Full Review can be found here: https://betatestedgamereviewed.com/game-reviews/post/1264119/gravity-runner-review
Steam Curator Link: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/40569399-Beta-Tested-Game-Reviewed/
I really enjoy this game for so many reasons it's crazy but at the top of the list is the art paired with the music, it makes this game so addictive and will have you coming back time and again.
Level Design
In Gravity Runner, everything is physics based, aside from a few platforms that are "checkpoints" and remain static. This makes for super interesting gameplay and that is all thanks to the thought that the developers have invested into their level design. Every one of the 14 levels have been carefully curated and crafted creating their own challenges and difficulties to get by. Some of the levels offer different choices for you to make on what path to take with an interesting feature to be able to flip vertically or horizontally to other platforms and paths. While progressing through the levels there are many obstacles to take into account such as flying projectiles meant to disrupt the placement of your jumps, as well as moving platforms that you will need to adjust for. If you aren't quick enough then the black hole catches up to you and destroys the world around you as well as halting the exhilarating music that should be playing.
Soundtrack and Art
Gravity Runner thrives on not just the fast action but the entire environment and sounds are perfection. If you choose to jump through this crazy world, blast the soundtrack at full volume and enjoy this experience. Enjoy the brightly colored retro-synthwave environment and truly immerse yourself. The experience that you receive for the price that you will pay is well worth it just for the soundtrack alone, but add in the gameplay and art on top of it and it is a true deal that you've gotten yourself.
Difficulty/Platforming
While this isn't necessarily a precision platformer as we see with games like Super Meat Boy, Kick Bot, or EALU, Gravity Runner does call for a higher level of precision. The precision required changes depending on how many attempts you have taken or how the moving obstacles have been collided with. You could have an easy path ahead of you that just requires very slight thought, or you could need to map out every step that you take as the path in front of you rotates and spins vertically waiting for the perfect moment for you to jump. When you fall into the void, you are reset to your last checkpoint which is fantastic, only the tiles that you have stepped on don't reset. This leaves you sometimes with no path forward just waiting for death from the black hole for you to reset.
Score and Collectibles
Believe it or not, Gravity Runner is a score based game. All of the platforming that you do and distance that you make it gains you points on your score. Hitting obstacles, falling into the void, or using the double jump to save yourself takes away points. Speaking of the double jump, there are cassette tapes scattered around the levels that you will want to collect for two reasons. The first reason is to be able to use the double jump ability for a limited time as you can see by the particles surrounding you, the other reason is to unlock new levels that have a cassette requirement that can be seen on the level selection screen of the game. Collecting the tapes aren't normally out of the way so you shouldn't have much difficulty collecting these, which is great news as sometimes grinding to unlock levels you've paid for isn't a very fun time. Anyways, shoot for the high score and check where you stack up on the home screen in the scores section. See how high you can go!
