Polar Flux

Polar Flux is another attempt to make a platformer with an original concept.  While I'm not a huge fan of this idea in general, I must concede that the idea of allowing you to magnetize your character on command in order to move blocks and traverse the levels is, while not incredibly original, at least a competently thought-out starting point.

Of course, the real sticking point for a game like that is the execution, and I'm sorry to say that Polar Flux was one of the few games I've played that has ever frustrated me to the point of eliciting a vocalization like "are you kidding me?"  The main problem is that even tapping an arrow key for a fraction of a second will cause your character to go flying across the screen.  This may be my fault for playing on a keyboard instead of an xbox controller, but come on, guys, this isn't the XBLA, this is the DigiPen Game Gallery, a website that people access using computers.  Computers have keyboards.  Know your audience!

Anyway, the aforementioned problem might not me too horrible if the levels weren't designed for very precise platforming, but between the jumping physics and the lack of friction on the already too-small surfaces, there are maybe 2 or 3 magical pixels that you can land on for any given platform that won't result in your demise.

This game does have its perks, of course.  The animation is framerate-tastic, the sound effects are satisfying, and the particles you emit while magnetizing yourself are joys to behold.  Some elements of the visual design were sloppy, like the fact that the spiked walls are just rectangles with a filled in black squiggly pattern, which becomes really apparent when they slap them in front of red backgrounds.

All-in-all, this game is a good start, but it's too frustrating for me to recommend.  That's all I got for now.  Until next time, stay slippery.

Links

Actually Correct Usage of the Word "Flux:" https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=25892