REVIEW : Haiki (PC)
Haiki is a diamond-hard platformer that MERCILESSLY rewards skilful play while punishing errors. Immerse yourself in four realms of colour-changing, laser-dodging, and lightning-fast action.
On an epic quest to destroy the slash-happy Baron Nohead, you take control of Haiki’s severed head. Jump from pillar to pillar, through chasms, over spikes, and into nothingness. To survive the 80 hand-crafted levels that lie between Haiki and success, you’ll need precise jumps and quick reflexes.
Until your reflexes are sharp enough to face the headless Baron and reclaim your body, die, die, and die some more.
Or you’ll lose your mind forever.
Do you want to move ahead in life? Get yourself a cap! On your way up from the gutter, collect handsome, dashing, and fabulous hats. What role do the hats play in Haiki’s quest?
They don’t. IN ANY WAY.
They’re just hats, after all.
Features
- Fast-paced, intuitive, limb-free platforming
- 80 levels, from EASY to PURE HELL
- A story that makes Shakespeare look like an idiot
- Speedrun mode for the truly hardcore
- Collectable hats for the truly awesome
Is this a masterpiece of a game? No, however, it is a difficult precision platformer with precise controls. After 5 months of continuous updates, it has just exited Early Access. Richard Hörnig’s small game features brief stages with lethal dangers and a stopwatch for speedrunners. Skilful play is rewarded, while mistakes are punished harshly. In the event of (normal) death, you can try it again right away. And once more.
Although the storey appears to be horrific, it is presented in a child-friendly manner. Because he desired our heads, the nasty and headless Baron Nohead decapitated us. Sadly, the severed head slipped from his grasp and tumbled down a slope. However, the mind appears to be perfectly functional without a body, so we go on an 80-level odyssey to reclaim our body. We hop from wall to wall, across chasms, over spikes, and to the level exit while dodging laser beams and changing the colour of platforms. To pass through the individual levels, you’ll need precise jumps and quick reactions. We die and die until our reflexes are sharp enough to deal with the headless Baron. We can gather caps along the way. They don’t add any new skills, but they do have a lovely appearance. For speedrunners, there is an online leaderboard. Haiki’s graphics aren’t as detailed as those in similar games, but you won’t need a magnifying glass to see everything, and you won’t be distracted unduly.
REVIEW : Tony and Clyde (XBOX Series X)
