Game Reviews

HOOK

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HOOK
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| "HOOK"

"HOOK" is a game that starts out simple enough. Too simple, actually. Almost insultingly simple. But once the puzzles started getting more complicated it becomes difficult to put down.

The core game is still quite simple and straightforward, but it turns into quite the brain teaser before long.

No touchy

All you have to do to complete one of "HOOK"'s puzzles is clear the screen. This is done by tapping on the solid circles, which will pull the shapes at the end of the line they're connected to away and make them disappear.

The catch is that these lines and shapes will start to overlap, so you'll have to pay careful attention to what starts and ends where in order to avoid having any of them crash into each other - which results in failure, of course.

And it gets even more head-scratchy when the lines start to split and branch, and connectors that can be toggled to ‘activate' different sections are introduced.

It's all these crossed lines and overlapping shapes that make "HOOK" a real challenge. You have to figure out the correct order for each puzzle, and if you mess it up it will resent and you'll have to try again.

Respect the groove

I do think it's a little unfortunate that there isn't a little more to it all. The puzzles are fine, but there's no real tension while you're trying to solve them.

There are no timers, and there are no drawbacks to getting it wrong - aside from having to restart the puzzle, that is.

I'd also have a problem with the clunky way you have to backtrack through previously beaten puzzles rather than having any sort of menu selection, but there's really no reason to replay completed puzzles anyway. Not even leaderboards.

Simplicity is a bit of an issue with "HOOK", but oddly it's not the simplicity of the puzzles but rather everything else that's the real problem.

Even so, while you can't really compete with anyone (even yourself), it's a pretty satisfying brain teaser while it lasts.

HOOK

The surreal puzzles of "HOOK" are quite a bit more taxing than they first appear. And I'm totally okay with that.
Score
Rob Rich
Rob Rich
Rob Rich is the editor of 148Apps.com