Toy Bot Diaries Entry 3

Toy Bot Diaries has been built much like a snowman. Entry 1 provided a big, sturdy base for the serial's clever platform challenges and puzzles. The middle, which comes in the form of Entry 2, begins to sew things up like the buttons on a snowman's torso. Now, everything comes to a head with Entry 3.

While the heat of spring always melts snowmen, Toy Bot Diaries Entry 3 weathers the blast of criticism and remains as memorable as the two installments that precede it. All of the foibles of the previous two entries remain, yet it's not enough to melt the heart of this highly original experience.

The gameplay mechanics are untouched, having you latch onto objects as the titular toy bot with a tap of the touchscreen. You can walk on flat surfaces by tilting your handset; additionally, tilting the device allows you to swing while hanging down from an object. These basic controls cater to a range of actions that have you swinging through outer space to moving garbage in a refuse compartment on a space station to bypassing a lethal security system.

Difficulty remains the primary concern in this final instalment. As you swing through the game's six levels, frustration is likely to set in at one point or another. The puzzles require precision both in accuracy and timing. Fail to tilt your handset just enough or latch onto something at the right angle and the puzzle goes unsolved; even worse, these simple errors can lead to death. Fortunately, the checkpoint system is generous enough that you never have to retread through too much of a level to return to the spot at which you died.

The heightened difficulty comes as a result of carefully designed levels. Clever, yet exceedingly delicate – the exact precision demanded by Toy Bot Diaries stems from a tight blueprint. At least this final entry addresses a complaint we lodged against the other two: the game always hints at what needs to be done. It's often difficult to accomplish the task at hand, but at least you know what you have to do.

For those that believe we're being sissies for highlighting Toy Bot Diaries as being overly difficult, there's another layer to this snowman just for you. PDA pick-ups hidden throughout the game can be collected to unlock memory scenes. The catch comes in how insanely hard they are to first find, then actually collect. If you don't find the main game tough, it's assured picking up all of these will present you with the challenge you crave.

Spend enough time with Toy Bot Diaries Entry 3 and you will overcome its puzzles. Considering its adorable presentation and clever design, you will want to stick with it. IUGO has carved a legacy for itself with this final entry, one that will endure well after the hype of release has melted away.