If you want to make a successful portable casual game, seems like if you add rolling (and exploding) balls to a 2D puzzle format, you’ve probably got a winner on your hands.
That is pretty much the case with Luxor: The Wrath of Set for the PSP. Pretty much.
Luxor: The Wrath of Set started as an online PC chain-busting ball game, but it’s made its way to the PSP and its missing what made the original great – pressure – there really is none, which makes this PSP port merely good, which isn’t a bad thing at all.
If you haven’t played Luxor before, think Zuma but with Egyptian themes.
You'll enjoy chaining balls together for explosive results - thsoe red and purple balls are almost ready to blow!
Well, it’s actually a lot different then that. You are in control of a slow trickling flood of colored balls that you don’t want to reach your temple. You can shoot each individual ball until you can link a series of three or more of the same color together, with terrifically satisfying results – they explode and close the gap ala Zuma, Tetris, Hexic… oh, you get the picture.
You can approach Luxur in one of two ways – you can pick off individual balls and keep the flood safely at bay. Or, you can focus on getting good at creating chains of different colored groups, which ultimately earns you more points because when the chains pop, you get power ups and coins and the like.
The ball launcher is on the bottom of the screen and moves left and right, and the balls move at a manageable speed, although you’ll have to learn the pacing for leading the ball to nail a A+ shot, otherwise you’ll have lots of cuss-worthy near misses.
Oh look, it's another level with a curvy track and lots of colored balls. Is it level 37... or 112? Who knows!
So, after playing through a few levels you realize Luxor: Wrath of Set is all about the chain/pop/chain/pop action. It’s the funnest, most rewarding part of the game for both points and enjoyment. Which brings us to the “pretty much” part mentioned above.
That’s basically where the fun starts and ends. The game has 124 levels that get repetitive after a while, and some are even repeated every so often.
Since the levels have similar shapes, and since each level is confined to the handy PSP screen, even if a level isn’t an exact copy of the one you just played, it can sure look like it. Combine that with the lack of any significant pressure – you’ll be able to clear every level with relative ease, whether one ball at a time or – and you can bet this is one game you’ll enjoy playing, but probably won’t ever finish. In fact, you can pretty much keep restarting it and have close to the same effect.
What it all means
In the end, basic gameplay, a lack of variety when it comes to levels and gameplay make this a fairly shallow, but fun, casual game. It’s a good diversion for an airport or lunch break, but it won’t get you so wrapped up you’ll be late back from your break because you’re on the edge of your seat trying to beat the ball boss. Oh, if only there were a ball boss! Still, Luxor: The Wrath of Set is good at what it does – provide simple, fun chain explosions. It’s just not great.
Pros
- Fun, easy gameplay
- Chaining together ball explosions is satisfying
Cons
- Repetitive levels
- Not very difficult
Luxor: The Wrath of Set is exclusive to the PSP and carries a MSRP of $29.99
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