Like every other PuppyGames production, Alien Flux is a great looking game. Compared to the classic, arcade look of some other titles, the feel here is less retro. If you can picture a simple interface with overhead view of a spaceship and alien landscape, you've got the idea. The color and level of detail on the models in the game goes way beyond what I saw after playing Titan Attacks, and the visuals are highly appealing. Special effects are luminous and impressive, and the sound effects range from the plaintive, cute wail you'll hear when a Fluffy bites the dust to the "End of Days" sound of your spaceship exploding.

Maybe I'm not up on my gaming vernacular, but I struggle to find the perfect way to describe Alien Flux. It's not just an arcade shooter, because there is some real brainwork required beyond twitch reflexes. The brainwork might lead you to call this an action/puzzle game, but there's enough action and twitch reflexes to give puzzleheads some chronic frustration. So, we're left with an action game that makes you think fast and react faster. Sound tough? It kinda is...

The premise is simple enough. The Fluffies hover over a nameless planet, helpless, while you stand ready to protect them with your spaceship. Act too slow, and a Fluffy is likely to be swallowed up by a marauding Bubble. You can blast the Bubbles and the wave of ships that pile up in increasing numbers from level to level. You definitely have superior firepower, and powerups that help to make defending Fluffies easier. If you lose all your Fluffies you lose bonus points, and what's the point of playing if you don't have to protect those cute little critters. You can actually get extra Fluffies, but real men protect their Fluffy in the first place. Or so I'm told...

The hardest thing to get used to in the game is the control scheme, which is a combination of Asteroids and Defender. The former, because to get anywhere you have to use a thrust method that doesn't just start and stop. Hit the gas too hard and you'll slingshot past the point you intended to reach. The gameplay combination of protecting Fluffies and destroying aliens makes for a unique challenge. Sure, your ship has shields and powerful weapons, but if you're not careful you'll toast a Fluffy with some "friendly fire." And you don't wanna do that. There is radar and a system that alerts you when and where a Fluffy is in trouble, but Alien Flux feels pretty frantic. And that's on "Rookie" difficulty in just the first few levels. What would be an improvement here is a more gradual learning curve or an actual tutorial that highlighted some strategies for protecting Fluffies and making good use of the control scheme. Even then, the unique control scheme may turn some gamers off with its learning curve.

All the game's controls can be changed and assigned to keys of choice, which makes things easier for righty/lefty gamers. The default scheme is good, and the mouse can be used in addition to the keyboard. Being able to collect and trigger special attacks is a lifesaver when the screen gets crowded, and there are over 16 unique enemy types you'll face that require different strategies. Especially if your Fluffies are scattered, protecting them is a nightmare. Firing your gun is easy enough, but getting your ship at the right angle so you can hit a Bubble or other enemy without toasting a Fluffy takes some precision.

Alien Flux comes across as a neat diversion, and a very challenging game for something built on such a simple premise. There are 100 levels, including four bosses to fight, so if you respond to the control scheme and the game style you'll have a lot to love. I found Alien Flux too niche, and the control scheme layout packed in too many variables. Having to think about moving via point-and-click, shooting, picking up powerups, and protecting Fluffies, was too much input. Three of the four would have made Alien Flux a fine title, but anyone who likes offbeat games and especially retro gaming should give this a whirl. And luckily, thanks to the philosophy at PuppyGames that supports trial versions, you can test out the game for free after downloading. The commitment to Open Source also means the game plays on any platform that supports java or OpenGL.