Picture a game where you play as a dog-like creature with a human face and your goal was to put a man named Bob back to bed, via the usage of giant apples, stairs and mirrors (and other things) before he falls off the edge of a optical illusion driven level. Picture that and now know that LOOT Interactive has created just that game for you.
Back to Bed, born from the mobile world, is an interesting, yet simple strategy/puzzle game for people looking for a nice break from a AAA title-driven gaming world. The game is colorful, weird and makes you really stop and think about what you need to do to get your protagonist, poor Bob, back in his bed. The idea is that your character, which seems to leap from the soul of Bob (or, as one of my children put it, “That dog man came from that other man’s belly button), has to navigate Bob through certain paths to get him through a door and back to bed. The main navigational tool of choice is a giant green apple, sometimes multiple. The apple, once placed in front of Bob, shifts him either to the up or down (depending on your perspective angle). If he is heading to the left, the apple will move him down. If he his moving to the right, the apple will move him up. I have to admit that it took me way too long to realize this, but that is the correct way to put it.
The controls in the game lie somewhere in the middle when it comes to shifting and moving the dogman and his apple. Nothing is too overly easy when controlling the placement, but sometimes the placement isn’t overly obvious, which can cause some minor frustration. Regardless, the controls are simple, as you pick up the apple with the X button, place it with the X button and move your character, and slight camera angle, with the thumbsticks. If you can’t place the apple down in a certain place, the block you’re looking at will fill with a giant X. Also, you have to be at least two steps ahead of Bob when placing the apple, otherwise you will lose your opportunity, though restarting the level is quick and easy. I found the timing of this game to be quite a burden when placing that darn apple. There were times where I thought I had plenty of time, but didn’t. There were also times where I thought I was placing the apple on the right space, but it was actually the wrong one. Nothing too difficult to get through, but frustrating nonetheless.
Anyway, the first five levels of the game are primers for the later, more difficult levels. Trying to figure out the best ways to guide Bob is a nice head scratcher as you progress. When mirrors, different stairs, pathways and multiple apples come into play, the game can get complicated quick. Although, I must admit that the level of difficulty does hit the wall at a certain point and either you get smarter or the game just doesn’t really progress any further with complicating the strategy of play. Regardless, the gameplay is still addictive and it’s good enough to return to at a later date. Once you get through the initial levels, the Nightmare Mode awaits you, which presents new challenges (I won’t ruin those for you).
Overall, the gameplay is quick, fun and simple. It’s not over-the-top great, but, again, it’s good enough to pick up at any given time, especially when needing to take a break from bigger titles of the world (I’m sure I will return to this in between AAA titles this fall, if not only to give my brain a bit of a breather).
On the presentation portion of the game, while the graphics aren’t exactly screaming current generation, they do come across as stylish, perfect for what they want to be and nothing more. Is that a bad thing? Not at all, but don’t be disappointed if you’re not getting the graphical equivalence of Until Dawn. What you do get is smooth textures that lend a creepy, yet slightly goofy personality to the atmosphere. It’s something straight out of a Salvador Dali painting, with a lot of Escher influence in the mix. The characters in the game are creative, colorful and fit well within the universe that is built for them. Again, the universe may not be as fancy as other PlayStation 4 universes, but, as the old line in Babe goes, “That’ll do pig. That’ll do.”
While the game is addictive and at the same time very relaxing, the cost might turn some folks away at first glance. The $19.99 price tag includes the PlayStation 4 version, as well as other versions (PS3, Vita — plus a dynamic theme for the PS4). If the other systems and theme weren’t included in the price, I’m not sure I would agree with it — especially considering that the iTunes cost is currently sitting at $3.99. But! There is something about cross platform content. It’s worth the extra dough, especially if the game is interesting enough to play it across PlayStation platforms. Having just acquired a PlayStation TV for cheap ($37 on Amazon), I could see how valuable this could be. Anyway, I personally think the price point is fine, but I could see it if someone had an issue with the price, especially if that person wasn’t dedicated to the idea of cross platform bundles.
Anyway, the game is fun, it’s quietly addictive and you can come and go as you please with it. That is enough to enjoy it.
