Normally when a game starts I will attempt to skip through the numerous splash screens which detail the variety of parties involved in the production of the game, (much to their annoyance I’m sure). However, every now and again one splash screen will appear which fills your heart with hope that you are about to embark on gaming greatness.

In my case that splash screen is the one that displays the fact that the game is built using the Unreal Engine. A platform which has introduced us to some of the most rich and rewarding gaming experiences across all major devices has another hit to its armory in Horn.

If you’ve experienced the Unreal world before you know what to expect. Horn for iPhone and iPad is played in a expansive, rich and detailed environment that fools you into believing that you’re not on a handheld device but on a console instead.

This beautiful environment is the backdrop of the story of Horn, a young boy who finds himself in a world where all but a few humans have been turned into giant rock creatures called Golems. Horns task is to return these creatures back into humans.

Unlike some other titles where the environments are so rich that your character has limited interaction with them with Horn you are able to go where you wish, within reason of course, by simply tapping on the screen. This makes movement very easy although not always 100% accurately.

Combat makes up a large part of the game as you attempt to take down the many monstrous creatures. The combat system is similar to the Infinity Blade titles where timing is the key to avoid your enemies attacks and take advantage of their weaknesses. It works impressively well and I took great satisfaction in defeating each on the monstrosities that I came across.

Horn is not just another hack ‘n’ slash game though. For as many battles that you’ll encounter there are as many puzzles to be solved and this balance keeps things interesting and entertaining as you uncover the secrets of the world that you have found yourself in.

Even more depth is added to the game thanks to the various weapons and magic that you get to work with and upgrade as you progress through the game.

The game’s beauty is enhanced by the wonderful voice acting that accompany the story telling parts of the game and the orchestral score provides a wonderful backdrop to this engrossing game.

Zynga is a game company that some people either love or hate and if you are on the hate side of the argument then Horn could be the that changes your mind. For everyone else, just go out and by this game and be ready to lose yourself in a wonderful world of mystery, combat, puzzles and entertainment.

The only problem I’ve had with the game is the fact that even as a universal application there is no ability to sync your progress between multiple devices which would be nice.

What we like

• Console like graphics
• Console like gameplay
• Engaging storyline
• Engrossing gameplay
• Easy controls

What to know

• No device syncing

The game has a dark tone to it that permeates its way through the entire game. You start the game as a black blob born from nothingness. No, you’re not a Nihlist Big Lebowski fans, just a simple black blob. You find yourself in a place called the Void, ominous sounding huh? There are five worlds that you will journey through during the course of the game. You will make your way through icy mountains, forests, deserts and volcanic lands keeping a constant change in scenery which is always nice. The beautifully artistic environment adds to the overall dark atmosphere this game creates.

The lands you encounter are creative and beautiful. Unfortunately they are gobbled up by the Void after you make your way through them. Enemies are continuously thrown at you by the Void that eventually consume each land. You are continuously rethinking your selfish actions in this game which has a way of pulling you in to the environment and situations. Definitely one of those games that is easy to get engrossed in if you’re playing on your couch late at night with only the light of the TV.

Nihilumbra is a puzzle game at heart that utilizes touch controls to pull you in and keep you involved. The game grants you powers at the beginning of each of the five worlds. Gathering these powers enables you to interact with your environment by granting surfaces new properties. For instance, the blue that you gather on the frozen mountain tops of the first level allow you to make surfaces slippery, increasing your jumps and making edges slippery to enemies.

Despite the game having an artsy feel, the enemies are pretty cool. The way they interact adds to the overtones in the game and give them character. The are a bit dumb but in a world created of nothingness, that makes a little sense.

Overall the game has a ton to offer and looking at the screenshots will give you a better idea of just how awesome the environment is. It isn’t perfect, as there are some issues here and there but none important enough to mention. The game boasts about 10 hours of gameplay and after beating the game you get the option to play through the game again with added difficulty. Not just added difficulty either, it adds new enemies and mechanics which is uncommon but awesome.

Check this one out… It’s a blast.

What we like

• Lengthy Gameplay
• Awesome Artistic Value
• Great Story
• 5 Worlds

What to know

• Dark Ambiance

Emberwind Review: A beautiful, challenging game, but perhaps not for the uninitiated. Your mission as Kindle the gnome is to save the world from the evil gremlins. You have the help of your trusty snow owl to assist you. Armed with just a staff, you set out to take on all that cross your path. Through difficult terrain including hills, caves, villages, forests, and snow fields, you battle on to defeat the enemy.

