Impulse presents players with layers of circles, some the same colours and others different. At the centre of the screen is a pulsating circle, split in half down the middle by two different colours. Your goal is to tap on whichever half correlates with the colour of the next layer, but only when it’s fully expanded. If you choose correctly then the layer disappears for the next one in line, whereas if you choose the wrong half or tap the circle before it’s fully expanded then you’ll lose part of your health; do this five times and it’s game over.
Every now and then you’ll find a crystal within one of the layers. This can be collected simply by correctly matching the layer’s colour with the central circle, and then used to purchase power ups, new shapes, and different-coloured themes. As this can take a while, you have the option to purchase crystals with actual money or earn them through watching videos.
The biggest issue that players will find with Impulse is its longevity: with such simple gameplay and not much to unlock, it won’t take long until you’re ready to move on to another game. There are online leader boards for you to compete with others and unlocks are fun to use: new shapes, patterns, and power ups to help improve your score and make it that bit more interesting, but there’s no doubt the game still has a shelf life.
Yet, however short Impulse may be, it’s still a fun test of your intuition and reflexes. It’s like that game in which you have to pick the colour that the word reads out when the word itself is coloured in differently; your instinct goes against everything you’re doing. Because of that it can become fiendishly tough and at times frustrating, especially when the centre circle begins moving faster. The higher your score the more the layers begin to break away also, so it’s not always clear exactly which colour you need to pick. Having to react quickly in these sorts of situations makes for a fun mental challenge – just not one when you’re trying to relax.
With the number of apps available now that require a huge investment of time just to reap any rewards, and if not time then money, it’s always refreshing to see games that do the opposite. It probably won’t take you long to move on from Impulse, but when you do play it, it will be worth it. Perhaps that’s the kind of break most of us need from the big budget, time-consuming, financially costly games.
[appbox appstore id1210493653]
