Never Give Up
- January 29, 2019
- Armor Games Studios
- 23h median play time
Good advice that can be very hard to follow at times in this challenging platformer.
Get on Steam"Never Give Up" is a tough-as-nails platformer that challenges players to overcome seemingly impossible obstacles and deadly traps. With over 150 levels, players guide a witty hero through a dark comedy kingdom, full of deadly devices and devious puzzles. The game features masochistic gameplay that encourages players to try, try again, and never give up.
Reviews
- The game features tight controls and a well-designed difficulty progression, making it both challenging and rewarding.
- It includes humorous dialogue and a fun art style, enhancing the overall experience.
- The 'give up' mechanic allows players to manage frustration, making the game more accessible while still providing a hardcore challenge.
- The game suffers from performance issues, including lag and bugs that can hinder gameplay.
- Some players find the controls to be awkward and unresponsive, particularly with wall-jumping mechanics.
- The humor and voice lines can be perceived as annoying or childish, detracting from the overall enjoyment for some players.
- humor9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its lighthearted and quirky jokes reminiscent of classic platformers. While some found the voice acting and comedic elements entertaining, others criticized the humor as obnoxious and the controls frustrating. Overall, the game balances dark and light humor effectively, contributing to an enjoyable experience.
“Very funny”
“The controls are tight, the jokes are pretty funny, and the game looks pretty good.”
“I also loved the cutscenes; the voice acting was funny and there is some sort of story going on.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by fast-paced, precision platforming reminiscent of Super Meat Boy, featuring challenging levels that can be replayed with increasing difficulty. Players appreciate the polished mechanics, tight controls, and engaging level design, although some note that the character movement feels slightly slower and heavier. Overall, the game is praised for its fun, challenging experience, with options to skip difficult levels and a strong emphasis on mastering the gameplay.
“I love the mechanic of making the same room more challenging every pass-through.”
“From the devs of Cult of the Lamb, this is a fast-paced side-scroller precision platformer with the same mechanics as Super Meat Boy, where you need to finish levels as fast as possible while dying from one hit. However, I found it to be more polished and enjoyable than I thought. It even gives you a choice to skip hard levels if you want and move on to the next one. Overall, it's very challenging to 100% but very fun to play; highly recommended to pick up on sale.”
“It is the epitome of a game that is easy to pick up and hard to master - 23 hours of gameplay in and I'm only up to 60% completion!”
“The main difference with SMB is that Blue feels somewhat slower and heavier, the wall-jumping mechanic is a bit awkward, and you cannot control the height of your jumps as precisely.”
“The wall-jumping mechanic is a bit awkward, and you cannot control the height of your jumps as precisely.”
“After that, Blue's movements feel very fluent, pleasant, and natural.”
- music7 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its upbeat yet relaxing quality, enhancing the overall experience even during challenging moments. Reviewers highlight the high quality of the soundtrack, noting that it complements the tight controls and engaging gameplay, making it a standout feature of the game.
“It's just a really good challenging platformer with tight controls and sweet music and pretty graphics. If you enjoy these kinds of games like I do, then get it, come on, do it!”
“Still an excellent soundtrack; neither exceeds the other as they're both high quality.”
“The banger soundtrack made dying a bunch not so bad!”
“The soundtracks are so different it's hard to compare; this is upbeat yet relaxing music to listen to while getting gibbed.”
- graphics7 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are highly praised for their beauty and polish, with many reviewers noting the impressive visuals and art style that enhance the overall experience. While there are limited settings for customization, the game's aesthetics, combined with tight controls and engaging level design, contribute to a visually appealing and enjoyable platforming experience. Overall, the graphics are considered a standout feature, surpassing those of similar titles.
“The team did an amazing job with the visuals, physics, story, and gameplay.”
“I am glad I did - the devs have put a lot of work into NGU and it shows in the well-constructed levels, beautiful visuals, and witty dialogue.”
“+ Cute and polished art style.”
“There are almost no settings (graphics, controls, etc.) to adjust, and certain keys are not remappable.”
- story3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The story is well-received, featuring engaging cutscenes and humorous voice acting that enhance the overall experience. While the basic story progression is considered easier than that of similar games like Meat Boy, it still provides a compelling narrative backdrop to the gameplay.
“The team did an amazing job with the visuals, physics, story, and gameplay.”
“I also loved the cutscenes; the voice acting was funny, and there is some sort of story going on.”
“The basic story progression is not as engaging as I expected, especially compared to other games like Meat Boy.”
“The narrative feels disjointed and lacks depth, making it hard to stay invested in the characters.”
“I found the story to be predictable and uninspired, failing to deliver any meaningful twists or emotional impact.”
- stability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game's stability is inconsistent; while some players report a smooth and responsive experience, others encounter significant bugs that hinder gameplay, making it unplayable for them.
“To be fair, I'm barely into the game (just reached the first boss), but it's great. The movement feels responsive and fluid, and the game runs smoothly.”
“The game is so buggy that I couldn't play it.”
“Frequent crashes make it impossible to enjoy the game.”
“I experienced constant lag and instability, which ruined the gameplay.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat challenging and occasionally tedious, yet they appreciate the abundance of content and replay value it offers, particularly for those aiming to improve their times.
“A bit tough and a tad bit tedious at times, but still an awesome game!”
“+ Lots of content, with heaps of replay value - grinding for faster times, etc.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it suffers from poor overall performance, it is specifically designed for speedrunning, encouraging players to complete levels at full speed for the best experience.
“Poor performance”
“Pro tip: this game is heavily optimized for speedrunning, so every level is easiest to beat at full speed ahead!”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by the frustration players feel when the mechanics don't align with their expectations, particularly in moments of precision like wall-jumping and double-jumping. This disconnect can lead to a sense of disappointment and impact the overall enjoyment of the gameplay experience.
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players highlight the game's extensive content and numerous challenges, contributing to its high replayability. Many enjoy the opportunity to improve their performance through time trials and other competitive elements, although some note that grinding can be a factor.
“There is a lot of content, with heaps of replay value - grinding for faster times, etc.”
“The game offers multiple paths and choices, making each playthrough feel unique.”
“With various difficulty levels and unlockable content, I find myself coming back for more.”
“There is a lot of content, but the replay value feels limited after a few runs.”
“While the game offers plenty of content, I found myself losing interest quickly after completing it once.”
“The gameplay is fun, but it lacks the depth needed for true replayability.”
