Puzzle games are prevalent on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and PSN. Some of them are great, while others can be boring and a complete waste of your time. Voodoo dice is a puzzle game that has several unorthodox features that will stand out from the rest of the crowd. It also has decent visuals and a plethora of levels on offer. No doubt, Voodoo Dice is a unique game, but is it playable? Are the puzzles too easy or so hard they will test your patience to the limit?
Are there enough features in the game that make me enjoy it? Find out as we take a look at the HOTs and NOTs.
HOT
Unique Gameplay
The goal of this game is to control a die and navigate your way through a maze to reach the totem pole which marks the end of the level. This is easier said than done, as there are a lot problem solving that needs to be done before you can easily guide the die to its goal. Firstly, numerous dice are scattered throughout the levels and are blocking your way. The only way to destroy them is to roll your die to match the number which is facing up – e.g. if the enemy die shows the number one facing up you should roll your die so it also shows the number one.
Other clever obstacles include a magnetic die that you can attach which enables you to get across gaps and holes. There’s also other blocks that you have to push and teleportation machines which allows you to transport yourself across previously inaccessible areas of a specific level. The gameplay can be frustrating at times, but once you learn the game’s mechanics it can be quite fun. You will be jumping for joy especially when you figure out a way to solve some of the most intense puzzles!
Graphics
Normally, there’s not much to gripe about the visuals seen in most other puzzle games. Most of them just consist of one screen and a set of blocks. It’s a refreshing change to see that Voodoo Dice has some of the brightest and most colorful graphics ever seen in the puzzle genre. The levels are laid out like floating islands and the water effects glisten with clarity while the tress and grass that make up some of the levels fit in nicely with the overall theme.
Multiplayer
The offline multiplayer mode is very addictive as there are four very humorous and fun game modes that you can choose from. First up is Race which is a 3-lap racing event involving you and another die. Who would have thought we would see the day that a pair of dice would race each other? As hilarious as that my sound, this was my personal favorite mode in multiplayer. There are several traps along your way which will slow down your opponents which can lead to unpredictable results.
Flag mode is where you have to hold on to a flag longer than your opponents within a time limit. Tactics is a like a game of chess where you have to use the game’s “facing up” mechanic to kill all your opponents’ dice. Last but not least is Arcade, where the objective is to destroy as much dice as possible within the time limit.
All of the aforementioned game modes come with five levels each. They are surprisingly all playable and the rules are simple enough for the entire family to play.
NOT
Difficulty
The single player mode will frustrate you often. If you do just one wrong move you have to start the whole puzzle all the way from the beginning. One time I was on the verge of ending the level but I accidentally rolled into a trap and I had to do the damn puzzle all over again! If this game had checkpoints or a redo option it would have been less frustrating. There are no difficulties for the player to choose from either. It’s simply the more you progress the harder the levels get.
Price
Again, I feel the price is a little steep for a game of this nature. At 800 Microsoft Points (around $10) it seems a bit high. Although there a number of levels on offer most of them are pretty similar to one another. But if you’re willing to shell out for the cash you won’t be disappointed.
VERDICT
Voodoo Dice has a lot of interesting and creative ideas which makes it very playable and unique. The graphics are bright and colorful and the music and sound are just as charming. Too bad the price is a little steep and the game may be a bit too difficult for some gamers. As a puzzle game though, this is one not to miss. Just be forewarned about its inflated price and hard single player mode.
[Editor’s Note: Voodoo Dice was reviewed on a Xbox 360 platform. The game was provided to us by the publisher.]
