WARNING! IF YOU CHOOSE TO PICK UP THIS GAME. DO NOT PLAY IT ON HARD DIFFICULTY! I ALMOST RETURNED THIS GAME BECAUSE, LIKE AN IDIOT, I STARTED PLAYING IT ON HARD MODE. THE HARD MODE IN THIS GAME ISN’T VERY FUN, ALL IT MAKES YOU TAKE MORE DAMAGE AND THE BOSSES HAVE MORE PROJECTILES AND HEALTH. WHICH MAKES THE GAME LESS FUN TO PLAY. PLUS THERE’S LITERALLY NO POINT PLAYING IT BECAUSE IT GIVES YOU NO REWARD. NO ACHIEVEMENT, NO NOTHING. DON’T DO IT. NORMAL MODE IS ACTUALLY FUN.

Ahem, anyways.

Gravity Circuit is a fun “mega man like” game. That is unfortunately held back by certain poor design choices. I definitely feel more positively than negatively towards it. But there were a few parts of this game that really made me question some of the design choices during development. Nothing ruined my playthrough or anything. But there are things you should know about this game before you buy it.

+ The Good & The Bad -

+ Great Graphics, Music and Aesthetics
It has that graphical aesthetic that games like Shovel Knight do. Where it’s “retro but not so retro that the game looks bad”. The game’s pixel art is genuinely very appealing to look at, the graphics on display in this game are very striking to look at. Everything pops to life within the world, and nothing ever feels like boring filler. Additionally the music is pretty darn good in this game! I mean nothing that I would listen to outside of the game. But very fitting for the actual game. It’s all eurobeat (i think? don’t sue me please). And it all sounds really well put together and fitting for the game.

+ Controls are Satisfying, but hard to learn.
At first I had a really hard time getting a handle of the controls in this one. The way you’re supposed to move around feels very “light?” compared to most other 2D platformers I’ve played. But once I got a hang of how the game handles I was really enjoying myself. It feels like a faster megaman game mixed with some of its contemporaries like Ninja Gaiden. And I really enjoyed how it all felt by the end of my playthrough. There is one small issue with the controls, but that more has to do with a different issue the game has.

+ The level design is serviceable
The levels were all fun in their own ways. I think the aesthetics and theme of each level worked really well and made it exciting to hop from mission to mission. And the actual design and layout of each level definitely made each one stick in my brain. There’s a lot of little secrets within each level that you can find, and they all give you rewards which makes them worth looking for. Again there’s a small issue with the level design, but we’ll get there.

+/- The “Burst” mechanic is cool
As you defeat the game's bosses you get their “bursts”. Basically think of the boss weapons from Megaman. But they’re super moves, and you can equip 4 at a time. I wasn’t sure if I felt positively about this mechanic, but I think overall it was entertaining. I mean there’s like one gripe I have with it. That being, not all of them are worth using. There are a lot of ones that are just straight up trash. From my personal experience, there are still a good amount worth using. But there are also a good handful of them that just aren’t good to use at all. And unfortunately there aren’t any uses for these “bad abilities” as boss weaknesses either. So there aren’t even 1 uses for them, which is a real shame. But like I said. This mechanic is more good than bad.

+/-The Bosses didn’t quite click with me
I mean they aren’t bad, just not my cup of tea. They all have basic movesets, no weapon weaknesses. So you just kinda walk in and beat the crap out of them and leave. They’re fine, they serve their purpose. Just nothing to write home about ya know?

-You have to use an ability slot to double jump?
This game’s worst problem is the fact that the double jump isn’t part of the basic moveset. In fact there are several parts of your moveset that aren’t in your “basic moveset ''. Instead, there's a system within Gravity Circuit where you can purchase passive upgrades and bonuses and equip them to your character. Stuff like “Take less damage from hazards” and “Pay less for healing” ect. But one of these passive perks is “Gain the ability to double jump”... Now, you only get 3 slots for these passive perks at a time. So… WHY WOULD I EVER GO WITHOUT THE DOUBLE JUMP??? Like if I have the option to jump twice and constantly make platforming easier for myself… Then why wouldn’t I do that? And this isn’t the only moveset change that is locked behind the “chip” system. Things like: Grappling to enemies, Wall clinging, and an attack range increase are all tied behind passive perks. I’m not saying this is necessarily a bad idea. Rather, these “moveset extending” chips outshine all of the other passive perks. I don’t think this would be a problem if these were permanent upgrades that you unlocked by progressing. Because then it would let the passive perks shine. Instead all of the passive perks are outshined by… The ability to jump twice. And the ability to double jump hurts the level design, because without it, the level design feels waaaaay more unforgiving than before. And additionally the game’s controls feel so wrong without a double jump. Like genuinely, the platforming feels way worse without the safety that a double jump grants the player. If the perk weren’t here at all we wouldn’t even be talking about this. But because it is, it genuinely confuses me as to why it’s implemented like it currently is.

I recommend this game if you’re a fan of retro 2D platformers, or 2D platformers in general. I think there’s a lot to love here if that’s your cup of tea. But if you’re not a fan of the genre, I think it’ll be a tough sell for you. But honestly, for its price tag, I think it’s still worth a shot. Especially if it interests you from the get-go like it did for me.

4/5 Great! But it has some problems.

