Impulsion
- July 16, 2018
- Plug In Digital
- 80h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Impulsion" is a single-player shooter game with sensational gameplay that takes about 80 hours to beat. It features 25 challenging levels, a story mode with science-fiction elements and funny dialogues, as well as competitive and speedrun modes with Steam leaderboards. The game requires a 64-bit processor and operating system, 2 GB RAM, a Nvidia GTX 660 or equivalent, and 4 GB of available space.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features unique mechanics, particularly the forcefield gun, which adds a fresh twist to the platforming experience.
- Fast-paced gameplay with a good balance of challenge and satisfaction, making it enjoyable for speedrunning enthusiasts.
- Well-designed levels that gradually increase in difficulty, providing a rewarding experience for players who enjoy mastering their skills.
- The voice acting and dialogue can be annoying and repetitive, detracting from the overall experience.
- The game lacks a compelling story and puzzle-solving elements, making it feel more like a test of reflexes than a true puzzle platformer.
- Some players find the difficulty spikes and inconsistent mechanics frustrating, particularly in the later levels.
- gameplay31 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by smooth movement mechanics and a fast-paced platforming experience that combines elements of parkour and shooting. While the core mechanics, including the innovative forcefield gun, are enjoyable and easy to learn, some players noted a lack of depth in puzzle-solving elements and inconsistencies in obstacles. Overall, the game is praised for its addictive nature and potential for optimization, though it may benefit from further development and a more active community.
“A fast-paced puzzle platformer that doesn't overstay its welcome; Impulsion has a bit of a steep learning curve, but flows effortlessly once you get a feel for its mechanics.”
“One of the game's strengths is its fast-paced platformer gameplay that combines elements of parkour and first-person shooter genres.”
“The main selling point of the game is absolutely the gameplay, as it's the only thing that's truly worthwhile here.”
“One of the game's most significant drawbacks is its lack of puzzle-solving elements despite its aesthetic and game mechanics' similarity to those in Portal and Antichamber.”
“The gameplay is simple and easy to pick up, but my god, are some of the obstacles in the game inconsistent.”
“And on and on it goes without ever introducing any new mechanics past the 10-minute playtime mark.”
- story12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally criticized for being thin, confusing, and forgettable, with many reviewers noting that it lacks depth and meaningful progression. While some players found enjoyment in the science-fiction setting and witty dialogues, the overall voice acting and writing were deemed lackluster, often overshadowing the gameplay experience. Ultimately, the narrative serves more as a backdrop than a driving force, with many players feeling it could be easily ignored.
“The game's story mode features an intriguing science-fiction story filled with witty dialogues.”
“Well done dev team, I was blown away by the experience and story mode.”
“For me, I really enjoyed it.”
“There's no story to move forward, nothing to reward progress except access to newer, harder levels that look pretty much the same as the last one.”
“The voice acting and writing are lackluster, and the story is confusing and forgettable.”
“The story consists of 'robots get tested to do... something and you are now also tested for the same reason' - that's it.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's graphics, powered by the UE4 engine, are praised for their simplicity and quality, showcasing impressive level design and a cohesive art style. While the visuals are generally well-received, some reviewers noted a lack of variety in aesthetics. Overall, the graphics enhance the gameplay experience, contributing to a fun and challenging FPS platformer.
“The game's graphics, which use the UE4 engine, are simple but great, and the soundtrack is enjoyable, especially for those who like DnB and electronic music.”
“Amazing level design and the art style is nice.”
“Overall a very fun and challenging FPS platformer, the graphics also look really good and it runs very well!”
“One of the game's most significant drawbacks is its lack of puzzle-solving elements despite its aesthetic and game mechanics' similarity to those in Portal and Antichamber.”
“The game's graphics utilize UE4's potential better than UE4's own tech demos.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is initially engaging, particularly through the sassy narrator's commentary, which players find amusing at first. However, the repetitive nature of the voice lines leads to diminishing returns, causing the humor to become stale and annoying over time. Overall, while there are moments of genuine wit, the limited variety ultimately detracts from the comedic experience.
“Which is funny due to the fact that I love skill-based movement in video games.”
“Also, the sassy narrator is really funny the first 10 times you hear him when you die, but after a while, it's just the same voice lines over and over again.”
“He had the potential, but his voice lines aren't that funny and there are so few that they get repeated every time you die.”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's soundtrack is enjoyable, particularly for fans of drum and bass and electronic music, enhancing the overall experience. However, some players suggest muting the game and playing their own music as an alternative.
“The game's graphics, which use the UE4 engine, are simple but great, and the soundtrack is enjoyable, especially for those who like DnB and electronic music.”
“The soundtrack is quite good if you like DnB / electronic music.”
“But that can always be remedied by muting the game and listening to music in the background.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is primarily driven by its speedrunning aspect, allowing players to compete for better times and leaderboard positions. However, the limited content of only 25 levels slightly restricts overall replay value, making it more appealing for those focused on achieving records rather than exploring diverse gameplay.
“Additionally, the game's content is limited, with only 25 levels, and its replay value comes mainly from speedrunning.”
“Super fun to speedrun and go for records, although replayability is slightly limited.”
“It is addicting going for better times and better slots on the leaderboards; this gives the game so much replay value.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find that grinding is a significant aspect of the game, particularly in later levels where difficulty spikes require extensive practice and repetition. While this can lead to frustration due to the high number of deaths, many appreciate the adrenaline rush and sense of achievement that comes from mastering individual levels and improving speedrun times.
“Some parts of the later levels are stupidly difficult and can only be beaten through hundreds of deaths and hours of grinding.”
“Grinding for good times on individual levels as well as the entire speedrun is challenging and gives you a good adrenaline rush.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Overall, players report a stable experience with no significant glitches or unfair deaths, attributing failures to personal mistakes rather than technical issues. However, some levels, particularly level 25, present unique challenges that can lead to increased difficulty and more frequent deaths.
“I didn't notice any unfair deaths or glitches; every death is your own fault. It's easier if you go in knowing the routes. I died many more times on level 25 than on any other level combined (those damn fans). I got in the top 100,000, where most of my runs in other levels were well up in the 4 digits.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it frustrating to progress. I lost several hours of gameplay due to these stability issues.”
“I experienced constant lag and frame drops, especially during intense moments. It really detracted from the overall experience.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is highly praised, with users reporting excellent performance that allows mid-tier GPUs to achieve frame rates exceeding 120 fps.
“Performance is great; any mid-tier GPU should be able to push above 120 FPS.”
“The game runs smoothly even on lower-end hardware, making it accessible to a wider audience.”
“I appreciate the extensive graphics settings that allow for fine-tuning performance based on my system's capabilities.”
