Game Reviews

Self Aware

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Self Aware
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If there's one thing that Hollywood movies have taught us, it's that artificially intelligent robots are one day going to be the ultimate doom of humanity. From 2001: A Space Odyssey to Terminator 2: Judgement Day, the scriptwriters of the world seem to agree on this one universal truth.

Shortly after loading up Self Aware, you may be inclined to subscribe to this perspective, too. This unique and inventive game transforms your iOS device into a scheming and malevolent foe that gleefully locks out access to core functionality and challenges you to take part in tests of intelligence.

Stupid human

The idea is that your phone has been infected with a virus that shuts down access to all of your apps and programs. To reclaim these you have to complete various tasks. Some are logic puzzles, while others involve playing mini-games.

In addition to these, you also have problems that require you to think outside the box - such as typing 'https' to overcome the virus's attempts at blocking your internet connection during one mini-game.

This is just one example of the multitude of clever flourishes contained within Self Aware. In a stroke of genius, the game even requires you to drop back into your iOS device's settings and make changes in order to progress.

Some of the solutions are quite obtuse, but you can use the game's built-in hint system to ease the pain a little. Just be aware that hints are limited in number.

Mega bite

With plenty of tasks to complete and each one offering several different challenges, there's plenty to see in Self Aware. There's also a devilish sense of humour to this title which makes the premise even more entertaining - the rogue AI takes every chance it can to point out how inferior you are, and insults your intelligence on a regular basis.

Aside from some slightly rough-looking visuals and a lack of replayablity once you've completed all of the tasks, Self Aware rarely puts a foot wrong. It's more of an adventure game than a puzzle title if truth be known, and ranks as one of the most original concepts we've seen since the launch of the App Store several years ago.

Self Aware

Refreshingly original and hugely entertaining, Self Aware is unlike anything else we've seen on the App Store, and deserves a look - despite the fact that it holds little appeal once finished
Score
Damien  McFerran
Damien McFerran
Damien's mum hoped he would grow out of playing silly video games and gain respectable employment. Perhaps become a teacher or a scientist, that kind of thing. Needless to say she now weeps openly whenever anyone asks how her son's getting on these days.