I happen to like games that challenge my ideas of what a good game can be. Typically, I look for graphics, in-depth stories, action, and the freedom of choice (I love Mass Effect 2, for example). Every once in a while, a game will come along that doesn’t really have any of these characteristics and will still keep me enthralled for a good long while. Shift is one of those games. Hit up the break to find out why!
The first thing you notice about shift is the complete lack of graphics. The whole game, including the opening screen and menus, is devoid of color save black, white, and the occasional (or not so occasional) red splatter of blood if you die. This spartan design, however is part of the game-which, revolves around shifting around a negative spectrum. Yeah, great, what does that mean?
Basically each level is a sort of maze. You have to navigate your way around the level to unlock barriers blocking you from getting to the door, which takes you to the next level. You’ll do this while avoiding jumping onto or into spikes and occasionally while trying to get to the door before a solid wall of spikes turns you into a bloody squirt. Pretty standard fare, right?
What makes Shift stand apart from your usual maze-runner is its Portal-esque brand of humor (it even references “cake” on one of the levels) and the shifting feature. In the above picture, you can see that the character has no where to go except back forth between the two walls. Pushing either one of the shift icons, however…
…flips the level upside down and swaps you to the negative space, allowing you to reach things you couldn’t previously. In this case, the character will run to the left, drop and then shift again, until he can get the key at the center of the maze. Controls are very basic but intuitive. As stated before, you have the Shift keys. Beyond that you have only two other keys, used for running left or running right. Anytime you’re running in either direction, the movement key opposite the one you’re pressing turns into the jump key. Again, simple, but it definitely works.
I suppose if I had to complain about anything it would be the background music. It’s a very sleuthy spy sort of theme, and it’s very cool. At first. After quite a few levels, however, it gets extremely repetitive, and I ended up just turning the sound off via the pause menu. I think having more tracks that change per level or a more ambient theme that isn’t as noticeable may be a good idea for any sequel the developer has planned. Still, this is my only complaint and it’s extremely minor.
Speaking of a sequel, at the end of the game, there’s an implication that there’s more gameplay to come. I certainly hope so, and I look forward to whatever the developer has planned. Shift is one game that’s different, fun, and captivating enough for me to give a whole-hearted recommendation.
Shift is available in the Market for $1.99.
Check it out here!