Energy Balance from Sometimes You is a short arcade-style release on PlayStation and a follow up to Energy Cycle… but in a new style! Learn more about it in our Energy Balance.

 

Energy Balance could be considered as part of a trilogy which started with Energy Cycle, a game that I played and Platinum since it was a very affordable game I managed to 100% in little over an hour – be sure to check that one out! Energy Balance is a bit harder to 100% since the interesting things about the game is that for every puzzle you start the solution will be random, meaning that you can’t just use a guide or do things the same way for a particular puzzle.

Energy Balance is played on a grid which is filled with random numbers with symbols beside them like -.+, / and so on. The grid is a mix of rows and columns, and your goal is to swap around the number values until they equal the number in the equation squares. There is a pipe of sorts that goes through each square, and when you have the correct values in the correct squares something flows through, that is the only indication you have that you are on the right path! With each new puzzle grid you need to check the values in the teal boxes since that’s the value you need to swap numbers around to meet. Unfortunately, I failed math class pretty miserably in school, so I am way out of my depth with this simplistic mathematical game!

The tutorial is absolutely basic, and is not even close to being a called a tutorial, so you will definitely need to learn as you go. The tutorial is a minute long, and as you can imagine during a minute you can’t do much with a tutorial. The game isn’t long since there are only roughly 12 levels to complete, but there are extra modes such as Hardcore and Square that contain four levels each for a total of 20 levels.

That being said the replay value is quite high because every level is different.so you could play the same Hardcore mode over and over again, and each puzzle would present you every time with a different solution. The price for the game is a pretty decent since its only $3, which is not bad for the amount of content on offer.

Graphically speaking the game is pretty basic, and if you have played Energy Cycle you will recognize the cat from that game, which is a clear indicator that the two games are indeed related. The controls are extremely smooth and easy to use which is a big plus, but you do need to be good at math to be able to progress in the game.

Is Energy Balance a game worth your time and money? If you are great with numbers and want a short game with a Platinum trophy, then you’ll definitely get the most out of this one. But if math is not your thing and you don’t like taking on puzzles with random solutions every time you play then you should skip this one.

Disclaimer
This Energy Balance review is based on a copy provided by Sometimes You.