Roll into a fresh cup of wake me up in Cranked Up, a new platforming game from debut developer and publisher Bblack Studios.
Offering modes for co-op, versus, timed, hardcore Floor is Lava mode, and a standard adventure mode, Cranked Up’s finely-tuned content lasts. Cranked Up takes risks with its core mechanics and aesthetics, and the gambit pays off–its fresh, engaging, complex, and hard to put down!
GAMEPLAY
Every new entry into the platforming genre must be unique in respect of the crowded market . Cranked Up’s innovation lies in the center of a literally absent hole of a donut. I’ve played a few platformers as a round object, and certainly played many wheel-based platformers, but never one as a donut propelled by rotating rockets keybound to triggers on a controller.
The level design of Cranked Up truly stands out. The artistic backgrounds are simple, but the mechanical learning required to pass each level is iterative and fair–always in the sweet spot between too easy and too hard. Considering each new level my master, I was able to train bit by bit, and ultimately reached a satisfying mastery.
The heart of Cranked Up, revealed after just the first few levels, is its fine tuning. The controls feel crisp and responsive, the levels are put together with practiced precision, and the result is a good platforming game made precisely for platforming fans.
AESTHETICS
Show me another game where an evil pineapple pizza is invading the food supply, and a donut missing its cup of coffee must save the day and I’ll have to dethrone Cranked Up as the most half-baked, looney, but somehow coherent surprise in my game library.
Reaching that steamy cup of Joe at the end of a grueling track somehow epitomizes the relief of making that last plunge into a completion screen–like reaching an oasis after too long in the desert. Each level is further complemented according to which biome you are completing, of which Cranked Up offers three.
And the sound track somehow manages to match the levels of zany the narrative and platforming mechanics reach. Bold? Yes. Sustainable for long play sessions? Probably not. It helps to set the tone, surely, but the over-the-top music can get grating when you inevitably get stuck during a level.
CONCLUSION
Everything you could want in a simple indie-platformer is there–fresh mechanics, tight controls, an engaging framing story, and a lot of room for ramped-up skill. Cranked Up absolutely delivers on its bold promises!
Check Out the Cranked Up Video:
Cranked Up will be available starting today, May 19th via Steam Early Access for $14.99.
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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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