In the relatively short time it has been around, Machinarium has become a classic game in the "point 'n' click" genre. It stands with the best of them. The art style has a lot of character. Every backdrop, every item, every character has been lovingly designed and the art can tell it's own story. Even though there's no "dialog" (characters' speech balloons are short sketchy cartoons), every character is very loveable, even the bullies. The music and sounds of the game are similarly well crafted. It is clear that music is put on high pedestal by the creators of the game and it is better for it. But what really stands out are the puzzles. Every puzzle is clever and there is a definite sense of accomplishment after solving it. What's more, I never felt like there was a "repeat" of puzzle. Each one was unique and challenged me to think in a new, novel way. I'd love to give examples, but that'd spoil some of the fun! Also worth mentioning is the hint system. In the top right of the screen, there is a hint button that offers a single hint for an area. Usually the hints give direction as to what the immediate goal is, which is especially useful if you ever find yourself confused by what you should be doing. You still have to figure out how to reach your goal, though. There is also a kind of "walk through" in the top right corner that can be accessed at any time if you get really stuck. It gives you more details in an almost comic book form. If you're worried it'll ruin the game, though, fear not! The walk through is locked and the only way to unlock it is to play a short horizontal shooting game, which isn't terribly easy. You must do this every time you want to open the walk through. If you're tempted to cheat, it's much more convenient to find a walk through on the internet. The hints definitely do not spoil the game. Word of warning: this is a slow paced game. You will often just be sitting still as you try to figure out what to do next, and when you figure it out the event often unfolds slowly. The pace can soothing and relaxing or it can be annoyingly slow if you're impatient. Just know what you're going into. So overall: great visuals, great music, great characters, great puzzles. Easily worth $10.
I just finished my first playthrough of the game and it was a lot of fun. The controls are a little clunky and managing your party is less than intuitive at times. For example, to give an ally a new gun, you have to "barter." If you ever need to take it back, you must use the "steal" skill. And they'll never equip armor you give them. Fallout also has it's fair share of bugs. Luckily, the game has a strong fanbase, so if you ever encounter a problem, someone else has probably figured out a solution. The GOG forums are a good place to start looking if you ever need help. The game is good enough that you can look past the flaws. The side quests are very engaging. I was telling friends how great a particular sidequest in the town of Adytum was after I finished it. And the game has a lot to uncover. I imagine I only scratched the service on my first play through. It might be also be worth noting that this game has several mods that can be downloaded, which can enhance the replay of the game even further. Check the GOG forums and you should be able to easily find a topic about mods. Fallout is easily worth $6.00.
This game was a fun game to play. It's a "point and click" game with an interesting story. I didn't encounter any serious bugs. There were a handful of puzzles that stumped me, but it was nothing a look at gamefaqs.com couldn't fix. It would usually be because I failed to notice something in the room. I don't guess I play these types of games enough to be observant as I should be. Since this game is free, I say download it and give it a try. I enjoyed playing it.
I own this on the N64. This doesn't have the same humor or charm as the originals (Earthworm Jim 1 and 2, which you can get here on gog, by the way). There are a handful of gags that are genuinely funny to me, but overall it doesn't save the game. The gameplay itself seems pretty average to me, and sometimes a little frustrating. You'll probably get your money's worth out of this game, but only just. There's better games here on gog you could spend your money on, in my opinion.
