Gamer reviews for Gesundheit!
An artistic puzzle game featuring booger-loving monsters. And a pig.
Gesundheit is a critically-acclaimed puzzle game made by Revolutionary Concepts and was released last year. Originally published by one of the major game studios, Konami, the game has received numerous awards and highly positive reviews from notable gaming sites and brands. The game has over 40 levels spread across six different world maps though the currently available version in Google Play only has the first five levels, which is basically a trial version. To unlock all stages, interested players must buy the full game.
Gesundheit's gameplay is simple but can be addictive. You'll take control of a green pig who suffers from a snotty nose due to a cold. After the monsters attacked, your little pig hero discovers that the invading giant bipedal monsters are into a disgusting treat: his boogers that he can shoot from his nose.
Don't let that premise discourage you. (Though I still find it disgusting when the monsters make the audible slurping noise when eating your pig hero's booger) Basically, the main objective of each level is to defeat the giant monster in the map. You can't fight the monster head on so you'll have to lure it on what seems to be a bear trap on the ground. Don't be fooled though since this is a mouth of yet another giant but passive monster that will eat anything who steps on it. The monsters can detect your presence and if you get close enough, they'll chase you around. It's game over if a monster catches up to you and eats you. You'll also be evaluated by your time in completing the stage and collecting the scattered starfruits in the map. If you're aiming for a higher rank, you have to collect the starfruits first before defeating the monster.
As a puzzle game, you'll encounter different challenges and obstacles that you have to think around it. You can fire your booger as a projectile by simply dragging a line behind your character. This will fire your booger-bullet to the opposite direction. Your booger can bounce off the walls of the houses which can be pretty helpful if you're planning to place it around a corner. The trajectory and landing point will be displayed when you're aiming so you'll know where the booger will land. Take note that if you hold your shot long enough, the booger will explode from your pig hero's nose and block his view temporarily. There are also objects that you have to interact with, like color-coded buttons that will lower the gates of their corresponding color and teleporters.
The game's instructions are illustrated so players can easily grasp what they need to do, especially during the tutorial stages. The tips shown in this tutorials are imperative to the player's progress in the game. Players will need to use their booger to lure the green monsters out of the way or toward the mouths on the ground. The booger can also be used to activate unreachable buttons. The game's bird's eye view also helps players plan ahead and see the entire puzzle map.
The game's hand-drawn design and art style is attractive on its own. It's beautiful, simple, and gives you the feeling that you're playing inside an art canvas. The game's soundtrack is also enjoyable and refreshing. You can even leave the game running and the background music will still play from your device. The game's overall presentation makes it memorable and unique in its own way.
The game is a premium game which means you have to purchase it to unlock all the levels. The currently available free download in Google Play only has the first five levels, giving the players a chance to give the game a trial run and decide whether they'll want to buy it or not. There are no ads or no in-game items to buy. This doesn't need constant internet connection (except when you need to sign in to the game using your Google account) so you can play it anytime, anywhere.
Gesundheit is a breath of fresh air amidst the cliched, repetitive, or oftentimes money-trapping games available in the mobile game market today. The visual style, presentation, refreshing background music, and challenging puzzles makes the game very memorable. Admitably, this game is not for everyone, especially those who don't have the patience to tackle puzzle games. The puzzles may even prove difficult for kids, despite the game's child-friendly art and design. For older gamers however, especially fans of puzzle games, they'll definitely enjoy everything that the game has to offer.
