Review: Great Migrations

Type: Strategy
Platform: PC and Mac
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

This National Geographic branded is based on the great migrations of animals.

Gameplay
Migrating creatures will appear in the lower left corner of the screen. You have to maneuver them past obstacles and predators to their goal in upper right corner of the screen. Clicking on a creature will caused it to change color. For example, clicking on a Monarch Butterfly will turn it golden. This golden butterfly is now the leader and other butterflies around it will start to follow it. Click and drag on the leader to create a path. Depending on how you draw the path, sections of it may turn red, indicating that the creatures will take a longer time to travel through that area. You can also apply power ups to increase the speed or slow down the predators. The effects of the power ups are limited to a small area.

Thoughts
This game teaches about the migration of creatures and shows the different terrains and dangers they face. It is educational but not very fun. The creatures appeared one by one and keeps moving so I have to spend quite a bit of time making the leader move back and fro around the lower left corner to pick up new recruits until I get a big enough group. Despite successfully guiding the butterflies to their goal, I did not feel any satisfaction. Graphics are more towards the realistic and there are photos of the creatures on the title screen. However, the photos are not hi-res and appear pixelated on my 1920 x 1080 screen when the game ran in fullscreen.

Verdict ★
Store page (PC and Mac)