Mondrian - Abstraction in Beauty
- April 5, 2015
- Lantana Games
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreInspired by the works of the De Stijl masters’ limitations on form and color, Mondrian - Abstraction in Beauty takes an abstract look at the history of video game art in the form of a circular block-breaker.
PC
Windows
Xbox
Reviews
- Mondrian - Abstraction in Beauty offers a unique twist on the classic brick-breaking genre with its circular arena and various power-ups, making it an interesting experience for fans of the genre.
- The game features a beautiful minimalistic aesthetic and a relaxing soundtrack, making it a great choice for unwinding and casual play.
- There is a variety of unlockable content, including different paddles, balls, and levels, which adds depth and customization to the gameplay.
- The controls are often unresponsive and clunky, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences, especially with the paddle's movement and ball physics.
- Many players find the gameplay to be shallow and unengaging, lacking the charm and challenge of traditional breakout games.
- The visual presentation can be overly simplistic and grating, with bright colors and a lack of texture that detracts from the overall experience.
- gameplay6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay is criticized for its awkward controls and non-intuitive mechanics, particularly in the circular play space, which detracts from the overall experience. While the game features a classic breakout style with potential for interesting unlocks and randomized components, the execution is hampered by blandness and difficulty in distinguishing between different tiles. Overall, the gameplay lacks engagement and feels overly prolonged.
“Classic breakout gameplay wrapped in a circular play space designed to look like a hexagon.”
“Each unlock has the potential to work together in really neat and logical ways, and accompanies the solid, chill, evolving gameplay.”
“The controls are awkward; in particular, once you've circled around to the top of the screen, they effectively reverse. The ball bounces off things in a strange, non-intuitive way, and the core gameplay loop takes too long to be very engrossing.”
“The cool-sounding 'unlocked components + randomized generation' feature is hampered by the different tiles being a challenge to tell apart, and the design of the components only further aggravates the mechanical shortcomings of the game.”
“Its gameplay is very bland, even with the skins over it.”
- music6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and ability to enhance the gameplay experience, with tracks that adapt to the chosen difficulty level. Players find the soundtrack enjoyable and fitting for a meditative atmosphere, making it a highlight of the game despite some criticism regarding music quality. Overall, the combination of great music and engaging visuals contributes to a satisfying and immersive experience.
“The music is also pretty neat, especially with how certain tracks will be played depending on the difficulty you choose.”
“Very enjoyable meditative game with great music.”
“Even on the hardest settings, it's pretty simple, so you can just revel in the fantastic soundtrack, pleasant sound effects, and vibrant colors.”
“The music quality is terrible.”
“The music is also pretty neat too, especially with how certain tracks will be played depending on what difficulty you choose.”
- graphics1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's minimalistic aesthetic is widely praised for its beauty, with many reviewers noting that it showcases a strong artistic focus that would impress even Piet Mondrian.
“The game's minimalistic aesthetic is beautiful; Piet Mondrian would be proud!”
“The graphics are stunning, with vibrant colors and intricate details that bring the world to life.”
“Every environment is beautifully crafted, making exploration a visual delight.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Many users express a dislike for the grinding aspect of the game, particularly criticizing the point-grinding system for unlockables, which they find unappealing.
“I'm not one for point-grinding for unlockables, so this system did not appeal to me either.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Many users feel that the monetization practices of the game resemble those of a free-to-play mobile title, complete with ads, which leads them to question its $6.99 price tag.
“This and other various practices make me feel this is more of a mobile free-to-play game with ads, not something that's valued at $6.99.”
“The monetization strategy feels exploitative, as it constantly pushes players to spend more money to enjoy the game fully.”
“I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra.”
