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| While the visuals are simple in Refunct they are also appealing |
- Reviewed by: Mark Goninon
- Developer: Dominique Grieshofer
- Publisher: Dominique Grieshofer
- Release Date: 16 October 2015
- Time played: 25 minutes
I managed to get this game quite recently as it was part of the "Humble Overwhelmingly Positive Bundle". You see, what Humble Bundle was referring to in that title is the fact that the most highly acclaimed games on Steam are given a rating of "Overwhelmingly Positive" which usually means the game has an average rating of 90%+ and a considerable number of players have rated the game. Now, I'm one of those people that tends to be a bit wary of Steam user ratings since there's been plenty of occasions where I actually like a game but the Steam user rating doesn't reflect this or vice versa (i.e. a game is considered "Overwhelmingly Positive" but I can't see why). Anyway, the real reason I played Refunct was because the website "HowLongtoBeat.com" (a website that gives you an estimate on how long it takes to complete games) suggested that Refunct was one of the short ones - turns out the website was right.
So what exactly is Refunct? Well it's a short, peaceful, non-violent and relaxing 3D puzzle platformer filled with just under half an hour of jumping puzzles. But is that enough to make this a game worthy of your time?
What I like:
A platformer for those who don't like platformers
While I generally don't mind a few jumping puzzles, the kind you'd find in classic games like Half-Life or Portal, I'm not normally a fan of dedicated platformer games. Refunct is probably a more casual affair for those who are hardcore platformer fans but that just suits me fine. Unlike a lot of platformers where you often die and have to restart again thanks to plummeting to your death or getting killed by one of the level's baddies, the only thing you get to lose in this is a bit of time. I don't consider myself to be an expert in the genre at all but I managed to finish the main game pretty easily (I say "main game" because there are these little collectables scattered around the map which I suspect are meant to challenge veterans of the genre).Relaxing atmosphere
The game has accelerated day/night cycles and the beauty of the surroundings just makes it a generally relaxed experience.Steam Trading Cards and Achievements
I don't know how I'm going to earn the last two trading cards since it probably means having to play the game for at least another half hour, but there you have it: this game comes with Steam Trading Cards and (cryptic) achievements.What I dislike:
Short
While I think the current length of the game (which is around 20-30 minutes) is actually a decent length - maybe it should be the length of the first chapter. However, without a plot or anything else going for it, extending the length of the game might be a bad idea too (unless you're really into jumping puzzles).Lack of replay value
Once you've finished the game is there much point returning to it? Sure you can try to get a 100% exploration rate (or whatever that figure is when you open the main menu - mine's at 80%) but that depends on whether you're of the "completionist" persuasion and enjoy 3D puzzle platformers.Learning the keys
On one hand, I like what they've done with the lack of tutorials since the game is pretty easy enough to pick up for those that are used to playing FPSs, although there was one point where it looked like I had to crouch but my default crouch key (i.e. CTRL) didn't work. I had to end up checking the key bindings through the main menu. No biggie - I'm really grasping at straws to fault this game now.Score – 7/10 (Not Bad)
If you're like me and not normally into platformers with lots of jumping puzzles but want a game that is more forgiving, relaxing and potentially a bit of fun, try Refunct. Sure the game is really short and its debatable if there's any replay value, but it's only $3 USD so the price is right.
Is the game worth $2.99 USD?: Yes. That's just under $4 AUD with current exchange rates. While the game is short, it's fun while it lasts.
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[ LINK: Official Refunct Website ]
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