Ice Age Adventures for Windows 8

Ice Age Adventures for Windows 8 is Gameloft's sequel to the resource management game that is Ice Age Village. The basic premise of the game is, as with the original, to build cities, but with the added bonus of two different mini-games that offer more of a challenge.

While the city building tasks are mainly a matter of 'click and wait', the mini games and underlying story add interest to the game. The player takes on the character of Sid from the Ice Age movie franchise, and must travel to various islands. One of Sid's friends from the movies is trapped on each island and Sid must work to release them by playing the mini games. One of the mini games is a 'match-three' style game, similar to Candy Crush, from which the player must release a certain number of hearts to free his or she friends. The other mini game is of the 'endless running' type, where the character must keep going, collecting gifts, power-ups and bonuses and avoiding obstacles and enemies.

Each island should be thoroughly explored by the player as every items and bonus must be collected, as well as achieving the release of the other character in order to earn a one hundred percent score for that island.

Each hero that is unlocked follows Sid on his other missions, helping him to overcome obstacles that he cannot manage alone. Completing the various tasks and playing the mini games earns the player four different types of currency, including berries, shells and the rare and valuable acorns. Players can also pay real money for currency which helps the player to complete tasks faster: some of the city building tasks can take an inordinate amount of time. There is also an option to watch video advertisement to earn currency too.

There is a daunting amount of items to be collected and tasks to complete, but the tutorials are clearly worded and very user-friendly. There are frequent intervals where the characters interact with each other, playing out small dramas that are reminiscent of the movies.

Pros

• Good clean fun for all ages
• Clear tutorials
• Mini games add an element of challenge and fun to what might be a boring game otherwise

Cons

• The most valuable currency is slow to earn
• Some city building tasks take a long time without a boost of currency to speed them up