Reviewed by Brandy Shaul
I never thought there would come a time when I would find myself reviewing an application on Facebook, and yet, here I am about to jump in headfirst. It would be amiss to claim that Facebook applications are insignificant on a grand scale, that they aren’t really “games,” or that they don’t understand the desires of “true” gamers. After all, is my playing something like Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook so different from my paying $19.95 to download the game to my PC, or to download the game off of XBLA to play on my 360 that it makes Bejeweled Blitz a “non-game?”
With that in mind, I found myself with a request to take on the newly launched Facebook game The Plateau, which has been created by the good folks at Spoonjuice.
The Plateau is a standalone title, in that it doesn’t require the use of your Facebook friends, your profile or other applications to work, but is presented on a much smaller scale than a traditional PC game. As are so many other Facebook applications, The Plateau is a level-based puzzler, which is presented through a unique outer space setting.
In each level, you are shown a conglomeration of color-changing orbs, which are connected to one another via straight lines. The object of each level is to untangle the web of lines and orbs so that no two lines are crossing one another. The lines thankfully do not have to be aligned in a perfectly parallel formation to count as separated – they simply have to be free from the rest of the grouping.
Each level becomes progressively harder than the last, with more orbs and more lines jutting out from each orb, creating an increasingly complex web. The orbs’ color-changing ability is helpful in solving these levels as their color informs you of their separation status. A red orb signifies a total lack of separation (with the appropriate lines also being colored red), while yellow means that a portion of the orb’s lines have been appropriately aligned. Only when all of the orbs and lines turn green is the level complete, allowing you to move onto the next.
While solving any of the games puzzles does offer a satisfying feeling of accomplishment, by the time you pass the first dozen, it becomes much easier to simply drag each orb to the farthest reaches of the (albeit small) play area to get a better look at how each piece is connected.
Even then, however, the game is really better suited for those who have high spatial thinking abilities, in that they would be able to mentally visualize a move before manipulating the pieces on screen. Those who otherwise struggle with pattern prediction may find that the game is too much of a try on one’s patience to continue playing.
As the game is first and foremost an add-on to the Facebook user experience, it does contain a few extras in the way of leaderboards and invitations that can be (but are not required to be) sent to friends, challenging them to beat your high score.
When compared to other Facebook gaming experiences, The Plateau is one of the best looking, most user-friendly choices on the entire site. It isn’t bogged down with random gift requests or notifications to and from friends like so many others, which makes it even more disappointing that the gameplay is such an acquired taste.
However, being that the game is free to play, and requires no download of software (no one will even know you’re playing it unless you put forth an effort to make it known), if it sounds at all interesting to you, then there really is no reason not to try it. You can always hit the “remove” button if you find the game just isn’t your thing.
Conversely, if you do fall in love with the gameplay, you can also check out the iPhone version, for an on-the-go intergalactic puzzle experience.