From the box art and description, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this game. But it’s a student-created game, and I’m a sucker for those. I was pleased with what I found in “Ultraviolet”.
The strategy required by the game is interesting, and the more players you add the more interesting it gets (in both everyone-for-themselves, and co-op, modes for up to 4 players). You try to control the board by collecting pieces of energy. Get more energy to your side of the board and it will tilt in your direction, which will encourage it to slide towards you where you can collect it. Get too much on your side of the board and they may move too quickly, stopping you from successfully collecting them all. Collect them and you gain points, miss them and you lose points. It’s a fantastic risk/reward system, and leads to some of the most frantic gameplay this side of Klax (love that game). “Ultraviolet” also has a provision for you exploding energy which, if you time it right, can actually shift around the bits of energy (pushing them towards you, or away from you, depending on what you’re trying to do) and to contaminate your opponents’ sides of the board in gems (which is double-plus-ungood).
It’s different, it looks attractive, and it’s only 80 Microsoft Points, so definitely worth checking out.
Here’s what the developer (TeamNeonex) has to say about the game:
“Neonex Game’s Ultraviolet is a neo-retro arcade game where players must battle to control the board by collecting gems to manipulate the balance of the game. With simple controls and many tactics, do you have what it takes to win? University of the West of England Best Games Techology Group project 2010.”
Writings of Mass Deduction 