Falling for You- 0D Beat Drop Review

Over the years, I’ve had a peculiar relationship with most puzzlers. The liaison typically starts off hot and heavy, as I’m attracted by a novel game mechanic. Inevitably, that bewitching element loses its appeal, as I realize the game is nothing more than a variant of an existing amusement. The relationship inevitably expires as I move on to the next sparkling diversion. My name is DesertEagle, and I am a serial puzzle-gaming monogamist.

Over the years, a number of these encounters have evoked a bit of tender sentimentalism. My first experiences with Dr. Mario, Devil Dice, Planet Puzzle League, and Bust-A-Move have all forged salient memories. While 0-D Beat Drop likely won’t find a place directly adjacent to my frigid heart, our time together was marked by feelings of sporadic bliss and extended harmony. Because of that, I’m unwilling to rule out the chance for a fleeting, future rendezvous.

On the surface, 0-D Beat Drop closely resembles its piece-dropping puzzle brethren. Random groupings of three objects cascade down from the top of the screen, tasking players to rotate and drop the cluster adjacent to similarly colored items. Once a trio of similarly-colored pieces are in close proximity to each other, lightning will arc across the assembly to indicate the items are prepared for removal. To eliminate the group, player must press the ‘X’ button to initiate a Beat Drop. This pugilistic-sounding maneuver sends your current piece plummeting and hopefully commences a gratifying chain of combos.  For the Beat Drop to be successful, player must synchronize the move to the beat of the game’s pulsating electronic rhythms. If the player’s timing is off, the pieces will merely fall onto the mounting stack of objects, pushing the player closer to catastrophe.

0-D Beat Drop’s integration of a busy visual aesthetic with pulse-pounding electronica undoubtedly channels the stylings of Q Entertainment. From the game’s lively Beat Meter, pulsating wireframe graphics, and metronome-like throb from the controller, the title tickles multiple sensory receptors. Although 0-D includes support for Xbox Live Avatars, the caricatures look out of place on a high-tech playfield. Fortunately, they can be removed from the game’s option menu. To offset visual fatigue, the game offers a variety of skins, which present an array of themes for the title’s pieces and backdrops. Once player tire of the game’s high-energy selection of music they may play with their own selection of tunes; 0-D Beat Drop allows players to stream songs from the console’s hard drive or from a USB device. The title’s ability to detect the music tempo worked flawlessly, and added a bit of longevity to the title.

The game’s other success emanates from the inclusion of a variety of modes- players will likely find at least one variant that’s to their liking. Gamers can either square off against either AI, local, or online opponents, as well as absorb themselves in time attack or mission-based challenges. Players accustomed to the protracted battles in most puzzles game might be disappointed. 0-D forgoes the intense push-pull struggles for victory in favor of shorter, more decisive, scraps.