We at Geeky Hobbies would like to thank Lucky You Studio for the review copy of Kumoon: Ballistic Physics Puzzle used for this review. Other than receiving a free copy of the game to review, we at Geeky Hobbies received no other compensation for this review. Receiving the review copy for free had no impact on the content of this review or the final score.
Concept
In Kumoon: Ballistic Physics Puzzle you play as a little orange robot. You objective in each level is to use the gun/cannon on your robot to shoot out little balls to hit/activate all of the boxes in the level which changes their color and gives you points. Scattered throughout each level are various shapes that are highlighted/glowing. Each time you hit one of these objects with the balls you shoot, the value of the boxes will go up. Each box starts at a value of one and increases for each deflection of the ball that ultimately hits it. This bonus multiplayer is reset for each ball you shoot so you will have to deflect the balls off obstacles before you hit the boxes or you will fail the mission. In order to complete each level you need to hit all of the boxes and score enough points. If you activate all of the boxes but don’t score enough points you will be forced to retry the level.
Review
Kumoon is an interesting game. Both the shooter and puzzle genre of games are quite popular in their own ways. The two genres are rarely put together though since Portal is one of the few games that I can think of that really uses both. While Kumoon shares little in common with Portal, I could see a lot of Portal fans also enjoying Kumoon. While the game is not going to appeal to everyone, Kumoon is an interesting fun little puzzle shooter.
If I had to classify Kumoon, I would probably say that it is a casual game. While the game is different than most games that would be classified as “casual”, the game has a very laid back feel to it. The game has no time limit, there are no enemies to kill, you can use as many balls as you want, and you can take as much time as you want on any puzzle. The only way to actually fail a puzzle is if you hit too many of the boxes without having the ball rebound off one of the specified surfaces.
Overall I had fun with Kumoon. I wouldn’t play the game for hours at a time but I think the game would work especially well in situations where you have a little time to kill and you want a relaxing gaming experience. Kumoon would work great in these situations since while you have to plan out how you want to approach a level, the game never gets so complicated that you have to stress out about how to solve any particular puzzle.
For the most part the physics appear to work well. The balls and boxes seem to react correctly to collisions and the game does a good job utilizing the physics to create an interesting idea for a game. Sometimes the balls seem to take some strange angles when bouncing off walls which makes it a little hard to figure out how a ball is going to bounce off a surface. This means you might have to throw quite a few balls just to test out how they bounce off a particular wall or surface.
At this point I have completed all of the easy and medium levels and have started on the hard levels. I have to say that the game has been pretty easy at this point. Most of the levels are set up in a way where it is pretty easy to reach the desired number of points that you need in order to proceed to the next level. In most levels you only have to rebound the ball off one surface in order to get enough points to complete a level. Mix in a couple shots where you get several rebounds and you usually score significantly higher than you need in any particular level. While the game could get considerably harder in the last couple of levels, a basic understanding of physics and a little skill in shooters will let you breeze through the levels. This is kind of disappointing since the game would have been a lot better if the puzzles were more challenging requiring you to get more creative on how to hit the boxes.
Some other quick thoughts:
- The game could have used a little more of a tutorial. The game gives you a few hints with pictures displayed on the walls but the game does kind of make you figure out the game for yourself.
- As far as I am in the game, the game has no story whatsoever. This is not particularly surprising though since how many games like this actually have a story.
- Due to not having a VR headset I was unable to test anything regarding the VR support. I don’t know how much a VR headset will add to the experience.
Bang For Your Buck
While I haven’t finished the game yet, I would say that I only have around ten or so puzzles left in the game. At this point I have played the game for almost three hours. Based on how I have progressed through the game so far, I would estimate the game to be around four hours long. If the last couple of levels are considerably more difficult this could get closer to four and a half hours. Overall the length is not terrible but I wish the game had more puzzles and they were a little more difficult. While some people would get some enjoyment out of replaying the levels to beat their high score, I don’t see a lot of replay value with the game.
The base game retails at $7.99 (an additional $4.99 for VR support) which is not terrible. If the game sounds interesting to you, you could probably get your money’s worth out of the game. If you are only curious about the game though, I would probably wait for a sale.
Should You Purchase Kumoon: Ballistic Physics Puzzle?
Kumoon is a fun game but it is not going to be for everyone. If you are looking for a action/fast paced game, Kumoon is not going to be for you. If the concept interests you I think you should have fun with the game. The game is unique and does a good job blending a shooter with a physics based game. The game is pretty easy though so if you are looking for a challenge you may be a little disappointed. Kumoon is more of a game to play when you have a little time to kill and want to play something that will calm/relax you.
If the concept interests you I would pick up Kumoon at some point. If it doesn’t though I would probably recommend passing on the game.