You are a person wandering through levels that are separated by an elevator while in possession of an odd device that shoots porta... No, wait.
That's another game.
You are a person wandering through levels that are separated by an elevator while in possession of an odd device that shoots energy balls that are manipulated by objects called 'Gravity Spheres' in the aptly-titled first person puzzler, [b]GRAVITY SPHERE[/b] by "DevB0t."
[b]GRAVITY SPHERE[/b] (GS for short) is, indeed, quite derivative of the famous first-person puzzler "Portal." Anyone who has played that game will quickly see many similarities with this offering: You control a person in possession of a device that allows you to go through levels, separated by an elevator, where you need that device to complete each level. Obviously, the two games deviate significantly beyond that common description but do the differences in GS cause it to be an enjoyable game?
Unlike in "Portal," the main gameplay mechanic in GS isn't the device that your character possesses. Your character in GS does possess an energy weapon of some type that fires iridescent spheres. The trajectory of these spheres are manipulated by the objects in the title, 'gravity spheres.' These gravity spheres alter the trajectory of the projectile from your weapon based upon the where the projectile enter's the gravity sphere's influence. Ultimately, your projectile must hit a target (a literal "bulls-eye target") that it otherwise would not be able to unless it is influenced by one or more gravity spheres in any particular level. Aim carefully.
And, finally, you can't just fire your device from anywhere but only when you are standing on a lit platform that 'powers' your device which further limits your choices.
The production values are perfectly adequate for the genre of the game. The graphics are perfectly fine and represent most of the necessary elements of the game adequately. I do think that the 'literal bulls-eye' object could be improved; It does look out-of-place and resembles the kind of 'developer graphics' used during early developmental builds of a game. There's nothing wrong with rudimentary graphics (there's an entire art style in gaming called "pixel art," after all) but a developer should endeavor to have all their graphics look consist with one another and that one sticks out like a sore thumb.
The music and sound effects are perfectly fine. Could I pick either one out of a police line-up five minutes after playing the game? No. But they did their job and I didn't think that they detracted from the game, either. One person's Picasso is another person's 'Dogs Playing Poker' and vice versa. To each their own.
One aspect of this game that particularly needs attention is some sort of story. People who enjoy first-person puzzlers likely need no story whatsoever to enjoy the game and that's fine. However, a story accentuates your gameplay: If the gameplay is truly enjoyable, the story makes the game even more enjoyable; If the gameplay is not as compelling, a story can compel someone to continue playing despite what they would consider to be lackluster gameplay mechanics.
Shooting a projectile that curves based upon these gravity spheres isn't very compelling. It is a neat gameplay mechanic but there aren't many additional gameplay mechanics beyond that. There are two types of gravity spheres (one that attracts the projectile and one that repels) and a semi-transparent wall that the projectile can collide with. The 'energy tile' that you can stand on can increase and decrease in size based upon the level. Are there more mechanics beyond that? It's likely but I really wasn't compelled to keep playing to find out.
Despite my lack of enthusiasm for continuing to play the game until its ending, [b]I am mildly recommending this game.[/b] The game is free and that is a huge factor in that recommendation at the moment; Enthusiasts of this type of gaming can try it out and see if the gameplay is more compelling for themselves than myself. I think that the presentation was fine for the most part. The gameplay itself is, at least, initially interesting.
Here are my recommendations for this game:
** Get a story. Any story. For instance, the exit door is broken on each level and the device fires energy that floods an open panel in the wall with energy and that compels the door to open. There is a hallway preceding every level; Have a terminal in there where someone can read something. Anything. And those are just a few possibilities in an universe of possible stories.
** The bulls-eye target needs to be changed. It just doesn't fit the rest of the graphics. I understand that the graphic makes it very clear that it needs to be hit but it also looks very out of place with everything else.
I wish the developer the best of luck with their game and I look forward to playing an updated version of their game some day.
