by JustTheFacts Tue Apr 29, 2014 5:01 am
No, No, Don’t Give Up On It Yet!*****
BASED ON DEMO
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Well, okay, if you only play HOPA games, and you hate timed-only games, give up. This is NEVER gonna be okay for you. But if you can tolerate a little time pressure, love puzzles where visual acuity is a must, and have a calm cool head in a crisis, this could be the game you’ve been looking for!
I used to love jigsaws, but am tired of them now, when there is so much variety and complexity to be had in all puzzle games. They’ve just become old hat. Which this game most certainly isn’t. If you enjoy Patricia’s Quest For The Sun, this has a similar feel. Patchworkz fans will also be more comfortable than most with this.
GAMEPLAY
Here’s how it works – to the extent that I could it figure out – there are no instructions. But who needs instructions for jigsaw puzzles, right?
You are given a single (square – they are all square) piece of the puzzle. An adjacent square will be outlined. There is a group of 6 or more (they increase rapidly as you progress) random pieces from which you must choose the correct one, click it, and it fits in. Next piece, and so on until the puzzle is completed.
Each correct choice moves you up on the slider which acts as a multiplier. Each error sends you down. Four errors in a row and you are finished, four correct choices and you score bonus points for the level. [And a very pleasant voice says “terrific!” lol]. The time penalty works by you losing a piece as a “wrong click” after a certain time passes without a click. There is NO UNTIMED mode.
There is a strange but kinda fun ability in the puzzles to change the perspective of the images and flip and rotate. In the early part of the game, I saw no use for it, but as I progressed I discovered its value. If you are stuck on a spot, flip the pic, the other side may well have a much easier image to find. In fact, the higher I went, the more essential I found this tool.
The scoring is a bit confusing. You get points for the level based on your slider/multiplier, to which is added 25 points per puzzle piece. Then 100 points per chain of 4 or more correct clicks. And 25 points for each time you hit the top (4 star) speed. There are 3 stars necessary to be “expert” (not needed to progress), and they appear to be gained by the total number of points for each level, and are different for each. A perfect play (no errors or lengthy hesitations) is not needed to gain all 3 stars.
As for the “levels of difficulty” and game modes, haven’t found them yet, and I ran out of time at level 12, just as the images changed shape from square to circle, and in the process changed the strategy of the gameplay.
Now for the ‘other’ stuff that makes a game.
Options are available for music and effects. You might want to turn off the effects, since there is this really anxiety-producing tick tock if you are going too slow.
SIGHTS & SOUNDS
You would be forgiven if this game gives you a sense of déjà vu. It is the artwork and world of a non casual game. But ONLY the artwork – well, the weird mind set too. And it is unique. Quirky. Not-of-this-world. All the better to make it harder for you to figure out the puzzle. Also excellent and top quality. But you must like cartoon to really appreciate it.
I love the music. It is really soothing but remains interesting, if you stop to listen to it, which of course, you can’t if you want to finish the level.
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
Well, there’s no story, no voiceover (except ‘terrific’), no instructions, no hint, no help, no SG. So, the answer to “what’s happening?” is “haven’t a clue”, but it doesn’t matter. There are 6 locations with 15 levels each, which tells me that whatever we are doing is gonna take a long time.
COMBINED IMPACT
Are you one of the people tired of ‘same old, same old’ HOPAs? Perhaps one of the many experts who are frustrated by the easiness of the puzzles in HOPA games? Well, get those punchcard coupon codes that you all have too many of ready, because this is right up your alley!
For most players, this is a strictly niche market game, I think. You might want to demo it just to see what’s all the fuss about, but it’s not likely to appeal to you. Me, I hate timed games usually, but I might just get this out of pure stubbornness. Having got into it a bit, I find myself itching to see just how far I can manage to get – before my head explodes!
I recommend this game!
_
_
_
_
but I'll give it a try after work today.
Nooooooooooooo! I wanted you clever puzzle people to try this game!! 
