Game: Yuso
System: Nintendo Switch
Developer/Publisher: Vertical Reach
Price: $7.99/ £5.99/ € 6,49
Release Date: July 5, 2018
(Review code kindly provided by Vertical Reach)
Overall Feeling: I like it!
Yuso is a unique puzzle game where you clear different planets of the infectious Yuso. These Yuso are little round creatures that you have to burst in order to clear the screen. The levels start out pretty easy with simple mechanics, like the rewind button, so you can easily reverse any mistakes you made. Soon enough, the further you go, the harder the levels get. Yuso may look cute, but don’t underestimate the challenges ahead in the later stages. Luckily, if you get stuck, you can leave & return to one later. There are over 80 levels that will give you a charming and difficult game to play on the go, anytime, anywhere.
Gameplay:
Right from the beginning, there are clusters of Yuso that you must pop to proceed. Not even one of them can be left on the screen, in order to clear the level. It all starts out very simple with not many factors to get in your way. The first group is easily taken care of, with one quick pop in the center. Further on, larger groups of Yuso with different colors and surrounding objects appear. Bombs of different colors pop any surrounding Yuso in the vicinity of that color. Other mechanisms sweep across, affecting all the Yuso nearby, causing them to sleep. You have to wake them up again before they can be popped. While the gameplay is simple and has the same goal each stage, it can actually get quite addicting wanting to pop them all!
Music/Sound effects:
When you complete a level, you get to hear the satisfying sound of the Yuso popping and then you’re moving on to the next stage. While playing, you also get to listen to the funky techno tunes that are different for each planet. For me, music can really give a certain mood and it definitely makes for a nice atmosphere while playing.
Characters:
For the first eight planets you clear, there is a different character at each planet. They each have different, quirky personalities from a wacky scientist to a sporty athlete. All of the characters have something in common though, they want you to clear all of those pesky Yuso!
Overall:
Yuso is a perfect game to play on the go when you need something to keep you occupied for a short while, like waiting for the bus, or at a coffee shop! It has nice, clean graphics with an upbeat soundtrack. The characters are funny and unique in their own way. Each level is different with a specific arrangement of Yuso. In my first day of playing, I cleared over 60 levels already, nearly beating it. I wouldn’t recommend it to younger kids, as cute as it looks, because of the increasing difficulty. There isn’t really a story, but that doesn’t matter too much. It is a great puzzle game overall!
Wow! What a great review! Sounds like an interesting puzzler. I like good soundtracks in my games also!
Petra made a very good review of an interesting game!