[h1]Bullet points[/h1]
[list]
[*] Precision platformer with moderate puzzle platforming
[*] Novel mouse-based control mechanics
[*] Undertone storyline reflected in the levels' different art styles
[/list]
[h1]Full review[/h1]
[b]Resetting expectations[/b]
It's somewhat significant that I liked this game as much as I did, since it's got a few strikes against it in terms of what I personally tend to like. I don't usually like super-precise platformers, and I especially don't like games that demand razor-sharp execution and then don't hold up their end of the deal by providing razor-sharp controls. To be clear: the controls in Bliss don't appear to be buggy or poorly coded; I believe that they are responding exactly the way the developer intended, I just don't agree with his design decisions. :)
But despite that, Bliss brings out enough platforming joy that it outweighs the controls. In fact, given the novel control mechanics it introduces, it's possible that the "floaty" jumps are a necessary evil (more explanation of that point later). And that's the difference between how I see it versus something like Super Meat Boy. As much as I can't stand to play Super Meat Boy, its controls are as tight as its gameplay and so it deserves its accolades; I don't like Super Meat Boy's gameplay, but I respect it. Bliss is the opposite: I can't respect the gameplay of a precision platformer where you float in the air like a balloon when you jump, and slip of the edges of platforms...but somehow I like it anyway. The game's just charming.
[b]Mouse and keyboard...WTF?![/b]
One thing that really threw me for a loop was the mouse and keyboard requirement; for a platformer, that just doesn't make sense. In fact, the first time I played this game I broke out AntiMicro and made a controller profile within 60 seconds of starting the first level. Now, normally I'd fully stand by that decision, but as it turns out with Bliss...it's not that simple. Turns out, there's a reason that all the reviews (that I read, anyway) that go on a tirade about requiring mouse and keyboard don't have that long of a play time and don't sound like they finished the game.
I don't play that many platformers so maybe this is just new [i]to me[/i], but this is the most important part of Bliss, and what makes it not just any other indie platformer (at which point it'd still be a good game, but not what I'd call noteworthy). This is probably what's going to make or break the game for a given player, and I bet is the lion's share of what a lot of the reviews that say the gameplay is super frustrating are talking about (and believe me, I felt it too on quite a few occasions!).
[i][The following paragraph contains minor spoilers, strictly about the nature of gameplay mechanics.][/i]
The thing is, later in the game Bliss introduces a gameplay mechanic [spoiler]where you use the mouse to target things on the screen, independently of your avatar's platforming movement[/spoiler]. In fact, eventually you'll have to navigate situations [spoiler]where you'll be controlling your avatar's platforming with your keyboard hand, while simultaneously performing targeting actions with your mouse hand; it's like patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time[/spoiler].
Because of the above, I have to say I agree with the author; the game requires a mouse and keyboard to play, not based on whether the engine supports it or not but because of the gameplay itself. That's also one reason why I wonder if the floatiness of the platforming is actually advantageous; it gives your brain more time to process the additional stuff you have to deal with.
If you really want to play with a controller (pro tip: don't) then you'll need something with dual analog sticks (or a Steam Controller) and a program like AntiMicro to handle the mappings. That's what I did the first time I played, and the game itself worked just fine with it...but eventually the controller became Not The Right Tool For The Job(tm). Unfortunately, I think I had a really bad time from then on, because I hadn't been building muscle memory for the "real" controls and thus I had a huge difficulty spike on top of the existing difficulty increase of the game itself in the later levels where this really became an issue.
[b]And it's also a puzzle platformer[/b]
While the vast majority of the levels/bosses in the game require moderate to high precision platforming (with a few moments requiring extreme precision), it's not just about the action; the gameplay is broken up into "scenes" (most of which are a single screen, but not always) which usually require some amount of puzzle-solving. For the most part, the puzzle level is pretty low, but there were a few scenes that left me scratching my head for a bit. All in all, though, Bliss stands a lot stronger on its action than its puzzles.
[b]A side note about reported play time[/b]
On a side note, you may see that Steam shows 8.8 hours played at the time of this review, while my metadata at the bottom says I've only played 6 hours. This is because I played a while a long time ago and got a bit frustrated and left it. In the interim, my hard drive crashed and I lost my save game; I played through the whole game from the beginning today and that's where the 6 hour figure comes from; it actually took 5.3 hours (I can tell because that's my "last two weeks" play time), and then I rounded up to 6 to account for the time I didn't spend figuring out puzzles this time because I remembered the solutions from my previous (partial) play-through.
[h1]If you like this game, check out...[/h1]
[list]
[*] [url=http://store.steampowered.com/tag/en/Puzzle-Platformer]Tag: Puzzle Platformer[/url]
[/list]
[h1]Review metadata[/h1]
[table]
[tr]
[th]Date of update[/th]
[th]Time played[/th]
[th]How far in base game (estimate)?[/th]
[th]Cost[/th]
[th]Cost per hour[/th]
[th]Notes[/th]
[/tr][tr]
[td]2016-06-19 21:54[/td]
[td]6 hours[/td]
[td]Campaign 100% complete, no "challenge boss fights"[/td]
[td]$4.99 USD[/td]
[td]$0.83 USD[/td]
[td]Initial review[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]
