Finn Morgan is among a handful of developers that create games that really test how good of an obstacle solver we really are? His recent indie release Colour Bind is a game that definitely tests the minds commitment, and really delivers in testing the areas we tend to lose patience in.
GAMEPLAY
Colour Bind is a physics platformer based heavily on gravity which is controlled by colour. Players take control of a two-wheel vehicle which is constantly affected by the force of the colourful gravity environment.
The gameplay is one big puzzle, the player is constantly using their vehicle to hit coloured blocks or interacting with their coloured environment such as jumping or changing gravity to open up access ways to help them to complete the level, which to do that the player must collect a coloured triangle in a circle.
The gameplay requires extreme patience, effective strategizing and hard thinking, which pans it out as one of the greatest thinking games topping other indie brain teasers such as 4 Pics One Word.
There are 50 levels in the single player mode packed full of sophisticated puzzle platforming. The first couple of levels are pretty straight forward and easy but they’re nothing compared to what’s to come later on in the game.
This is where things turn out really disastrous and the confusion, swearing, cussing, cursing begin, mainly because after the first 8 or so levels that’s when the player feels their dropping the ball.
It’s usually from the site of the puzzle and constantly rolling over the same place for 20 minutes is when the pressure really seeps into the player and starts to wear them down.
As well as trying to get through all fifty levels, each level has a medal system. When the player begins a level the player will see a timer. This timer times the player on the amount of time it takes them to complete a level. The less time the player completes the level the more chances they will have in unlocking a medal. There are three types of medals gold, silver and bronze.
VISUALS
Colour Bind’s visuals have a very 90’s based visual tone and feel to it. The levels are all very simplistically designed and the color tone is perfectly chosen as it brings out a lot of the game. In terms of the obstacles and the main vehicle the dark backgrounds really make the backgrounds bounce right out of the game which makes it look more visually appealing.
CONTROLS
Controls are quite simple as most of the time the player is using the A,D,S,W keys making controls quite easy to get a hang of however at times controls tend to get confusing especially when climbing walls and ceilings the controls switch to the opposite.
So the button to go forward turns into the backwards button, however everything becomes second nature after a couple of levels or repeating levels tends to do the trick. Besides that controls are tight.
SOUNDTRACK
The music used in Colour Bind is probably the most chilled part of the game, almost like thinking/soothing music to bring you some sort of calmness to all the frustration, and it works really well.
MULTI-PLAYER
Colour Bind does have its own multiplayer and plays well as both players play on a split screen and maneuver together. As you both journey to try to solve the sophisticated gravity based puzzles at the same time.
There is also an added Level Editor Mode which players can download levels made by various Color Bind players.
REPLAY
Colour Bind was already a challenging game and through the tough and agonizing brutality of having to stay motivated and committed to completing the mind bobbling puzzles, I think playing it once was hard enough to beat.
However for fanatics that enjoy taking the great brain teaser on once again there are two more modes included in the game that they can test their obstacle solving skills once more. As well players can always try to attempt to gain all the medals on all 50 levels if their up for the challenge.
OVERALL 7/10
Colour Bind is a fantastic brain teaser however to be honest I found myself losing interest to move forward with the game mainly through my frustration with some of the obstacles, however it’s still a great way to exercise the mind and get the thinking cap on.
It’s definitely not a game for everyone, it’s repetitively competitive and impossible, however for others wanting a real brain twister this is the game to play.
Colour Bind is now available for purchase via Steam.
