QuickAdvice: Immerse Yourself In The Puzzling Garden Of Orbs
Garden of Orbs ($0.99) by Synthesis Design Solutions, LLC is a beautiful puzzle game with the objective of knocking the orbs out of the garden.
Garden of Orbs is a must-have for anyone that is a fan of puzzle games. When you get the app, you're immediately welcomed with gorgeous, realistic graphics and a relaxing soundtrack to go along with what will become your endless amount of playtime in the Garden.
Essentially, Garden of Orbs is similar to billiards - you have a ball (technically an orb) that you must use to knock the other orbs on the garden out of the ring. The game provides three game modes: Freeplay, Shot, and Time.
Freeplay allows you to an unlimited amount of lives and shots to clear each level. Shots gives you a designated amount of lives and shots per level, and you must clear the board before you run out of either. In Time, you must clear the board before the timer runs out. The two challenge levels prove to be a challenging but rewarding game experience.
Does it sound easy? Yes, the concept is simple, but mastering this simple concept is hard, like all puzzle games. There are obstacles to overcome, and as a bonus for your score, you need to collect the coins on the garden while getting the other orbs out. You can earn medals and the "illusive crystal orbs" in each level in the Shot and Time modes, depending on how well you score.
There are currently four gardens with 25 levels each, so for your dollar you're already getting 100 levels, which can provide plenty of puzzle solving entertainment. The developers seem to plan on adding even more garden levels in a later update, so there's even more to look forward to.
If you get stuck at a level, you can skip it and progress to the next one, which is nice. It doesn't let you get stuck and have no point of experiencing the rest of the game, something that can't be said for plenty of other games out there.
The physics involved in the game seem fairly realistic as well, which is a nice touch. You just drag the crosshair to where you want to aim the orb at, and adjust the power slider along the bottom for the strength of your shot.
Currently, Garden of Orbs features OpenFeint integration for high scores and achievements. Unfortunately, there isn't native Game Center support, but I hope the developers decide to include this in the future.
So if you're just a casual gamer or a puzzle game fan, then Garden of Orbs is definitely a nice little game to pick up that's fun for all ages and a nice experience for everyone. With gorgeous graphics and full Retina Display support, it's just an immersive experience.
