Peggle wasn't a perfect game. In fact, enjoyable as it was, it felt as though it failed to achieve much of what its intruiging design concept promised. So, when I say this game fails to meet the expectations of a Peggle game, note that my considerations aren't colored by bias for the progenitor game.
No, this game fails to meet expectations (and certainly fails to surpass them) because it offers a shallow imitation of the Peggle experience, utilizing less notable game concepts than that original game. Of course, if that were all it was, the game might still be a suitable way to scratch our Peggle itch.
However, the game is further troubled by several mechanical issues [eg, the farther you move your cursor, the stronger your shot; however, you can't drag the cursor off-screen, so getting the right power on your shot sometimes feels nigh impossible] and quite a few outright bugs (some, like sounds when you've disabled them, are minor; others are notable enough to cost you a run on a level).
The game just doesn't feel fun to fire shots out on, the level design isn't engaging, and the mechanical issues just stack frustrations onto an already lackluster experience. Finally, the game is inherently ridiculously easy (a fact which is compounded by the ability to purchase special consumable variations of your basic shot- though, as an added frustration, those lack any documentation on their effects and are profoundly imbalanced on benefit), made difficult only due to mechanics which actively fight against you, meaning the entire experience feels like a grindy fight against the game's mechanical flaws, rather than any sort of engagement with the game's levels.
At its heart, it's a very basic Peggle experience and, even a basic Peggle experience has a certain degree of fun to it [though, as a major fan of the Brick-Breaker genre, I do have bias in that regard]. Unfortunately, that potential for fun is not only well hidden under terrible presentation, it's actively sabotaged by poor polish. No doubt some number of gamers are going to be able to ignore the frustrations and lack of depth of the game, and enjoy the game for what it is- but I imagine most are going to find this game to be nothing more a frustrating waste of time and money.
If you're looking for an experience close to what Peggle offered you- and especially if you also found Peggle to not quite hit all the right notes- then I just can't recommend this game. At the very least, I recommend you check out some Let's Plays and see if the level design seems interesting enough to you that you'd be willing to work through the game's frustrations and simple approach. (And after that, if you're still interested, do consider making use of Steam's 2-hour refund window. You should know if the game is[n't] for you fairly quickly.)
While this game may have started out with good intentions, the unpolished, soulless end result feels almost offensively bad (in much the same way rushed-out, lackluster games released solely to play off the appeal of a major IP do). It feels like this game was released just to maximize off the lack of other entries in this subgenre, rather than being produced by developers who enjoyed the genre themselves, much less developers eager to make their mark on the genre.
Final Score:
It's Okay Game, I Don't Like You Either / Why Do I Keep Spending Time Trying To Find Something Redeemable About Games Like This
