Onde

Today we are having a look at Onde which is a really cool zen-like (you will be hearing that phrase a lot here) puzzle game that has a very neat and interesting vibe and style about it all. If you like puzzle games that have a real sense of style about them and offer a somewhat unique kind of gaming experience, you are just the kind of person that is going to have a lot of fun with this game here.

Life Finds A Way

As this is a puzzle game, the story is not really what Onde is about, but they do at least give you a pretty interesting premise to give you a reason to be doing what you are doing. In a dark cave, there is this little shell that has a spark of life and it sets out to find the light. That is basically all there is to the story, you are this little shell-like thing that is looking for the light. It may be basic, but I think it does give you that little bit of drive to keep things moving forward.

Riding The Soundwave Is The Way Forward

You know whenever I hear or think of a soundwave, the awesome Transformer always pops into my mind. While Soundwave the transformer is not here, soundwaves are what move you forward in Onde. The music is a huge part of things and with each beat, waves be it a circle, line or whatever pulsate and this is what moves the shell forward, to the side, or where you need it to go. The puzzle aspect comes from trying to time things just right so that you are able to get to where you need to be. I know it sounds rather complex, but you get to grips with this within the first minute or so and it slowly builds upon it from there.

Sound And Light

The presentation of Onde is just awesome. The way it can start out dark and then spring to life with bright color and a pulsating soundtrack is pretty awesome stuff. While this is a puzzle game and your mind will certainly be engaged. Due to the music and the way that the game looks, you will find yourself in that zen-like state I mentioned earlier. I love it when a puzzle game has a funky look and soundtrack and that is certainly what is on offer here.

Pros:

• I like the way you ride on soundwaves
• The use of color is very clever and gives the game a really cool style
• It has a very “zen-like” feel about it all
• While challenging, this is also a game that is great if you want to unwind after a hard day

Cons:

• While I think it is cool, it is certainly not a game for everyone
• Not sure how much replay value there will be here