Fotonica: A Review

Fotonica is a game. A game in which you use one button. A game...in which you jump and run. But most of all this is a game in which you can go fast (or at least feel like you're going fast). It's really only played on a 2D plane, but what you see is a 3D world made of somewhat abstract black and white visuals. It's a 2D platformer but then from first person-perspective, you hold [spacebar] to run, release it to jump and hold it in the air to come down sooner. Keep up the speed and you  can get a boost, which feels so fast, it's kinda ridiculous. Simple in it's mechanics, it almost all relies on timing on the players part, and well designed levels on the the designers part.



The controls react instantaneously to the players choices, but it's the design of the levels which can make it somewhat troublesome. Each level seems to have branching paths, down and up, jump or don't jump, but they don't always equally line up with each other. Sometimes making the point of landing off a jump not very clear, leading to your demise as you fall into the blackness. This isn't simplified by tunnels or boosters, which you'd expect to put you on the right path, but inevitably stick you in a position with nowhere to land on. This can create a .... frustrating experience.

For all the entertainment you can get out of the speed that lies in the mechanics, the level design can end up making you repeat the level over and over trying to find the one way to get over an odd gap. All the freshness that is brought in, slowly leaks away as you repeat a level. Most unfortunate though, is the fact that making the finish area just isn't that satisfying. You repeat a level over and over, only to get a little bit of feedback about your score, and some lines that you plummet into.

It can use some fine tuning is what I'm saying. Anyways the idea, visuals and general resulting speed that the game brings across still makes it worth a couple minutes of your time.
Score: 3/5
Go play Fotonica