Puzzle Bobble 3D: Vacation Odyssey Review for PlayStation 5

Greetings Gamers, Greg here to talk about Puzzle Bobble 3D: Vacation Odyssey from Survios and TAITO, who teamed up to make and launch this title coming on October 5th. You read that right BOBBLE as in Bubble Bobble, Puzzle Bobble, and Bust-A-Move the classic games that spawned countless imitations and created many puzzle lovers in the process. Bub and Bob are back for their 35th birthday celebration with a very cute and clean 3D build of their world. 

Puzzle Bobble 3D: Vacation Odyssey is pioneering cross-reality for Survios, a prominent VR game developer, with this amazing feature you get multiple games in one. Start out playing on the TV and then without closing the game switch to VR and keep playing. Survios’ VR expertise pays off especially when you see how cute your hands are with little dinosaur paws. The VR really brings a lot of extra enjoyment to this puzzle shooter which I wouldn’t have expected VR to be my preferred way of playing the game, but it really separates this Bobble game from the rest.

The 3D puzzle mechanic works even better in VR, no Surprise there, allowing you just a minor edge on peeking around at your three-dimensional floating bubble puzzles. You may decide you have to spin the puzzle around to get just the right angle on breaking a huge piece off or see if you shoot out into the great beyond it could come back and hit just the right piece. This is very gratifying when it works. The VR version is slightly more challenging to aim and select the bubble you are going to shoot, but it actually adds significantly more fun into the mix.

Puzzle Bobble 3D: Vacation Odyssey is cross-reality and cross-buy so when you get it for the PlayStation you get the PS4, PS5, and PSVR games all in one. Where you can conquer 100 progressively difficult puzzles in story mode, play with a friend online with dual-mode, or puzzle to your heart’s content with infinite mode. I actually preferred the story mode them most because as you move through the different levels it primes your brain for puzzles teaching you to visually solve the puzzle in your head before you start popping away. Plus the story mode has a light story to it.  

Pros:

This game is visually pleasing and fun for all ages while being challenging and relaxing simultaneously. The cross-buy and cross-reality make it a great value to boot. The Dinosaur paws were super cute and made me smile. The bomb power-up is the best tool in the game wish it was cheaper and easier to use frequently though.

Cons:

While this game makes it easy to jump in and play anytime I fear after players finish the 100 levels I don’t see players coming back to the infinite mode or replaying the story. If you are a die-hard puzzle fan then maybe that’s different for you. It can also be somewhat challenging to select the bubble you really want to shoot, it really takes precision and practice, it slows the game down though, and can be really frustrating when you hit the wrong one even after taking your time to aim.

This is a nostalgic experience of course for any fans from the past 35 years of Bobble or Bust-A-Move, but this is a very enjoyable puzzle game on its own. This is one you can get your youngins into or enjoy on your own. If you arent deterred from the challenging bubble selection process this will be a game for you. Puzzle Bobble 3D: Vacation Odyssey gets a 7/10.

If interested, check out Puzzle Bobble 3D: Vacation Odyssey now as it arrives on PS4 and PS5 today, October 5. Please visit PuzzleBobble3D.com or follow Survios and Taito to learn more. Available now at: https://store.playstation.com/en-us/concept/10002893

Greg Vander Velde

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I've been a life long nerd and video game junkie known to associate with the likes of Link, Nathan Drake, Batman, and Master Chief. I'm a filmmaker by profession, but spend lots of time behind a controller escaping the real world. @GregVelde on Instagram/Twitter/YouTube

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