Crack Attack reinvented!
In 2005 a new platform launched by Sony. It was the birth of the first handheld from the Japanese publisher. This is of course about the PlayStation Portable, which once had a reasonable line-up at launch. This collection of games was also of Q Entertainment Lumines. Now we have several more years, there is a new handheld and yes ... there is also a new Lumines. Lumines is this time present in the form of Electronic Symphony and we can be very happy, because it's become a musical puzzle title. It is itself, in our opinion one of the best puzzle games in recent years has appeared. Why? Read that in our review below.
Lumines: Electronic Symphony is a puzzle game where you actually just stacking blocks are. Sounds boring, but it is not at all. This is due to the combination of the variety of blocks, backgrounds, effects and music. The basis of the gameplay is pretty simple. As a player you have a wide field for you and just like in Tetris blocks continuously fall down. However, these are always in Lumines squares. In these squares are again variations in color is present, as is a full block of a color, or is just the one hand, the blue and red other. It's your job to the color stacking. So blue on blue and red to red and you have this smart, because if you do them correctly so you make double combinations.
Once you have created a combination of example, four or six blocks, then it will disappear if there is a line from left to right across the playing field. This will remove all successfully shaped formations. This line comes every time the same over time and so you can make several combinations of blocks. You will need to act quickly and keep good overview on the blocks on the court and the blocks to come. You always see three blocks left standing and therefore you know what your going to get. So you have the playing field, the line and the new blocks in the monitor, and although this sounds pretty easy, it is quite challenging. Sometimes you get between the blocks, a special block and this allows you to block or remove themselves from this creates combinations. This gives you just a little extra breathing in the hectic moments.
So you have everything at a rapid pace and think sometimes it's all just a little too quickly, but then you always have another tool in the form of Avatars. These are in-game avatars with special skills. Of these, 41, to collect and each avatar is unique. So will one ensure that the following three blocks of a full color and the other weather that a slow-motion moment arises, take it easy so you can see everything in a proper manner and further stacking. This way you can escape at that time that you no longer have space for the blocks. Should that occur, then it's game over and you start again. Avatars With this we arrive at the touch features that Lumines: Electronic Symphony contains.
Once you've used an Avatar you will see that these are self-recharging. You see how far this percentage is, but this process can accelerate through the back touch. For this you will need in a rapidly tapping the back of the handheld and shoot so the number of percentage points up fast. A nice addition because it allows you to look at more parts and that means more challenge. Furthermore, the falling blocks to drive to the front touch works nice and although it is not accurate enough in the later levels the blocks correctly install. It is at times so quickly and then works the control via the front touch too slow. No further major disaster, because the user control with the d-pad, face buttons and right shoulder button is sublime.
With the d-pad you indicate where the blocks should go all the face buttons while you can rotate the blocks. Then you can block with the right shoulder button quickly strips down so you can continue to build the next block. The stacking of these blocks takes place in different modes, and the most comprehensive of these is Voyage. In this mode you can in 43 skins (backgrounds) drop a highscore and unlock new skins. A new play freely with the previous 100 percent to have done. Each skin or level, as we may call it contains a unique visual appearance. Each skin looks very nice, and besides they are all very challenging. Per skin have all the blocks again and form their own tune, which makes the challenge even greater. You'll just have to adapt yourself constantly on the new blocks and also move all kinds of objects and effects to the beat of the music recorded on the background. A true visual spectacle.
The nice thing is also that this will not distract your total, because it is very subtle and so thought that this experience and more importantly, your concentration will not interfere. In fact, you can even do a kind of trance in order so to speak. Here you are super concentrated to the puzzle, so much that you forget everything around you. Sounds kind of esoteric, but it happened to us really. The music there was also a very big role, because this is a very strong skin. The soundtrack includes a variety of songs including artists like The Chemical Brothers. But the unknown numbers are worth it. Every skin has its own style and appearance and that is the motivation to continue playing.
Gradually you unlock, as already indicated skins and if you've unlocked then you can select a playlist. You can easily drag the skins in the row and can thus play your favorite skins in a row. In addition to these modes, there are other, which can be very challenging. So you Stopwatch, within certain times where you need to stack as many blocks for its own highscore. The most challenging and difficult mode is quite master. In this mode, you enter a number of zones and each zone the blocks fall faster. The second area we had been difficult, because it is hard ontiegelijk. A mode that your Lumines skills so real test will provide. Besides these single modes do you have Duel, what an ad-hoc multiplayer is where you can play against someone else. Here you can also use the Avatars you've previously unlocked by leveling with the XP you earn with each mode.
Suppose you have an accessible but challenging puzzle game looking for the Vita to always boring bus or train some more enjoyable, then it is Lumines: Electronic Symphony just right for you. However you run the risk that you or your stop or station is missing, because if you play you sit there in a minute all the way. Although the gameplay is quite simple Q Entertainment knows the mix of music, style and effects that cause you can hardly stop playing. The variation in skins motivated us enormously to keep on playing, because every time we were wondering what there is audiovisual show in the following skin would be. In addition, the further and very solid game despite being a bit more content to sit could have had your money's worth. Short, it is a fantastic and unique musical journey.
Pros
- Cool simple gameplay.
- Variation.
- Challenge.
- Skins.
- Addictive.
- Presentation.
Cons
- More content like.
- Front touch controls adds little.