It’s hard to believe that Create – a physics based puzzle game, much like those that get downloaded millions of times by mobile phone gamers – comes from the same studio that gave us Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Why? Because it’s the total opposite. The Deathly Hallows was sloppily made, unimaginative and a chore to play; this is lovingly crafted, innovative and extraordinarily addictive.
Ideally it could have done with a FMV tutorial or similar to show you the ropes as it’s not exactly pick up and play. Once you get the hang of things though it really shines brightly.
Each world has ten puzzles to solve, most of which involve placing items strategically either to assist something get from A to B, or to propel an object into a target. The outer space levels have a warped gravity thus making them more challenging while the transport-based puzzles entail things like helping a motorbike jump over some busses by tactically placing ramps.
The household world is a pleasingly daft – it has a puzzle involving getting toast to fire out of a toaster and then land on a plate that’s being pushed along by a beach buggy. On some puzzles only a set number of pieces can be used while others are score based you can use every item unlocked so far. Rudimentary vehicles can be made too; either to carry items or push objects over.
With its chilled music – which bares resemblance to the magnificent Lemon Jelly – and lack of pressure (you can re-try challenges as many times as you like) Create has a very relaxed vibe. If you ever want to give your brain a rest then you can also spend ages decorating and texturing the backdrops with various animals and items. Make it look pretty and you’ll even earn a few extra Sparks to unlock new levels. If you’re pleased with your creations then you can upload them for others to download and rate, or you can download other people’s puzzles and try to solve them. Apparently this feature doesn’t appear in the Wii version, which is a bit of a shame.
If you enjoy playing the countless physics based puzzle games on your posh mobile phone don’t mind paying £20-odd for a similar experience to play at home then Create comes highly recommended. It’s one of those games where the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. You can solve a lot of puzzles simply by attaching balloons to the object you’re meant to be transporting and getting some fans to blow it on its merry way, but wouldn’t it be more fun to make some sort of wacky contraption involving rubber ducks and toasters? The answer, rather clearly, is the latter.