Pixel Punishment++

Demetri – Spawned from from the Flash-enabled browsers of millennial youths, to the upper echelon of Xbox Live Arcade, to an era where being on Steam meant something, always improving, never sitting still until it touched the infinite.

N++ is what happens when developers hone their blades down to the micron. Its depths are inviting, never pulling its players under involuntarily, yet perilously deep should they choose to dive in. Few games are so carefully designed to induce flow, and almost none offer N++‘s seemingly endless level list. If this game gets its hooks in you, if the greed has reached your marrow, you may never leave. This game fucking rules.

Kyle – Toeing the line between air-tight designed genius and frustrating foray into one team’s near 2 decade swansong, N++ is as divisive as it is fascinating. This 2D platformer will give you as little or as much as you want in your level.  All that is asked of you is to hit a switch and leave the level in one piece, or test your mettle for all the sweet gold that is surrounded by a cacophony of deadly contraptions looking to split your ninja in two, or three, or six pieces.  And boy, this game has me in the mental splits.

I can fully attest that this game is impeccably made and will host a particular brand of sickos to answer the call of all the challenges, hidden or expected, that are available for capture; but man this game just does not speak to me.  Maybe it’s my old(er) age or distinct lack of being able to handle bullshit even if it’s designed with intent, but my hours on this game will be low for a reason.  Sez can keep the 100+ hours he slapped onto this, I’m on to the next one.