Tech Olive

After Portal invented its own sub-genre of first-person shooters, few other developers have taken the leap to make another first-person puzzler, but indie developer Teotl Studios is stepping up to the plate with The Ball. Can it hold its own in this very exclusive genre?

Taking the role of an archaeologist after falling down a shaft and being separated from the rest of his team, you must work your way through the caverns trying to find a way out. Eventually you stumble across a strange device that can manipulate a large ball. As you progress through the game’s puzzles, you learn about the mysterious civilization that is responsible for these caverns, puzzles, and devices. The Ball is far from your average FPS. If I had to describe it bluntly, I would say that the game takes inspiration from Portal, and casts Indiana Jones as the main character. Throw in some creatures that would make HP Lovecraft proud, and you’ve got The Ball.

Thanks to the use of Epic’s Unreal Engine 3, The Ball offers a fantastic art style with great lighting and solid graphics that are pleasing to the eyes, while still remaining very playable on even mid-range PCs. Unfortunately, The Ball is a little inconsistent with its puzzle elements’ depth and the overall difficulty curve of the game, as far as gameplay goes, but even still, The Ball offers an amazing amount of value with its 3-4 hour campaign, achievements and survival modes for a mere $20 at Steam. Just don’t expect the ending to leave you satisfied.

Score: 7 Olives