With the arrival of a new monthly roundup of apps comes a roundup of our six favorite games. May 2012 saw the addition of a slew of worthy games to the Play Store, but naturally a few stood out above the rest. In this roundup, we'll briefly discuss what we consider to be the top six games released in May of 2012.
Machinarium
Machinarium, which we both announced and reviewed last month, was a no-brainer for inclusion in the monthly game roundup. Though it's only (really) compatible with tablets, this game is positively brilliant for a number of reasons. The game follows the story of Josef, a robot who must venture past the scrap heap to save his robot girlfriend in the city.
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The first thing you'll notice about Machinarium is definitely its art style. The game is brilliantly crafted using hand-drawn animation. Besides its stunning visuals, though, Machinarium is still a brilliant game, challenging players to a plethora of puzzles and mini-games. After playing for just a few minutes, it's easy to see why the game won awards like "Excellence in Visual Art," "Best Independent Adventure," and a slew of others.
Between its visual acumen and sheer playability, Machinarium successfully immerses players in a world of robots that they won't be able to put down. Hit the widget below to grab the game.
Renaissance Blood THD
Renaissance Blood THD, while only compatible with Tegra 3-powered devices, not only offers graphics and gameplay built using the Unreal Engine, but fast-paced, imaginative first-person-shooter action as well.
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The game is set in a time just after the death of Leonardo Da Vinci. Players and "heroes of the Renaissance" are challenged to "find the final blue print that he left behind." In other words, the game is a Renaissance-themed FPS. The game's dynamic environments will immerse players "in a world where science and alchemy set the rules," where they will have the chance to battle (fictional) Renaissance-era foes with spectacular mechanical weapons inspired by Da Vinci's own designs.
If you're a fan of historical fiction, Da Vinci, first-person shooters, or just action-packed fun, you'll enjoy Renaissance Blood. Click through below to grab the game for your Tegra 3-powered device.
Mass Effect Infiltrator
Electronic Arts Inc., the minds behind Dead Space, brought Mass Effect Infiltrator to the Play Store last month, bringing Android's first taste of Mass Effect action to bear.
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The game follows the story of veteran Cerberus agent Randall Ezno as he "procures aliens for illicit experiments at a secret facility" while Commander Shepard "battles Reapers across the galaxy." When the director of the facility "goes too far," it's up to Randall to fight back, shooting through the Cerberus base to deliver his research to the Alliance.
If Renaissance Blood's graphics are okay, Mass Effect Infiltrator's graphics are awesome. Environments (including huge exteriors and "a fully-realized Cerberus base") are dynamic, detailed, and thoughtful, and there's certainly no shortage of action.
The game features swipe and tap combat, allowing players to utilize manual or assisted aiming, "intuitive tap controls," and dive/roll movements enabled by one easy swipe. Just hit the widget below to "enter a new dimension in Android gaming" with Mass Effect Infiltrator. (Note that the game needs to download about 450MB of data – you may want to connect to Wi-Fi.)
Empress of the Deep 2
Empress of the Deep 2, as you may have guessed, is a sequel to Empress of the Deep. EOTD is a hidden-object game - players need to click around huge, intricate, lush environments to find objects that will progress them through the story.
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The game's storyline picks up where the first EOTD left off, with Anna awakening on "a mysterious tiny island." Players must navigate through the island to a "mystical floating cloud city," stopping along the way to rescue enchanted animals and heal them with special salves and save the Children of Light from the Evil Empress Pandora.
Fans of hidden-object games will love EOTD2, and those unfamiliar to the genre will have a fairly easy time picking this game up, provided they have plenty of spare time to find each and every key object, and get through every beautiful environment.
N.O.V.A. 3
The third installment of Near Orbit Vangaurd Alliance (N.O.V.A.) also landed in the Play Store last month, bringing fans and new players alike an intense, action-packed experience from start to finish. Offering an "epic storyline" which sees humanity returning to Earth after a long exile, N.O.V.A. 3 challenges players to shoot through "10 immersive levels across the galaxy, from a war-torn Earth to a frozen Volterite city."
One of the huge draws to N.O.V.A. 3 is multiplayer capability. Players looking for a realistic challenge can join 12-player battles in 6 different multiplayer modes from Capture the Point to Free-for-All and more.
It's worth noting beforehand that N.O.V.A. will require you to have 2GB of available storage space in order to install (though its download is not that hefty), but whether you're already a diehard N.O.V.A. fan, or just want a great sci-fi action shooter, you can't go wrong with N.O.V.A. 3.
Continuity 2: The Continuation
Continuity 2: The Continuation not only has a humorous name, but continues one of the most unique gameplay concepts I've ever seen. Based on Continuity, a game developed in flash as a student project, The Continuation offers the same rearrange-able level dynamic to your Android device that the original brought to players everywhere.
In each level, players are challenged to solve truly mind-bending puzzles by rearranging tile to collect a key which will unlock the next level.
As players progress, the levels become more challenging, integrating levers, barriers, and absolutely brutal puzzles. For those not ready to commit to the full game's $0.99 price, Noodlecake encourages players to test drive the game by downloading the "Lite" version. Hit one of the widgets below to grab the download.
Final Thoughts
Whether you're a fan of hand-drawn indie adventures, hidden-object brain-benders, slideable puzzlers, or action-packed shooters, May had some undoubtedly great games to offer for everyone. Any of the games in this roundup would make a great addition to your Android gaming library. Otherwise, keep an eye out for our other roundups, and stay tuned for next month's coverage of June's best games.