| GEARTeam 3 | GEAR is an absolutely fantastic entry in the puzzle-platforming genre. It utilizes a satisfying mix of cartoony graphics, funky background music, intuitive game mechanics, and downright clever puzzles to present a fun and unique game that you do not want to pass up.
Take the role of an undeniably cute robot in his quest to... er... swing from rotating gears. It's fun, trust me on this one. The robot has the ability to throw out a grappling-like gear from his arm that can latch onto nearby rotating gears, ride along special conveyor belts, and even propel him through water.
If you are anything like me, you'll play the first few tutorial levels and quote Austin Powers by asking "What does it all mean, Basil?". And since you're not like me, what you say will probably be more along the lines of "Ok, this is fun, but is that it?"
The answer: NO
Not too long after you get into the comfort zone of being able to swing from one gear to the next, shoot up the conveyor belt on the wall, and do a backwards somersault all while knitting a sweater for your sweetheart for whom you forgot to purchase a gift for Valentine's day, Gear slaps you in the face with its unique puzzle element: Terrain Modification.
Pull your pants up. You can't shoot holes in the walls or create your own platforms. Instead, GEAR places special gears around the map that rotate all landforms within a certain area around it. This allows you to move walls out of the way, create new passages, and place gears in more convenient locations. What really throws a curve-ball into things is the fact that if two of these special gears are close to each other, they can "pass along" ledges, making for some clever puzzlery.
Don't bother changing into a dry pair of pants yet because GEAR features a really easy level editor that allows you to play through the level as you make your edits. This allows you to create even trickier puzzles for your friends or fabricate intricate race courses with conveyor belts and gears.
Even if you don't like platformers, I highly suggest you give GEAR a try. Its fun platforming mechanics and clever puzzles are sure to have you hooked in a matter of seconds. |
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