OLO Loco is a major re-imagining of OLO. The familiar 2 Player, 4 Player and Online options are offered. All three share new graphics, audio and an updated physics engine. Fans of OLO’s relaxed, minimalist style are in for a few surprises.
Both the 2 Player and 4 Player options contain three game modes: Classic, REVERSO and BOOLO. I’m enjoying the additional strategic depth offered in both of the new game modes. If one or both were available for competitive Online play, I would have a very difficult time choosing a favorite. Perhaps there’s an OLO Loco Triathlon in our future.
The Online option is based on the Classic game mode with three notable changes from the original: smaller OLOs, a narrower playing field and asynchronous, turn-based play.
The reduced size of the OLOs places a higher premium on a player’s aiming skills. The significantly narrower playing field has a pronounced impact on the geometry of the game. With the higher velocities attainable in the new physics engine, OLO Loco provides a very lively experience for new players and veteran OLO players.
The transition to turn-based play in the Online game mode is a game changer in the very best way. On your first visit to the Online menu, you’ll be presented with an empty slate with options to return to the main menu, view the weekly leaderboard or start a new game by inviting a friend to play or choosing to be matched with a random player.
After starting a new game and playing your OLO, your opponent will have 24 hours to take their turn. You can wait in-game for your opponent’s response or, tap on the playing field to return to the Online menu. From here, you can start another new game, monitor your existing games or revisit the last turn of a game. You can also invite an opponent to a replay and accept or decline invitations you’ve received.
If a player fails to complete their turn within the 24 hour period, they’ll forfeit the game and lose 10 points on the leaderboard. Their opponent will then have 24 hours to finish the match using the OLOs in their possession as well as any remaining OLOs on the board.
Over time, your Online menu will fill with games arranged in color coded groups based on their status. The current score and amount of time remaining are also displayed for each game. You are limited to 30 active games. Thanks to the integration with the Notification Center, you’re a swipe away from updates on your online games while outside of the app.
There have been relatively few glitches: In-game notifications occasionally fail to completely clear, obscuring your opponent’s remaining OLOs. Moving from the Online menu to the Main menu and back removes active timed out games. And, on very rare occasions, the physics engine appears to lose track of an OLO. To their credit, the development team has been very active with four updates since the initial release a month ago.
I enjoyed the themes and the 20 second shot clock in the original but, their absence is a minor concession in light of the many positive changes. In particular, improvements to the random matching process and the implementation of turn-based play are well worth the price.
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