Review It Like It's Hot: "Droplitz"

Question: What’s the best way to tell that a game has really hooked you?

Answer: When, every time you sit down to write about the game, you instead decide to go play it some more. (okay, maybe that only happens to people who review games on a regular basis…)

Such has been my experience with DROPLITZ. I had only heard about this new puzzle game because it was published by Atlus. Normally I go to them to get my RPG fix, but it seems they have a knack for publishing good games regardless of genre.

The developers, Blitz Arcade, have essentially merged Pipe Dream and Tetris. I’m not going to heavy on the details of the game’s mechanics. For that, I give you the following tutorial video.

With that out of the way, let’s talk about why I love playing this game, and why I can keep playing it for hours on end without throwing my controller across the room.

I am jealous of your massive multiplier, sir.

You see, the game is quite challenging. There are four different modes of play, and most of them offer varying board sizes and difficulty levels. I cannot unlock most of the larger board sizes for any of the types of play, either because the game is too hard or I am too stupid. But that hasn’t stopped me. For weeks now, I keep playing. Why? The atmosphere, that’s why.

The colors are cool. The graphics are smooth. The musical themes, though changing from level to level slightly, are all based on the same theme and blend quite nicely. And when you lose? The words “Droplitz Depleted” appear on your screen rather calmly, and the “game over” jingle has a nice tone of completion to it. It doesn’t sound like a bad thing at all, really. So why not give it another go? Most puzzle games make me angry when I lose. This one just keeps me coming back for more, always smiling.

A 720p disco party? Count me in!

My only gripe about the game is that you really have to be careful when you finish connecting a path. Because once you do, those pieces are set into place. Nevermind that rotating one piece in that set could allow you to connect three more paths, giving you some sweet multipliers. Somehow, you’ll have to plan that in advance. I guess that’s what separates the noobs from the masters. I guess I should stop rotating with just the one button (clockwise) and use the other (counter-clockwise) button to save time as well.

Droplitz was launched in late June for almost every modern platform: PC, Xbox 360, PS3, and even iPod Touch / iPhone. It recently had a 50% off sale for most of those platforms ($5 instead of $10, kthx!), which is when I took advantage of a full purchase (instead of relying on an all-too-brief free demo version). Seriously kids? Screw Bejeweled. There’s a new king of casual puzzle games in town.

“Droplitz like it’s hot,” indeed.