I'll preface this by saying I have a terrible weakness forgames that look hand-drawn and have a cool aesthetic, and an even bigger weakness for robots. This game hits both marks. Machinarium is a stylish, clever game with an intuitive user interface, a helpful method of gaining access to sometimes much-needed hints that doesn't feel out-of-place or like hand-holding, and a delightful world filled to the brim with suggestions of a deeper, more complex lore. The villains often have as much in common with schoolyard bullies as they do genuine monsters, and, you know what? Somehow, that works. It works incredibly well- probably because it's more accessible to most us than the threat of robo-terrorism. There are jazzy robo-buskers, pious robo-church ladies, robot cats, robot rats, robot birds and bees and butterflies- there are robot bartenders and robot five-in-a-row players who are bad winners and bad losers. And there's you, the plucky little robot underdog who never gets discouraged and, somehow, has an overflowing personality without ever saying an actual word. The world of Machinarium is rich and immersive and surprisingly natural, really, for what it is. I'd thought the game would be shorter than it is but was pleasantly surprised to find that it holds its own as a full narrative, consistent without being repetitive, and always filled with things to look at. And listen to. Don't even get me started on the soundtrack.
