Review: Tiki Totems 2 - Beware The Wrath Of The Gods!
by Allan Curtis
December 22, 2010
Overview
Tiki Totems 2 is a puzzle game that challenges you to appease the gods by destroying blocks, ensuring a sacred totem doesnt touch the ground. Loaded with physics based puzzles, it is the sequel to Tiki Totems.
The Good
Tiki Totems 2 is one of those pick up and play games that takes seconds to learn and is hard to put down. It includes three variations on its physics based puzzle theme.
Classic is the simplest of the games. A golden Totem sits on a structure made of blocks of various kinds. It's your job to destroy all the blocks without letting the totem hit the ground. Realistic physics apply, so get ready for some fiendish gameplay.
Love has a pair of Totems bound by love, but separated by distance. Its your job to make them touch each other by destroying the blocks. Altar has you trying to get the Totem onto an altar, rather than simply making sure it lands on a rock or doesn't touch the ground.
Tiki Totems 2 features wooden blocks, which you can simply destroy with a tap, glass blocks, that need to be smashed by falling or having another block land on them and magic blocks that disappear when two of them touch each other. The crux of the gameplay is working out which blocks to destroy first and how the rest of them will react to that block being removed, to work out where the totem will end up. So if you destroy the bottom block on one side of a tower, the whole tower may start falling that way and the totem will go flying onto the ground, causing you to lose.
There are plenty of puzzles where you must react quickly, A level may require you to lett one block fall a certain distance to trigger something,and then destroy it before it falls too far and collapses your tower. Or you might need to or destroy two blocks quickly on both sides of your tower, so it doesn't overbalance.
Tiki Totems 2 looks very nice. The game is full of vibrant colors and each block is very distinct on the screen. Even the menus have plenty of personality.
Soundwise the game is also well done. Some very catchy tribal music keeps you in the zone, while sound effects such as breaking glass, splintering wood and so on sound fine.
The game's Game Center integration provides you with plenty of achievements, giving the game some longevity even after you conquer its many levels, including funny ones like destroying 50 of the little worshipers you see on the screen with your finger, or letting your village burn 100 times.
The Bad
About the only problem with Tiki Totems 2 is that doesn't have enough puzzles. Most take seconds to complete, although there are a few you'll no doubt get stuck on for a bit and there are only about 120 in the game. While this sounds like a lot, you'll be done with them rather quickly.
The Verdict
Tiki Totems 2 is a fun game that will fill any spare minutes you have. It's a combination of simple, addicting gameplay, and charming graphics which make it a winner, especially for its bargain price.
