As promised last issue, I am going to dwell into the realm of the blue giant – Celcom. My previous encounters with the DIGI and Maxis gaming websites were entertaining so I’m expecting nothing less from XPAC’s Channel X. It should be fun, enticing, intuitive and magnificent! Well, XPAC did not disappoint me.

Upon logon, I’m greeted with a gorgeous serving of games; I did a bit of quick math and deduce that X offers more than 500 games. I do love my job reviewing mobile games but five hundred games are overwhelming. It is going to be a headache to pick the cream out of this pile.

The Settlers
Well, after a long browse through, I finally come across something that awed my mind. “The Settlers” developed by Gameloft. It is a real-time strategy game that has you building up settlements from scratch; then managing them to provide optimum resources for your people. Each facility you build takes in raw material and provides certain wares in return which you can then process into something much refined and useful.

The most integral resource is food, which your people need. Make sure you have ample food or your people will riot and start burning down the facilities. When basic needs are managed, defense is your next concern. A basic guard tower is alright in the beginning of the game but when you progress, towers need to be upgraded to shoot more arrows and deal more damage. To do so, exotic materials are to be gathered through facilities.

 

 

 

There are altogether 12 levels in the game. If you are hardworking enough, the game can be cracked in a day or two; but for me, the battle lasted for a fortnight. A few levels towards the end of the game are tough. I had to replay a few times to eliminate the enemy’s element of surprise. Once I got hold of all enemy routes, I welcomed them with fortified guard towers and fired arrows. If you get bored of the “built, upgrade, built tempo”, there are also mini games available in it. They consist of memory and math games. I personally love the game a lot as I’m a strategy game fanboy, but I think a normal average Joe and Jane should love it too.

CSI: Miami
The next game that got my attention is “CSI: Miami”, based on that famous television series. The mobile game followed the series closely; the likeness of leading man Horatio Caine (Caruso) is dead-on and so is his crew. This assures me that the mobile game isn’t some sort of half-hearted cash-in on the TV brand.

In the game, one can freely travel between various locations using the map screen. Each location consists of a static screen that player can scroll around using cursor through the direction pad. When you come across something that needs to be examined more closely; for example, a body; the view zooms in, and again the cursor is used to sift out evidence. This may sound like the very definition of pixel hunting, but these scouring sessions are short and balanced enough to avoid becoming a chore. Besides, the game even tells you how much evidence you have collected and how much you need to hunt for.

 

 

I personally think that the plot is very well integrated into the game and the story is split into chapters that feel a lot like advertisement breaks in a TV show. There are enough twists to keep a forensic enthusiast hooked. Visuals help on this front, too. The well-drawn headshots work superbly alongside the detailed environments to deliver that marginally surreal glistening sense of being in Miami, giving the story an immersion boost.

But the game isn’t perfect. The game does tend to lead you by the hand through things. You can never lose as every wrong decision you make can be retried immediately. Secondly, there are no mini games incorporated in it. Throughout the game, it is just a task of point and select. Players are unlikely to be revisiting after their first play through. How many times would you feel like solving the same murder? It’s okay for one play as the storyline rocks.

CATZ
The 3rd and final game I’m introducing is “Catz”. Yes, you one can guess what it’s about. It is one of those virtual pet thingy. At the start of the game, the player gets to chose one out of a few kitties at the adoption home. Each of these kittens looking for a new home is not only different in colour but has different characteristic too. Some are more playful while others are more quiet and sleepy. These traits will continue throughout the game. When you take the cat home, you’re funneled into a pleasant tutorial that teaches the basics of feeding, play time, and other daily duties.

You’ll learn about the accrual of funds, which can then be spent on buying daily needs and goodies for your cat. My niece love the petting session best, the cat rushes to the screen, shoving its furry mug into yours and smiling when you tickle its chin or pat its head.

 

 

 

Besides the daily care routine, there are several mini-games that you and your kitten can enjoy too; including a rather random but nonetheless entertaining take on hide and seek that takes place with a torch in the dark of the attic.

There is also the pet tournament which you can sign your cat up for participation. If you prove to the game that you are a capable pet owner, you can even raise a second cat. This game probably won’t get a thumb up from guys but Catz will certainly melt the heart of a young lady.

All in all, Celcom XPAC offers great games. Most of their games appear to be from mobile game developer, Gameloft. Although Gameloft may not be as popular a name as EA Mobile, at a price of RM7, which is a ringgit cheaper, one just cannot resist trying the games out!