PN Review: Tetrobot and Co.

Tetrobot and Co. is a new puzzle game for the Wii U that deals with all kinds of matter.  Players take control of a Psychobot as it tries to fix various Tetrobots (cube-like robots).  There isn’t much of a narrative to the story so let’s get right into the gameplay.

Tetrobot and Co. is a beautifully crafted puzzle experience that really works well on the Wii U.  Most players may opt to use the touch screen as their preferred method of control but I found myself utilizing the joystick more often.  The joystick moves a cursor on screen and players essentially ‘point and click’ to manipulate various blocks of matter.  The cursor moves very nicely on the screen and even snaps to a grid which makes it a lot easier when maneuvering objects around the screen.  As players begin, they are introduced to basic mechanics such as movement, flipping switches, and absorbing/shooting matter.  Gradually, new elements are introduced as the player progresses.  Basic blocks of matter like wood, stone, and earth are introduced early on while more advanced blocks like mirrors and sticky blocks are introduced later.  One of my favorite blocks to work with are the sticky blocks.  They are easy to manipulate and can be used in almost every situation irregardless of gravity.  Other elements like stone and wood are controlled by gravity unless they snap to nearby blocks of the same element.  There are also pipes that must be assembled for certain puzzles and even cannons that will launch you to various rooms in each level.  Some puzzle games are pretty one dimensional once you get the basic concept, but not Tetrobot and Co.  The game has numerous gameplay mechanics and the player must continually adapt to new ways of solving puzzles.

Each level in the game is part of a different Tetrobot.  Your goal is to find the valuable memory blocks (3 in each level) in order to fully repair each Tetrobot.  At the end of each area, players must also find keys that will unlock more Tetrobots.  There is a tremendous amount of variety to the game and it just gets deeper as you go.  While I considered that a co-op or multiplayer mode might be nice, it’s really not necessary.  The game really hinges on being played by one character for some of the puzzles to work correctly.  If there were multiple Psychobots, the puzzles might be too easy or just wouldn’t work.  Even playing solo, it’s still a lot of fun with friends. 

The visuals in Tetrobot and Co. are very good.  I never found them lacking nor did they detract in any way.  The animations were great and the graphics charming.  Also, the sound effects and music in the game are very complimentary to the setting and they added to the game overall.

Tetrobot and Co. is the perfect experience for a puzzle game fan.  I enjoyed my time with the game but there were definitely times were I lost interest or couldn’t figure out how to get the last memory block in a level.  Being the completionist that I am, it was a little frustrating at times not being able to collect everything the first time through.  However, it’s very easy to revisit levels so this isn’t a big sticking point.  If you’re looking for a good challenge and love puzzle games, you will have a blast with Tetrobot and Co.  At only $9.99, there is a lot of content to keep players busy for hours on end.