Virballs

While the combat shines with its inventive elemental combinations and enjoyable difficulty, the game is dragged down by its repetitive and linear level design, and countless bugs. The story begins with Dr. Corvid, a rogue scientist on the run from the space police. In a desperate attempt to shake his pursuers, he dumps his cargo over nearby planets, releasing capsules containing viruses that warp local wildlife and flora. Enter Orb, a certified space janitor with the task of cleaning up the galactic biohazard before it spirals out of control. Orb might be a janitor, but he’s got some impressive tricks up his sleeve. He can transform into a ball to zip through tight spots, dash with style, and pull off double-jumps from the start. Movement feels fluid, especially in third-person view where the platforming really shines. First-person view is an option, but it doesn’t fit the game. The game’s core hook lies in Virballs. These are spherical creatures scattered throughout levels, each infused with one of the six elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Electricity, and Slime. While they start as your enemies, they quickly become your most powerful tool. Using a claw-like tool, you grab and consume smaller Virballs, instantly gaining their elemental power. This is where the fun truly begins. Every stage starts you off with a base Virball corresponding to one of the six planet’s element. This base modifies your standard projectile. But the real magic happens when you start fusing or combining your base with smaller Virballs that unlock an arsenal of unique attacks. For example, Earth plus Fire allows you to hold and release a giant, explosive fireball, while Water plus Water lets out a relentless stream. Although you can’t choose your base, the potential for creative destruction is impressive. Each combination feels distinct, with different firing modes that range from homing projectiles to area-of-effect attacks. The downside is that fusion ammo is limited (base doesn’t waste ammo), but fortunately, grabbing and consuming more small Virballs is quick and seamless. Fusions are also visible in the opposition, so this means that despite dealing with only one basic enemy, it can come in many different forms. A nice detail is that a fusion enemy breaks apart into the two small enemies with elements required for that fusion. By the way, enemies are very easy and they rarely pose a threat. Also, they often release health when destroyed. The game's most glaring weakness emerges in its stage design. Stages are divided into compact, mostly linear segments spread across six planets, each themed around a distinct elemental type. Despite the clever combat mechanics, level design feels sorely undercooked. Each planet is divided into five stages, but they all blur together due to the repetitive use of assets. The three mission types—destroying Virball-spawning capsules, rescuing locals, and managing hostile wildlife—do little to inject variety into the gameplay loop. There’s a glaring sense of déjà vu when you realize that the same areas are reused with no alterations. Of course, each planet has its own assets, but none of the stages stand out. The only exception might be the last stage of each planet, which includes a boss fight, but even they are just a bigger basic enemy. One nice touch is your ship flying above the stage; it comes rescue you with a claw when you fall into a hazard surrounding a stage. Completionists will look out collectibles. Bright atoms are scattered along the main paths, tucked away in barrels, or released from eliminated enemies. However, this design choice creates an interesting dilemma: Do you consume smaller Virballs for ammo or destroy them for atoms? The reason for this is a badge you earn for grabbing enough atoms. Although you might eat too many enemies and find out that you won’t have enough at the end, this is not an issue because stages can be replayed. The other form of collectibles are canisters that permanently improve your health, and relics. Although relics are not shown on the compass, unlike canisters and main objectives, finding them is not hard because of linear structure. You know how many there are per stage in the stage select menu. The relics are also supposed to unlock skins for Orb, but the feature appears broken. Another broken feature are achievements. Looking at their description, I assume you get one for each new combination, but none of them have unlocked. Even the latest fix doesn't help all the way because combinations simply stop registering after a while and you can't reset progress. The only option is to start a new game and hope it doesn't bug out again, but I lost all desire to do that after beating half of the game.