Review: Grindstone

cre: Review: Grindstone

Your next obsession

When the core mechanism of a puzzle game is burned into your mind so much that it flashes brightly before you every time you close your eyes, you know you’ve done too much. This is precisely where I’m at right now with Capybara’s new puzzle grinding wheelreleased this month as one of Apple Arcade’s first titles.

games like Critter Crunch and even Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes feel like a short time ago, but they always come back when people don’t fixate on sword and sorcery, Super Force of Timeand Below.

i’m afraid that grinding wheel could be eclipsed – short-term, as gamers try to sift through Apple Arcade in its first month, and long-term, as Capy focuses its attention elsewhere. – but let this gorgeous game serve as a firm reminder that these puzzle makers can always deliver.

grinding wheel (iOS)
Developer: Capybara Games
Publisher: Capybara games
Released: September 19, 2019
MSRP: part of Apple Arcade ($4.99 per month)

It only took one tutored level for me to be sold grinding wheel. I am that in the basic concept. Basically, it’s a hodgepodge of matching colored gems and turn-based tactics, and it’s executed brilliantly.

Playing as Jorj, an adventurous father who has definitely seen better days, you’ll attempt to climb Grindstone Mountain floor by floor, level by level, lap by lap. My initial reading about the game made me think I was in a punishing roguelike (since you need to refill your health between rounds and from time to time to get gear repair resources),but it is not. grinding wheel can be super tricky, but it’s not a roguelike.

On each turn, you’ll make a path between a group of red, yellow, blue, green, or purple monsters in hopes of creating the biggest chain possible – while ending your attack in a safe place and ideally setting yourself up for future success. It’s so simple! (Except, in many cases, it’s absolutely not the case.) Like all the best puzzles, you have to constantly consider both micro and macro factors. You cannot have tunnel vision.

Jorj can move in eight directions (in other words, diagonals are fair game), and if he takes out ten or more creeps in a single strike, a gem will land on the map which can be used to chain an attack on different – colorful monsters – for example: a yellow group first, then green (or whatever is within reach).

This basic premise – generate enough momentum to clear the board when the time is right – factors into larger enemies, which have HP and roam. The longer your combo, the more damage you will deal when you land on a Big Guy. The principle also applies to breakable obstacles, trapdoor opening levers, tombstones that raise skeletons, bosses and much more. One of my favorite parts of grinding wheel it’s seeing an enemy for the first time, understanding their quirks, and using them to my advantage.

Most levels require you to kill a certain number of creeps – or in some cases the smarter, non-color-coded creatures – to open the exit door. Here’s the trick, though: even the simplest enemies can be deadly if you ignore them for too long. With each round, more puny monsters will become enraged, a signal that if you end a round sitting next to them, you’ll take a hit. By default, Jorj only has three hearts.

When he bites the dust, you will lose all your items and progress through a level. Failure stings when you’re earning an optional objective (e.g. unlocking a treasure chest), or completing a bonus challenge (“kill three bats in one chain”), or just trying to quit a long battle after a Job Well Done. It’s not necessarily enough to win – you have to get out alive. There is a growing sense of urgency.

In general, Capybara does a good job of introducing wrinkles on a regular basis, whether it’s environmental hazards, unique monster behaviors, or new gear. You can hold three items, some of which are “resupplied” each time you enter a level, and some of which must be manually maintained in town using various forms of currency earned in battle. Unsurprisingly, the most advanced things – to like poison arrows or an ability that allows you to jump onto any tile – tends to require repairs.

This overall aspect of grinding wheel feels an unrefined touch. Once I got into the nitty-gritty, I never really needed to consciously grind, but even then, topping up energy and health between levels felt like a mild chore. I could see that some of these off-level elements had to exist in a free game, but they aren’t sufficiently justified here. Do I like the underlying idea of ​​customization? Sure! Did I get by using the same version for most grinding wheel‘s 150 levels? You better believe it.

On that note, there’s the question of the length of the game. I don’t say this very often, but there you go: it’s too long. Capy could consolidate 20 percent of grinding wheel and the game would be better for it. That 20% is still fun, to be clear, but when a great game feels padded in any way, it’s even more noticeable.

Even with those quibbles, I love this game. grinding wheelThe tactical color-matching vanity is one of the most satisfying puzzle game mechanics in recent memory. I’m hopelessly addicted, and I have no regrets.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game through an Apple Arcade subscription purchased by the reviewer.]}

source: gameplaytrick.com -

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