What do you get when you mix the charm of Wall-e with a more traditional click and point adventure like those I grew up with on computer? I imagine it would look a lot like Machinarium, which has a good deal going for it, despite these types of games having lost their overall popularity years ago.
The premise is charming as you take control of a tiny robot who has been tossed out into a scrapyard behind the city. He must return to the city to save his girlfriend robot as you guide him through a variety of puzzles along the way.
The graphics and music take charming to all new levels. At first glance, there is a heavy sort of brownout look to the world, but as you dig deeper, you can see the smaller details shine through in the visuals, with specs of color and scenery that does not make it incredibly obvious what you are supposed to do when you interact with the environment, but the puzzles never feel unfair either. There is definitely some trial and error at work here, but I never found it frustrating. Once I figured out what I was supposed to do, it inevitably felt like the answer had been staring me in the face the entire time.
There is very little plot or dialog to speak of here outside of what I have already explained. I have played Machinarium on a couple of platforms now, but it feels right at home on the Vita – the last console I tried it on. It feels as though a good deal of care went into bringing Machinarium over to the handheld, with easy-to-use controls. It is not the longest game to complete, and there is not a lot of replay value to be had here once you have sorted through the myriad of puzzles, but if you enjoy a slower paced game that makes you think through puzzles, Machinarium is worth a go.
7 out of 10.
Review by Nick
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