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Review: The Polynomial (Videogame)

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Thomas Beard is a musician with the Consortium. He’s also a writer and a dedicated gamer, and currently hard at work designing the soundtrack for the first Consortium videogame. In the meantime, he’s offered to share some of his gaming experiences in a regular column here.


I opened The Polynomial with the screen brightness turned all the way up and the first word out of my mouth was “Shiny.” It was just before Christmas and the game’s techno “Jingle Bells” filled my little apartment as the game confronted me with a menu full of options. Behind the menu, bright neon fractals flowed across the screen. Not one to tinker before testing something out, I was pleased to find a “Start Game” button right where I wanted it, so I ignored the options and dove right in.

Dmytry Lavrov’s The Polynomial is essentially a 3-D space shooter, except that instead of stars and galaxies, the backdrop is a bright, colorful fractal that moves with the music, constantly shifting and pulsing as sensuously as a belly dancer. It’s gorgeous to look at and certainly sets one’s expectations for the game very high.

The rest of the levels — and there are quite a few — are just as stimulating to look at. I especially enjoyed the discotheque Christmas tree, a holiday treat from the game’s makers. The visuals obviously took a great deal of time to design, and they are certainly one of the high points of the game. They are best enjoyed after midnight when the world is dark, with a glass of your favorite liqueur at hand.

The graphics are deeply connected to the music, moving with it, providing an integrated sensory experience. The music that comes with the game fits the theme well, with solid electronic beats and simple melody. The synth sounds are by no means unpleasant, nor are they over-dramatic, providing a lighthearted game experience. It subtly tells the gamer to sit back, relax, and enjoy.

I chose the game for its graphics and music, and after the initial oohs and aahs from those wore away, I really only expected mildly enjoyable gameplay. I was pleasantly surprised. The opening battlefield was a wide neon block that outlined the instructions for the game, which I could then fly through and around at will. It was cleverly designed and gave me all the information I needed to start the game.

The learning curve wasn’t too steep, and after a few minutes I had an adequate grasp of the intuitive controls. And the game’s designers got it right — it was only when I felt comfortable with the controls that enemies finally started to appear, and in numbers that I could easily handle until I’d found my bearings. Higher difficulty settings in the options screen can make the game a challenge for more experienced players.

The actual gameplay is straightforward. Space spirits flutter around the level aimlessly, often grouping together in what one must assume is pleasant ghostly conversation. The enemies are some sort of inter-dimensional langoliers, with great gaping maws and an appetite for space ghosts. You are the lone sheepdog, tirelessly protecting the little ghosts from the gluttonous beasts. Some of the enemies learn to shoot lasers like you can, and from there the game gets progressively more difficult the longer you survive.

After getting a feel for the game, I returned to the options screen I was confronted with at the beginning. Options for customizing the game abound. You can set the parameters for the fractals, changing how they behave and express the music. You can also play your own music in the game — adding in new tracks to the playlist is a simple affair that can make the game much more enjoyable. Want to kill enemies while the lights dance to the BeeGees or Beethoven? By all means you’re free to do so.

In conclusion, The Polynomial is a light, fun little game that is good for filling a short block of time, perhaps between epic adventures. At $9.99 (available through Steam for Mac and PC), the creators have well earned the game’s price.

Graphics 9
Music 8
Gameplay 8
Replay 7
Total 8

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