Out of Line

Genre: Puzzle-Platformer

Players: 1

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Review:

Out of Line is a Puzzle-Platformer released on PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in 2021. This game has you taking the role of a small boy using a magic spear to try and escape from a factory and from the clutches of a mechanical claw.

The presentation here is lovely, with some beautiful, detailed hand-painted visuals and some really nice orchestral music (unfortunately, I can’t point you to examples at this time). This does a good job conveying a fair amount of emotion and personality, given that there is no dialogue or narration in the game.

As for the gameplay, it largely revolves around two major elements – first, making use of your spear for largely non-combat purposes – you’re making use of it mostly to create platforms and manipulate machines in the environment. And second, players must assist, and in turn be assisted by, various helper characters, animals, and machines you meet along the way, which adds some variety to the puzzles.

It’s all generally well done, and the puzzles are overall pretty good, albeit nothing truly spectacular. However, there are a few issues. The playforming here is not very good, and the button layout is a bit awkward, and this is made all the more frustrating by the game refusing to let players alter this layout. Finally, at the price of $12.99, this game seems a bit pricey for an experience that will last only two hours, tops.

While Out of Line isn’t super-original, is a bit pricey for what’s on offer, and it has a few issues in its controls and platforming, this is nevertheless a solid Puzzle-platformer that’s worth a look for fans of the genre, at least when it goes on sale. This game isn’t likely to make a huge impact in anyone’s experiences within the genre, but it is still an enjoyable time while it lasts.

tl;dr – Out of Line is a Puzzle-Platformer where players use a magic spear to create platforms and solve puzzles, and must work with helper characters they meet along the way. It’s a solid entry in the genre with a good presentation, but it’s not very original, overpriced for its short 1-2 hour length, and has some issues with its controls and platforming. It’s not a spectacular entry entry in the genre, but it’s still worth a look if you’re a fan of Puzzle-Platformers.

Grade: B-

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