Mobile Game Review: Grand Theft Auto III

Introduction:

Over 10 years after its original exclusive release on the Play Station 2, Grand Theft Auto III has gained new life in its Android and iOS release. It's the same old game but with a touch screen. If you enjoy the classic open crime universe then this game is for you. While the graphics are totally 2001 by comparison to new games, the game still retains its play ability. It holds up to the test of time, and it's incarnation on the two most popular mobile platforms has added significantly to its life.

Controls:

With the standard D-pad on the left side of the screen movements is typical of mobile games. The D-pad will appear where you place your finger so long as it is on the left side of the screen. Upper right corner is a mini map.  When you tap the map it brings up a larger map. The lower right contains action buttons what are determined based off of what is around your character. There is a jump, run, fight and car door button. When pressing the car door near cars (occupied or not) this prompts your character to open the door and take control of the vehicle. Above that is a camera angle button. This button makes life easier. Above that is your wanted rating, health, money, a timer and what weapon you are using. Over all the controls work well enough. My biggest complaint is the camera angle. There are times when it doesn't change fast enough. The camera angle button helps, some times.

The Story:

You control the character Claude. He was broken out of prison and now is trying to make a name for himself to work himself up ladder in the various criminal organizations in Liberty City. By completing missions you gain money and prestige. You can also complete side missions for money or for fun. What's more, if mayhem is your deal, you can just smash and grab to your hearts content. Missions are a combination of driving and action violence such as fist fights, baseball bats or shooting. The game allows you to be as "bad" or "good" as you want. So you can administer vigilante justice, save people with ambulances, or be a jerk as much as you like.

Game Play:

Honestly, if you have ever played Grand Theft Auto III, the game is exactly the same. The game stands up to the test of time. I do wish there was a indicator to point you to your next mission, but over all it is a fun game. The environments changing was an impressive feature in the original game. This is kept in the mobile version of the game as well. The fact that it will start raining while your in the middle of a job is a nice touch, but not unique in gaming any more.

Maturity Rating:

I personally wouldn't let my kids play this game until they at least 16. The violence is up close an personal. While there isn't any obvious sexual content in this game, there are prostitutes walking the streets in skimpy clothing. From a parent's prospective this game not suitable to children at all. The rating is PG-16 and I'm leaning towards making it higher.

Final Assessment:

The game has stood up to the test of time. There have been some updates that make it work well with a touch screen device as well. Still, I can't help but think the game could have had some things added to it. Perhaps better graphics or maybe some new missions or capabilities. Since it's just a port of the original game I can't help but think I could have pick up the game on my PS2 and played it for less money. I could pick this game up for a dollar at most thrift stores or garage sales. It is novel for me to play it on a tablet, but not novel enough. Over all I give the game a solid 2 out of 3 Triforce. If you are interested in dropping money on this game you can get it through the Google Play store and iTunes for $4.99. If you played this back in the day, it may be worth it for you to drop five bucks on the game. Me personally, I'm glad I got it on sale for $0.99 because anything more and I would have felt a little cheated.

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Mobile Game Review: Meowch!

Introduction:

There comes along from time to time a game that is just perfect for casual gaming. Most casual game iterations just don't get it. Either it is too complicated in controls or game play, they lack clear tutorials, or they are just not entertaining enough. Fortunately this is NOT the case with Meowch! The game is simple, the controls are easy, the objectives are clear.

The Story:

You are a cat. Your mission is to save other cats that are missing and stranded on the "Outside". You must navigate from windowsills to other ledges while avoiding obstacles or falling to the ground. Some obstacles include the Cat Lady, live wires and gutters. If you fall to the ground you are caught by Animal Control. Once you've rescued the stranded cats you must navigate to the Exit.

Writing & lines added.

Game Play:

Every successful casual game I have seen has been based on simple controls and appealing graphics. Meowch! get this perfectly. The graphics are simple and fun. The controls are as well. You simple touch the cat pull back and aim. An arrow shadow shows were the cat will jump to. But don't be fooled by the simple controls. The levels start simple with tutorials to show you what to do, but as you progress the courses get progressively difficult. Still, the courses (36 as of the writing of this article) are a real pleasure to play. It was hard for me to put the game down.

