Warp Forest, by Arseniy Shklyaev, is a very interesting blend of driving action and puzzle solving with a ton of play-time packed into it. Fans of classic adventure puzzles like the Lolo games or Chip’s Challenge should be able to pick up this game very quickly. It’s a simple tile-based playing area with the object of collecting power-ups and keys to activate the exit warp.

The graphics in the game are fairly pleasant bitmap sprites. Being the type of puzzle game it is you shouldn’t expect too much variety in the levels, but there was a lot of attention put into the car’s rotation; each angle is rendered with accurate perspective. The enemy art is re-used a lot with simple pallette shifts to visually portray varying abilities, but that didn’t ruin the game for me at all.

The soundtrack is a better than average electronic style with a lighthearted sound that suits the game rather well. The sound effects are typical puzzle game type sounds, but are not annoying by any means.

What I loved most about this game is the variety in play with simple changes per level. In some levels you are plotting your moves with precision, and others you are just hauling ass to avoid enemy firepower. If you are a casual gamer with only 20 minutes or so to play, there is even a save system so you can quit playing and jump back in at your leisure.

All in all this is a fantastic game. I just can’t believe it took me this long to notice it!

[ Play Warp Forest ]