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ICEY ($2.99) by X.D. Network is a side-scrolling action game that's rather meta in and of itself. This is a mobile port of the ICEY game that was released on Steam in November 2016. If you enjoy other hack-n-slash titles like Super Samurai Rampage and Severed, then you'll like what ICEY brings to the table, but it's not without some flaws.

When I'm feeling a bit stressed, I enjoy getting my pent up frustrations out through video games. There's nothing better feeling than just unleashing a flurry of attacks on some digital enemies and watching them fall, you know? While I haven't heard of ICEY until now, I knew that this was a game I had to check out after seeing screenshots and video of the gameplay. And while I'm liking it so far, it definitely isn't without some flaws.

$1.99

Super Samurai Rampage

Brackish Games

$6.99

Severed

DRINKBOX STUDIOS INC.

Visually, ICEY is gorgeous. The game features a heavily anime-inspired aesthetic to it, especially with ICEY's character design. ICEY is rendered in 2D, but the backgrounds are rather detailed and provide a bit of depth to everything, so it's almost like pseudo-3d. Environments are fairly detailed and textured, along with enemy robots. If you're an anime fan, you'll feel right at home. ICEY has smooth and fluid animations, so there was no issue with lag on my iPhone 8 Plus. The atmospheric and ambient soundtrack is soothing to listen to, and the sound effects are done well. On top of that, the unique narration that you hear as you play is incredibly human-like and sounds natural, but will make you question everything. As you may have guessed, this is where the meta part of the game comes into play.

Since ICEY is a side-scrolling action game, players must go through everything in linear fashion. You'll navigate through a series of connected rooms in order, and the only way to proceed is to clear out all enemies in the room you're in. There are also some tough boss fights that you'll be put up against. The game starts you off with a tutorial that explains all of the controls and basic actions to you, which I recommend paying attention to because things can get a bit tricky. The story is a bit generic and cliché, involving the typical hero who awakens from a deep slumber and must set out to defeat an evil villain trope that's been overdone.

The narrator will narrate everything that occurs on the screen, and even point you in the right direction to make progress, but you may not always want to listen. The meta part of the game involves breaking free of an omnipresent force and forging your own path. After all, can you really trust a mysterious omnipresent force like that without questioning its true motives?

Controls in ICEY are simple, but take a bit of time and practice to fully master. In the bottom left corner is your virtual joystick for horizontal movement. The bottom right corner has four buttons placed in a diamond formation, and each one is labeled with a number and a symbol. With the "01" button, you perform a basic attack. The "02" performs a heavy attack, which is capable of breaking through enemy defenses. The "03" allows you to jump (double tap for double jump) and "04" does a dash forward. Eventually you get a "05" button in the very bottom corner that lets you do special attacks once you've unlocked them.

While the game does a good job of explaining the controls, I wish that there was the option to change key bindings. I often found myself pressing the wrong button because I'm used to controls from other games, and end up dashing instead of attacking, or attacking rather than jumping. Hopefully the developers consider giving players the option to customize the button positions or bindings for a bit more freedom and streamlining in with the controls in the future.

ICEY's health bar is shown in the top left corner. Underneath the blue health bar is the yellow shield gauge (looks like arrows pointing right). The shield protects her from some damage but has to recharge after it's depleted. Performing a dash uses one charge, and you only have three available at a time. However, dash charges refill quickly enough, so you shouldn't have an issue with being completely out.

The key behind ICEY are combos…a lot of combos. The damage that ICEY does is increased for each consecutive hit that she's able to land. She's also capable of executing crazy combos from the ground and air alike, so it's best to experiment. And make sure to break through enemy defenses with her heavy attack so then you can unleash your fury.

For those of you who care about trophies and achievements, there are plenty to discover and unlock in ICEY. You'll also come across floating panels that can be activated with a hit from ICEY. These allow you to get upgrades for ICEY's moves and abilities by spending the cash you acquire from defeated foes. It's important to take advantage of these when you come across them, because they'll make battles easier.

ICEY is an intense side-scrolling action hack-n-slash style game that is rather meta.

The Good

ICEY is a great little side-scrolling action game that is sure to delight fans of the genre. The anime style art is polished and appealing, while the music and sound effects are a nice touch. The controls work well enough but require time and practice to master. The game's story is the typical fare, but the meta part with the narration and questioning of the omnipresent force is a nice element to the game. Battles are fun and intense, and should appeal to fans of hack-n-slash action.

The Bad

While ICEY is pretty good for the most part, it's not without flaws. I mentioned earlier that the controls should be customizable with the bindings, as it would streamline the process for players who are used to other key bindings for similar games. Also, the difficulty level, even on Easy, can be a bit hard because of the controls. Hopefully the developer can fix that.

The verdict

Overall, ICEY is definitely a game that fans of the side-scrolling hack-n-slash action genre should check out. The game features amazing visual style, great sound, and the narration can be rather humorous and serious at the same time. Controls are okay, but should be fixed in the future. The key to victory in battles is dependent on your combos, so make sure to mash on those buttons and land as many hits as you can. The game says "don't think, just fight," and that's exactly what you'll want to do when robots are trying to get you.

