Match rows of energy spears to make a board of energy match and move onto the next level. With 28 levels of puzzle Energy Cycle is a puzzle game at heart.
General Gameplay
Energy Cycle is a budget puzzle title that is all about matching rows of colors in which they all match. The game has a cycle of Blue, Green, and White energy balls that have all match but shifting rows of the energy balls to match other rows, once this is done, you move onto the next level. Game Visuals are very basic with just a board with basic design and the energy balls are animated but limited, they change color when you must change them and that is all. If anything, this is the only animated things that you will see in the game. There were some minor color issues for those that have trouble seeing red/green but this was very minor. All graphics colors can be changed in the setting menus so these makes is easier for those that want to try color changes. In our playtesting we did not run into anything that would be offensive to any gamer whatsoever, also in our special needs game testing there were no issues with the game graphics in any way. Audio in Energy Cycle is a very mellow, laid back ambient style. The music for both in game and menus are very relaxing with chilled out ambient tracks that are meant to be relaxing. As the game is a puzzle game, the audio matches the game action on the screen and makes the gamer more relaxed when playing the game. The sound effects are very basic and there is no spoken dialog so there is not much to talk about in this department. In our playtesting, our gaming family and special needs gamers really liked the soundtrack of the game and were very much relaxed when playing the game. If anything, we would highly recommend just listening to the soundtrack as it is really relaxing (trust us it is!). The in-game Controls are very easy to use and pick up and play. As the game is all about turning the energy balls into the same color, the control is set up around one button to do this action. You use the left thumb stick to move your selection cursor and use one button to cycle through the colors to make the matches. This is a very simple controller setup, and anyone should have no trouble picking up and playing the game. Again, in our playtesting we did not run into any issues and you should be fine playing with a standard controller for the console.
“What makes Energy Cycle fun is that is it a simple puzzle game that if easy to pick up and play for all ages.”
Family Friendly
Being a puzzle game that is very simple in its nature, Energy Cycle is a fun, simple game that can be played by anyone young and old. The game is very fun and an easy puzzle game for anyone to enjoy. The only complaint that we had was the fact that once that you finished the 28 levels that there is no DLC or any more levels to go back and finish, however for the price that it costs ($2.99 on the Xbox One Store) that this is a great game to have in your digital library. In our play testing here at the office everyone had a lot of fun playing the game, this is one of those digital titles that is very inexpensive to own and fun to play, even for non-puzzle fans. In our special needs game testing, our special needs gamers had a great time with the game. From the gameplay itself, sounds, visuals and even overall enjoyment. This is also a great game for younger gamers around the age of 6-9 years old and a great game for younger children and parents to play alike.
Closing
With great puzzle levels, relaxing soundtrack and overall fun, Energy Cycle is a great game for those that are puzzle fans and not. A great game to have in your digital library.
