UFO: Unidentified Falling Objects Review

An out-of-this-world puzzle platformer, Andrew Morrish and Gearbox Publishing’s UFO: Unidentified Falling Objects has players navigating a world of blocks to survive in its dangerous world. Channeling other hybrid titles like Mr. Driller, should players collect all the stars and combo their way to a high score?

UFO: Unidentified Falling Objects Review

As an astronaut on a mission, players will traverse different planets in the hunt for stars, gems, and cubes. Breaking blocks with your handy-dandy raygun drops stars that can be collected, which then let players level up. Meanwhile, players can get gems and cubes for reaching milestones, serving as currently for unlockables.

Seems simple, right? Well, it kind of is – depending on how far players want to go.

Much like classic puzzles like Tetris and Puyo Puyo, the title is easy to learn but hard to master. Players will need to line similar blocks up just right, kicking them into place and strategically firing to maximize combos. There’s also enemy threats like rockets, the ever-present falling blocks from the sky that can squish players at a moment’s notice, and the very real possibility of landing on some spikes when there’s nothing left on the ground to prevent you from danger.

Throughout our playthrough of UFO: Unidentified Falling Objects, our average runs clocked in at around five to 10 minutes a pop – depending on the run. There are multiple planets and ever-increasing challenges, but the title does what it takes to keep players engaged. When one considers new tweaks like power-ups and block drop patterns, it makes sure that players are always on their toes – we certainly didn’t get bored during the review period for this title.

Thankfully the platforming part of this puzzle-platformer is properly equipped for the job. This spaceman knows how to get around; even if there’s a bit of recoil when he fires his gun en masse. If that is not enough, he also has the ability to improve upon his moveset with quad jumps, a grapple hook, a dash kick, and other tweaks. Things are broken down into “power,” “speed,” and “control,” and finding the perfect build gives players all the more reason to keep coming back, try new things, and unlock additional perks.

Outside of unlockables, UFO: Unidentified Falling Objects also proves a number of different challenges players can take on. The title provides enough statistics to make any data nerd blush, and there’s even online play for those looking for it. While we did not do the latter, we most certainly appreciate the gesture.

Combining the world of puzzle games with platformers is an interesting proposition, but UFO: Unidentified Falling Objects manages to keep players engaged with intuitive controls, plenty of unlockables, and countless reasons to come back.

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