Fat-fingering into death screens be damned–roll through neon-lit, industrial tightropes and puzzles in Technosphere Reload, a new platforming/puzzle game from developer and publisher Adaptive Game.
In a nutshell, my experience with Technosphere Reload is a tale of polarities. On one hand, there was slamming of the keyboard in grand frustration. And on the other, there was a slamming of the desk after reaching new satisfying checkpoints. Even in a weird mixture of highs and lows, Technosphere Reload became an itch I needed to keep scratching until the end.
Gameplay
The core gameplay mechanic of the Technosphere Reload takes inspiration from marble-running simulators and the physics of controlling the Technosphere are tactile and crisp. In effect, offering the player an opportunity to develop a genuine mastery over their virtual embodiment.
Each stage gets progressively more complex and the player starts with 5 lives, a full tank of fuel, and full reserve of armor. At its foundation, the game asks the player over and over to solve a series of puzzles requiring precise control of the technosphere.
To immerse an engaging tempo of gameplay, the developers integrated “Safety Mode” puzzles (no jumping, braking, or special moves) alongside “Normal Mode” puzzles (full capabilities), in essence forcing a reorienting mastery over a singular mechanic multiple ways.
To that point, the difficulty curve throughout Technosphere Reload increases in many ways throughout the experience. There are moving platforms, platforms spaced to force jumping, towers that repel the technosphere if touched, lasers that break apart glass barriers, minefields, auto-locking turrets, purely vertical and purely horizontal puzzles, and other surprises, too.
Each stage offers a freshness of mechanics, however, the main challenges I faced were not mind-bending puzzles or uniquely blended mechanics, but were moments requiring tight control of the technosphere’s physics. In a negative sense, content discovery is made less important than just plain control of the technosphere.
My main source of frustration was the spacing of checkpoints along with only getting 5 lives in a single playthrough. There are extra lives along the way, but too often I would be set back to a checkpoint where I had to retrace all my progress for no discernible reason. A sense of existential dread carried through these moments whenever I had to redo something I had already played through multiple times. This type of save system makes getting stuck at one part, especially something towards the end, more depressing than compelling to retry.
On top of that, the fuel system seems completely unnecessary–never once was I engaged by having to refuel, or recognized the design of a level that placed an external impetus on my considerations of fuel. Its seemingly only there to limit the creativity of the player.
Art
Glitzed up to the max, Technosphere Reload fully utilizes the Unreal Engine it runs on. The neon and industrial tones throughout each level are gorgeous and instantly drew in my attention. And even with the repeated industrial and neon motifs, each new stage felt like it owned a unique aesthetic.
In terms of sounds, the special effects are clean, but there isn’t any music to enjoy. I was a bit let down by the ambient sounds and had to play the game with my own soundtrack underneath.
Narrative
A simple story, the Technosphere is humanity’s last hope to repair part of an orbital asteroid-protection base that is in urgent need to save the planet. However, the puzzles, art, and responsiveness of the technosphere are what drive player engagement, not the storyline progression.
Overall, Technosphere Reload does many things well: its art is engaging, the controls are intuitive and fluid, the world is begging to be explored. However, its method of progression weighs heavily on the experience because of the repetition of places and puzzles already solved. In a platforming and puzzle genre with so much to offer, Technosphere Reload occupies a middle-ground–not a game to rave about, but one worth a try.
Score: 7/10
You can Check Out the TECHNOSPHERE RELOAD Trailer Here: https://youtu.be/oRDiu6TDcIo
TECHNOSPHERE RELOAD is available for PC via Steam.
Steam Review
Recent Michigan State University grad and current Game Studies researcher who plays fantasy RPG's to escape, Smash to compete, and Stardew to chill. Also have a +1 to rage/toxicity resistance due to the many hours sunk into WoW, R6, and LoL.
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