More_Badass
Member
Mobile gaming has come a long way. From the early success of Angry Birds and Cut The Rope to this year's fantastic offerings from Monument Valley and 80 Days to Threes and numerous others. Who would have thought, 6 years later, we'd be able to have games like XCOM, FTL, KOTOR in our pockets? There are even mobile games that of such high quality and polish that I could easily see them as titles on PSN or Wii U. Jet Car Stunts 2, Bug Heroes 2, Badlands, Icebreaker, and more. But I want to focus on two platformers. Whenever someone asks for recommendations, what games are the best on IOS, they're the two that I usually think of first.
Penumbear
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/penumbear/id593441872?mt=8
Incoboto
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/incoboto/id499589490?mt=8
Incoboto Mini (for iPhone)
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Penumbear - Trailer
Don't be fooled by the images of a teddy bear and his firefly companions; Penumbear is not a platformer for casual gamers. It's a challenging platformer that requires precision and quick thinking.
You awaken in the basement of a dark monster-filled castle. Over 100 levels stand between you and freedom. And these levels are not the usual thirty second duration of some other IOS platformers; they're large, filled with different routes, hidden collectibles, traps, and enemies. Your primary goal in each is to find the keys that unlock the exit (which also act as checkpoints) and then locate the exit itself. A task easier said than done.
Your bear is fragile. One missed jump, one fall into spikes, one encounter with an enemy, and you're done. You only have one ability to aid and guide you: turning lights one and off. You can walk along the area where light and shadow meet (known as a penumbra) and the developers wring that mechanic for all its worth in countless intensive ways. The light can act as a bridge or a ramp or an elevator, can be a projective barrier against enemies or an impenetrable wall blocking your path, or it can reveal hidden platforms and traps. The complexity only increases when flashing lights, switches, objects that only appear in shadow and vice versa, and more are added.
Penumbear has enough content to last for many hours and I haven't even mentioned the boss battles, the well hidden bears and golden bears that require extra platforming to collect, the video recording feature, the finely tuned touch controls, or the Game Center achievements. If you're looking for a quality game that emphasizes exploration ad challenging platforming, then Penumbear deserves a spot on your device.
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Incoboto - Trailer
Puzzle platformers are not uncommon on IOS, so it takes something more, something unique for a game to stand out among its brethren and the daily flood of new games in general. Incoboto does just that, with its atmospheric art style, an enigmatic narrative that's equal parts bleak and witty, challenging puzzles, and smooth touch controls.
The suns have gone dark. Life has vanished, leaving nothing but The Corporation's many weird and mysterious machines across the galaxy. Yet Inco and the last sun Helios endure and embark on a journey across the galaxy to rekindle the suns and restore what was lost. The narrative is discovered through logs and signs dotting each planet, and what is incredible is how these logs can imply an entire story in only a few words. The Corporation signs add to the story as well, delivering cautionary warnings and corporate memos with dry witty GlaDOS-style humor (i.e."If you can complain, you can breathe. If you can breathe, you can't complain."). I'd recommend Incoboto for the story and atmosphere alone, but the gameplay is just as polished and engaging.
At its core, Incoboto is an Metroidvania-esque game with a dash of Super Mario Galaxy. Each system you travel to composes of a several planets, each with their own gravitational field. You find new equipment as you progress through the story, from the abilities to locate invisible objects and focus Helios' light to a grapple hook and jetpack. You may encounter out-of-reach areas only to return later with the means to access them.
But Incoboto isn't about combat; the focus is on puzzles. Many times you'll encounter a new machine and through testing and discovery, you'll learn its function and how it interacts with other machines. From gravity beams to force fields to teleporters and more, the puzzles grow more complex and challenging and each offers those satisfying "aha" moments that only the best puzzles can.
I can't recommend Incoboto enough. It's not the longest game, but this is a case of (fantastic) quality over quantity.
Penumbear
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/penumbear/id593441872?mt=8
Incoboto
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/incoboto/id499589490?mt=8
Incoboto Mini (for iPhone)
---
Penumbear - Trailer
Don't be fooled by the images of a teddy bear and his firefly companions; Penumbear is not a platformer for casual gamers. It's a challenging platformer that requires precision and quick thinking.
You awaken in the basement of a dark monster-filled castle. Over 100 levels stand between you and freedom. And these levels are not the usual thirty second duration of some other IOS platformers; they're large, filled with different routes, hidden collectibles, traps, and enemies. Your primary goal in each is to find the keys that unlock the exit (which also act as checkpoints) and then locate the exit itself. A task easier said than done.
Your bear is fragile. One missed jump, one fall into spikes, one encounter with an enemy, and you're done. You only have one ability to aid and guide you: turning lights one and off. You can walk along the area where light and shadow meet (known as a penumbra) and the developers wring that mechanic for all its worth in countless intensive ways. The light can act as a bridge or a ramp or an elevator, can be a projective barrier against enemies or an impenetrable wall blocking your path, or it can reveal hidden platforms and traps. The complexity only increases when flashing lights, switches, objects that only appear in shadow and vice versa, and more are added.
Penumbear has enough content to last for many hours and I haven't even mentioned the boss battles, the well hidden bears and golden bears that require extra platforming to collect, the video recording feature, the finely tuned touch controls, or the Game Center achievements. If you're looking for a quality game that emphasizes exploration ad challenging platforming, then Penumbear deserves a spot on your device.
---
Incoboto - Trailer
Puzzle platformers are not uncommon on IOS, so it takes something more, something unique for a game to stand out among its brethren and the daily flood of new games in general. Incoboto does just that, with its atmospheric art style, an enigmatic narrative that's equal parts bleak and witty, challenging puzzles, and smooth touch controls.
The suns have gone dark. Life has vanished, leaving nothing but The Corporation's many weird and mysterious machines across the galaxy. Yet Inco and the last sun Helios endure and embark on a journey across the galaxy to rekindle the suns and restore what was lost. The narrative is discovered through logs and signs dotting each planet, and what is incredible is how these logs can imply an entire story in only a few words. The Corporation signs add to the story as well, delivering cautionary warnings and corporate memos with dry witty GlaDOS-style humor (i.e."If you can complain, you can breathe. If you can breathe, you can't complain."). I'd recommend Incoboto for the story and atmosphere alone, but the gameplay is just as polished and engaging.
At its core, Incoboto is an Metroidvania-esque game with a dash of Super Mario Galaxy. Each system you travel to composes of a several planets, each with their own gravitational field. You find new equipment as you progress through the story, from the abilities to locate invisible objects and focus Helios' light to a grapple hook and jetpack. You may encounter out-of-reach areas only to return later with the means to access them.
But Incoboto isn't about combat; the focus is on puzzles. Many times you'll encounter a new machine and through testing and discovery, you'll learn its function and how it interacts with other machines. From gravity beams to force fields to teleporters and more, the puzzles grow more complex and challenging and each offers those satisfying "aha" moments that only the best puzzles can.
I can't recommend Incoboto enough. It's not the longest game, but this is a case of (fantastic) quality over quantity.
