Defy Gravity Review - A Tale About A Gravity Gun & A Space Woman

Defy Gravity is an indie platform game by Fish Factory Games(their debut title if I may add). It’s a interesting take on the classic platforming formula with the use of gravity. It does remind me of 2D Portal, the flash version that wecreatestuff made. But that is a puzzle game and this is very clearly a platformer. Oh and no portals involved, but a gravity gun is just as fun as a portal gun.



You play the role of Kara, the female protagonist with a wicked gravity gun. You’ve infiltrated this ancient monument and must make your way through it to learn its secrets. But the the place is littered with obstacles and challenges no normal person could ever hope to get past. But using Kara’s gravity gun abilities and some very precise platforming skills, you can overcome them.

Having a gravity gun is pretty nifty. You'll have to think and act quick.

The gravity gun essentially allows you to fire off two different ability. The left mouse button will fire off a gravity well that will attract anything that gets close to it. The right mouse button will create an anti gravity well which, you guessed it, will repel anything that comes close to it. You also have a gravity shield that will allow you to walk past the gravity/anti grav well and not get affected by them.

There are a variety of levels that will disable certain powers, or turn on your gravity shield permanently(for that level). And then there are those levels where you have to use your gravity guns to move these platforms that you stand on. I hate those levels. Those platforms tend to slide and placing anti grav wells to control a moving platform can be an exercise in frustration. Although now that I think of it, perhaps using gravity wells instead would have been a much better option.

The gravity shield protects you from the effect of the grav/anti grav wells.

Because of the level design and your abilities, you can solve or get past obstacles in a multitude of ways. It isn’t exactly a puzzle game, but there are some elements of figuring out how and where to place gravity/anti grav wells. Defy gravity is also quite tough. There are lots of levels that have mines that bounce around and will kill your space woman with a single touch.

Defy gravity is a short(I didn’t count but you can finish the main game mode in a single sitting) game with an interesting idea. I would like to see that concept of using gravity in a game with higher production values. Defy Gravity isn’t scruffy, but it’s not exactly beautiful either. I hope Fish Factory Games could expand on this idea with a bigger budget. You can purchase Defy Gravity for only USD$4.99 or you can try the demo here.


Pros:

• Ruthless levels. Very challenging in a good way.
  
• Lots of checkpoints. If you die, you’ll spawn back right before a platforming challenge.
  
• Gravity gun is a new and unique idea. Well at least the way this game does it(with the use of gravity and anti gravity wells).
  
• It has a nice soundtrack.

Cons:

• Difficulty ramps up a bit too quickly.
  
• Not the sharpest looking game.

Verdict: Good idea, needs more sheen.