A Virus Named Tom (PC) Review
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System PC
Developer Misfits Attic Publisher Misfits Attic Genre Puzzle # of Players 1-4 Release Date August 1st, 2012 |
Pros
Good increase in difficulty as the game progresses Good variety of puzzles Cons Limited replayability Irrelevant plot |
Review
By Pyrath
11/22/2015
A Virus Named Tom is a puzzle game where the objective is to cause an infection to spread across all of the tiles on the map. The titular Tom is responsible for making the infection spread by rotating tiles as each tile has directional qualities for controlling how the infection spreads. Tom has some environmental dangers to avoid, namely in the enemies that will destroy Tom if they touch him. There is also a time limit for each level, but the enemies may carry pellets in front of them and behind them that Tom can gather if he gets close enough to the enemy as they pass him. Some enemies can also be stunned by Tom to provide a brief respite from them moving and trying to destroy him.
In all, I found the game fairly enjoyable. However, it is rather difficult to play with the keyboard, especially when having Tom rotate tiles, so a gamepad is recommended. The game does a good job with introducing and explaining new concepts as they're introduced to the game, and it does a good job in ramping up the difficulty at a reasonable pace without overwhelming the player. The puzzles for each level are unique each and present enough variety where it doesn't feel too repetitive. The game isn't heavy on graphics, nor does it need to be for the atmosphere that it presents. There is also a plot for the game, although it doesn't add much to the game and can certainly be overlooked. Achievements on steam provide for some replayability to try to get gold on each level or to get some of the other achievements that are not level-specific. A co-op campaign is also available for those players who have a friend to play with.
By Pyrath
11/22/2015
A Virus Named Tom is a puzzle game where the objective is to cause an infection to spread across all of the tiles on the map. The titular Tom is responsible for making the infection spread by rotating tiles as each tile has directional qualities for controlling how the infection spreads. Tom has some environmental dangers to avoid, namely in the enemies that will destroy Tom if they touch him. There is also a time limit for each level, but the enemies may carry pellets in front of them and behind them that Tom can gather if he gets close enough to the enemy as they pass him. Some enemies can also be stunned by Tom to provide a brief respite from them moving and trying to destroy him.
In all, I found the game fairly enjoyable. However, it is rather difficult to play with the keyboard, especially when having Tom rotate tiles, so a gamepad is recommended. The game does a good job with introducing and explaining new concepts as they're introduced to the game, and it does a good job in ramping up the difficulty at a reasonable pace without overwhelming the player. The puzzles for each level are unique each and present enough variety where it doesn't feel too repetitive. The game isn't heavy on graphics, nor does it need to be for the atmosphere that it presents. There is also a plot for the game, although it doesn't add much to the game and can certainly be overlooked. Achievements on steam provide for some replayability to try to get gold on each level or to get some of the other achievements that are not level-specific. A co-op campaign is also available for those players who have a friend to play with.