Not for the first time Amanita Design proves that the intriguing story can be told entirely without words:
Botanicula is a new point'n'click exploration game from Czech developer Jaromir Plachy. The game continues tradition of non-verbal contact with player founded by Samorost series.
Botanicula interface and game mechanics have much in common with the Machinarium, sometimes you should use logic to solve puzzles, sometimes just click it up and sometimes you just feel what to do and where to search. As much it has in common as much it contrasts with the Machinarium: city of robots with its bronze, lead and steel mechanisms differ greatly from a living tree full of sap and mild magic that lights a way in the dark.
For this time you will help five botanical creatures (each one with own unique ability) in their epic quest for saving the last seed of their tree from ruthless alien spiders. You will explore the huge world of Botanicula with its branches and underground tunnels filled with botanical creatures. Here we can find not only floral and insect-like creatures, but a lot of strange and weird species, some even human-like. With their homes and towns, shamans and mad scientists, parents and children.
As said before Botanicula creatures do not talk with words, but their gestures and sounds, their body language help to communicate even better. This way of communication is the best to pass emotions which make us feel empathy.
In the world of Botanicula each new scene, every leaf, every pixel is filled with love of the authors. Screenshots here are powerless. "Fuzzy daub" loses to Machinarium urban landscapes in static, when in fact these pictures of life evoke a sense of genuine excitement. All forever in motion, something always flying, waving, shaking, breathing. It's like looking at a cell with a microscope.
And all this is accompanied by fantastic soundtracks that won 'Excellence in Audio' award at Independent Games Festival 2012.
It’s a stunning game, definitely deserving attention and the most important thing: it will make you smile :)
