I’m not saying this game was meant to be played on drugs or anything, but this game was totally meant to be played on drugs.
Just look at these screenshots:
I, however, did not play Dyad on drugs (yet). But I still thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Dyad is a hard game to describe, so I’ll just use the developer’s own words:
Experience a mind-bending, psychedelic sensory overload! Blast through a reactive audio-visual tube creating a harmonious synthesis of color and sound as you hook, graze and lance enemies to master Dyad’s 27 unique levels. Embark on an interactive transformative journey through Dyad’s game mode to prepare yourself for Trophy Mode’s tactica freakout variations wherein a Platinum Trophy awaits only the most skillful. Or choose to sit back and chill with Dyad’s hallucinogenic Remix Mode. Transcendence awaits!
Mmmkay. If you’re still all like “WTF?” after reading that, I don’t blame you. The closest thing I could possibly compare it to is Rez, but that’s not doing it justice. Like Rez, Dyad is one of those games that needs to be experienced firsthand. It is something of a phantasmagoria, transforming simple gestures into gorgeous fusions of color and sound. I found myself wanting to do well and perfect my technique not for points or higher rank on the PSN leaderboard, but for the sheer joy of being rewarded with harmonious explosions of lasers and synth.
There really isn’t much to the gameplay itself, which is rather simple. You glide through an endless tube using a variety of moves to “hook, graze and lance” pairs of enemies, which are little colored starburst-shaped anomalies. Each level has a specific objective or timed goal, such as lancing 50 enemies as quickly as possible. It’s also possible to lose lives, for example, by running into too many obstacles, but the specifics of failure are dictated on a level-by-level basis.
My one major complaint about the game is its menu and interface. I play games on a 60″ high-def TV, and the interface for this game looks like crap on it. The menus look choppy, the text is pixelated and hard to read and overall there seems to be lack of cohesiveness to the design. This gives a bad first impression and is likely to turn some gamers off. It’s a shame because an ugly menu shouldn’t deter people from playing what is otherwise a really fun, unique, and yes, TRIPPY AS FUCK game.
Easy to learn, difficult to master, and utterly mesmerizing. And for only $15, Dyad is a cheap, legal buzz.
ShezCrafti’s Rating:
7 out of 10 stars.
