Beatshapers presents us with another great mini-puzzle game for the PSP, Enigmo. The goal of this game is to get 40 droplets of water, oil, and/or lava into its collection container. Sounds simple? Well think again.
In order to get the liquids to their appropriate containers, you are given 8 different types of objects which you then use to guide the liquids. Slides are smooth and will allow the liquids to slide down them when angled. The particle accelerator takes the droplets that enter at the base and shoots them out the top at an accelerated rate. Then there is the drip sponge, which does what it sounds like; it soaks up the droplets and slowly drips them out of the bottom. Lastly, there are several types of bumpers which will make the droplets bounce. How high the droplets will bounce depends on the hardness of the bumper; the hard it is the more bounce you get. Also, the walls are sometimes textured which will affect how the droplets react upon contact.
You are given complete control over these objects to place them anywhere and at any angle you wish. The first thing I was worried about was not being able to rearrange objects once I placed them. This was not the case which was a relief because I have played too many puzzle games where I had to reset the whole level if I placed one thing wrong. You might still find yourself using the reset a lot, though. This is because it can take some time to figure out the best layout to your Rube Goldberg machine, and your score is based on how quickly you complete the level. For every level you complete you unlock another. Since you start out with a few unlocked stages, this is another nice feature because if you get stuck on one level you can skip it for now and try your luck on another.
I do wish that there were some sound controls for this game. I liked the Zen-like music that plays in the background. However once I started the level, I could no longer hear it over the sound of the dripping liquids. At times the sound of the dripping liquids started to feel like water torture; I would have much preferred the soothing Zen music.
As far as graphics are concerned, I was impressed. What you see in the trailer video is what you get in real game play. The graphics are very clean, smooth, and 3D!
You can get this game for just $3.99, and I think it is well worth it. With 50 different levels to play through you won’t get bored. This game does require some thought to figuring out which objects to place where, and at what angle, to get 40 droplets of each liquid into the appropriate container. Engimo will definitely suck up a lot of your time.
