Digital Shorts: ‘Piczle Lines DX’ Review (Nintendo Switch)
In DIGITAL SHORTS we review some of the latest video games that are only available digitally (at least in the UK), in a short-form review format. In this edition we take a look at Piczle Lines DX, a mobile puzzle game ported over to the Nintendo Switch
Piczle Lines DX is a straightforward, single player puzzle game that features more than 300 levels split across story and puzzle modes, with the promise of more to follow via free updates. Originally a mobile game, I had my doubts about whether or not Piczle Lines could make the jump onto Nintendo’s dedicated gaming device, but I must say I’ve been pleasantly surprised.
In story mode, should you care, the plot explains how a friendly mad scientist has created a machine that that can turn any object into a pixelated image. This, in turn, explains the premise of the gameplay and provides a setting for each of the five themed sets of levels that make up the story. Gameplay is simple. Each level presents players with a variably sized grid filled with colored blocks that each have a number. By matching numbers and colors, the player must draw lines between the blocks to fill the grid with color and complete the picture.
And that, broadly speaking, is it. Each level takes something like ten seconds to a minute to complete, although the later levels do increase considerably in size and complexity. The controls are fairly easy to get used to, with touch in handheld mode being best, and other controllers being possible during TV or tabletop play.
As long as you enjoy the base gameplay, then Piczle Lines DX only has one real problem, which is that some levels have multiple instances of the same colored blocks with the same numbers on them. This can mean some puzzles are hard to kick off, but much as with a good crossword, you just need to start elsewhere and work back. I suppose if I am being picky, a multiplayer mode would have been nice, but I don’t really know how one could have been implemented.
At just over a tenner, Piczle Lines DX offers fairly good value, but it is nonetheless a basic, simple game that was just a couple of quid on mobile devices. There’s no multiplayer, and although free updates are promised (updates that will cost extra in the mobile version of the game), the lifespan of the game is more likely to be limited by waning interest. It’s certainly worth trying, and puzzle fans may even love it.
*** 3/5
