By now you’ve probably read Jason’s post on Nintendo’s upcoming title Fluidity, the WiiWare game that challenges players to use a flowing stream of water to solve a series of puzzles. Hard to envision, right? Having not seen the trailer, and certainly not seen any gameplay, I might have been a bit skeptical myself when passing by it at this year’s PAX Nintendo booth. But, with the lines stretching ever longer for Donkey Kong Country Returns, and knowing that I’d get more mileage out of playing a game that hasn’t been played by any Tanooki staff, I hopped on over and got what ended up being a detailed and dastardly fun demo from the attentive Nintendo staff member at the helm.
Now, with a game that has you so carefully directing a flowing water through a myriad of mechanisms like hinged doors and scooped reservoirs, you might not know what to expect in terms of difficulty. The opening level that I played was at an appropriate difficulty for beginning players, but I was assured that it gets much harder as time goes on. When playing, it’s key to keep your arms straight out and make small, controlled movements as you move your puddle from place to place. If anything, this game is not just a puzzle game. It’s a game of finesse. As your stream of water is moved through the level, your goal is to keep every last drop intact as you roll through various traps, gears, doors, and more.
The puzzles are more inventive than the description suggests. There are some where you cannot trigger a lever unless all your water is present. In another, I had to use the stream of water to pop a gear into the air to reach a device. That’s right, your water doesn’t just stay on the ground. You’ll have to pop it into the air to complete certain goals. And while I did not get to try it myself, Nintendo says you’ll later use steam and ice to solve challenges as well.
If you’re wondering about the aesthetic, you’ll find it simple, with a pleasant color scheme and cell shaded graphics. It fits the theme perfectly: whimsical, light, clean. Since the game is set in the magic literary land of Aquaticus (your series of completed tasks carrying you from chapter to chapter), the theme loosely follows that of a storybook, which you should be able to see in the trailer. In fact, the debut trailer provides an excellent illustration as a whole, showing off more puzzles than I got to experience in the demo.
All in all, I found the game easy to learn while presenting an appropriate challenge. The water physics engine, sure, is fantastic, but more importantly, they’ve made a real game around it. If you’re a gamer who likes to support quirky titles with refreshing concepts, buy this title. If you’re looking for an all-ages game to enjoy with your family, buy this title. If you just want a new addiction, buy this title.
No release date has been announced on this WiiWare game yet, but I have a feeling it will be soon. Check out the Fluidity screen shots in our new gallery below.
