PHYSICAL CONTACT 2048 REVIEW

2 is the Magic Number
By Richard Jewell
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch
Released on September 7th, 2017 on Nintendo Switch
Developer: Collavier     
​Publisher: Collavier Corporation

The year is 2048. Skynet has pushed humanity to the brink of...wait, that's not right. Physical Contact 2048 is a puzzle game where you earn points by combining numbers on a grid until you have earned the required score. It's a bit different from the types of games I usually review, but I've been known to crack open a puzzler every now and then so here we go!
 
There are a few different modes to play, but first I'm going to explain the basics of the game. The play area is a 4x4 grid. You start off with the number 2 occupying a square. Pushing a button on the directional pad slides all the numbers on the board in that direction. Every time you do this, more 2’s appear on the grid. Whenever a number hits an equal number, they combine into a higher number. So a 2 that hits a 2 becomes a 4. A 4 that hits another 4 become an 8, and so on and so on. The idea is to earn the target score before the timer runs out. Game over can occur if either the timer runs out or if the grid is too packed to move anymore numbers around. That's pretty much it. I found it very simple to pick up, but it can be challenging, depending on the mode.
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​Speaking of which, there are a few modes to play around in. The main mode has you advancing up a Mortal Kombat-style tower with each level cleared. The puzzles start off incredibly simple. I was able to complete them in less than 20 seconds just by mashing the left and right buttons on the pad. Not my proudest moment, but hey: sometimes a guy just needs to mash him some buttons. Things get incrementally harder as you progress up the tower, increasing the amount of points you need to score to clear the level. Completing them as fast as you can earns you either a bronze, silver, or gold star, which in turn earns you gold. Gold can be used to purchase new pictures for your profile and new background images for the puzzles. It's not a big deal but I guess it gives completionists something to aim for.
                                                                                           
The other two modes are quite basic. 2-player local versus allows you to compete with a friend to see who can get the higher score. Each player uses a Joy-Con to control their own grid. The other single-player content is made up of four time attack challenges to see how fast you can reach the scores of 512, 1024, 2048, and 4096.
 
So overall, Physical Contact 2048 is a barebones puzzler. There isn't much to do besides the Tower Mode, but I had a fun time playing it. However, it's not really a game you would play for any extended amount of time. If you really enjoy puzzlers or are simply looking for a quick, lighthearted game for short pick up and play sessions, give it a go. Otherwise, there isn't much on offer here.
 
*Note: A copy of this game was provided for the purpose of the review

Final Score: 5/10

 +Decent music

-Somewhat limited gameplay
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