Spectraball is one of those games where you control a ball and roll it around, think Marble Blast or Monkey Ball. It contains a few neat features to set it apart from the crowd, but the core gameplay is the same.
In each level, the goal is to move from the starting point to the end point in as little time as you can. Along the way you might encounter some simple puzzles and platforming elements, press a switch to open a door, jump across a gap, that sort of thing. Each level also has a time limit, which can be very strict depending on the difficulty level you choose.
To mix things up a little, your “ball” also has some special powers which can be activated with a mouse click. You start the game with one special power, but you can equip up to three once you’ve unlocked more (I only found a total of three in the game). The powers are quite useful, doing things like slowing down time and stopping you instantly.
Special powers, additional “Spectraballs”, and two mini games can be unlocked using glowing orbs which are scattered through all of the games levels. I thought this was a nice feature, giving a nice reward for completing levels. The graphics are simple but pretty enough, and you can probably run it on low level hardware. There is also an online scoreboard system that ranks your best times for each level against other players. Technically, there is nothing much wrong with Spectraball…
But, there is a problem. The biggest flaw with Spectraball is that it’s not very exciting. Each level is a lot like the last level. Sure, there a few different themes we go though, from the lava world to the ice world and so on. Despite that, each level feels just like the last one. The challenges you encounter are much same, and they are more frustrating than challenging. You will find yourself falling off the edge very often, so be prepared for that. The game play simply didn’t have enough depth to keep me interested for very long.
If you loved Monkey Ball or other rolling ball based games, give Spectraball a go. At best, you will love it, at worst, you’ll find a nice little game to play when you need to kill some time. The scoreboard system also provide some competetive motivation. The developers promise online content soon to come, so you’ll likely get some new levels and special powers when they deliver.
| Rating | Category |
|---|---|
| 7.5 | Presentation Simple graphics, but has some nice effects and looks pretty. Menu system could use some touching up. |
| 6.0 | Gameplay Repetitive and frustrating. But I know some people enjoy that kind of thing! |
| 6.5 | Sound
Nothing special, has some generic sound and music. A memorable soundtrack could have helped a lot. |
| 7.0 | Lastability
If you want to be top of the scoreboard, you will be here for a long time. Although the main game can be finished in less than a day. |
| 6.0 | Overall
An average game, try the demo before you buy. |
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Casual Comments (3)
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Level: 5
October 30, 2008 at 10:26 am
Welcome to CG, Hazmatic. Very nice review!
Level: 1
October 30, 2008 at 10:39 am
Thanks! I’m having a great time already
Level: 5
October 31, 2008 at 7:26 am
The game is pretty mediocre.