Try Breezing Through This

           Many recent puzzle games have taken a deceptively simple concept and found a unique way of challenging gamers in a way that is both difficult but still captivating. BreezeBlox implements one such interesting concept, but don’t let its simplicity mislead you.


           The core concept behind which BreezeBlox functions is that you’re trying to get to a goal by moving around a platform as a 2x2x1 box. And that’s really most of it; however, the challenge comes when you realize how uneven this makes the box. You must move the box around in a certain way with the given space in order to turn it, arrive at the goal, and move from one part of the platform to the other, all without ever moving off the platform. If even one of the 4 blocks moves off the platform, you have to restart the level from the beginning.
           As you progress through the game, there are more elements that are incorporated, such a tile that will teleport you and tiles that will only appear after hitting a switch. You’ll need to use these in order to progress, so they become minor goals of their own, since even with these you’ll have to figure out how to utilize these after discovering how to maneuver the blocks you control over to them. In this way, even after you’ve begun to master the basic ways you must move the blocks, you’ll still have to continually find unique solutions to each new puzzle.


           BreezeBlox contains 150 different levels, each building upon earlier levels while still including trickier and more difficult levels as the game progresses. There are three chapters to play your way through, and you can jump between them at any point; though the second chapter is trickier than the first and the third is the most difficult. There’s definitely a nice learning curve that we appreciated in this title. Most of the levels are just the right length, as well, taking just a few minutes per level if you know what you’re doing. They’re the kind of length that’ll keep you playing just one more level, and when you get stuck on a puzzle you’ll keep trying to figure it out until you’ve gotten it down. BreezeBlox will keep you occupied for roughly 3-5 hours depending on how well you can grasp the puzzles the game presents to you, and it’ll continually challenge you while staying addicting throughout.
           BreezeBlox is fairly minimalistic, and its graphics are simple, yet clean and visually appealing. The same can be said of the two tracks that the game has, which aren’t super complex nor amazing but work well with the game and are pleasing to listen to. It’s worth noting that after you finish the game, there’s not really anything to bring you back, as once you’ve beaten every level, that’s it. We didn’t encounter anything to really detract from the gameplay, with the game running very smoothly, just as it was intended. While all of this is well and good, for a price tag of $9.99, you may want to consider how much you’re interested in this title.


           BreezeBlox is, most definitely, one of the most unique puzzle games on the Wii U’s eShop. The simple 2x2x1 block aspect that Breezeblox revolves around is both straightforward yet difficult to fully grasp. Don’t let its simplicity deceive you; it’s certainly a challenging game that’ll keep you coming back until you’ve figured out every trick the game has to offer.

7.25/10

Review code provided by Pugsley LLC.