Flatland Prologue is a simple game, a game about a square on the move. This little square will keep going until it stops or hits a wall or spikes. Flatland Prologue is a game of precision that will have the player lose again and again until they figure out how to get through the maze. That is unless the player is that good and gets through it on their first try. Flatland Prologue is a simple game to play but; hard to master. This game has a lot going for it as players have to know how fast they are going. The player can run with a push or hold of a button, so it’s easy to get stuck. Players will lose themselves in the try, try again cycle and, might play for hours. There is something so zen about running around a map that’s mostly hidden from view.
I’m not the biggest platformer fan, but I had a hard time putting this game down. It’s simplistic in all ways, from the black background to the square protagonist; even the neon is simple. It’s a basic game that gets harder as players feel more comfortable. When the player thinks everything is going fine, the game throws in a curveball. Suddenly as the player careens down a path, a wall of spikes emerges. Or maybe, a large sharp triangle drops from above; this game hides what’s coming effortlessly.
The music, on the other hand, is not so great. I would suggest muting the music inspired by Hatsune Miku. Matsune Hikku’s tunes in this game might fit slightly but in my honest opinion were terrible songs. The vibe of this game might be flashy neon, but fast music doesn’t pair with precision. I’d listen to just about anything else, and seeing as the music isn’t required, it is a perfect game to zone out too.
Many games today are deep and require time, but Flatland Prologue isn’t like that. Players can play any level right from the start though the first and last levels are different beasts. The first level eases the player in with a prologue of its own, and the final level is a hardcore run through an unforgiving maze.
Throughout the game, players will collect cubes and hit checkpoints to mark their progress. They will also find bigger squares that contain even more little squares. The game doesn’t tell players why they are collecting squares, but it’s still fun seeing how many the player can collect. Some squares hide behind wild obstacle courses of spikes and risky jumps. It’s up to the player whether they try to win the level or collect all the squares and then cross the finish line.
Flatland Prologue is a simple game, but deceptively so. It’s not for the faint of heart and, if the player hates dying in games, they might not be happy with this game. But, what it lacks in story or intricacy, it makes up for it with an urge to try again, and that’s magical. Flatland Prologue is a game about a speedy square; will the player guide it on its journey?
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
Images were taken from Nintendo.com