It can be hard to be robot
Machinarium is a great point and click adventure title that suffers from its spike in puzzle difficulty and a hint system that gives too much away.
First off, the bad. There are two grades of hints in the game. One which is not always available but gives you a general idea of what to do next and another that will tell you the answer to all the puzzles on the page right away. That second system is where the game loses its luster. Like most point and click appreciators, I want to solve the puzzles myself and sometimes with a nudge in the direction I should take with the current puzzle I am on. When the system gives me the entire pages solution I feel cheated as I may have caught a glimpse of something I did not want to see. Granted, to make this more of a hassle to use the developers decided to add a side-scrolling shoot 'em up that you need to play each time to access the solutions. Unfortunately, it is not fun or challenging. This plays into the difficulty spikes as you will experience them.
The good. The art style fits well with the universe and the absence of voice over allows for a cute Pixar-like story to play out about a robot boy looking for his girlfriend. Also, when you figure out a puzzle on your own you can feel a great accomplishment wash over you.
For a game that may seem mediocre from what I am typing it really is above that level, but not by a large amount. It is definitely worth the time and money to play for enthusiasts and worth the attention of admires. Those looking to start in a genre they have not played before can enjoy it too. But please try not to see all the answers if possible.
