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Mercury Hg
Mercury Hg is a puzzle game where you try
and get a blob of mercury and have to move it from one end of the puzzle
to the other end. However, you don't control the blob of mercury, you
control the puzzle. Similar to those old tilting games that you would
see at arcades or restaurants you tilt the PS3 controller to tilt the
map and cause the blob of mercury to slid around while you try to avoid
falling off the edge. The premise behind the game is rather simple, and
yet the game is surprisingly addicting. I'm not a big fan of puzzle
games and they tend to bore me, however, I vastly enjoyed this game's
simple yet entertaining gameplay.
Mercury Hg is an action
puzzle game and you will need quick reflexes and good control with the
tilts and movements of the controller in order to not fall. The clever
thing about the game is that since you are a semi-liquid blob of mercury
you can lose pieces of yourself and still complete the level. You only
lose if all your mercury falls off the edge, nonetheless you get more
bonus points and goals for completing the level with 100% of your
mercury. Unlike most puzzle games I've played, Mercury Hg has a large
replay value due to the many goals of each level. Every puzzle has four
objectives which consist of completing a level within a certain time
limit, keeping all your mercury, collecting all of the pieces, and one
just for winning. They are also all mutually exclusive so one time you
can go for time, another you can go for 100% mercury, etc etc. If you
really want to test yourself try and get all four objectives cleared in
one try.
While the game might
seem a simple tilt and move, it includes a few clever features that keep
it a puzzle game. Some switches require your blob to be a certain color
and in order to change color you have to get to a specific device on the
map that will recolor your blob. Some parts of the puzzle will split
your mercury blob in two and you will need both pieces to complete the
map by hitting switches, activating color changes, and more. The game
also test your colors at times by forcing you to combine two or more
blobs of different colors to make a blob of a third color that you need
to activate a switch. These clever puzzles that force you to control
multiple blobs as you tilt the level add an amusing, yet not stressful,
feature to the game. I loved this game because I never felt like I had
only one way to win and had to do it exactly or lose. I felt in control
at all times and anytime I lost it was because I messed up, not because
I felt cheated that there was only one way.
While the game is
single-player it does have leaderboards and other ways to view other
players' times and scores. This nice feature gives competitive players a
goal to try and be the best as well as gives more incentive to keep
playing.
Another amazing feature of the game that got me really excited was the
ability to import your own music or use the in game included music.
Being able to listen to any music I wanted to while playing the game was
quite entertaining. While this might seem a gimmick it was well
implemented and based on the music playing would change how various
tiles and backgrounds would move and look. Play something fast and the
tiles would move up and down quickly and flash various colors all to the
beat of the music. Play something slow and it would be a smooth and slow
change. It didn't have much impact on the game, but it was cool to watch
and it felt like I had more control as well as got me hyped listening to
my own music.
The graphics for the
game aren't anything special. The game is crisp and pretty, but nothing
really sticks out. The game chooses to use typical HD graphics with
nothing special and that is fine. The graphics are modern and a game
like this doesn't need to do anything special since the graphics aren't
the focal point, the gameplay is.
Overall, Mercury Hg is
an engaging and fun game that will give you countless replay value and
help entertain you and kill time. It's clever premise and unique use of
the PS3's limited motion controls integrate well with the gameplay and
help immerse the player. Even better is the cost of the game. At the low
price of $4.99 it will definitely be worth the cost you pay for it. Not
only does the game have massive replay value and is long enough to be
worth the cost, but it has its own DLC as well. Sadly at the time of the
review I was unable to check or test any of the DLC, but even without
the DLC the game is more than worth the low cost. I recommend this game
to all people who love puzzle games and even to some who enjoy quick,
simple fun games that just kill a little bit of time. The mix of action
and puzzle along with the low cost makes this a game for almost anyone.
Michael Riling
Impulse Gamer |
