During the 1980s, role-playing books were all the rage. The Choose Your Own Adventure series allowed readers to decide the outcome of the story by making decisions and then turning to the appropriate page.
If the right choice was made, the story would continue. While innovative, The Choose Your Own Adventure series was limited. Steve Jackson and Ian Livingston took the concept further by publishing the Fighting Fantasy book series.
This series borrowed the ‘make your decision ‘ concept pioneered by The Choose Your Own Adventure series and added a combat system. Each book was a miniature adventure where you would roll dice to build your character before playing.
Along the way, the player would collect items for combat, fight creatures with HP, Vitality, and Luck, and roll dice to determine who would attack first and how much damage would be dealt. These books were innovative for their time.
As a man (or woman) with amnesia, you awake in an unfamiliar world that is at war with a rebel army known as DWORF (Djagobi Warriors of Real Freedom). Aided by a man named Dartanyan, you discover that someone by the name of Krusher Kane erased your memory. After being briefed by Dartanyan and given the codename Captain Comet, you begin your adventure in the Infinite Universe.
The story is an epic adventure woven together by the player’s decisions. The world conveys a distant sci-fi reality where humanity mingles with extraterrestrial beings. The adventure involves so many scenarios it’s impossible to mention them all in a single review, but expect to encounter assassins, traitors, space technology that allows time travel, and a host of unique characters that will test your ability to judge situations properly.
In true paperback role-playing style, the player must read and flip through pages as the story progresses. Decisions will appear at the bottom of the page when an arc in the story occurs. When a choice is made, the book will flip to the appropriate page and the story will continue.
An interface system can be accessed by tapping the screen. Your character’s stats, game preferences (i.e like resetting the book, turning off in-game music, etc.) and page bookmarks are among the features present.
The combat system is based on a dice rolling system. The player is given the choice to attack or flee. If the player chooses to fight, stats for both the player and enemy appear at the bottom of the screen. By pressing the ‘Attack’ button, dice are rolled to determine the outcome of the fight. Fights can last a considerable amount of time. Not only is the player rolling dice to defend his character, but he is also rolling the dice for his enemy. This system mimics paperback role-playing books.
Shaking the iPhone during a dice roll will bounce the dice around the screen. This feature will sometimes flip a bad dice roll into something more beneficial. In some cases, it can be used to interfere with your enemy’s roll. Occasionally it will work against you. Once a fight ends, an achievement is awarded for your skill in combat.
Infinite Universe includes a save feature using bookmarks. Since the entire story is based on chance, it’s important to bookmark your progress. This will allow the player to continue the adventure if he/she happens to die. The adventure must start from the beginning if a bookmark is not used. There are a limited number of bookmarks available, so use them wisely.
Infinite Universe is an innovative game that blends reading, colorful illustrations, moody music, and a deep, convincing story into a compelling experience. Gamers can try the first two-hundred pages of the adventure for free. Developer Tin Man Games offers additional chapters separately or the entire book at a reduced price. Gamers looking for a unique experience owe it to themselves to try Infinite Universe.
Mike Pittaro
Platform: iOS
Developer: Tin Man Games
Publisher: Tin Man Games
Rated 12+ for the following:
• Infrequent/Mild Mature/Suggestive Themes
• Infrequent/Mild Simulated Gambling
• Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence
• Infrequent/Mild Alcohol, Tobacco, or Drug Use or References
• Infrequent/Mild Horror/Fear Themes
• Infrequent/Mild Realistic Violence
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.Requires iOS 4.0 or later.
Price: $3.99 (Free preview available)
Infinite Universe’s Official Website
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |   |
| Beautiful illustrations compliment the story. | |
| Sound | |
| Atmospheric and moody. | |
| Gameplay | |
| Endless possibilities add to the replay value. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Infinite Universe is fun and unique; iOS gamers need to check it out. | |
