Although it's billed as a puzzle game, don't think that
Escape From Planet Earth is some kind of Tetris or Bubble Bobble type of joint. To help E.T. escape, you'll solve lots of little puzzles that are a mix of twitch reflexes and logic, mostly from a top-down perspective that differs considerably from any Platformer or side-scrolling Action game. As the game begins, you will learn about power-ups E.T. can use to take him across obstacles or reach blocked areas, and eventually find some that will let him avoid enemies or 'freeze' them briefly. Each powerup gets a broad treatment with consecutive puzzles that require you to use one tactic in increasingly challenging ways. In this way, a skill is introduced and you have time to master it before another one is thrown at you. There are always second chances if you get stuck, and you can restart a level at any time. Young gamers may not recognize at first that
Escape From Planet Earth doesn't protect them from using a limited power-up at the wrong time and blowing their chance to solve a puzzle, since many games protect you from yourself. In places where you may only have one or two chances to get it right, the fact that each puzzle is relatively short cuts down on frustration. After solving puzzles and gathering items, you can take them to trade for equipment you need to build E.T.'s communicator by visiting treehouses.
The different types of puzzle encompass teamwork, logic, matching and straight coordination. You'll see in places that enemies are all over the place, and simply avoiding them is all you have to do to get a bottle cap and escape. Many times, the name of the puzzle is a giveaway for strategy, telling you what you need to do to win. Other puzzles require you to switch between E.T. and Elliot to solve them, and since both Elliot and E.T. have unique abilities, these puzzles end up being some of the most interesting and difficult. With power-ups handy, many puzzles require you to use the right tool in the right place, and this may mean taking one of several possible routes through a maze or area. I can imagine that for very young gamers, this game will provide a great way for parents to talk through the hard levels and do some creative problem solving. There are over 100 individual puzzles set in over 50 environments, so you'll have lots of head-scratching challenges to work through before collecting all the equipment needed to get E.T. home.