This is an amazingly alluring, Mario-style game, but I had a bugger of a time controlling the character, Kindle. The small control area on the screen just wasn’t responsive enough to keep the poor guy moving properly. And when I wanted to go right, I would find myself going left. I can’t imagine the troubles folks with “fat fingers” would have. There were places I would get stuck and it took a frustratingly long time to get myself out. (If I weren’t writing a review, I would have given up on the game at that point.) It did get better (or I got better) as I played on, but it was a rough start for too long. And it never got to the point where it was completely subconscious. (There is an iPad version of the game available – Emberwind HD for $1.99 – and I wonder if the difficulties with the controls in the game are more manageable in that version.)

The adventure required Kindle to traverse some pretty difficult terrain right from the start. The initial instructions/help screens were perplexing. They showed what action needed to be done, but I couldn’t decipher how to do it. After much trial and error, the controls became a bit easier and moving through the stages became enjoyable. Taking on the enemies, opening treasures, and collecting acorns became routine, if still challenging.

The story itself is rather fun. Move through the stage to rescue the villagers from the invasion of gremlins. Frequent encounters keep you jumping, often literally. Plus the difficult and varied terrain makes for it’s own trials.

The images are amazingly detailed, but can be a bit difficult to discern, as many items are quite small. The music is fun and adds to the fantasy of the game. It pleasantly stays in the background and doesn’t overwhelm the sound effects that provide useful feedback on your successes.

Emberwind is a game that seasoned gamers may enjoy. However, it could prove too frustrating for those new to the genre. If you’re a veteran Mario-type game player, this could be a fun, fantasy-based challenge for you.

Pros:

• Beautiful, highly detailed graphic style
• Challenging play that will tax your skills
• Fun characters and story line

Cons:

• Maneuvering button is not intuitive and often difficult to control
• Help is not helpful
• Might be better played on an iPad

Gallery

Trailer

EA has ported another one of their successful console games to the iPhone/iPod Touch with the release of Mass Effect Galaxy (MEG) which bridges the gap between Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2. MEG is part RPG part shooter and promises a “Gripping storyline” and a “Torrent of Firepower”, the question is does it fill the gap with its promises or merely leave the player wanting more?

You are Jacob Taylor, a combat power-house in this story-telling adventure, made exclusively for your iPhone™ and iPod® touch! Enjoy the stunning art in this stylish animated graphic novel experience. Control Jacob’s actions with a new combat and narrative wheel interface.

EA, and more specifically BioWare, have done a wonderful job on the graphics, storyline, video and acting to a level rarely seen in an iPhone game and maybe they got a little carried away with it, more of that later. The game starts with a short tutorial covering the menu’s, the communication systems and combat which will come in very handy especially as you move through the game and the levels get progressively harder. Within a couple of minutes you are thrown into the action and it comes fast and furious, all be it interspersed with increasingly infuriating load screens.

Combat is nicely handled, the accelerometer handles the movement of your character, Jacob, and shooting is automatic based on some basic instructions from you on who to target and what type of firepower to deploy. While these basic controls won’t offer enough specific control for some the ease of which it allows you to pick up and play is an instant hit for me. Levels are relatively small but the action is frantic and you’ll soon be using the full force of the accelerometer to keep Jacob out of danger and defeat the plethora of enemies.

While the combat is fast and furious it is interspersed with plenty of RPG in the form of inter-character conversation. These elements look great and all your choices are simply presented via a scrolling display on the right side of the screen, selections are made and the game moves on to the next combat section. So while these sections are presented so well if are more of a ‘G’ compared to a ‘RP’ these sections can get a little frustrating. That being said though the storyline flows well and should keep you entertained while you wait for the next piece of combat.

And that is all there is too this game, in summary you watch a cut scene, make a choice and then fight. Unfortunately the balance of watch/choose/fight is not quite balanced enough and you’ll often find yourself feeling as if you are being taken for a ride as a passenger rather than the driver. The game looks great and even feels like you should be enjoying it but after playing it I felt a little let down.

Price $2.99

The Good

• Great graphics and sound
• Polished gameplay

The Not So Good

• Imbalance of RPG and combat
• Lack of control during combat
• Too linear

Mass Effect Galaxy Screenshots

Reviewed By: Craig Willis