Osmos Review

Buy Osmos Now

Soaring through the skies as a mote of mass, in a desperate attempt to secure survival through the consumption of other, smaller motes can be both a relaxing and frustrating experience. This is the basic premise of the game, Osmos. Don’t let its apparent simplicity fool you though; this is a title that will have you glued to the screen with its addictive, trance-like gameplay.

Although it may seem, on initial inspection, that the game is simply about consuming those motes floating about in space that are unlucky enough to be smaller than you, but you’ll soon find that the levels are far more complex. Different missions keep things interesting and add a problem solving element to the game that, in some instances, is really quite challenging. Time pressure can keep the tension up, as your mote isn’t the only one that can consume others. If you leave it too long you may find that those once small, tasty looking bites have now grown into monsters, threatening your very survival. If all bite-sized motes have been consumed into one super-mote then your game will be over.

Osmos is a slow paced game, especially at the outset, and not one for those without patience. It may also seem a little repetitive at points, although the creators have cleverly countered this with each level holding different challenges and designs. The option to speed up or slow down time will also help to prevent the monotony of slower levels, while helping you to gain control of any levels that seem overwhelming.

Control of your ball of mass is simple. Rather than manoeuvring to where you would like to go as in many traditional games, you simply give your mote a little push in the right direction. Movement is generated through the expulsion of mass so the further you move, the smaller you’ll shrink. This could result in that tasty morsel that you spied on the other side of the screen actually being larger than you by the time you reach it! Clicking more quickly will increase your speed but will also cause that mass of yours to disappear far faster.

If you’re still thinking that the game sounds similar to other ‘eat or be eaten’ titles on the market today fear not. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to know that another layer of complexity is added through the inclusion of Newtonian physics. This means that your mote isn’t going to stop moving in the direction that you’ve propelled it, unless an outside force intervenes. Consuming a smaller mote will reduce your speed due to your increase of mass, and large motes will even draw you into their orbits.

The combination of an exceptional physics engine with some beautifully simplistic settings and, of course, the very ambient and relaxing music help to make this title what it is. Osmos truly is a unique blend of problem solving and relaxation, with enough challenges to keep things interesting. The game is a bargain at only $10! You can buy it direct from Hemisphere Games.