Blockfest is yet another of those group together similar blocks type of games, but with a twist. It's in 3D! Blockfest is currently free for a limited time on the Ovi Store. So what better time to give it a whirl. But is it any good? Read our Blockfest review to find out…
With the plethora of block bashing games available it's getting difficult for each new game of its type to stand out from the crowd. But it's something Blockfest has managed to do.
By going 3D Blockfest quite literally gives the genre a new perspective. Rather than looking at the blocks side-on in 2D you're now face-to-face with them as they come sliding towards you, accompanied by a rather disconcerting squashing sound. At first it feels like a gimmick, but get into it and you'll find it's a refreshing change.
There's a few ways to work the controls depending on what device you play it on. Starting the game up for the first time we were instructed to tilt our N97 in landscape mode. Doing so gives a wider angled view of the blocks, making it easier to see what's going on. From here we could use the directional pad to move left and right while shooting blocks with the centre key. Another option is to use 1 for left, 3 to move right and 2 to shoot blocks.
If you want you can also use your fingers to swipe left and right to move and flick towards the blocks to shoot. On an N97 playing in landscape mode meant having the keyboard opened, as we found it works just as well in portrait mode where we could use the touchscreen to play.
It doesn't take long to get the hang of Blockfest. Its simply a case of scrolling to face the block you want to explode and firing a same coloured block at it. You can see which blocks you're about to fire in the bottom centre of the screen. Being in 3D it actually helps to explode even more blocks as you can peer around corners to explode blocks that aren't directly facing you. This comes in especially handy for when you're running out of time and you're about to get squashed. Destroying lots of blocks in the back can make the ones on front move away from you, giving you a little more time. But things do get harder as the speed increases and you find yourself in between blocks with nowhere else to move.
But despite offering a new perspective from similar games out there it doesn't quite have the appeal of traditional block bashers. The visuals are lifeless and the sound is almost lifeless, adding little atmosphere or sense of urgency other games of its type are good at injecting.
Overall Blockfest is a decent effort and must be commended for attempting to stir things up. It's fun, but not that fun. Call us old fashioned but we prefer the generic block bashers. It's definitely one to try, but it's one you'll be putting down before long.
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