iPhone Game Review: Block the Laser, Plus a Chance to Win a Copy

Block the Laser

$.99

iPhone/iPod Touch Only

Version: 1.0.0

Tested on: iPod Touch 4G (iOS 4.3.2)

Rating: 4 of 5

Block the Laser is an unique maze-morphing puzzle game for the iPhone. This gameplay is somewhat hard to describe and sometimes it's even harder to digest during the first few levels. Only after playing it for  a while I come to realize how to play this game. First, it is a maze game. Each level is a maze of its own. But it's not just any maze, because what you are doing inside the maze actually changes the maze. I guess that is why the developer calls it maze-morphing game. The maze morphs as you move in it.

There is no better way to explain the gameplay than showing a few examples of how a level would be played. Above is some screenshots of how Level 2 is setup and played. As you can see in the pictures above, the exit door in each level is identified with the arrow mark. Most, but not all, levels have doors that can be past through from left to right, from top to bottom, and vice versa. This is necessary for you to travel within the maze.

The screenshots above also show you how to play the game. Colored doors can be opened or closed by walking through the button with the same color. For example, if you walk through the purple button, the purple door which is closed will be opened, and the other purple door which is opened will be closed. The same would be applied to the blue doors when you walk through the blue button. I am pretty sure you can figure out how the game works by looking at the above four screenshots.

In the next level, you are introduced with the rotating doors. Pay attention to the rotating marker in the center of the door. Not all rotating doors would have all four door segments, but they will all be triggered by the buttons with associated color and move in the direction showed by the marker. Every time you walk through the button, the door will rotate automatically, and sometimes this means you will be pushed by the rotating door. Pay attention to the three screenshots above to figure out how the rotating door works in Level 3.

Until now, you only see doors after doors. You must have been thinking where the laser is. Well, doors and buttons are essential elements to this game, and you need to be familiar with it before you are introduced to the lethal laser. Yes, the laser is lethal, so do not let yourself get burned by it. In the above screenshot, you will see that lasers have colors too and they can be turned off and on, using buttons with the right colors.

Check out the above screenshots of Level 4 to learn how the lasers can be controlled by the button. If you have more than one laser, please be careful when you hit the button. The orange button above, for example, controls two orange lasers.

The last element of the game is mirror. In the Level 5, you are introduced to a lot of lasers and mirrors. No buttons this time. This is to allow you to focus on learning how mirrors work in the game. Since there is not any button available, you cannot turn off any of the lasers. You can only change the direction of the lasers. This is where the mirrors can help. As you can see in the screenshots above, they always have a diagonal position to deflect the lasers in a safe direction.

You should always keep yourself on the back of the mirrors, then push the mirror towards a direction that would be save for yourself. Please be careful when pushing the mirrors, or else you can be burned. Learn from the screenshots above on how you can use mirrors to deflect the lasers in safe directions as you walk through the maze to get to the exit.

This game is an awesome game. It took me a while to learn about how to play the game. But, it definitely worths the learning curve. Overall, I really recommend this game to anyone who loves puzzle and strategy games.

Now, for a very limited period of time, you have a chance to win one of the five promo codes for this great maze-morphing puzzle game. And, here are the steps you need to take to get a chance to win the promo codes:

1. Follow @appenthusiast on Twitter
2. Tweet this: "Play this great maze-morphing game for #iPhone, Block the Laser, and get a chance to win a copy! http://bit.ly/mGMv6M via @appenthusiast" - or click the Twitter share button on the top right corner of this post.
3. The contest ends on Wednesday, May 4, 2011, 23:59 PST
4. I will choose randomly the five winners

Check out my other iPhone apps reviews here.