Reviews for Fixation

[Krail]

......huh...
So.... does the title refer to Jack's fixation on Kathryn?
I didn't notice the subtitle, so I didn't realize it was a prequel for The Company of Myself until I read some of the reviews about halfway through the game. (goes to show, you can't trust people you meet suddenly in the sewers)

So, yeah, I thought this was a really cool game. A solid puzzle-platformer with a good art style and great music. The smoke and dust effects were fantastic.
Most of all, I thought it was an excellent evolution of the previous game. I thought that The Company of Myself felt like a really interesting experiment, and I feel like Fixation goes beyond being an experiment. You did a lot more, and more interesting things with the idea of level design as metaphor and character development; enough that I actually want to go back through the game and really pick at what you were getting at in some of the levels. The AI controlled co-op is a really cool idea, and I think it does a really good job of getting across the idea of doing things together with people. I thought it was especially strong when you had that awkward uncomfortable moment where Thomas shows up and helps you through a level, and then you contrast that with Jack.

To me, a lot of puzzle platformers feel just like taking a stroll and mulling over my thoughts, so I really enjoy the sort of every-day meandering thoughts tone that you gave to this.

The story felt a little disjointed at times, and I think you should have done something to better get across the passage of time (although at certain points it seemed like confusion over time might be what you were going for?). The character development felt a little weak in some places (and the character introductions all felt a bit too blunt except for Thomas), but at the same time, there were places where you did cool and interesting things with it. In particular I think you could have done just a little more to get across Jack's mental instability.

I think my biggest criticism is that I didn't quite feel the connection with Henry. The way the levels were set up it felt kinda like there had just been one extended conversation with him. I think I would have mixed up the levels a bit more. Introduce the "worlds" as different concepts, then throw in the different kinds of levels where they make sense. So maybe you have a few levels with Henry where you're chatting, and then a level at the house with Penelope and Thomas where yo use things you learned with Henry, followed by a level in the sewers. Then the next time we see Henry we're talking about and reflecting on something that just happened (and maybe we find a better solution to one of the puzzles we just faced), and you get more of a feeling like Kathryn has been seeing him for some time and their conversations are integrated with the rest of her life.

So... yeah, I guess that's the main suggestion I have. You have these "worlds" defined by a certain mood, bundled up all together all at once. You should mix the levels more and let the changing of the moods and mindsets from level to level tell more of the story.

Great stuff! I hope to see you guys do more stuff like this.

FreeAsANerd responds:

Yeah, I considered switching back and forth between settings inside chapters for a while, but with the settings representing different mindsets, I couldn't make it make enough sense to be worth it.

Thanks for the review!

[TenebraeUbr]

This one surprised me, I loved the art of the cutscenes, and the premise was good. the puzzles were quite challenging. Quite a shock once the one character revealed his trick. It may be a good idea to mention that double jumping is possible; some players cannot seem to notice this.

FreeAsANerd responds:

Thanks!

And about the double jump: I figured that it's a standard enough platformer move that people would just try it on their own, and if you're not willing to experiment, this is the wrong game to be playing. I got a few bad reviews from folks who got stuck there, but honestly...that's kind of okay with me in this context.

[RYNOL]

Absolutely beautiful game. I really enjoyed playing it. I highly suggest that anyone who hasn't done so yet though play through The Company of Myself. The last stage had a very deep impact on the player if they recognized it. The puzzles were really good for the most part and the story was very good and emotional as well. The music in this game was just fantastic. Regarding the gameplay though, it's really annoying when you have to time things right sometimes. It's annoying when you know what to do in a puzzle game but can't really do it. The gameplay is much more suited for a slow pace rather than having to hurry through things. Also, as I mentioned, the story is really good and I thought the addition of those cutscenes was really nice. However, I don't think the story was too well explained in some parts and could've used more interaction between Kathryn and Jack. But all in all, the game did what it set out to do. While the dialogue could be cumbersome at times, it definitely added a lot to the story. I really did experience some emotions in this game and I thank you for that. Although it has its flaws, the game is too good overall.

FreeAsANerd responds:

Thanks so much! That's a very insightful review you've got there.

I'm slowly learning just how much people can dislike timing challenges...it's tougher than I expected to avoid them completely, though.

[Migulao]

The only game where smoking SAVES your life!

[Grimrider]

SPOILERS, I guess...

I have to congratulate you. Even though I knew it was a prequel to TCOM, I got wrapped up in the story so much I forgot where it was all destined to lead. Even when the guy did his "magic trick", I didn't catch on. Only when I went through the mechanics of the last level, saw myself on that platform... it all hit me like a ton of bricks just as he hit the switch. Well done. I was floored.

That being said, I thought the ending slideshow lacked something. There was no sense of the closure, the look on his face seemed off. I don't know how to describe it except to say that it was just... lacking something. The ton seemed wrong in the last stretch.

Aside from that, it was genius. The conversations were absorbing, and in spite of how simple and basic the events in the characters' lives were, I found myself involved with them and caring about what happened to them all. I guess it really is true... it's not just the story that matters, but how you tell it. Congratulations on a job well done, sir.