Title: Razed
Genre: Action, Platformer, 3D
Modes: Single-player
Developer: Warp Fish
Publisher: PQube
Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, PS4 (reviewed), iPad/iPhone, Switch
Release: Dec 19, 2018 (PS4)
Razed is a racing platformer from Warp Fish. In the game you take control of a computer program character whose creator wants to “clean up” their code, but feels guilty about the task at hand and doesn’t want to outright destroy your character. So instead, he straps a pair of shoes on the character and the moment the character stops running, the character is “razed”. An interesting story background to a good (although difficult) platformer.
The Tip & The Top
The game is beautifully designed: the computerized style fits well with the game’s premise, and the neon colors give everything a futuristic look and feel. While there aren’t many details in the game’s background, this is a welcome decision as it would distract from your overall objective of finishing the race.
The music in the game is really well done -- it utilizes a techno/synthesized style that adds to the game’s flavor. The music is catchy and it doesn’t distract from the objective of the game which is good because, as hard as this game is, if the music wasn’t good, it would make it frustrating to hear it again and again because you are going to die...a lot.
As stated above, the premise of the game is to keep running. Since your creator put special shoes (that can talk) on your feet, the moment you stop running for a length of time, you die or get “razed”. Your momentum is tracked by a ringed meter around your character, as you stop running the meter becomes depleted, and the moment that the ring is empty is the moment you get razed. You can increase the meter by running or by picking up crystals along the way in the race. The race courses include jumps in certain areas, and, when you jump, you are not running which causes the meter to deplete. Picking up the crystals will help you keep the meter full as you make those jumps.
The game is broken into six different levels with ten races each. The races are short, you can complete them in only a few minutes, but each race is a puzzle, and you’ll need to figure out how to get through certain areas to complete the race. The brevity of each track means that there is a lot of trial and error in the game, but once you figure out the strategy, you’ll be able to get through the race.
After you complete each race, you’ll be given a grade and your score is added to the leaderboard (if you have a good enough score to make the leaderboard). You can see where you stand against other players in the world or against your friends. This is a nice touch and gives those of you that are competitive more reason to replay previous levels.
The last race in each level is against a boss, and the boss battles are not easy. If you are successful at defeating the boss, then the next level opens up to you.
The Flip & The Flop
While the game runs smoothly, there were a few hiccups that caused some frustration. At times you may find yourself running into a corner and getting stuck as you are not able to move forward, although there does not seem to be anything in your way. This is especially frustrating when you are close to the end of the race. While this happened only a few times during our runs, it was no less upsetting.
The game is hard, and there may be times where you feel that there is no way to beat the level. Fortunately, the developers included the ability to skip up to three races. Use them wisely! You may be stuck on a track, in which case the best advice is to walk away for awhile, come back to it, and you may find that you are able to get through the race.
Final Grade: B
Razed accomplishes what it sets out to do, provide you with a fun and challenging platform racing game. It looks great and the musical score fits nicely with the game’s overall motif. Be prepared for a challenge, however the sense of accomplishment after beating a difficult race is a really good feeling.
Review code provided by PQube