by Erae Nelsen

Created on: August 26, 2008   Last Updated: August 30, 2008

Obulis, by IonFX was a neato foray into a unique sort of puzzle game with the staying power of the Tetris series. As an avid gamer I give it a 4.5/5.

The game play was great. I had a bit of pointless fun with this demo. I severed the chains and set the orbs askew to fall to the forest floor or perhaps make it into their same-colored pots. The puzzles were challenging, but not too challenging.

A tutorial was built right into the first levels of the game, so no worries about whether or not you want to jump right in or take baby steps. You do both in a way when the tutorial comes attached. I certainly didn't mind. In fact I had fun and realized right away what sort of game I was up against. An intelligent puzzle that relies on physics (speed, motion, collisions) to get solved.

However, I must say that when I play a video game I like a story line that ties things together. Maybe that is the RPGer in me, but if they tell me why I want to get those spheres in the urn I will be thrilled to do. If they don't? I just grow bored.

Lack of storyline aside, the graphics of this game are very interesting in a lower budget kind of way. Instead of being actually three dimensional they are set at different perspectives. So one tree limb will be closer to your view, like a shadowbox. Certain bits of flora also move along with your severed spheres and so your eyes stay entertained even though that shouldn't be a problem with the colored ball eventually flying out of cannons and all.

The audio is equally impressive. Not terribly original, but it still sounds as a video game should sound. The strains are like the map- in the style of an RPG which made me wish for a storyline even more. There weren't any wrong turns on the effects either with nice thunks, clunks and clinks at the appropriate times.

As far as originality and innovation go? This is the first puzzle game in a long time that kept me as entertained as Tetris did back when it was on the original NES. And the real clincher? It really is nothing like Tetris aside from the haunting music.

I'd go so far as to say the use of physics takes this game to another level (and not just the 130 or so available in the real game). But would I buy this game? I sure would if I was into puzzle games without storylines.

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