Maturity Rating:

Meowch! deserves a rating of E for Everyone. I have no problem having my kids playing this game. It is cute and encourages lateral thinking. I wouldn't go so far as to call the game educational. Still, if it's the choice between them rotting their brains out in front of the Cartoon Network and this, I choose this every time. 

Final Assessment:

Meowch! deserves a full 3 out of 3 Triforces. As a casual game it fulfills it's promise to be fun, entertaining with just a little cerebral. As I mentioned before, this game has all the right ingredients to make it a fun game to revisit even when you are finished with all the levels. I can't wait for more levels with up coming updates. 

To get Meowch! for Android you can purchase it from the Amazon Appstore for $1.99. The Google Play store also has a Paid version for $1.99, but also offers an Ad-supported Free version if a couple bucks is too steep for you. In either case you have plenty of options for where to purchase the game. I prefer the paid version myself. No pesky ads to deal with and no worries about kids accidentally touching them when I let them play with the game.

For iOS devices, Meowch! is also available for $1.99 for the paid version as well as a Free version. Both the Android and iOS versions of the game work with both phones and tablets.

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PC Game Review: Krater

You may not have heard of the company FatShark, but after playing Krater you will agree with me that they should be a gaming company to be watched. This game has a lot of the features that make a game a classic. While there are some things lacking, this is a young company so they have room to grow. 

The Story

Krater is a top down RPG dungeon crawler set in a post apocalyptic world.  Humanity has settled around a giant crater created by some long forgotten war or cataclysm.  This crater leads into the Underside. This is where treasures of ancient technologies can be found and this is what drives conflict in the game. Everyone wants a piece of the pie. Those who have the pie don't want to share. The resulting tensions drive deadly competition. Top this off with mutated animals and you have a recipe for awesome! Krater has a great feel. It's pretty, quirky, and everyone wears masks & dress weird. Its this atmosphere is what drives me to go deeper in to the game.  The problem with this is that the story is not driving me deeper. The story is not compelling. The world is. But good games are defined not only by the quality of the graphics and mechanics, but also by the story. I get the tingle of a potential good story but it feels lack luster after a while.

Game Play 

The combat mechanics in Krater are very well done. You control a squad of three soldiers. You choose between 4 classes to fill the ranks. They are
1) Bruiser: This is your damage soaker, your tank, your decoy.

2) Slayer, melee damage per second unit. 

3) Regulator, ranged damage per second unit. 

4) Medikus, the medic/healer of the group. 

Each soldier has two skills and a gadget. This allows you to manage 9 different skill sets at one time with them from different sources.  The squad tactics are well thought out and fun. This makes you think about how you use your soldiers and their skills & tech. Large battles can get really frantic, since you are making sure that the right soldiers are taking damage, getting healed while the others are dealing damage. This is why I feel the 3 unit squad is a good limit. Additionally, you can add depth to your characters and their skills by upgrading each soldier and skills. You find boosters and implants, or craft them as the game progresses.  Krater gives you a ton of crafting items and taking advantage of the crafting system is simple and strait forward. While I haven't found any weapon blueprints, I have relied on what is dropped in game to put things together. This isn't that bad because a lot of the weapons are pretty epic. The names for them are awesome as well.

Culture

The beauty of this game is it makes a lot of Nerd culture references.  I have seen Star Wars, League of Legends, and Clutch references in the game so far. I am sure I have probably missed or not understood others as well.  It adds to the quirkiness and fun of the Krater.

Final Assessment

This game is fun, but a weak story holds it back, as well as a fair number of bugs.  When this article was written multiplayer was still lacking. Since the video review below there have been some updates that have solved some of the graphical bugs and added a boot camp was added to give some tutorial where it was lacking. This in turn helped to to understand how to use certain items and level up a couple of my soldiers that would not otherwise level up. Still. something that I don't really like is the lack of variety in skills.  You can find unique characters with different skills, but most of the soldiers within a class all have the same two skills.  It gets a little stale after a while.  Krater is still a great game for the price paid.  The music and sfx are good, the gameplay is fun, and the atmosphere is well designed.

With bugs and all I give Krater a solid 2 Triforces out of 3.

You can get Krater on Stream for $14.99 for the standard edition and $19.99 for the collector's edition.

Video Review