I recommend giving ICEY a try if you're looking for a fun and frantic hack-n-slash game. You can find ICEY on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $2.99. There are no in-app purchases.

8.1

OVERALL

Graphics 9

Replayability 8

Sound/Music 8.5

Gameplay 8

Game Controls 7

$2.99

ICEY

X.D. Network Inc.

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Campfire Cooking ($3.99) by Layton Hawkes is a delectable puzzle game about cooking meals over a warm, toasty fire. If you love campfire meals but don't want to deal with the hassle of real-world camping, then Campfire Cooking is the perfect treat for you. It's similar to other games like Slayaway Camp, in the fact that it's like a Sokoban-style puzzle.

When I'm feeling a bit stressed, I like to unwind with either video games or food. Yes, I know — stress eating can be unhealthy. Fortunately, when I heard of Campfire Cooking, I knew that this was something I absolutely had to have, as it combines two of my favorite things into one! While I heard nothing about Campfire Cooking before this week, I must say that this is one of the best games I've purchased as of late. It satisfies both my sweet tooth and craving for puzzle games.

$1.99

Slayaway Camp

Blue Wizard Digital LP

Visually, Campfire Cooking is stunning and beautiful. The game has a kind of cartoonish aesthetic with the characters and food, but it's done gracefully so it's not over-the-top. The food looks simple yet appetizing, and the campfires have a soothing look and feel to them that mimics the real thing nicely. There's several different environments to set up camp in, and they all have a believable appearance. The vignette around the screen edges is a nice touch, as it puts the focus on the puzzles.

All animations are smooth and fluid, with no lag on my iPhone 8 Plus. The game features an upbeat and quirky soundtrack with realistic sound effects as food cooks over the fire. Overall, the developer did an excellent job with Campfire Cooking's visual and audio design.

Like other puzzle games, Campfire Cooking is level-based. At the moment, there are eight different trails (chapters) for players to explore, and each one contains about 10 puzzles for you to solve. The nice thing, though, is the fact that you can play the stages in any order, so if you're stuck, you can just try a different level. However, you do need to solve a certain amount before the next trail gets unlocked.

The nicest thing about Campfire Cooking is that even though it's a puzzle game, there's still some rather endearing characters and story to everything. In Campfire Cooking, you'll meet a grandpa who takes his grandkids out camping for vacation. There's plenty of stories to share with everyone, along with many jokes and moaning about cell phone reception. These scenes take place between puzzles and are sure to bring a smile to your face.

Controls in Campfire Cooking are simple. In each puzzle, there are metal and wooden skewers of marshmallows that you can twist and rotate on the board. The goal is to get everything evenly cooked on the flames. To make a skewer move, just slide it in the direction you want — they spin as they slide over. It can't move if there's no space to fit the marshmallows, and it can't cross over other skewers. To rotate a skewer (wooden sticks only, no metal), just drag over it until you see curved arrows, and then move your finger until the arrow is filled. If the space allows for it, that wooden stick will rotate.

Eventually, there are other camp meals that you'll have to cook, including various soups in pots. The pots can't move on their own — you need to push them around with skewers, and even magnets are introduced later. The pots just need to go into the flame once to be prepared, but marshmallows must be toasted on both sides and not burnt. However, some levels start off with burned marshmallows, and you must use these to set the fire on the board in order to prepare the non-burned food. Some puzzles are a piece of cake, while others are definitely not a walk in the park.

Start up the campfire, and get ready to think about roasting marshmallows.

The Good

Campfire Cooking is a genius and fresh new take on puzzle games. The visual style is unique and rather realistic for a cartoonish aesthetic, and the music is delightful to listen to. Plus, who can resist the sound of a marshmallow toasting up over an open fire? The game concept is simple enough, but the puzzles can get tricky, making you truly use your head. The family-friendly characters are relatable as well, making this a fantastic puzzle game for anyone.

The Bad

Honestly, Campfire Cooking is an excellent game. However, if you're the kind of person who doesn't enjoy puzzles that make you use your head, then you may get frustrated with this one. Still, I think it's best to give this one a shot, because you may change your mind.

The verdict

Overall, Campfire Cooking is one of the best puzzle games you can get for your iOS device. The game looks gorgeous, and the sound mimics the camping experience. The controls are easy to learn and optimized for touch screens, so there's no issues there. The puzzles have a nice complexity to them, ranging from easy to tricky, but once you figure out a puzzle you've been stuck on, it's incredibly satisfying. Having the option to play levels in any order you want is also a nice perk.

I highly recommend Campfire Cooking if you're a puzzle fan. You can find Campfire Cooking on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $3.99. There are no in-app purchases.

9.6

OVERALL

Graphics 10

Sound/Music 10

Gameplay 10

Replayability 9

Game Controls 9

$3.99

Campfire Cooking

Layton Hawkes

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