Mac games Only the Best Mac Game Reviews in Town!

28Oct/110

Totem Tribe Gold Review


Tetala Island is where Chief Aruku reigns over her Hawk tribe. For many years there have been struggles and challenges for her people. Aruku wants to better the conditions for her village. The ancients have all known about the Tear of Heaven that can grant unimaginable wisdom and enlightenment to whoever possess this talisman. With this magical power, Aruku can improve the outcome of her tribe but in order to do so she must search every island in the vicinity and complete missions to find it.

To begin your play use the tutorial which will guide you through some of the aspects of this sim/rpg/hidden object/strategy game. It’s hard to say what it is with so many options available. The important thing to remember is to read all the stone guides since these are your hints in the game. If you do not read one, it will be highlighted in yellow. Another big item in your search is the tower. Build them to defend your troops and to see further. The buildings are important to put up by clicking on the hammer at the lower right hand side to get different types of people needed in your quest. There are hidden objects and gems to find everywhere you go. You may need to revisit an island for things you may have passed by or were not available at the time. There are tasks you must perform like finding boulders and using them to make a bridge, and quests to conquer for different people you meet along the way.

Guro of Wolverine is one of them, and he resides on Mushroom Island. On this island are mushroom-like enemies you must fight off to complete a task. You will find many hostile enemies on different islands. The crossed swords at the bottom of the screen will activate your troops into fighting. The magnifying glass will help you find some hidden objects. Also sometimes these items will pulsate to help you locate them. Another huge help is the mini map. You can get to a site on the island quickly by clicking on the spot you would like to travel to. In addition, the bad guys are in red so you can spot them easily. The difficult part comes in when you cannot see parts of the screen because of a black fog. These areas open up as you go along collecting needed items and accomplishing certain tasks.

Totem Tribe Gold with its interesting graphics will draw you into its story while playing the game. The more you play it, the more you get involved in figuring out the quests and puzzles in order to help Aruku and the Hawk people. Instead of keeping your villagers healthy like in other games, you have a goal and objective to reach through the many tasks and puzzles that are waiting for you on each island. So heed Guru’s words and find your sacred totems to complete just one of your many quests.

Features of Totem Tribe Gold:
-32 Locations
-Over 200 Missions and Puzzles
-Hidden Objects

Rating: ★★★½☆

6Mar/111

Avernum 6 Review

The final game in this epic fantasy role-playing series is dramatic and intense a play as the previous ones. Find yourself immersed in the subterranean world of Avernum 6 lost in its winding labyrinths.

As you recall from Avernum 5, there are people and others like the Slithzerikai or the lizard people living in the once, desolate caverns of this underground society, if you can call it that. This was once the Empire’s prison where people who rebelled lived in vast cavern-like areas connected by dark, extensive tunnels where life was run by brawn and muscle. Now Avernum and the Empire are at peace, and it is a wild frontier with strong rebels looking for wealth, fame and magical powers.

Of course, all good things must come to an end and blight hits suddenly causing the mushrooms to die off in this underground society. Avernum depends on these mushrooms for nourishment and this supply is gone causing hunger and desperation across this land. Any time there is weakness, unsavory characters will come out and try to destroy the helpless causing famine and warfare to proliferate. Most Slithzerikai are civilized, but a few in the north led by evil warlords gained control over the weak. Avernites fled the useless underground land through a portal to the world above. A select few volunteer to fight the evil.

You are one of the volunteers and start out this game as a private guarding the food supply from giant rats, looters and goblins. As in Avernum 5, you also have control over 3 other people. Unlike 5, you start off with these people instead of choosing them at the beginning. You can move them in sync or separately. In battle, however, each person is controlled individually and you take turns battling the enemy.
The play will take you through a tutorial if you need it. The actions are done by clicking your mouse and some keyboard shortcuts like picking up things and spells. You can use the arrow keys to move your people, but it’s easier if you use your mouse. This is not your usual hack and slash game, and it will take tactics to defeat the many enemies you will encounter. There are large battles with smaller skirmishes in between. The journey through Avernum is dark and dangerous. Most of the areas are in too dark to see until you light it up and continue on your journey. The map is an immense help. There are countless tasks to complete, people to talk to and items to find. The play is full of spells and battle disciplines, but half of the intrigue in this game comes from the writing and story line. It is full of twists and turns, both literally and figuratively, treachery, a little humor and, of course, fighting.

Avernum 6 is for newbies and gamers alike. The difficulty levels are casual, normal, hard and torment. Take your pick if you dare. Although the graphics are simple, the intense story strengthens the play. There’s very little music (only at the beginning) but it is filled with eerie sound effects throughout the dimly lit land. It is an epic tale coming to the end of a great play. I liked Avernum 5 and I like Avernum 6 even though there were small differences. Be sure to block off a lot of time to play this huge Mac game.

Features of Avernum 6:
-Enormous World
-Hours of Adventure
-Final Tale

[rating:4}