Optika is a puzzle-type game using the properties of light. Use the properties of lenses, black holes, and other tools to deflect, repel, fragment or unite light rays and feed the light receivers of the 150 available levels.
The basics
Optika has a tutorial, starting with the 18 levels it contains is a good idea. We discover all the mechanics that will be useful later. The main mechanism is that which constitutes your goal to pass levels: power the light receivers. For this, each level is made up of one or more light sources, each projecting a white or colored light ray and a light intensity very precise. The colors are easy to spot if you don't have a vision problem, for others your gaming experience may be affected. The light intensity corresponds to the number of light particles that leave the source, the more there are, the higher the intensity.
Light source
Receiver
Receiver underpowered
Receiver powered
In total, we have 14 optical devices different. The previous two are those that you will necessarily find in each level. When all the receivers are powered, you will see, at the top right of the screen, an hourglass spinning for a few seconds. It will turn into an arrow that will allow you to move to the next level if the receivers remain sufficiently powered during this short period of time (approximately 3 seconds). The receivers have additional mechanics and can be sensitive to intensity light. The following example shows an underpowered receiver on the left and an overpowered receiver on the right.
The next device is the mirror. It reflects light and, depending on the level, it can be oriented and / or moved, or it will be fixed. It is also possible to increase its size in order to increase the number of reflected light particles or else allow a larger number to pass.
Let us continue with a category of devices relating to colors. First of all, let's talk about light sources that can produce white or colored light. Black holes block the passage of light, just as certain receptors can absorb it and prevent rays from passing through it. filters of one color only block the passage of other colors. Conversely, some devices make it possible to change color. At last, lentils allow to separate the colors or to diffract them in the jargon of geometrical optics.
Color source
Black hole
Red filter
Color change
Weak diffraction
High diffraction
Light sources can also influence the speed of light particles et The direction can be controlled in certain levels. Likewise, receptors may be sensitive to it. There are now four devices left, another type of lentils, the magnets, "groupers" and changing mirrors. The last type of lens allows diffract or group light. The magnets them play like centers of gravity attractive light or repulsive. The "consolidators", for lack of another name to give them, allow a large band of particles to be grouped into a single, more intense ray of light. changing mirrors allow you to modify the properties of one of their faces in order to allow certain rays to pass or repel depending on the side where they touch the mirror.
Lens
Lens
Lens
Changing mirror
Changing mirror
Changing mirror
Grouper
Overfed grouper
Attractive magnet
Advanced mechanics
Now that the basics have been covered, let's talk a bit about level mechanics. The levels are divided into groups made up of 10 to 20 levels per group. You might expect groups to have a common component or a common difficulty, but I didn't get that feeling. A session of about 2 hours allows you to complete the game 100%. However, I used mechanics that are not in the training and, sometimes, I did not use all the tools at my disposal because I did not need them. This suggests that some levels have not a single solution. I will now discuss a mechanic that can help you.
When it is possible to use the centers of gravity, particles can go round and round inside and never come out. So water a well-placed magnet and the particles spinning inside can continue to feed a receiver. Here is an example of what this can look like.
Some additional levels.
To end this overview, I offer you some additional levels here.
Overall, I liked the different mechanics developed in Optika. I am quite disappointed with the organization of the levels considering the ease with which I was able to complete the last of them. We would gain clarity to sort the levels according to various parameters such as the mechanics used and the difficulty. Likewise, I would have preferred to have an integrated tutorial rather than a list of levels at the start of the game. Do not hesitate to come back to this tutorial if you have forgotten how one of the available tools works. Despite these few flaws which do not impact the pleasure of solving a riddle, Optika remains a good puzzle game where you will be faced with some problems which may be difficult to solve.
