Tantric by Astraware,
Price: $14.95
Reviewed October 2004 by: Marc
Morgan
The award winning game company Astraware
has done it again! They’ve made another puzzle game that’s
easy to pick up and impossible to put down. The name of the
game is Tantric.
The concept of Tantric is very original. You have to fill
in gaps between pieces before the bar goes past the empty space.
If the bar passes an empty space, your energy level decreases.
The energy level is shown on the bar as well as on the top
right corner. If the bar has already passed, you can use those
pieces to fill in the gaps below the bar without having to
worry about losing energy. The bar always moves at the same
speed no matter what the difficulty setting is set to, but
instead, the puzzles get harder. The game was especially easy
to get in to because on the first time you try the game, there
is a small tutorial. Another great feature is that the levels
are unlimited.
Like some other Astraware titles, Tantric uses stylus control.
There are two options for the stylus control; tap and drag,
or tap and drop. For tap and drag, you simply drag the piece
you want to move into the other gap, while in tap and drop,
you tap the piece you want to move, and tap the gap where you
want to move it. I found that I liked to use tap and drag,
but both methods work well.
Usually in a puzzle game, there are no 3D graphics, but instead
there are bright, vibrant colors. Tantric is one of those games.
When you open the game, you will see a title screen bursting
with color. When you play the game, the shapes are colored
just as well. Also, the pieces in the game are easy to identify
as they are crystal clear.
Tantric has both music and sound effects.
The music is enjoyable, but if you don’t want to hear
it, you can mute it. There are plenty of sound effects such
as when you move a piece, when the bar touches a gap, and
when you finish a level. The sound effects can also be muted.
I found the experience more enjoyable with the music and
sound effects on.
Overall, I think that anybody could pick up this game and
have a hard time putting it down. The game is simple enough
for a child to play, yet addictive to adults as well. Tantric
combines an original idea, good graphics, music, and fun all
together in a polished package. The game supports both Palm
and Pocket PC platforms.
Tips and Hints
Watch the energy meter/percent.
Experiment with all the different pieces to see which will
fit best.
Ratings (scale of 1 to 5):
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