Redactem

I don't know how it happened, but lately it seems like every racing game has a rewind button. While it's not very realistic, it is a convenient way to get out of nasty crashes without having to start the race over from scratch. This type of time manipulation has always appealed to me, and just last week I found myself begging the developer of Platformica to add it to their game. Apparently the creator of Redactem agrees with me, because he's built an entire 2D platformer out of the ability to turn back time.

You play an armored action star who is tasked with manipulating both gravity and time in order to make it through a couple dozen challenging stages. Redactem is a variation on games like Super Meat Boy and Fenix Rage, giving players a lot of sharp obstacles to avoid and bottomless pits to jump over. It's the puzzle elements that set this game apart from most other 2D platformers, as you'll need to pick up items and use your rewind clock to open gates.

Most of the levels will require our heavily armored hero to completely reverse gravity, allowing them to stand on the ceiling and avoid pits and saw blades. We also have the ability to reverse time, rewinding everything back a few seconds to help solve some of the trickier puzzles. Both of these mechanics are as easy to pull off as pressing a button, no different from the standard running and jumping.

While we'll spend most of the time switching gravities, I was disappointed by how little play the rewind button gets. Don't get me wrong, it's used strategically throughout the game, but it definitely felt like more could be done with it. And it's not just the frequency of use, as I would have preferred to see other types of time manipulation. It would have been cool to solve some puzzles in double speed or slow motion.

I was also disappointed by the game's length, which offers only a couple dozen stages and won't take long to beat. To the developer's credit, Redactem is only $3.99, so the limited run time is a little easier to forgive. Part of the reason it feels so short is because the first batch of stages are insanely easy, and the game only ramps up in difficulty at the very end.

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It doesn't help that all of the stages look the same. Everything has the same white and gray aesthetic, which gets old by the end. Each grouping of levels has a unique name, yet the graphics and color palette remain the same from one stage to the next. I kept hoping for a different background or new batch of colors, but what you see is definitely what you get.

As an inexpensive platformer, Redactem gets the job done. It's easy to control, has a fun gimmick and some of the late game puzzles are worth cracking. Unfortunately, it's also incredibly short, visually bland and a little on the easy side. I love the idea, but Redactem doesn't do enough with the rewind mechanic to make it stand out in a crowded genre.