Gust: review, discussion, hints, tips and walkthrough at Jay is Games

December 11, 2006

Tags: flash free game kidsafe macpclinux puzzle simpleidea

John Beaver With some games, a concept that is simple but well executed can produce a compelling and addictive gaming experience. Gust is one such game. The object is to guide one or more balls into the target (or vortex) while avoiding the orbs that will destroy them. To do this, the player must control a small black swirl of fog (reminiscent of the beast from TV Series Lost) that acts like a gust of wind. When moved quickly the balls are repelled, but when moved slowly it is possible to drag them around the level. The early stages introduce the player to the different game components while later levels add a puzzle element as the player has to decide the best path to the vortex for different sizes of ball. There is no scoring or timer but each vortex must be closed before the player can progress.

Analysis: While this is a simple game of hand/eye coordination, there are certain things which make Gust shine. The physics of the balls is excellent and this helps the player appreciate the difference between repelling the balls and dragging them. In the nicest possible way, this is a game that both sucks and blows! The graphics are polished: note how the balls vaporise when they hit a vortex or an orb, for instance.

One thing that mars the overall playing experience is the lack of a level-select or save facility. If you close the game, you have no choice but to start right back from the beginning. That said, if you appreciate the simpler things in life and are prepared for the frustration of having to start from scratch whenever you play, Gust is a game that will steal more of your time than you may initially suspect. Click.

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Comments

Hi, Nice game

Posted by: scepter | December 11, 2006 9:22 AM

Is there a reset button?

Posted by: newbie | December 11, 2006 9:56 AM

It needs a reset button.

Posted by: Zengief | December 11, 2006 10:29 AM

Not really. If you mess up, just chuck another ball at an orb and it's quick enough to start over. A button to do so might save you a whole second.

Anyway, not a bad game. A little frustrating, but it never took me too long to finish any of the levels, and all in all, the whole game is pretty short.

Posted by: fnord3125 | December 11, 2006 11:08 AM

When the ball has enough speed, it can go trough the red orbs without losing the ball

Posted by: lovefists | December 11, 2006 11:36 AM

I agree with the reset button people. There is one {Level 10 maybe?} that you can still have a ball onscreen that is impossible to maneuver into an orb from the way the walls are set up if you get them out of order. I gave up after that, but the game seems okay. A little frustrating maybe.

Posted by: Monica | December 11, 2006 12:12 PM

Yes, but on some levels you are stuck with a big ball and an unreachable vortexes and orbs, so you're basically screwed without a reset button. Very irittating. Otherwise, a nice game, but nothing to write home about.

Posted by: baba44713 | December 11, 2006 12:28 PM

Again...to me this game is way too low quality to get on this site. Firstly, the graphics aren't great, which woudl lead me to believe that there should be some other compelling reason to review it. The gameplay mechanic consists of two things: one, getting the balls in the vortices, and two, the means of moving the balls (with the little cloud.) Now getting a ball to a target somewhere in a level is absolutely nothing new, and neither is moving things through secondary effects of your mouse (like in Hot Air, a much more polished game by Nitrome.) Not to mention the weird mechanic in this game where if you approach the ball slowly you pick it up but if you move too fast it flies away: this was just annoying to me because if you drop a ball, you can't pick it up until it comes to a complete stop.

So to me, this game was like a bad-graphics version of a trite gameplay mechanic with a twist thrown in that makes it unnecessarily annoying. Even if you're not annoyed by the twist I think you'd be hard pressed to find something that's unique or interesting about this game that makes it worthwhile. Sometimes I wonder how hard Jay screens his guest reviewers.

...but other than that I really like this site, so please don't take any offense!! :)

Posted by: elemeno | December 11, 2006 12:52 PM

elemeno - In all fairness to John Beaver, it was I that sent the game link along for someone to look into. Admittedly I did not play all the way through, but the interesting game mechanic seemed to me like something that would work well on the site.

That being said, I also expect that once 'inside' a game, if a reviewer doesn't feel it belongs here, that he should make the correct decision to pass on reviewing it altogether.

I agree that this game is not of the calibre that I personally like to promote, but it is a decent diversion for a few minutes time anyways.

Posted by: jay | December 11, 2006 1:06 PM