Not all virtual reality games have to be overly complicated or demand. Super Pixel Smash is pretty simple in terms of what you need to do. This simple design can result in hours of fun which is suited for both young and old enthusiasts alike. Unfortunately, there are some small issues the game doesn’t overcome successfully. The game is available for HTC Vive at the time of writing.
Super Pixel Smash is fun but Quirky
First of all, the developers did an excellent job with the in-game mechanics. Without even seeing a demo of the game, you will pick up the concept within a minute or two. You are put in a dark room with a grid-filled wall in front of you. Your objective is to hit a ball, break tiles and collect power ups and multipliers. Do keep in mind you will need to avoid some “obstacles” as well, but it is nothing overly complicated. Plus, the developers even throw in bonus “tools”, allowing you to use side walls as a score pad.
The further you progress in the game, the lower your time limit will get. It is a matter of smashing tiles as quickly and efficiently as possible before the time runs out. Clearing levels will refill your clock, although it becomes a fair bit more difficult as you progress further. Super Pixel Smash is quite nifty in this regard, as mastering the game will require some practice. However, we had no issue getting to a pretty decent score in the first two hours of playing. It does give you a bit of a workout as well when playing while standing.
Sadly, that is where the fun ends. There is no real challenge once you get bored of the concept for a while. The difficulty doesn’t increase spectacularly, but you just start to lose focus after concentrating for so long. In fact, one could argue the game is pretty repetitive after playing it a few hours Some players who don’t like this game much from the beginning will struggle to have fun after a few days, that much is certain. We still play Super Pixel Smash now and then, just to clear our head. A simple concept like this one often suffers from a lack of change, but it’s hard to fault the developers. It all depends on what you, as a player, expect from this game.
The one thing we genuinely disliked is how the controllers provide no feedback whatsoever. There is no vibration when hitting the ball or a title whatsoever, which is a mild annoyance. It is possible this may be improved through a future patch, though. Super Pixel Smash is incredibly entertaining – for a while – and can certainly serve as an excellent party game when having friends come over. The leaderboard on Steam tracks al players, which gives you somewhat of a challenge. It is a simple game that does the job well, although it has some minor quirks some users will dislike. Adding one or two different game modes would be enough to elevate its score, but for now, it is a 3.5 out of 5 for us.
If you liked this article make sure to follow us on twitter @thevrbase and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date with the latest VR trends and news.
