Dark Nebula: Episode 1 [App Store] has been finally released into the wild. It’s a tilt-controlled ball rolling game probably moreso described as a skill-based action game. The sense of urgency with every tilt, jump and swipe at the screen puts it into a weird league of its own. More bizarrely was that the game was brought to our us by Anders Hejdenberg, the lead designer of Battlefield 2: Modern Combat. From shooter to labyrinth puzzler? Go figure? The game looks simply stunning. It’s shiny and shimmering with explosions aplenty. Each level is well designed with the need for absolute care when navigating obstacles like trigger switches, spikes, potholes, and lasers. It also controls with the utmost precision. It truly is tight… like a tiger.
Though gameplay is pretty much perfect and the game visually intense, it does leave us begging for more. It is a short experience with only 10 levels. Some of which are frustrating to say the least, but at least the development team help you out there with some of the traps being slowed down during your next round. It’s a well thought out gameplay mechanism that saves you ragequitting or throwing your precious. In terms of replay, there is only the usual gold star timed event offering.
In summary: Looks amazing, sweet controls, short game. Hopefully the “Episode 1″ moniker is a sign of more to come!
Another worthy addition! 4 stars.
