Vera Swings

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[h1] [i]Vera Swings[/i] is an extremely challenging, family-friendly platformer that tasks gamers to shoot for the stars. [/h1] I sat down to this game for the first time with an aspiration--maybe today, I could redeem my younger self (that filthy casual), who shyed away from most platformer games for lack of skill. At the end of sitting down with [i]Vera Swings[/i], I don't feel that I've gotten any closer to platformer godhood. Still, I walk away from it with a smile, and not as much rage as I initially expected when I saw what the mechanics were like. I can see the platformer speedrunners having a field day with this on Twitch, as the one Steam Achievement for the game is essentially a perfect playthrough in under 15 minutes. It's either a love-letter or a dare to the platformer speedrunners who snort the dopamine of victory. But for those of you like me who know that you are not this kind of person categorically in [i]any[/i] way, [i]Vera Swings[/i] offers a goal that is challenging with a charmingly uncomplicated and clear goal: help little Vera swing her way through the stars, from terra firma to the moon. It is an any age-friendly story concept for any gamer. As you swing through the stars, the game features a fogiving checkpoint or level system. Playing through it, you will never know how many levels you've beaten unless you keep track yourself. Instead, the developer gives you the option of looking down with the d-pad to see how far you've climbed from Earth. When asked for comment, the developer says it's "around 80." I think at my current pace, this will put my completion time at maybe around 8 hours. I've pretty much accepted no level of Get Good will help me, so I'll leave the speedruns to you pros out there. It's [i]super important[/i] to know this game requires a PC-paired controller to work. I used my preferred XBOX360 wireless controller. The only thing about the mouse and keyboard that will work in this game is [ESC], which will take you in and out of the menu, from which you must use the controller to make selections. My one gripe with the game that has nothing to do with my Certificate of Excellence in Sucking at Platformers is an inability to remap my controller. Why is that important? The centripital force physics of [i]Vera Swings[/i] is controlled by the right trigger (RT). My other finger rests on the Left Trigger (LT), which is a level reset button. With the sensitivity of my controller, I would accidentally and repeatedly hit reset. I tried forcing myself to play without my finger on LT, but I always subconsciously went back to my default positioning because it was more comfortable. I tested to see which controller buttons had no function in the game, like the Back button. I wanted to remap the reset function so it could be out of the way, but was disappointed to see it nowhere in settings or menu. This is a tick off for me, because I believe firmly in accessibility--a game should provide tools for the gamer to become comfortable enough to rise to the challenge. This is particularly important to gamers with disabilities, which many abled-people don't naturally think about, so I felt it important to address. In the "what I wish was included" category, which boasts no pros or cons but only serves as suggestion, is more achievements. Even as simple as number of levels progressed through would address my burning question of "How many of these have I done?" This might cater to the part of the gaming community that is simply happy to cross the finish line no matter how long it takes. I do recommend this title. At $14.99 on Steam, it's a title that demands focus and some measure of dedication, while making you feel good for helping little Vera achieve her dream. It's the next big challenge in the genre. Make sure to post your fastest times! (I'm nosy and require the vicarious delight)