Reviews

Review by push32 all reviews by push32

The game is a 3D first person platformer, where you jump and run around in a few rooms to find and reach the red flag. There are two levels, which are both not too difficult to solve. The second level has weirdly placed stairs, plants and other objects setting the mood of an unreal world, with different gravity or perspective in reference of Escher. At first I thought gravity could change at some point or one could walk the walls or upside down, interersting puzzles could be made this way. Also the skybox shows Escher's works more directly. The starting screen is a virtual mobile phone showing a massenger conversation, which is intended to be funny. The phone menu allows to choose one of the two levels for playing, two hexagons and an "in-app advertisement" for another game. Unfortunately, source code and portability are missing. The implementation of the rules could be more reflected in the game's mechanics.

Scores: Overall 2 Artistical 2 Technical 2 Genre 2

Review by amarillion all reviews by amarillion

The game humorously pretends to be a mobile game, it starts with a mock conversation in a chat app, after which you open the game itself on this simulated phone. There is even an in-game ad, a hidden plug for another game by the author. Or at least it seems so, when you click on the ad, some text scrolls by that is too tiny and moves too fast to read properly. The 'report this ad' link is a clever touch, but it doesn't seem to do anything different, a missed opportunity IMHO.

As for the game itself: Moving around in the 3D world seems glitchy. There seem to be a lot of hidden areas that are accessible via stairs and high walkways between rooms. There are mysterious pipes connecting areas. I almost feel like curling up in a morph ball and rolling around through these pipes. But I haven't discovered this morph ball ability in this game, so that's just wishful thinking.
I took the stairs and ended up stuck in an area surrounded by a pipe, it was too high to jump over, so the only thing I could do was close the game.
There are only two levels. Your goal is to find a red flag and not get stuck, and not fall in lava either. Lava is just a red floor, when you touch it the levels starts over. You are literally surrounded with Escher's artworks, they form an infinite box around you.

Overall: 2. Two levels with not much to do in them do not capture the attention for very long.
Art: 2. The Escher artwork feels tacked on.
Tech: 2. Hexagon is there in the most minimalistic way possible. I also have to dock points for late-submitted source code.
Genre: 3. I like the presentation of the game as embedded in a simulation of a mobile phone, and using an ad for the plug.

Scores: Overall 2 Artistical 2 Technical 2 Genre 3

Review by Tijzz all reviews by Tijzz

This game turned out very different than what type of game I expected it was when I booted it up. I think you did a good job, diverting the players expectations.

It is too bad that the time of the game jam is so short, because I would have loved to see some more levels and interesting rooms in the 3D space.

Even though the gameplay in itself is not that special, the different stuff that you created in the second level was interesting to look at. I am not sure how long it would remain interesting, but adding levels in which you use platforming and other stuff could be very cool.

In my opinion, you should have closed of the rooms and put on a roof, instead of heaving the open space and the Escher backgrounds in the sky. These were of so low quality that it did not do the game any good. (I even think that if they would have been of good quality that they still should have been removed.)

For the rules, you have used Escher in the background, but have also tried to create these impossible rooms. I have missed the hexagonal rule and I am not sure if I have seen the plug (was that the add?). The humor rule was also not very apparent for me.

However, I think you have created something really cool and if you would have had more time, it could really have been something more!

Scores: Overall None Artistical None Technical None Genre None