VVVVVV is a 2D puzzle-platform game released in 2010, though it has the look, feel and sound of a game straight out of the 80s. Its story centres on Captain Viridian, whose crew has gone missing, after his spaceship entered another dimension known as VVVVVV. The player must guide Viridian around his spaceship, finding and saving each crewmember so that everyone can escape from VVVVVV and live happily ever after.
Most of the game’s puzzles are based around the simple mechanic of adjustable gravity. By tapping the space bar, the player can make Viridian fall up or down, allowing him to cross platforms, jump over spikes, and evade otherwise deadly obstacles. Much like the equally brilliant puzzle-platformer Braid, the game introduces different variations of its basic playing style to keep things interesting, with some levels containing straight lines that turn you away in the reverse direction, and others where each side of the screen warps you to the opposite. The game has a world map, allowing you to tackle the levels in whichever order you choose.
A lot of reviewers have commented on VVVVVV’s difficulty, some claiming it demands old-school levels of dedication to complete. Personally, I found that most of the puzzles were challenging but enjoyable enough to keep me trying “just one more time,” and I never got stuck on anything long enough for it to become frustrating. And I’m not by any means a particularly skilled gamer.
Also, I want to emphasise that while it might look like a fairly basic, run-of-the-mill arcade game, it is at the very least incredibly fun and addictive to play. So much so that I completed it in one sitting, which is something I can’t say for a lot of games. Granted, it’s not particularly long, but it doesn’t really need to be. There are just enough puzzles and levels to provide a challenging, satisfying gaming experience without it overstaying its welcome.
Oh, and did I mention it has a superb soundtrack by chiptune musician, Magnus Pålsson? I defy you not to get at least one of the songs stuck in your head after you finish playing.
You can play a demo of VVVVVV on your PC or Mac via the following link, though I recommend you go ahead and get the full game:
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