Lili

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lili/id560692867?mt=8

This app is designed for both iPhone and iPad

• $4.99
• Category: Games
• Updated: Sep 19, 2012
• Version: 1.0.1
• Size: 388 MB
• Language: English
• Seller: BitMonster, Inc..
• © Copyright 2012 BitMonster, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Rated 12+ for the following:

• Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence
• Infrequent/Mild Simulated Gambling

Requirements: Compatible with iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation), iPad 2 Wi-Fi, iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G, iPad (3rd generation) and iPad Wi-Fi + 4G. Requires iOS 4.0 or later.

They Say
Lili is a quirky adventure RPG hybrid with stunning visuals, silky-smooth graphics and a cinematic storyline. Tuned for new devices, Lili is one of the most visually-stunning games available on iOS.

On the mysterious island of Geos, Lili will meet a number of hilarious locals, explore beautiful environments, solve some puzzles, and even challenge an oppressive regime or two along her way. Lili uses an amusing "non-combat" system for dealing with enemies, and sorts out a few personal issues along the way.
FEATURES:
Jaw-dropping console quality 3D visuals
Support for new larger screens
Full Retina support
Innovative controls designed specifically for touch devices
Free roaming RPG world
Hilarious story, characters, and quests
Whimsical gameplay, appropriate for nearly anyone
Loads of items and outfits to collect and upgrade
Difficulty option specifically for kids

I Say
What we have here is a non combat focus exploration game based around collecting flowers, completing quests and buying equipment/upgrades as you go. The story is pretty simply, Lili as a class assignment comes to what is supposed to be a deserted island to collect flowers. What she finds is a full town filled with two different 'races' of creature and plenty to do beyond her original goals.

The races consist of spirits and the constructs they've created to do all the menial labor. The spirits are snobbish and abusive of their creations and after one steals from Lili and she finds out that the rarest of flowers spawn literally on the spirits she decides to start collecting.

This game is largely about exploration, your looking around corners, exploring buildings, chasing spirits around, completing quests, selling flowers for coin, spending the coin on equipment and upgrades. IAP is present in the form of currency for the impatient but I havent seen anything to date that forces you in that direction.

Controls are simple. Tap to walk. Double tap to run. Hold your finger down while moving to turn. Hold your finger down while not moving to look around Lili. Tap on doors, chests and pots to break them. Hold down your finger and drag on flowers to pluck them. The Camera works well enough 95% of the time though it does have one annoying habit of getting twitchy and jerking around if you walk her in to a corner. This happens because the area of the screen you tap on does not determine the direction she walks in, it just sets her walking. So taping behind her when she's facing a wall will send her bumping repeatedly in to the wall. That is the only real annoyance with the controls though.

The 'combat' in this game involves collecting flowers from the backs of the spirits. You chase them down and jump on their back. From there you drag flowers off them while then freak out running around the place trying to get you off. Dragging flowers lengthens the timer that you can spend on their back. There are spikes to avoid draging over, enrage moments where they sprout bombs and the like. Once you finish you get a star rating based on how many flowers you plucked and that spirit becomes a permanent spawn in town and on your map so you can try to perfect your plucking skills.

Speaking of skills, Lili has three. Speed, how fast she runs. Grip, determines how long she will stay on a spirits back. Stealth, how close she can get to the spirit before it notices her and starts running. Skills are upgraded at the trainer and the currency he requires is flowers.

Flowers come in two varieties. White (normal) and Red (rare). There are also keys that you use to unlock doors and coin that you use to buy equipment. Coins are found in chests, pots and can be acquired by selling flowers to the shop keep.

There are lots of quests to complete and most quests involve finding something laying about the town thats found randomly. There are dozens of items each with backstories and most with a construct that has a need for them.

Graphically this is an amazing experience. All the little details were given great effort, flowers sway, branches and leaves move about, everything is very well animated, even lili herself. I found myself running around at sharp turns more than once just to see the liquid in a bottle on her belt swish about.

Sound is nice though aside from a few generic comments there are no voice overs. Much reading will be required when you have Lili engage constructs and spirits in conversation, and everyone can be talked to.

This in my opinion is a fantastic game for all ages, it even has a kid difficulty setting heh. It feels like a nintendo zelda game without all the swishing and fairy harrassment so far. Fully worth the asking price, I'll no doubt be blogging about this one as I get further in the game.

o/