By Michael Jordan
G5 Entertainment , Artogon Games , 1 player, $4.99 iPhone, iPad
Now typically we see games explored through player interaction and reaction from the game environment. This is nothing shocking to anyone even remotely close to reading this. Something that so many of us miss is how much work actually goes into it and is usually lost in some sort of gamer tunnel vision. this is where Mystery of the Crystal Portal 2: Beyond the Horizon(MCP2) comes in and will always be, a shocking reminder of what we miss in looking at video game visuals as a whole.
There are some slit issues with playing a game like this, and it is more of a philosophical issue then an issue with MCP2. We tend to have our minds set in the idea that all games need to have some tension, even in puzzle games, where a timer or something of this nature is always ticking away, stressing our minds to try and find the answer. Now, I am not going to say that MCP2 is a great game, but I am defiantly say it is a good and competent game that has more uses to its player then what they can really see at face value when you play it.
Let’s just start off by saying, this is a beautiful game on the iPhone, and really makes it easy to look at for long periods of time, which is good, because you will be looking at every inch of the screen, trying to find the next piece to the puzzle to advance. Gameplay is based on a type of hide and seek method, where players need to find highly detailed items scattered throughout your landscape to advance though the levels (8 in total) and is occasionally broken up between 8 mini games. It’s a simple idea that plays out simply. Relaxed, visually appealing, and a simple game play concept that will keep you engaged. It only makes me wish this was in a 3D space instead of their 2D space, just so I could explore more around me.
I would like to now explore what this game can do for you, its players. As I touched on before, most of us tend to look past the area around our character, most the time we rarely give credit to those we should unless it is in a cinematic. (MCP2) really makes you open your eyes. It was almost shocking to me how many times I looked at an area only to find something new with every step of the puzzle, which was there the whole time. It was mesmerizing to see this happen and is really what drove me to complete this game.
So what’s the verdict?
7/10
While being a very competent game and beautiful the game is lacking the type of diversity that I would hope a game of this nature would hold but still gets high merits for what it can really do and show the player as well as looking and sounding really beautiful and relaxing. This might not be a game for everyone, but the people who try it will really appreciate the virtue of this game. I would say You at very least HAVE TO try it.
Tags: Artogon Games, G5 Entertainment, iPhone, Mystery of the Crystal Portal 2: Beyond the Horizon
