Gaming reviews: The Yawhg; XCOM: Enemy Unknown; Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two

The Yawhg provides a different spin on a well-trodden genre

The Yawhg

£8.42

PC (via theyawhg.com)

Wyrmling's Workshop

****

The Yawhg is coming and there's absolutely nothing you, or anybody can do about it – such is the introduction to Emily Carroll and Damian Sommer's faux tragedy. I say "faux" because while the eponymous unknown catastrophic force of destruction can't be stopped, it can be somewhat risk-managed, so providing an end game somewhat less bleak than might otherwise be the case.

Best played with friends, The Yawhg combines elements of text-based adventures and traditional role-playing games (RPGs) as it gives you six days in which to interact within a doomed medieval kingdom. You might, for example, opt to spend one of your days tending to the sick in the local hospital, only to witness a woman give birth to a demon. Will you trap it (assuming you have the magical powers necessary) or do nothing?

Either way, don't be surprised to see the baby demon crop up again in a constantly branching quest that yields different results every time. Clever, funny and surprisingly replayable, The Yawhg provides a different spin on a well-trodden genre.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown

£13.99

iOS (see Apple Store for details)

2K Games

****

XCOM, aliens and all, makes the transition to iOS devices relatively unscathed. Yes, there is a blander colour palette and less detail in character models, but on the whole, Firaxis' tactical-action game is as playable and addictive as ever. Sensible adaptions to the interface make playing via a touchscreen feel natural, while the cloud-saving feature means your progress will transfer from iPad to iPhone. My only gripes are a lack of fast-scrolling (a real grind on larger levels) and long loading times between stages.

Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two

£11.99

PS Vita

Sony

**

With a cast including Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, to name but two classic Disney characters, you might expect Epic Mickey 2 to be brimming with humour and imagination. Alas, you'd be wrong, for though blessed with license to reference any number of Disney trademarks, there's a shortfall of creativity as Mickey and co bound through an adventure you've played a hundred times before. The only real reasons to purchase are the price and the presence of Disney curios for fans.