Taking out the trash can be fun! Trash Panic is addictive and challenging for a cheap price!
Game: Trash Panic
Publisher: Sony Online Entertainment
Developer: SCEJ
Genre: Puzzle
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
Trash Panic is one of those games that should appeal to the masses. After all, who doesn’t enjoy breaking stuff? But besides being destructive fun, Trash Panic is also a challenging puzzle game that is a total bargain for $5.
You are not going to be matching gems in this puzzle game. Instead you will deal with objects of various shapes and sizes and you need to make them all fit inside a trash can. If three undamaged objects fall out of the can, you lose. There is a ton of depth to such a simple formula, since there is no way to fit all the pieces of trash into the can without finding ways to break them into smaller pieces or in some cases getting rid of them altogether.
There are three ways to get rid of trash in the game: By breaking it, by burning it and by decomposing it. Each object has their own durability rating and also ratings for how combustible it is and how easy or difficult it is to decompose. By pressing the triangle button you will “smash” the next piece of trash that is dropping into your can against any other piece of trash already inside the can. Fragile objects like light bulbs and coat hangers will break with just one hit against anything, but harder objects like televisions and washing machines will take a lot more punishment.
The same principle applies for burning and decomposing objects. To burn objects you will need a piece that is already on fire (such as a match) and objects capable of catching fire (like toilet paper and teddy bears) or break enough objects that leak oil (such as Oil Tankers). Once you get a fire going you can press L2 to close the lid of the can, which allows you to increase the temperature and allow the fire to spread, but at the same time it deprives the can of oxygen, which can put the fire out if you are not careful. It becomes a mini-game into itself as you try to balance temperature and oxygen levels in order to keep the fire going as long as possible. Objects like microwave ovens and computers require high temperatures in order to burn/melt, which make them very difficult to get rid off. Objects broken into smaller pieces catch fire and burn faster than objects that are still whole. Also certain objects can explode when they touch fire or reach a certain temperature (like dynamite and propane gas canisters) which give you a chance to eliminate a lot of trash at once and in some cases managing these items well is the only way to beat a level.
Decomposing works in a similar fashion. To decompose you need a Decomposition Ball, a pink ball that drops every once in a while. This ball requires water to function, so you need to time the arrival of the ball with breaking enough water producing objects (like water barrels and toilets) to keep it wet and working. Fail to water it for a few seconds and it will disappear. The decomposition ball also stops working when it touches oil or when it touches fire, so it is impossible to keep a fire and decomposition ball working simultaneously. The trick to beating the game is knowing when to burn and when to decompose and plan ahead of time. That also means that you can expect to replay levels quite a few times before you develop a winning strategy.
Another thing I like about the game is that as you progress, objects become larger in scale. Early on you are dealing with pencils, staplers, coffee cups and hamburgers, then you move to medium-sized objects like microwave ovens, guitars and baseball bats and by the time you reach the final levels you are trashing entire skyscrapers, golf courses, baseball stadiums and oil fields. The game rates you as an ECO player or an EGO player. An EGO rating is placed upon those players that create lots of carbon monoxide and even cause explosions for the sake of beating the level, while an ECO rating is given to a player that cares about the environment and tries to decompose everything and finish the level clean. Obviously the ECO rating is the hardest to achieve.
The graphics are well done for a puzzle game. Every object in the game looks realistic and breaks realistically as well. My only gripe with the graphics is a glitch that leaves trash floating in mid-air. It happens when you burn or decompose a lot of debris at the bottom of the can and leaves entire objects floating in mid-air. This can be fixed by shaking the controller (it works like if you where shaking the can) and it makes trash fall back down to where it is supposed to be. Still, it is distracting and a serious black eye on the graphical presentation. That’s a shame, because the physics engine works well for the most part: rubber balls bounce if you try to “smash” them on solid objects and baseball bats and acoustic guitars explode into splinters when you smash them against solid steel objects like bells and motorcycles. The sound is serviceable, with music that doesn’t get on your way and sound effects that reflect what is going on screen very well.
The 411:
I recommend Trash Panic to all puzzle fanatics or anyone looking for a good game at a cheap price. It combines a simple to learn, hard to master formula with the universal pleasure of breaking stuff into tiny bits. Plus, it is a pretty hard game to beat, which also means it will last you a long time. Trash Panic is a $5 game that offers more challenge and depth than similar, more expensive titles. Thumbs up!
Graphics
8.0
Outside of the
Gameplay
8.5
Highly addictive and challenging. Easy to learn, hard to master.
Sound
7.5
The music is forgettable, but appropiate. The sound effects for trash breaking and burning are well done.
Lasting Appeal
8.5
The game has 6 levels and 3 difficulties. Even on the easiest setting it is a difficult game. Highly addicitive and replayable.
Fun Factor
8.5
A total steal for $5, Trash Panic offers more depth and fun than some full-priced puzzlers.
