting is incredible for both the original Japanese and the English dub, as the story features the two main characters so much and they are the ones doing the vast majority of the talking. Other characters range from a single line to two scenes at most, while either Takao and/or Yukino are in every scene. What makes the voice acting so incredible is not just how much is spent by the two main characters, but the tear filled climax that finds both the English and Japanese equally emotional, with both languages featuring the perfect actors to fit the emotion heavy scene.
Extras
The special features for this movie offer much more than a standard release, with two commentary tracks, storyboards, production stills from the English dub, interviews with the original Japanese actors and director, and a slew of trailers. The commentary are the most interesting as one features the English dub actors, the second features director Makoto Shinkai translated via subtitles giving more information on the process and elements of the film. The storyboards give a nice look at how the visuals progressed from throughout production, while the English dub production stills give a glimpse at the often overlooked process of their recording. The interviews give a lot more information from the Japanese actors and the director for those wanting even more, while the trailers include Makoto’s past works as well as recent and upcoming releases from Sentai Filmworks. All together providing more special features than some entire series’ of anime.
Overall The Garden of Words is a beautiful looking anime with fantastic music and actors with the ability to pull off such an emotional movie. Fans of Makoto Shinkai’s work have another great movie to add to their collection, while those that have missed his previous work have a perfect example of why is he so great at what he does. While short, a little more than 45 minutes in length, the movie feels neither rushed nor incomplete and there is plenty more value added bu the special features
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Welcome back for this week’s iOS Game Suggestions. If you missed last week’s, or are new to the suggestions, click on the link below and check out what cool games you should be picking up for your iOS device along with the introduction on how the suggestions work. (suggestions 1 has how it all works)
A very quite week on iTunes! As always, it started slow and but ended with a tiny bang! There are many must-buy games this week in all departments, FREE, 99c and over 99c. This week I’ve suggested a total of 11 great quality titles. Make sure you check them all especially… Limbo, G.I. JOE BATTLEGROUNDS, Greedy Dwarf, Smooth Operators, just to name a few.
Break down below :
7 – FREE Games
1 – $0.99c Games
3 – Over $0.99c Games
As always for this week’s suggestions are all new titles that you should take a look at and consider spending your hard earned iTunes cash / time on. Well the Free games just below certainly should all be given a shot as they won’t cost you anything!
For The Cheapskates – FREE GAMES
MASTERABBOTT’S FREE GAME PICK OF THE WEEK!
G.I JOE: Battleground – Price : FREE – Publisher –MOBAGE (Will you shout YO JOE! and take command of the heroic forces of G.I.JOE to fight for freedom?
Or will your battle cry be COBRA! as you lead the forces of Cobra to strike terror to all who oppose? G.I. JOE: BATTLEGROUND is an all-out fight to assemble and train the most powerful squads of iconic G.I.JOE and Cobra characters! Choose your side and build teams of elite soldiers and skilled agents to take on dangerous missions around the globe.) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
The Lone Ranger – Price : FREE – Publisher –Disney (Become a legend of justice in the new role-playing game inspired by The Lone Ranger movie! Saddle up and take the reins as one of the greatest Texas Rangers in the Wild West. Embark on a thrilling adventure as you protect the town of Colby, face-off in epic showdowns, and bring infamous outlaws to justice. Fight against greed and corruption in this 3d, role-playing adventure!) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
