Collision Effect is my iPhone game of the year so far. In fact, it may be my game of the year, period.
But first, a little history. Earlier this week Apple were kind enough to send me over a loan iPod, packed full with over 60 new games. Among them were your dirty, dirty staples – your proverbial meat and potatoes – Angry Birds, Doodle Jump, Tiny Wings. It was also loaded with premium content – the EA franchise games, GTA Chinatown Wars.
They mattered little. My iPod battery has been drained dry. My social life battered and bruised. All because of one game – that game is Collision Effect.
Collision Effect is an abstract-puzzle-blaster tailor tweaked for a touch interface. Touch coloured blobs so they collide, stop coloured blobs from touching other coloured blobs – trying to explain the appeal of Collision Effect is an utterly redundant exercise, you just have to simply play and experience it. Then lament as everything else in your life – food, shelter, health – fades into insignificance. After one night of Collision Effect I look like a crack addict, and I’ve never been happier.
Visually it’s a treat, drizzled with light effects, and perfect sound design. The music feels like an outtake from The Running Man soundtrack – as the coloured blobs arrive in waves extra layers of sound integrate, echoing the increasing intensity of play, lulling you into a soothing hypnotic state. Collision Effect is zen gaming. Furious zen gaming.
And possibly worst of all – Collision Effect has that ‘one-more-go’ thing going for it. Unlike some score based games – like Doodle Jump – dying doesn’t result in a rising, bubbling urge to launch your iPhone through the nearest window (Chris Brown style). Dying almost motivates you further – it feels fair.
Add the combo system, the intuitive multi-touch controls, the rewarding timing element and you have something that feels sublime.
I’m obsessed. And my high score is 1.7 million. Who can beat me?
(Also – Puzzle mode is for chumps.)
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