Chrome-8 Review

By , on April 11, 2010


Chrome-8
Download on the AppStore
3 out of 5

PROS

  • No nonsense gameplay and design.
  • 300 different puzzles to conquer over two difficulty levels.

CONS

  • No hint system for higher levels means lower accessibility to casual gamers.

VERDICT

In Chrome-8 you get what you see - a pure puzzle experience that plays perfectly and is free of almost all excess fat.


  • Full Review
  • App Store Info

Chrome-8 by Far East Asia Development is a pure puzzle experience. This isn't the kind of game that appeals to many people, but anyone who has enjoyed games like PathPix will enjoy the simple challenge that Chrome-8 provides.

Each puzzle represents a web of links used to shift the colored orbs on screen. Your goal is to align the colors in such a way that no two colors are linked. This sounds murderously difficult, but two game modes (and a total of 300 puzzles) are available to warm you up and suck you in. Orbs are shifted around the grid much like a traditional sliding puzzle, with the 'Apprentice' mode highlighting where the colors should be and is performed with a simple touch and drag.

All of the puzzles are unlocked from the outset which gives you a chance to skip ahead of one puzzle is giving you a headache. The interface is almost completely spartan, providing the minimum of required features. An undo button is available and the move counter will recognize manually undoing moves, ensuring that your final score is as accurate as possible. OpenFeint is used to track your progress and background music can be turned on, but is left off by default for iTunes support.

Pure puzzle games aren't always easy to find, especially one that gives you all the basic features you need. Fancier graphics and effects would only have obscured what is a great puzzle concept and is definitely highly recommended to fans of puzzle games.

Screenshots

Screenshot 1 of 5 Screenshot 2 of 5 Screenshot 3 of 5 Screenshot 4 of 5 Screenshot 5 of 5