1941 Frozen Front – Price : FREE – Publisher –HandyGames (Experience mind-blowing World War 2 battles. MISSION BRIEFING. FIGHT through the bone-chilling cold of the 1941 eastern front!. OVERRUN enemy positions with tanks and infantry! TAKE out hostile headquarters with mighty bomber wings! EMPLACE your artillery in rough terrain! SUPPLY your troops with goods and ammunition! DEFEND yourself against superior numbers of enemies!) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Hello Kitty Carnival – Price : FREE – Publisher –Sanrio Digital Europe (Hello Kitty Carnival showcases different types of exciting rides: the speedy Roller Coaster, the rotating Ferris Wheel, the spinning Merry Go Round, bumpy Cable Cars, a friendly Pirate Ship, a giant Slide, and more! There are also great carnival attractions such as Whack a Mole, Trampoline and Fortune Telling that offer fun prizes.) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Groove Racer – Price : FREE – Publisher – Out Fit 7(Race 10 unique cars across 66 gorgeous tracks with a press of a finger! Awesome graphics, cool soundtrack and pick-up-and-play controls will keep your entertained for hours! Beat the clock by mastering each track to win much coveted gold trophies and to speed to the top of Game Center Leaderboards for some bragging rights.) on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
94 Seconds – Price : FREE – Publisher –Scimob (1 category, 1 letter, 1 word to find and 94 seconds to score higher than your friends. A fruit with B? A sport with T? A mammal with D?Want to play? Then download 94 Seconds right now! More than 50 different categories: countries, fruits, musical instruments, tools, cosmetics…) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Simpy Sudoku – Price : FREE – Publisher – The Binary Family (Simply, the best Sudoku app in the App Store. We’ve worked hard for over a year to make everything simply perfect, whether it’s service, functions, puzzle quality, design, sound, or clean visuals. Discover our new baby, Simply, Sudoku!) on iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
For The Bargain Hunters – 99c Games
Greedy Drawf – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Crescent Moon Games (Get ready for the seat of your pants wild ride of your life – on a minecart! You know, they called me stupid when I “borrowed” gold from the ol’ hag in the forest. They called me mad when I stole the big Cyclop´s gold pouch. They called me crazy when I grabbed that golden tooth from Cthulhu. I wonder what they’ll call me when I find the Fat Dragon´s chest? You can call me greedy, I don’t care. Are you ready for the ride of your life laddy?!) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Limbo – Price : $5.49 – Publisher – Playdead (Uncertain of his sister’s fate, a boy enters LIMBO. – The Rest is History!) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Smooth Operators– Price : $2.99 – Publisher – Bulkypix (The highly addictive call center simulation arrives on iOS! Smooth Operators is an advanced simulation where you take control of a call center company and lead it to financial success! Hire employees and customize your buildings with several types of offices, facilities and accessories! Watch your company become alive and grow while your building reach the highest skyline.) runs on iPad. BUY NOW
Naughty Boy – Sligh and Shot– Price : $1.99 – Publisher – Helicium (Be a brat again who refuses to go to school! Armed with your slingshot, escape from your crazy family and destroy everything in the house! “The school bus will soon be here; it’s time to go to school!” Your objective: don’t let your family catch you; they want to send you to school. Use your slingshot to keep them away, but be careful not to fire at Buddy, your raccoon!) runs iPad & iPhone. BUY NOW
There you have it folks these games should keep you busy for quite some time well until next week at least. I’ll be back next week for another dose of iOS goodness, in the meantime if you would also like to suggest your own suggestions, please feel free to share them in the comments section below or in the iOS forum section on the site here.
Watch_Dogs Live is a Canada-exclusive app for iOS and Android devices that gives its users missions to complete that then enable them access to an event in real-life. It’s basically an Alternate Reality Game (ARG).
Now, Ubisoft has released a trailer for the inaugural mission, called ‘Cracked for Cash’. It entails the mysterious Dedsec sending codes on a daily basis, which players must use to decode every security level on the ATM account of one Michael G. Aronson, fictional CEO of MGA News. If successful, a random ATM will literally begin spewing money somewhere in Canada, and it will be broadcast live over the app.
This is the sort of thing I’d love to take part in, but alas I am not Canadian, eh? Check out the trailer below, and if you live in Berlin, London or Paris – or would be interested nonetheless – you can visit the WeareData website that presents an interactive, real-world data-map for those cities; it’s pretty astonishing.
Today Tru Blu entertainment announced that they are currently developing the next in the AFL Live franchise; AFL Live 2, which is slated for release later this year on both the Xbox360 and the PS3. The promise for AFL Live 2 is that it will deliver a deeper and richer gaming experience as well as just fine tuning and adding on to the already good franchise.
