Breaking Out The Grey Cubes - [INDIEGAMING]

There are few games more iconic than the humble block breaking game. Simple in concept but perpetually challenging, they are a sort of video game that we have been playing since almost the very beginning. Bouncing a ball off a paddle into a destructible wall in one form or another is probably among the earliest gaming memories for most players. So it is natural that people will want to recreate both that feeling of nostalgia, and to revitalize it at the same time. Deion Mobile's Grey Cubes is one such take on a timeless classic.

At first glance, the game looks like a straightforward version of a breakout game. You have a paddle, a ball, and some blocks. You slide the paddle laterally and launch the ball at the blocks. It's at that first impact where Grey Cubes deviates from the formula.

Unlike other breakout games, the blocks have 3D physics on them. When they're hit, they will be knocked about and repositioned, and will in turn move the remaining blocks they should happen to run into. The ball will carom about and some shots can drastically alter the positioning of the cubes. The reflections and rebounds this causes of the ball might catch you by surprise, and you have to learn to anticipate not only how the ball will bounce, but what all it will bounce into as objects move about the play field.

That play field is, well, grey. It's quite grey. Different shades of grey, certainly, but definitely grey. The ball illuminates the blocks a little bit, so the greyness is changing a little, which is welcome. It's not dull, but it isn't terribly interesting. At least the blocks being spread about will make the game move visually dynamic. That's okay, since it makes keeping track of the ball a little easier, but sitting down and playing through level after level can get a little trying, especially as they get more complicated.

The levels certainly do get more complicated too, which is very welcome. In addition to simply having your initial layout of blocks, the levels can have different elements to account for, such as bumpers which change the balls reflection on the side boundaries to the levels, or moving obstructions to account for. They really do a lot with the formula and there are some very clever uses of the ball-bouncing mechanics to add variety. Also the levels can occupy more than a single screen of the game, so in essence there are more levels than the game would let on. All in all, there's a lot of content to this game.

The game has an ambient soundtrack that is unobtrusive, yet it feels very familiar. I'm not sure if I've heard it somewhere else but it definitely reminds me of something. It's an interesting feeling to have drummed up by such a simple soundtrack, and I can't really tell if it enhances the nostalgia factor or is caused by it. The sound effects such as the ball hitting blocks or your paddle reacting to collected powerups, are distinct and you can tell easily how things are going just by the sounds being made, though you really should keep close watch on the ball.

It offers the standard assortment of powerups you would come to expect in this sort of game, with multiball and large paddle being the most desirable. There are a few others to be found, but they don't have quite the same significant effect. There are also debuffs which can spawn that you'd best avoid, such as small paddle. Luckily these debuffs are very distinguishable from the powerups, as they're a stark red colour in contrast to everything else. There's also a magnet which charges up as you play, which I think pulls the ball automatically towards the nearest block for a while. At the very least, the ball goes away from the paddle, which can be useful for clearing off the last few blocks of a level.

All things considered, what we have with Grey Cubes is not extremely ground breaking. There's very little ground left to be broken with breakout games, so that's understandable. What's left though is really a fun way to pass some time, and the game is capable of surprising you with its level design, taking advantage of the 3D physics and block pushing mechanics. If you like breakout games and want to try something a little different, and you don't mind the grey, then you'll have a good time with Grey Cubes.

from IndieGames.com http://ift.tt/1PZUjP6
via IndieGaming, visit and read the original first posting to get complete and more detail about this article, support the independence Gaming , Enjoy