Today we’re taking a look at Frogwares’ first person puzzle game Magrunner which sees players take on the role of techno freak Dax as he enters the realm of Magrunners, except things go horribly wrong in training which requires Dax to navigate some treacherous and puzzling rooms.
http://youtu.be/EA8li0HqtsY
Magrunner’s main puzzle solving device is with the use of the opposing or attracting forces of magnetism. With Dax’s self made glove, players are able to charge certain interactive objects either positive or negatively. This has some profound effects on the environment, and using things like the opposing forces to boost Dax to higher elevated positions becomes the normal way of thinking. Naturally, each room sets its own challenges that begin fairly tame and then transcend into head scratching moments. Whilst, by design, the game is simple enough with its four button set up, but figuring out the lateral puzzles using various combinations of objects that can be picked up and platforms that need to be charged is on another level. In general, there’s a great sense of accomplishment when things fall into place after spending time looking for items or simply transferring one object from one location to a seemingly impossible other by use of sheer ingenuity. Frogware’s have done a solid job of conveying the forces of magnetism into a video game where the magnets charges are the main attraction.
Between each room, players learn more about Dax and the story he’s thrust into. It’s here where several NPCs are introduced via terminals or holographic images. There’s a bit of character to the Lovercraftian inspired tale, but the reality is the puzzle solving takes precedence, to the point where the story can be largely ignored.
Graphically, the unreal engine serves the game well, with smooth rendering and a steady frame rate and pleasant visual effects. The game’s looks are a mixed bag in terms of being aesthetically pleasing. On one hand there’s some impressive brightly lit rooms filled with distinct colour, but on the other, plenty of dark and moody locales which simply fail to inspire. Whilst continually moving forwards, players are boxed in the entire time aside from the many elevator sequences.
Audio is of a reasonable standard with some subtle but electronic sounds which add some aural colour to the futuristic slant of the theme. The voice acting is average but not really the focus of the game and act like moments of rest before tackling the next mind twisting puzzle. The rest of the audio is pretty bare leaving players at ease with spot sound effects at the press of a button.
Magrunner isn’t the longest game, and depending on how well you can think your way out of a puzzle will take anything up to a day and perhaps a bit more for those who get royally stuck. Sadly there’s not a lot more to do once the game is beaten which is a shame as a time trial mode would have been excellent. Frogwares are looking at the possibility of modders creating their own maps/rooms.
As a budget release Magrunner is a fun and likeable game that’s well worth the time investment for those who like to think their way around a game. Whilst content is somewhat lacking post game completion, and perhaps the game might prove too easy for seasoned pros, the core content is worthy enough and makes a welcome change from other first person outings.
Magrunner scores an 8/10 – Review by Robert Cram
