Ghost Trick

Ghost Trick
Price: $10

There were many DS games that gained critical acclaim that unfortunately flew over my head but luckily found a second home in the App Store. Scribblenauts and Final Fantasy 3 look incredible on the iPad and retina display iPhones and are more accessible for schmos like me who are finding it difficult to carry around multiple cartridges. Ghost Trick looks amazing on the iPad and is cross compatible with the iPhone (though the version I focused on was the big screen variant). When you see it side by side with the Nintendo DS version, it's in every way superior in price and visually.

The story is about a newly deceased spirit whom wakes up in the junkyard with no memories of its past life. It has the ability to transfer to objects and to control said objects to affect the world around it in an effort to solve the mysteries that surround the evening in question. With quirky graphics, amusing characters and dialogue, Phantom Detective sucks you into its narrative while being interactive with the players. Touch screen controls are the main attraction and are right at home on smart phones and tablets alike.

Playing from beginning to end, the mystery is quite enthralling for the most part and will keep you guessing until the credits roll. I have my own opinion on the way it ended but came away satisfied for the most part, especially for an App that comes with a double digit price tag. It lasts long enough to stay entertaining without dragging on.

My big gripe with the game doesn't have anything to do with the actual game, the unfortunate save system screwed me over a lot of the time. Saving your place and leaving the App should be enough but loading your file sometimes takes you all the way back, forcing you to replay a part of the game you already solved. Holding the screen skips through dialogue but only if you've played that part before, since your save file takes you back before all that, you can't skip any of it.

This happened to me several times and is an unfortunate oversight in an otherwise great game. If you love detective puzzle games and don't mind a bit of reading, I highly recommend it. Just watch out that you save in between chapters.