Really Fun, Slick Game

Go ? Brickout ? No, no, no - insofar as this game is reminscent of anything, it's a modern version of Taito's 80s classic Qix.

Essentially the designer has taken everything that was wrong with Qix, binned it, then added puzzle game elements. However, rather than going straight for hardcore puzzles requiring heavy thinking, the emphasis is primarily on having fun. The early levels in particular provide a gentle almost tutorial-style introduction to key ideas in the game.

The game's mechanics are well thought out and the implementation is smooth and easy to play. The graphical style is well chosen - simple, but easy on the eye. The music is bland, but is ignorable rather than irritating.

I very nearly gave this game a ten, since it's very rare I play the first thirty levels of a game end to end when I'm supposed to be working (oops). However, it does have a couple of minor flaws:

* The level design is rather lazy. Whilst all the levels are fun and playable, this owes more to the game's underlying mechanics than anything else. Even twenty or thirty levels into the game some of the levels seem like someone's just been mucking about with their level editor with little plan in mind.

* Whilst almost all the levels have elegant solutions, rather too many of them (particularly early on) can be beaten with the same few tricks. (I won't say what - it might spoiler the game for some players - but if you're an experienced strategist you'll soon see what I mean.) Possibly this is an unintended side effect of the game "puzzle or action" philosophy. Gameplay bug or feature? That may depend on the player.

A lot of good ideas have gone into this game. Definitely worth the price.

Even more excitingly, it seems to be Ludimate's first original game. I'll be keeping an eye out for more stuff by them in future...