Osmos, a dreamy cosmic survival game by Hemisphere Games, is now available from the app store. Built on a unique concept, the game uses gorgeous artwork and excellent multitouch controls to create an absorbing and captivating experience.
Osmos Pros:
- Stunning graphics, especially on Retina Display
- Nice soundtrack collection
- Effective multitouch controls
- 72 levels and 8 level types
- Ability to speed up and slow down time
- Openfeint integration
Osmos Cons:
- Requires a lot of patience
In Osmos, you are a mote in the universe trying to survive and become bigger than the other motes. You start out as a rather small mote in a world of many other motes, some of which are bigger than you and some that are smaller. To move around, you eject matter in the opposite direction, which pushes you in the desired direction. You can absorb any mote that is smaller than you, and doing so will result in your mote getting bigger. However, if you bump into a mote that is superior, it will quickly absorb you and you will decrease in size until you no longer exist. Throughout the 72 levels included in Osmos, you will encounter motes that can exert gravitational pull, repel, attract, and harm you. There are 8 level types with different objectives and difficulty levels. Most levels in the game end after you become the largest organism in the environment or after you absorb a targeted mote. One of the best features of the game is that you have the power to warp time by speeding it up and slowing it down. This becomes useful in many levels where timing plays a critical part in your survival. There are 2 game modes, odyssey and arcade. Odyssey mode is essentially the campaign mode of the game, and arcade mode is unlocked after completing it. In arcade mode, you can play any levels that you played in odyssey mode as well as many others.
Hemisphere Games has introduced very fine-tuned controls into Osmos that make the game easy to play and have fun with. To propel your mote in a direction, you tap with 1 finger behind the mote. To speed up or slow down time, you either flick your finger to the left or right or slowly drag your finger to warp time more precisely. In many levels, the playing environment is very big and you will need to zoom in and out by pinching your fingers on the screen. To pause the game, you can use multitouch and touch the screen with 3 fingers at the same time. We absolutely loved the controls and felt that they helped to display the game effectively.
Osmos presents a soundtrack and immersing graphics that rivals that of Secret Exit’s Zen Bound 2. The game feels relaxing to play, and when played with headphones, the game becomes an experience that you don’t want to miss out on. Hemisphere Games makes every life form in the game look genuine and complex with vivid patterns. The music blends in perfectly and sets the stage for an adventure of single-celled survival.
The game has a new type of gameplay that we have not seen much of in the app store. While it is beautiful and relaxing, the game can also be tense and frustrating. The controls take a while to get used to and there is a steep learning curve. Because your mote gets smaller every time you move, it takes a lot of well-timed movements to get through even the simplest levels. One touch with an organism that is bigger in size will almost always mean restarting the level. Due to the amount of patience that the game requires, Osmos is probably not for everyone.
There are a lot of levels in the game, and Openfeint integration adds even more to the game’s replay value. While it can be challenging and time-consuming, the game is very fun to play and is different than most of the games available on the iPhone. Osmos is currently featured as Apple’s App of the Week, and for $2.99, this 5-Dimple experience is one you don’t want to be left out of.
