By Brad Russell
The inspiration here is from a one of the 'launch' apps for the iPad, Flight
Control HD. In that game ' as well as this game ' you are micro-managing planes
by making them land in specific flight paths. A collision is game over. In FC
you merely have to land the planes; in Pollen Count you have a bit more to
consider, and mind you, you're controlling a few drones of a species that lives
no longer than a few months as opposed to million dollar flying vehicles with
human lives on board.
A single level will have a number of flowers, usually on the bottom, and a
beehive. The idea is to direct the incoming bees to the flowers, let them fill
up on pollen, and then navigate them to the hive. It's that simple, or it would
be if not for the spiders, the swarm of other bees in your way, and other
pollen-carrying drones you must queue home. The result is a game that can easily
overwhelm you. Flight Control is difficult enough on the iPhone rather than on
the iPad, so these 'zero collision' games do not benefit from a smaller screen.
Despite the polished presentation, you may find yourself feeling more
burdened than motivated. If you've played Flight Control you will know exactly
what to expect, and if not then you may enjoy drawing paths for bees to follow.
But the novelty may wear off quickly as you realize that this kind of gameplay
is not well-suited for a progression-based game.
Final Rating: 78%
