You know what I like the most about virtual reality? The fact that it can take the simplest of gameplay mechanics that might not necessarily be so enjoyable on a ‘flat’ screen, and make them into these super addictive experiences that leave you hooked into the headset.
That’s exactly what happened with Super Amazeballs. On paper, it might not sound particularly riveting – you’re just guiding a ball across a topsy-turvy maze. Doesn’t exactly sound like a killer app, right? Thanks to the immersiveness of the PlayStation VR headset and the motion controls offered by the Move controllers though, it ends up being a whole lot of fun.
Super Amazeballs offers twenty-five different mazes for you to guide balls through, with each maze surrounded by a transparent sphere that you have to rotate with both Move controllers. By rotating the maze around, a mixture of your momentum and gravity will move the ball across the maze. Admittedly, these mazes are pretty straight forward (there’s typically only one clear path) but complications come with the fact that the ball can easily fling itself off the maze’s path.
Whilst the mazes follow one simple path though, their design is so all over the place that they can be incredibly tricky to follow. They twist, turn and spin around in the spheres, so guiding the ball through them is no easy task. They get progressively more difficult as you make your way through the game too, so your skills are constantly pushed to the limit. There’ll be times where you’ll be pulling off a balancing act and spinning the maze at the same time and believe me, it’s tough…
It doesn’t stop it being a whole lot of fun, though. I didn’t anticipate enjoying Super Amazeballs as much as I did, but as soon as I started playing the game I got completely hooked in. Add to that the objectives that come with each level (completing them, finishing them without skipping any sections and finishing them without losing a ball) and you’ll quickly find yourself replaying levels over and over again to master them. There are even leaderboards to keep track of how quickly you complete mazes in comparison to other players around the world, which is always a plus in a game like this.
The only real flaw comes with the fact that the motion controls can be a little bit jerky at times, which doesn’t work well with a game that demands such precision. I’d often grab an area of the maze to turn it, only to see the maze completely spin over and the ball fly off. I can appreciate that a lot of the time it was down to my overly quick movements as opposed to it being a problem with the game, but it’s pretty annoying when if it happens when you’re going out of your way to be as steady as possible.
Aside from that, everything about the game works. It’s simple, relaxing (except during tense moments when the ball is slowly tipping off the maze), and shows that you don’t need to be racing, shooting, or getting frightened to have a good time in PlayStation VR.
Summary
Super Amazeballs takes an incredibly simple concept and turns it into a thoroughly enjoyable little experience. In fact, the only real disappointment came when I ran out mazes to complete – here’s hoping we’ll see more in the future.
It’s hardly the most in depth of games you’ll play on PlayStation VR and the controls can be a little bit finicky at times, but at such a low price point it’s certainly worth checking Super Amazeballs out.
Developer: Braincells Productions
Publisher: Braincells Productions
Release Date: Out Now
Format(s): PlayStation VR (Reviewed), HTC Vive, Oculus Rift
