[h1][b]Sounds of Music * 8/10[/b][/h1]
Minimalistic aspect, some pleasant music and a simple but extremely effective concept. A small puzzle game based on music and vectors that will definitely challenge and entertain you.
[h1][i]GAMEPLAY. How does Sounds of Music work?[/i][/h1]
This puzzle game has a very simple base concept that evolves through progression: your purpose is to reconstruct a song. How do you do this? There are notes flowing from a source point, just like water would do from a sprinkler or a pipe; each source point leaks out notes of a single color and around the screen there are different fans of the same colors. There are also some white circles with an arrow meaning they can deviate the flow in that direction renewing the intensity. The moment you send the note flow through the fan, and this will start spinning, an instrument will start playing. More fans means more instruments. And here's the game. Of course the challenge grows with more colors, with new pieces that can combine base colors into new ones, or can even split the flow. Sounds easy but each "stage" gets more difficult and requires creative directions and positions on the very limit.
A personal note to the developer: the game seems so entertaining yet simple in its mechanics that it could suite well the mobile environments. That could be a neat possibility for the game.
[h1][i]GRAPHIC. Engine And Artistic aspects.[/i][/h1]
The game is very minimalistic yet effective: black screen colored 2d elements. Simple logos menu, italic fonts for the few words written here and there somehow resembling a music sheet, and it's also relaxing to view.
[h1][i]SOUNDTRACK. Themes and Accompaniments.[/i][/h1]
Songs are very relaxing and pleasant sounding like classical music, some waltz, and similar, considering the rhythm and the use of pianos, strings and other instruments fitting the genre.
[h1][i]LAST NOTES. What doesn't work?[/i][/h1]
The only downside with music is that given the nature of the game you will listen to the same looping tracks for long times, resulting a bit alienating. I understand the fact that puzzle by puzzle you end up rebuilding the song with all tracks but maybe it could be an idea to use different songs, or maybe to make puzzle groups smaller so that the song gets changed more often. Personally I don't feel this way at all, I'm a musician myself, I'm used to looping and hearing the same things while I record, but I acknowledge that this situation could lead to boredom.
Another thing is that when puzzles get more complicated, fluxes are having a hard time to switch their associated fan on, even if they're passing through it without trouble. In one puzzle I didn't use a piece and I had this same problem, I'm not sure if after some time the fan started spinning or it started because I've placed the piece at an irrelevant position (Note to Developer: You can see these situations in my screenshots)
Another note for the developer: there's no exit button to quit the game! XD
[h1][i]TL;DR. Pros And Cons[/i][/h1]
[h1]+++PROs+++[/h1][list]
[*][b] SIMPLICITY ITSELF.[/b] Minimalistic aspect, good music and an entertaining concept. Everything a game needs to be fun to play.
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[h1]---CONs---[/h1][list]
[*][b] COULD USE SOME FIXES.[/b] Listening to the same tracks, missing button to quit the game forcing the use of ALT+F4 and some situations where things don't work when they're supposed to. Nothing that a patch can't solve.
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[i]I played this game on this machine:
Laptop Lenovo Z50
Intel Core i5-4210U
8Gb RAM DDR3
GeForce 840M/Intel HD Graphics 4400
Windows 10 Home x64[/i]
[quote] This review was submitted for [url=http://steamcommunity.com/groups/gaming_until_end]Gaming Until End[/url], through the generous contribution of [url=http://steamcommunity.com/id/HellCowON]HellCow.[/url] [/quote]