The game will include a comprehensive career mode which will span over 15 years which will let fans manage all their players and teams from theTAC Cup all the way through to the Peter Jackson VFL and into the Toyota AFL Premiership season so gamers will have plenty of history to work with and enjoy. This mode will allow you to upgrade players’ individual skills and experience, there is a training mode that will help you mould your players into the types of sportsmen that suit your play style best. Sponsorships, staffing, tribunal, emails, drafting and trading will all be included as you progress through the Career Mode aspect of the game.
Managing Director Sebastian Giompaolo had this to say:
“The demand for a new AFL game on Playstation®3 and Xbox 360® has been staggering. We have listened to our fans and improved the gameplay, by improving your ability to out-manoeuvre your opponents, and selecting meaningful team tactics that give you control of your team. In addition the comprehensive 15-year career mode, new gameplay and new additions will allow AFL and sports fans alike the chance to experience all the action of the AFL from the best seat in the house”
AFL Live 2 boasts that it will be packed with plenty of original content like:
– Tackle, bump, fend-off, sheppard, spoil and take massive speccies.
– Unleash mighty torpedo goals from outside 50.
– Single player, competitive and co-operative multiplayer and online mode.
– Edit teams and create players in the Footy Factory.
– Multiple camera angles and dynamic replays.
– Expert commentary by Dennis Cometti and Tom Harley.
– 15-year career mode with drafting, trading, finances, tribunal, training and more.
– Over 60 teams from TAC Cup, VFL, AFL, as well as various bonus teams such as the Big V, Indigenous All-Stars and teams from the International Cup.
– Over 200 realistically modeled AFL star players.
– Realistic stadia in day, overcast, rain, night and twilight modes.
– Rich team tactics and combinations to personalise your strategy.
– Detailed control over players and on-field maneuvering.
– Unlockable features; including stadia and bonus teams.
Get your boots on and gear up because AFL Live 2 is sporting some pretty fierce features that get all you sports fans excited so keep an eye out on the site for any and all new information to come from AFL Live 2, also check out our review for AFL Live hereand don’t forget to hit up our comments section below to drop us a line.
After all the fuss over E3 this year we don’t want to forget about the other huge gaming event, Tokyo Game Show. Particularly when it’s open to the general public, with tickets going on sale July 10 for as little as 1,000 yen (1,200 yen on the day). That’s AU$11!
If you feel bad for paying so little to enter, you can always grab the limited Supporters Club tickets which are releasing in two batches on July 19 and August 19. These will most definitely be sold out before the day, and will cost 3,000 yen (AU$37). The TGS Supporters bundles nets you a T-shirt and a special pin plus access to the show before the doors open for everyone else.
So far 186 exhibitors from Japan and around the world are confirmed for the show. Most interestingly this year are special areas on the floor. The Indie Games Area for independent devs, as well as a Cloud Gaming Area.
The Japanese military was out in force last year.
Fans of niche visual novels, or “eroge” if rated 18+, will be overjoyed to know an industry event such as this will have its own “Romance Simulation Game Area”. Seeing as they’re a major part of Japan’s game industry and the dominant PC game format there, it only makes sense to include them.
TGS 2013 may very well be the last big event before the PS4 and Xbox One are released, making this show one to keep an eye on. The doors are open to the public on September 21-22, 10am to 5pm and you can order your tickets on the official site once they’re up.
Element4l Developer:I-Illusions Publisher: I-Illusions Platforms: PC (Reviewed), Mac Release Date: 24 May 2013 Price: $10.49 AUD – Available Here
Overview
Element4l is, in one word, tranquility. The calm amidst the storm. Where most games today focus on various mechanics such as more realistic destruction, the rapid gaining of experience or bigger and better visuals, I-Illusions have gone the other way entirely. There are no enemies in Element4l, only obstacles and puzzles. There are no unlockable powers, no bonus power-ups, it’s just you, your toolset, and the obstacles ahead.
