Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity Review for Nintendo Wii

System: Wii, PC, DS	Review Rating Legend
Dev: EM Studios	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: Deep Silver	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: Apr. 7, 2009	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 1	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Everyone	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

Further, the physics engine, while in many ways excellent, never stops working. This means you have to be very, very gentle about setting down anything that's precariously balanced or it could roll away. There's an undo function that helps with this, and the game usually detects cheating (for example, you can't roll an item toward the button and then spawn the ball, thus solving the puzzle without even using the ball's momentum), but it's a lot more frustrating than it needs to be. This makes some of the levels nearly unplayable.

Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity screenshot

Also, the game has a broken "hint" system. You can pay the computer in points to set up pieces for you, but it always sets up the easiest or least helpful pieces first, making you pay several times before you have any idea how to solve a troublesome puzzle. Also, you don't earn points continually as you work through the game, meaning you can spend all your points at the beginning and have no way of getting help on the later puzzles.

The graphics here are mediocre. The backgrounds are well-done and hand-drawn, which is a plus, but the items don't look all that unique or impressive. For some reason the game doesn't support progressive-scan mode or widescreen, which is a travesty on a console with so little graphical horsepower to begin with. Gravity takes awhile to load at the beginning, as well.

The sound in the single-player game is unremarkable, which we suppose is a compliment for a puzzle game. We'd much rather not notice the music than have to turn the sound all the way down, and the ambient sonic textures in Gravity make that possible. In the multiplayer, the noble-sounding orchestral score is a bit much, though; we're arranging blocks, not saving the world.

Again, puzzle fans can get a few hours' worth of fun from Gravity, and they would be well-advised to give it a rental. As for a full purchase, it would be better to wait till the game hits the bargain bins.

By Robert VerBruggen
CCC Freelance Writer

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

3.0

Graphics
The backgrounds are hand-drawn and very stylish, but the game doesn't support progressive-scan or widescreen.

2.3

Control
Grabbing a piece and moving it around is easy enough, but manipulating it to just the right angle is a pain.

4.0

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The single-player game has an excellent soundtrack, but the party mode music is a bit overbearing.

3.5

Play Value
There are a few hours of solid fun here, but not enough replayability to warrant a purchase rather than a rental.

3.1

Overall Rating - Fair
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

A quirky puzzle game, based on accurate physics, that demands critical and creative thinking.

One hundred levels provide a variety of challenges for players with differing abilities.

Twenty unique sandboxes allow for experimental play and let you hone your skills.

Four mini-games let you stage matches against friends and take on new challenges.

Colorful, hand-painted background art and atmospheric music for a rich all-around experience.

Screen Resolution: Up to 480i (Standard TV Res.)