Glint Review

Our Review by Jordan Minor on March 27th, 2014

Rating:

:: ALL THAT GLITTERS

Share This:

Despite being a puzzle game, Glint clearly values beauty over brains.

Developer: Ensomniac Studios
Price: FREE
Version Reviewed: 1.4
Device Reviewed On: iPad Air

Graphics / Sound Rating:

Gameplay Rating:

Playtime Rating:

Replay Value Rating:

Overall Rating:

When it comes to gameplay vs. graphics, gameplay is totally where it’s at as far as puzzle games are concerned. Tetris on the original Game Boy has visuals straight out of a late 70s calculator, and yet it’s still a perfect video game. It’s strange then that Glint tries so hard to look so pretty while leaving its gameplay to suffer. The tradeoff succeeds, but is it worth it?

In Glint, multicolored circles flood onto the screen and players must clear them before they fill the map completely. To clear circles, players simply swipe their fingers across circles of the same color in one continuous stroke. It doesn’t even matter if the stroke touches other circles along the way. Short swipes are good for fast matches, but longer swipes lead to more points. Players can also purchase power-ups that extend swipe range or clear multiple circles at once

However, any semblance of strategy is quickly lost as rounds devolve into mindless, frantic swiping. Early levels with just two different colors to match start easy, but over the course of the 100 different stages players will be overwhelmed with up to four different colors to sort at once. Add in harsh rules like strict time limits or high minimum scores, and soon all players can do is just manically swipe and hope for the best. It’s only stressful for the fingers though, not the brain.

But there’s no denying how gorgeous Glint looks for a simple puzzle game, especially on maximum settings. Glowing colors are vibrant and luminous while the lighting effects feel like something out of a champagne commercial. The whole game has a luxurious quality to it that stimulates players through sights and sounds similar to fancy casinos. Maybe those would be better homes for the game; places where gameplay is secondary to eye-catching visuals and flashy demands for more money.

But that’s a bit harsh. Ultimately, Glint is always pleasurable to look at, but only occasionally fun to play. For many games that’s fine. But for a puzzle game, those priorities seem backwards.