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AN OLD FAVOURITE OF the puzzle section in toy shops is the Labyrinth game, where you have to tip the game board across two axes to guide a ball bearing through a maze; avoiding holes and dead ends. Archer Maclean's Mercury brings this concept into the handheld console arena, replacing the ball with a blob of mercury and the holes with more sophisticated obstacles. You now have a game concept that really challenges the mind.
It starts off easily enough: tilt the play board to make the blob of mercury move through a simple maze to the finish line, but the true nature of the game quickly becomes evident. The blob possesses the viscosity and properties of true mercury, with the fascinating ability to stretch, split and come together again.
Where it really starts to become challenging is where you have to split the blob on sharp corners and send some of it one way and the rest elsewhere. Hit colour changes to change the blobs' colour, re-combine the split blob to make a third colour. Introduce gates that require certain coloured blobs to open them. Not tricky enough? Introduce moving platforms with no safety barriers, which require you remain in the centre or lose large parts of your mercury over the side. Add the challenge of a time clock and you have the formula for a puzzle game like no other.
The game features some 72 levels over 6 themed worlds. There are 'race against the clock' levels, percentage levels where you have to sacrifice some of your blob to reach the end but still have the required minimum percentage, task levels which involve changing colours and opening gates, combination levels and boss levels.
The only drawback of the game is that some players may find the challenge initially hard to get into. Some of the levels are really tough, and require you to plan your strategy in advance to successfully complete the level. Once you master the concepts though it is a game that is very hard to put down.
Game controls are very simple, with the very smooth PSP joystick being used to tilt and move the game board and an action button to re-orient the view. These very simple controls allow you to concentrate on the game rather than fight the controls.
The graphics are stunning. We were amazed at how physics were applied to the blob and how realistic it looked with all the reflections and color changes. The background scenes and themes all make for a package that really shows off the PSP's capabilities.
The game also features a two-player option (which requires another console) and the scoring system on the single player game guarantees a high replayability factor.
Overall this is a great little game, that will give you hours of challenge and fun. Its amazing graphics make Archer Maclean's Mercury the one you show off your PSP. |
