Now, I realize that I just implied that I would be more than fine with Monument Valley 2 being an iterative sequel that's just more of the same as the first game, and that's still true... however, MV2 doesn't do quite enough to justify it being a numbered sequel rather than an expansion for the first game.

Well, that's not entirely true. Monument Valley 2 puts much more emphasis on the narrative than the first game, which I didn't even mention in my review considering it's just neat background flavour rather than something integral to the whole experience. Here, however, there's more of a sense that the story is the game, or at least why and how it came to be. This time, you play as a mother and daughter(?) who both have to work together and apart to fulfill an ancient prophecy.

It's a cute little tale and is told well, especially given the minimalist presentation. However, the trials the two protagonists have to navigate manifest as basically the same type of levels and mechanics as the first game with not too much variation and new twists. Once again, I should reiterate that I'm not complaining since I love the first game so much, but it is surprising given that the gap between the first game and this one was 3 years.

Still, what is given a noticeable upgrade are the visuals. From both a style and graphical prowess standpoint (particularly where lighting is involved), MV2 gets a huge boost over one with some truly stunning levels and small vistas to look at throughout. While I played the PC port of this, the graphical boost is still just as impressive on mobile, which is quite the feat.

Overall, Monument Valley 2 is a great, albeit restrained, sequel that uses its gameplay to tell a sweet little story of a mother and daughter overcoming adversity together. While it's much shorter than the first game, it's still absolutely worth your time, provided you go in with the right expectations.

8.5/10

After playing and loving Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, I had to check out the game that gave Ustwo Games their flowers, both critically and commercially: Monument Valley.

Originally released on mobile platforms before later being ported over to PC, Monument Valley is a point & click puzzle game directly inspired by the works of MC Escher and minimalist sculptures where you navigate geometrically impossible structures while dodging loud irritating anthropomorphic crows along the way. It uses vantage points and perspective to play tricks with the player's perception of the gamespace, gradually getting you used to the rules of its world, especially with how gravity behaves and where you can and cannot go accordingly.

It's all so incredibly intuitive with countless eureka moments across all of its roughly 22 levels. The minimalism on display in its art style and level design also helps to greatly sell its accessibility and there's scarcely a moment where you feel overwhelmed by what the game is asking you to do - something I truly appreciated.

I mean there's really nothing else to say other than I completely see why many regard Monument Valley among the all-time great puzzle games, as I certainly now do as well. I wouldn't even be opposed if it was ten times its ~2-and-a-half-hour length, though thankfully there's the sequel for that.

10/10

When I first started this, my naïve first impressions were, "Wait... is all you do in this game just walk around the island and take pictures of the wildlife?" and, while the answer to that is yes, it's far more compelling than you may realise.

Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is set on the fictional Spanish island town of Secarral, where the titular character is staying on vacation to visit her grandparents. While she's there, the town mayor and a shady businessman make the announcement that the town's beloved nature reserve is getting torn down to make way for a five-star luxury hotel. Now it's up to Alba and her best friend, Inés, to form a Wildlife Rescue League and save the island with petitions and photographs.

It's a short, sweet and incredibly cute adventure that is very confident in its messaging and presentation and conveys that through simple, cozy gameplay as you catalogue all of the island's adorable animals (none of which you can pet, unfortunately.) The locals and locales of the island are all really charming as well, which helps sell its chill summer vibes and relaxing atmosphere.

My only complaints with the game are its animal variety and smaller things like not being able to move around while you have your phone out to take a picture. These two go hand-in-hand since the vast majority of the animals you encounter on the island are birds and many of them you're only able to catalogue by photographing them as they're flying. Since they never really stop or fly slowly enough, it can be quite tedious as you try to line up the shot and zoom perfectly.

But I digress. Despite this, Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is a truly wonderful game with a powerful message that is conveyed sincerely and naturally through the exploration and joy of its environment, helped by the oh-so-charming sights, sounds, and vibes of the island and its people.

9.5/10