Game: MazezaM
Genre: Puzzle
System: Nintendo Switch (also on mobile)
Developer|Publisher: esolutions Nordic
Age Rating: EU 3+ | US E
Price: UK £4.39 | EU € 4,90 | US $5.50
Release Date: August 7th 2020
Review code provided with many thanks to eSolutions Nordic
The Return of the Game
So the trilogy concludes. First we had Push the Box then we had Dominate. Now we have the third game MazezaM. Quite the palindrome. Will this be the Return or the King or the Last Crusade of this trilogy? Or will it be the Alien 3 of the bunch. Though for the record I kinda liked Alien 3 but that’s because I’m weird. Anyway on with the review.
Push the Walls
So here we are again. Another game taking inspiration from the games of old. MazezaM, takes inspiration from a game of the same name that was ported to several platforms including the old beloved BBC micro. A system I used to play in school. The gameplay is quite simple move the coloured walls about until you can create a path to the exit. That’s basically it. Expect to comfortably get through the first few puzzles. But eventually you will hit a mental brick wall and scratch your head (or beard) for a while until you figure out how to solve the puzzle.
The game allows you to undo moves or simply restart the level if you feel you’ve made a total mess of things. If you can’t figure it out the game will reveal the solution after you’ve wasted about an hour thinking about it. This feature was present in Push the Box. I personally preferred to figure out the puzzle for myself but some people may get very frustrated and having to wait a whole hour seems a little silly. If it helps though the counter counts down even if the Switch is in standby mode. So you can literally walk away for a hour and come back to it later. But its possible you’ll find a better use of your time instead.
Questionable Design Choices
MazezaM has odd design decisions. For some reason it has a life based system for a puzzle game. If you want to restart the level or even return to the main menu it costs you a life. This all seems so pointless, especially since you can undo moves. It’s a puzzle game not an arcade game. There is a points system and I guess if you don’t use lives you have more points but it all just seems so unnecessary.
Push the Box 2
MazezaM feels like a spiritual sequel to Push the Box. In a way its a shame it wasn’t titled ‘Push the Walls.’ The character sprite and brick walls are all the same. Everything just has a different lick of paint to it. Even the background music is the same which is a looping classical tune. This is not a good thing. In fact the BBC micro version of the game has more personality with it’s retro graphics and that can be played for free in browser. My critique of this game is the same critique I had for Push the Box and Dominate. The gameplay is fine but it lacks any creative flair to make it stand out.
A Positive Note
I see a lot of merit in puzzle games like MazezaM. Some gamers are happy with a to the point gaming experience. Not all of us need action. Not all of us need 4K graphics, deep stories and all the other confusions modern gaming offers. My main praise for MazezaM is that it did take me back to the old days when I was in school, using the one BBC micro my school had, shared between four classrooms. There was a time I remember vividly that games just like MazezaM were enough. But I don’t think everyone will feel that way when playing this title. Somewhere though I like to picture there’s a gamer, possibly elderly, enjoying this title on their sofa. And they are smiling.
Plain and Simple
Underneath the simple graphics and questionable design decisions is a decent puzzle game. But there is little to make this stand out from the crowd and draw in your attention. Only the die hard puzzle fans may want to seek this one out.
Final Verdict: I’m Not Sure
