Review - Furmins

by Paul Fiander

Format reviewed on; Vita
Developers; Housemarque
Publisher; Beatshapers
Formats; Vita, ios, 
In my youth I loved Lemmings, DMA Designs struck gold with their design and I have loved the game ever since. However in the intervening years things have improved in terms of graphics and most notably physics, this is where we begin our story with Furmins.

The influence from lemmings is there for all to see from the desire to save a band of lovable creatures to the very gates they need to get too. The game although not a huge departure from the common tropes of the genre, does add some great ideas and an amazing visual style to entice players to get invested into saving our furry little friends.
You are given a candy coated story that may be appealing to a younger player but to be honest it feels more of a distraction that is not really needed to enhance the game. I do question why games feel the need to explain why you are doing the puzzles; it could be the desire to create a connection between the player and in this case the Furmins. Throwing in my two pence I think games like this live and die by the quality of their puzzles and all the rest is just sugar coating.
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To call this game a mere clone would be a huge disservice to what is an intriguing title. The creators have thought about the way the Furmins interact with the world and as such have developed the puzzles to make the most o this. To get a better idea of what I mean just think of our lovable companions as Hacky Sacks, they do not bounce instead when they hit a surface they stop. So to allow movement you have to take advantage or create an incline or a rebounding surface or use other techniques to give the Furmins movement. This is where the game comes into its own; this very basic physical attribute makes the puzzles more challenging.

The challenge is also enhanced by the need to collect random pieces of candy strewn across the map as well as completing the level within a time window in order to be rewarded with stars. The stars are then used to open up new levels. However what I enjoyed is trying to find the maximum points haul from completing trials. Sometimes you have to sacrifice a candy for a quicker time or vice versa. This does give you some level of replayability but at times can feel like its forced to give the game extra content.
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What's odd is with 109 levels the game has a great deal of content already, which has already been bolstered by dlc. 

I think it best to take this as a small time experience the puzzles can become a touch repetitive. To get the best out of the game I suggest playing it in small chunks. It has a wonderful aesthetic that I really enjoy however it does feel like a game from a path well trodden. This is a great addition to the puzzle title but it is not an essential purchase. However if you have a love of the genre or are newbie in this world then taking a punt on Furmins is definently one I would suggest.
Good - Vibrant backgrounds and characters, varied controls, 

Bad - Good in small chunks but game can become repetitive, 

4/5
Game from Housemarque
Images - from Publisher