I picked up this game since I was without my gaming computer and needed something small I could run on my 2014 Macbook Air, and VVVVVV delivered. It's a short and sweet platforming romp that's apparently a classic in the indie platforming genre, and I can see why. Music is surprisingly good with crunchy and bumpin' chiptune beats, and is something I could see myself listing to from time to time. This game doesn't tout itself as a graphical powerhouse, it goes for a really retro style comprised almost exclusively with bright neon colors, though I never found it to be overwhelming. It's the type of retro platformer that has unique names for every screen that isn't the overworld if you're familiar with the type.
Gameplay feels good with the main gimmick, being your gravity flip, and I never missed having a jump button. Navigation is built around your ability so its never challenging to get around, and the game does some really cool things with your ability such as infinitely looping rooms, "gravitron lines", and more. It gave me plenty of those satisfying highs you get when you pull off crazy platforming tricks, my favorites being the scrolling levels where you had to think quickly off the seat of your pants or risk getting spiked. When it comes to negatives, my only complaint is that I sometimes got annoyed by how conservative the deceleration was when you released your input. It led to me sliding off the edge plenty of times, but other than that there's not much to complain about. There aren't too many platforming gimmicks compared to most other games of the genre, but it fits well with the game's length as you can beat this game in about 2 hours if you're experienced with the genre. However if the game really clicks with you, it's got plenty of optional side content such as collectibles, time trials, and custom levels, not to mention a bevy of speedrunning options for the iron willed (there's an option to reintroduce ALL the glitches from the original release for speedrunners in the modern version, how crazy is that?).
Overall, if you're looking for a small, espresso shot's worth of platforming goodness, pick this up and give it a go.
Gameplay feels good with the main gimmick, being your gravity flip, and I never missed having a jump button. Navigation is built around your ability so its never challenging to get around, and the game does some really cool things with your ability such as infinitely looping rooms, "gravitron lines", and more. It gave me plenty of those satisfying highs you get when you pull off crazy platforming tricks, my favorites being the scrolling levels where you had to think quickly off the seat of your pants or risk getting spiked. When it comes to negatives, my only complaint is that I sometimes got annoyed by how conservative the deceleration was when you released your input. It led to me sliding off the edge plenty of times, but other than that there's not much to complain about. There aren't too many platforming gimmicks compared to most other games of the genre, but it fits well with the game's length as you can beat this game in about 2 hours if you're experienced with the genre. However if the game really clicks with you, it's got plenty of optional side content such as collectibles, time trials, and custom levels, not to mention a bevy of speedrunning options for the iron willed (there's an option to reintroduce ALL the glitches from the original release for speedrunners in the modern version, how crazy is that?).
Overall, if you're looking for a small, espresso shot's worth of platforming goodness, pick this up and give it a go.