Antiflux is a softcore precision platformer, featuring skill upgrades and interesting puzzle elements. Now let me explain that. Precision platformers require you to jump, double jump, slide, etc at exact points, e.g. a gap that in order to pass you need to maximize the distance your double jump can cover after sprinting towards it, usually most players will die many times trying. Softcore precision platformer is something similar but gives you a bigger space for error thus you having greater chance for success. Your objective is to reach the exit of each room though a series of obstacles and objects that can help you (portals, jump pads, boosters, switches) using your skills and any upgrades you get while playing. As for the light puzzle elements, the game does have interesting puzzles but mostly in the forms of traps, because if you do something wrong you will have to start over, either from the beginning of the level or the last checkpoint you activated, however the levels are not that big for this feature to become an annoyance.
pros:
-The visuals are great, taking into account that this game was made for mobile, you will not get confused towards what you see or what you can use in order to reach the exit. Also the animations are clean both for your character and the enemies you will encounter.
-The controls are solid and easy to grasp, supporting both controller and keyboard.
-The music is great, chilling for the majority of the game it will complement the non-killing nature of the game.
-Level design for the majority is great, you will get the feeling that each part is planed for some reason and at higher levels where the game gets more complex, that feeling will intensify as you go though each of these points. Each and every level will use your skills to the fullest and each time you get an upgrade the next levels will immediately use it! The puzzles are great, for a platformer, and will complement the softcore precision of the game by being mostly smartly designed traps, meaning that if you do something wrong you have to start over.
-The mechanics start with basic skills, such as double jumping and dashes, and evolve as you play, adding more to the games level complexity by allowing you to blink though walls or freeze all enemies for a while and some other stuff.
-It is a nice experience for any platformer fun out there and it can a good challenge for any speedruner fan, as the game has an integrated timer and doing everything correctly on a run gives a feeling of fluid speed in the game!
cons:
-Sadly the game felt short enough for me, mostly because just as you start feeling you got the grasp of the latest upgrade you either get the next or, finally, the game ends. Also there are a few filler levels, either to progress the story, or as tutorials for any new power you acquire. It could definitely use more levels as I can't praise it enough for the level design, using your skillset to the fullest!
-It could get a tremendous value boost by adding an editor.
-The only sour part of the mechanics, and not necessarily a negative, is that the freeze power usage felt forced at specific parts.
-There are a few minor bugs, such as blinking into a wall, but given the small length of each level it felt negligible.
-Lastly while I felt it promoted being a speedrun challenge, it does not back it up with any form of leaderboards
I believe that Antiflux is definitely worth its value but it could be a lot better with some effort.
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This game was given to me by the steamified group.
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