Remember a while back when I told you all about Haluz 2? Well, Jay is Games reported on Wednesday that the second half - which was previously available for a modest fee - is now available for free!
Check it out at haluz2.net for lots of beautiful point-and-click puzzle adventures.
Jay Is Games tipped me off yesterday that Haluz 2 is out. If you enjoy “casual gaming” at all, and you don’t have JIG bookmarked, then shame on you. But I digress.
Haluz and Haluz 2 are two gorgeous point-and-click puzzle solving games. (See also: Samarost and its sequel, Samarost 2 from the fine folks at Amanita Design.)
Haluz 2 shows improvments from the first incarnation very early on, with the introduction of “level codes”. Right now I’ve got 3 of them on a sticky note next to my desk so I can pick up after I leave work. The puzzles in the early stages I’ve played so far were simple, but Haluz 2 is a game of two parts. One is free online, and the other is a download which costs $9.99(us). Or for a couple more bucks - $12.99(us) - you can get the full version and the soundtrack. Given the lush soundscapes that match with the rich environment design, I would argue that the extra few dollars for the soundtrack is well worth it.
Visit haluz.eu to play the free online versions of both games. The option to purchase and download all of Haluz 2 is also there. Also check out the links section where the games’ creator pays homage to its inspiration, Samarost, and also provides links to a few other p&c games and the games’ music creator.
I didn’t read yesterday’s Penny Arcade until this morning, and I was hard pressed to hold back an actual outloud chuckle. (Not that they haven’t made me laugh right out loud before, mind you.) The companion article from Tycho is also very enjoyable, as usual.
The reason it struck me is I was over at a friend’s house last night (against my better judgement as I felt like crap yesterday and still do) and what did I end up playing on his PS3? Yup. flOw! I played it back in the flash game days, although I’m not 100% sure where I heard about it. The grape vine for these things has many strong branches and tendrils, and there are a few really established ones that always seem to bear fruit for me.
Like Jay is Games, for example. If you enjoy flash games, that’s definitely a good site to hit. The favorites option is great there, also. You can quick bookmark 18 flash games from everything they ever covered. I myself have great games bookmarked like flOw, Nanaca Crash, Poom!, and Samarost 2. But as LeVar Burton used to always say: “You don’t hafta take my word for it!”
All fandom of JiG aside, flOw on the PS3 really is mind-blowing. As a fan of the original flash offering I really have to say that I found the PS3 version even more immersive and addicting. The controller took a minute or two to figure out, the up-down axis didn’t work the way I expected it to so I had to keep correcting myself on that. Still it didn’t detract from the game play at all. I took over for my friend who had already turned into this crazy swirling triangular thing, and I manged to turn it into a fish shaped thing. The music is just as ambiently lovely in the console version as it is in the original flash. I really can’t say enough good things about flOw as an experience and as a game. Edit: Check out my totally bitchin screenshot from the flash edition!
The other game I got to see last night was a demo version of a racer called GripShift. I tried to play for a couple minutes but the steering is so delicate that I fell off the sides too easily. I found it was a lot easier with the D-pad rather than the analog stick. It’s got elements of Marble Madness, Super Monkey Ball, and any number of high-speed fantasy racing games. The game play per area was short and goal-oriented like Marble Madness, the sound effects were adorably cartoony like Super Monkey Ball. Some of the physics behaved in a Monkey Ball-esque way also, since if you played your cards right you could launch yourself off an edge and fly over large distances with super human (sapien?) speeds and angles. The soundtrack was upbeat and highly entertaining, and I personally think it’s just dying to be OCremixed. (It would certainly add a few more unique tracks to even out the glut of Final Fantasy[192] and Chrono Trigger/Cross[93] mixes!)
Some kids play in the sandbox. We play in the.... litterbox??? The RKNet staff is pleased that you decided to stop by. Currently this is a multi-author project, with a rotating cast of totally kooky characters. Contact giania [at symbol] gmail [dot] com if you'd like to play here too.
Author's Page: Giania
