Frustratingly Addictive
This lemmings-esque bridge building puzzle game is very enjoyable yet very difficult in certain places.
The game has two single player modes and one multiplayer mode. In puzzle mode you will find yourself progressing through 20 missions in 4 different stages each with its own unique elements. Time attack mode gives you a nearly complete structure but with some vital pieces missing. Use your skill and work out where to add the pieces in the quickest time possible. The multiplayer mode is called Deconstruction. The jenga-like game has you and another removing girders from a structure. Once you remove a girder the game plays it out and if the structure breaks within a certain amount of time you lose.
When you play puzzle mode you will find yourself mostly tweaking your bridge designs through trial and error. When you want to test the design you simply press the start button and the elephants will reluctantly progress over your no doubt questionable design of a bridge. You can slow down the speed of the elephant to see exactly where the structure faults. This can be useful in certain levels where you want to conserve your items. There is a total of 8 different items you will use. You will get a set number of these items in each level. Most of the items are made up of girders. You will be deducted less points if you use less girders. For example if you used a normal square box that is made up of 4 girders you would get less points deducted than if you had used a square box with and x shape going through it which is made up of 6 girders. The scoring starts from 100,000 and goes down on a timer. Thankfully when the points get to 0 the game doesn't finish on you. You take your time when you are on a level.
Each section of levels in the game gives you slightly different gameplay and challenges. The first section of levels are quite simple and for the most part quite easy. You must reinforce the metal bridges so that the elephant can get to the other side safely. On one level some meerkats come along and start jumping on one side. This made you accommodate the weight and the force of the elephant and the meerkats jumping up and down.
The second section probably differs most from the others. The elephants are dropped onto the level by birds. On the pathways are golden elephants which you will need to collect. In order to progress you will need to have the elephant drop down and collect all the golden elephants and then fall onto the platform marked with an exit sign. This section does change the way you need to think about the physics and I found most if not all my structures broke after the elephant rolled by. But he still made it through.
The third section gives you rope and replaces metal pieces with flexible wooden pieces. You will need to lay the bridge yourself and reinforce it using the rope. On this section you will need to make sure that you use the rope wisely and don't waste any on unneeded areas. I found some levels very challenging in this section and some took over 40 minutes! Although it was very satisfying seeing the elephants triumph on the other side of the level.
The fourth section takes place in the circus. It combines all of the different items used in all the other sections. On a couple of levels you will be able to actually change the material the girders are made from. Metal is more rigid and strong but heavier than wood which is more flexible yet weaker. This just adds more to the gameplay and makes it more enjoyable. Some mice are present on some of the platforms. The elephants are frightened of the mice so you will have to avoid the platform they are pacing on.
The game is quite difficult in certain areas and it can get quite frustrating if you just cant wrap your head around a certain level. Although sometimes frustrating I found it always enjoyable. It isn't the same frustration felt when playing a shooter for example. I was always relaxed and never tense when I couldn't seem to get my bridge to work.
The graphics in the game are quite detailed. When you zoom right into the girders you will see the metallic texture and bolts. The elephants are cute and they gain plasters and the odd broken paw when you keep killing them. This doesn't change their speed or anything, it is just a visual quirk. There is some nice effects such as mist and sandstorms. Although i found the entire second section quite hard to play because on my TV the colours and lighting made it hard to see what i was doing. But the rest of the sections looked great.
Overall the game has a lot to offer. If you like the idea of using your brain to figure out what way to build a bridge and where the optimal place for certain girders is then you will certainly enjoy this game. The game works very well when played with friends as they can give you advice or just laugh at the elephants falling to their deaths. You certainly get enough for the five dollars you spend and I am sure you will enjoy playing this game. And if you cant seem to do a level my advice would be to stick with it and think logically!
The game has two single player modes and one multiplayer mode. In puzzle mode you will find yourself progressing through 20 missions in 4 different stages each with its own unique elements. Time attack mode gives you a nearly complete structure but with some vital pieces missing. Use your skill and work out where to add the pieces in the quickest time possible. The multiplayer mode is called Deconstruction. The jenga-like game has you and another removing girders from a structure. Once you remove a girder the game plays it out and if the structure breaks within a certain amount of time you lose.
When you play puzzle mode you will find yourself mostly tweaking your bridge designs through trial and error. When you want to test the design you simply press the start button and the elephants will reluctantly progress over your no doubt questionable design of a bridge. You can slow down the speed of the elephant to see exactly where the structure faults. This can be useful in certain levels where you want to conserve your items. There is a total of 8 different items you will use. You will get a set number of these items in each level. Most of the items are made up of girders. You will be deducted less points if you use less girders. For example if you used a normal square box that is made up of 4 girders you would get less points deducted than if you had used a square box with and x shape going through it which is made up of 6 girders. The scoring starts from 100,000 and goes down on a timer. Thankfully when the points get to 0 the game doesn't finish on you. You take your time when you are on a level.
Each section of levels in the game gives you slightly different gameplay and challenges. The first section of levels are quite simple and for the most part quite easy. You must reinforce the metal bridges so that the elephant can get to the other side safely. On one level some meerkats come along and start jumping on one side. This made you accommodate the weight and the force of the elephant and the meerkats jumping up and down.
The second section probably differs most from the others. The elephants are dropped onto the level by birds. On the pathways are golden elephants which you will need to collect. In order to progress you will need to have the elephant drop down and collect all the golden elephants and then fall onto the platform marked with an exit sign. This section does change the way you need to think about the physics and I found most if not all my structures broke after the elephant rolled by. But he still made it through.
The third section gives you rope and replaces metal pieces with flexible wooden pieces. You will need to lay the bridge yourself and reinforce it using the rope. On this section you will need to make sure that you use the rope wisely and don't waste any on unneeded areas. I found some levels very challenging in this section and some took over 40 minutes! Although it was very satisfying seeing the elephants triumph on the other side of the level.
The fourth section takes place in the circus. It combines all of the different items used in all the other sections. On a couple of levels you will be able to actually change the material the girders are made from. Metal is more rigid and strong but heavier than wood which is more flexible yet weaker. This just adds more to the gameplay and makes it more enjoyable. Some mice are present on some of the platforms. The elephants are frightened of the mice so you will have to avoid the platform they are pacing on.
The game is quite difficult in certain areas and it can get quite frustrating if you just cant wrap your head around a certain level. Although sometimes frustrating I found it always enjoyable. It isn't the same frustration felt when playing a shooter for example. I was always relaxed and never tense when I couldn't seem to get my bridge to work.
The graphics in the game are quite detailed. When you zoom right into the girders you will see the metallic texture and bolts. The elephants are cute and they gain plasters and the odd broken paw when you keep killing them. This doesn't change their speed or anything, it is just a visual quirk. There is some nice effects such as mist and sandstorms. Although i found the entire second section quite hard to play because on my TV the colours and lighting made it hard to see what i was doing. But the rest of the sections looked great.
Overall the game has a lot to offer. If you like the idea of using your brain to figure out what way to build a bridge and where the optimal place for certain girders is then you will certainly enjoy this game. The game works very well when played with friends as they can give you advice or just laugh at the elephants falling to their deaths. You certainly get enough for the five dollars you spend and I am sure you will enjoy playing this game. And if you cant seem to do a level my advice would be to stick with it and think logically!