Fluid SE Review

By , on June 16, 2014
Last modified 10 years, 5 months ago


Fluid SE
  • Publisher: Radiangames
  • Genre: Casual
  • Released: 12 Jun, 2014
  • Size: 95.8 MB
  • Price: $1.99
Download on the AppStore
4 out of 5

PROS

  • Twitch spatial puzzles
  • Tight responsive controls
  • Nice presentation

CONS

  • Frustratingly hard
  • No clues on how to improve
  • Difficult unlocks limit progression

VERDICT

The fury Fluid SE inspires is offset by the satisfaction you feel when you carve a fraction of a second off your time - unfortunately this makes it a game for perfectionists.


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  • App Store Info

Fluid SE has you constantly on the brink of anger. It sets you the simple goal of collecting a handful of glowing orbs from around its stylish dark arenas but adds time pressures to create a tantalising challenge.

A responsive virtual stick ensures there are no surprises to Fluid's controls while you guide your creature around the levels. Where the complexity lies, however, is in the exactness of these controls, with the tiniest movement of your finger changing your avatar’s course and speed with alarming precision.

Each level has five star ratings that can only be achieved through collecting every orb within a time limit. From the very beginning you will find yourself wondering if achieving this five stars rank is even possible as you replay levels dozens of times in order to shave off fractions of a second.

Time is not Fluid's only obstacle. Collecting orbs spawns lethal red creatures that slowly drift towards you. These force you to carefully consider your path creating an interesting puzzle element.

To help you, there are a collection of different abilities in the world. Some of these affect your creature, like the one which allows it to destroy attacking orbs, while others activate effects in the world, such as warps. Often you will have to use multiple of these powers to find a levels solution. This will have you warping across the screen to avoid an approaching danger, before collecting an item that lets you vaporise your attackers and gather any remaining orbs - only to find you are still 0.01 maddening seconds off the target time.

Time would be less of a problem if it didn’t gate progress. We frequently found ourselves trapped, having to repeat levels in an attempt to move forward. While this does make success thrilling, ultimately your victories are a too few to balance against the frustrations.

Fluid SE is an intriguing game that requires planning and reflexes to master. However, with trial and error the only way to better your times, it can leave you feeling quite hopeless. The result is a fun but frustrating game, that requires a desire for perfection to really be enjoyed.

Screenshots

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