Game Review: Test your reflexes in the colorful Inner Circle!

Indie games have come a long way and there are many cases where they exceed expectations. The dedication and uniqueness that steams from indie developers is amazing and I can’t help but respect them for their hard work and their will. Today’s review is about a soon to be released game by ZPLAY and the Australian indie team ENORMACE GAMES who have also developed "Suck Eggs!", “Go Ballistic" and more games that have been featured on the app store. This time they’re back with a new game that also aspires to be a hit, Inner Circle. It is a dynamic game based solely on the player's fast reflexes and keen eye. With its simple game set it aims to prove that an intriguing game doesn’t necessarily need a complex story or rules to be able to capture the attention of the player.

Gameplay

As mentioned above, Inner Circle requires fast movements and a sharp eye in order to avoid any mistakes. The point of the game is to match the colors of the rings to those of the circle at the center of the screen. The colors are four and they change depending on the level you're in. Your goal is to make the inner circle bigger and bigger with each ring that appears. If you misplace the colors, then it is game over.

The controls are simple; you tap to rotate the rings to the right position before they reach the inner circle and you can also swipe to shrink them quickly and connect them to the circle. This asks for really quick thinking and reflexes and it’s the hardest part of the game.  At first it’s easy to make the right rotations but it can get confusing in the process because of how fast everything moves. My trick is to focus on one color and that alone, and concentrate on matching the specific ring color to the same one on the circle like the rest don’t exist.

Each level has a set of goals, e.g. to match 10 rings and make 2 swipes to clear. That means that your focus shouldn’t only be the number of rings because at first it might seem like that’s the goal but it actually is only half of it. Even if you are successful on completing the circle with the desired number of rings, you will still need to replay the level in order to make the swipes (when it is part of the goal). Also, swipes need to be performed while you still have rings left to connect to the circle because after you're done with that, no more will show up and as a result you won’t be able to perform swipes.

As you advance, new types of goals will be set, e.g. to match 10 rings in 13 seconds or to NOT swipe at all. This definitely spices up things up and adds new challenges for the players to keep the interest going. The circle itself will also occasionally change rotation so try to keep good track of its movements. Not only that, but as logic dictates, as the circle gets bigger, rotating must be done quicker as well.

There are two types of game modes on Inner circle. There is the Classic mode which comes with up to 250 levels to clear, and then there is the Arcade mode which is unlocked after you complete the classic mode’s 250 levels.  Alternatively you can watch a game ad every so often and thus be allowed one game each time in the arcade mode. In this mode things are more hectic and challenging as you basically play till you lose. There are no goals or time limits, you just aim for the highest score. After advancing enough in classic mode, arcade is a good change of pace but for new players it will be only a matter of seconds before it is game over.

When you lose, you are given the option to continue where you left of by watching an ad. This is available the first time you lose but in the next failed attempt you must start over, until the ad option is once again available to use. I only use this option when I’m too close to clearing, otherwise I prefer to start from scratch rather than watch a full game ad. It would be better if there was a skip button in ads after watching a few seconds of them, but unfortunately in Inner Circle you can't avoid watching the whole thing.

In-app Purchases

The game offers an ad removal for $1.99 and I recommend it to those who can't stand ads, because it will make the game much more enjoyable. In addition to that, you can also unlock the Arcade mode for the same price ($1.99) and play on it whenever you desire. Both IAPs are fair, with reasonable prices and don’t affect the progression or difficulty of the game.

Graphics & Sounds

If I had to describe Inner Circle look-wise in one word, that would be, colorful. The circle, the rings, the menu, everything has its own color and it’s simply beautiful. To balance things, the background is black and it also helps the player concentrate easier on the circle and rings’ colors by not distracting you. Any other color would probably not work in that aspect. The BG music is also fitting but I enjoy more the sound effects of the game especially when a ring matches with the circle.

Conclusion  

All in all, Inner Circle is a pleasant game that despite its simplicity manages to become addicting and very enjoyable. If we put aside the too-many-ads issue, the game itself is lots of fun and you’ll appreciate its difficulty and challenging levels. Those of you who are looking for something to fill your free time with and to exercise your reflexes at the same time, then give Inner Circle a try when it comes out. Chances are, you’ll be addicted after a few levels in and find yourselves aiming higher before you realize it.

Download Inner Circle from the AppStore (free)

Inner Circle screenshots (above) and trailer (below)