Sure there’s spots of jumping - all the while avoiding distant projectile fire from enemies - as there are abilities to discover that as a result open up new areas to traverse. Is this a fully-fledged Metroidvania where exploration is rewarded and return visits to previously-inaccessible “worlds” are not only warranted but satisfying to get past? Or is it a platformer that’s attempting to evoke the brightest of moments circa-late 90s/early 2000s when the introduction of three dimensions proved it could actually benefit the genre? The answer appears to be this awkward amalgamation where neither strength is utilized particularly well. And what we wind up with, sadly, is another case of a game not only shallow in its offering, but at its worst, completely frustrating to even warrant a full journey.īut the disappointing frustration of Recompile is two-fold: the first manifests through its unclear direction on what kind of game it wants to be. It’s more a case that Recompile feels like yet another example of the vision coming before the execution. It’s less a case that developer Phigames’ intentions are lost - obstructed by the plentiful darkness that is its internalized representation of digital space. Alongside those brief of spots where said route isn’t as clear as it once was - requiring good old-fashioned reorienting and deduction on what form of traversal will work and what won’t. Clear routes forward requiring more precise and considered sequences of moves to navigate its restricted plots of floating ground above a seeming deathly void. Sure these two inspirations may not be the most inventive of prospects, but whether it was its stark contrast of lighting or even the brow-raising mix of platforming, puzzle-solving atop occasional third-person shooting, you can’t knock Recompile for its hearkening to 3D platforming of yonder age. Secondly, the premise of visualizing the inside of an advanced, albeit broken, computer network where an initially-vague reason as to its malfunctioned state, is sought after. Firstly, its pitch on being a 3D Metroidvania is an easy attraction at a time when most releases are predominantly 2D (or 2.5D if you want to be a touch more charitable). What good is an eye-catching aesthetic if the surroundings aren’t even that enjoyable to traverse? Though it may not have surfaced much in written form over the past couple of years, I’ve had my eye on Recompile for a multitude of reasons. Sure it can bolster the appeal of a game and maybe even turn it into a genuinely unique experience - at least on the visual side of things - but not if that comes at the cost of disregarding how a game plays. Playing the game is a novel way to consider these choices, and elevates the conversation towards other dichotomies: life and death, chaos and determinism, sentience and sapience.Focusing strongly on a desired visual aesthetic can be a double-edged sword. "Recompile is a game about choices and consequences," says the developer. Even the inhabitants themselves can be tampered with, their programming changed to follow the player's commands. Logic gates can be freely inverted, overridden or disabled entirely, allowing puzzles or other threatening obstacles to be peacefully and safely bypassed. Nothing is hardcoded, everything is systemic, and everything fully exploitable. ![]() You must decide whether to help or hinder the Mainframe computer and its inhabitants. It's running and jumping, but along the way the choices you make affect how the game develops and whether you uncover the true nature of the mysterious virtual world. The whole game takes place in a single second of real time.Īs you explore the world you can discover the sprawling ruins of an old computer the the new movement abilities it offers to help you on your journey. Drawing inspiration from the Tron film, It's a combination of a classic platform game where you progress by gaining more powers, and a narrative game with branching paths. ![]() ![]() Recompile is a platform game about hacking and exploring an expansive virtual world.
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