A novel 2D platformer with an electrifying central hook.
ElecHead is sensible in its simplicity whereas staying unbelievable all through due to its depth and mysteries. At face worth, it’s a familiar-looking recreation, calling to thoughts quite a few retro-themed 2D platformers and numerous NES and SNES-era classics. You management a bit robotic character via a sequence of puzzling challenges and sequences with wordless steering and a variety of secrets and techniques. The way in which you’re pressured to toy with a easy set of instruments via a wide range of puzzles is endlessly intelligent to the purpose of being breathtaking. ElecHead is astoundingly cool.
The entire recreation received’t take you too lengthy. My leisurely preliminary playthrough clocked in at round two hours, accumulating a smattering of hidden goodies alongside the best way. It’s a unbelievable solution to spend a night or two, wrinkling your mind to determine find out how to make this electrical head keep away from hurt when you get to the opposite facet of a room. Your actions are easy, increasing barely as you go. You’ll be able to soar and at a sure level, throw your electrical head off the highest of your physique. The electrical a part of your physique can set off platforms or hazards and also you’re challenged with making an attempt to determine find out how to get to the subsequent space. The controls aren’t complicated, however the methods you employ these talents are fascinating and neat. Over the course of the handfuls of challenges, these concepts are shaken up and tossed round, usually requiring you to assume exterior the field in methods I received’t describe as a result of it’s cooler while you determine it out your self.
The dearth of particular clarification and instruction is novel for essentially the most half, however I reached a number of factors the place the sport made issues very unclear, moreso on the periphery than in particular puzzles. The place do I am going subsequent? Am I going the fitting approach? What does this unlockable imply? These had been the moments that annoyed me greater than any powerful puzzle. ElecHead is intentionally obtuse at occasions, which is assuredly the enchantment for a wealth of the viewers. For me, it toed the road of inscrutability, being saved largely as a result of useful warp factors that zoom you world wide.
These warp factors are the important thing to accumulating the hidden doodads, which embody 20 pc chips which might be key to 100% completion in addition to optionally available palettes that allow you to change the colours of the retro aesthetic. There are additionally a bunch of poop icons you come throughout that I honestly don’t know what’s happening with them. I feel they only signify lifeless ends? See, there’s an instance of how the restricted clarification of what to do may be complicated.
However these points are on the fringes, as a result of while you’re simply working your approach via the challenges and determining the puzzles, ElecHead is a pleasant breath of recent air. It feels acquainted, but in addition so distinct. Whereas I admire a satisfying recreation that doesn’t overstay its welcome, I simply may have spent far more time with a extra expanded model of this idea. However, possibly ElecHead is pretty much as good as it’s as a result of its tempo is so quick and joyous. Regardless, it’s an exquisite factor this recreation made the leap to Swap.
