EcoFish Review

Regular readers may recall my love of JezzBall: a game all about blocking atoms off from each other and clearing space. It's a bit of an abstract concept so fortunately, the idea has been brought up to date and given an ecological message.

EcoFish is all about having to clear a toxic oil spill while avoiding some once cute fish that have now turned rather vicious. Of course, this is all done by essentially blocking off certain areas with a relevant swipe of the screen. It makes for a harder game than JezzBall but one that's more attractive to deal with.

Taking the role of a savior fish, players must move them around the screen before lining up a quick dash to the other side to clear the area. Obstacles come in the form of enemy fish and physical barriers. The fish can be blocked off, or even killed by dividing the area up accordingly. Indeed, this is required to complete certain levels that have objectives pertaining to aggression rather than clearance. It's also useful to achieving other goals as if the enemy collides with the player's path, they lose a life. Physical obstacles such as wood stop the player from travelling through them, while ice sections slow the player down considerably. Further levels provide other conflicts that must be adapted to.

It keeps the general gameplay interesting and original, rather than being restricted to a simple matter of clearing the correct percentage of the arena. Mixing up the objectives further goes towards making things challenging yet fun.

EcoFish is exactly that. At times, it'll be annoying when one mistimes a move or gets a bit cocky. They'll still return for more, though. 90 levels will keep players busy, but three starring them will extend the longevity even more so. Crucially, it's a fun experience that lends itself well to the iOS format.