[Review] Osmos

Osmos

Platform: iOS, Android, PC, Mac, Linux

I simply have to stop and take a moment to tell you about a gaming experience that can be described as nothing short of sublime. Osmos is by no means a new game having been released by Hemisphere Games in 2009 but it is a game that compels me to recommend you stop what you are doing, open the application store on your mobile device and purchase it immediately.

Both calming and alluring, Osmos draws you in with relaxed gameplay and a serene soundtrack that blends in perfectly with the speed and setting of the game. I found myself enjoying its cool, calm pace that rewards good decisions, gut instinct and above all patience which is in stark contrast to the lightning reflexes or quick trigger finger that most games require to excel.

The aim of Osmos differs from level to level but the overall goal is always the same; absorb smaller organisms and grow in size and strength until you are the biggest. You are the hunter, the survivor, the dominant life form which is, for want of a better term, a single cell organism. Touching the edge of your organism will propel you in a direction by shedding some of your mass in a jet like fashion and by coming in contact with smaller organisms you can absorb them and add their mass to your own.

Just be sure to avoid larger organisms that aim do the same to you. Controlling the speed and direction of your organism is a key factor of survival in this form of cellular darwinism and taking your time will pay off in the long run as abusing your propulsive abilities will cause you to rapidly shrink in size and turn potential nourishment into potential threats.

Verdict

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There is little more to speak of on the topic os Osmos. It is a gaming experience like no other and it does exactly what it aims to achieve perfectly. Lay on the couch on a quiet night at home with a hot tea or other beverage in hand and enjoy the experience as you seek out the same thing that every organism does; self preservation.

Hemisphere Games offer a DRM free version of Osmos on MAC, PC and Linux available directly for $10.

Android Market offers for $4.99

iTunes

Osmos was recently available for next to nothing through the Humble Indie Bundle: Android. For more another game Blueonblue doesn’t want you to miss, check out his Bastion review.