Polar Panic

A ruthless corporation has arrived, they want to destroy your homeland… They’ve captured your friends and family… Only you can stop them… And there’s only one thing left to do… Slide ice-blocks around in a 1980’s-inspired puzzle-em-up!

That’s right folks, it’s up to you, as Polar, the err… Polar Bear, to save the day one slidey block puzzle at a time. “Raaar.”

Yeah, ok, so maybe the storyline’s not going to win many people over. But then, this is a puzzle game, and that means gameplay is king. And, thankfully, gameplay is where Polar Panic is right at home.

Taking its cue from games like Bomberman (and some other very old games – Pengo, anyone?), Polar Panic sets the player in a block maze with a host of bad-guys and a ticking clock. The player has to make it to the exit before the time runs out. But to do that, you first have to take out all the bad-guys. Sounds simple, right? And at first it is. But soon larger waves of enemies are introduced. And then enemies with better weapons (guns, flamethrowers, ice-machines and more all make an appearance). There’s even the occasional boss battle. Add more complicated mazes, tighter time limits, trapped polar bears, collectible snowmen, switches, explosives…! Suffice to say, there’s plenty to keep you occupied. The game even does a good job of introducing the player to new difficulties in stages, meaning you may be drowning, but at least you know what it was that killed you. Well, it is called Polar “Panic”, after all. And it’s fun.

You see, the trick here, is that Polar Panic makes a virtue of its ice maze. Some blocks you can destroy, some you can’t. But most can be used as (possibly) mint-flavoured weapons, and slid toward your enemies to help freshen their drinks, refrigerate their food, or squish them into paste so you can progress to the next level and do it all over again. The result, is that while you’re constantly searching for the right line of attack, you’re never too far from a weapon in need of a good shove. So before you know it, you’ll be bobbing and weaving, luring in opponents, and squishing to your heart’s content.

There’s more good news too; by offering up three different modes, the good people at Eiconic have added some nice variety. The ‘Story’ mode features a balance of hectic arcade-gameplay and some tricky puzzles that are usually done on repeat plays; the ‘Puzzle’ and ‘Survival’ modes divide up these qualities to make purer types of game. ‘Survival’ is exactly what you think it is, waves of enemies and no end in sight. Whereas the ‘Puzzle’ mode removes the enemies all together, and leaves the player with enough sliding blocks and switches to bake a noodle the size of Alaska (see what I did there? “bake”? “Alaska”? Oh, suit yourself).

So, good gameplay, and variety…, what’s not to like? Well, for one, it lacks the level of addictiveness we’ve come to expect from good puzzlers. And while the 50 Story levels, and 50 Puzzle levels will keep you entertained for a while, the Survival mode is the weakest of the three; so it lacks the huge replayability many puzzlers offer. I should also say a little something about the presentation. With cuddly bears and cartoon styling, the game feels as tho it’s aimed at younger gamers. It’s pretty enough, and the music’s got some nice tunes; but with gameplay that gets hectic, and puzzles with tight time limits, it’s a bit tough for some younger gamers, and a bit sweet at times for older ones. None of which stops it from being fun tho.