Game Reviews

Orbital

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Orbital
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You know the phrase 'it's a grower'?

It's not necessarily a statement any developer would like to have attached to its game, but there's no need for anyone at bitforge to panic. Orbital is, quite literally, a game all about growing.

In fact, with games often being as short as a couple of seconds, it really doesn't get much more instant than this. Orbital is all about ridding yourself of cancerous orbs that threaten to dominate the whole area of play.

The nifty twist is that you're the reason those orbs are there in the first place. Fired like fireworks from a rotating cannon at the bottom of the screen, each one bounces around the the screen before settling and forming a circle, growing until it hits an obstacle.

It's then your job to fire more orbs at those already in play, each one taking three hits before it disappears off screen and adds to your score.

The problem is, every orb you fire to take out those in play then settles and becomes a hazard in itself, orbs bouncing and rebounding off its surface. If any of your orbs happen to land outside the field of play (across the dramatically named death line that sits just above the cannon), it's game over.

Two variations on this core concept allow for variety where there's brevity. Gravity, in which the pull of the orbs already on the map alter the path of those you fire, and Pure, where the orbs dart around in straight lines, ensure that this light-bite has meat. There's even a nifty two-player mode, where survival is the only requirement.

Such short but simple rules mean Orbital is a game that lasts as long as you do. It might not pull you in for too long at a time, but it deserves a play.

Orbital

A picnic to understand, but a marathon to get beyond the first few minutes, Orbital's simple style is perfect for those looking for fill the odd spare moment
Score
Keith Andrew
Keith Andrew
With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font. He's also Pocket Gamer's resident football gaming expert and, thanks to his work on PG.biz, monitors the market share of all mobile OSes on a daily basis.