How does a game where the main characters are all rectangles manage to be one of the most charismatic on PSN? A GameCentral reader explains all…
How can quadrilaterals have a personality? This was a question I asked myself within the opening levels of Mike Bithell’s indie platformer. Originally released as a Flash game in October 2010, Thomas Was Alone became a cult hit, earning admiration from critics and gamers. This success has seen the game ported to the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita by Bossa Studios, in what is one of the best indie games to be released on the PlayStation Network.
Essentially the game is very simple: get all the rectangles/squares from one part of the level to the exit. It’s so simple in fact that there are only two buttons, ‘X’ to jump and the D-pad to move. Such simplicity had me thinking when I started the game that it would become repetitive quite quickly. But this was certainly not the case.
What makes Thomas Was Alone special is that despite its simple premise there is so much creativity and imagination in its gameplay. In some ways it is quite similar to the Super Mario Galaxy games (stay with me here) because of the different characteristics each square has that helps you complete the level in much the same way as a different costume helps Mario and provides a new gameplay experience.
One can jump higher than all the others, one can get through small spaces, float on water, stick to the ceiling to name just a few examples. The last few levels also contain a gameplay mechanic similar to that of the gels used in Portal 2 in the form of small zones which when entered by one of your quadrilaterals gives it a new ability such as a double jump. It all combines together to create a fun and rewarding experience when you complete some of the levels.
I used the phrase ‘some of the levels’ as the biggest problem I found with the game that prevented it being as good as other great puzzlers like Portal is the inconsistent difficulty curve.
The difficulty between level is quite sporadic, with some of the final levels being easier than some of those at the beginning and I found the game to be rarely testing my cranium in the same way that some of the levels in the Portal series have, or even iOS games like Cut The Rope or Ghost Trick.
Therefore, that feeling of being a genius is unfortunately not frequent enough. However, the game never gets frustrating as when you die you know exactly why and you are quickly re-spawned to the last checkpoint which is always well placed.
The game is narrated superbly by Danny Wallace, who I feel does a far better performance here than in the Assassin’s Creed games. Although that may be more down to the character he plays in that series. His narration is well written, sometimes quite humorous and ultimately that gives the rectangles and squares (all with their own names) a character which exceeds that seen in most other film and games characters today.
Thomas Was Alone is a delightful little gem which can be enjoyed on the PlayStation 3 or Vita that often put a smile on my face. There are 10 different worlds, each with nine short levels, meaning that the game can be finished quite quickly – which isn’t helped by how easy some of the levels can be. But given how cheap and imaginative it is this can be overlooked.
Score: 8/10
By reader Kurt Lewin
The reader’s feature does not necessary represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.
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