REVIEW : Circa Infinity (XBOX Series X)
Circa Infinity is a rare opportunity for me to recommend the opposite. I have to say that it’s a minimalist and very enjoyable experience. Circa Infinity is the latest game by indie developer Kenny Sun and publisher Red Deer Games. The studio already has an interesting artistic design and names the game perfectly fit the profile. This game is a very simple platform experience that controls a person who appears to be trapped in a collection of black and white circles. To escape, you need to jump each level and challenge the innermost infinite circle, avoiding the influx of enemies that appear to be blocking your progress.
From the outside, gameplay roams the circle and jumps at the right time. I admit that even if a lucky donor like me buys the latest game, it doesn’t sound catchy enough. But Circa Infinity is more than that and, at the same time, the same. As you can see, the appeal of such a simple task lies in the skill and accuracy needed to complete it. There is no story to follow. Instead, your main focus is on perfecting the perfect timing and precise movements needed to make progress.
Circa Infinity describes himself as a brain-melting platformer with a pulsating soundtrack. I have to say that this is a proper explanation. 5 areas consist of 10 levels and boss battles, each level displaying and completing multiple levels of puzzles and platforms. This is a unique approach to a platform that I have never personally experienced. Levels are built around a circle marked with a triangular wedge. To continue, go to the wedge and then jump to the next level. From there, you can dive into a floating ball that connects deep into the level. Repeat this process until you reach the final hypnosis circle that teleports to the next level.
If enemies scattered across the stairs and they manage to attack you, they will send you back to the previous circle. If you are unlucky and die several times in a row, you can be sent back a long way. But Circa Infinity is not completely tolerant. As you can see, every time you erase two circles, there is usually a section with no enemies or puzzles. You won’t die when you arrive in one of these rooms, so you don’t have to worry about being returned. This is a great checkpoint system to take a break, especially after a series of challenging puzzles. The first few ranges of Circa Infinity felt like adjusting my reflexes above all else. All introduced enemies behave in a specific way. For example, some will run towards you as long as you touch the ground. Others are flying around, but only while you are jumping. One big enemy can’t be jumped over, but it can also be attacked when you’re outside the next circle you’re trying to break into.
What makes timing and accuracy special are that the overall task is to go through each level, but the only way to reach the next level is to go through a specific angled section of each circle. Is to do. When created by jumping, all creatures are out of control and stay at the previous level, with even the slightest collision returning to the previous level.
This isn’t a problem if you have enough patience and can learn how to do it for each level, but most of the time, required timers, death counters, and game success lists are tied to speed. And if there are no deaths, it won’t be long before the required perfection test pressure begins. Of course, if you want to rush to the end, it’s getting harder and harder to get through the 5 worlds, and each of the 10 levels isn’t too difficult, but even casual play starts to get more difficult at later levels. However, muscle memory helps to reach it, so you can test your patience with just a sudden sense of satisfaction trying to complete a seemingly impossible level.
The general goal is simple on paper, but the minimalist visual experience of each circle being black or white and the pixelated art style that doesn’t require attention to detail add to the misunderstanding of the base game. It will be obvious. This combination of sharp and contrasting colour options certainly doesn’t look good when finished over 30 minutes, but it could be part of the charm of this tricky adventure. Either way, you’ll want to enjoy this game over multiple gaming sessions.
Each is introduced to learn how to interact with them, but it’s really scary when they reach their full potential. The difficulty increases when you reach the third area and have the task of moving the two characters. The movements of each character are synchronized, both on the other side of the circle. On the other hand, Wedges are usually a bit hard to come by, so you need to think a lot more to understand those planes. From time to time, the solution turns out to be simple-if you miss them, you’ll step up for it. However, learning to take breaks from time to time can be very helpful. There are boss levels at the end of each area; these are some of my favourite parts. It takes a little thought to defeat each one. And once you know the secret to defeat them, it becomes a matter of survival while landing the hits. Unfortunately, meeting bosses in the last area is more formal than real puzzles and challenges, but in addition, all bosses are incredibly fun.
Another striking feature of the game is the beating soundtrack that makes you feel good in the future. Trying to fit my movements to the soundtrack was often noticeable to figure out if it would help me get through more difficult levels. It turned out to be the wrong choice as the soundtrack didn’t turn as fast as the gameplay. Still, the relaxing and calming soundtrack has enough beats to nod your head without feeling too repetitive, which is essentially fantastic background music. Unfortunately, after expertly exploring another world that doesn’t take more than a few hours depending on your skill level, you’ve done all the work Circa Infinity has to offer. As mentioned earlier, the achievement roster is a fantastic tool to add flavour and challenge to the play process. While going back and forth can add excitement, Circa Infinity is standard in almost every game, even if that’s not what you want to entertain.
REVIEW : Breakneck City (XBOX Series X)
