Review - Gravity Flock

Gravity Flock is a flash animation puzzle game created by Newgrounds.com programmer mattfosho. This game was submitted to Newgrounds.com on December 7, 2009.

Gameplay

The objective of the game is to use gravity to draw the object(s) into the designated square for 3 consecutive seconds. To use gravity, simply click with your mouse. You can hold the click to exert a constant gravitational force on the object(s), or click the mouse to exert bouts of gravitational force on the object(s). The game follows the laws of physics, in that the closer you exert the force of gravity on the object(s), the faster the object(s) will move in the direction it is being attracted towards.

As you progress through the game, you will have to deal with more and more objects. It should be noted that the objects themselves also exert gravitational forces on each other.

The box that you have to keep the objects in has a fraction at the top-right corner. The denominator (or number after the slash) indicates how many objects you have to keep in the box. The numerator (or number before the slash) indicates how many objects you currently have in the box. Once you have the numerator equal the denominator, the timer will start counting off three seconds. If you are successful in keeping the object(s) in the box for three consecutive seconds, then you will move on to the next stage.

At the top of the screen, you can see your current score at the top-left, and the top speed of the objects to the right of that. At the top-middle of the screen, you can see what stage you are currently on. The top-right of the screen indicates how many seconds you have left to complete the objective before the game ends.

At the end of each stage, you are presented a report on how well you performed. This list includes the following:

-time bonus
-extra object bonus
-inverse mass bonus
-stage score
-total score
-bonus seconds for next stage
-total seconds for next stage

Game Controls

Click with mouse to create a gravitational force centered on where you click.

Game Review

Gravity Flock is not an easy game to play, and can be frustrating for those not interested in learning. The controls themselves are not too difficult. Simply click to exert a gravitational force. It is learning to master this force that makes the game so difficult. The game concept, however, is quite interesting.

Gravity Flock scores a 7/10 for its unique game concept. As an improvement, the game could include different difficulty levels. Difficulty levels can differ in how the objects interact with each other. For example, an easier difficulty level would have the objects exert no forces on each other. This would make the game easier and more enjoyable for a wider audience. Also, some music options would be nice.