Gameplay
Immediately, players are literally walked through the game’s core features as part of a four stage introduction. Each stage introduces players to one of the four elements at their disposal. They are, in order of appearance, Air, Ice, Fire, and Rock. Each element allows the player to traverse the environment in different ways, and as the difficulty quickly picks up, players are required to combine them to traverse each obstacle. Such as gaining height with air, then gaining momentum with rock, before changing into ice and sliding at a phenomenal speed towards your next destination. The puzzles are deeply rewarding, and when you solve one, a sense of accomplishment rushes over you that even top titles rarely afford in this day and age. The gameplay is a joy, and whether you opt to use a controller or the keys, both are equally enjoyable and there isn’t really anything here to moan about. At all.
The puzzles do accelerate in difficulty at quite a rate but this is contrasted perfectly against a baby-steps introduction that gets you fully to grips with all of your abilities before you even touch the first puzzle. This easing in followed by a “now let’s see what you’ve got” approach was a perfect move in this setting. It cracks a smile, as this game from the onset appears very forgiving, almost encouraging, until you get about three levels into the first section. Then you realize exactly why the baby-steps intro was a necessity, and you will be forever grateful for the initial hints, as the puzzles only continue to get more abstract, challenging, and punishing, but never to the point of no longer being fun. Which is a hard trick to pull off.
Visuals
The visual style here is deeply reminiscent of Limbo, and acts as a perfect compliment to the charming gameplay style. Much like Limbo, the visuals play an integral role in absorbing the player, and the camera panning and overall pace of each level has been expertly planned and devised. When you make an error with a puzzle, it’s very easy to both see and appreciate how fine the level of physics detail has been applied and manipulated to compliment an already triumphant concept. The use of a film grain affords the game even more charm, and the character (or element) design adds to this even further. If you’ve ever played the browser based Super Stacker, you’ll know what I mean. The use of colour is also expertly deployed to create an atmosphere that in reality, should only be present in higher priced, higher concept titles, but everything about the visual style here is perfectly sublime. You don’t feel like the game is trying to be something it’s not. Rather, you feel like the game is exactly what it wanted to be, executed to the highest levels of presentation. The superimposed text that offers phrases of encouragement, hints, and the odd compliment only add to the charm, style, and smoothness of the Element4l experience.
Audio
The audio plays a huge role in both emphasizing the atmosphere created by the unique visual style, and setting a sense of pace that to my mind, may actually stop players becoming discouraged from play following an encounter with a troublesome puzzle. The score is beautifully composed and almost says: “There’s no rush. Keep at it.” Which only further made this one of the most rewarding, casual, relaxing titles I’ve played in a good few years.
Overall
In every way, Element4l is a joyous break from the mayhem, carnage, sound and fury of modern games. It transports us to a place where we feel like we’re navigating an organic space. A natural space, and not a computer generated one. The way this is achieved in my mind is a careful balance of top quality visual, gameplay and audio elements that together, create a very special whole. I wholeheartedly recommend this game to anyone interested in the puzzle scene and in truth, you’ll be hard pressed to find another title out there at the moment that offers what Element4l does, particularly when looking for quality and developer care.
I-Illusions, I salute you.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Welcome to another episode of CC Indie Spotlight with Senior Editor Jamie Laike Tsui, where we demo the latest and greatest of indie gaming.
This episode features Knights of Pen and Paper +1 Edition, a casual RPG that started its life on Android and iOS devices. Since then, it has moved to Mac and Windows, bringing new content, character options, and the tavern. Fear not mobile gamers, as some of the new +1 Edition content has been added to the mobile edition.
Knights of Pen and Paper +1 Edition is available for $9.99 for Mac and Windows on Steam and $2.99 for Android and iOS on Google Play and iTunes. Want to know more about Knights of Pen and Paper +1 Edition? Check out our review!
Where’s My Mickey? is the latest installment to the popular “Where’s My…” franchise of Disney puzzle games for mobile devices. Like its predecessors, Where’s My Mickey? has you drawing paths through dirt and sand to direct bodies of water towards Disney’s infamous mascot: Mickey Mouse. With a visual style based off the new Mickey Mouse animated shorts (which you can catch on Disney Channel), the game has all the charm and character that you would expect from Disney. Sadly Where’s My Mickey? is let down by its easy difficulty, and in-app purchases required to play 2/5 of the game.
