I originally played Defunct back in 2018, being one of the few non-Nintendo games I had on my Switch at the time. I played for about half an hour but couldn't stand how glitchy it felt. I remember running into a wall and being flung off the map numerous times. I gave up on that and it sat in my Switch collecting digital dust for years. As I was looking to check off some of my backlog and finally touch some games that have never once been opened I came across Defunct once again. I loosely remembered the gameplay and thought it sounded like a fun time. And who knows maybe there was a patch in the past 6 years since I've last played that fixed some of the collision glitches.

I redownloaded, booted it up, and immediately I hit a wall and got flung high in the air and off the map. Though, I will say, that was the only significant glitch I encountered. Maybe there was in fact a patch or maybe I just hit less walls. As I was replaying it I see what originally drew me to this game. The feeling of momentum as you build speed down slopes is incredibly satisfying. There's very fun long stretches for you to build speed and fly down the path. Unfortunately that's all this game has going for it. You will be stopped occasionally to go down a slower path which is fine if there was anything worth seeing. The environments rarely change or have any focal points that show anything besides recycled post-apocalyptic rubbish.

And then you come across these sections that seem to be puzzles but are more just a series of activation points you have to touch to continue. Some are fun as you can find an optimal set up to touch all of them in one sweep in a very quick succession. Others are more spread out and have very little thought behind them than just touch the red light and make it not red. Just stopping any chance for momentum as you follow a cable to get near the thing™ to make the tower glow.

And just as I was thinking the game had a good balance of long stretches of speed and the lighting sections I enjoyed weaved together the game ends very abruptly. I genuinely thought it was a fake out until the credits refused to stop rolling. I was really shocked at how short it was. Even with my first playthrough many years ago and starting over now my Switch doesn't even show two hours of playtime. I normally don't look down on games for their length as long as I enjoyed the time I spent in it but I really did feel like I was just getting started.

This experience feels like a game I would have played on PS2 as a kid repeatedly and as I grew I would sing its praises as everyone else either never heard of it or called it mid. But seeing as I played this game 2 separate times in my twenties I am unable to not see its flaws. But I also see what it did well and I can see myself coming back to shut off my brain and experience that momentum based gameplay again.

A neat little cross between a platformer and a racing game. Absolutely wouldn't recommend at its normal price, but if you can find it on sale for $1-$2, it's a good deal.

Gameplay:
Defunct sees you playing as a robot with a big wheel as its only form of locomotion. You're on a race to catch up with a ship that's left you behind. Your engine is broken so you'll be using momentum to traverse the landscapes you come across. There's a bit of a learning curve to the controls. You hold down a button while going down slopes to activate a downward gravitational force and build speed, and release the button when going uphill or else drastically slow down. It's pretty tricky to start getting it right, but a lot of things can be done with this mechanic and it's satisfying to get good at.

Levels consist of wide open yet semi-linear paths through scenic locations. Some focus solely on speeding through the environment while others have you stop for a moment and activate some things in an area before moving forward. Every level is a decent length and there's a good amount of variety between them. Replayability is encouraged through multiple paths, hidden collectibles, and time trials. There's also a few side levels that'll really test your skills.

Visuals:
The graphics are kind of mixed bag. Overall, they're not super detailed and kind of look like they came straight from a PS2 game. It's a well stylized look though and is far from ugly. The environments are especially lovely and have a nice sense of atmosphere. The animation in the cutscenes was definitely not polished though, as things noticeably clipped into each other. This especially gave me a terrible first impression of the game.

Conclusion:
As said before, it's a good game to get for cheap. It'll take you about an hour to complete the main story, and there's a healthy amount of optional content to be explored. I'd recommend this game if you enjoy fast-paced stuff with high skill ceilings, like Sonic games.

Defunct is a funny game because I can't realistically give it more than 3 stars but I also cannot deny that this offers some of the most raw fun I've had while playing a game.

The simple act of using slopes to building momentum through these linear levels paired with bounce pads, speed bursts, and excellent level theming makes this short and sweet rush that makes Sonic look pedestrian.

However, it's barely feels like a finished product, more like the presursor to a game fit for release. I personally have been lucky when it comes to performance but others have not been and you should heed their warnings. This game was made by a very small team for a tiny budget and is only an measly hour long.

This is an unpolished gem of a gameplay loop that has only just begun to form, a masterpiece in its primordial form. It lacks the polish and scale to unlock its true potential but what's here plainly shows great promise.

If you're open to a less refined experience in favour of tasting this promise then go ahead, but make sure you get it for cheap.

Wild how this bedroom indie title about a robot with a busted up wheel has better momentum-based gameplay than the massive, AAA Sonic Frontiers.

The 1 1/2 hour runtime of Defunct absolutely flew by, and I came out pretty satisfied at the end of the day. Not sure if I'd say the game felt a bit too short, since it's designed with a similar principle as the Sonic series, with its momentum based gameplay through a semi-open world serving as both incentive for speedrunning and exploration, and the game has various collectibles and time trials for the repeat player to do, which is always a nice bonus. More importantly, the core gameplay is generally pretty fun, with a small learning curve to get accustomed to. Definitely gonna be returning for a few extra runs in due time.