Explaining OVIVO is exponentially harder than playing it and the fact that it is only $7 and will offer you hours of Zen-like meditation gameplay you should probably just skip the rest of this review and go buy and enjoy. Still here?
Great…so you’re really gonna make me try to explain this. Okay, here we go. OVIVO is a game of contrast with levels created from pure black and white sections, usually with smooth curved, flowing lines separating the two. You play as OVO, this round little thing with a stem that looks like an apple or one of those Looney Toon bombs, and you must move OVO from the start of the level to the exit and collect a few mystical symbols along the way.
The trick (and major game mechanic) is that you have very limited directional control over OVO. You can nudge him right and left but your major propulsion is gravity, which is reversed each time you swap zones, which you can do with a simple tap of a button. It’s so simple and so clever yet so bloody hard when you get about four levels in and the game starts requiring you to build up momentum and swap between black and white in mid-air to traverse complex alternating patterns.
Before you realize it OVIVO turns into this rhythm game where your perfectly timed color switching allows you to slide across the hills and valleys and sail gracefully into new heights. The game is truly about flow. Levels can take anywhere from 10-30 minutes depending on if you are thoroughly exploring for hidden symbols and how well you adapt to the unique propulsion style. The game gets extremely challenging in later levels with death spikes and falling up or down into an infinite abyss. Checkpoints are frequent so you won’t have to replay much if you die.
Perhaps the most exciting part of OVIVO is when you do reach that exit portal and the camera zooms out to reveal the entire map. In a classic example of “not being able to see the forest through the trees” you see this incredible piece of frame-worthy black and white art and you can’t believe you were just traveling inside it. If you’re like me you’ll have to study the big picture to even find the small portion that you were just traversing.
And that’s all there is to OVIVO. The graphics are simple up close and stunning in the post-level reveal. The music is incredible; so soothing and ambient that you’ll probably want to seek out the soundtrack by Brokenkites. I hope I did the game justice by trying to explain art with words. If you love original platformers, then prepare to get yourself addicted to one of the most mesmerizing games I’ve played this year.