Story
Previous “Where’s My…” games have for the most part forgone stories. In the original, you just knew that your alligator buddy needed a shower, and in Where’s My Perry you were just trying to help Agent P through a series of tunnels. The story element is probably where Where’s My Mickey? deviates most from its predecessors.
Where’s My Mickey is broken up into five different chapters; three staring the ever-lovably Mickey, and two with his long time pal Goofy. Each chapter opens with a brief cartoon that provides a chuckle, as well as context as to why mickey needs to collect insane amounts of water. Be it Mickey making lemonade at the beach, or Goofy needing paints for his artistic works, these little scenarios are good for a laugh and are filled with the life and charisma that Disney are so well known for.
Gameplay
Gameplay in Where’s My Mickey isn’t too different from its predecessors. You draw lines through dirt and sand in order to direct water towards Mickey (or Goofy). Later levels add obstacles like switches that need to be filled with water before they will open, or Fizzy Red Water that will immediately cause you to fail the level should it touch Mr. Mouse. While you are guiding water around, there are three stars scattered through the game’s small levels, and to get the maximum score you have to pass water through all of these. In addition, some levels also have collectibles hidden in the dirt that need to be dug out.
One key addition that Where’s My Mickey adds to the traditional formula is the use of rain-clouds and gusts of wind. Rain clouds will collect any water that touches them, and by pressing down on the cloud, it will start to rain down below. The gusts of wind work in tandem with these clouds, either by helpfully pushing them to where they need to be, or harmfully pushing them away. The two features don’t seem like much but together are enough to really shake up the formula from previous games.
Goofy’s missions add a bit more variety to the mix, as he is trying to get the Red Fizzy Water. This causes you to rethink how you would tackle certain missions or obstacles in order to try and collect as much red fizz as possible instead of eliminating it. These missions are different enough to keep the game from feeling repetitive.
Where’s My Mickey lacks some of the difficulty of its predecessors. While the originals were never overly difficult, Where Where’s My Water? and Where’s My Perry? had some genuinely challenging levels. Where’s My Mickey? on the other hand, can be blown through in a couple of hours tops, collecting every star and hidden item along the way. This makes the game better suited for children, but also kills a lot of the replay value.
The game has three chapters when you initially purchase it. However, there are an additional two chapters (the Goofy ones) available as in-app purchases. You are given the option to play the first three levels of each Goofy chapter, but you have to pay an additional $0.99 to unlock the rest. An extra $0.99c for another 40 levels doesn’t seem like much, but the game costs $0.99 and comes with 60 levels, so the math doesn’t really add up.
Visuals & Audio
The animation style for Where’s My Mickey? is based completely off of the new Mickey Mouse animated shorts. The characters are all drawn in an exaggerated manner, and there is a sense of cleanness and crispness to the artwork. While the colour scheme seems a little bland at times, it is completely representational of the cartoons to which the game is based.
There is a big emphasis on black and white, not only with big, thick outlines around characters and objects, but many characters also have an abundance of black as part of their colour scheme. This makes the game (and the cartoon) somewhat resemble the older black and white Mickey Mouse shorts from the 1930s. In fact, you can see that the art style in general is a big throwback to these cartoons of old.
The audio here is well done too, with charming and catchy music playing in the background, and an array of sound effects like the way water fills up the stars, to the sounds that a lemon makes when being thrown into the water all make for a game that is delightful to listen to. The cherry on top of the cake that is the audio, is without a doubt Mickey’s trademark laugh, and gleeful cry of “oh boy!” or Goofy’s “Hyuck!”
Overall
Where’s My Mickey is a worthy addition to the “Where’s My…” franchise, and even though it lacks some of the difficulty of its brothers, it offers enough new features to keep it from feeling like a simple rehash of older games. The art and sound are sublimely done and reflect not only today’s current Mickey Mouse cartoons, but also harken back to Disney’s simpler times. If it is let down by anything, then it is by the fact that 2/5 of the game costs another dollar to unlock.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
