Energy Cycle (PlayStation 4) Review

Energy Cycle takes a time-tested puzzle concept and gives it a new look. The premise is to click on different spaces on a board, changing the colour of that space and several other spaces around that space. By doing so, the player will eventually need to change the whole board to a single colour. There are three modes, including a puzzle mode, a time attack mode, and an infinite mode.

Truth be told, with the core gameplay being so simple, one would look almost spoiled to say that it's not a good package. Anyone buying this game is likely a fan of this style of puzzler. They will likely find themselves still underwhelmed, however, and looking for their colour-changing fix elsewhere by the time the whole experience is over.

The first issue is the look. Energy Cycle seems to use basic 3D art techniques to create sparks instead of just using tiles to represent each space, and they look very haphazardly created. While the 2D cat or hamster-like creatures the game seems to be associated with are pretty interesting, they function as little more than clip art mascots. The cursor is also little more than a green smudge, and contributes to the overall unappealing look that is sported.

Fortunately, the gameplay works perfectly fine. Unfortunately, it does absolutely nothing to differentiate itself from the copious amount of similar titles that have come out since humankind figured out how to make computers interactive. The time attack mode gives one hour to solve as many puzzles as possible, making it the most innovative mode of the lot, but it's still nothing that can't be found in a similar package.

If one word had to describe the problem here, that word would be "unremarkable." The infinite mode may be the biggest draw, but again, this isn't the first time this mode has been seen, either. The good news is that the controls function properly throughout. It's the saving grace of an experience that manages to combine unattractive visuals with unremarkable gameplay. Well, that and the low price point may be enough to sway gamers with a bit more cash in their PSN wallets.