During the holiday season the usual gaming devices were put to rest for a while as we searched for our gaming thrills through our newly acquired GOOGLE NEXUS 7.
Using this cool device has shone new light on the Google Play Games selection for us as the Nexus 7 is optimised perfectly to play the coolest games available on the market.
The game that has taken up most of our time this festive season is the Wonderful Badland...
We might be a little late to the party on this one as it's been about for a while now...
Anyways, let's attempt to explain to you what it's all about......
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Well let's start with how it all begins........
You are spat out of an industrial waste pipe of some sorts quite abruptly and there you are seemingly stranded an inhospitable forestry type environment that looks full of nasties and beady watching eyes.....
Immediately you are drawn in by the game's incredibly foreboding atmosphere....
The game puts you slightly on edge from moment one. We recommend plugging some earphones in and fully appreciating the subtle sound effects that really draw you in to the situation...
So what is actually going on here?
Well it seems as though you are some kind of hedgehog like creature that can sort of fly (badly) and its down to you to guide this poor unfortunate creature through the treacherous environment!
And Boy is this a treacherous environment!!
Make no mistake, every route is paved with traps and dastardly fiendish little puzzles.
It reminds us of a cross between Limbo and Sonic The Hedgehog. Some levels are played at a blistering pace and others are a struggle against the environment which really gets your pace racing!
By pressing the screen you make your HedgeHogBird Thingy fly forwards and by releasing the screen you fall lower. A nice and simple game mechanic used to great effect.
Scattered around each level are various "power ups" / "power downs" that help or hinder your progress through the level.
These consist of the following:
There's an orb that Clones your fuzzy dude and this pack of fuzzy dudes increases your chances of surviving the environmental onslaught!
There's an orb that makes you Grow Larger which can help or hinder you. It will help if you need to break through certain parts of the level or hinder you if space is tight.
There's also an orb that makes you Smaller and then smaller still so you can squeeze through the tiniest spaces!
The "Jelly Orb" turns you into a bouncy ball jelly style fuzzy dude that will struggle to progress if you hit the sides too many sides as you frantically try and bounce through the level.
Overall we absolutely love this game as it draws you in and gives you something more than your average Endless Runner type game. It's a runner with brains and character like no other.
That's why we will award it a GAMESFREEZER FROZEN DELIGHT :
4.5 ICE CUBES OUT OF 5
