Ebb

It’s always a challenge approaching a game that seemingly defies description and refuses to be pigeon-holed into a predefined genre, like the enigmatic Ebb.

It cannily combines puzzle, action and curiously enough shooter elements into something wholly unique. For all its creativity, it also is proof that being distinctive doesn’t always translate to entertainment.

In its simplest form, Ebb is a colour-matching action game. You assume the role of a pulsating blob capable of changing colour by picking up floating swirls, which are shaded red, green and yellow.

Objects such as leaves, animals and even spacecraft drift onto the screen, and by touching those which match your blob’s shade, you remove them from play and add to your score. Touching an object that isn’t the same colour results in death.

You can move your blob in two ways. Tapping the screen teleports you to that location, passing harmlessly through any objects in the way. The second method is more direct; by putting a finger on the screen and moving it around, you can force the blob to stick to the end of your digit.

This second method is particularly handy when dealing with objects that have fluctuating movement patterns, whereas the first is invaluable for getting out of tight spots.

Although it sounds straightforward, Ebb is incredibly tricky to master. The objects appear in increasingly complex patterns, some of which call to mind bullet hell shooters like Dodonpachi Resurrection and Espgaluda II.

Indeed, developer Infinite Lives even goes as far as to brand Ebb as such, although this isn’t accurate since you have no way of firing back.

What makes the game difficult is the inability to switch the colour of your blob at will; instead, you rely on colour-changing power-ups to drift randomly onto the screen. It’s here where the teleporting movement system really comes into its own, enabling you to swiftly alter your colour before tracing a line through the increasingly packed wave of oncoming objects.

The score-based gameplay is incredibly appealing, and the addition of Game Center support adds to this attraction. Yet, for all of its inventiveness, Ebb suffers from problems.

The biggest issue is the controls – more specifically, the way in which you move the blob around with your fingertip. Because the blob follows the point of contact, your finger not only regularly obscures it, but also large portions of the screen, which leads to unnecessary and frustrating deaths.

The entirely random gameplay is also disheartening. Although different patterns ensure that no two sessions are alike, you’re often left navigating through deadly objects purely because you haven’t been given the chance to change colour.

This may well be intentional, but it often leads to annoyance and I would prefer a more rigid, defined structure – one which could be memorised, like the traditional 2D shooters Ebb tries so hard to emulate.

For all of our criticisms, it’s important to note the game's originality. If you’re looking for a game that exercises both your mind and your reactions, then Ebb is well worth investigation – it’s just a shame that a few superficial issues affect the experience.