Okay Geek Farm
iPad - Pulse Review
Ricardo Trejo
Pulse
Platform: iOS (iPad)
Price: $4.99
Developer: Cipher Prime
Our Impressions
UPDATE 06/8: Since this review’s posting, there is now a free update that brings the game’s total song count from 7 to 11. Cipher Prime also wants people to know that more songs will be making their way via free updates.
As soon as we downloaded Pulse to our iPads we knew we were in for something special. Just the app icon alone and its title screen speaks volumes about what Cipher Prime tried to accomplish with this new entry into the music game genre, which has gotten stale over the past few years. Though Cipher Prime has always been on the cutting edge when it introducing players to new and original concepts; just take a look at Auditorium and you’ll see what we’re talking about.
Pulse hosts 7 original songs (not including the tutorial) that play while you try to tap dots placed on circles equally spaced from each other in intervals of time. The circles represent a second in time, which means if you count 1, 2, 3, 4 in sequence you’ll hit a circle at every number. The game uses a pulsating circle that travels from the center outward to let you know which dot, or note, you should be tapping. Missed notes result in the screen flashing white for a second, asking you to get back into the game. In the beginning stages the concept is slowly taught to you, but once you get the hang of it you’ll be thrown into stages with half-notes, or dots that are placed within between the circles, forcing you to really pay attention and not slack off and just enjoy the music — which is quite hard since the soundtrack is so enjoyable. Speaking of the soundtrack, which is so graceful and elegant that you can’t stand but not play the levels just to hear the songs over and over again, is also on sale through iTunes for $7.92 (here’s the link to it).
The game, while not extremely difficult, does make you work for an uninterrupted song. Our only complaint comes from the fact that having to follow the dots all over the screen does mean that your hand is going to moving all over the place, which may cover up some upcoming notes you’re going to have to hit. However, we feel the biggest satisfaction comes from not missing a note so you can watch your fingers move from dot to dot in perfect rhythm. And there’s certainly no coincidence that as you play it feels almost as if your fingers are dancing across the screen in a choreographed and synchronized fashion. Cipher Prime truly put a lot of effort into making sure that when everything came together you’d really feel one with the music.
Note: Headphones are a definite must while playing Pulse, as it’s the only way to enjoy the already stellar soundtrack.
Overall
Pulse (iPad)
Download it now on the App store
As a music game, it’s the same formula we’ve all come to love; follow the que until you’re signalled to hit the note — but as a new experience, watching your fingers dance so magically across your iPad while rocking out with your favorite pair of headphones deems Pulse a must play for anyone who owns an iPad.
We’re not sure if the game will ever make its way to the iPhone or iPod touch, considering it does take up a considerable amount of screen real estate, but we’re quite certain that there’ll be more songs added to this already elegant performance of a game.
