Lasers are cool. They can heal, kill, blind, burn. Be used as targetting sights or swords. You can heat up your dinner with them, measure distances and detect air sources. With a technology so very useful – and very deadly – we should probably be very careful. Which is is why, for the evening it took putting together this Rayland review, we have spent all night playing with them.
Rayland is essentially a well worn puzzle template expanded into a full game. The premise dates as far back as The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past in my mind, though probably far further. Recent titles such as New Super Lucky’s Tale and a whole host of Skylanders games have thrown out entire levels based on the challenge. And now, Rayland goes one further, offering an entire game.
The premise is that there is a laser, and a ball. The laser must meet the ball. However, the laser is being shot in a single direction and the gun shooting it cannot be moved. Therefore, the player must align and rotate mirrors throughout the area to correctly bounce the laser until it hits the ball. Pretty simple stuff.
However, soon there’ll also be blocks in the way. Then two lasers and two balls. Many lasers. Extended, unreachable ball placements requiring bouncing multiple laser beams together. Rayland quickly ups the ante of it’s one-trick-pony gameplay.
Despite the fact it’s not a particularly challenging exercise until much later in the game, Rayland does leave you feeling particularly satisfied in a couple of areas. Firstly, the easier puzzles can be solved in just one-or-two moves if you think about it for a moment. Secondly, of course, simply completing some of the more difficult levels. Developer Naoka Games has obviously put considerable thought into this. There are moments in which the game tricks you: the level can look exceptionally complicated, but sometimes there may be a much simpler solution available than that which first appears. Think before you act.
Much like many of eastasiasoft’s titles, Rayland features incredibly easy Achievements/Trophies. We were able to gain them all while writing this Rayland review, within just a couple of hours play. This exemplifies the game however; we played through in one sitting as the game is compelling, yet short. All told, Rayland is a great little puzzle game which will certainly put a smile on your face, but don’t expect it to last more than an evening.
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