Shift? Oh, Shift!

Shift is a game created by reverse

A review of “Shift” By Reverse

Game Type: PPG

Written by tbremise.

Just to let you know, this was my first ever review, I thought I would share it with the world.

Opening remarks: “Shift”, the name brings one thing to mind, no, not the swear word (get your mind out of the gutter), but of the well-known game of the same name, and even though this game shares a name, it delivers an entirely different experience compared to what you would first think. The creator of this unique marvel, Reverse, is a relatively new member that prefers the physics game maker over the others. The title may not be original, but his concepts were. I also noticed that the game had a black and white theme. Strangely, this sort of game attracts me, so I figured I would give the game a try.

Review: As I stated before, the game has a black and white theme throughout, and to be honest I think it actually helps the gameplay out, as it doesn’t distract the player from the real objectives. Too much color in this game would just make it seem too clattered and I think maybe even a little rushed. You may disagree with me, but the black and white allows you to see the conformity in each level and helps the levels to tie into each other nicely. The shape of each level also helped the game, it wasn’t all boring squares or rectangles, but had some unique angular shapes in there as well, this helps keep the game from being tedious.

I suppose I should explain what your actual goal is in the game. Well, you play as this blackish cube shaped player, this player has some unique abilities, so don’t let his simple appearance fool you. You are able to use these pockets that have arrows on them to switch which direction gravity is acting upon you, the direction of the arrow shows which way you will move; this is the “shift”. You also have the ability to do a stomp, which is a very unique idea. I am so impressed that he figured out how to make you stomp and that he found a good use for it, which is breaking certain tiled walls that open up paths inside each level. Enough about the abilities though. Your goal is to maneuver through a series of levels and mazes, all with your eyes set on the main goal, the black and white portal. It is reaching the portal that is the real problem though. There are spikes all over that are just waiting to end the game for you, and the bounce pads are their friends, but you have to learn to not give them the satisfaction by avoiding them at all cost. So, run, jump, stomp and shift through each level to reach the rewarding portal at the end.

The game didn’t lack in the trap department for sure. Around every turn and “Shift”, you encounter more of those menacing spikes, but these little devils are what makes the game fun and challenging in the first place. No matter what you do, those spikes are planning your every move and hoping for a slip up. These traps were well placed, allowing only for little to no error when you attempt to maneuver away from them. I would also like to note that the spikes looked like original graphics, which helps keep the game’s originality and give it some extra style. The game doesn’t really have puzzles, it is more of a trial and error effect, but what few puzzle’s Reverse included were mostly mental ones, as you tried to wrap your brain around what your next move should be.

I have to be honest, this game seems sort of boring when you first play it, but only the first two levels, the game quickly rises in difficulty. The placement of the shifter’s, the question boxes (mini goals that help unlock paths to reach the portal), and all the spikes, causes for some interesting fun. The most difficult levels are the last two, 8 includes a spinning device along with some strangely placed bounce pads, and level nine… well I will mention that in a second. With each challenge I faced, I thought that there couldn’t possibly be anything more challenging in the game, and each time I was proven wrong, as he kept the game up-beat and the maze-like worlds fresh. The game gets so challenging that I feel it might be a downfall in the end, turning many hopeful players away from trying to beat it, but me being a dedicated and stubborn gamer, decided I could beat it, even if it took me all night. Sadly, I was wrong, as after a full hour of playing the game I was faced by one taunting block in level 9 that just couldn’t break. This may have been a glitch, or perhaps it was intentional and Reverse wanted to taunt all of those who had worked so hard to get to the last level and then be denied by one stubborn little brick. “Oh, how I loathe thee unbreakable brick!” But regardless, this game became more addicting the longer I played it.

Oh wait, I almost forgot to mention the things that I found disappointing in the game. I have to admit, the game was overall a very enjoyable game that was very addicting, but even with great games comes problems. The first thing I noticed was that the jumping mechanics, even though you get the awesome stomp ability, are sometimes poorly executed. It is just annoying the way you have to stop before you can actually jump half the time, but I suppose that adds to the challenge of the game, even if it was not intended. Another thing that I found really annoying was, perhaps it was just my computer, the game has periods where it will randomly slow down to a third of the speed due to lag. I hope this was only when I played, but it got really annoying and was cause to over a dozen of deaths while I played the game. And finally, the last thing I was disappointed about I mentioned earlier, in the final level, you approach this block that appears like all the other breakable blocks, but it is a lie, because no matter what you do, it will not break. Reverse apologized in the description of the game and said it was beatable now, but I tried it again, guess what, no it isn’t. I also would have liked to see one or two new hazards later on in the game, but seeing how challenging it was, they weren’t really needed.

Personally, this will be one of the few games I can say I have a hate-love relationship with, love for how addicting and unique it is, but hate for the evil spikes and the ever-taunting block. I notice that Reverse has tried multiple times to reproduce the charming style of shift and received little recognition, but what does he expect, from what I understand people don’t like to see repeats very much, as it shows you only have one idea that you like. But hey, that is just something I think about sometimes, don’t mind me. Let’s get to the scoring!

The Good: Unique idea, good style, very addictive

The Bad: Possibly too hard for most gamers from level 7 up (lose audience quickly) the lag, annoying jumping issue.

The Ugly: The cursed unbreakable block.

Gameplay: 3/5 ( The lag pushed this decision down a point)

Creativity: 3.5/5 (Name and few minor things made this decision)

Decoration/Background: 4/5 (A bit repetitive after a while, but good and consistent.)

Traps: 4/5 (Hello evil spikes, let’s be friends.)

Fun/Addictiveness: 5/5 (I would give it lower, but I keep playing it anyways, so it is definitely addicting.)

Conclusion: 3.9/5

The game was fun, and I hope many of you who have played it agree. The game deserved being featured as it has its own style. This game will always be one that has a special place in my favorites list. Now if only there was a way to “shift” in real life.