not bad
Reviews for "TimeLine Runner"
it was better when you use the keyboard
Alright, I don't understand this game.
Is it an art game? It has all the markings of wanting to be one. The music, the time manipulation mechanic, and the great drawings.
Is it a challenge game? It has the telltale mark of that, too. A difficulty curve so steep it has an overhang.
If it's supposed to be an art game, then the challenge needs to be engaging, without being obstructive. clear some hurdles, duck an arrow, not this.. weaving through needle-like gaps in geometries and volleys of oncoming archery. And I've only gotten as far as 781. The 100 years back thing seemed awesome at first, but then it felt like it was far too much later on, when I spent 10 tries trying to make it past 781, with no progress at all. That and discovering that the words "1st century" were collision objects made me pull my hair.
If it's supposed to be a challenge game, then do away with the checkpoint, or at least make it toggle-able. That and tighten controls down. Make a three speed run rather than a sliding scale, same with jumps, make four-six levels of jump height. This will make it easier to map out obstacles, so that I'm not losing 98 years of timeline because I was a hair too slow and a hair too shallow on jumps that are hard to measure out and so difficult to gauge. This made me tear hair out in bloody clumps.
In general, the things that worked were the visual aesthetic, The simple drawings that contained each a few frames of still animation made it feel alive, even with mechanical movements. The music sounded nice, and was calming. It all made me want more.
What killed the game, KILLED it, I say... was the indecision between art and challenge, the controls themselves. Where I had to measure out a jump height just seconds before it was made, regardless of whether or not I released the button, the inability to change speed mid-jump or mid-slide, The fact that the music tied so close to the speed, making it aggravating to listen to certain parts unless the speed was in the green zone, and the utter lack of consistency in control feel. I could jump, planting my cursor in the same spot, where I wanted my head to be at the apex, and get two different jumps, depending on whether or not I clicked at the floor (making Sticklyman jump high, killing me) or above his head (making him jump low, same result.) And keyboard controls didn't help the matter. Honestly, I think a better scheme would have been to stick with keyboard, with three or four jump buttons, a slide button, and a speed up and slow down button.
Long story short? You got lightning here, but haven't bottled it. What the game needs is some more structure in controls, to pick a side on the art/challenge spectrum and go for it a little more deeply, and some general cleaning. Seriously, the music nut in me went apeshit at not only the tempo slides, but the altogether stops every time I jumped. Fix it.
Short story short? Good game, fix control structure, do something with the challenge level, wipe dirt.
Short short story short? 7/10 Needs improvement
I'd keep going, but I'm already beating a dead horse here.
Pretty fun, but challenging. Idk if it is my browser, but there is some lag and a weird buzzing noise.
The controls are a little bit sticky at times, and a little unresponsive also. Still, the presentation is good with nice graphics and a soothing soundtrack that I can't get enough of. I'd probably enjoy this game more on a touch screen where I can use my finger to control, rather than fumble around with my mouse. In the end, a nice idea that was quite well done, good job.