At the end of my 8/10 review of Mercury Hg last month, I thought I’d be very happy to have some more of the same when the DLC came along. Wish granted! The £1.99 Heavy Elements DLC provides 30 challenging extra levels for this great PSN game.

For extensive details on gameplay, I’d recommend clicking the above link for my review of the main game. Essentially, you tilt obstacle course worlds to roll a blob of Mercury to the exit. Prize atoms are rewarded for finishing, maintaining 100% health, collecting all the items and for par times.

This DLC pack begins easily; just long enough for me to think it’ll be smooth sailing and just how badass I am. Then the game lets all its crazy out of the jar. Using colour stations to change colour plays a larger role than before. As does splitting your blob into two to reach different colour stations, then re-combining to form a new colour.

The only newish gameplay variation I could find was a few levels that only showed the next few blocks of the floor appear underneath as you approached them, making for a cautious move into the unknown. The magnets that either repel or suck you in are more prominent this time. Combine them with slippery carbon fibre slopes and you really have your work cut out for you. Moving triangular blocks will also try to push you off the sides and split you into pieces too.

If all that wasn’t enough, there are tougher challenges involving starting with your Mercury split in two on separate paths and having to guide them around separate hole-ridden courses at the same time. Seeing as you lose health every time bits of your mass drip over the sides of the path, it’s going to take a considerable effort to ace these levels.

What’s keeps Mercury Hg so playable though, is that even if you fail on one goal, like keeping all your health, it’s still worth finishing the level and trying to tick off one of the other objectives.

This DLC pack strikes a fine balance of a stern challenge for anyone who wants to get every objective and some additional fun levels for anyone who is happy to just tick off a few as long as they reach the exit. With the original game only costing £3.99 you’d be nuts not to pay another £1.99 for more. Go on, it might be the best puzzle game of 2011.

8/10