Arriving - Gravity Puzzle Game Review

By , on February 24, 2011


Arriving - Gravity Puzzle Game
  • Publisher: chlova
  • Genre: Puzzle
  • Released: 15 Feb, 2011
  • Size: 52.9 MB
  • Price: $0.99
Download on the AppStore
3 out of 5

PROS

  • Puzzles encourage unique/varied solutions.
  • Surprising amount of flexibility in the use of solids/lines as tools.

CONS

  • Poor control system makes it hard to react quickly or with accuracy.

VERDICT

'Arriving - Gravity Puzzle Game' is a decent implementation of the basic physic puzzler that's let down by its poor control system; amusing for a little while, but ultimately frustrating.


  • Full Review
  • App Store Info

'Arriving - Gravity Puzzle Game' by chlova is (you guessed it) a physics based puzzler and a hard one to enjoy as well. Despite the relatively intuitive controls and occasionally clever physics interactions, getting the game to execute even the simplest of actions can be a frustrating trial.

To pass each level you'll need to collect all the glowing crystals by bumping and controlling a spherical egg. A baseline score slowly ticks down in value, providing a timer of sorts, while objects can be generated in the level simply by drawing them. There's no specific limit in the amount of objects that can be drawn, though a bar of energy will deplete while drawing to limit the size of them. The interaction between these drawn shapes can be quite clever and complex depending on your drawing skills, though most often you'll use closed shapes to bump the egg around the screen while open lines act as barriers and platforms for getting around the level.

Regrettably this isn't as easy as it sounds and drawing shapes that are functional can be a trial in and of itself, let alone solving the puzzle placed before you. This becomes all the more frustrating when levels force you to act quickly thanks to ramps and rotating platforms that force you to act hastily, resulting in jagged lines and bizarre solid objects.

Time, patience and a bit of luck can overcome these shortcomings, but the constant stop/start progression quickly wears thin and the joy of success is replaced with bitter elation that you've defeated another level in spite of the game's mechanics.

If you're hard-pressed to fill that physics based hole in your gaming heart, Arriving may provide some temporary relief, but it's a hard game to recommend to anyone else at this time.

Screenshots

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