Equilibria by Astraware,
Price: $17.95
Reviewed June 2004 by Tony Peak
Let’s get right to it, Equilibria isn’t the most
original game we’ve seen from Astraware. While I don’t
remember seeing a game exactly like it before, this seems more
like a combo of past brick game concepts rather than a unique
experience. Of course Astraware is known for quality, and Equilibria
is no exception. So the question for me was simply: is there
enough to reason justify getting the game?
I won’t kid you, Equilibria isn’t a very deep
game. The gameplay is something akin to expanding virtual bubblewrap
with a timer, with a few special spheres thrown in for good
measure. The goal is to basically remove color groups of marbles
by clicking on them, while more slide in from the sides. It’s
probably not a game you’re going to pull out while sitting
around the house, but on the go it can be a good amount of
fun for short bursts. The selectable difficulty level really
helps the game’s appeal, as I always start off on hard.
The challenge isn’t extreme, but it’s enough to
hold most of your attention and keep you well distracted while
waiting. Gameplay modes such as challenge, where you must break
special marbles to advance onward, and survival are icing on
the cake. Survival always starts on level one, but it’s
nice to fill larger amounts of time.
The game is easy enough to control,
played by simply taping the sphere group with the stylus.
The hard part comes in trying to figure out exactly how and
why the spheres collapse and shift as they do. After awhile
I rather got the hang of making them collapse in the patterns
I wanted, but I still can’t
explain exactly how it works. It’s nothing I’d
hold against the game though, and it made things a lot less
predictable.
The colors are sharp enough that it’s
not much trouble to keep things separate, while not overly
harsh on your eyes either. The shatter effects always look
nice enough, and the background two toned design provides
a very helpful visual aid. The music track is as distinctive
as ever with Astraware, and thankfully not very annoying
even after playing for a half hour.
Overall, Equilibria is a solid if perhaps
slightly uninspired title. As a sphere based puzzle, it’s very well made
all around. The three game modes give a fine amount of selection,
while the difficulty settings ensure its fun for all skill
levels. If you’re looking for something terribly original
and groundbreaking, this probably isn’t it. If you want
a new and solid sphere puzzle with some fast clicking and good
production values, then Equilibria delivers.
The game runs on both Palm OS and Pocket
PC PDAs.
Playing Hints and Tips
-Use the special spheres well, as they can make all the difference.
-Watch the background to tell when
to best use the ring marble. You can trace its path using
the background’s tones.
-Try to go for color groups that lead to more color groups
collapsing together.
-Take care of things quickly and don’t
let yourself get over ran.
|
