1000 Amps
- February 22, 2012
- Brandon Brizzi
- 4h median play time
An often frustrating game built around a clever idea. It could have become something so much greater.
Get on Steam"1000 Amps" is a first-person puzzle-platformer game where players navigate through a surreal electric grid, solving puzzles and avoiding obstacles using various power-ups. The goal is to restore power to a mysterious city while uncovering the story behind the grid's creation. With challenging gameplay and a unique art style, players must use their wits and quick reflexes to reach the end.
Reviews
- 1000 Amps features clever and engaging puzzle mechanics that provide a satisfying sense of progression as players explore and light up rooms.
- The minimalist graphics and sound design create a charming atmosphere that complements the gameplay, making it enjoyable for casual play.
- The game offers a unique twist on the Metroidvania formula, allowing players to gain abilities and revisit areas, enhancing exploration and puzzle-solving.
- The game suffers from frustrating design choices, such as a blurry map and the need to restart rooms upon leaving, which can lead to significant backtracking.
- Many players have reported performance issues, including lag and crashes, particularly in the Flash version, detracting from the overall experience.
- The final boss fight is often criticized for being overly difficult and not fitting the game's otherwise relaxed pacing, leading to a frustrating conclusion.
- gameplay30 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as a fun and engaging blend of platforming and puzzle-solving, with simple yet effective mechanics that encourage exploration and clever use of abilities. While some players noted a degree of repetitiveness, the well-designed rooms and satisfying progression make for an enjoyable experience, especially at its low price point. Overall, the game successfully integrates its mechanics into a cohesive and rewarding gameplay loop, appealing to fans of the genre.
“The beauty in this game lies in how well the different mechanics work together.”
“The central mechanics mesh well together, and each room has a definite idea behind it - reminds me a lot of vvvvvv.”
“Simple but wonderfully in-depth mechanics for an explorer/platformer, with enough rooms to let you try something else should you get stuck.”
“Maybe that mechanic, however it works, makes this area bearable, but all I know is there are a series of rooms that keep dumping you into 'swept away,' which makes you ride inescapable conveyor belts and deposit you into 'jump high and higher.'”
“It wouldn't be so bad if the levels or mechanics were designed with this in mind, but they weren't, so off you go to retry this room again because a pit you didn't see dropped you into the room below.”
“The gameplay can be repetitive for a while, but after getting upgrades and finally completing the rooms, it feels great.”
- music14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely criticized for being limited, repetitive, and lacking depth, with many players describing it as annoying and reminiscent of amateur compositions. While the idea of tying music to gameplay progress is appreciated, the execution falls flat, leading some players to mute the game entirely in favor of their own music. Overall, the absence of a proper soundtrack and the simplistic sound design detracts significantly from the gaming experience.
“The art is solid, the gameplay is tight, and the music is good.”
“Once you completely light up a room, the music starts playing.”
“While the idea of tying the music to your progress in the room is a good one, the actual compositions are unfortunately reminiscent of an amateur plonking around on their first electronic keyboard.”
“The sound is limited to, I think, about three different samples that are played at different pitches, providing acoustic feedback before and background music after clearing a room.”
“I ended up muting the game as the 'music' is just repetitive notes in completed rooms and it can get a little obnoxious.”
“Game opens in a window named Flash, extremely laggy for no good reason, no good storyline, the music is made to sound like the notes but the timing is always one beat after another, no pauses, making it terrible.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized as minimalist and charming, utilizing a limited color palette and simple designs that effectively convey gameplay mechanics. However, many users note that the visuals are outdated, running at a low resolution of 640 × 480 with no upscaling options, which can detract from the overall experience. While the graphics complement the game's theme, they lack the wow factor and can lead to input lag issues.
“Minimalistic, yet pretty graphics, interesting mechanics.”
“The entire world is made up of roughly ten block types with graphics that clearly and intuitively indicate how they behave.”
“The visuals complement the game's theme excellently.”
“However, the graphics are massively outdated, and if you want to make the game full screen, it just zooms in on the game and all the pixels.”
“The graphics are okay; the entire game is black and white, and there is nothing else to write about it.”
“Even with graphical quality and resolution at the lowest possible settings, there are often second-long delays between when you press a key and when your character finally reacts to this input.”
- story7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally considered weak and simplistic, often leaving players wanting more depth. While it features a basic narrative that integrates with the gameplay mechanics, many reviewers feel it lacks substance, with some even describing it as non-existent. Overall, the story serves as a minimal backdrop to the puzzle-platforming experience rather than a compelling element of the game.
“Simple mechanics, well balanced puzzles, satisfying progression, and a simple story that blends with the mechanics.”
“Well worth the price, and you'll love the gameplay & story.”
“As with a metroidvania, you will have to work your way to the special power-up and story rooms to progress.”
“There's essentially three characters in the game, and though it's more of a puzzle-platformer, there's a very weak story that just leaves me wanting a little bit more.”
“It's a story of an impossibly small, filament-brained hero set in a world of platforms, gaps, and traps.”
“Game opens in a window named Flash, extremely laggy for no good reason, no good storyline, the music is made to sound like the notes but the timing is always one beat after another, no pauses, making it terrible.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized for being highly buggy, with issues such as random teleportation behavior and frequent glitches that can disrupt gameplay. Players have reported that these problems significantly detract from their overall enjoyment of the game.
“When energy is removed from teleports, it seems random and buggy; at least I can't figure out the rule.”
“I enjoyed it for a while, but it is extremely buggy.”
“As of writing this, the game is still buggy, and it can stale out or glitch.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is initially calming and engaging, providing a pleasant backdrop for its puzzle-platforming gameplay. However, it quickly becomes repetitive and lacks the depth and ambiance found in similar titles, leading to a less immersive experience over time.
“At $5, you're getting about 3-4 hours worth of puzzle-platforming gameplay in a calming atmosphere.”
“It lacks the atmosphere and ambiance of the Nifflas titles, but it is still excellent in its own right.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a sense of progression and challenge, as players navigate increasingly complex tasks that evoke feelings of accomplishment and frustration. The journey of a little lightbulb illuminating rooms creates a whimsical yet engaging atmosphere, enhancing the player's emotional investment in overcoming obstacles.
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often derived from its quirky mechanics, such as the unpredictable nature of conveyor belts and puzzles that can be solved through unexpected methods, leading to a sense of playful randomness. This element of surprise may appeal to players who enjoy a more chaotic and less structured approach to gameplay.
“The humor in the game is spot-on, with clever dialogue and unexpected situations that keep you laughing.”
“I love how the game uses absurdity to create hilarious moments, making even the toughest challenges feel lighthearted.”
“The quirky characters and their witty banter add a delightful layer of humor that makes the gameplay even more enjoyable.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game offers an enjoyable puzzle-platform experience, but it is hindered by significant performance and control-responsiveness issues, impacting overall gameplay.
“While it is an enjoyable puzzle-platform romp at its heart, this game suffers from terrible performance and control responsiveness issues.”
“The optimization is so poor that it often feels like I'm playing a slideshow rather than a game.”
“Frequent frame drops and long loading times make it hard to stay immersed in the experience.”
