Explode This!

TriLinea ReAct from indie developer, Tendi, is a competitive puzzle game in which the players must line up tiles of matching colors to EXPLODE their neighbors’ tiles, use spells to switch their controls and reverse gravity, or compete against yourself in challenges of strategy and skill.

Right from the splash screen, I was impressed with the presentation of TriLinea ReAct. The menus are aesthetically pleasing and the music lets you know that you’re in for some fast paced competition! There are even little pop-ups that make suggestions for first-time players. I want more games on XBLIG to be of this quality.

I started by following the advice of the first pop-up and doing the Challenge Mode first. This mode is great for learning the different gameplay goals. As an experienced player you could use the Challenges to refine your strategy or sharpen your skill. When I moved to the Quick Play Mode, I found whole new layers of gameplay! You can duel with the CPU using all your skill and additional spells to change the rules of the game. Or you can compete in Missions that give you changing goals based on a time limit. The spells are a unique addition to a game in this genre that I thought was a nice touch. The missions are also quite fun because you have to change up your play-style so often depending on which mission goal is up.

The Multiplayer mode caused me to lose hours to this game. The competitive gameplay is addictive and well balanced. My favorite moves were reversing the gravity and trying to catch my opponent waiting for me to drop a color so that I could wait, and it would cause this lull in tiles being placed that would really throw off their timing.

The environments for the levels are done really well. Everyone in the office had to stop and look and the level designs when they saw me playing it. They appear to be fully 3D levels with consistent themes and music to keep the pace going. The programming also felt solid, even for the board wipes when the Pumpkin eats all the tiles or when the Pharaoh uses his bony arm to swipe them away.

I tried hard to find something critical to say about the game itself and came up short. If I had to find one thing it would be the 400 Microsoft Point($5) price tag. While the game is well worth it, it could deter more people from realizing that TriLinea ReAct is a great game.

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Game Reviewed @ xblaratings.com | TriLinea ReAct Review