dyad |

Publisher: SCEA

Developer: Right Square Bracket Left Square Bracket Games

Release Date: 4/26/2013

Available On

Dyad is a game where you do things in a spiral tunnel. That pretty much sums it up. You are a thing, and you shoot things like the tunnel whizzes by faster and the tempo of the music picks up. Each stage has an objective, such as getting through levels as fast as possible by chaining together the same colored orbs, which will give you a speed boost. Running into these orbs slows you down. I felt the shooting levels were the most fun, and there are a lot of levels here, so don’t worry.

The biggest issues are the constantly changing colors and the sense of speed. It will make some people small or dizzy. When you’re focusing on something, even for a couple of minutes, it will make you dizzy. There can be so many colors on the screen that you get lost in the craziness, and that’s a serious problem. I couldn’t play for long sessions because my eyes would hurt or I would get so confused that I would need a break. Thankfully, the environments vary from stage to stage, and the enemies get changed up.

It’s not as easy as blasting everything. You need to avoid some things because if you shoot, it will hurt you. Some missions just end up being way too difficult, to the point that you can barely pass the minimum requirements. This is all due to the crazy colors and the weird sense of speed. You can see your lane as far as the game will let you. At least you don’t have to wait for things to come up right in front of you to shoot. This adds a bit of strategy as you spin around the tunnel, trying to think ahead of your moves. For a while, it feels pretty awesome to think on your toes and line up the perfect path for the highest score. There’s really nothing much else to say here; you have to play it to see how fun it can be. This game isn’t for everyone, though; if you are sensitive to motion sickness and flashing colors, I would stay away.

Dyad is a rare game that doesn’t come around very often. While it may slip under everyone’s radar for that big blockbuster title, it reminds us how simpler games can still be fun. The action can be too hectic and can get lost in the ocean of rainbow colors swirling around the screen, but there are plenty of levels here to keep you busy and a great soundtrack to listen to.