Osmos HD

Summary

Classic computer and console games tend to fall into certain categories such as racing games, simulators, puzzles and shooters.

With the onset of Android and iOS a whole new creed of games has emerged, one that is a lot less easy to classify. Osmos HD falls into this strange new category. Find out what sets it apart in today's review.

Test device: HTC One S mit Android 4.0.3

Navigate a round organism within a 2D environment that's populated with mainly passive organisms. Whenever two organisms collide the larger one engulfs the the other, becoming even larger. In the beginning your organism is tiny and the goal is to help it to grow in order to survive. In order to move about the organism can cast off part of its mass, thus being propelled forward.

Within the Odyssey campaign there are eight game modes to choose from, with varying degrees of difficulty. New worlds are continuously generated.

The 'Arcade' mode randomly generates new worlds and there are nine difficulty levels to try out.

In every mode you will find yourself within a relatively large square or circle that is populated with various immobile organisms, as well as:

• Active KI organisms that will try to overpower your organism
• Repulsors that are especially difficult to absorb seeing as they repel all other organisms
• Stars (which make up the centre of a level and are always unique) that can't be absorbed due to their size and force of gravity
• Stars that are smaller and occur in group constellations; these stars (as opposed to the aforementioned ones) can be absorbed
• Anti-matter that look like passive organisms but self-destruct when you touch them

The types listed above command their own game mode, which means that five modes are defined by one type of organism. Two further modes are made up of purely passive organisms, some of them mobile and some of them completely immobile. The final mode is a combination of mobile and immobile stars.

Bottom line:

Osmos HD really shows what touchscreen technology is currently capable of—and we like it! Navigating the organism is easy and intuitive and the gaming concept is great.

The game isn't super dense but it's very interesting and entertaining without presenting users with impossible challenges.
 

The Osmos HD graphics are stellar. The galaxy-inspired aesthetic, attention to detail and luminous elements make for a visually stimulating experience. The graphics have a bit of an Avatar vibe going and there are some modern futuristic elements without seeming too sci-fi.

Controls are also well conceived and intuitive. Swipe across the screen in order to influence how fast time elapses.

The colour schemes of organisms allow you to determine whether a foreign organism is smaller or larger than your own.

Osmos HD runs very smoothly and is a reliable app overall. Loading times are okay, too.

A demo version of Osmos HD can be downloaded for free. You can get the full package for EUR 2,29.