15 people found this review helpful
Recommended
0.0 hrs last two weeks / 5.2 hrs on record
Posted: 1 Nov, 2022 @ 4:47pm
Product received for free

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Triple Take is a 2D platformer in which you play each level thrice, but modified every time. It’s a cool idea that gives the developer a lot of freedom to experiment with level design. Ultimately, I don’t think this is a revolutionary game that will change the genre forever, but it’s still good for some platforming fun, coupled with a surprisingly prevalent storyline.

Gameplay
There’s nothing particularly notable about the platforming mechanics. It’s the same stuff you’ve seen hundreds of times before: platforms that break a few seconds after you step on them, wall jumping, ropes you can grab, jump pads, etc. There are a few standout moments of originality, especially during boss fights, but it’s mostly on par with the genre standards, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In a way, it helps highlight the game’s strengths by not taking attention away from the level design.

The main gimmick of playing a level three times sounds pretty bland, but I was impressed with how well it was executed. Many levels open up completely new paths on subsequent runs, rather than simply adding more spikes or taking away platforms. Sometimes the changes aren’t that meaningful and you end up doing the same thing but slightly harder, although these moments are few and far between. There’s an excellent amount of level variety, especially when the designs dip into more novel concepts.

My biggest complaint over the course of the entire game was the final boss fight. It’s significantly harder than even the second toughest level, and it drags on for far too long. It grinds the momentum to a halt and ends the game at a frustrating low point after such a strong build-up. Still, one bad level doesn’t take away the dozens of gems beforehand.

Story
I thought there wouldn’t be much of a plot but was pleasantly surprised by the game’s narrative. The characters were likable and the dialogue got a few chuckles out of me. Obviously, it isn’t particularly story-heavy, but it has good enough writing to stop you from skipping through every cutscene.

Presentation
The art style is fairly simple and straightforward, but it’s executed quite well. It’s not a technical marvel, and it doesn’t need to be. Each set of levels gets a different color scheme, livening up the already strong visuals. When combined with the level design, every world feels completely different from the previous one.

Interestingly, there is a decent amount of horror scattered throughout the game. It’s a bit odd for a platformer, yet it works with the setting and ultimately becomes intertwined with the story.

The soundtrack is another impressive highlight with one caveat: it’s repetitive. Every track fits the level it plays over, but hearing it over and over can grow tiresome. It’s still a solid soundtrack, I just would have enjoyed a little more variety,

Verdict
It’s a good, almost great game. The platforming is fine, with a little roughness around the edges. There are some nice details that show a lot of care went into Triple Take. It’s not my favorite platformer, but the evolving level gimmick is such a fun twist on a classic genre that I have to recommend it to anyone that’s a fan of platformers.

8/10
No performance issues running on: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X, 16 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 3070
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