IncrediBlox Review

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

IncrediBlox Review

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IncrediBlox Review

By Jason Wadsworth on November 9th, 2011
Our Rating:

:: MORE MATCHING
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad

A fairly predictable block matching game with some unique visual flair.

Developer: F5 Games

Price: $0.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0.1
Device Reviewed On: iPhone 3GS

Graphics / Sound Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Game Controls Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Gameplay Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Replay Value Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Overall Rating: 3.13 out of 5 stars

IncrediBlox is a block matching game at heart, and though it makes some interesting tweaks to the standard matching game formula, it ultimately suffers from it’s own uniqueness. This game is tons of fun to play when it works well, but like a clumsy break-dancer it starts to trip over itself when it tries to show off too much at once.

In IncrediBlox, players start by matching colored blocks into two by two squares to remove them from the screen. From there, players will encounter special colored blocks with comical faces that will unlock special powers when they are activated – like clearing a horizontal row of blocks or clearing any squares in a three by three area. Players activate these blocks by matching them in a two by two block or by hitting them with the effect from another block. Players will also find black blocks that can’t be matched or cleared. These blocks can only be cleared after a special block effect has changed them from black to another standard color and they are matched or cleared by a different special block.

Considering how the effects of the special blocks play off of one another and can be used in tandem to clear blocks in a very unique ways, IncrediBlox makes a much better puzzle game than it does a matching game. The game’s challenge levels are easily the high point of the whole game. True to their name, they challenge players to use the game’s special blocks in tandem to clear all the blocks from each level. Infinite mode basically throws all types of blocks at the player in random order to see how long they can last before the screen fills with blocks. This mode seems a bit schizophrenic and the special blocks seem to offset each other’s effects more than they work in tandem.

An interesting mode that bears mentioning is the Sequence mode that sends blocks at players in a predetermined sequence. By learning the sequence and planning strategically, players will score higher and higher and be able to compare their scores with others who play the same sequence.

While this may not be the best matching game, it does have some unique characteristics that set it apart and make it enjoyable. The paper craft style is quirky and whimsical if not super polished. The puzzling portion is unfortunately short, but there are other modes for players who can manage to juggle the often conflicting mechanics.