Unlock Review

By , on June 19, 2012


Unlock
Download on the AppStore
3 out of 5

PROS

  • A simple puzzler with lots of variations.
  • Allows for play as you search for the solution.

CONS

  • A bit bare bones.

VERDICT

This is a virtual version of those unlocking puzzles that you come across in game stores or in oddball diners. If you find them enjoyable, you'll like Unlock.


  • Full Review
  • App Store Info

Have you ever sat down in a restaurant or entered a game shop and there were those clumped puzzles sitting there made out of wood or metal that required you to play around, trying to separate the pieces from each other? Unlock by Miniclip is a virtual representation of that concept. Each level has two or more blocks of varying shape melded together, and by rotating the puzzle, it's up to the player to take the pieces apart and free the monster from his cage.

Taking the pieces apart is a little haphazard, but mostly straight-forward. Swiping your finger around will rotate the puzzle, and if you wish to move a piece, you place one finger on the screen, and use a second finger to make the necessary adjustments. The game takes a while to register which piece you're trying to interact with in this mode (signaled by the piece flashing briefly), and the angle the camera is on has a lot to do with whether the piece will move or not when jiggled around by your finger. This has no great negative effect on the game, as for the most part things work, but when your star rating is tied to completion time, it can be more than a little annoying.

Presentation wise the game is a little bare bones, but the puzzles get progressively more strange along with the difficulty, and overall the whole package has a great ever increasing flow to its gameplay. While we would recommend the game to puzzle fans, because of the nature of the puzzles, a large amount of play and tinkering is not only required, but encouraged. Puzzle games revolving around play are a personal favorite so this definitely could be ideal for younger players or the curious as well. That monster's not going to free itself after all.

Screenshots

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