Developer: Daydream Software
Publisher: Daydream Software
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
Spheria – Review
Having a ball just got a whole new meaning. The original meaning stands when talking about Spheria, but it also coincides with the game mechanics. ‘Control the destiny of your balls. Your life depends on it.’ This is taken right from the Steam Store page, and it must be said, obvious innuendo is obvious. Spheria is Daydream Software’s first title and even though they haven’t nailed a triple a multi-console game quite yet, they aren’t off to a bad start.
Story
You are an inorganical spherical object rolling around prefabricated environments all the while destroying the environment and turning on switches so you can teleport to the next stage. ‘Oh, you wanted a journey with a protagonist and a character arc and personal growth and deep storytelling and brimming with lore and background information?’ ‘Please look somewhere else, the story is that you have to progress through the levels, you are a ball after all what personal growth had you expected? What inner conflict or mental turmoil could a ball have exactly?’ Don’t go looking for something like that in the game because you’ll be sorely disappointed.
Graphics
When it comes to the graphics it the game is quite clear, the stages are well crafted and even without the tutorial, the game is accessible and with a little common sense you’ll understand the do’s and don’ts of this title. There are blocks that range from green to red which change colour when you tap them, and then there’s the blue ones that can’t be destroyed. There are several panels on which you’ll roll that have visual effects that, though they won’t really test the mettle of your graphics card, are still quite nice. The game has been made in the Unity engine, which means low resolution graphics making it possible for most low end computers to run the games produced on this engine, Spheria being no exception.
Sound
Soundwise, Spheria is really quite well crafted. The tune playing in the background of both the menus as the game itself isn’t obtrusive. There’s only one tune for each, yet they loop subtly and don’t drown out the rest of the game or doesn’t distract you too much from the game itself. It’s just a soft melody. This means it won’t stress you out and helps you stay focused on the task at hand and keeping your head screwed on tightly is a necessity, so it’s good the music doesn’t rack your nerves.
‘There’s no voice act-‘ “Could you just shut up about the voice acting, of course there isn’t any, it’s not like your character has a mouth to convey emotions or thoughts with.” That’s where you’re right, but even so, if there were a voice telling you the objectives that would have been nice. It would jack up the price of the game quite some, so maybe it’s best for it to have been omitted.
Gameplay
Spheria is a puzzle platforming game. On Steam the game is labled as a ‘casual’ game, but to be frank, there is nothing ‘casual’ about it. More on that later. Let’s cover the basics first. You are a ball and the goal of the game is to activate every switch in the level and then make it to the teleportation device to progress. When it comes to controls, you can use a gamepad, the cursor keys, or W,A,S,D. If none of those are to your liking, you can always opt for a mouse, which makes for a vast improvement on the keys on your keyboard. That being said, knowing the goal and getting there are two entirely different things.
There are several obstacles stopping you from completing your goal. There’s the blue tiles, which will make you slide all over the place, there are the brown tiles which will slow down your movement. There’s the tiles with the arrows on them which will propel you in the arrow’s direction. There are the blocks and tiles that change from green to red with every touch of your ball and which will disappear when they’ve been depleted, sometimes cutting off your path. Blue boxes will bump you in the opposite direction.
It’s not the obstacles that might make you ragequit. it’s the layout of the levels. They are well crafted and you really need to be able for some twitch gaming at times, which makes the whole ‘casual’ part in the Steam Store seem inappropriate. a minimap in the level itself would really be appreciated as it currently stands, it’s impossible for you to know where the next switch is and you might wander off into the wrong direction. This wouldn’t be bad if the levels weren’t timed but they are so a signal would really be helpful, even if it could be toggled, for those puzzle fanatics that like their canondrums hard.
When you’ve finally beaten the level, and you haven’t made it in the designated time, you can always try again, or another level altogether as no levels have been blocked off and you can blow off some steam on another level if you are too aggravated by the current one. It’s not a hard game by any means when you want to play it, but it’s a bitch to master. When you do complete several levels and obtain enough gold medals or the ‘block breaker’ medals, you’ll unlock different balls with different specs. Be warned, unlocking them is no easy feat.
Conclusion
When you are looking for a real good time sink and a game in which you are tested by the puzzles in a low key game, then Spheria will scratch your itch, if you are looking for a lore heavy puzzle game you might want to look elsewhere. Spheria can also be played in between other games or as a means to relax your mind, levels are short and depending on your completionist attitude you might love or hate it. With the price as it is, there’s nothing really stopping your from trying it out.
Spheria - Review,
No Comments