App Name: Lili
Developer: BitMonster Games
Cost: $4.99 USD
Market: iTunes
Review:
Lots of gamers are looking forward to the new version of Lara Croft set to release next year. The new version presents the legendary explorer in different light, a softer version, a more feminine Ms. Croft. Perhaps that is in keeping with the application that’s got rave reviews from leading technology sites, experts and gamers this year. Called Lili, the game fits beautifully with the new iPhone5 and introduces us to a new aspect of the life of Lara Croft.
Lili is Lara’s daughter, a young woman in college with an incongruous vegi-magic degree who likes to search for flowers and loves the wilderness.Her search takes her to an island where the ruins from a long time ago are haunted by plant spirits and their constructs. Lili sets out to rid the ruins and the island of these dictatorial spirits.
Since the game is set in the wilderness, users are treated to all sorts of graphics. Whether it is exploring the ruins, the number of creatures that dwell in that parallel world or the beauty of the landscape, the visual impact is rich and immense.The graphics that run the game come from Unreal Engine 3 and they can give any game graphic a run for its money. The ruins are Polynesian and Latin American and so there’s plenty of detailed carving, exotic plants and handmade furniture to feast your eyes on. That’s right, you can’t do much with all these details but who’s cribbing.
The graphics are lovely for all the attention to details therein. There’s all these tiny flowers that dazzle amidst all the green, the leaves catch the breeze and sway to the rhythm and the houses have pretty decorations which are one-of-a-kind.
Using the game is pretty simple too. A simple tap gets Lili to walk or run and a swipe makes her change direction. You can select urns and chests by just tapping on them. If you need to, you can break them in the same fashion too. Yes, all the other objects are to be seen, not touched. But they are so lovely to look at, that’s fine by us.
It’s fun to defeat the spirits. The trick is to jump on them and then pluck as many of the flowers they have on them. Get a good number and that spirit is gone for good. But not without a fight. The spirits actually grow noxious stuff to throw you off your game. But help comes in the form of power-ups and there are always in-app purchases if you really need ammunition.
The game works at all levels. It’s great for kids because Lili gets knocked down but does not die. It’s great for grownups who get to enjoy all the amazing graphics and other features the game comes loaded with. Perhaps it is towards the former group that a lot of inexplicable, caption laden objects are directed. They serve no purpose in the game but perhaps are meant to be instructional. One can only guess.
There are perhaps dialogues meant to reinforce Lili’s college age; which means as an adult you might be a little disappointed by the silly lines she spouts. Some of the lines go nowhere! There’s also the occasional bug which requires a reboot which means a change in location, which is not good at all.
The game could give you hours of fun and unusual gaming experiences so you should give it a try. Explore a botanical world with a very unusual young girl.
About the Author: Dazzle Rogers of workwelltogether.com, a site that offers savings and current information on comcast bundle packages for cable and internet.
