Gravulse Experimental

About

Gravulse Experimental is a single player puzzle game. It was developed by verkme and was released on December 20, 2020. It received neutral reviews from players.

Welcome to Gravulse, an innovative space curvature laboratory that tries to turn the laws of physics around, literally. Here you have to go through many test levels using various new technologies!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

57%

Audience ScoreBased on 53 reviews

graphics6 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game features a unique concept that combines gravity mechanics with puzzle-solving, offering a fresh take on the genre.
The level design is generally well thought out, providing a variety of challenges that gradually increase in difficulty.
The graphics are visually appealing, creating an engaging atmosphere that complements the gameplay.

The controls are frustratingly unresponsive, leading to frequent issues with movement and hit registration, which detracts from the overall experience.
The game lacks essential features such as customizable keybinds and a field of view slider, making it less accessible for some players.
Many puzzles rely on tedious platforming mechanics that can feel repetitive and frustrating, often requiring players to restart levels unnecessarily.

gameplay
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
74%
13%
The gameplay is heavily inspired by Portal, featuring engaging puzzles and unique mechanics like gravity manipulation and wall-walking, but it suffers from poor design choices and frustrating physics that detract from the experience. Players have noted issues with unclear mechanics, slow movement, and a lack of guidance, which can lead to confusion and frustration. While the core gameplay is enjoyable, many feel it is undermined by technical problems and a lack of depth, making it feel more like a demo than a complete game.
- “Awesome puzzles and fair gameplay.”
- “Lots of mechanics copied from Portal, but also some new ones that are cool.”
- “The gameplay itself is very much portal-inspired with a lot of the same or similar mechanics like cubes and light bridges, but also a lot of mechanics unique to the game, the main gimmick being you can magnetize to and walk on walls.”
- “Can't change keybinds, FPS capped to 60 in gameplay with no option to change that, random stutters, disorienting camera when flipping upside-down, movement is way too slow except if you try to bhop (so slow in fact that some jumps are almost impossible without bhopping) and some game mechanics don't get explained very well.”
- “All in all, it's a fun 3D platforming puzzle game that messes with gravity, but poorly introduces and teaches the player the game mechanics.”
story
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
62%
23%
The game is criticized for its lack of a story, with reviewers noting that it feels more like a demo than a complete product. Despite having potential for an engaging narrative, the absence of any storytelling or environmental context leaves players with only the puzzle-solving aspect to enjoy. Overall, the missed opportunity for a compelling story detracts from the game's experience.
- “However, the opportunity is missed; the concept behind this game could have been executed in a quality, story-enriched product.”
- “I would share the story behind this, like what kind of epic magnetic boots our hero is wearing, but unfortunately, the game doesn't have any story.”
- “This game is short and can be beaten in under an hour; given that and the survey at the end of the game, it is clear this is more of a demo for a potential sequel than a full complete game. Some sort of story would not go amiss.”
- “The only thing you can hope to enjoy in this game is puzzle solving, because the environmental storytelling simply does not exist in this game.”
- “The developers clearly have the skill to create a decent puzzle game spiced with some platforming elements, so a bit more creativity, additional levels, and a story with decent narration could have resulted in something we could call a new Portal or a new Turing Test.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
86%
14%
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their quality and appealing art style, though some users note that they can obscure important information. However, there are concerns that impressive visuals alone do not compensate for shortcomings in gameplay, and technical issues like darkness at lower resolutions have been reported. Overall, while the graphics are a highlight, they are not enough to elevate the game's overall experience.
- “The graphics in this game are really quite good, which at least makes the game look more appealing.”
- “And while it's vital for any game to have impressive visuals (gaming is a visual medium, after all), there's more to a game than just the graphics.”
- “The art style looks good, but it hides a lot of useful information.”
- “I edited the graphics and lowered the resolution using the ini file in localappdata, and the game was extremely dark for some reason.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization in the current demo is considered acceptable, but there is a clear expectation for improved performance in future projects.
- “This is, of course, fine for a demo, if that is even the case, but you should probably try to improve the performance in future projects.”
- “The optimization is lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “I encountered numerous bugs and performance issues that severely impacted my experience.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report significant stability issues, particularly at Level 25, where bugs and inconsistent mechanics detract from the overall experience, leading to frustration and a perception of unfairness.
- “Level 25 is a buggy, unfair experience, but the main issue is that none of the mechanics consistently work as intended.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to progress without losing progress.”
- “I encountered numerous glitches that disrupted gameplay, leading to a frustrating experience overall.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, with poorly designed levels that are difficult to navigate and puzzles that lack engagement. The slow pace and challenging physics sections contribute to a sense of monotony, making the experience feel more like a chore than enjoyable gameplay.
- “The levels are a bit tricky to read and tedious to navigate.”
- “Portal, but with terrible puzzles, tedious and slow as a turtle, which makes me fall asleep, along with frustrating physics and timing sections.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted for its subtlety and cleverness, often relying on situational comedy rather than overt jokes or characters delivering punchlines. Players appreciate the absence of typical comedic tropes, such as a constant wisecracking companion, which allows for a more immersive and nuanced experience. Overall, the humor is well-received for its originality and integration into the gameplay.