If you read my reviews regularly, you know I like to start off with a bottom-line typically geared to let folks know whether or not a game is worth purchasing. If you’ll indulge me, I’d like to break with tradition with this review. In the spirit of full disclosure and critical integrity I’d like you to know I was given a copy of Avatar Trials: Ninja Uprising for free by one of the game’s developers.
With the administrivia out of the way, let’s jump in:
Simply put, Avatar Trials is a third-person, speed-running platformer designed by a small band of undergraduate students from the University of Utah as their capstone project. You run and jump your way through three levels that increase in difficulty and complexity as you go.
Since Mario 64 I have argued that platformers do not belong in 3D space. Unfortunately, Avatar Trials did not do much to change my feelings on the subject. Judging depth is supremely difficult from the first-person perspective in games–let alone in third-person. Much of the difficulty found in Avatar Trials centers on this issue. While the latter two levels are quite challenging in and of themselves, You’ll find yourself frustrated more than once when you fall into the ocean (or lava) because you couldn’t judge the distance of your jump properly. This issue is further exacerbated by a few instances of the camera wigging out on you during jumps in tight space.
But before you dismiss Avatar Trials completely, I want to point its good qualities that give me hope for its developers’ future works. Even though you’ll find some of the trial and error tedious and frustrating, it will serve as an excellent teacher for the latter, more difficult parts of levels two and three. I was really pleased that the developers actually designed multiple ways to clear the challenges present throughout each level. I figured out tricks while playing that I’m not even sure they developed on purpose. I love when a game has that kind of freedom to explore built into its mechanics. These elements showed the developers’ keen understanding of robust design and how to encourage players to play in a way that suits them. I can think of countless big-budget games that failed in this area and I really want to applaud these folks for their effort in this regard.
In addition to the interesting level design, the team also tossed in some excellent comic relief delivered by way of an on-screen dragon that pops up when you die. This dragon laughs at your death and then insults you. Some of his ‘kick-a-man-while-he’s-down’ one-liners were actually pretty funny.
Overall, Avatar Trials is a tough game to recommend for purchase. Not because it lacks quality, but because it’s three-levels short and little more than a speed-run platformer with no other action involved. Avatar Trials felt more like a solid proof of concept than a full-fledged game. On the flip side, if you dig speed-running platformers, Avatar Trials is only a buck. With that said, I’m very happy that I got the chance to play and review Avatar Trials Ninja: Uprising and I’m optimistic about what the future holds for our fellow geeks from Utah. If you get the chance, check out their Facebook Page and show them some love.
