Samorost 3

There is a great documentary released by Amanita studios, where you can follow the games development. It has some spoilers in it, so I would not recommend to watch it until finishing the game. After finishing you should really give it a try though. It shows very clearly how much love and energy was put into this game. The designer of the environment for example says that while he would work some hours or a day on screens in Machinarium, for Samorost 3 he would sometimes spend more than a month on a single screen. As much effort seems to have been put into the rest of the game. Puzzles are very well designed and varied. The music is great. There are hidden little details everywhere. Even the story, while not taking up much space, is intriguing and told in a way that felt very fresh and interesting. The documentary Growing a Samorost can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W3kXEGy_GQ

I don't think Samorost 3 is as much a game as a framework in which to present ideas, artwork, music an d even feelings. In some ways, I feel I'm not qualified to judge it. While it's presented as a puzzle game, it doesn't adhere strictly to this genre. Most puzzles and environments are uncomplicated, favouring audio visual appeal to a traditional logical challenge. While at the start it sets the bar high with one of the best puzzles I've ever had the joy to muddle my way though, it never exceeds, or even meets, this experience again. In fact, many puzzles are entirely optional. Although you'll usually only find this out after you've solved them. But that's okay. Samorost 3 is a beautiful, endearing, magical journey. Its relaxing, slow pace give you time to take in the luscious details of every scene. While you'll retread the same ground, you shouldn't care. And while the game is short, perhaps 5 hours at a push, you'll keep playing just to revisit those places again. Most of Samorost 3's difficulty is in its obscurity. There's no dialog or instruction to nudge you in the right direction, you must relentlessly explore your way to the finale. Why 4 stars and not 5? I just finished the Steam version on OSX Yosemite and it was buggy. I had the game simply freeze and not progress, and ran into a black screen during a transition, and other quirks that would temporarily halt progress. Fortunately it recovers well, just quit and reload to be, essentially, right where you were. Even a total system crash didn't phase the auto-save ( the game's UI is so obtuse I didn't know there was one ), it cost me only 10 seconds. YMMV! The price is worth it for the music alone. Floex's soundtrack is sublime.

'Samorost', seemingly the flagship game series for Amanita Design, is one of the most beautiful looking video game series in history. The realistic, detailed textures and backgrounds are juxtaposed by cute looking, whimsical characters. These elements, though contrary on paper, had complemented each other perfectly in the 'Samorost' games through great design. 'Samorost 3' is the best looking 'Samorost' game to date, with high-definition graphics that put the spotlight the beautiful textures in the carefully crafted environment. 'Samorost 3' also has some catchy tunes and interesting sound effects, which play integral parts in the game. In short, this game is a feast for your sense. However, some weaknesses from the previous games also got brought over to 'Samorost 3'. Like in 'Samorost 2', some puzzles can be cryptic, and may require some trial and error to figure out their objectives, let alone solutions. Interestingly, other puzzles are easier to approach the objects were made clear by NPCs. There is an in-game clue book that you can consult, which while helpful, made me wonder why the developers didn't just design all puzzles to be inherently more informative. 'Samorost 3' is a great adventure game. While the puzzles can be frustrating, the game has a leisurely pace that balances out the annoyance you may experience. The music and sound effects are enjoyable, made the more entertainment when your character and NPCs dance to them. 'Samorost 3', for what it is and for its age, is still pretty pricey. However, it is definitely worth checking out when it goes on sale.

The previous episode in the series had more restraint: a better economy. I feel this one lost that magical balance and overdid some areas, like the musical elements. Some scenes show an excessive search for an endearing effect, like it was more directly aimed at the younger players. The artwork is amazing as always. Puzzles not as challenging/interesting as before.

I love Samorost, and I have the first two games. The first two were small flash games so it was understandable that they were short experiences. Samorost 3, however, is a supposed to be a full blown adventure. I mean, that is what anyone paying $20 should expect. Unfortunately it isn't. Samorost 3 is a very short game that is dragged out by tedious travelling and transitions. Going from one area to the adjacent area can sometimes take forever, and it is extremely tedious and frustrating. For example, in the last area there is a boat that you have to use to get to a tower, and it takes forever to get in the boat and be taken across the small pond. I know Amanita want to retain the artsy feel of the game, but at some point you have to realize that this is still a game and it has to be playable and not frustrating. Getting in and out of your ship can sometimes feel like an eternity. The same goes for travelling to different celestial bodies. The puzzles are nothing to write home about either. A lot of them are music based which just serve to aggravate the musically challenged, and the rest just leave you scratching your head after you've done what you think you're supposed to do. At least they included a cheat sheet which gives you a better idea of what you're supposed to do, but even then there are times when it's still not clear. Samorost 3 is nothing like the first two games in terms of fun and adventure. In spite of it's HD visuals and Amanita styling it manages to miss the mark and loses a lot of the Samorost charm they built up with the previous games. Besides being a very short game (for which they want a lot of money), the level of tedium that you have to endure drives the charm and fun away. By the end I was just clicking away just to get it over with and I don't think that is what Amanita was after.