
It may be another odd curio to add to the PlayStation Store's list of collectible little masterpieces, but Riff is something else - an addictive chunk of simplistic gaming not seen since Super Stardust HD burst onto the console last year.
You're a little white blob - there's no plot here, thankfully - and a screen full of targets need to be eliminated. You fire bullets, and upon contact with moving enemies or static targets, they explode into fizzing, cataclysmic little forces which, in turn, hit each other: chain reactions leave a collection of little pixels on the screen for you to collect, which scores points. This continues for several manic levels, each with a unique method of point scoring and kaleidoscopic mayhem.
And then there's creator Jonathan Mak's major twist: Everyday Shooter is utterly and completely dependent and intertwined with the excellent soundtrack.
Like Rez before it, Riff is a music-centric game, because every hit you score as you pepper the screen with bullets has an effect on each level's unique soundtrack. As well as a different song, every level is different in every other way: combo systems, attack methods and how the enemies develop and breed around you. They're intricate and delicate, which you don't really notice except on a subconscious level when playing. Instead, it all comes together almost perfectly, merging in your mind to create an unrivalled experience - at least for this price.
Unlock points can be scored in every level and spent on giving yourself extra lives or adorning the game with various graphical effects - not that you really need them in the stunning, strange worlds that have been created. One issue I encountered was when, sometimes, the world becomes too complicated; if there's a bevy of chained attacks and the screen flashes with a huge array of gorgeous effects, it's very easy to get lost, and extremely easy to lose a cheap life trying to get your bearings amid the chaos. It's frustrating, sure, but I guarantee you'll be back to try again almost immediately.
It also niggles that you can't retry levels once you've extinguished all of your lives - it's back to the beginning. It's a simple game on the surface, perfect for five-minute blasts, so making people plough through the early levels time and time again seems unnecessary.
These are tiny issues, mere minor problems when you factor in the sheer enjoyment you'll get should you invest the tiny amount of money that Sony are asking for Riff. As a shooter, it's simple but refined: the formula has been calculated to devastating effect to deliver a tight and absorbing arcade blast. Then factor in the huge and important music involvement, and it gets even better. It's simply one of the best games available across all of the console's online stores.






