Atomic+ Review

Arriving as a casual pick-up-and-play game that will likely be appreciated by the minimalists, Atomic+ is fast-paced title that has its gameplay centered around a range of concentric circles - just like the physical makeup of an atom.

There are four of these rings in total, and in the middle lies the atom's nucleus. Choosing between a bunch of different control methods, and with the aim to survive for as long as possible, players will brave the often volatile environment of an atom's inner and outer cores to smash their single proton into the square-shaped electrons that are floating around each of the outer rings. Dodging the constant spitfire emanating from the atom's nucleus, upon successfully hitting one of these square-shaped electrons one's proton (the circle) will proceed to orbit the atom's nucleus in the other direction. Get hit by one of those flying bullets, though, and the damage bar - seen at the bottom of the screen - will begin to increase. Full damage level equals game over.

There are three control methods to choose from: Manual, Auto and Full. In Manual mode, touching either the left or right of the screen will see the radius of the selected ring increase or decrease. Playing in Auto mode will see the radius increase no matter where one happens to touch the screen (decreasing upon letting go), and playing in Full mode will see one able to increase the radius of the ring with a right touch, and the direction with a left touch. Playing the game with each method activated, I realized that Manual was the best option for me personally. It seemed to allow enhanced accuracy when landing the select ring on the “band” that I needed it to stay on, versus in Auto mode where I found it difficult to keep the position of the selected ring steady - often having to tap on the screen rapidly.

Aside from its minimalist visuals and simple gameplay mechanic - which, I have to say, I fell in love with from the start - the star of the show here has to be Atomic+'s soundtrack. Super uplifting, and filled with all sorts of electronic trickery, it just fits with the game's style almost perfectly. There was a small break in the music's looping that could audibly interrupt player experience (especially when wearing headphones), but other than that it felt spot-on.

Overall, I throughly enjoyed the time I spent with Atomic+. It's mechanic, although simple, lends itself fittingly to providing a gameplay experience that I consider both addictive and fun to play. There are a few tweaks that could be made, but nothing that is worthy of putting off the purchase. In fact, I highly recommend one does purchase it.