http://arstechnica.com/gaming/reviews/2009/10/when-robots-fall-in-love-ars-reviews-machinarium.arsWhen robots fall in love: Ars reviews Machinarium
With some of the most striking 2D visuals around and a understated but compelling narrative, Machinarium is a perfect example of a modern adventure game.
Machinarium wastes no time at all getting you familiar with its world, dropping you directly into the action without any form of introduction. You're a robot who has been trapped in some sort of prison-like facility and you need to escape. That's all you know. There is no exposition at all—largely because there is no actual dialog in the game—so the bits of story you do pick up throughout the adventure are sparse but meaningful.
Though initially appearing to be nothing more than a cute adventure starring quirky robots, the game slowly reveals itself to be a touching tale of separated lovers and a crumbling society straining underneath an oppressive leadership. Think of it as Wall-E meets 1984 with a steampunk makeover.
Of course, since there is no written or spoken dialog—character interactions are conveyed solely through animations and thought bubbles—the story can be easy to miss, so it's not entirely mandatory. But for those who take the time, there is much to enjoy. The world created by Amanita Design feels undeniably real. You'll see elderly robots heading to church and musicians playing in the street. Flies pester a bartender while robotic cats snooze on rooftops. And when the main character stands still for too long, he begins to daydream about his missing girlfriend.
But while the story is what will keep you interested as the game moves along, the visuals are what will grab you. Machinarium sports an absolutely stunning art style, with completely hand-drawn characters and backgrounds that are packed with detail and personality. The various robots you encounter are all distinct, as are the various different areas, which makes the idea of exploring that much more enticing. And with the smooth character animations, the game looks, moves, and feels like a top-tier animated movie.
The same goes for the soundtrack in the game, which features subtle, ambient music and sound effects that feel very organic.
When it comes to actually playing the game, though, things are pretty straightforward. Machinarium is a point-and-click adventure through and through, though it's not without its own unique twists on the format. The majority of your time will be spent collecting items and solving various puzzles, which allow you progress to new areas where you can collect more items and solve more puzzles. There are also a few minigames to be encountered—including a full-blown Space Invaders clone—that help add some variety. But for the most part the gameplay is very traditional.
There are a number of very difficult problems to solve, but the frustration that this would normally induce is negated by a very clever hint system. At any time you can receive a hint that gives you a vague idea of what exactly it is you're supposed to be doing. If that's not enough, there is also an in-game walkthrough that outlines how to go about doing whatever it is you're supposed to be doing. It can be accessed at any point in the game, but there is a twist: each time you use the walkthrough, you first must complete a level of a simple 2D side-scrolling shooter. This forces you to do at least a little work for your hints, forcing you to think twice before immediately reaching for the easy answer to a problem.
Even though the gameplay is fairly standard, the presentation and story make this a game that's hard not to recommend. This is a world that's just begging to be explored, and one of the finest point-and-click adventures in recent memory.
Verdict: Buy
