by | 24/11/2009 · 12:00 pm

INTERVIEW – In Conversation With Jakub Dvorsky, Founder Of Amanita Design And Creator Of Machinarium

By Marty Mulrooney

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Alternative Magazine Online recently reviewed the fantastic Machinarium here, an indie point and click adventure created by Amanita Design. Founded by Samorost 1&2 creator Jakub Dvorsky, the studio’s latest offering has received glowing reviews from the gaming press, showing that even the smallest indie endeavours can reach a larger audience if enough care and attention is given during the creation process.

Featuring exclusive artwork and insight into the creation of Machinarium, Alternative Magazine Online is proud to present an interview with the man behind it all, Jakub Dvorsky. Enjoy!

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by | 23/11/2009 · 12:00 pm

GAME REVIEW – Machinarium

By Marty Mulrooney

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The first thing that strikes you about Machinarium, the new point and click adventure game from Amanita Design (creators of Samorost 1&2),  are its graphics. Showing a dense robot city full of hustle and bustle, the artwork on display is never anything less than stunning, elevating the material far above its Adobe Flash-based engine. (Usually used for short, online-only games.)

The next thing you notice is the sound design. This game features amazing background music and sound-effects, perfectly suited to the onscreen visuals. It really is a delightful pleasure to load up an independent game from a small Czech development studio and be blown away, in this day and age of HD graphics and next-gen console gaming, by an indie offering.

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by | 21/11/2009 · 1:00 pm

GAME REVIEW – Halo 3 ODST (Xbox 360)

By Duncan Voice

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There’s something quite unnerving walking around a big city on your own at night. It can be a lonely experience, with the fear of coming across a gang of thugs ready to ruin your evening. Overturned vehicles line the streets, corpses strewn along the pavement. No, this isn’t a stroll around Gloucester on a Wednesday evening, this is a night in the life of The Rookie, an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper.

This expansion-cum-full-game pits you as the aforementioned Rookie, as he tries to uncover the mystery behind the disappearance of his squad after they were knocked off course by the Prophet of Regrets ship, during a drop into New Mombasa. The game attempts to expand the  Halo storyline, and takes place during Halo 2 before The Covenant vitrify the city.

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by | 21/11/2009 · 12:00 am

INTERVIEW – In Conversation With Philip Hunt (Studio AKA, Director Of Lost And Found)

By Marty Mulrooney

I recently watched an animated short called Lost and Found with a good friend of mine called Jamie. He is 4 years old. What amazed me was that, although this film is aimed at children (it is based on a children’s book that my little pal Jamie loves) it totally enthralled me as an almost-adult (I don’t think I’m there quite yet!)

I then went and read the aforementioned book and found the artwork and story as equally beautiful as what was shown in the film. I hope people can look beyond any initial preconceptions they may have and just appreciate what is ultimately a fantastic story. This 24 minute film is an absolute treasure.

It is therefore a great pleasure to be able to present a conversation between myself and the director of Lost and Found, Studio AKA’s Philip Hunt, put together exclusively for Alternative Magazine Online.

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