Indiecade finalist that's a fresh puzzle game with refined presentation and challenging play. Solid!
Innovative Gameplay: Fresh Idea Well Implemented
Steady Progressive Challenge: Levels keep adding new components and increase smoothly in difficulty
Aesthetically Engaging: Strong yet Simple presentation through visuals and audio
Limited Value: Once you've finished the game, there's little reason to return
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Developed by Cipher Prime, and released by Electronic Arts, Auditorium turned heads recently as an Indiecade 2010 finalist, and is available now (for FREE) for iphones and is coming to Xbox360 and the PS3 this November. Unique, intuitive, and challenging, it's definitely worth picking up.
A creative puzzle game, in Auditorium you must move sound waves through rings of color, and then direct them to audio blocks which produce music. When all the audio blocks fill in you pass the level. Each block will resonate with a part of a simple score which, when all the blocks are filled, plays as the simple colored sound waves wash across the screen. It's a simple premise but is well executed.
Each puzzle (of which between 5 and 7 compose an act) starts with a stream of white sound waves moving in some direction. Different puzzles place different tools at your disposal, but the basic tools are simple and intuitive, including directional arrows which move the waves cardinally, and later acts include tools which curve the waves in a loop or increase their momentum. Using these tools, which are pre-assigned for each puzzle, the challenge for each puzzle is simply getting the waves to all the audio boxes, which as the difficulty progresses, can be quite challenging. The interface is quite easy on the iphone, using touch to move tools around the screen, which allows for a refined presentation that keeps from getting cluttered.
Aesthetically, the visuals are simple and sharp, and are clearly distinguished for play, yet retain a restrained presence. As much of the game also revolves around music, you'll also find that the simple tunes are pleasant and ambient. When broken into parts, per audio boxes, they work on their own and sync together well. While it would've been interesting to see some greater diversity in sound, what's present here is certainly passable.
Simple ideas are always on the cusp between stale and boring rather than compelling and fresh. With some solid presentation, intuitive play, and a simple yet fresh idea, Auditorium's place is with the latter. While FREE on the iphone currently I'm looking forward to see what's in store for the approaching console releases. From the look of them so far, we might have a more robust and developed game that could be a real winner. As is on the iphone right now, it's a must have.
8.6/10