Review: Netbots

For games like this that aren't especially deep or interesting, I am going to forgo the full-length review. There just really isn't that much to say other than that first little paragraph. So without further ado I present the review of:

Netbots

Developer: Maik Haider

Genre: Puzzle

This is literally the whole game over and over again in different configurations

Total Score: 2 out of 5 (Okay)

Netbots is basically just tangrams with weird robot heads and a nonsensical storyline about attaching these robot heads to various machines (not featured) to make them run better. The puzzles, while of the appropriate difficulty curve, lack variety and depth; there is literally nothing more than adding the same 7 or so shapes onto the screen in different configurations. For puzzle lovers maybe you'll get through the whole thing, but for the rest of us you'll play 5 levels and give up. In any case, you won't really feel accomplished after you are done.


The score


System: 4
I really like the user interface of this game. It is very clean and simple -- elegant even. The game requires only very little nudging to get you to learn what to do; solving the puzzles is pretty intuitive once you understand how to form the blocks. The only hindrance to my puzzle solving was the difficulty of the puzzle itself, and that's really all I can ask for of a system in a game like this. That said, it would have been nice to see more features, such as being able to remove a created block by clicking on it.


Atmosphere: 1
The theme here is that you are assembling these Netbots onto a network, but nothing about the game gives that impression as you play. All there is are these very simplistic robot heads and a hex-based grid behind them. Not even the cutscenes have much depth or creativity. The music is so unbelievably repetitive I had to turn off my sound while I was writing this review because its looping was driving me insane.

Storytelling: 2
I really admire that there are movies (if you could call them that) to break up the puzzle playing experience. The storyline, however, is so simplistic I almost felt slighted when I actually earned one. And really the entire storyline really doesn't appear in any way shape or form in the game except in the movies, so you might as well play the game and watch a Youtube video every so often. It would have the same effect (maybe even better).


Replayability: 1
I almost challenge someone who doesn't otherwise love puzzles to sit through this whole game. I didn't, though I got farther than I would have for the sake of this review. There aren't even that many levels for those who really do enjoy this type of game, and the levels that they do have feature such little variety that you might as well play the same level over and over again.


Fun Factor: 3
I want to be fair to this game. It is fun... just not for very long. Its entertaining to exercise the logic part of your brain, and when you do solve a level based on pure logic it really is rewarding. Unfortunately, most (if not all) of the game can be solved with only a bit of guess and check. It's too easy to resort to that (or to rely on the hint button) when the answer isn't immediately obvious, so you won't really ever get the sense of accomplishment from this game that you might from other puzzle games.