Gaming reviews: The Yawhg; XCOM: Enemy Unknown; Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Yawhg
£8.42
PC (via theyawhg.com)
Wyrmling's Workshop
****
The Yawhg is coming and there's absolutely nothing you, or anybody can do about it – such is the introduction to Emily Carroll and Damian Sommer's faux tragedy. I say "faux" because while the eponymous unknown catastrophic force of destruction can't be stopped, it can be somewhat risk-managed, so providing an end game somewhat less bleak than might otherwise be the case.
Best played with friends, The Yawhg combines elements of text-based adventures and traditional role-playing games (RPGs) as it gives you six days in which to interact within a doomed medieval kingdom. You might, for example, opt to spend one of your days tending to the sick in the local hospital, only to witness a woman give birth to a demon. Will you trap it (assuming you have the magical powers necessary) or do nothing?
Either way, don't be surprised to see the baby demon crop up again in a constantly branching quest that yields different results every time. Clever, funny and surprisingly replayable, The Yawhg provides a different spin on a well-trodden genre.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown
£13.99
iOS (see Apple Store for details)
2K Games
****
XCOM, aliens and all, makes the transition to iOS devices relatively unscathed. Yes, there is a blander colour palette and less detail in character models, but on the whole, Firaxis' tactical-action game is as playable and addictive as ever. Sensible adaptions to the interface make playing via a touchscreen feel natural, while the cloud-saving feature means your progress will transfer from iPad to iPhone. My only gripes are a lack of fast-scrolling (a real grind on larger levels) and long loading times between stages.
Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
£11.99
PS Vita
Sony
**
With a cast including Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, to name but two classic Disney characters, you might expect Epic Mickey 2 to be brimming with humour and imagination. Alas, you'd be wrong, for though blessed with license to reference any number of Disney trademarks, there's a shortfall of creativity as Mickey and co bound through an adventure you've played a hundred times before. The only real reasons to purchase are the price and the presence of Disney curios for fans.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments