By Michael Jordan

G5 Entertainment, 1 player, $4.99 iPhone, iPod touch.

As the Hide and seek genre becomes more and more complex in nature, it is nice to see that it keeps its relaxing style of gameplay with the added bonuses of quick pick up and play, added mini games and puzzles that are starting to define this style of game and give it shape, providing a deeper and less repetitive style of gaming that we see on most iOS games.

Easy to play and wonderfully done, Treasure Seekers II is a great addition to your portable device, providing you with a break from the tension of most gaming out today. I remember when this style of gaming first game to the PC, and I have to tell you, I was not a fan. Boring still images with no movement, cluttered with items for random reasons that have no purpose to what your actual doing and a just plain bad story that makes no sense when compared to what you’re doing. Treasure Seekers II has effectively taken what so many have done wrong with this style of game, and made it right. You will not feel like most of this is at random, instead you will be given tasks to find things in the environments and solve puzzles that are more than practical in to the troubles that fall on the character while she tries to find her missing brother, how is looking for the philosopher’s stone.

The game itself is beautiful and smooth, everything seems in its place and it’s easy to pick up and play. The hint system makes it easy for players to decide how much time they want to spend looking for each item as well as set there difficulty they want to experience the game at.

The story is simple and laid out for the player through a set of paintings, which the player will go in to and explore. Each area being just enough time that it needs to be, and not to heavy handed on complexity, as to lose the player, but enough to draw their attention.

The sound is simplistic and may be the low point of this game, making you wonder if they could improve it without ruining the relaxing experience. But even with that said, I feel I would have liked a little more in the way of sound.

To me, a simple and relaxing time is well worth its price, easy to use, with enough diverse mini games and puzzles to keep you playing without getting sidetracked. We also have to look to see if this game is for everyone, and how they would react to how this game works, which might mean this game is not for them.

So what’s the verdict?

7.8/10
While it does limit itself by the genre that defines it, it is still a fine game, and fun to play. A lot of verity breaking up the main mechanic gives it more of a all around appeal. I would have to say this would be a welcome addition for anyone that likes simple and relaxing game play. For them I will have to say Buy It.
___________________________________________________

On a side note if you would like a chance to win this game check out their facebook page for info on how.

By Michael Jordan

G5 Entertainment, 1 player, $2.99 iPhone, iPod touch.

With the growing popularity of city building games coming out, it is nice to see that other companies are trying their hand at the market, and today I can tell you they are succeeding. Virtual City shows us that you can take the classic idea of city building, and make it simpler as well as deeper.

I must state that I might have a bit of bias to city building games. Games such as SimCity as well as Tycoon series have single handedly kept me going throw many of the gaming dry-spells when I ether don’t have money to buy new games or when there are no new games in sight to play. Unlike its SimCity brethren, Virtual City feels more intimate, with a series of unlockable buildings gained through a series of puzzle style missions that give you a a vastly different style of play then just “Build a city.”

The graphics are more colorful and cartoony then most city building games, which I think is a nice change of pace. Being very simple and easy to access will make picking up this game simple and easy, but not too easy as timing to get perfect rankings on levels throughout the game will slowly become more and more challenging.

If you want to just play with your unlocks or have a fun time building your own city, Virtual City has a sandbox mode that will allow you to build a set up your own city. In this mode you will have complete control to build your own city as well as managing your own goals, setting your traffic, garbage routes, and what products go where.

One of the most interesting things about Virtual city is the ability to set up full production of items that you can send to your market or other cities, that are next to yours. If you would like to make some pies, you will need a grain farm, dairy farm, mill and bakery. Products and materials will need to be managed to interact with each other, in a simple, yet progressively more challenging way.

Hands down I have to say this is a great start of the New Year for G5 Entertainment. The game is easy to access and just the right fit for portable city building without being dumbed down. Buy It!

So what’s the verdict?

9/10
Hands down I have to say this is a great start of the New Year for G5 Entertainment. The game is easy to access and just the right fit for portable city building without being dumbed down. Buy It!