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NEVER SHOOT POOL WITH A PHYSICIST. I’ve learned plenty of things throughout the years,
but that’s the most important. NEVER SHOOT POOL WITH A PHYSICIST. Kinda put me off the
game, after that. If you must get your physics-related gaming on, do it in single-player, preferably
with a puzzle game that expands your mind while you... well, while you feed a little
monster candy. I suppose that’s the go-to any time there’s things falling and ropes
being cut. But Obulis has graduated from phones and now takes the form of an actual PC release,
bringing... well, they’re chains here, so chain-cutting... to a less mobile, more cerebral
audience. Who may or may not be terrified of little alien monster things disregarding
their health and well-being to gorge on candy, no matter how cute said alien monster thing
may be.
Your goal: Get the colored balls into the matching... erm, vessels. They might be urns,
they might be jars, they might be plants. To this end, your only tools are the ability
to cut chains and posts, and the potential energy contained within these spheres as determined
by the level’s design. It’ll take forethought, it’ll take analysis, it’ll probably take
several trial runs to best understand a particular sphere’s behavior. And it’ll take split-second
timing, as demonstrated by me, trying to land this shot on just the right millimeter of
the target ball. It’s like billiards with gravity... and cannons, and slingshots, and
- most importantly, for those trying to arc a ball around a platform - THE LAW OF CONSERVATION
OF MOMENTUM.
But with the transition from smartphone app to full-fledged PC release, there is a rather
pronounced increase in real estate. Roomier screen means more complex levels, as balls
travel far and wide to make it to their destination, aided by moving platforms, and the like. And
then, of course, there might just be hidden passages in the shadows, which feels kinda
unfair until you figure them all out. But to Obulis’ credit, the game is presented
with enough fantastic scenery to... well, be completely disregarded, because you’re
focusing on the physics of it all. When you break it down, this is all just math in action,
no matter how gorgeous that waterfall effect is. And you’ll be enjoying it for quite
a while, as the game includes 151 puzzles of widely varying difficulty, separated into
three maps to be traversed at your leisure. There are even hidden levels to unlock, by
collecting the items in the Limbo-esque Inner Sanctum stages, in case you wanted even more
puzzles in your puzzles. I dunno, maybe I’ve just got a soft spot for games that feature
151 of anything, but I get the feeling I’m going to be sitting awake at 3AM sometime
this week, staring down a series of spherical interactions, cursing at the top of my lungs
and scaring the hell out of my roommate. So. Anyone wanna buy a pool cue? Barely used.