ALMOST THERE: The Platformer Review for Steam

Jumping your way to success

              Since the early 80’s, the genre of platforming games remained a staple in the gaming world. The unrivaled challenge and the seemingly never ending potential for new twists have redefined and restructured the relatively simple concept over the years. Yet, at its core, platformer games are about the mechanical skill and reaction times. The test of nimbleness and agility is what as kept the genre going strong for such a long time. But with so many different iterations and versions of platformers around these days, sometimes it’s necessary to scale back and try something simple. And that is where Almost There: The Platformer, developed by Bony Yousuf and published by The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild, takes the player.

Simple and clean

              This platforming game sports only the bare essentials. With minimal design choices and mechanics building upon the basic controls of a platformer, Almost There strips away much of the glam and gaudiness most games in the same genre carry these days. Sleek and chic, the player controls but a humble white square, navigating through elementary shapes and level designs. The background also displays clear geometric shapes along with only a few different color themes to the levels themselves. All of these design decisions have gotten rid of many of the distractions one finds in platformer games, and truly allows the player to hone in moments of tense, critical moves.

Some calculated risks

              In addition to the straightforward design of the player character, stages, and backgrounds, the music also lends itself to a measured, repeated beat. Something upbeat and frantic enough to energize the player to get their square moving. However, having this idea of scaling back to the core of this game comes with certain risks. The concept is welcome and allows the player to focus on making their way through the difficult levels laid out before them, but still leaves for something to be desired. Many of the beginning stages have this sense of emptiness due to the basic nature of the design and layouts. Stripping away much of the flashiness is just as much a risk as taking that long leap to the next platformer. But taking that into consideration, the game still does what it does very well. Making one’s way through the challenges is no small task, and the clean yet beautiful aesthetic to the game are still very much enjoyable to play through. 

Score: 8.1/10

Check Out the Almost There: The Platformer Trailer:

Almost There: The Platformer will release for PC, Mac, and Linux internationally on February 19, 2019 via Steam, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4, and to Nintendo Switch two days later.