Platformers are an intriguing genre of games for me, but not because they are characterized by some fantastic, deep story or complicated mechanics. I am interested in the fact that despite the lack or residual amount of the above elements, these types of games can be really addictive. Collapsed is one of such productions.
Good company
The history of platformers goes back a long, long way. I will not lie if I am tempted to say that this genre, to some extent, laid the foundations for the general development of games. Over the years, a lot of them have been created, ranging from such titles as the legendary Prince of Persia, through subsequent editions of Super Mario Bros, ending with much more modern productions, such as Katana Zero. As you can see, this genre has its representatives both in the ranks of large companies and among niche developers specializing in indie productions. Fans, therefore, can not complain about the defeat of the harvest, because there are quite a lot of these games. However, one question remains, namely: Where does the popularity of this type of title come from now? While years ago, when computers and gaming as such were just taking their first steps, Hardware limitations were of course some justification. Let’s face it, computers from twenty years ago did not sin with computing power. After that, it only got better, and absolutely nothing heralds the end of platformers as a genre. I can say with full conviction that today they are doing just as well, and maybe even more than well, as they used to be. Among the new representatives of this kind is Collapsed, an exceptionally nice and – despite some compromises – quite addictive muddle. what used to be. Among the new representatives of this kind is Collapsed, an exceptionally nice and – despite some compromises – quite addictive muddle. what used to be. Among the new representatives of this kind is Collapsed, an exceptionally nice and – despite some compromises – quite addictive muddle.
It’s time to start the hunt!
Collapsed is a representative of a specific species, the so-called roguelike. What does this mean in practice? The player finds himself in a series of linear boards that resemble a dungeon. Randomly generated maps are filled with various fantasies and masses of opponents. It is also worth adding that the death of the character interrupts the game and takes us back to some starting point. To put it simply, that would be it. How does Collapsed relate to it? It won’t be an abuse if I call the game a platformer, as it combines some of its elements with the features of a typical roguelike. Yes, the essence of the game is traversing the linear maps and defeating other opponents, but we can do it with one of the four characters, which we then have the opportunity to develop in terms of features and equipment. Producers provide us with a shooter, a typical warrior, a hybrid of the previous two and something like a villain. I admit that this is a nice addition, thanks to which we can approach the game in our own way. Once we get to the right part of the game, we will certainly appreciate any facilitation, additional skill or character modification. The production is not the easiest one, although at the very beginning you can get the wrong impression that it is another light platformer. None of these things! Even the first meeting with opponents can lead us out of the mistake. However, it is necessary to take an amendment to the fact that the degree of difficulty depends to some extent on the map on which we are at the moment, and there are several of them. We don’t have much influence on where we end up. Sometimes it can be a post-apocalyptic city, other times a jungle or a space station. All boards are divided into three sub-stages that we unlock, by going through special portals. To open them, we must first knock out everything that moves around them, and when we use them, of course, at the very end of our powerlifting, a boss awaits.
But what’s all this for?
The gameplay itself in Collapsed is really nice, you can very quickly lose control of the passing time and spend a few hours in this simple game. The annoying thing is that each death means returning to the choice of one of the initial levels, but fortunately none of the collected items are lost. All this despite the lack of any engaging storyline. The producers did not try to veiled intrigue and a deep story, because let’s face it, there is no place for that here. You are a hunter and you go hunting in an undefined, post-apocalyptic world. Just enough? Yes, that’s all, and that’s more than enough.
How do they see you …
… that’s how they write you. Yes, and I will write that Collapsed is a production that is quite pleasing to the eye, devoid of any special bugs. The science fiction / postapo style is in this case at a satisfactory level. The maps are refined and really atmospheric, which makes the game more enjoyable. I happened to stop just to take a look at the surroundings (I recommend it especially on forest levels). The models themselves are also impeccable, although all humanoid creatures, including our protégé, have a strange tendency to assume somewhat strange poses when at rest. Nevertheless, as Collapsed offers quite dynamic gameplay, we will not often observe this peculiar phenomenon. Speaking of dynamics, the animations are already flawless. Fighting and moving around look spectacular and you have to sweat sometimes. The soundtrack is fine and I don’t think much more can be written about it. Although there are no atmospheric tracks that we will hear, for example, in another platformer, Hell is Other Demons, but Collapsed does not focus so much on the atmosphere. Something shoots, something clicks, and it doesn’t hurt your ears, that’s all.
