Rayland (Xbox One) Review with stream
No score and no timer makes for an easy-going puzzle game experience
Interface is simple but effective and easy to understand
Budget-friendly price and Achievements are easy to obtain
No unlockables or online leaderboards is a little restricting
Soundtrack is fine but doesn’t fully fit with the atmosphere of the gameplay and visual style
Zero replay value – once you clear all the stages, there is no reason to replay
A simple puzzle game about reflecting a beam of light to an end point, Rayland is a casual puzzle experience that never gets overly complex and offers some easy high point Achievements for under a five-dollar asking price.
To make an easy comparison, Rayland is basically the same game as Archaica: The Path of Light only with a much more simplified interface and visual style. From a grid level structure, the player must place and rotate mirrors to guide light around bends and through obstacles to ignite a gem.
There are over 40 puzzles and they slowly increase in difficulty every handful of stages. Since there is no time limit, no penalty for incorrect placement, no leaderboards to climb, and no abilities to unlock, the quest remains a simple play-at-your-own-pace easy-going style of gameplay. There is no built-in hint system, not like you will really need it, but I guess that is why we have optional YouTube walkthroughs.
The visual style is also simple as the environments are composed of basic tile sets and a plain background. The soundtrack is also one long looping track that is fine but feels slightly out of place for a puzzle game about blocks floating against an empty space.
Rayland is basically a puzzle game that seems like it was designed for mobile but it difficult to knock it too hard when it only costs a few bucks, provides a simple but still entertaining casual puzzle experience, and is a great way to quickly boost your Gamerscore.
Also Play: SOLAS 128 (Switch)
Don’t Forget About: classic Pipe Dream
Not To Be Confused With: In Rays of the Light
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
Twitter: @ZackGaz
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