FLOWING LIGHTS Review for Xbox

gFaUmNe’s Flowing Lights is easily one of the worst games I have ever reviewed. It markets itself as a retro arcade shooter/puzzle game hybrid with physics-based movement and shooting mechanics. The player is tossed into the role of a spaceship, which has crash landed on a mysterious planet with a unique gravitational pull that forces the player to traverse a harsh world full of laser-shooting octopi-resembling aliens. What we got, however, was the equivalent of a CoolMathGame that kids would play once and then never touch again in favor of other games that actually have engaging and exciting challenges, fresh and evolving gameplay, or a unique world to navigate.

I’ll start off by conceding that I understand Flowing Lights is made by an independent studio with few resources, however, I think that I’ve seen mobile games with better environmental design, world-building, movement, and fighting mechanics than Flowing Lights. The fighting is stale after the first one or two levels and only grows more frustrating as the player progresses through the story. I guess I could see this being entered into a category of “ultra-hard games” like Happy Wheels or The Longest Journey, except those games have humorous or unique elements and a cohesive storyline, respectively. Instead of trying to create any sense of reward for completing puzzles, whether that be through storyline progression, achievements (although I guess there is a S through D rating system depending on combos and such), or leveling up with new abilities, Flowing Lights just maintains the same monotonous, mind-numbing pace with practically zero payoff.  

The design of the game achieves its goal of looking retro, with vibrant neon colors and gravitational lines paved into the ground and walls of each level. The aliens glow in bright, saturated colors and shoot beautiful orbs, which either come at the player’s ship directly or block the player’s path and force them to find ways to circumnavigate the blockage. The visual design of this game was actually the only thing enjoyable about it, it really is a beautiful work, which was nice to look at and was probably the only thing that kept me from uninstalling it after the first level. The gravitational lines and shot-tracking system on the plasma orbs that players can use for long-range fights were also well done, as the physics-based gameplay managed to remain relatively consistent in allowing the player to bend shots and use their environment in order to eliminate enemies.  

The music in Flowing Lights was possibly one of the most off-putting aspects of the game, the generic Garage Band sounding arcade music incessantly bopping in the background grated on my ears so much that I eventually had to play the game without audio just to keep from going insane. I’m not sure if this was a conscious choice by the developer in creating a soundtrack, which matches the monotony of the gameplay in order to increase the player’s frustration but, if so, it definitely worked. The combat feels so unrewarding despite the relatively smooth controls when it comes to your ship’s movement. Defeating a particularly difficult level or enemy yields no feeling of joy or accomplishment, only relief that you’re that much closer to finally finishing the game. One of the most pervasive faults that I found in Flowing Lights was the fact that it attempted to create fast-paced gameplay in a universe which mandates more slow and methodical combat. This worked as a paradox of sorts, creating an incredibly unfulfilling and basic gameplay, which negated the positive work done on the game’s unique physics and beautiful level design. 

I probably wouldn’t have bashed on Flowing Lights as hard if it was a free mobile game or free Steam game, but the fact that it costs $9.99 and was released on the Switch, Xbox, and Steam is absolutely egregious to me. I genuinely think that gFaUmNe should pay $9.99 to anyone who downloads this game as reparation for the 800 Mb it takes up on their hard drive. I can’t help but tip my hat to what they were trying to do with Flowing Lights in creating a unique genre-blend of shooter/puzzle game/throwback arcade game, but the end result can only be described as a resounding failure. I can appreciate what the studio tried to do with this game and will be on the lookout for future projects of theirs as their team clearly has talent and the capability of creating something fresh and enjoyable, but Flowing Lights was anything but that. 

Not Recommended

Check Out the Flowing Lights Trailer:

For more information, please visit: https://www.flowinglights.com/

Hayden Vassey

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I've been playing video games since I got a Playstation 2 when I was about 5 or 6 years old. The original Star Wars: Battlefront series and the Spyro series initially ignited my interest in gaming, but it wasn't until I got older that I truly appreciated the subtle details that make video games such a unique form of entertainment. My favorite type of video game would have to be any lengthy and plot-driven open world game, with my favorite games of all time being Batman: Arkham City, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, and Firewatch.

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