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Gameplay 9.0
Graphics 8.5
Sound 7.5
Value 8.9
Distributor: QVS
Classification:
G8+
Review Date:
August 2005
Reviewer:
Andrew B

8.7


Archer Maclean's Mercury

In less than a month, Sony's PSP will finally be released in Australia (September 1st 2005) and impulsegamer had the pleasure of reviewing Archer Maclean's Mercury that takes full advantage of the portable console with state of the art graphics, gameplay and wi-fi. Archer Maclean's Mercury (now known as Mercury for this review) is extremely reminiscent of Marble Madness that had the gamer moving a marble around huge gaming environments. In the same vein as this console classic, Mercury requires the gamer to meticulously move a liquid metal ball (mercury) around various gaming environments that include puzzles, arenas and mazes.

Archer Maclean's Mercury Features:

* 72 levels of liquid mayhem
* 2-player gaming via Wi-Fi (Battle Mode & Ghost Mode)
* A variety of gameplay modes (boss, challenge, race, percentage)
* 6 fully 3D gaming worlds
* 72 tracks of ambient music, each suited to its particular level
* State of the art PSP graphics that include realistic liquid mercury and unique colour blending

The catch behind Archer Maclean's Mercury is to move your liquid ball of mercury from start to finish without falling victim to any of the ingame obstacles. The gamer must also change the colour of their mercury in order to pass through colour specific doors without loosing all your mercury. The gaming environment also contains a variety of different obstacles that the gamer must navigate through that include splitting your mercury into smaller balls, moving the mercury through tunnels & across perilous bridges and also avoiding enemies that survive on this precious liquid metal.

Fortunately when you first play Mercury, it throws the gamer into a tutorial that teaches you the basics behind the title such as controlling your liquid ball of mercury, solving puzzles and how to use the colour system of the game. As you slowly progress through the game, the title gradually starts its upward climb of difficulty that will result in frustration and victory.

The control system of Mercury is perfect for the PSP because gamers control their liquid ball via the analog stick which gives you accurate control of the gaming environment. It will take the average gamer an hour or so to master with novice gamers taking a little longer to master the control system of Mercury. With that said, the gameplay of Mercury perfectly combines control, playability and graphics into this addictive title that is full of puzzles, dangers and quite a bit of frustration, especially when you see your liquid ball fall into the pits of hell.

Graphically, Mercury is a visual treat on the PSP and contains an extremely ridiculous amount of detail and special effects that goes hand-in-hand with the gameplay. The background environments are simply quite phenomenal and range from icy wonderlands to fiery lands of molten lava. The star of the graphics is the mercury itself that moves with a real-world grace that almost looks like you are watching a real piece of mercury as you navigate through the many different gaming environments. The developers have also added a variety of different special effects from realistic lighting effects and some beautiful reflective surfaces.

Musically, Mercury on the PSP features a rather dance orientated soundtrack that actually suits the gameplay of this title and it should also be noted that the music is ambient so it doesn't act as a distraction but rather as a pleasant musical score that unwittingly draws you into the world of Archer Maclean's Mercury. The audio on the other hand is rather bland but what can you expect from a blob of mercury than "bloop" and "doosh" but it does help keep the game interactive.

In conclusion, Archer Maclean's Mercury is an addictive puzzle game that features some extraordinary graphics, highly enjoyable gameplay and a very pleasant soundtrack that will definitely make this game one of the classics. I would recommend this title to anyone who enjoys a great puzzle game or for those that have a long trip ahead of them because this game will definitely keep you amused, frustrated and entertained. Highly Recommended!






 
 



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