| Platform | Nintendo Switch |
| Release date | 9/22/22 |
| Cost | $4.99 |
| Publisher | Abelix Games |
| ESRB Rating | E |
I will start this review by mentioning Cuphead. Cuphead is hard, really, really hard. But its fair. To beat it, you have to be damn good. Alter World, developed and published by Abelix Games in 2014 for the PC and now out for the Switch, is a different kind of hard. It’s the frustrating hard game, where its hard because the game mechanics aren’t fair.
In this game, you play a person who can jump between dimensions, even between jumps. There’s only one problem, you can’t see between dimensions, so you’re flying blind. Let me demonstrate this by showing you a level.
Ok. In this level, you’re supposed to jump on the left most platform in dimension 1, which goes up and down. Your jump is floaty, so you literally have to jump around the platform, which is easier said than done. Once you’re on it, go up to the top, jump, switch dimensions, and land on the cloud in dimension 2. Now, you are supposed to jump, immediately switch and land on the center moving platform.
The issue is, you have no idea where the moving platform is in dimension 1 while you’re in dimension 2, so getting on it is literally a matter of trial and error. And this is level 10… out of 80.
Alter World is not Celeste, this is not N+, this is not Super Meat Boy. Those are tough, but fair platforming games where skill rules. This is just frustrating. I’m sure if I tweet at the developer, he’ll tell me its on purpose. Well great, blind jumping isn’t fun, trial and error blind jumping is a gaming sin that has sunk other games.
The marketing blurb for Alter World reads as follows: “Think you’re a pro gamer? Change the world with 80 unique and challenging levels.” Sorry, Cuphead is for pro gamers, this is just hard because its unfair. If I were to review Cuphead, I’d give a good score, despite me sucking at it, because I recognize how good it is. This is no Cuphead.
Overall: Alter World is unfair, and ultimately unfun platforming.
Verdict: Not Recommended
