Mercury Hg may sound simplistic in nature, but don’t be fooled by this puzzler’s anamorphous blob of liquid metal. Making its HD debut on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the game boasts more levels, gorgeous visuals, and all new obstacles. Is that enough for the classic Mercury series to make a comeback or has this element reached its boiling point?

The object of Mercury Hg remains the same as previous games; guide your blob through 60 increasingly complex stages to the end point, all the while avoiding obstacles and collecting bonus atoms. This is no easy task as you’ll have to avoid falling off the edge of the course as you navigate tight spaces, moving platforms, and color changing portals. Yes, this game is much more than some Marble Madness carbon copy.

The first thing you’ll notice when booting up the game is its music. Energetic techno beats populate every stage and the backgrounds vibe to every rhythm and beat. The great soundtrack isn’t just for cosmetic purposes either, as specific levels are actually affected by the music, causing the floors to pulse in sync with the bass. There’s even the functionality to import your own custom playlists into the game, should you want to mix things up a bit. Believe us when we say that you’ll want to listen to the original music, though.

Mercury Hg begins with some basic tutorial levels that teach you the mechanics of the game. Early levels only require you to get from point A to point B, but soon you’ll have to do much more than that. One major aspect of the game is color. At times, you’ll be able to change the color of your Mercury blob so you can flip switches or get through barriers. Hg then takes this one step further by having you separate your blob and then rejoin them together after changing their color to create an all new one.

For instance, one level requires your blob to be yellow to enter the end gate. Seeing as there are no yellow color portals, you have to split up and enter a both a red and green portal and then combine again to form a yellow blob. What makes the level so tricky is trying to control two separate blobs at once, as you’re essentially controlling the tilt of the table and not the blobs themselves.  Thankfully you can use the X button to regroup your scattered blobs and form one big mass again.

Just getting though each level can be difficult in its own right, but if you want to truly excel at the game and make it to the top of the online leaderboards, you’re going to need to be quick and efficient. Your score is based off three different factors; time, mercury left, and atoms collected. If you accomplish each of the set goals for any level, you’ll be awarded with atoms that unlock more levels and sometimes bonus stages. You’ll find yourself tackling a level multiple times in order to reap all the rewards.

Aside from the main set of levels to play, there are bonus stages and challenges to attempt. The bonus stages are played a little differently as you start off as a small blob of mercury and you have to collect vials to grow bigger. Only when you reach 100% are you able to finish the level.

Challenge stages, on the other hand, are comprised of three or more regular levels that you have to complete in succession. You also have to maintain a steady percentage of mercury and atoms collected. Dip too low and you’ll fail the challenge and you’ll have to start all over from the beginning.

If you’re a fan of maze-like puzzle games, Mercury Hg successfully scratches that itch and can provide minutes of entertainment if you only have time for a few levels or hours during a good sit down session. The game already has one downloadable level pack release, and with another one on its way, there is definitely no shortage of levels to conquer.