Thursday 22 December 2011

Today's Review: Where's My Water?


This app was free from Apple's Facebook page a couple of weeks back, so of course I got it. It's pretty much the only iPhone game I've been playing since then, so that tells you something.

Where's My Water? is a physics based water game, following the vein of Cut The Rope, which itself follows the same kind of formula of Angry Birds. Several levels in different episodes, introducing different mechanics and offering a three star score to those willing to go the extra mile.

Our cute mascot in this game is Swampy, an alligator who really loves showers, so much so that he invades various peoples' houses in order to use theirs. It's clearly not the same shower, because each one is connected to a series of confusing sewers in which the player must dig through dirt, turn valves and even convert liquids in order to get the water to the shower head. We start out with simple digging, but quickly move onto the different liquid types. There's a poison water which clears out algae but makes Swampy pissed off if it lands in his tub, and a gelatinous ooze that turns algae into hard rock.

Various mechanics are introduced as the episodes progress. There are convertor valves, hot coals that turn water into steam, switches that open up gates, but all are introduced at a steady pace, and don't need too much explanation. After a few levels of introduction, you can quickly learn to use all the different mechanics together with ease.

The real challenge, of course, comes with trying to get all the ducks scattered around the level. Similar to the stars in Cut The Rope, each one is a little bit out of the way, meaning you have to think a little differently than normal in order to spurt water in the right direction, or avoid soaking them with poison water, which kills them dead. It does take a fair amount of trial and error sometimes, but it's never difficult enough to be really frustrating.

The same can be said for the rest of the game too. The difficulty is not that hard, but in a game aimed at kids this is probably a good thing. I've breezed through most of the levels without much thought, so perhaps for seasoned gamers like myself it doesn't provide an overly satisfying challenge, but it's nice to not be stuck on the same level for hours trying to figure out what to do.

Where's My Water is a cute, colourful, fun game. It's not too hard, but there are various things to get used to while playing. If you've had enough of flinging birds at pigs or trudging through corridors shooting Russians, this game will certainly provide some entertainment for a good few hours.

My rating: 4/5

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