Bounce the ball, collect all the objects. It doesn't sound too fascinating does it? It's amazing what you can do with a simple concept, and incredible production value. Each level of Deflex has you placing angled paddles in the bouncing ball's path in order to direct it around the stage.

The object is to collect all the items on screen (most being animals that behave in their own distinct ways). For each item you collect, your score rises, and for every two or more you collect at a time, your multiplier rises as well. Failing to collect anything sends the multiplier plummeting, and if you spend too long without a multiplier, your ball evaporates and you have to retry the level.

Where Deflex really sets itself apart is with its audio and visual presentation. The blurry waving colors of the level inflict a trancy, dreamlike start while the audio reinforces this. Most levels have ambient noise but placing a paddle or collecting an item emits a piano chord. The higher your multiplier, the more force the music has.

The game features fifty two levels, with a great high score feature on the main menu screen. The levels are displayed in one long horizontal block. As you play through them, two line graphs appear. One shows your score on each level, while the other shows the highest score on each level. This easily allows dedicated players to chase high scores, prolonging the enjoyment of the game.

Deflex shows what can be done with a simple idea. Each level requires a little bit of thinking in order to optimize your score, and there's enough variation in collectables and their behavior to keep things interesting. The only criticism we can give is that it might take some players a while to fully wrap their heads around which angled paddle sends the ball in which direction in the heat of the moment. Aside from that, if you're looking for a relaxing, enjoyable game, you certainly couldn't go wrong here.