[#6] It Takes Two

Review by windchimera734 on Monday, February 16th 2015

A review of Duet, by shibuvsvinayak.

Note: This review was written under the assumption that Duet was an original concept, that was created on sploder.com. There is actually a mobile app under the same name, therefore this review contains more praise than it deserved.

*Introductory*

Hello readers! It�s Shiftry here with a very fine game to unravel. I know it�s been a while, and I'm a bit rusty, but this game is just one of those that I really had to write about. Duet is a recently featured PPG by the member Shibuvsvinayak. This member already has a featured PPG, and seems to be quite the craftsman when it comes to the creator. His casual concepts quickly envelop the player into a decently staged flash game (SPOILER: Duet is no exception!)

*Initial Expectations*

Knowing Vinayak, I�ve come to see him develop into a fine PPG artist. �Sploder Farm Basics� is another game by him, which in fact brought him to my attention, and was even featured in my �Shiftry�s Weekly Picks�. Since then he has joined the forums, socialised, and just earned his second feature! After returning from hibernation and seeing the game, I thought I�d try; these are my thoughts...

*Analysis and Evaluation*

The main concept of Duet is to rotate two separately connected orbs, whilst avoiding approaching blocks. The left and right arrow (alternate: A and D) keys affect both orbs simultaneously, so you�ll have to sync your movements and avoid contact with the obstacles. There are 6 playable level stages in Duet. And although repetitive, the difficulty steadily increases with the addition of rotating blocks.

I saw a comment on the page recently, at how the game actually does portray a duet scenario, with �both masses working together to create a perfect piece� ~ Elrapture. I agree with this member, and find this game extremely symbolic, and it really made me appreciate the game�s meaning, whether deliberate or otherwise. However, even without this knowledge, Duet is extremely fun to play-through upon initial testing. The simplicity of the concept, fused with the equally handable controls gives a great standard rivalling existing (non-Sploder) flash games. The music was another great factor, with harmonious tunes swapping through each level.

This game is not perfect, however. Duet has very little replay value, and the concepts are very limited. The game does not feel �complete�, and the length of level 6 feels unsatisfyingly short.

*Pros and Cons*

- Simplistic and clever idea

- Puzzling gameplay patterns

- Complementing scenery and music

- Lack of replay value

- Repetitive level-design

*Scores*

Story/Plot: N/A

*Final Comment*

This game contains great rhythm, and the very last �note� on level 7 really made it cease spectacularly. I would love to see another Duet project with deeper level patterns, and different obstacle/level concepts in future. And even though I don't feel the need to play it again anytime soon, I really appreciate the simplicity in design.

Thanks for reading. ~ windchimera734/Shiftry

6/10