Unfortunately the only thing you have to look at are the plankton themselves as they move around the screen, and for the most part they are just simplistic 2-D graphics. “Nanocarp” is one of the few pieces concerned with turning your input into a visual display rather than music, causing tiny fish to react with synchronized movements.
I am usually drawn to unique video game concepts like this, and I take a special interest the idea of music being generated semi-randomly by computer software. Is there an underlying pattern to human creativity? How much of music is conscious skill and how much comes from unquantifiable inspiration?
Unfortunately, Electroplankton does not really explore fascinating questions such as these, and the artwork it creates is not all that exciting. The game also has an “Audience” mode, which essentially allows you to sit back and let the music play itself. Again, a potentially interesting element, but in some sense I would argue this is nothing more than a glorified wind chime simulator.
Is Electroplankton a unique and intriguing premise? Absolutely! Is it worth $40? Not by a long shot. I can’t see Electroplankton giving the average person more than a few hours worth of entertainment, but it’s still a recommended rental for anyone who is the least bit curious.
Electroplankton is a rated E (Everyone) by the ESRB.
This review is also available at Space Junk.
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