Project Dejavu

There’s no need to spend too many words describing this, because it’s clear from a single screen. Basically, it’s an obstacle-course game where your character is a tank. The controls work accordingly: pushing left or right rotates the tank on the spot, while pressing up or down moves it forward or backward. The only extra ability is shooting, which you can button-mash for rapid fire because there’s no reloading or cooldown. Your gun also comes with a scope, but it’s pretty useless. Each stage is a course surrounded by water. Falling in removes one of your lives, and once you’re out of all three, the stage has to be restarted. A stage is made up of narrow stones and paths, and you need to navigate them to reach the finish line. There’s no jumping, but there are platforms that rotate or move around, which you use to reach other parts of a stage. You don’t have to beat a stage within a time limit, although there is a timer. If you’re into speedrunning, it’s possible to skip some sections by driving off the edge from above and landing on a safe spot below. There’s no air control, which means you need the right speed and direction when falling, but you have great traction that lets you brake the moment you touch solid ground. Aside from the water below, the main danger comes from enemy tanks that spawn once you pass through a checkpoint. They won’t destroy you instantly with a single hit, and they’re not very smart because they sometimes rush at you and end up in the water. They can also take out nearby tanks when they explode and leave behind some health. You also regain full health at checkpoints, where you respawn if you fall into the water. The downside is that the content lives up to the game’s name. Each of the 50 stages is very similar, with variations coming from the same templates arranged in different orders. These templates act like building blocks, and each new stage increases the number you have to go through to reach the exit. Depending on the layout, you can skip quite a lot by driving off the edge. It doesn’t take long to beat the game, and there are no rewards aside from various customization options for your tank. There are supposed to be achievements, but none of them work. Because of this, along with the repetitive gameplay, the high cost doesn’t match the value.

Fun little game, some levels can be cheesed.

I never thought I would play as an agile tank. Yet, the levels do get quite repetitive. 7.5/10

This game beautifully captures the retro arcade feel. Tank controls and gameplay are quite fluid, especially the labyrinthine level designs, which require extra caution in each level. Despite this, the game doesn't create unnecessary stress; on the contrary, it has a very chill atmosphere. The optimization is also truly successful; it runs smoothly even on low-end systems. The visual style is simple but colorful and easy to understand, allowing you to quickly spot dangers while playing. The variety of levels and increasing difficulty also prevent the game from becoming boring. In short, it's an easy-to-learn, enjoyable, and relaxing gaming experience. If you like this type of game, I definitely recommend trying it 👍