Decent game with flaws (potential game-breaking issues)
As the trailer looked promising, the dog character is cute, and the game was on 92% off sale, I decided to give it a try.
The gameplay is actually quite fun - a platformer with item collecting. While not particularly complex, the developers did a good job of keeping the content engaging without becoming too repetitive. The story revolves around exploring a deserted illegal science lab, but you’re not alone- there are various NPC scientists and creatures. This game offers rich content but I skipped most text, focusing on the action part. At the end can choose to spare or kill, join or leave for different endings. The map isn't particularly big but has secret paths and treasure rooms, some of which contain interesting weapons. Despite its low price, this game doesn’t feel cheap.
However, to fully enjoy the game, you’ll need to overlook some flaws. Below, I’ll list some of the issues I encountered, but keep in mind despite these, I still think the game is worth playing.
Key Mapping
My first impression wasn’t great, mainly due to the uncomfortable keyboard mapping. The default settings are: Right-click to jump (push) and Left-click to shoot. My index finger nearly cramped after swinging the baseball bat to deal with a few early evil spiders, and the jump button felt awkward. I remapped the controls to Num 1, Num 3, and Space, making the game much more playable.
Weapons
The game doesn’t overwhelm you with enemies, but later you’ll definitely need better weapons. The default melee baseball bat can be painful, but once you find a firearm in one of the blue toolboxes, the game becomes enjoyable. There are quite a few unique weapons to discover, since there’s no buying/selling system, weapons can be missed, encouraging players to explore beyond the main mission path. Most weapons have unlimited ammo, enemies often drop limited, powerful ammo, so whether you choose to avoid or eliminate enemies, both strategies feel rewarding.
Bosses
Most bosses lack complexity. They typically have 1-2 attack patterns, despite their long health bars, they’re easier to deal with than groups of regular enemies.
Inventory Mechanics
Health and save vendors are easy to find, but the save vendor can only be activated once - when you pass it automatically. If you die, your inventory is lost, including any weapons you picked up before saving. You don’t get to see your inventory, and you can’t interact with it - your items appear when needed. This became an issue for me. At first I didn’t notice, but later, after picking up a rocket gun and die (the game isn’t easy, toxic water and lasers are instant death), I lost the rocket gun and didn’t realize it until the next map. As a result, the rocket gun was locked forever, and I couldn’t pick up its upgrades. The game didn’t detect my inventory to switch it to another upgrade.
Game-Breaking Bug
After reading posts in the community, I realized I wasn’t the only one with this issue. Later in the game, you’re required to collect 4 crystals, each found in a toolbox in different rooms, to open a portal. Finding the crystals isn’t hard, but collecting all 4 without dying is challenging. The problem is that if you die, you lose the crystals, and they’re nowhere to be found (not in the toolbox anymore). I had to restart the entire level and avoid death to complete the mission. That’s when I faced the real challenge: a room with 3 moving laser bars.
I got stuck in the laser room for a while and eventually looked up walkthroughs on YouTube. A 2019 video showed that the lasers should disappear for a second every few seconds, but in my gameplay they didn’t. After restarting the level twice without a fix, I decided to test my skills and force my way through the area. Above the laser there’s a small, safe space, and by double jumping precisely into it three times, I managed to pass the room. Thankfully, the door at the end of the corridor wasn’t locked. I had to repeat the precise jumps when I returned. Additionally, I fell out of the map multiple times during my playthrough.
Overall
This is an 8-year-old game, still playable. I didn’t expect to spend almost 4 hours on it but I did, which speaks to its value. While I can’t recommend it due to the potential game breaking glitches, it’s still worth 1-2 hours of time.
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