Perfect Slice Review

Players can test their skill at division with Curious Bit’s recent release, Perfect Slice. The only goal of the game is to cut an endless supply of clipart-style objects perfectly in half. This is actually more difficult than it sounds; the margin of error is excruciatingly narrow. The game offers two different ways to make a slice, either with a straightedge that can be positioned using two touch of contact on the screen, or “freestyle”, by dragging a line across the screen. There are two different modes of gameplay, “Zen Mode” (not timed) or “Survival Mode” (timed, with the possibility of earning or losing lives for especially good or bad cuts).

This app seems to be one of those cute, mindless games that are perfect for killing time while waiting for the city bus or standing in line. It requires very little mental energy or focus. It does give a satisfying sense of progression and accomplishment with minimal effort, which could be why my partner played this for nearly an hour before she lost interest. Personally, I quit after zipping quickly through five levels of the available ten. Players are given awards for certain accomplishments, like achieving two or three Perfect Slices in a row or making 1000 Cuts total. Levels are unlocked progressively, depending on skill demonstrated on the previous level. The challenge is increased as gameplay progresses with more and more irregular shapes and a narrower acceptable margin of error.

Perfect Slice's graphics are very well done, consistent and visually pleasing, and the (seemingly) hundreds of objects to cut all match pretty closely in terms of visual style, which must have been a challenge for the developer. Exactly how many items there are in this game I couldn’t even venture a guess; neither I nor my partner saw the same thing twice. Some of the objects presented are truly absurd, making me smile a little as I played.

All in all, I’m not sure how much reply value this game has. Kind of like a highly-flavored chewing gum, this game tends to lose it’s flavor the longer you chew it, and once all the ten levels are unlocked and the awards are awarded, players will quickly move on to the next bit of distracting eye candy.

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