[quote]A review copy was provided by the developer.[/quote]
[quote]Follow my Curator page, [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41363546-Fruit-N-Doggie-Reviews/]Fruit N Doggie Reviews,[/url] so you can be updated whenever I post a new review.[/quote]
[h1]Overall Rating - Unplayable Trash ☆☆☆☆☆[/h1]
[h1]First Impressions[/h1]
I've had my eye on Light On (LO) for quite some time, as it was a puzzle game in development for several months. It's a style of puzzle title that tends to work well for me, as you deduce which connections will and won't work for the different hubs. Despite waiting for what felt like a long time, I can't say I'm that impressed with the end result.
[h1]Gameplay[/h1]
This isn't a puzzle type I've played much of before, but from what another review pointed out, it's called Hashi. Following certain parameters, you use lines to connect hubs together, based on how many numbers are displayed in each square. Any given connection will either have one or two lines, and there's not a lot of clues available to figure out how they need to be arranged. One rule is that the system will be wholly interconnected, instead of having several small groups separated from each other. Each line must follow cardinal directions, so you won't join them with diagonals or slightly skewed connections.
Some of the different mechanics that get introduced are portals that connect to each other, even though they're separated on the map. Seemingly, they could have any number of lines placed into them, but both sides have to match one another. IE, if one portal has three lines, the other one needs the same amount. Another change was altering the size and shape of the hubs, making it so they can match up with many more options than before. These do get combined with other ideas the further you progress, such as sockets bent at ninety degree angles that can be rotated.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3656146574
[h1]Controls[/h1]
There's nothing wrong with this title making use of mouse controls, but disconnecting a line feels less responsive than I'd expect. You can't just right click a line you want to remove. Instead, you have to click on the connecting hub first and then go to the line. I can't imagine people would have that big of an issue accidentally disrupting lines they don't mean to just moving the cursor around, as the controls weren't overly sensitive or anything.
[h1]Story[/h1]
Due to how the map screen looks, and the pictures being taken, an anthro cat is taking a trip and seeing the sights. I'm not entirely clear if the gameplay would insinuate he's working along the trip, setting up the power-lines for neighborhoods, but it's feasible. The presentation isn't rounded enough to make that clear or not though.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3656146340
[h1]Visuals[/h1]
Normally, presentation isn't something I concern myself with too much, so that's why I placed it lower in the list of things I cover with my reviews. This tends to be especially true for puzzle games, since they often use simple shapes. However, the way levels are arranged, and even the loading and transition screens, are so sloppy in LO that it really drags down the experience. For example, although each puzzle has plenty of space available on the grid, some hubs are so close to the top border that it's difficult to interact with them properly. Sometimes, there are decorative elements on the board, but it's inconsistent whether they'll prevent you from connecting hubs together or not. Last but not least, the tutorial segments explaining the mechanics of how the rules work was threadbare, and I know I'm not clear how all the finer points function with each other, such as the portals.
[h1]Sound Design[/h1]
Keeping in mind that you're traveling to different countries, the fact that there's only one background song for the entire game is even more frustrating. I've made this point multiple times before, but I think authenticity would matter far less than making some attempt to create unique tracks for each area. Ignoring the place you're at entirely, but pairing each location with a distinct song, would still be a boon to the player getting some variety in the tunes they're listening to. There's no sound effects from connecting lines or hubs. The only time you'd hear something is when clearing and moving onto the next level, as loud meows are meant to be the triumphant stage clear sound, I guess.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3656146860
[h1]Pros[/h1]
🌟 The cat theming is what caught my attention in the first place.
🌟 I believe all the puzzle mechanics were sound and accurate.
[h1]Cons[/h1]
❌ Despite traveling the world, the bland imagery and backgrounds don't reflect the idea of blazing around the globe at all.
❌ You can play the levels in whatever order you want, but if you get stuck, there's no hint system.
❌ Even in the first world, the game doesn't feel finished or refined.
[h1]Tips[/h1]
🔍 It often helps to start with the largest numbers first. In many situations, you can at least conclude that it has to connect one line to each option, which can rule out other possibilities, because none of the lines can overlap.
🔍 If a hub has two connections, both of them can connect to one hub. However, if it's another hub with two, that would separate them from every other hub, which violates one of this puzzle's rules.
[h1]Final Thoughts[/h1]
The impression I get from looking at and playing this release is that somewhere in development, the project became a chore, and was rushed through in order to have a finished product. Otherwise, I see no reason for allowing puzzles that otherwise have extra space available to crowd the top of the board. It looks skewed and messy, as well as impacting the players' ability to make connections with those pieces. Some people might like the simplified style of the images, but I find them to be rather crude. They're not improved with a splash of color either, as the map screen and pictures you get from clearing an entire world are pretty ugly. Art is very subjective, but I couldn't imagine calling something a finished product when it looks like this. I don't recommend this game, because even if it functions well enough mechanically, it lacks any finesse or signs of care.
[quote][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32732116-IndieGems/]Follow our curator page: [b]IndieGems[/b] if you like and want to see more reviews like this one.[/url][/quote]
[table]
[tr]
[th]PC Specs[/th]
[th]Performance[/th]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Ryzen 2700
RTX 2070
16GB RAM
ADATA SSD
1920x1080
[/td]
[td]The game ran without incident on default settings.
💖 - LO is healthy
[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]
