1,835.6 hours played
Written 3 years ago
Amazing game! Totally unique and innovative core gameplay mechanics, a huge accomplishment for a modern platformer. It fundamentally changes the nature of platforming.
I did in fact purchase the game with my own money, and It was money well spent. However, for the sake of honesty, I must note that I consulted for the developer, and I know the developer closely. At the same time, I have never been paid by the developer nor offered any form of compensation, so I'm no shill.
I'm a huge fan of this game, and I'd still be a huge fan even if I had no relation to this game. It is an absolutely incredible game, particular for fans of high skill platforming games (one of my favorite genres). Everything in this review represents my genuine beliefs.
That being said, here are some of my thoughts on the game...
The game essentially has you platforming not just with the player, but also the ball, trying to keep the ball in the air and get it to the goal. It's a great game mechanic that opens up many possibilities for gameplay.
The controls are rock solid, tight, and buttery smooth. They are comparable to Nintendo's best controlling games, and that's saying something, since I'm a huge Mario fan. The controls are so good, that when you lose in this game, it doesn't feel cheap... you always think, "I could have made it, if I just played a little better".
The game has a lot of replayability, largely because there are so many ways of "kicking" through each level. It also has built in timers, so...
Hack Or Die is *amazing* for speedrunning. For highly skilled players, there is a ton of depth in the controls and it's possible to absolutely fly through the levels if you are talented enough. The skill level required for high level speedrunning is insanely high. There is just so much depth to the controls. Also there's very little RNG, so the runs aren't luck based at all.
I've played this game with many other people, and they are always very impressed. At the begining, the actual gameplay and controls definitely take a few minutes to get comfortable with. For new players, the first few seconds are always slightly baffling. The game mechanics are just so unique that new players aren't used to it. Then, the player's skills tend to progress very rapidly. Within about 15 minutes, people become fairly decent at hacking the ball around, while at the same time jumping the player around the obstacles.
About the music... If you like chip tunes or old-school video game music, you'll probably really enjoy this game's music. Response to it has been really great, and every reviewer so far has actually pointed out how much they liked the music.
Finally, new buyers should know that there are more challanging bonus levels to unlock after finishing the main game. You just have to unlock them by getting all the "spirals" (optional collectables) and possibly a few other achievements/goals. I don't remember precisely.
