Recent reviews by ArchCypher

Let me begin by saying that I don't recommend this game... unless you fit at least some of the following:

• You don't suck at video games:
  
  I'm not saying you need to be mlg 360 no-scoping in your sleep, but this game absolutely requires fast reflexes, spot on timing, and solid mouse control. You will not finish this game without a decent amount of skill.
  
  
• You don't like being limited by the plebs:
  
  Are you a video game based god? Does it irk you that games are dumbed down for the slow fingered masses? Well CloudBuilt features open level designs that allow you to complete stages in record times -- if you're good enough.
  
  
• You gotta go fast:
  
  Oh baby, CloudBuilt doesn't just let you go fast; it demands it.
  
  
• You love topping leaderboards:
  
  Cloudbuilt isn't a particularly long game if you're at least decently skilled. It probably took me around six hours to complete all the levels, including the more challenging "Battle" and "Remix" bonus levels. However, if you get a kick out of optimizing lines for that extra millisecond, you will pour hours upon hours into this game. That being said, some of those leaderboards stand mighty tall. If you want something a little more bite sized the game's own ranking system will prove to be a fair challenge.
  
  
• You like interpreting the story.
  
  Cloudbuilt's story is, in many ways, secondary to the gameplay. That's not to say devs didn't show it a little love. Your character's mental musings play nicely into the developing gameplay, and the voice acting, while occasionaly under-emotive, is very solid. The story progresses as you follow different "paths," representing different lines of thought, in the game world. The thoughts and the paths end up meshing into a nice blending of story with gameplay. Dark thoughts, for instance, mean darker, more sinister level design. Moreover, several endings can be discovered at the finale of each path, and it remains up to the player to decide which ending is the true one. (I personally picked "Dreams" for the curious). All told the story remains a somewhat sparse, but very welcome, addition to the game.
  
  
• You like distinctive art directions:
  
  The devs made the wise choice of aiming for an almost surrealist art direction -- it looks absolutely lovely, ensures that the game almost always plays at a buttery 60, and meshes nicely with the story of the world. One particular overlay effect will likely seem jarring for the first minute or so, but I found it faded quickly in the background before ultimately feeling normal in the game's setting.
  
  
• You like a game made with a little love:
  
  Cloudbuilt isn't perfect. It's short, its story is sparse, and it suffers from the occasional ledge grabbing gameplay quirk. Yet each level was loveling crafted with multiple obvious paths, several hidden paths, and then a few more paths that take advantage of game mechanics that the player was never even specifically told. Movement has been carefully polished until it actaully gleams -- I could almost always intuitively know the distance I would travel and where I would land. By the end of the game I could regularly make wallrunning, mid-air dashing, gun firing plays that I would have thought impossible before I began, and that made me feel like an unrepentant badass. This was a game made with real care, and it shows.

Sound like you? Then you're going to love CloudBuilt. Heck, I hardly put it down from start to finish. Buy this game, love this game, and help support great devs making great games.

Before I go, a final warning to the faint of heart: On a certain bonus level that I finished with the worst possible in game letter grade. a D, I was ranked 79th in the world. This is a hard game, it will take serious persistance, but victory will be sweet.

This has been Only Play If, with DaBoneMan,

Cheers!