BLACKHOLE
- May 18, 2015
- FiolaSoft Studio
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Get on itch.io Store"BLACKHOLE is a single-player comedy platformer game with an amazing story, fantastic gameplay, sensational graphics, and stunning music. After crash-landing on Entity, a black hole's object, the coffee-making crew member and AI Auriel embark on a mission to fix their spaceship, rescue survivors, and shut the black hole. The game features vibrant locations, including colorful caves, an ancient civilization's lost city, and a living jungle, with gravity-changing level designs."
Mac OS
PC
Playstation 4
Windows
Xbox One
Linux
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- Challenging puzzles that make you think.
- Interesting sci-fi story with fun characters.
- Tons of rewarding exploration.
- Platforming is slippery and floaty.
- Difficulty could turn off casual gamers.
- Gravity-swapping mechanic doesn't evolve much throughout.
- story157 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally regarded as engaging and filled with humor, featuring interesting plot twists and well-developed characters, which enhance the overall experience. However, some players find the storytelling inconsistent, with excessive dialogue and cutscenes that can detract from gameplay, leading to mixed feelings about its depth and pacing. Overall, while the narrative may not be groundbreaking, it effectively adds purpose and cohesion to the gameplay, making it a notable aspect of the game.
“My favorite 2D hardcore platformer with a very interesting story, plot twists, funny characters, awesome soundtracks, a free DLC right after the main game, and more side-quests/achievements which can be really challenging to find out how to complete them. 10/10”
“The story starts a little bland, but I found myself interested in it later on, and I really enjoyed the ending.”
“An engaging story: believable sci-fi, good jokes, multilingual, perfect voice acting, subtitles.”
“Endless dialogue and cut-scenes, even when you choose the 'minimal story' setting.”
“The story is very weak and drowned out by massive amounts of dialogue that don't move the plot forward at all.”
“I played this game for an hour or more and after the lengthy introduction - I found I didn't care about the world or the story or the attempts at humor.”
- gameplay151 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a central gravity manipulation mechanic that introduces unique challenges and puzzles, but it suffers from inconsistent controls and a lack of clear explanations for some mechanics, leading to frustration among players. While the initial levels are engaging and set up the mechanics well, the difficulty ramps up significantly, often relying on precision and trial-and-error, which can deter casual gamers. Overall, the game offers a mix of charm and challenge, but its convoluted mechanics and tedious level design may leave some players feeling overwhelmed.
“The gameplay provides unique twists on the genre, primarily through the use of gravity platforms that rotate the screen.”
“The core puzzle mechanic involves gravity platforms which reorient the level, making the walls and ceiling your 'floor' and altering how you traverse your surroundings.”
“I think it is absolutely lovely, I enjoyed the narration as well as the arcade + puzzle gameplay that introduces new elements with each stage.”
“Couldn't bring myself to keep playing as the gameplay and world/level structure is just so convoluted.”
“Having played it for 2-3 hours, its mechanics seem completely broken.”
“The game also requires you to just *know* some of the mechanics without any explanation.”
- music72 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising the soundtrack as catchy and well-suited to the game's atmosphere, while others find it repetitive or less satisfying in certain levels. Overall, players appreciate the integration of music with gameplay, noting that it enhances the experience, although some express a desire for more variety. Despite some criticisms, the soundtrack is often highlighted as a strong point, contributing to the game's overall appeal.
“The graphics provide a smooth and undistracting canvas for the uniquely sculpted landscape, and the music perfectly fits the mood of each level.”
“The soundtrack is amazing and flows with the game.”
“The artwork and music are fantastic to look at and to listen to.”
“One level has the music cut out for a solid 20 seconds before looping.”
“- the soundtrack is ok, I love the main theme, but it seems prevalent in every song in different flavors and as such gets a bit dull over time.”
“- music is a mixed bag.”
- graphics66 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their quality and artistic style, with many reviewers highlighting the visuals as a strong point. However, some players find the graphics to be repetitive and lacking in variety, suggesting that while the art is appealing, it could benefit from more diversity in design. Overall, the game features well-rendered 2D graphics that complement its engaging gameplay and soundtrack.
“The graphics provide a smooth and undistracting canvas for the uniquely sculpted landscape, and the music perfectly fits the mood of each level.”
“With sharp graphics, tight controls, and a pumpin' soundtrack, it's hard to not like this game unless you really aren't a fan of platformers that challenge your brain and reflexes a bit.”
“The graphics and art style are great.”
“Also, the graphics are repetitive and boring.”
“Graphics are meh.”
“There is no way a game with graphics like this could weigh 1.1 GB, unless they packaged super high-res sprites and textures that, frankly, are really not needed for the purpose of a game like this.”
- humor56 mentions
- 93 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The humor in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the funny dialogues, sarcastic writing, and cultural references, while others feel the jokes often fall flat or try too hard to be funny. Many noted that the humor can feel forced, with some comparing it to low-quality comedic writing. Overall, while there are moments of genuine humor, the execution is inconsistent, leading to a divided reception among players.
“The game is full of humor and biting sarcasm.”
“The story itself is fun and filled with humor, sarcasm, and more than a few cultural references.”
“Game is original and funny and entertains from its beginning intro.”
“The AI jokes try too hard, and therefore are not funny.”
“It's not funny or interesting.”
- grinding12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that while the game features clever mechanics and a mix of puzzles and platforming, the grinding aspect can become tedious and frustrating due to increasingly complex levels and precise mechanics. Players often feel that the difficulty stems more from the grind than from engaging gameplay, leading to mixed feelings about the overall experience. However, some players find that persevering through the grind can ultimately lead to a more rewarding experience.
“It seems to me like the reason this game is touted as difficult is not because of clever level layout or clever use of mechanics; it is because the levels grow bigger and more tedious as time goes on, and the mechanics get more and more precise without the physics and fluid gameplay to back it up.”
“After grinding through the game, I will change my review from negative to positive, but just barely.”
“That experience was at once less painful, less tedious and more rewarding than playing this game.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report that the game's challenging mechanics, such as precise timing and memorization of layouts, can lead to intense frustration and emotional distress, with some expressing feelings of hopelessness and self-harm. The difficulty often results in a sense of failure that can be overwhelming, highlighting the game's emotional impact on players.
“This game literally made me feel like self harming.”
“I don't mean that this game made me feel like I needed to self harm.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Replayability in the game is a mixed bag; while it offers numerous achievements and a leaderboard for speedrunners, the core enjoyment stems from puzzle-solving, which may limit replay value for some players. However, the vast world and extensive content provide opportunities for completionists to invest significant time, with many players finding value in revisiting the story. Overall, the game is considered affordable and offers a lengthy experience, making it worthwhile for those who appreciate its replayable elements.
“The game has lots of achievements for completionists and features a leaderboard of times for each level for speedrunners, providing ample replayability.”
“Replayability is somewhat limited, as most of the fun comes from solving the puzzles, but there's plenty of content in this vast world that I would probably need at least another 20 hours or more to reach 100% game completion.”
“The replayability is limited, but some people will definitely enjoy watching the story once again.”
“The game is cheap, and gameplay is quite long, especially if you struggle, but the replayability is not very high.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users consistently highlight the game's atmosphere as pleasant and engaging, contributing positively to the overall experience.
