Games are often designed with the idea of them being fun, exhilarating and involving. What if one of these feelings is replaced by the sheer anger and passion which is provoked by a player unwilling to admit defeat? A game proving to be so difficult at times yet you are unable to lay the controller down, almost as if you are refusing to surrender your sword. The ‘never give in’ attitude of so many gamers is set to be put to the test with the release of Mechanic Escape.
Mechanic Escape is the latest release from Developers Slak Games and is published by Tekneo Games. This release comes after a similar release from Slak Games, entitled Mechanic Infantry, which was released in 2011 on Windows. Other projects the Developers have to their name includes the soon-to-play Facebook title Freaky Monster Show and the companion app for Rage of Bahamut. The way in which Mechanic Escape has been marketed makes it seem as though it’s posing a challenge to the gaming community. In the opening line of the Steam page the description says:
“Mechanic Escape is a die and retry game for hardcore gamers that want to challenge their skills.In order to achieve certain levels, you may have to go beyond the “rage quit”.”
In a universe which is ruled by ruthless machines, a large number of television sets have resisted the invasion of these machines and managed to stave off the potential extinction. Scattered throughout these mundane worlds, the hero of the story has to step up and save his friends from being a part of history. In this 2D platformer you play as Mech, a large blue television, and your objective is to try and escape the clutches of evil which is never too far behind.
The main aspect of any platform game is how reliable the controls are. In Mechanic Escape, the platform controls are as perfect as you could imagine. The abilities which Mech can use are what you would normally expect any modern-day platform title. The gameplay for Mechanic Escape is really easy. The only two buttons you need to use are the directional stick and “A” button (if you’re playing with an Xbox 360 controller). With the controls relatively simple, what makes the game so difficult?
The world is a constant pitfall of unforeseen obstacles where timing is everything and the slightest mistimed jump can have you starting from the beginning. Each level features 5 main TVs which are sometimes placed in hard-to-reach areas and because you are going through each level so fast, you sometimes miss a hidden passage or tunnel meaning that you’ll have to repeat some levels to gain every television set (if you are a completionist’s that is). That is one of the most addictive parts of Mechanic Escape and is why you’ll be playing the game for a substantial amount of time.
The obsession of retrieving every television set is one of the most frustrating yet rewarding parts of the game. Only being a few TV sets away from the perfect level takes over from merely getting through the game, as the feeling when you 100% a level with a record time feels like you’ve achieved something special, especially as you move onto the second world. As you progress further into the game, you’ll be elated to have made it to the end of a level, never mind completing it 100%.
Some of the unique objects which you interact with in these worlds include gusts of wind which makes you jump even higher, laser transport which catapults you into a completely different area, poles which you can slide down and cannons which blasts you into another cannon or platform. Some of the more experienced platform fans will compare these gameplay features to games such as Donkey Kong with the cannons (barrels in DK) or gusts of wind in Rayman.
With a total of four worlds to explore, the first world acts like an introduction into what will be expected of you later in the game. Many of the game’s mechanics are explained in the opening world and the first levels allow you to develop your skills so that you can run through levels perfectly in no time. As soon as you move onto the second world however, the game becomes a fierce creature that was luring you into a false sense of security as it soon becomes a never ending battle against the odds.
The latter three worlds contain so many interesting and unique objects which push your quick-time reactions to the limit. During each world, you hear the music changing and a huge yellow exclamation mark appears on the screen as you are pursued by a large monster. These monsters chase you until you reach a safe zone which they cannot get past, but their ammunition can. The panic which ensues after these monsters appear is incredible and just means that you have to be even more accurate in collecting the TV sets.
Sometimes the pressure will get to you and the odd slip-up will happen meaning that you have to start the level once again and face the monster once more. Aside from the monster chasing after you, there are numerous objects which kill you if you come in contact with them including rotating blades, electric smiley faces, laser beams and when these are compiled together the levels look wonderful.
Although each level normally lasts less than a minute, the art design in each stage is pleasing on the eye and it never feels as though there are too many things happening at once. Often with difficult platformers there is so much going on to try and distract you from reaching your goal that it feels cheap at times. With Mechanic Escape the layout and design of each level has been wonderfully crafted and makes having to replay certain levels enjoyable… until you play it over 20 times of course. The accompanying soundtrack is pleasing enough, although the change in tone when the monsters appear is one of the finer aspects of the sound design as it adds to that sense of desperation which arises during these moments of panic.
With games such as Super Meat Boy rising to fame due to brilliant platforming controls and wonderfully crafted worlds, Mechanic Escape is almost as good as the cult 2D platformer. With so much replay value with extremely challenging levels, the game will keep you engrossed until your thumbstick is nothing more than a pile of dust from all the manic yet rewarding gameplay. At times you may wonder why you didn’t surrender your sword and give up, but then you’ll remember just how rewarding this game can be.
Mechanic Escape is released on Steam on the 15th of April.