[h1]The first entry from developer “in Principle” is well-intentioned, but clunky and poorly paced. I’d try their next game if they make one.[/h1]
Disclosure: I bought this game due to a recommendation by a friend, P. Johnston, rather than my personal interest. I did not receive the game for free.
[b]My TL;DR recommendation is DON’T BUY:[/b]
[list]
[*]Doesn’t have any real strengths
[*]Pacing and animation length are poor for a puzzle game
[*]Graphics are bland and uninteresting
[*]The player/computer avatars are potatoes with an eye in the middle
[/list]
[table]
[tr]
[th]Category[/th]
[th]Score[/th]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td][b]Plot[/b][/td]
[td][b]0/10[/b][/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td][b]Gameplay[/b][/td]
[td][b]4/10[/b][/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td][b]Graphics[/b][/td]
[td][b]5/10[/b][/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td][b]Soundtrack[/b][/td]
[td][b]2/10[/b][/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td][b]Replayability[/b][/td]
[td][b]0/10[/b][/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td][b]Overall[/b][/td]
[td][b]3/10[/b][/td]
[/tr]
[/table]
[h1]Plot [0/10][/h1]
There is no plot that I’m aware of, but due to this being a puzzle game, I have not included it against the overall score.
[h1]Gameplay [4/10][/h1]
You flip over red or blue cards to reveal pictures. Let’s say you’re on the red team. If you match your own cards, red, you damage yourself. If you match the opponent’s cards, blue, you damage them instead. Unlike a match-3 game, there is a much higher ratio of skill to RNG.
At the end of the day, you as a human player are not going to beat a [i]computer[/i] in a memory game. Though there are sliders for difficulty, it feels a bit contrived. I did not try the online functionality for the following reasons.
The animations are really slow. This is a problem between the synergy of gameplay and graphics. In an attempt to spice up the graphical presentation of the game, long animations slow down the flow of gameplay. Any time you flip a tile or do damage, you’re waiting for about one to two seconds for anything else to happen. This pacing is [i]horribly[/i] slow for a puzzle fanatic.
[h1]Graphics [5/10][/h1]
This is a generous score that considers the newness of the developer and the genre of the game — puzzle. Puzzle tiles need to be clean and easy to recognize. Avatars, not participating in actual gameplay, should have at least some memorable characteristics. Though I can appreciate the tidy, uniform tiles/icons used in matching, there’s absolutely nothing memorable or special about the tiles/icons used.
I believe the tiles/icons are all dangerous things, like lightning, fire, Molotov cocktails, etc. Some of them are a little more abstract like snowflakes, hammers, or buzzsaws. There were a few tiles/icons that I couldn’t identify. There’s one that reminds me of a holy trinity or celtic knot shape, but less ornate. It’s harder to remember because I’m not even sure what to call it. That’s a very small complaint.
As for the avatars, I’ll give points for them being animated, but I’ve seen better from F2P flash games. Not interesting or unique, despite being the mascots for the game.
[h1]Soundtrack [2/10][/h1]
Wildly uninspiring. Both music and sound effects are not memorable.
[h1]Replayability [1/10][/h1]
If I wanted to crush young children with my memory skills or get owned by a computer, I’d go to Neopets.
[h1]Overall [3/10][/h1]
Has a bit of polish to it, but lacks the heart or addictive nature of a flash game.
[h1]Game-Specific Comments[/h1]
I have more hope for a second game, if there is one.
Hope you enjoyed my review of Ovo Smash! If you liked it, please upvote. :)
