Magnetic Revisited
is an entirely redesigned and rewritten version of the original
Magnetic, released by independent developer Mulawa Dreaming in 2003.
Revisited is an exploratory puzzle game which whisks you away to an
island off the Australian coast -- a most agreeable place to be stranded
-- and presents you with a veritable cornucopia of puzzling goodness.
If you should happen to be familiar with any of the previous games in
Mulawa’s back catalogue, such as Xiama, Magicama, and Cooroora
-- to name but a few, not to mention the original Magnetic -- then
you must already have an excellent idea of what to expect with
Revisited.
Wazzidor the Wizard Welcomes You to Magnetic Revisited
The opening game screen invites the gamer to choose from one of six
companions who will accompany you throughout your journey. Lurking
invisibly at bottom left of your game screen, you have only to hover your
cursor across and click to be taken to the main menu and its list of
options.
But first, let’s meet Wazzidor the Wizard. He is an important sort of chap
(albeit possessing a name which I’m sure incurred no end of ribbing at
Australian Wizard Primary School back in the day), and he will look over
you as you undertake the short introductory game tutorial.
Magnetic Revisited presents itself in colourful and picturesque
photographic slideshow scenes. Navigation is via arrows at the bottom
right of your game screen. As you explore the island, you begin to
encounter the many varied puzzles which are scattered around the area.
Click on a strange contraption; a mysterious box tucked away beneath a
mound of foliage; or a panel hewn into the surface of a rock, and Shazam!,
there’s another brain-rattler for you. There is no story to unfold, no
characters with whom you may interact: the puzzles and games are the focus
here. If your brain begins to ache and creak from a particularly fiendish
conundrum, then take a break and wander the beautiful island: listen to
the sound of the surf and the birdsong. Take your time, don’t rush. Just
relax and enjoy. There is no clock to race against here.
There are 32 mind-bogglers of varying levels of difficulty in Magnetic
Revisited, 16 of which are solitary puzzles to be played alone. The
other 16 are board games or cards, which you must play against the mighty
(and mightily competitive) Wazzidor. Triumph over a puzzle and it unlocks
one game location. Successfully win four rounds of that respective game
against the Wizard, and you will be rewarded with a gold frame. Your gold
frame booty will be recorded for posterity and reference in the Game Book
section at the main menu. Similarly, you can keep track of the puzzles you
have found, solved or have still to vanquish by clicking on the Puzzle
Book section.
If you’re hopelessly stuck and need help, or simply looking for a short
explanation as to how a puzzle works, click on Puzzle Notes at the main
menu for a description and tips. There are also How to Play and How to Win
sections for all the games, which I found extremely useful.
The game automatically saves your progress, so there is no fiddling around
with save slots or load screens.
Opposites Attract
So, what of the puzzles and games themselves? A few old favourites from
the original Magnetic make a return. There are also some entirely
new challenges. Take your pick from various picture assembly puzzles, word
games, spatial headscratchers and -- tentative drum roll -- mathematical
problems, which have never been my personal strong point. Gentle reader,
you may wish to look away now while I gurn a macabre pained expression in
recollection of those evil number-laden thingummywhosits.
There are colour and sound puzzles, but no mazes, sliders or timed
sequences.
There are board games aplenty: the traditional chess and checkers, along
with an entertaining variation of battleships, mancala, and tic-tac-toe.
There is one card game.
Right-clicking on a puzzle will take you out of the close-up screen and
back to the island. Puzzles do not reset if you do so. However once a
puzzle or game has been won, you may re-access it via either of the main
menu Books, and replay whenever the fancy takes you.
The Spells Don’t Work
I may be myopic but I’m not completely cross-eyed (at least not yet);
however I found the metallic sheen of the colours on a couple of the
puzzles to be hard to differentiate.
Wand Malfunction
Magnetic Revisited installed without any problems and played
smoothly throughout.
For all-round variation, entertainment and replayability, and the sheer
addictive quality of many of the puzzles and games, I would wholeheartedly
recommend Magnetic Revisited to any keen puzzler in search of a
challenge.
Grade: A-
Magnetic Revisited can be purchased via download from the
developer’s website.
March, 2010
design copyright©
2010
GameBoomers
Group
