Game Reviews

An Alien With A Magnet

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An Alien With A Magnet

Touchscreen gaming has shown us that designers can create surprisingly deep experiences out of very basic interfaces, and An Alien with a Magnet is proof positive of this.

Your only input is holding your finger down on the screen - an act which causes the titular extra-terrestrial to deploy his magnet and latch onto - and then orbit around - any nearby planet.

Releasing your touch launches him into space, and this mechanic is used to progress through each of the game's levels. Planets are surrounded by stars and gems, the latter of which are used to unlock pathways on the game's massive, branching game map.

Out of space

The early stages of the game are primarily concerned with introducing you to the control system, which can take a little bit of getting used to, despite its simple nature.

Knowing when to release your finger and propel your character off into space is a skill you'll have to master quickly. To make things easier, the first few stages have soft pillows on the edge of the screen which means even when you time your release badly, your character remains unscathed.

However, as you move through the levels such comforts are removed and replaced with additional challenges, such as items to collect, energy limits, and obstacles to avoid. These force you to perfect your timing, showing just how deep a one-touch game can be.

Space, man

The core Adventure mode boasts plenty of gameplay, but there's also a Time Attack segment which uses the same levels but adds a timer to give it an additional bit of spice. The presentation rounds off the package neatly, with colourful visuals and suitably trippy space music.

An Alien with a Magnet is one of those titles that revolve around an almost perfect idea - its apparent simplicity belies a staggering degree of depth and challenge.

There's no sign of in-app purchases, either - a refreshing move, as the game could easily have been monetised further, but at the expense of the overall flow. This is a highly recommended title.

An Alien With A Magnet

Simple controls disguise an incredibly engaging and challenging adventure. An Alien with a Magnet is a near-faultless mobile release
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Damien  McFerran
Damien McFerran
Damien's mum hoped he would grow out of playing silly video games and gain respectable employment. Perhaps become a teacher or a scientist, that kind of thing. Needless to say she now weeps openly whenever anyone asks how her son's getting on these days.