Developed by Norwegian studio Rain Games, Teslagrad follows the beloved Metroid–Vania-style gameplay that independent developers have come to use for so long now. However, Rain Games have created a title that doesn’t feel similar to anything that I’ve played before. Teslagrad sees you play as the last Teslamancer in the world, thrown out into the wild to fend for yourself, much like the game itself.
No commands or dialogue to follow, just your instincts. You’ll soon be introduced to the game’s puzzles. Scattered across the Tesla Tower you find yourself hiding in aid to escape the guards chasing you, and to help you are red and blue magnets. Using your gloves, you have the ability to move magnets’ using the opposite colour, so blue attracts blue, but red doesn’t attract blue etc. Puzzles are more often than not solved using these gloves, some of which may require a few minutes of trial and error, but the game never presents a harder challenge for the sake of challenge, think and give it time, and you’ll start to progress.
To start with, you’ll only need to reverse polarities to get around, but as the game progresses, and more upgrades are at your fingertips, the game unravels to be so much more than just your average platform-puzzler. Floating pieces of metal around rooms, or even yourself, becomes an option later in the game. The game doesn’t overload you with options at the beginning, but instead allows you to experiment with what you already have.
Like most games, Teslagrad becomes harder and harder as the player progresses, but luckily you’re equipped with an infinite amount of lives, one hit and you’re gone. However, the game always respawns you at the entrance of the room that you died in, so there’s no hours spent finding out where you were before. The later game requires some very precise movements, but the controls and upgrades you have at your disposal are easy to control and use, so you shouldn’t encounter any problems. Boss battles will become tiresome if you’re not particularly great at platformers, but trial and error will see their defeat.
The Wii U GamePad displays a map and your hidden items, and can also be used for Off-TV play at the hit of a button. I would normally find this pretty boring, but the simplicity of its use fits with the game very well, there’s really nothing else you need that could be improved by using this method, unless the GamePad is your preference.
Teslagrad did aggravate me in parts, but after some consideration and planning of my strategy, especially in regards to boss fights, I overcame the obstacles and uncovered Teslagrad to be a beautifully made game. With spectacular presentation and an art-style I could gaze at for hours, this should be a definite download for anyone craving the Metroid–Vania titles from long ago.
Teslagrad is available on PC and Wii U, and is coming to PlayStation platforms later this year.