[b]WARNING! IF YOU CHOOSE TO PICK UP THIS GAME. DO NOT PLAY IT ON HARD DIFFICULTY! I ALMOST RETURNED THIS GAME BECAUSE, LIKE AN IDIOT, I STARTED PLAYING IT ON HARD MODE. THE HARD MODE IN THIS GAME ISN’T VERY FUN, ALL IT MAKES YOU TAKE MORE DAMAGE AND THE BOSSES HAVE MORE PROJECTILES AND HEALTH. WHICH MAKES THE GAME LESS FUN TO PLAY. PLUS THERE’S LITERALLY NO POINT PLAYING IT BECAUSE IT GIVES YOU NO REWARD. NO ACHIEVEMENT, NO NOTHING. DON’T DO IT. NORMAL MODE IS ACTUALLY FUN.[/b] Ahem, anyways. Gravity Circuit is a fun “mega man like” game. That is unfortunately held back by certain poor design choices. I definitely feel more positively than negatively towards it. But there were a few parts of this game that really made me question some of the design choices during development. Nothing ruined my playthrough or anything. But there are things you should know about this game before you buy it. + The Good & The Bad - + Great Graphics, Music and Aesthetics It has that graphical aesthetic that games like Shovel Knight do. Where it’s “retro but not so retro that the game looks bad”. The game’s pixel art is genuinely very appealing to look at, the graphics on display in this game are very striking to look at. Everything pops to life within the world, and nothing ever feels like boring filler. Additionally the music is pretty darn good in this game! I mean nothing that I would listen to outside of the game. But very fitting for the actual game. It’s all eurobeat (i think? don’t sue me please). And it all sounds really well put together and fitting for the game. + Controls are Satisfying, but hard to learn. At first I had a really hard time getting a handle of the controls in this one. The way you’re supposed to move around feels very “light?” compared to most other 2D platformers I’ve played. But once I got a hang of how the game handles I was really enjoying myself. It feels like a faster megaman game mixed with some of its contemporaries like Ninja Gaiden. And I really enjoyed how it all felt by the end of my playthrough. There is one small issue with the controls, but that more has to do with a different issue the game has. + The level design is serviceable The levels were all fun in their own ways. I think the aesthetics and theme of each level worked really well and made it exciting to hop from mission to mission. And the actual design and layout of each level definitely made each one stick in my brain. There’s a lot of little secrets within each level that you can find, and they all give you rewards which makes them worth looking for. Again there’s a small issue with the level design, but we’ll get there. +/- The “Burst” mechanic is cool As you defeat the game's bosses you get their “bursts”. Basically think of the boss weapons from Megaman. But they’re super moves, and you can equip 4 at a time. I wasn’t sure if I felt positively about this mechanic, but I think overall it was entertaining. I mean there’s like one gripe I have with it. That being, not all of them are worth using. There are a lot of ones that are just straight up trash. From my personal experience, there are still a good amount worth using. But there are also a good handful of them that just aren’t good to use at all. And unfortunately there aren’t any uses for these “bad abilities” as boss weaknesses either. So there aren’t even 1 uses for them, which is a real shame. But like I said. This mechanic is more good than bad. +/-The Bosses didn’t quite click with me I mean they aren’t bad, just not my cup of tea. They all have basic movesets, no weapon weaknesses. So you just kinda walk in and beat the crap out of them and leave. They’re fine, they serve their purpose. Just nothing to write home about ya know? -You have to use an ability slot to double jump? This game’s worst problem is the fact that the double jump isn’t part of the basic moveset. In fact there are several parts of your moveset that aren’t in your “basic moveset ''. Instead, there's a system within Gravity Circuit where you can purchase passive upgrades and bonuses and equip them to your character. Stuff like “Take less damage from hazards” and “Pay less for healing” ect. But one of these passive perks is “Gain the ability to double jump”... Now, you only get 3 slots for these passive perks at a time. So… WHY WOULD I EVER GO WITHOUT THE DOUBLE JUMP??? Like if I have the option to jump twice and constantly make platforming easier for myself… Then why wouldn’t I do that? And this isn’t the only moveset change that is locked behind the “chip” system. Things like: Grappling to enemies, Wall clinging, and an attack range increase are all tied behind passive perks. I’m not saying this is necessarily a bad idea. Rather, these “moveset extending” chips outshine all of the other passive perks. I don’t think this would be a problem if these were permanent upgrades that you unlocked by progressing. Because then it would let the passive perks shine. Instead all of the passive perks are outshined by… [b]The ability to jump twice[/b]. And the ability to double jump hurts the level design, because without it, the level design feels waaaaay more unforgiving than before. And additionally the game’s controls feel so wrong without a double jump. Like genuinely, the platforming feels way worse without the safety that a double jump grants the player. If the perk weren’t here at all we wouldn’t even be talking about this. But because it is, it genuinely confuses me as to why it’s implemented like it currently is. I recommend this game if you’re a fan of retro 2D platformers, or 2D platformers in general. I think there’s a lot to love here if that’s your cup of tea. But if you’re not a fan of the genre, I think it’ll be a tough sell for you. But honestly, for its price tag, I think it’s still worth a shot. Especially if it interests you from the get-go like it did for me. 4/5 Great! But it has some problems.