The island needs a plumber and it looks like the one from Big N wasn’t available. Answering the call for help, our hero, a little girl who doesn’t like to talk, arrive on the island ready for the rescue. Developed by Corey Martin and Stage Clear Studios and published by Digerati, Pipe Push Paradise is a challenging puzzle in which you must connect water pipes to restore the water supply to the island. A simple premise, I agree, but it’s more than enough to justify one of the toughest puzzle games I’ve played these last months. Don’t worry about bringing your tools: our little friend here is prepared for all the tasks with her bare hands and a smile on her face. There’s a lot of work waiting for us.
What is Good?
- Visuals: Colorful, clean and simplistic. The art style of the game is very uncommon, so uncommon I can’t think about any other name to make a comparison for you. The menu screens remind me of plastic towels, like the ones you use in your backyard when preparing a barbecue for the family. A strange comparison, I know, but that’s exactly what comes to my mind when I see that blue screen with palm trees and use marks. But still charming and pleasant in its own way.
- Audio: My friends… the soundtrack of the game makes your time worth on its own. Relaxing guitar songs performed by Teodoro Zamudio give the pace to the game. A perfect cast and the perfect rhythm to avoid you becoming too stressed during this adventure. Believe me: you will need it.
- Gameplay: The gameplay is the core of any puzzle game. It is a hit or miss for any title and I’m glad to tell you that Pipe Push Paradise aced in this area. The mechanic of pushing pipes in a grid may not look very original, but it’s so well executed and challenging that it won’t matter at all. The puzzles quickly become more and more challenging, introducing new mechanics at a fast pace. Soon you will be squeezing and burning your neurons trying to find a solution for each puzzle. To help you in this quest, the game offers a mechanic of undoing and redoing your last actions that now I want to see in every puzzle game I play!
- Game length: Your adventure will cover 47 levels divided into six different areas through the island (plus a few surprises). In each area, a new mechanic is included increasing the difficulty and increasing your fun (or suffering, depending on how your adventure is going so far). You can also enjoy the day and night cycle that affects the illumination and music of the island. A nice touch if you ask me.
- Load times? What load times? Something great to mention is the almost instant transition between map and puzzles. The load time takes no more than a couple seconds to load between one and another. Good to keep the rhythm of the game.
Mixed Feelings
- Adventure for few: Puzzle games are a niche gender, targeted to a very specific public. I’m sure not every player will enjoy the adventure, but there are always those who try a game only because of the achievements. If that’s your case, consider using a walkthrough (I’m sure there must be some of them available right now) that soon you will net another 1000G.
What is Bad?
- Moving too fast: No, this is not something that will ruin your experience, but your character moves too fast and its very common to push a pipe by accident, something that can be easily reversed by using the undo button. I just wish you should apply a little much pressure on them before they start moving. That’s all.
Pipe Push Paradise [Score: 73/100]
Pipe Push Paradise is a puzzle game as charming as it is difficult. Seriously, looking at its colorful scenarios and interesting characters, I could never expect so much challenge at every pipe push. The developers of this little jewel can be really proud of what they achieved: a lovely title that will drive you nuts while trying to complete it! If puzzle games are something for you, I strongly recommend you take a look at Pipe Push Paradise. You are not gonna regret it.
With a history of gaming that goes from his old man’s Atari 2600 to his Xbox One, Rafael or RAF687, our Brazilian editor, has a love for games as old as he can remember. He has already spent countless hours in many consoles (Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Saturn, PS1, PS2 and Xbox 360) and is always ready for more (as long as his wife is asleep). Raf has been writing for LifeisXbox since 2017, with a passion for games of almost all genres – though we know he has a special place in his heart for RPGs, racing games and anything that includes pixel art. Writing about games has always been a childhood dream to Raf, dream that he has fulfilled reviewing games for you here. You can drop him a message at Twitter, Facebook or Xbox Live at any time.
