Publisher: XperimentalZ Games
Price: $2.99/£1.99
Genre: Side-Scroller Endless Runner
Fullscreen Support |
Mouse Support |
File Size |
Launch Date |
Required Specifications |
Yes |
All (Keyboard Control) |
57.1 MB——- |
27th April 2012 |
None Specified |
Rating
Pros: In a browser or your iPhone you might garner some enjoyment out playing Don’t Run with a Plasma Sword.
Cons: The graphics are terrible, as is the sense of depth, the ‘button mashing’ nature of the combat is repetitive and unchallenging.
Review
Don’t Run with a Plasma Sword is a 2D, fast-paced platformer. This genre is arguably the most fertile ground for small developers to thrive on, so it’s always disappointing when they look and play like a mediocre browser game, and sadly this isn’t even a browser game that I would recommend.
Perhaps the worst thing about Don’t Run with a Plasma Sword is the visual aspect of the game. Even when we look past the fact that there are absolutely no graphical settings, not even fullscreen or resolution options (but you can actually fullscreen the game using cmd F), the horrible sense of depth and unproportioned backdrops don’t complement the gameplay whatsoever. Not to mention that the floor is tilted towards the camera to give a sense of a 3D space and when you slide underneath an obstacle you don’t seem to be sliding underneath it, rather, through it.
The gameplay in Don’t Run with a Plasma Sword is what seems to me to be an attempt at evolving the more traditional controls in 2d platformers. Examples of this attempt would be the constant forward movement, the upgradable skill system and the fact that the only weapon at your disposal is a close-range sword.
The skill system works with the traditional method of earning XP and exchanging them in the in-game store for upgrades. The last and perhaps the most nonsensical part of the game are the enemies who are killed in one single hit to keep the pace of the game up. So all that is required to pass these enemies is to tap the right arrow key relentlessly, making the gameplay rather unchallenging.
Admittedly, the unlockables and power-ups present some replay ability to the game. You can change the character’s hair and clothes, change the colour of his sword and unlock new abilities. But no matter how many extra abilities, Don’t Run with a Plasma Sword is still a very limited experience you’re probably not going to thoroughly enjoy.
If you are looking to play a 2d platformer, I urge you to look elsewhere. Don’t Run with a Plasma Sword is a game below the acceptable standards of todays 2D games.
