Review: Unify

 Unify from Developer Zach Gage takes an old idea, turns it on its side, (literally!) and creates a premium gaming experience on the iPhone all its own. While it may not look like much in just a screenshot, Unify is excellent in motion, and should not be missed.

  Similar in concept to Lumines, Unify is a match-4 game where you must match at least four blocks of the same color to earn points and clear them from the board. Instead of dealing with 1 vertically falling block set at a time, in Unify you deal with two. While viewing the game board in landscape mode, you must deal with blocks appearing on both the left and right hand sides of the screen, both at the same time. Early on in the game, you can easily place each block one at a time. As the game speeds up however, you will need to learn to make use of the games multi-touch interface, allowing you to guide the blocks on each side a the same time. The multi-touch mechanic in Unify makes for some very challenging gameplay. Guiding blocks on each side at the same time trying to produce matches and ideally combos is not at all as easy as it sounds, espesially when you progress through several levels and the speed continues to increase.

  In addition to the typical increase in speed following level progression, Unify also makes very clever use of color to ramp up the difficulty. The game actually starts out in black and white, with only black and white blocks to contend with. As you begin to progress you soon find that in addition to an increase in speed, you must now also contend with another colored block. As more colored blocks become available, properly planned placement and combos become increasingly necessary. As the speed of the game increases and you begin to contend with several different colored blocks at once, Unify becomes a very cerebral experience. Certainly expect to have to practice before showing off your accomplishments in the leaderboards.

  Unify is equipped with Open Feint and so comes equipped with all of the bells and whistles including achievements and online global leaderboards. Unify is also subtle little touches that really add up to a highly polished title. The sounds in the game are well done, like the satisfying ping you will hear each time a match is made and blocks disappear. The music is also top notch and includes an ever evolving track that changes as you progress, and is actually made from 13 tracks seamlessly integrated into the gameplay. Put on a pair of headphones, and you are in for another treat, as Unify comes equipped with some excellent stereo sound.

  Unify is definetely a title that should not be missed, and is very easy to recommend. The minimalistic approach to the art style works very well, the pacing is particuarly well done, and the music is top notch. With Open Feint integration, 40+ levels and an endless mode, you will also find plenty of replayability, as Unify is very likely to earn a permanent spot in your iPhone gaming library.

 Score: 5 out of 5

iTunes Link

Unify is available for $1.99

Unify Preview from zach gage on Vimeo.