1001 Spikes

Genre: Platformer

Players: 1-4 Co-Op / Competitive (Local)

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Review:

1001 Spikes is a challenging Platformer released on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Wii U, and Nintendo 3DS in 2014. The game has also technically been announced for Nintendo Switch (and you can even see that platform listed on the publisher’s page for the game, but it has been that way for years now with no news, so it’s anyone’s guess whether that release will ever see the light of day. Anyway, 1001 Spikes is a challenging Platformer that has players taking the role as an Indiana Jones-style adventurer (sort of) going through ancient booby-trapped dungeons This game makes use of retro-style 2D pixel art visuals reminiscent of the visuals of the Nintendo Entertainment System, with a chiptune soundtrack to match. This definitely gives the game a nostalgic feel, which works well for the gameplay.

That gameplay is extremely simple in concept, but punishingly hard in difficulty. Players go into the game’s levels with just two different types of jump (low and high), a horizontal projectile attack, and a close-range melee dash attack, and using these they must navigate numerous gauntlets of enemies, hazards, and booby traps.

The booby traps in particular are really going to make this a “love it or hate it” game for most people, as level hazards are often hidden from players until they trigger those hazards, with the cost of learning what to watch out for often being one of your lives (though these are plentiful, and restarting a level is instantaneous). Eventually, the gameplay here becomes a pattern of going through a level, dying to some surprise, and then proceeding through the level again while trying to memorize all such lethal surprises you encountered before. The philosophy here is very much “trial and error”, and some players may find this frustrating and tedious.

On the brighter side of things, the level design here is quite good once you adjust your expectations for just exactly what kind of game this is, and there are plenty of unlockable secrets and game modes, including competitive and cooperative multiplayer modes. So if this is your sort of game, you’ll find a lot to love here.

In the end, given that 1001 Spikes’ core gameplay is clearly the sort of thing that’s divisive, whether or not you’re likely to enjoy it will depend not only on whether you enjoy a challenge, but on how patient you are when it comes to learning the ins and outs of a challenging level’s layout by failing over and over again. If that sounds like something right up your alley, you’ll find a lot to love in 1001 Spikes. Otherwise, you may want to look elsewhere for your retro-style Platforming fun.

tl;dr – 1001 Spikes is a challenging Platformer with a retro-style presentation that in not only punishingly difficult, but that pushes a “trial and error” style of gameplay that won’t appeal to everyone. However, those who don’t mind this will find a game with great level design within this framework, as well as a lot of unlockable content and features. As such, you will likely either love this game or hate it.

Grade: B-

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