Triple Take review

A Forboding Tale

You would think that the dawn of 3D graphics would have put an end to the level-based 2D platformer, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Whether it be for the love of the format, nostalgia, or some combination of the two, gamers are treated to a brand-new 2D platforming adventure on a semi-regular basis. Recent years have even given us some of the very best examples of the entire genre, like Celeste and Shovel Knight to name a couple. The heightened reflexes and extreme hand-eye coordination that are required to successfully clear some of those games' most difficult portions (I'm still not convinced that anyone can get all of Celeste's Golden Strawberries without cheating) have resulted in both games earning a coveted place in many gamers' hearts and minds, especially when arthritis in their battered finger joints begins to act up. Now, a new game seeks to enter that legendary hall of 2D platform greats. With a unique concept, quirky characters, and a touch of horror theming, a humble little indie game called Triple Take is gunning to be your next favorite platformer, and maybe make you break a few controllers and keyboards along the way.

Triple Take is an appropriately-named precision 2D platformer that was developed by the West Midlands, UK-based FlyAway Studios, and published by the Scandinavian publisher Bonus Stage Publishing. Triple Take is the first released product under FlyAway's belt, but the general talent of the studio shows through in the gameplay and style of the game. Underneath Triple Take's endearing retro 8-bit visuals, something ominous lurks. Players take control of a Fez-like character and are immediately thrown into a level to get a feel for the game. But even from the opening moments, it is clear that something isn't quite right. Your presence in the game has been noticed by two beings: one, an omnipotent disembodied voice that seems to be in control of the game world, and the other, an entity that has been locked away by the first, and needs your help to get out and fight it. Within 5 or so minutes, you know you're in for something special with Triple Take. The setting and characters alone have enough charm to keep you coming back, and the way the game's story unfolds is enthralling. I won't spoil anything here, but Triple Take goes places you wouldn't think it would by the end of the game, and I personally was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Before too long, you will be introduced to Triple Take's amusing cast of characters. They all exude the kind of personality and uniqueness that was found in the characters in another retro-styled title that took the video game industry by storm several years ago: Undertale. It's not clear if making these characters feel like the iconic characters of Undertale was the developer's intention or not, but when the story begins to pick up, you realize how bonded you have become to these characters and their plight. This is definitely a credit to the writers who worked on the team.

Occasionally Awesome, Frequently Frustrating

To get through Triple Take's captivating story you have to (sometimes, unfortunately) actually play the game. At first, it's not so bad. It is a 2D platformer after all, so the controls are limited and easy to understand: move left and right, and jump. The opening levels introduce a few interesting mechanics like stage hazards, bounce pads, and the game's title feature: the Triple Take! This is a system where you must play through each of the 50+ stages a total of three times, back to back, as they evolve each time. Even boss battles. It's a pretty novel mechanic, and it effectively triples the number of stages you'll have to play through. Some stages evolve more than others, but when you get a stage that bumps up the challenge orders of magnitude from your last run, you'll be thankful for a break.

In addition to those mechanics, Triple Take also introduces its players to another mechanic. A mechanic so ghastly and sinister that it almost made me crush my controller with my bare hands… Wall jumps. Triple Take has a feature where certain walls have a texture on them that allows your character to cling to them and perform wall jumps to move vertically into the next area. You might be thinking, "Wall jumps? That doesn't sound so bad!". Well, allow me to assure you, reader, these wall jump portions are the first and final boss of Triple Take combined. In order to successfully use the wall jump, you need to move in the direction you will be jumping and press the jump button at the same time. I played the game with an Xbox controller, so my muscle memory with the analog stick mitigated some of the awkwardness of this system at first, but in high-intensity, high-stress levels and boss battles, seeing a wall jump up ahead just about made me lose hope. Every. Single. Time.

Close, But No Cigar

I attempted to play the game using the keyboard controls it was likely designed for, but those were somehow worse, at least for me. There is something about the overall speed of your character and the instantaneous activation of any input that makes playing the game feel more like a chore than a fun experience in stressful situations. It's very difficult to be able to predict where you will land after a jump or successfully time a hazard, like a projectile block. I found it was possible to hold the jump button down and then move to wall jump, but that made positioning more difficult. Years of perfectly crafted wall jumping in Mario games must have ruined me.

Outside of the dreadful wall jumping and occasionally frustrating controls, Triple Take has quite a bit to offer. The gameplay evolves as more of the story plays out, and the direness of the story is represented graphically by changing the color of the monochrome characters and environments you'll navigate, as well as adding new hazards and mechanics. The change of scenery breaks up the game pretty well, and the added benefit of it setting the tone for the narrative is a stroke of genius.