Vacuum Beta Review

Having dived into this game for almost a week now I can safely say this is a fun game to play. For a beta version it's pretty polished and ready to ship onto the Android market. Vacuum by Door-6 is a neat concept as it takes the tunnel style games to another level by having global rankings and cash prizes.

Gameplay: Vacuum's gameplay and controls work very well. I played this for a week on the G1 and had no lag at all which is amazing considering how much stuff I have crammed onto this phone. The controls are responsive and work as they should with a flying airship with that feeling of give and take. The throttle is also very responsive, accelerating or slowing down right away depending on how you use it which becomes a very important aspect of the game. It gets challenging pretty quickly and it should considering there are cash prizes at stake. By the third or forth ring you are definitely in for a good challenge of not crashing into the moving rocks or the wall while trying to avoid the rocks.

The point of the game is to navigate the tunnel and collect the green orbs that are floating to earn points and extra time on your clock. You get your points when you pass through a blue ring and every time you pass through a blue ring it gets harder and harder with more moving rocks. When you crash your score is submitted automatically. So far my best rank is 21.

Sound: There isn't a whole lot of sound in this game, just when you crash there is a bit of a crash sound and your phone vibrates and that's all that is really needed for this game.

Options: There are options you can set for sensitivity with the controls and also various angles to help with steering based on how you sit and hold your phone while playing.

Graphics: The graphics are good and render nicely while playing. I had no chopping or lag while playing this on my G1 which is excellent, especially when trying to get top score to win prizes, lag kills as with all games, and thankfully there wasn't any as I played this.

Overall: This is a solid game even for a beta release that will certainly be enjoyed by anyone who likes 3D tunnel style games. With smooth controls, no lag and good graphics, this game has a lot to offer. Slated to be released by March 20th onto the Android market, the first competition starts April 1st so that will give everyone a chance to practice should they want to try for the cash prizes.

Rating: 5/5

Quick Tips: Here are a couple quick tips to help you get started.

- Learn to use the speed control. This will come in extremely handy the further you progress into the tunnel.

- Make sure to use the settings for sensitivity and angle. This will ensure your best possible set up for correct steering which again, is extreme important in this game.

- Don't get greedy. If you need to pass up a green orb, do it. It's better then crashing and getting frustrated.

Update: Just got an email from Jeremy over at Door-6 with new features that will be in the retail release. These are:

Developer Website: Door-6

Android apps at AppStoreHQ