UFO: Unidentified Falling Objects review

The worst thing about Unidentified Falling Objects is the game’s title.

About fifteen minutes into UFO: Unidentified Falling Objects I knew there was a problem. Most action-driven puzzle games are appealing. But the majority fall short of becoming truly addictive. Yet intermittently, a game like Devil Dice, Mr. Driller, or Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo arrives and an obsession kicks in. I play it more than what’s considered healthy, temporarily overlooking some of the important stuff life burdens us with.

If I were pressed to identify the common formula between these attention-seizing titles, I’d mention the obvious similarity first: the rich colors and on-screen action that is easy to ‘read’. Visual cacophony can frustrate me more than a one-hit death.

A Crescendo Toward Chaos

While Unidentified Falling Objects graphics are a bit modest, that’s likely a design decision. About six minutes into every game, the action simmers toward a chaotic boil, and being able to identify and prioritize every on-screen threat is essential. Mercifully, UFO limits its falling blocks to five colors, helping players visualize any future combos. Other elements like power-ups and enemies are cartoonish looking. Sure, there’s might not be much detail to each sprite, but there’s also no ambiguity. There’s always a distinct graphical distinction between bullet-spitting monsters and ghosts who attempt to charge you.

The other prodigious quality of Unidentified Falling Objects is gameplay that’s easy to pick up but conceals a surprising amount of depth. Unlike most falling block puzzlers, you have no control over the placement of pieces. Bricks fall from the top of the screen with a few seconds of shadowing signaling the column they’d land in.  The twist is that you play as a weapon-toting astronaut who runs and jumps across the blocks rewarding by removing color combos from the terrain.

Like Tetris, but Deadlier

Naturally, there is an inventory of threats that can harm the space traveler. Dig a gulch to the bottom of the screen and you’ll reveal spikes at the base. Similarly, a block with spikes might fall. Meanwhile, you’ll want to dodge those falling bricks that are tossed at you with a bit of malice. Then there are UFO’s alien enemies. These range from snake-looking creatures tethered to a block to rockets that whizz upward before homing in on your position. While some of the organisms won’t hurt you when touched you can count on every enemy projectile removing some of your attire. When your spacesuit is breached, the game ends.

What’s so appealing about Unidentified Falling Objects is how the game’s mechanics fit together.  Developer Andrew Morrish truly understand how to generate a brooding sense of chaos. As you continue to play, you’ll learn the best way to deal with each enemy type. Many monsters connected to gray can be vanquished by eliminating an adjacent block. But typically, as you are contemplating how to do that, a brick will fall from the sky, wounding our brave explorer. And yes, it’s quite possible to inadvertently eliminate the ground you’re walking on, which is almost always embarrassing.

Block Party

Fortunately, Unidentified Falling Objects doesn’t slouch on the dividends. In the short term, every block you’ll remove emits a bouncing star. Collect enough of these to fill a gauge on the left side of the screen and your astronaut will level up, renewing some of his armor. Eradicating bricks with a power-up icon gives a temporary boost that ranges from shielding, double stars, or rapid fire. Dispose of a large combo of bricks and you’ll earn a gemstone that can be collected to unlock five additional worlds.

There is also an inventory of goals for each celestial stage, which tend to reward players with cubes. These are used to purchase new arms and abilities. While I started with a Yoshi-like feather fall, I soon unlocked a quadruple jump that was useful for leaping out of danger. New weapons can radically change gameplay, as well. After a while, I unlocked a drill (nice reference!) that removed the block underneath my space traveler instead of shooting across the horizontal axis. The new block-busting tools really made me change my approach, adding longevity to the game that also has a respectable single-player campaign, a listing of challenges, and a robust multiplayer component.

See You Space Cowboy

Whereas most action puzzlers might keep my attention for a few rounds, Unidentified Falling Objects held me fixated for the last week. Like any game, you can expect some of the luster to tarnish once you earn all the rewards and purchase all the unlockable. But even after managing that feat, I found myself returning to UFO, hoping to better my score, and driven by a compulsion that’s almost alien.

UFO: Unidentified Falling Objects was played on PC
with review code provided by the publisher.