Genre: Video Game
Publisher: Scarybug Games
Players: 1
Retail Price: Free
Availability: Kongregate
So what do you get when you put together time travel and robots? The short answer would be one of the most addictive and fun puzzle games you can find on the internet.
Chronotron is a platforming puzzle game created by Joe Rheaume of Scarybug Games. The object of the game is to try to collect the SKIP circuit board from each level and make your way back to the time pod. Although the premise of the game my seem simple enough, you quickly realize that although the goal of the level is simple, the actions required to achieve that goal can sometimes be quite difficult.
The game starts out fairly easy and you are given instructions on how to move around in the level and what you need to do in order to accomplish your goal. The first circuit is actually conveniently placed on a ledge above your time pod to the right of the screen. Clearly you are unable to jump that high, but you’ll quickly notice that the switch on the left side of the screen raises a platform up to that ledge. Unfortunately though when you step off of that switch, the platform drops back down. Obviously this would pose a problem for a normal person, but since you are actually a time traveling robot its not really a big deal at all. If you go back to your time pod and press the space bar, you are able to travel back in time and you’ll notice that this time you have two robots on the screen and the first one is repeating the actions you just performed prior to moving into your time pod. Whatever actions you took prior to your return, the other robot will repeat. If you stood on that switch for seven seconds, well then thats exactly what he’s gonna do.
The challenge of this game comes from timing your actions in order to activate certain switches and balance platforms in order to reach the circuit and exit the level. The game gets harder as you progress through the levels and at some points you may need to have four to five robots on the screen performing actions in the correct sequence in order to make it through. The concepts introduced throughout the game are varied and force you to perform a lot of trial and error as you discover what you need to do in order to complete the level. Different objects in the game such as the dynamite or weighted blocks allow for enough level variation to keep someone entertained as they try to complete all the levels the game has to offer. I never really felt like the game was getting old, as each level you encounter offers you a different way to look at something you may have previously encountered in a previous level.
More likely than not as you progress through the game you will encounter numerous moments where you may unknowingly trap one of your previous selves and prevent them from returning to the time pod. If this occurs you create a time paradox and are forced to either replay the events of your last character or restart the level. A similar event occurs if you do something to kill your robot, such as being crushed or falling into a hole.
The game has a great look and feel to it and runs extremely smooth. There were a few times when I had more than a couple robots on the screen and it would cause the game to slow down, but the occasions this occurred were few and far between. I love the character design and the simplicity of the levels. There is just enough detail to make them look incredibly well put together and enough variation to prevent them from becoming stale. The controls are perfect as they are simple and easy for anyone to pick up but at the same time are made more complex by the creativity of the game and how you interact with objects and your past selves.
Overall I loved this game and since the price can’t be beat how can you complain. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is a fan of puzzle games or just looking for some time to kill. This would be a great game for a handheld platform such as the PSP or Nintendo DS or even a downloadable console game. I would gladly pay five to ten dollars to be able to play this on my home console if they offered additional levels. There are 35 levels altogether with an additional 5 bonus levels made available as you progress to certain parts of the game. Also, if you play the game on Kongregate you also have the ability to earn achievement points as you play. There are four different achievements you can get for a total of 80 points, and if xbox 360 has taught us one thing, its who can really resist achievement points. So quit wasting your time reading this review and get out there and play some Chrontron.
