Teslagrad, developed by Rain Games, is a 2D puzzle
platformer with no dialogue or text but somehow still manages to tell a very
interesting story. It’s a game that pretty much does everything well. Its
mechanics stand up extremely well in a modern environment, its art direction is
gorgeous and the music subtle, but gives an extra dimension of realism to the
title. It’s a game that I would recommend to seasoned gamers only however, as
it does have its own flaws.
Teslagrad is set in a steampunk-inspired universe with an
overall feeling of old Mother Russia. You control a nameless young boy who must
escape the grasp of villains who are out to capture him. Your escape brings you
to Tesla Tower, a mysterious structure with even more mysterious goings on. As
you delve further and further into the game you will unravel a story of an
ancient king and his reign and discover the true power of the tower you are
ascending.
Teslagrad’s mechanics are where the real meat of the game is.
Borrowing influences from Nikola Tesla, as the name of the game would suggest,
Teslagrad provides a unique skill set for your character. You’ll be given a
short dash ability along with a magnetic switch that can make certain blocks
fill with positive or negative energy, unusual mechanics, but handled very well
in this environment. Its learning curve is smooth due to the steady nature of unlocking
of new abilities. Eventually, you’ll be handling puzzles with no obvious route
to victory except by embracing and using all the abilities you’ll be handed. Its
flow through the world is structured enough without feeling linear and you
always feel that there is a solution to the puzzle you are presented with. It
doesn’t cheat you into thinking something is right when it is not, however, it
will not hold your hand either, expecting you to think and calculate a solution
before putting it into action. One wrong jump or button press though and you
could die very easily. Teslagrad does not implement a health system, so you're
once and done. Granted it will place you back at the beginning of the room and
you have infinite lives! This mechanic doesn't help in the slightest when
facing the games bosses.
The bosses in Teslagrad will show no mercy! Mechanically
they are almost perfectly tuned. Each boss is almost a skill test to ensure you
have fully understood your most recently acquired ability, each boss is completely
unforgiving. Teslagrad does not work on any sort of health system. Its one hit
kills, an almost sadistic facet of your character. You will die to the bosses,
a lot. Even if it is just to figure out their mechanics and weaknesses. They
are beautifully crafted and fit into their own unique environment, a highlight
of the game, but sometimes almost too overtuned. This is my main concern with
the game, these bosses can almost wall off the experience to lesser competent
gamers. I almost got to the point of sheer frustration, I was close on several
occasions but being a Super Meat Boy lover I tapped into that pool of perseverance
and pushed on. I'd be concerned that players will miss out on this game based
on the boss fights. When vanquished, you will earn a sense of accomplishment.
To be fair, also, when you take a look at the main protagonist you’d expect him
to struggle in fights to the death!
Aesthetically it is beautiful, it has that “indie” feel to
the art style but still manages to feel its identity and the animations are
perfectly smooth and enjoyable. The character designs are perfect for the
setting, they complement the backdrops and surrounding world beautifully and on
the topic of the hand drawn backgrounds these are equally impressive. The
characters give it a nostalgic feel yet you not to the point where the
developer has felt the need to bring it right back to 16bit. The steampunk
theme is also adapted well, nothing feels out of place and any NPCs, with the
exclusion of bosses, are charming and not threatening. I can’t levy any criticism
on the art team, they've done a wonderful job, and keep those cogs turning!
Likewise with the music of the title, Teslagrad has a wide
range of styles, from orchestral vibes mixed with Russian folk influences to
the almost dubstep-like end boss theme, Teslagrad has the lot. It doesn't
scream out for attention, it's pretty happy to sit back and let you play the
game and I didn't stop and think “what is going on with this music!?” It feels
like it belongs, regardless of the context but a perfect example of why music
for games should be wrote for the content that it is being delivered in!
All things considered, Teslagrad is a lovely little gem of a
game, it will keep you entertained for numerous hours, the difficulty and
uniqueness will keep veterans entertained and if you don't fall into this
category but can find the patience to work with the game you will be rewarded
in kind. Without spoilers, take it from me that it has replayability and the
story does leave some open ended questions which add an additional layer to the
onion that is this game! You will enjoy this, go and get it!
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