Swarm

Swarm is a little, neat game which develops an old concept in a really interesting and funny way. It's addictive and enojable but too much frustrating at times to appeal a wider audience.

When all is said and done, Swarm is one of the few titles that can make frustrating, fun. It's certainly not a game for everyone, but if you can overlook some of the rough edges, there is a good time to be had. At 1200 MSP ($15), Swarm is on the pricier side for a downloadable title, so if you're on the fence, give the demo a try first. But if you've been jonesing for some good Lemmings-style action, this may be the closest you're going to get unless Sony decides to revive the Psygnosis classic one day.

Natural selection has rarely felt crueller. [June 2011, p.112]

The numerous little swarmites are a joy to control as a swarm and manage to entertain even when they die - which they do a lot. Yes, there is more than a hint of Lemmings in this game, but then again there's nothing wrong with that.

I'm convinced the team at Hothead have a great downloadable game within them, but they're still not quite there yet.

Even when it's at its most curiously punishing, Swarm is dexterous enough to reward those who put the time into learning its methods and also satisfies with the type of cartoon violence that makes for a very endearing and well-made game on the whole.

A strict focus on simple level survival might have alleviated frustration, but Swarm still provides a surprisingly challenging--and splattering--good time. [April 2011, p.85]

Swarm has a nice idea it screws up. [June 2011, p.93]

Swarm is a game with a nice concept, which unfortunately isn't properly elaborated in the gameplay. Before you spend thirteen bucks, check if you have enough patience to play the same level over and over again.

A somewhat washed-out attempt at copying Lemmings and Pikmin, Swarm could have used more charm and a better structure for progress.

Swarm is a good idea in need of better executions.

Even as the level designs seeks to frustrate you beyond measure, the game remains strangely addictive. If this were simply a bad game, you'd give up and move onto something else. But something at the core of Swarm keeps you coming back, despite all reason to the contrary.