Exp10sion

[b]5/10[/b] Use your previous life ghost to help you reach the exit in under 10 seconds. [b]What is it:[/b] A fast-paced puzzle-platformer where your actions in the previous try still affect the current try. You have 10 seconds to reach the exit door, but you probably cannot do that since there's at least a door in your way, which requires someone to push a button to keep it open. On the first try, just go and keep the button pushed. On the second try, the ghost of the previous try will keep the button pushed, so the door is now open and you can exit. Only the previous try stays active, not all the ones before it, but the first try can help the second, and the second can help the third. Most levels can be done in just 2 tries though. Many more mechanics are added: boxes (and their ghosts) that can be pushed around, movable platforms, melting platforms that only last for a couple seconds after you step on them, "proton pack" lasers that kill ghosts, spikes that kill you when you touch them, winds that push you one way (including up), water that puts out the bomb and stops the time (you need to be on fire to finish the level)... Overall the levels are decent enough, but I for one don't like the timer aspect. In just ten seconds you gave to keep moving around from button to button, while leaving enough time for your future self to keep up and do what needs to be done while the current button is pressed, and instead of thinky puzzles that I can enjoy, it becomes a precision race that requires way too many tries to finish a simple puzzle that took me 10 seconds to solve. And some levels really require a lot of [b]precision[/b], like when you have to nudge a box [b]just right[/b] so it lands on a little spot, and when you have a few of these fine moves to do in a level, the number of tries needed to finish a level grows by a lot. If you're a fan of fast paced precision platforming with only a bit of thinking required, maybe this is for you. Other than the timer issue, my main problem is with the implementation. The game has a distorted, interlaced, blurred CRT look that's very hard to look at. Maybe it adds a "distinctive" look, but that's too distracting. Text is too hard to read! A few other games that do have the CRT look have a setting to disable it, but not this one. There are almost no settings, just a sound slider and a resolution chooser, which are actually not in a Settings menu, but hidden in the Pause menu in a level and I just discovered accidentally after I already finished the game. [b]How hard is it:[/b] Easy to moderate. [b]How long is it:[/b] 71 levels in 5 main chapters, each with 3 extra challenge levels, and a bonus harder chapter, for about 2-4 hours of gameplay. Levels in a chapter must be done in order, but unlocking the next chapter requires finishing only about half of them. [b]Level design:[/b] Moderate. Varied levels, some with trivial solutions, some harder, but they're quite distinct. [b]Quality:[/b] Bad. Other than a few thinky levels and interesting mechanics, the game is not for puzzle lovers. Distracting look, too much precision platforming, almost no settings, some basic achievements that unlock when a chapter is unlocked, not when you're done with it, non-rebindable controls, no cloud saving. Has a weird "next level" screen that was very confusing. [b]Edit:[/b] In a recent update the devs acted on user feedback and toned down the "encrapmentness" of the screen, making things less blurry. [b]Worth the price:[/b] Maybe, if you like precision platformers and don't mind the distorted look. [b]Most positive aspect for me:[/b] Good mechanics. [b]Most negative aspect for me:[/b] Too much precision in the harder levels. [b]What would make it better:[/b] Settings to disable the CRT look and screen shake. Rebindable controls. An option to slow down the timer or play with a longer timer for those that don't enjoy the rush. Cloud saves and better achievements. [b]Also consider:[/b] [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/381890/Induction/?curator_clanid=25928931]Induction[/url], hard puzzle game where you need to use your ghost, but without a timer. [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1340310/Nine_Lives//?curator_clanid=25928931]Nine Lives[/url], untimed puzzle game with more than one past ghost to help you. [quote]For more puzzle game reviews, news and everything puzzle-related, follow [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/25928931-Puzzle-Lovers/]Puzzle Lovers[/url] and check out our [url=http://steamcommunity.com/groups/puzzlelovers]Steam group[/url].[/quote]