"Almost There: The Platformer" is a challenging precision-platformer where players navigate through dangerous obstacles and deadly traps. With minimalist art style and tight controls, the game tests your reflexes and strategic thinking across 150 levels. The goal is to reach the end of each level with maximum efficiency and speed, unlocking new characters and customizations along the way. However, 'almost there' might not be good enough.
The game offers a satisfying challenge with 155 levels that require precision and skill to complete, making it engaging for fans of hardcore platformers.
The minimalist art style and music create a charming atmosphere that complements the gameplay, allowing players to focus on the platforming mechanics.
The controls, while initially awkward, become responsive and enjoyable once mastered, providing a sense of accomplishment when completing levels.
The wall-jumping mechanic can feel unintuitive and frustrating, leading to inconsistent gameplay and making it difficult to navigate certain levels.
Many levels rely on tedious waiting for platforms to move, which disrupts the fast-paced nature of the game and can lead to boredom.
The tight time constraints for achieving higher star ratings can feel arbitrary and punishing, often resulting in frustration rather than satisfaction.
gameplay
87 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
73%
9%
The gameplay of "Almost There: The Platformer" is characterized by its basic mechanics, including wall jumping and air jumps, which can feel clunky and frustrating due to inconsistent physics and tight timing requirements. While some players appreciate the nostalgic platforming elements reminiscent of titles like Super Meat Boy, many criticize the controls as uncomfortable and the level design as repetitive and uninteresting. Overall, the game offers a straightforward experience that may appeal to fans of challenging platformers, but its execution leaves much to be desired, often leading to frustration rather than enjoyment.
“The controls and the gameplay are very polished.”
“The levels introduce new mechanics in smart ways so you never feel overwhelmed or stuck.”
“The gameplay is straightforward but, like with Super Meat Boy, the devil is in the details.”
“The inconsistency in gameplay mechanics further detracts from the experience.”
“The physics feels really awful, the wall jump mechanics are probably the worst I've ever seen, and a large portion of the level design is just uninteresting or annoying.”
“The wall sliding and jumping mechanics are what a lot of the game is built on, and they drag down the pace of the game greatly and just don't feel very fun.”
music
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
60%
12%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its energetic and enjoyable qualities, particularly in specific levels, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking variety, with only a few tracks available. Although the soundtrack is generally considered decent and fitting for the game's style, many feel it falls short compared to other titles in the genre, leading to a sense of monotony over time. Overall, while the music enhances the experience for some, it is seen as a missed opportunity for greater depth and variety.
“The music is energetic and suits the style of the game well.”
“Not only does this game look and play great, the music in it is great as well.”
“I really enjoyed this game for its catering to the casual player as well as the not-so-casual, the awesome music used in each tier.”
“Unfortunately, almost everything has very simple and repetitive visuals and music, especially compared to its contemporaries (Super Meat Boy and Celeste come to mind).”
“The soundtrack is boring and lazy.”
“The graphics are nothing but flat geometric shapes with flat colors, the soundtrack is repetitive, and the menus are basic rectangles straight out of Illustrator.”
graphics
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
71%
10%
The graphics of the game are predominantly described as minimalistic and simplistic, often lacking depth and character, which some players find unappealing compared to other platformers. While a few appreciate the clean aesthetic and clarity it provides for gameplay, many criticize the visuals as bland and repetitive, with a general consensus that they do not meet the standards expected for a paid title. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose but are often seen as a weak point in the game's overall experience.
“The graphics are minimalistic but beautiful.”
“The graphics are simple but do make it easy to tell what to do in each level.”
“Enjoying this game so far, it's my kinda jam :-) love the simple but pretty graphics too...”
“As you can see in the trailer, the visuals are as basic as you can get, and the gameplay itself isn’t much more inspired.”
“The minimalist graphics are just way beneath the minimum level of quality and content for a real game that people would seriously devote time to.”
“The graphics are nothing but flat geometric shapes with flat colors, the soundtrack is repetitive, the menus are basic rectangles straight out of Illustrator.”
story
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
46%
31%
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its absence, with many reviewers noting that it lacks any narrative or character development, reducing the experience to a straightforward platforming challenge. While some appreciate the simplicity, others feel that a minimal story could have enhanced engagement and provided a sense of reward for completing levels. Overall, the consensus is that the game suffers from a lack of meaningful storytelling, leaving it feeling bland and unmemorable.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“While I know story for a game like this isn't really a must, I would've appreciated even a simple story because the game does not reward you for finishing it.”
“Sometimes elaborate themes and story can be distracting, you know?”
“There is no story at all.”
“It doesn't have a story, it is just a simple straightforward platformer.”
“Its main problem is that the game has mostly no character to speak of, the graphics are android-like bland, soundtrack is average and, naturally, there's no plot or big rewards for completing levels, except unlocking more levels.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and frustrating, with many levels requiring repetitive actions that can be physically uncomfortable. Players note that achieving high scores often involves time-consuming and janky mechanics, leading to a lack of enjoyment. Overall, the game is recommended only for those who specifically enjoy challenging yet monotonous platformers, while others are advised to seek out more polished alternatives.
“Most levels in this game are just annoying, frustratingly tedious, or just bullshit.”
“Not to mention, getting the 3 stars in this game (which is beating the required time in each level) has proven to be quite tedious mainly because you have to spam left and right on the wall quite fast; it felt quite janky and might hurt your fingers too.”
“There are a great number of levels that are simply time-locked, where you have to wait for platforms to move tediously, some levels even taking over a minute due to this.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players finding it funny and engaging, particularly in comparison to challenging platformers like Super Meat Boy. However, some users feel that certain repetitive mechanics detract from the overall comedic experience. Overall, the game is praised for its humorous elements and appealing design.
“Almost There is a very funny and challenging platformer, comparable to Super Meat Boy but more forgiving.”
“Very good and funny platformer game with nice design.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
The game's optimization is generally stable, with no stuttering reported, despite its basic graphics and environment. However, the gameplay experience can feel lacking due to minimal challenges and an overemphasis on timing for performance evaluation.
“The graphics and environment were very basic, but there was no stuttering at all.”
“The graphics and environment were very basic, but there was no stuttering, at least.”
“You effectively spend 20 seconds riding a platform with minimal challenge, only for your performance to be judged by how well you time the final jump to the goal.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users generally feel that the game lacks significant replayability, with many expressing that there isn't enough incentive to continue playing after the initial experience.
“Though nothing huge, I don't see the replayability.”
“The game lacks incentives to replay, making it feel like a one-time experience.”
“After finishing the game, I found little reason to go back and play again.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express frustration with the game's mechanics, noting that minor missteps can lead to repeated failures, which can evoke feelings of anger and disappointment. This emotional response is heightened during intense moments, such as dodging obstacles, where the game's controls can feel punishing.
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization model is straightforward, resembling a mobile game without any advertisements, which contributes to a simple and user-friendly experience.
“Basically a mobile game but with no ads, simple.”
“The monetization model is fair and doesn't pressure you to spend money.”
“I appreciate that the game offers plenty of free content without forcing purchases.”