|
| Zen Bound by Secret Exit |
|
When I first saw the screen shots and read a little bit about Zen Bound I didn’t know what to make of it. I wasn’t even really sure that I wanted to get or review it, other than the fact that I was curious what all the hype was about. When Chillingo finally asked me if I wanted to review it I figured I might as well, so I can at least say I’ve experienced the phenomenon that is Zen Bound. I have to be honest in saying that I’m still not quite as enamored by this game as the general populace that has tried it, but I am certainly glad that I decided to take Zen Bound for a spin.
I have a hard time qualifying Zen Bound as a game. It’s more like a 3D model viewer with a purpose. There are two trees, each containing many items carved out of wood. It is your job to climb each of the trees by painting all of the carvings. To paint a carving you must surround it in rope. So far it doesn’t sound like any game I’ve ever played. In fact, it doesn’t even sound like something that would necessarily hold my interest. What makes this game work so well, though, is how you interact with the wood and rope.
Zen Bound takes full advantage of the unique control mechanisms of the iPhone. You swipe with your finger to rotate the object. With two fingers you can spin the object. And, if the rope gets caught somewhere you can tilt the device left and right to shake it loose. I still struggle a bit with the spinning part, but overall the controls feel natural. It really seems like you could just shove your hand in the screen and grab the blocks of wood. The objects being truly 3D also makes it an interesting task to wind the rope. Some of these carvings have lots of nooks and crannies, and if you stretch a piece of rope across a portion of the carving without actually touching it, you’ve effectively blocked yourself from painting that portion of wood. And, like real objects, the rope can get caught along the edges of things like tails on animals, which is where having the ability to “shake” the rope comes in handy.
| |
Hopefully I’ve done at least a baseline useful job of explaining the 3D interaction. It’s really hard to get a grasp on unless you actually try it, though, and even watching a video of the gameplay doesn’t do it justice. Now I’ll mention the “with a purpose” part of Zen Bound. There are 3 levels of panting for each object: 70%, 85% and 99%. You won’t get any credit for painting an object unless you reach at least 70%. Credit is administered in the form of flowers. Along the tree there are certain way points, and to be able to pass beyond a way point you must earn a certain number of flowers. Have no fear, though, because you can retry a carving as many times as you want, so if you come up short on flowers just go back to one you’ve completed at less than 99% and try again. There are no time limits in Zen Bound, so feel free to take your time trying to paint as much of a carving the first time as you can.
One last think I’ll mention quickly, as my only real “annoyance” with the gameplay, is in how you complete a carving. The rope is attached to a nail embedded in the carving. There is a second nail somewhere in the carving, and when you’ve reached at least the 70% mark that nail will start glowing. To finish the carving at any point after 70% coverage, you must touch the rope to the glowing nail. No big deal, really, except that on more than one occasion I reached the 70% mark just as I was nearing the nail, and ended up actually “completing” the carving because I accidentally touched the nail. I know that means I just have to go back in and do the carving again to get a higher rating, but it’s just a bit frustrating.
The graphics in Zen Bound are stunning. Even the tree you must “climb” looks cool, but the visual really shine once you get into the carvings. You don’t really feel like you’re looking at a 3D rendered object. Instead, it seems like you’re actually looking at a block of wood that someone has painstakingly shaped into whatever object you’re viewing. There are even slight imperfections and nicks in the wood to give it a realistic appearance. The painting looks cool, and there are even nifty little effects like the glow of the lanterns on the tree or the quick burst of light when you complete a carving. It’s very clear that Zen Bound is as much about aesthetics as anything else.
| |
The main sound effects come in the form of the twang of the rope when it slips of the edge of an object or the chime when you’ve reached a certain percentage of painting. Sound effects aren’t really needed in Zen Bound, however, because you will be so enraptured with the music that you won’t want anything to impede it. The music in Zen Bound is absolutely beautiful. In fact, I’ve been keeping the game on and listening to the music while I’m working on other things on my computer! Now it’s my understanding that you can download the soundtrack, but I figured as long as I’ve got the game, might as well take advantage of it. I will say, though, that the experience is so much more fulfilling if you use headphones, which it even tells you at the beginning of the game. They don’t have to be expensive things, as I can guarantee you that the ones I’m using are cheap, and it will still make a world of difference.
Zen Bound is a one of a kind experience for your iPhone or iPod Touch. I’m still not quite sure I get it, but I’m glad I’ve got it. The visuals are fantastic, the music is hands down the best I’ve heard on a mobile device, and the game play – if you consider it a game – is relaxing and at the same time gives you a sense of accomplishment. If you are any sort of open minded gamer, you’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t give this game a try.
Overall Score: 9/10
|
|
|
