Friday, May 8, 2015

Toca Nature


This is the second time I’ve played a Toca Boca title, (the first being last Halloween’s release of Toca Boo), and I continue to be impressed.  As noted in my review of Toca Boo, Toca Boca’s titles are digital toys for iOS and Android.  As such, Toca Nature is not a game with rules and objects; rather, a sandbox for building and exploring and just having fun.


The premise is simple: you start out with a small, unspectacular block of land and a series of buttons that allow you to make mountains,  dig streams and plant trees.  Anyone who has played a game of Sim City should be familiar with the basic idea: select the mountains, and draw your finger across the landscape.  Wherever your finger touches, the land will be built up just a bit.  Keep scribbling in the same spot and it will continue to grow into a snowy peak.  Likewise, take the river tool and your finger will instead carve out valleys which will fill with water once you dig deep enough.


There are animals associated with the different terrains and with the different trees that you can plant.  Wolves will spring to life when mountains are created, beavers will shuffle about the shores of your streams, and depending on the types of trees you plant, you can have bears, birds and bunnies (oh my!) in addition to other critters.


Various sources of food will pop up in your landscape: fish in the streams, berries and mushrooms and acorns on the land.  You can watch the animals forage for their favorite treats, or collect them yourself and offer them to the creatures to watch their reactions.  The rabbits seem interested in anything that grows, but the game surprised me when I tossed a fish at one.  I was expecting it would ignore it, but the rabbit hopped up to the fish, sniffed it curiously, then shook its head and hopped away.  It’s touches like this that make a game special.


You can continue to alter the land to your liking in real-time, and have the ability to zoom  and explore your creation up close.  The sound effects are immersive and the game cycles through day and night.  There is also a camera mode that allows you to snap photos as you explore.


The title is delightful; it has character, creativity and charm.  As an adult I found it to be adorable and relaxing, but no doubt it will have more interest to the younger crowd for whom it is intended.  I would recommend it for anyone with small children, or if you just want a more adorable way to unwind than the typical “relaxation” apps you’ll find scattered about.

No comments:

Post a Comment