Review: Labyrinth 2 - Plus Video Review
by Staff Writer
December 4, 2009
Overview
Labyrinth is back, and is now packed with tons and tons of stuff. Labyrinth was one of the original games for the iPhone pre App Store, and it’s true it has been getting stale. Luckily the creative minds at Illusion Labs have decided to make a sequel.
Now rolling the ball to the end became a lot tougher, as you have to deal with way more that just walls, and holes. Now there are fans, magnets, and cannons just to name a few. Also a level editor is included, plus local multiplayer.
Features
20 level packs are included at launch developed by Illusion Labs. The level packs vary in difficulty, and in length from 5 to 10 boards per pack. You can download more levels from the community collection of created levels.
The levels are created using the level editor which is a web application. Drag, and drop all of the different pieces to your levels, and publish them so anyone can play them. Also local multiplayer over wifi or bluetooth is included so you can race with up to four people to the finish hole.
Tons of new items are included to deal with. Cannons, fans, laser, resizers, multipliers, merry go rounds, magnets, bumpers, doors, unlock buttons, moving walls, and even checkpoints since the levels are so deluxe. Also a ghost ball is included so you can race to beat your previous best time.
30 Achievements/awards are included for beating a certain number of levels faster than the given time, without landing in a hole, or even touching anything. Awards are also included for rolling the ball a certain distance in total, getting hit by cannon a certain number of times, or completing the medium level packs. When you unlock a certain number of awards you get a new ball type.
The Good
Where do I begin with a game that has everything? Well the original Labyrinth is great, and the same basic gameplay is back. Illusion Labs has the best labyrinth ball rolling physics around, and it continues.
It feels like you actually have the labyrinth game in you palm, and provides pinpoint precision. In a late update to the original it added the tilting 3D feature where the walls tile showing a 3D perspective. Everything of the original is included here. What makes Labyrinth 2 so great is that there are so many obstacles in every level.
I got bored with the original Labyrinth because of the many different ways you can arrange walls and holes. Now Labyrinth 2 answers that problem by adding cannons that blow you up, bouncers to smack you around, and lasers to make whole walls off limit from touching. Maybe the best thing is the action buttons that you need to roll over to unlock different aspects of the board.
Each level truly is a puzzle to figure out rather than you knowing what to do right at the start like in the original. Most levels will take a time or two through just to understand what everything does in the level. Some levels you need two balls that are resized small with one rolling over an action button to free the way for the other ball.
The game is beautifully designed, from the menus to the playfield. Every aspect of the game has just so much detail, and flows so smoothly. It’s a visual treat to see the metallic ball roll across the wooden plain, as the walls tilt in 3D. Then there are metallic levels too, adding a futuristic sheen.
All of the added obstacles are great with the cannon fire, exploding ball, merry go rounds, lasers, sliding doors, just everything. Even when the ball rolls in a hole it looks great as angry as that makes you feel. When you trigger an alarm, the game flashes red like a siren.
The sounds of the game are beautifully tuned so that it sounds just like a metal ball rolling across wood or metal. The cannon fire, bumper boinks, zizz of the lasers just sound perfect. Background music would only distract so it’s perfect not to include.
This game has theoretically infinite replayability. Once you complete all of the official levels their is a huge supply of really well made levels by other iPhone users. Not only that, but you can play multiplayer on all of the levels too, and it connects so smoothly.
If it wasn’t enough just to play the game, you can make your own levels, publish them, and even rate other people’s levels. Making the levels on the computer is extremely easy, and its almost instantaneously available to test on your device.
Actually playing just the official levels with none of the other great features would give you more than your money’s worth. You’ll want to complete every official level in the game, and will try numerous levels over and over until you do so. It’s super addicting, fun, and easy to just keep playing.
Also the achievements are possible, and provide a wide range to test all of your skills. Then you can unlock new balls to roll with also, adding even more incentive. One of the neatest aspects of the awards is that after each level you complete, the game indicates your progress on the award you're closest to achieving. This game may have the highest replayability factor of any iPhone game to date.
Another positive is the ghost ball, a great addition to race against yourself that could have been overlooked. Overall it felt like playing labyrinth in a pinball machine which is absolutely epic. Not only are all these fancy contraptions thrown in, but you can play a few level packs of classic labyrinth style.
The Bad
This may be the only game where I couldn’t find any bad, and if that doesn’t say everything I don’t know what would.
TheVerdict
Labyrinth 2 is one of the absolutely very best games in the App Store. I didn’t know Labyrinth could be this deluxe, fun, challenging, easy, and addicting. Illusion Labs gives you absolutely everything with a great levels already made, a level editor, local multiplayer, and access to a potentially limitless supply of more levels.
Labyrinth 2 is an absolute must is there ever was one, and easily worth $4.99, Illusion Labs deserves even more for this production. Wow!